Chapter 733 Fierce Battle

"boom!"

The dull bang shook the mountain mist, causing it to churn and swirl. The figure on the stone seat suddenly stomped towards the top of the stone peak.

In an instant, terrifying energy surged forth from beneath their feet like a tidal wave. Xiao Ling and the other man felt the ground tremble slightly. Then, they saw cracks, each about ten feet wide, winding down from the peak like lurking venomous snakes. Where the cracks spread, rubble tumbled down. In the blink of an eye, the entire hundred-foot-tall stone mountain became shaky and seemed about to collapse at any moment.

The boulder, accompanied by the sound of the wind, fell from the mountainside and crashed into the bottom of the ravine with a deafening roar. Meanwhile, the figure had already darted into the air like a ghost and stopped steadily a few feet in front of Xiao Ling and Xun'er.

The man gripped the dark red demon-head knife tightly in his right hand, the blade pointing diagonally at the ground. Thick blood dripped slowly down the blade's grooves. His sharp eyes coldly swept over the two men, while a blood-tinged smile slowly curved his lips.

"It's been so many years since I've tasted human blood; I've almost forgotten its warm flavor..."

He gently twisted his neck, his knuckles making a soft "click" sound. His tone was somewhat casual, a self-talk, but his gaze remained fixed on Xiao Ling and Xun'er, as if he were sizing up two prey about to be captured.
"Shouldn't you announce your name before making a move? Hmm... It's been too long since anyone has mentioned my name. I've sensed the presence of several intruders before, but they all disappeared as soon as they sensed my pressure. You two are the first two living people who dare to stand here."

He paused, as if confirming something from his memory, then raised his sword and pointed it at the two men, his voice now carrying a chilling arrogance.
"Remember this well, the one who will take your lives later is the 'Blood Blade Saint.' Have you heard of this name?"

Facing the oppressive aura released by the Blood Blade Saint, Xiao Ling took a step forward. His pale blue battle qi swirled around him like a thin mist, neither ostentatious nor lacking, yet making his tall figure appear even more composed.

His lips curled slightly, the curve so subtle it was almost nonchalant. When his gaze swept over the Blood Blade Saint, there was no sign of tension, nor any hint of seriousness.

It was as if the half-saint before him, whose body was surging with blood energy, was not a powerful enemy who could block his way and take his life, but just an ordinary pebble on the roadside that was an eyesore, not even worthy of making him frown.

"Blood Blade Saint?" His voice was not loud, but it steadily pierced through the mountain stream and reached the Blood Blade Saint's ears. There was no trace of awe in his tone. Instead, it was as if he had heard the name of a stranger and replied casually, "Hmm... I don't think I've heard of him."

Having said that, Xiao Ling ignored the Blood Blade Saint's increasingly cold expression, turned his head directly to Xun'er beside him, and said in a relaxed tone as if chatting in the mountains: "Xun'er, have you ever heard of the name 'Blood Blade Saint'?"

Xun'er already found Xiao Ling's "arrogant" demeanor amusing, and when he asked her a question, a smile immediately appeared in her eyes. She lowered her eyes slightly in response to his words, tapped her chin with her fingertips, and pretended to be deep in thought.

The slender fingertips lightly touched her cheek, and the smile that couldn't be hidden in her eyes added a touch of liveliness to the tense atmosphere.

A moment later, she gently opened her hand, her voice still sweet, but with a hint of deliberate candor, as if she were earnestly answering Xiao Ling's question.

"I'm sorry, Brother Xiao Ling, I've never heard of this name before. Our ancient clan's records document nearly a thousand years of Saint-level powerhouses on the Dou Qi Continent, including those who live in seclusion and whose names are only known in small circles. But there are no records of this 'Blood Blade Saint'."

"Oh? I see." Xiao Ling seemed to have just realized what Xun'er had said, deliberately drawing out his words, a hint of amusement flashing across his eyes.

He immediately turned back to look at the Blood Blade Saint, the curve of his lips widening further, his tone carrying a feigned air of sudden realization and disdain, every word seeming to carry a thorn.
"So, this 'Blood Blade Saint' was probably just an unknown figure back then, whose name wasn't even known? Judging from his appearance, he probably didn't have any impressive strength back then, right?"

Blood Blade Saint thought that by revealing his name and with this murderous aura of a semi-saint, the two people in front of him would at least show panic, or turn around and run away like the intruders in the past.

But Xiao Ling and Xun'er's complete disregard for him was beyond his expectations.

He tightened his grip on the ghost-head saber, the blood-red aura on the blade suddenly solidifying, his brows furrowed deeply, and a clear displeasure flashed in his previously indifferent eyes; even his voice deepened.
"Hmph, ignorant brat! You do have a bit more courage than those cowardly rats hiding in the shadows, but unfortunately... that courage will only make you die faster!"

Although the Blood Blade Saint felt that there was something strange about the aura around the two of them, and that there seemed to be a depth that even he could not see through hidden beneath their seemingly calm battle aura, he suppressed this doubt in an instant.

He glanced at their excessively young faces, a hint of disdainful certainty flashing in his eyes. They were just two greenhorns; how strong could they be?
In the past, the highest level of those who broke into the Heavenly Tomb was only a Nine-Star Dou Zun. These two people in front of me look younger than those people, so at most they are only at this level.

Thinking this, he tightened his grip on the knife, dark red blood energy flowing around the blade, and a faint but powerful aura of a half-saint level enveloped the two of them.

In his eyes, even the most powerful Dou Zun was nothing more than an ant that could be crushed at will in front of him, a half-saint. The doubts he had just had about not being able to see through him had now turned into a sneer at his "ignorance of the immensity of heaven and earth".

The next moment, the Blood Blade Saint twisted his foot in the void, and his figure disappeared instantly like a shadow swept away by a whirlwind.

Before the mountain mist could fill the void left by his departure, the figure suddenly appeared in front of Xiao Ling, so close that he could see the cold light in his eyes.

The Blood Blade Saint raised his dark red ghost-headed blade high with both hands, the blade carrying a strong bloody aura and a fierce wind, and slashed down at Xiao Ling's face. Before the blade even arrived, the sharp sound of tearing through the air made the surrounding gravel tremble and the pale red blood aura surged along the blade's patterns, almost dyeing Xiao Ling's vision dark red.

Xiao Ling looked up and met the sneer on the Blood Blade Saint's lips. The smile was full of disdain, as if he was already certain that this one strike would easily cleave the person in front of him in two, without giving him even the slightest chance to dodge.

But at the very moment their eyes met, Blood Blade Saint caught a glimpse of Xiao Ling's gaze and his heart skipped a beat. The panic and hasty retreat that he had expected were nowhere to be seen.

Xiao Ling's azure eyes remained as deep and unfathomable as an ancient well, undisturbed by any ripples, as if the demigod's sword energy descending from above was not capable of cleaving mountains.

This complete calm caused the Blood Blade Saint to unconsciously tighten his grip on the hilt of his sword, and he increased the force of his downward slash.

Faced with the slash that was so close at hand, Xiao Ling showed no panic. Just as the blade was less than three zhang away from his face, he forcefully opened his palm.

As Xiao Ling made this move, countless tiny, star-like metal fragments appeared in the void in front of him, instantly weaving together to form a dense defensive barrier. The edges of the fragments gleamed with a cold light, and as soon as they took shape, they exuded an indestructible quality.

"clang--!"

In an instant, a piercing metallic clang rang out. The Blood Blade Saint had expected this strike to easily cleave through the barrier like splitting rotten wood, but the moment the blade struck the wall, the anticipated smoothness vanished. Instead, a far stronger resistance than he had anticipated surged up the blade. He felt a numbness in his palm, and the immense force spread upwards along the hilt, causing his arm to tremble slightly. A fine, stinging pain appeared at the base of his thumb, and even his grip on the blade loosened slightly.

At the same time, the force that burst forth at the point where the two met spread out like a tide.

A visible shockwave swept outwards from the two people, instantly clearing away the dense fog in the mountain stream and even scattering the pebbles on the ground, revealing the ancient, weathered patterns on the bluestone slabs below.

The Blood Blade Saint was forced back three steps by the recoil, then regained his footing and stood in the void.

Looking at the unmoving metal barrier, the disdain in his eyes was completely replaced by shock.

He glanced down at his slightly numb hand, then looked up at Xiao Ling, his tone filled with disbelief and deep anger.
"What is your cultivation level? How could you possibly withstand my attack? What tricks are you hiding, kid!"

Xiao Ling's lips still held a faint smile. With a slight movement of his fingertips, the metal fragments in front of him gathered like a swarm of bees returning to their nest, and in the blink of an eye, they condensed into a long spear with a cold light gleaming on its shaft, which was none other than the Fallen God Weapon.

He gently twisted the gun handle, the tip drawing a shallow line across the ground, his voice completely calm.

"Methods? I don't need to use any trump cards to deal with you."

Before Xiao Ling could finish speaking, the Blood Blade Saint opposite him had already launched another attack.

He gripped the sword with both hands, dark red battle aura enveloping the blade like magma, and his roar seemed to tremble even in the mountains.
"You arrogant brat! Take my 'Blood River Slash'!"

As the Blood Blade Saint unleashed another strike, the blade light suddenly surged, transforming into a hundred-foot-long crimson blade beam that slashed towards Xiao Ling with an aura of devouring everything, scorching the air along its path with a "sizzling" sound.

Xiao Ling's eyes narrowed slightly, but he did not flinch. He raised his left arm slightly and activated the Azure Dragon Transformation Technique. Purple-blue dragon scales instantly spread out from under his sleeve. The scales shone with a warm luster, yet they exuded a terrifying power.

At the same time, he thrust his Meteor God Weapon forward with a sudden thrust, the tip of the spear precisely hitting the center of the blood-red blade light. The blazing battle qi flowed through the spear shaft, actually managing to hold the blade light still for a moment.

"Clang—!" Another deafening sound rang out as the crimson blade light shattered into a shower of bloody mist. Xiao Ling used the momentum to float back several feet, landing steadily beside Xun'er. Seeing his fighting technique so easily broken, the Blood Blade Saint's anger intensified, but he also felt a surge of interest.

"Interesting, very interesting! No wonder you dare to be so arrogant. It seems your physical strength is quite something!"

"Hehe, it's not just about physical strength anymore. Don't die too quickly, or I'll be very disappointed."

Xiao Ling responded calmly, flicking his fingertip. The Fallen God Weapon suddenly split into hundreds of tiny metal blades, which, under his mental control, rained down on the Blood Blade Saint.

The fragments, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, each gleamed with a cold light powerful enough to sever battle aura, instantly sealing off the Blood Blade Saint's retreat.

Blood Blade Saint's expression changed, and he hurriedly swung his blade to block.

The clanging and clattering sounds were incessant. Although most of the fragments were swept away by the wind of the blade, a few still grazed the hem of his robe, leaving deep marks on the rock wall.

Blood Blade Saint staggered back several steps, his hand holding the Ghost Head Blade still slightly numb, the sharp sound of the fragments of the Fallen God Weapon tearing through the air still echoing in his ears.

He stared intently at the spear that had reformed in Xiao Ling's hand, his eyes filled with shock and disbelief, his voice trembling slightly: "This weapon can actually split and reform at will? What kind of thing is this?!"

"you do not need to know."

Xiao Ling's voice remained calm, but the moment he finished speaking, his fighting spirit suddenly surged. His previously restrained aura erupted like a volcano, and the pressure of a high-level half-saint swept across the sky. The wind in the mountain stream seemed to be frozen by this power, and even the bluestone slabs on the ground cracked with fine lines.

This aura far exceeded Blood Blade Saint's expectations, completely shattering his understanding of a "junior Dou Zun".

Before the Blood Blade Saint could recover from his shock, Xiao Ling's right hand had already swiftly formed a hand seal. A dazzling energy seal quickly took shape in his palm, and the pale blue halo exuded a crushing weight, causing the surrounding air to be slightly distorted by the light seal.

"Earth-Covering Seal!" With a soft shout from Xiao Ling, the energy seal shot towards the Blood Blade Saint like a meteor, and wherever it passed, even the pervasive blood energy was shaken away by most of it.

"A high-level demigod?!" Blood Blade Saint's pupils shrank, finally realizing that he had misjudged from the very beginning, and cold sweat instantly soaked his back.

He dared not hesitate for a moment, gritting his teeth and pushing his battle qi to its limit. Dark red blood energy surged wildly towards the Ghost Head Blade, and then he swung the blade horizontally. Blood energy condensed in front of him into a giant blood-red shield more than ten feet thick, its surface covered with ferocious blade patterns.
"Blood Shield!"

However, this seemingly sturdy crimson shield proved to be incredibly fragile in the face of the Earth-Covering Seal.

With a crisp "crack," the moment the light imprint struck the giant shield, the shield cracked like a spiderweb, then shattered with a deafening roar.

After shattering the giant shield, the Earth-Covering Seal's residual power remained undiminished, slamming into the Blood Blade Saint's chest with tremendous force.

"Pfft—" The Blood Blade Saint groaned, spitting out a mouthful of blood. His body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the stone mountain behind him. The rock wall caved in with a loud crash, and rubble fell down, burying half of his body in the pile of rocks.

He struggled to his feet, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, but a crazed fighting spirit burned in his eyes: "Good! Good! I never expected to encounter such an interesting opponent in this Heavenly Tomb! Today, even if it costs me my remnant soul, I will kill you!" (End of Chapter)