Xu Jushi's sinister laugh, brimming with bloodlust and cruelty, echoed through the dense forest, sending chills down the spine.
Lu Ming's expression remained completely unruffled. Having no intention of wasting words on him, the lightning beneath his feet suddenly boomed.
Boom!
His figure instantly transformed into a streak of lightning that shot forward. The dark-gold blade in his hand, embedded with the fire core formed by Golden Liquid Fire, carried an extremely sharp and blazing aura as it slashed down toward Xu Jushi.
“Truly a newborn calf that knows no fear of the tiger!”
Xu Jushi sneered sinisterly and reached out, gripping his massive blood-red axe. Majestically erupting with primordial energy, the blood-red axe transformed into a flash of blood-light that tore through the air with a deafening sonic boom, colliding directly with Lu Ming's incoming dark-gold blade.
Clang!
A violent and terrifying shockwave of primordial energy burst forth, tearing up layer after layer of the ground where they stood, sending dirt and debris flying in all directions.
Earlier, relying on the Great Perfection Flame Blade augmented by Great Perfection Golden Liquid Fire, Lu Ming had decapitated the rat-masked Grand Divine Ability Practitioner in a single blow. But facing Xu Jushi, the attack was forcibly met head-on by the blood-red axe.
Clearly, the foundation provided by twelve Divine Ability Dharma Inscriptions offered an immense advantage.
The shockwave of primordial energy left Lu Ming's webbing between his thumb and forefinger numb. Immediately, he blew forcefully onto the fire core embedded in the dark-gold blade.
Whoosh!
The next moment, rolling golden flames swept forth, transforming into sharp, golden fire blades that lunged at Xu Jushi with blazing intensity.
Xu Jushi merely sneered. His skin rapidly shifted into a dark azure-bronze color, as if his entire body had turned into solid bronze, exuding an aura of absolute toughness.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The golden fire blades slashed across Xu Jushi's body, burning his shirt to ashes while leaving a series of charred, black wounds on his bronze skin.
Yet despite the numerous wounds, none were fatal.
As an azure light rippled across his bronze skin, the charred wounds began slowly healing.
“A Mid Divine Ability, Bronze Skin Technique?” Lu Ming's eyes narrowed slightly. The Bronze Skin Technique was a physical body divine ability; once cultivated to Great Success, one's skin turned into bronze, dramatically boosting defensive power.
Evidently, Xu Jushi had already cultivated this physical body divine ability to Great Success. His skin was as hard as bronze, and supported by his massive reserve of primordial energy, even Lu Ming's Great Perfection Golden Liquid Fire failed to break through it immediately.
“Golden Liquid Fire at Great Perfection? Little brat, you do have some skill. Was Cao Shu killed by your hands?” Xu Jushi glanced at the burning wounds on his chest, a hint of surprise trailing in his voice.
If his primordial energy foundation hadn't been far superior to Lu Ming's, his Bronze Skin Technique at Great Success might truly have been breached.
Looks like I still need to be careful and not capsize in a calm stream.
Thinking this, killing intent flowed in Xu Jushi's eyes as he decisively activated another of his signature divine ability techniques.
Mid Divine Ability, Great Strength Technique!
With a skyward roar from Xu Jushi, his flesh and blood vibrated violently. Thick veins bulged under his skin like ropes, and his muscles swelled into iron-like knots, making him resemble a giant, monstrous fiend.
Jirating his blood-red axe, Xu Jushi poured all his strength into swinging it violently against Lu Ming's dark-gold blade.
Clang!
A deafening noise exploded as terrifying force erupted like a tidal wave. The resulting shockwave ripped surrounding trees right out by their roots.
Xu Jushi's strike pushed the combined advantages of his divine ability technique and twelve Divine Ability Dharma Inscriptions to the absolute limit. Suffering a heavy impact, Lu Ming's figure was swiped backward through the air.
Boom! Boom!
His body slammed into several thick trees, snapping them clean in half before embedding itself deep into the trunk of a massive tree.
“Little brat, your talent isn't bad, but you're still too green. In close combat, even Grand Divine Ability Practitioners with two more Dharma Inscriptions than me can't get an edge on me!” Xu Jushi grinned savagely at Lu Ming embedded in the tree trunk.
After taking such a heavy strike, even an opponent of equal standing would be severely injured. This kid had been overly arrogant; right now, his internal organs were probably pulverized to paste.
Just as he was thinking this, Xu Jushi suddenly saw Lu Ming wriggling free from the trunk. He dropped onto the ground, rolled his neck, and stretched his limbs.
He even hopped twice on the spot, as if warming up—or perhaps provoking him.
“Huh?”
Xu Jushi's eyes widened in sheer astonishment. Staring at Lu Ming, who looked completely unharmed, his mind went entirely blank with confusion.
“You're completely fine?!” Xu Jushi blurted out, utterly disbelieving.
Lu Ming spat out a mouthful of bloody saliva, wiped his mouth, and frowned. “Can't you see I'm slightly hurt? You really are greedy.”
The explosive power this fellow produced at close range under the empowerment of physical body divine abilities and primordial energy was indeed overwhelmingly ruthless. Yet Lu Ming had tanked it head-on. The reason he dared to do so was, of course, the healing capacity of Life's Flame as his ultimate trump card.
Besides that, there were also the body-tempering results gained from cultivating the Golden Sun Flame Banner during this period.
Lu Ming looked down at his body. Faint strands of golden light could be seen flowing within his flesh and blood like a layer of flexible armor, dispersing most of the force that penetrated his body.
And that wasn't all.
As Lu Ming slowly closed his fingers, he could clearly feel a surge of power transmitting and condensing within his muscles and blood.
The Golden Sun Flame Banner was, after all, an Upper Divine Ability with quite a history; its body-refining effects were vastly more subtle and profound than Xu Jushi's Mid Divine Ability, Bronze Skin Technique.
Lu Ming had named this body-refining effect—where golden light gradually surfaced in his flesh—the Solar Golden Body.
Because as the golden light grew stronger, his flesh and blood would eventually coalesce into solid gold, resembling an indestructible golden body.
However, Lu Ming's current mastery was still far from transforming his flesh and blood into a true "Golden Body." If categorized by the stages of divine ability techniques, his current Solar Golden Body could barely be considered at Initial Success.
“Sharp-tongued little brat, I'll smash every single tooth out of your mouth!”
Fury surged in Xu Jushi's eyes. He never expected that despite his overwhelming advantage in primordial energy, Lu Ming would still be jumping around after taking a full blow. This was an utter humiliation! If the other Peach Mountain Bandits found out, how could he ever hold his head up among them again?
In his fury, Xu Jushi stomped forward, his primordial energy erupting as he channeled his strongest divine ability technique.
Upper Divine Ability, Bull Demon Fierce Soul Technique!
Xu Jushi's eyes turned blood-red in an instant as violent slaughter intent burst forth. Majestic primordial energy billowed around him, gradually condensing into a towering phantom of a standing Bull Demon over his body.
His tower-like frame shot up several inches taller, turning him into a giant over forty feet tall. The ferocious pressure radiating from his body was suffocating.
Feeling Xu Jushi's steadily rising pressure, Lu Ming's eyes grew somewhat solemn. This guy was indeed ferocious; every divine ability technique he cultivated was a physical body divine ability, including this Upper Divine Ability, which was entirely dedicated to enhancing his physical body.
“An Upper Divine Ability at Initial Success?”
Lu Ming glanced down at the dark-gold blade in his hand. Fine cracks had appeared along the blade from Xu Jushi's previous axe strike. Evidently, even a Lower Divine Ability at Great Perfection was at a disadvantage against such a vast difference in primordial energy, suffering from its lower grade.
With a thought, the dark-gold blade rapidly melted and dispersed as the Flame Blade faded, leaving only the fire core formed by Golden Liquid Fire resting in his palm.
“Since Flame Blade can't cut through him, then...”
Lu Ming extended his hand. Surge upon surge of thunderfire primordial energy swept out, rapidly condensing in his palm. Within a brief moment, an iron whip flowing with thunder and fire, divided into four segments, materialized in his grip.
Runes of interwoven thunder and flame were engraved upon the Thunderfire Whip. Every pulse emitted a violent, booming roar.
Upper Divine Ability, Thunderfire Whip, Initial Success!
Over this past period, Lu Ming had put far more dedication into cultivating the Thunderfire Whip than the Golden Sun Flame Banner. Thus, during those days spent consuming the golden-eyed spirit fish, he had leveraged their power to bring Thunderfire Hall's signature divine ability to Initial Success.
“Dammit, Thunderfire Whip at Initial Success?! Is this kid's talent for divine ability techniques really this terrifying?!”
Xu Jushi naturally recognized Thunderfire Hall's Upper Divine Ability, the Thunderfire Whip. Seeing the whip split into four segments, he couldn't help cursing inwardly. To cultivate his own Bull Demon Fierce Soul Technique to Initial Success, he had spent several years! Yet rumor had it this kid from Thunderfire Hall had only completed his Bone-Opening three months ago!
Even though the Thunderfire Whip at Initial Success is fierce and unyielding, with his primordial energy strength, it still isn't enough to break through my Bull Demon Fierce Soul!
Still, a menace like this cannot be allowed to live!
Killing intent surged in Xu Jushi's eyes. Fortunately, Lu Ming's current foundation was still lacking, making this the best opportunity to slay him. Otherwise, at this brat's growth rate, in another half a year, Xu Jushi wouldn't stand a chance.
With no further hesitation, Xu Jushi slammed his foot down. The ground beneath him caved in and cracked as his figure charged straight at Lu Ming like a colliding Bull Demon, shrouded in rolling killing intent.
Lu Ming's pupils reflected the incoming figure rushing forward at extreme speed. Yet on the youth's slightly immature face, there was not a trace of panic, only a fierce, lethal intent.
He gripped the Thunderfire Whip tightly in his fist.
And mobilized the Fire Lotus primordial energy within his body.
The next moment, Fire Lotus primordial energy surged into the Thunderfire Whip. In an instant, thunder and fire roared as the two energies clashed, bursting with even more violent power. The whip, which originally had four segments, expanded with sharp clack-clack sounds.
Segment after segment.
In the blink of an eye, it transformed into a seven-segment Thunderfire Whip, resembling a staff of lightning judgment with sharp edges and angles. The thunderfire runes engraved upon it grew increasingly bright and dazzling in the night-shrouded forest.
Looking at Xu Jushi, who was now right before him, Lu Ming caught the sheer disbelief dawning in his eyes—he too had clearly noticed the transformation of the Thunderfire Whip.
He naturally couldn't comprehend what was happening.
The corners of Lu Ming's lips curled into a smile as a fierce light flared deep in his eyes.
Ignorant bandit, let me show you what it means to...
...reach Great Success in a single breath.
Rate on N.U.
