45: Chapter 45: We Must Fight for What We Should

The last stage of Golden Core defeats the Peak of Golden Core.

For an instant, the entire venue fell into a brief silence, followed by thunderous applause.

In this battle, Xiao Ran had truly won beautifully!

Not only did he win, but he also demonstrated precise insight, ingenious tactics, and control over the flow of battle.

These qualities are not something everyone possesses, especially when facing a formidable opponent.

At this moment, Mo Yuan's voice rang out from all directions.

"Eighth Demon Son Xiao Ran wins, replacing the position of Seventh Demon Son. Tie Kuang drops to the eighth position."

"Xiao Ran, do you wish to continue the challenge?"

"In the next round, you may challenge the Sixth Demon Son, Ghost Shadow."

Hearing this, Xiao Ran looked up towards the position of the Sixth Demon Son.

He pondered slightly.

According to his original plan, his current cultivation was still shallow, and the stage of the Demon Son Ranking Tournament was still too early for him.

Xiao Ran had originally intended to just win against the Seventh Demon Son, which would at least prove his strength.

But now, he had changed his mind.

Since he was going to fight, he would fight to the end.

Even if he lost, he would still display his potential and value, letting the Sect's higher-ups see... that he, Xiao Ran, was qualified to receive more resource allocation.

Cultivation is just like this; when it is time to fight, one must fight for it.

"Reporting to the Hall Master, I choose to continue the challenge."

Xiao Ran said, cupping his hands.

In an instant, everyone's gazes turned toward him in unison.

The Sixth Demon Son was a Nascent Soul bigshot!

Golden Core fighting against Nascent Soul... there aren't many successful examples of that!

"Allowed!"

"You may rest for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

On the high platform, Mo Yuan seemed to have long anticipated this answer.

Hearing this, Xiao Ran immediately sat down where he was, consumed a Medicinal Pill, and began to recover his strength.

The time for one incense stick to burn passed.

Xiao Ran slowly opened his eyes and stood up, his gaze looking toward the waiting area.

"Senior Brother Ghost Shadow, please grant me your guidance."

The moment his voice fell.

Ghost Shadow's figure flickered, like smoke and mist, and he appeared on the sparring platform, thirty zhang away from Xiao Ran.

"Junior Brother Xiao, what great courage."

"Regardless of the outcome today, you are welcome to come to my residence for a drink."

Ghost Shadow said in a drifting voice.

"I thank you in advance, Senior Brother. Please!"

Xiao Ran assumed a starting stance.

"Come!"

As the voice fell, Ghost Shadow's figure suddenly became blurred.

One became ten, ten became thirty!

Thirty ghost shadows instantly filled the sparring platform!

Each one had a real aura, distinct movements, and blood Qi fluctuations that were almost identical.

That is the nature of the Phantom Demon Body; once Cultivated to success, it can highly simulate real blood Qi!

The higher the cultivation, the more realistic the simulation.

It is rumored that the previous Cultivator with the Phantom Demon Body, upon just entering the Soul Transformation stage, relied on several incredibly realistic Incarnations to forcibly hold off the siege of nine Late Stage Soul Transformation experts.

There is no need to speak of his strength; his battle record is verifiable.

Ghost Shadow is currently only at the Nascent Soul stage, but his Phantom Demon Body has already begun to show its edge.

On the field, Ghost Shadow's thirty figures spoke simultaneously, their overlapping voices shaking the soul.

"Junior Brother Xiao, be careful."

The next instant, all thirty figures moved in unison!

Claw shadows, palm prints, finger winds, and leg forces... attacked from all directions.

Every strike carried Divine Soul interference, dazzling the eyes and causing the Divine Soul to become chaotic!

Xiao Ran's pupils constricted sharply. He immediately summoned the Soul Suppressing Tower to protect his Divine Soul, while simultaneously retreating rapidly, the Guixu Demonic Light transforming into nine vortices to protect his body.

"Chi, chi, chi!!!"

The claw shadows swept across the vortices, emitting a harsh, scraping sound.

Although it did not break his defense, the demonic essence was being consumed extremely quickly.

What was more troublesome was that among these thirty phantom images, three attacks were exceptionally fierce; that was where Ghost Shadow's true body was located!

But he could not determine which three they were.

Because the intensity of every attack was constantly changing, and the true body and phantom images were switching at any moment!

"Lord Sixth Demon Son's Shift-Shape Phantom has already reached the Transcendent level; his true body can switch arbitrarily among the thirty phantom images!"

"If Demon Son Xiao cannot find a way to break it, he will surely be exhausted to death!"

"The gap between Golden Core and Nascent Soul is simply too large."

The crowd below discussed noisily. The battle had shown a one-sided trend from the very beginning.

On the stage, Xiao Ran's eyes were focused and grave; he indeed could not distinguish the location of Ghost Shadow's true body.

"Since my eyes cannot see, then I will look with my heart."

He simply closed his eyes, completely abandoning his vision.

His Divine Sense spread out like a net, capturing the movement trajectory of every attack.

It didn't matter if he didn't look, but upon looking, he actually discovered a flaw.

It turned out that these phantom images could simulate their own aura, but could not perfectly simulate the flow rhythm and trajectory of Nascent Soul-level demonic essence.

In other words, as long as Ghost Shadow used a Cultivation Technique or Spell, there would definitely be a flaw.

This was the unique rhythm of the Cultivation Technique's operation.

Among the thirty attacks, three of them had subtle differences in their flow trajectories.

Those were the unavoidable flaws when Ghost Shadow switched between his true body and the phantom images.

"Found it!"

Xiao Ran suddenly opened his eyes, his figure shooting out like lightning!

Ignoring the attacks of the other twenty-seven phantom images, he used the Guixu Demonic Light to tank them, and charged straight at the figure fifteen zhang away to the southwest!

"Three-Part Return to Origin Finger!"

Xiao Ran's hands became like a machine gun, rapidly pointing out a series of finger techniques.

In an instant, thousands of finger beams formed, covering that area like a net of heaven and earth!

The Return to Origin Finger intertwined, sealing off all space for evasion!

Seeing this, Ghost Shadow did not choose to evade, but instead met it head-on. His hands transformed into sharp claws to tear, instantly breaking through hundreds of finger beams.

Just at this moment, Xiao Ran pressed forward.

"Pu, pu, pu!!!"

Three finger beams grazed past Ghost Shadow's true body.

Ghost Shadow could not dodge in time and had to endure this strike.

Although it did not cause heavy injury, it caused his movements to stall.

"Good opportunity."

Xiao Ran intended to press his advantage.

However, at this very instant.

Ghost Shadow's other two true bodies had quietly appeared behind and to the left of Xiao Ran, simultaneously launching an ambush!

"Oh no!"

Someone on the spectator platform exclaimed.

Xiao Ran reacted instantly, his figure twisting strangely, managing to dodge the claw strike from the left in the moment of extreme danger, while simultaneously striking back with a palm behind him!

"Bang!"

Palm and claw collided, and a wave of Qi exploded!

Xiao Ran let out a muffled groan, retreated seven steps, and blood overflowed from the corner of his mouth.

Ghost Shadow's two true bodies merged into one, retreating ten zhang away, his eyes revealing surprise.

"You... deliberately showed a flaw to lure me in?"

"Senior Brother's phantoms are unpredictable; Junior Brother had no choice but to take a risky gamble."

Xiao Ran wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and smiled.

Ghost Shadow took a deep look at Xiao Ran, and his figure moved again.

Thirty phantom images reappeared, and the offensive was even faster!

Xiao Ran responded with all his might, the Soul Suppressing Tower protecting his soul, and the Guixu Demonic Light integrating offense and defense.

He himself wove between the phantom images, sometimes fighting head-on, sometimes fighting while moving.

But the gap between Nascent Soul and Golden Core was immense.