122: Chapter 122 The Fifth Life, The Blazing Sun Illuminates the Martial Path (Seventy)

The Innate Sword Bone endowed him with combat instincts far surpassing ordinary people; the trajectory of every one of Zhao Xuan's punches and every opening were clearly reflected in his mind.

"Clang!"

The tip of the sword precisely struck the knuckles of Zhao Xuan's fist.

A sharp force traveled up his arm and into his body; Zhao Xuan felt his fist go numb.

The punch, originally heavy and powerful, was forced off course.

He let out a roar, his left fist following closely behind, smashing toward Li Hao's head with a whistling wind.

Li Hao's figure swayed, drifting away like willow catkins, while his wrist flipped, the longsword carving a bright, snowy arc as it slashed toward Zhao Xuan's wrist.

Zhao Xuan hurriedly pulled back his fist to block. The muscles on his arm were as hard as steel; when the longsword struck them, it left only a shallow white mark and sparked a series of flames.

"It's useless! My Mad Lion Battle Body is impervious to blades and spears!" Zhao Xuan sneered, his offensive becoming increasingly violent.

His fists smashed toward Li Hao like a storm; every punch carried the weight of a thousand jun, causing the air to crackle and pop.

A golden lion phantom roared behind him; his momentum grew increasingly fierce, and his strength grew even stronger, showing absolutely no signs of exhaustion.

Li Hao did not clash head-on with him, relying on agile footwork to weave and maneuver through the shadows of the punches.

His sword technique was as fast as lightning, every strike aimed directly at Zhao Xuan's openings.

Joints, underarms, knees... these most vulnerable parts of the human body were all his targets.

For a time, sword light flickered and punch shadows crisscrossed on the arena.

Li Hao's sword was so fast that one could not see its trajectory, only a sheet of bright, icy light.

Zhao Xuan's fists were heavy enough to shatter mountains; every punch that landed left a deep imprint on the arena.

Dozens of rounds passed.

Zhao Xuan's breathing remained heavy and powerful, and the blood energy in his body boiled even more intensely; the advantages of the Mad Lion Battle Body were displayed to the fullest.

Meanwhile, fine beads of sweat had seeped onto Li Hao's forehead. His left arm had been grazed by the wind of a punch, leaving a wound deep enough to see the bone, and blood flowed slowly down his arm.

"Hahaha! Li Hao, you're done for!" Zhao Xuan laughed loudly, letting out another deafening lion's roar.

"Today, I'm going to break your bones and let you know who the true prodigy is!"

Before his words had even faded, he suddenly leaped up, both fists raised high above his head.

All the blood energy in his body converged onto his fists; the golden lion phantom merged with his fists, and with a world-destroying momentum, he smashed down fiercely toward Li Hao.

This was the innate killing move of the Mad Lion Battle Body: Mad Lion Quells the Mountain!

The disciples off the stage all held their breath.

The power of this punch was enough to directly smash any Stone Skin Realm cultivator into serious injury.

However, just as the fist was about to land on Li Hao's head, Li Hao moved.

Instead of retreating, he advanced. He stomped fiercely on the arena floor, his figure shooting upward like an arrow released from a bowstring.

The longsword in his hand was raised high, all his sword intent converging at the very tip of the blade.

"Lingxiao Sword Technique, One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Laws!"

There was no dazzling radiance, no earth-shattering roar.

There was only a sword light that was fast to the extreme, streaking across the sky like a shooting star.

"Pfft!"

The tip of the sword precisely pierced into the gap between Zhao Xuan's fists, traveled up along his arm, and finally stopped three inches from his throat.

The icy blade pressed against his skin, raising a layer of goosebumps.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

Zhao Xuan maintained his punching posture, frozen in mid-air.

The golden lion phantom behind him instantly dissipated, and his swollen body slowly returned to its original state.

He looked at the sword tip inches away in disbelief, his eyes filled with unwillingness and astonishment.

"You..."

Li Hao landed slowly and sheathed his sword. His face was somewhat pale, and the wound on his left arm was still bleeding, but his gaze remained sharp.

"You lost."

The simple three words struck Zhao Xuan's heart like a heavy hammer.

He clenched his fists tightly, his knuckles turning white, his teeth grinding with a clicking sound.

His blood-red eyes stared fixedly at Li Hao, wishing he could swallow him alive.

"I don't accept this!" Zhao Xuan roared, "I was careless just now! If you have the ability, let's fight again!"

"A loss is a loss; why so much nonsense?"

Li Hao said indifferently, "The Mad Lion Battle Body is indeed powerful, but it's a pity that your brain doesn't match your body."

"You!" Zhao Xuan was shaking with anger, pointing at Li Hao, unable to say a word for a long time.

He knew that Li Hao was right.

Just now, he had been blinded by anger. Under that full-force strike, his old strength was spent and new strength had not yet arisen, exposing a fatal opening.

And Li Hao had precisely seized that moment.

The deacon walked onto the arena and announced Li Hao's victory.

Zhao Xuan glared fiercely at Li Hao and said through gritted teeth, "Hmph, Li Hao, you just wait for me!

Today was just a moment of carelessness, allowing you to win.

Next time we meet, I, Zhao Xuan, will definitely defeat you with my own hands!"

After speaking, he turned and jumped off the arena, walking toward the Chiyang Peak spectator stand without looking back.

Thunderous cheers suddenly erupted from off the stage.

"Brilliant! Too brilliant! Senior Brother Li's sword technique is too amazing!"

"The Innate Sword Bone truly lives up to its reputation; to think it could defeat a Mad Lion Battle Body of the same rank!"

Li Hao cupped his hands toward the audience and also turned to walk off the arena; his injuries were not light either.

Over the next half hour, several more Core Disciples took turns on stage.

Chu He of Yaoyang Peak, Su Qinghe of Luoxia Peak, Lin Wan of Ice and Snow Holy Land, and Chen Lingxi of Four Seasons Holy Land all displayed their strength on the arena.

For a time, fists and swords flew on the arena, and cheers rose and fell one after another.

I don't know how much time passed, but the battles on the arena finally gradually calmed down.

Most of the new Core Disciples from the three Holy Lands had already determined their winners and losers.

Whether winning or losing, they all retreated off the stage, covered in sweat and wounds.

At this moment, apart from Chu Shi, only three people remained off the stage.

The golden arena was also briefly left empty, and then, a purple figure stepped onto it slowly.

It was Ling Chen.

The personal disciple of the Qingyang Peak Master, a prodigy on the eighth level of the Heaven Ladder, and the recognized second-best person of this generation in the Great Sun Holy Land.

He was dressed in the standard deep purple martial attire of Qingyang Peak, with a cyan jade plaque tied at his waist. His face was handsome, and his eyes were sharp.

Ling Chen stood in the center of the arena and slightly cupped his hands toward Bing Hao and Zhou Xuan off the stage.

His tone seemed humble, but hidden within his eyes was an irrepressible sharp edge and the unruliness of a youth:

"Senior Brother Bing Hao, Senior Brother Zhou Xuan.

Since this competition is about to settle, this junior brother dares to boldly request the two of you to kindly offer some guidance."

As his words fell, a commotion immediately broke out off the stage.

"Is Senior Brother Ling crazy? He is only in the Stone Skin Realm, even if it is the peak of the Stone Skin Realm!

That is a chasm of a major realm!"

"He is a monster on the eighth level of the Heaven Ladder; maybe he can really create a miracle?"

"It's difficult... This is an essential difference after a life evolution; it's not so easily crossed."