Ling Tian Sword God

"Hey, stop right there, kid!" Baili Xuance rushed out, jumping to a spot not far in front of Ling Chen, and shouted at him to stop.

"What's up?" Ling Chen was somewhat surprised, not having expected to encounter anyone in this bitterly cold place.

"You seem to be an expert. How about a sparring match with me?"

Without saying another word, Baili Xuance leaped high and threw a punch at Ling Chen's face!

Seeing this, Ling Chen slapped the back of the Lion-Tiger Beast, his body shooting backward. Simultaneously, he threw a punch with his right hand, the force of it darting out like a shooting star.

BANG!

The two fist strengths collided and were annihilated almost simultaneously.

Regaining his balance, Baili Xuance darted towards Ling Chen at an even faster speed, throwing a series of punches through the air that caused continuous explosions.

Ling Chen naturally wouldn't be careless. This wild man who had suddenly appeared was quite powerful. If he let his guard down, he could suffer a significant loss.

As his body moved, Ling Chen also threw punches rapidly. In the midst of their exchange, a meteor-like fist strength struck Baili Xuance, causing the clothes on his upper body to explode, revealing terrifying muscles, each one like rock or steel.

Ling Chen's brows twitched. What fierce boxing! His strength is probably comparable to the top three on the Heavenly List. He took my punch and is completely unscathed.

After refining the Yin Dragon Essence Blood, Ling Chen's physical strength was far beyond what it once was. A single punch from him could shatter mountains and break stone, landing with the weight of a thousand *jun*. Yet, even such a punch had failed to harm his opponent.

"Excellent! I didn't expect to encounter an expert as soon as I came down the mountain. Let's have some real fun!"

Baili Xuance was fired up and looked extremely excited, his fighting spirit soaring. He clenched his fists, determined to have a decisive battle with Ling Chen.

"Sorry, I don't have time. If you really want to fight me, go to the City of Thunder! We'll meet at the Martial Arts Convention venue!"

Ling Chen lightly tapped his feet and returned to the Lion-Tiger Beast's back. Leaving these words behind, he cracked his horse whip, and the beast galloped forward, quickly disappearing from view.

So he's also going to the Martial Arts Convention! Baili Xuance didn't pursue further; he knew he couldn't catch up to the Lion-Tiger Beast's speed. He grinned broadly. "Alright, I won't fight you now. When we're on the stage of the Martial Arts Convention, I'll defeat not only you but all the young geniuses in the Jianghu!"

With that, his figure flickered and vanished from the spot.

「Aqua Country, Sky Void Palace.」

In a secret chamber in the back mountains.

Clad in a plain white dress, Xu Ruoyan sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion. Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, and her beautiful eyes were tightly closed. Her graceful, jade-like body was perfectly still.

The secret chamber was filled with an intense chill. The rock walls were covered in a layer of frost crystals, and the temperature was extremely low.

After an unknown period, a phantasmal blue flower petal appeared above Xu Ruoyan's head. The phantom grew increasingly distinct, almost tangible. Just as it was a step away from becoming real, the phantom shattered and completely merged into Xu Ruoyan's body. Her True Qi circulation accelerated, and an incredibly profound True Qi route map manifested within her. This map, resembling both a totem and a floral pattern, had lines rendered in a crystalline blue, echoing the True Qi spiral in her Dantian.

CRACK! CRACK!

The moment the True Qi route map formed, the ice crystals on the ground and rock walls suddenly fractured, astonishingly giving birth to numerous Ice Crystal Flowers.

WHOOSH!

Xu Ruoyan's icy eyes snapped open. In the next instant, all the small Ice Crystal Flowers shattered into fine ice crystal dust.

I've finally cultivated the Ice Soul Divine Skill to the tenth level.

Slowly exhaling a breath of turbid air, Xu Ruoyan glanced around, unsurprised. With the breakthrough in her cultivation technique, her entire temperament had changed significantly. She was more formidable than before, but her aura had also grown colder, making her even more unapproachable.

With a wave of her jade-like hand, the stone door before Xu Ruoyan seemed to open automatically. Chilly air billowed out, instantly frosting the ground.

"Junior Sister Xu has come out of seclusion!"

The news of Xu Ruoyan's emergence spread through most of Sky Void Palace. This was partly due to her long-standing reputation and partly because she was one of Sky Void Palace's most promising contenders for first place in the upcoming Martial Arts Convention.

"Junior Sister, you're finally out." Feng Piaoliu appeared before Xu Ruoyan. Sensing her aura, he was slightly astonished. He had a hunch that Xu Ruoyan's strength might now be no less than his own.

"Yan'er."

Just as Xu Ruoyan was about to respond, a majestic voice suddenly rang out. Within her line of sight, a middle-aged man in white robes, radiating an overwhelming and righteous presence, descended from mid-air.

"Father."

The man in white was none other than the Palace Master of Sky Void Palace, Xu Feihong. Seeing him arrive, Xu Ruoyan's beautiful eyes lit up, and she bowed respectfully.

"Your cultivation has reached the pinnacle of the Ninth-Level Martial Master?" Xu Feihong asked casually, having discerned Xu Ruoyan's cultivation level with a glance.

"Mm, I've been stuck at the bottleneck for some time. I have yet to break through to Grand Master," Xu Ruoyan nodded, speaking truthfully.

Hearing this, Xu Feihong flipped his palm, and an ancient bronze-colored elixir appeared within it. "This Breaking Sect Pill can aid you."

"A Breaking Sect Pill!" Xu Ruoyan took the elixir, a delighted ripple flashing through her beautiful eyes. A Breaking Sect Pill could significantly increase the probability of a warrior stuck at the pinnacle of the Ninth-Level Martial Master breaking through to become a Grand Master. If she took this pill, Xu Ruoyan was confident she could break through to become a Martial Arts Grand Master within two days!

However, a Breaking Sect Pill was exceptionally precious. Only a martial arts titan like Xu Feihong could produce such an item.

Her jade-like hand gently cradled the Breaking Sect Pill, a smile gracing her lips. In this upcoming Martial Arts Convention, I will definitely etch my name onto the Martial Arts Monument.

By the time the convention begins, that fellow Ling Chen will undoubtedly show up too, right? She could almost see his jaw dropping, his eyes wide with astonishment.

Ling Chen, you've ignored me and rejected my affections time and time again. This time, I'll make you regret it so deeply your guts turn green!

ACHOO!

Far away in the Great Snow Mountain of Thunder Country, Ling Chen, riding the Lion-Tiger Beast, suddenly sneezed.

He touched his nose and shook his head. Could this place be too cold? Did I catch a chill? No, I'm so strong and healthy, how could I catch a chill? Someone must be thinking about me.

HYAH!

Ling Chen cracked his horse whip. The Lion-Tiger Beast leaped high, clearing a massive boulder blocking their path, and accelerated forward.

Gazing into the distance, Ling Chen faintly saw signs of human settlement and a town. He had finally left the desolate, uninhabited region.

He was getting closer and closer to the City of Thunder.