At this mont, Xuan Zhi could no longer underestimate this rough-clothed lad of unknown origin, yet no matter how strange Yun Xiao’s thods were, how powerful the Ancestor Vein Fire was, or how high the grade of the Ancestor Vein was, the ridian Qi Sword still perplexed him greatly.
As a prince born of the royal family, Xuan Zhi naturally had broader knowledge than the average cultivator, yet he had never heard of a cultivator below the ridian Rushing Realm being able to externalize ridian Qi – which was clearly impossible.
Therefore, at this mont, Xuan Zhi was just as incredulous as when he first saw Yun Xiao deploying the Qi Shield; seeing even the Third Prince of the Empire so astounded gave those observing prodigies a sense of balance—it seed they were not the only ones ignorant.
However, Yun Xiao did not entertain so many thoughts. In his previous life in the Nine-layered Dragon Cloud, cultivators were already able to gather external ridian Qi from the very beginning stage of ridian Qi Cultivation – it was only that this insignificant Hidden Dragon Continent was too backward.
Therefore, seeing Xuan Zhi suddenly sowhat distracted, Yun Xiao knew this was a good opportunity, and with a movent of his handprint, led by the ridian Qi, the sword thrust towards Xuan Zhi’s chest like an arrow leaving its bow.
Even though it was just an ethereal ridian Qi Sword, if Xuan Zhi were truly stabbed by it, he would likely have a transparent hole in his chest.
Swish!
The fierce sound of the wind breaking through brought Xuan Zhi back from his distraction, but by this ti, the ridian Qi Sword was already re inches from him, approaching swiftly—too swiftly for him to react in ti.
With no chance to dodge, Xuan Zhi had to brace himself. His reaction was incredibly fast, quickly enveloping his hands in ridian Qi, astonishingly stowing his weapons back in his Waist Storage in the nick of ti, and then caught the ridian Qi Sword between his palms—an exceptional response and perception.
"Hmm?"
However, Xuan Zhi, with the ridian Qi Sword clamped between his palms, changed his expression the next mont as he sensed an incessant surge of potent energy from the ethereal sword—it seed Yun Xiao was controlling the ridian Qi Sword.
The ridian Qi Sword was exceedingly sharp, and at this mont, Xuan Zhi suddenly felt a piercing pain in the palms of his hands, so he dared not be careless. Leveraging the mont he trapped the sword between his palms, he slightly shifted his body sideways, allowing the sword tip to finally no longer aim at his chest.
Whoosh!
A sound of breaking wind was heard, followed by the onlookers seeing the ridian Qi Sword graze between Xuan Zhi’s hands, and even tearing open a slit in his left sleeve, with traces of fresh blood splattering out.
Apparently, Xuan Zhi, using his formidable ridian Qi and Physical Strength, had barely altered the direction of the ridian Qi Sword, plus his own body’s sideway movent, to just avoid the fatal strike initially aid by the sword tip.
But Yun Xiao, having reached the ridian Gathering Realm Early Stage, possessed strength beyond Xuan Zhi’s imagination. He had thought he could perfectly dodge the attack of the ridian Qi Sword, but eventually, there was still a slight mismatch.
At this mont, the palms of this royal Third Prince each bore a cut from the ridian Qi Sword, and his left shoulder’s sleeve was torn, also wounding the flesh underneath. Although these were only minor injuries, their significance in the eyes of the bystanders was utterly different.
Previously, when both had not activated the Ancestor Vein Power, Xuan Zhi seed to have the upper hand, almost severing Yun Xiao’s right arm with that peculiar weapon.
But now, relying on the Ancestor Vein Power to elevate his ridian Qi Cultivation to the ridian Gathering Realm Early Stage, Yun Xiao seed like a changed person, achieving bloodshed on Xuan Zhi with just a single move—a disparity in perception that left so people unable to accept it for a long while.
Swish swish!
Unbeknownst to the onlookers, the surprises hadn’t ended. The ridian Qi Sword that had grazed past Xuan Zhi’s left arm suddenly curved in mid-air, rushing again towards the vital spot on Xuan Zhi’s back.
"What’s happening, this Yun Xiao not only can externalize ridian Qi but can also control it?"
Even Yin Huan, an Inner Sect Disciple of Jade Pot Sect, had widened his eyes in shock, watching the ridian Qi Sword swiftly flying toward Xuan Zhi’s back, montarily unable to understand what was going on.
Indeed, from the understanding of Cultivation by Yin Huan and Mo Qing, the ridian Gathering Realm only involved gathering ridian Qi in the body’s major ridians—enhancing attack or defensive power in certain parts of the body, but certainly not externalizing ridian Qi, let alone manipulating it as if it were an extension of the body.
This young man nad Yun Xiao truly made breathtaking moves, determined not to stop until shocking everyone. Seeing the speed and trajectory of the ridian Qi Sword flying in the air, perhaps even Yin Huan and the nearby Mo Qing might not be able to achieve this feat?
As the person concerned, Xuan Zhi, had no ti to ponder these inexplicable matters. He only knew that the wind howled behind him, and a breath imbued with hints of heat was rapidly approaching him. Without thinking, he knew it was the ridian Qi Sword that had wounded him flying back.
Xuan Zhi had not anticipated this scene, so when he dodged to the side in fright, the ridian Qi Sword brushed right past his face. Not only did it slice off a lock of his hanging hair, but it also left a bloody mark on his face.
A thread of fresh blood erged from Xuan Zhi’s left cheek, instantly dying half of his left cheek a bloody red, making him appear sowhat fierce and terrifying.
At this mont, the ridian Qi Sword controlled by Yun Xiao finally did not turn again but instead trembled and dissipated into the air.
Indeed, Yun Xiao could gather ridian Qi externally, but like now, controlling the external accumulated Qi to turn and attack an enemy was only possible when he had reached the ridian Gathering Realm.
Moreover, the ridian Qi Sword controlled by Yun Xiao could only change its course once; hadn’t it vanished into thin air right after slashing Xuan Zhi’s cheek? This was because his Qi was not sufficient to sustain such control for long. There was a limit after all.
But rely such a fleeting and rapid tactic was enough to dazzle onlookers, especially seeing the Third Prince Xuan Zhi’s half blood-red face and the blood droplets continuously falling. Everyone knew that in so sense, Xuan Zhi had lost this battle.
Even though the injuries Xuan Zhi sustained were just superficial flesh wounds, the images of the two were vastly different: one with a bloodied face and tattered clothes, the epito of disarray; while the other stood unaffected, as if not even a corner of his clothing was crinkled, making their statuses instantly clear through comparison.
However, as the Third Prince of the Royal Family, a cultivator at the middle stage of the ridian Gathering Realm who had also invoked the Ancestor Vein Power, how could Xuan Zhi swallow this insult lightly?
Feeling the pain on his palms, left arm, and cheek—though not too intense—Xuan Zhi also knew to what extent his image had beco pitiful in everyone’s eyes.
"Cao Luo, join forces with and finish off this brat Yun Xiao!"
In his frantic rage, Xuan Zhi could no longer care about anything else; hearing his loud shout, not only Cao Luo but also the surrounding onlookers couldn’t help but reveal a strange look.
Xuan Zhi had indeed lost much face today, while Yun Xiao had established his deterrence through two battles. Hence, no one would see him as a re low-rank youth anymore.
At this mont, Xuan Zhi acted like a spoiled young master who refused to accept his loss and, without any regard for the observers, was seeking assistance blatantly.
In Xuan Zhi’s heart, as the Third Prince of the Royal Family, every sect and family within the Xuanyue Empire had to obey his commands, and naturally, Cao Luo dared not refuse.
If it were earlier, like during the ti in dicine Valley, Cao Luo would have agreed imdiately without hesitation to Xuan Zhi’s request, seeing it as a great opportunity for the Cao Family to curry favor with the Empire’s Royal Family.
But now, with Yun Xiao’s powerful display, having placed Xuan Zhi in a disadvantageous position and even wounded him, Cao Luo had to reconsider seriously.
"Joking, even Xuan Zhi at the ridian Gathering Realm middle stage had been disgraced; Yun Xiao’s strength was undeniably formidable. Cao Luo believed if he blindly went up, perhaps he wouldn’t even withstand a single move from Yun Xiao, he didn’t wish to be cannon fodder for Xuan Zhi.
"Cao Luo, what are you hesitating for? If you assist today, I guarantee that your Cao Family’s standing within the Xuanyue Empire will tower above many other families!"
Seeing Cao Luo’s indecision, Xuan Zhi’s expression grew even darker, and after those words, Cao Luo finally felt sowhat tempted, his indecision stemming from the backgrounds of both Xuan Zhi and Yun Xiao.
Like Mo Qing, since clashing with Yun Xiao, Cao Luo had been inquiring if there was a Yun Family within the Xuanyue Empire, but no matter how much he inquired or how many people he asked, he never got a real answer.
This implied that the so-called Yun Family was basically insignificant within the Xuanyue Empire. Perhaps Yun Xiao had just been lucky to achieve such levels, his background truly nothing noteworthy.
In contrast, Xuan Zhi was undoubtedly the Third Prince of the Empire; as the saying goes, one seeks fortune amidst danger. For the Cao Family to climb a higher ladder, although still wary of Yun Xiao, Cao Luo had made a decision at this mont—to assist Xuan Zhi.
As the saying goes, it is easy to add flowers to the brocade, but difficult to send coal in snow. In Cao Luo’s view, his assistance now was that rare act of sending coal in snow, and should it truly succeed, Xuan Zhi would surely not forget his supportive gesture.
Moreover, Cao Luo himself held no good will towards Yun Xiao; from the very first sight of this young man, Yun Xiao always seed to put him in a difficult position. Xuan Zhi wanting to leverage Cao Luo’s strength matched perfectly with his own desire to seize this opportunity to deal with Yun Xiao, hence the two readily agreed to join forces against Yun Xiao.
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