Lu Yun had shored up the weakness of his chest a long time ago, but he still left traces of it as a trap. Just like he’d said to the king soldier, there was no such thing as perfect combat art. If a combat art reached that level, then either it was one big flaw, or mistakes could be found everywhere within it.

  The opening he’d left in front of his chest had seemed just right enough to attract an attack from Ghost Dragon at his full strength. That, in turn, gave Lu Yun enough leeway to destroy his opponent’s weapon with three moves and force him back.

  Far from just shattering Ghost Dragon’s spear, Lu Yun had also shattered his combat art.

  Ghost Dragon shook his spear, summoning bleak wails from the weapon. The grim cacophony drew a shocked look from Lu Yun.

  “The three dao rules within that spear aren’t from the hand of a supplemental king—they’re from three different dragon kings!” The Dragonfeather King sucked in a sharp breath and considered the fight in a new light.

  Refining a king’s dao rule into a treasure was highly forbidden in the Hongmeng. Regardless of where Ghost Dragon had obtained his spear, his possession of it would result in enormous consequences.

  It was a different case from Qing Ting’s Azuresky Sword as the Enforcer Alliance had employed special methods to cleanse the sword’s dao rule of lingering resentment and bloodlust. If Heilin hadn’t told them about its background, not even Lu Yun would’ve found anything wrong with it.

  The one in Ghost Dragon’s hand was markedly different—malice, brutality, violence, and bloodthirst seeped out from its three dao rules. All cultivators beneath half step king trembled uncontrollably after it was revealed.

  “I took this spear from a first step king of Kunvoid Paradise that I killed thirty thousand years ago.” Ghost Dragon realized he’d been too brash when he felt a variety of unfriendly and hesitant gazes on him. He offered an explanation in a faint tone.

  Kunvoid Paradise was one of the Ten Valleys of Evil and all made sense after his words. Only the evil cultivators of the valleys could do something like refine a king’s dao rule into a treasure!

  Dragonfeather nodded gently and said no more.

  ……


  Battle began again.

  Changing tack from identifying flaws in Lu Yun’s sword dao, Ghost Dragon shot into the air and used his spear as a club, smashing it down on his opponent’s head. It descended with the ponderous mass of an indomitable mountain and employed pure strength without any bells or whistles.

  One stroke to break all methods.

  Lu Yun gave a long whistle and sent out his flying sword, transmuting it into a cerulean dragon of light to meet the spear head-on.

  Bam!

  Sword and spear crashed into each other. Lu Yun’s sword broke into pieces and he himself flew back five hundred kilometers.

  Rumble—


  The sparring grounds trembled and the great formation around it lit up, dispersing the fearsome aftershocks from the spear.

  “Nice!” Azureclad rose to his feet and cheered on Ghost Dragon. At the same time, he analyzed how he could’ve possibly defused that harrowing blow. I can only run away from it. If I can’t evade it, I’d be dead without a doubt! He took a deep breath and felt that he wasn’t a match for Ghost Dragon.

  Before he had time to form a second thought, Lu Yun blazed back into the sparring grounds as a streak of sword light and shot straight for his opponent’s body. There was another sword in his hands.

  The Stellar Sword!

  Since Ghost Dragon had already drawn a king grade treasure, Lu Yun naturally wouldn’t hold back. Though there was only one dao rule within it, it was most perfectly suited to him since he’d personally refined it.

  It exploded and revolved around him as rays of sword light, turning its wielder into a keen sword.

  “Piss off!” roared Ghost Dragon to see his opponent immediately counter attack. Lying on the ground, his long spear shuddered and reversed direction like a dragon flicking its tail, sweeping toward Lu Yun in the air.

  Clang!

  The spear brutally rammed into the sword, violently shaking both wielders. Lu Yun flew out five thousand kilometers this time while Ghost Dragon remained solidly where he was, as if a nail driven into the ground. However, both arms had exploded from the impact and flesh and blood flew everywhere, exposing stark white arm bones.

  “Again!” he snarled, ignoring the wounds. He was as if a dragon churning the seas, charging Lu Yun with a dark momentum.

  He was using a combat art this time. It still looked like a straightforward thrust of his spear, but it split into endless copies and besieged Lu Yun from all possible directions. There was no place for him to retreat to—he had to take the terrible blow.

  Hummm.

  Cerulean sword light blazed from his body with a mind-numbing hum, coalescing into a cerulean dragon that shot into the air with a piercing dragon croon.

  The second stroke: Dragonsoar!

  Black and blue light occupied the sparring grounds.

  Rumble!!

  An enormous crack fissured the grounds after a tremendous explosion and rapidly snaked outward. Lu Yun remained firmly on the ground, wielding his sword with one hand like he was trying to poke a hole in the sky. Ghost Dragon was also on the ground, his spear frozen in a downward movement.

  Rumble…


  The sparring grounds exploded after three breaths, crumbling into a massive pit five thousand kilometers apart. The two opponents stood in its center.

  “They, they, they—” Jaw dropping, Azureclad sagged with a deep sense of helplessness. They were on par with second step kings! They’d left him far behind in the dust!

  “Qing Yan, geniuses abound in the Hongmeng and there is always someone stronger. Do you really think yourself to be the strongest among half step kings just because the realm hails you as the Azureclad Duke and a premier half step king?” His father’s voice suddenly sounded in his mind.

  “You’re only a flag raised by others—this doesn’t mean that you’re worthy of the position. Your sister has already advanced beyond you and reached the level of the Champion Duke and Ghost Dragon.

  “If you continue to wallow in your arrogance and give no thought to improvement, there will only be more people who surpass you!”


  Azureclad shook violently and nodded in understanding.

  “Purpleclad and Bloodclad have both undergone extreme tempering after encountering great disaster. They are extraordinarily determined now and have left you behind on the path of cultivation.

  “I now permit you to train for three months at the Coiling Dragon Battlefields. You will still be the Azureclad Duke if you are alive after three months. If not, your sister can assume the title.” Featherdragon waved a hand in dismissal.

  Azureclad stood up without a word and left.

  ……


  A victor hadn’t been determined yet, despite the large pit in the center of the sparring grounds. The two maintained their positions for nearly a hundred breaths before Ghost Dragon’s clothes flew apart as shreds. Wisps of black smoke rose from his body.

  “You tricked me!” He sounded like a vicious ghost from the depths of hell, malevolence dripping from his tones.

  “As I thought, you’re of the ghost race.” Though Lu Yun spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, he smiled through bloody teeth. Ghost Dragon was indeed that Ghost Dragon!