Mist enveloped a small forest, extending roughly a hundred meters in radius. Initially thin, the mist had thickened to the consistency of honey, making movement sluggish and breathing labored. Even Luo Ji, the user of this technique, felt the oppressive atmosphere and knew he couldn't sustain combat within his domain for long. But despite this disadvantage, Liu Xing relentlessly attacked. His lightning blade lashed out like a whip, and explosive and paralyzing bolts forced Luo Ji to remain constantly vigilant.

However, the dense fog obscured the trees and terrain making it difficult for Liu Xing to see. At one point, he bumped into a tree, and Luo Ji seized the opportunity to strike him in the back. Liu Xing immediately retaliated by firing explosive bolts at close range. The force of the explosion briefly cleared the fog around them, a momentary respite that Luo Ji quickly countered by commanding his thick mist to engulf the area again.

Luo Ji dodged and weaved around the long lightning blade that whipped through the air. The blade felled trees, shattered boulders, and left slashes across the ground around him. Luo Ji realized these attacks were Liu Xing's attempt to clear the area so he wouldn't bump into a tree again. It seems while the mist had initially been a minor inconvenience, it was now effectively hindering Liu Xing's senses.

"I think I can end this," Luo Ji whispered to the mist. As he spoke, portions of the mist around him shimmered. He leaped into the air, leaving behind a mist construct shaped like himself. This simple puppet, though incapable of deceiving anyone in open space, could serve as a distraction within the dense mist, especially since Luo Ji imbued it with some of his qi.

Ascending higher, he noticed Liu Xing firing bolts at the puppet, which he controlled to sidestep the projectiles.

Solidifying some of his mist, he used it as a foothold to propel himself out of his own creation. Soon, he emerged from the mist and landed near a river, where fish splashed water with casual flicks of their tails, and Luo Ji inhaled deeply to fill his lungs with fresh air.

Stepping out of the mist diminished his connection to it. His perception blurred, and he could no longer track Liu Xing with the same precision, but this separation was a necessary step to secure victory.

As Luo Ji maneuvered his puppet within the mist, with Liu Xing pursuing and attacking it with his lightning blade, he considered the best way to conclude the fight.

He preferred not to kill Liu Xing unless absolutely necessary. Allowing an enemy to remain free carried risks but it was a price he was willing to pay for his ideals. Furthermore, with Liu Xing distracted, escape was a viable option.

"But I don't feel like it," Luo Ji muttered, and a small, ferocious grin blooming on his lips. He was actually enjoying this confrontation. It had been a long time since he had engaged in a fight like this. Usually, his battles ended quickly, and his opponents were rarely his equal, making them unchallenging.

He realized that Liu Xing was no longer the weak victim of the past. He had the chance to kill him, and in his mind, this elevated Liu Xing from a mere victim to a true enemy. Strangely enough, this actually made his heart a little lighter, and a strange feeling arose within him. The girl might not approve of his thoughts, but he felt that she wouldn't be completely disappointed either.

With this thought in his mind, Luo Ji decided to fight with the goal of a decisive victory. One that wouldn't kill Liu Xing, but would clearly demonstrate Luo Ji's superior strength.

"I need to get serious," Luo Ji muttered, his heart quickening with excitement. It had been ages since he had used his fist techniques at full power.

Luo Ji cycled his qi and intensified the mist, making it even denser around Liu Xing. To fully showcase his strength, he needed to pin him down using his mist.

He leaped high into the sky and created a foothold in the air. Cycling his qi in a specific pattern, he extended both hands downward and steeled his will. The mist below was his domain. He could command it to dissipate, becoming so thin and transparent as to be almost invisible, or condense it to a point where it ceased to resemble mist at all. It will obey his every command.

"Suffocate him!" Luo Ji ordered.

The mist obeyed, converging inward. From his vantage point, it resembled a smoke bomb that imploding rather than expanding. Veins bulge on Luo Ji's arms and face, his skin flushing red. His mind screamed in protest, feeling as if he were trying to restrain a mountain, and his body throbbed with pain. Yet, Luo Ji grinned ferociously and pressed on. The mist was a prison, and it would fulfill its purpose!

He sensed Liu Xing darting frantically within the mist, struggling to escape the shrinking confines like a fish in a draining pool. Luo Ji knew it must be agonizing, but he couldn't relent now, not until Liu Xing was completely encased by his prison. Explosions erupted within the mist, but even those blasts couldn't breach its walls.

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Adjusting his stance, he began to gather qi in his right arm, and as he did so, the mist below him reached a diameter of five meters, which he knew would crush a mortal to a pulp, and for a core splitting cultivator, it would feel like the crushing pressure of the deep ocean.

The mist swirling around his right hand grew denser and denser, its movement becoming so fluid it resembled an ice gauntlet encasing his hand. After a moment of intense concentration, Luo Ji unleashed his punch. Instantly, a colossal fist of mist, as large as an elephant, erupted from his strike. A tornado churned around it as it plummeted downwards, generating a thunderous rumble in the air.

Moments before his giant fist collided with the mist prison, a condensed beam of white light shot out from within, creating a deafening boom like hundreds of lightning bolts hitting a single point simultaneously. The light pillar intercepted his giant mist fist, and as the light pillar and his fist technique clashed, locked in a stalemate like two bulls refusing to yield, Luo Ji's eyes widened.

The pillar of light and his fist technique strained against each other for a brief moment before exploding in a blinding flash. His fist had endured the initial impact, but it was ultimately insufficient. It shattered, while the white pillar continued towards him.

As he dodged to the side, Luo Ji's grin turned manic as excitement coursed through him. "So you were hiding an ace, huh, Liu Xing!"

As the pillar of light dissipated, a hole appeared in the mist prison. Through the opening, Luo Ji saw Liu Xing who had deactivated his invisibility and stared at him coldly.

"Truth be told, I was holding back to gauge my normal strength, but now, it's time to be serious."

As he spoke, the electricity began to envelop him, and Luo Ji's eyes widened once again. He immediately recognized the technique. It was the famous Lightning Cloak Technique created by Elder Zhang Zhenking. Copies of the technique were available in both the outer and inner libraries. Logically, Liu Xing's Lightning Cloak Technique shouldn't be as refined as the Elder's, yet the electricity surrounding him flowed smoothly, with only a few lightning bolts dancing around him.

Luo Ji decided to intensify his mist enchantment technique and was preparing to resume his attack when Liu Xing took a simple step. A step that made Liu Xing disappear. Before Luo Ji could even register where Liu Xing had gone, a crushing blow slammed into his stomach, causing his eyes to bulge and blood to spurt from his mouth. Luo Ji glanced down to see Liu Xing's palm embedded in his abdomen, but before he could comprehend what was happening, a kick connected with his chin, sending him flying into the sky. Heart pounding, Luo Ji looked around wildly. Liu Xing seemed to be teleporting, but teleportation was impossible. The only explanation was that Liu Xing was moving at an incredible speed.

As he ascended, the ground receding rapidly below, another attack slammed into his back with brutal force. He screamed, his backbone cracking, almost snapping, and he plummeted back towards the earth like a meteor. Luo Ji cycled his qi, reinforcing both his body and mind. Liu Xing was too fast. His eyes couldn't track his opponent's movements!

He used Air Step to arrest his descent, but the force of Liu Xing's attack was so immense that the first Air Step he materialized shattered beneath his feet. He created another, and another, until the fifth Air Step finally held, becoming a stable foothold. Luo Ji snapped his gaze upwards, his eyes darting left and right, desperately searching for Liu Xing.

"This is crazy," Luo Ji muttered. Had Liu Xing become so proficient with the Lightning Cloak that a simple application could so dramatically turn the tide of battle? Or was the Lightning Cloak truly this terrifyingly strong? Whatever the reason, if he allowed the situation to continue, he would undoubtedly die. He needed to equalize the fight.

"Where is he?" Luo Ji commanded the mist that was thick as smoke below him to rush towards him as reinforcements. As the mist rose, he pushed his senses to the limit. He had to spot Liu Xing. "He'll follow up."

And indeed, a moment later, Luo Ji felt a prickling sensation to his left. He snapped his head in that direction and saw Liu Xing slashing with a stone blade enveloped in purple light. As a crescent of purple light hurtled towards him, the oppressive qi radiating from it triggered his instincts.

With all his might, Luo Ji leaped sideways, his jump so forceful it shattered the Air Step beneath him. The crescent of light missed him by mere centimeters, only grazing his right ankle. But before he could feel relief, in his peripheral vision, Liu Xing maneuvered through the air with the speed of true lightning. He moved so rapidly that trails of electricity followed him, and in an instant materialized directly in front of Luo Ji with his left hand pointed at him.

Luo Ji knew that the bolts were coming. He materialized an Air Step below him, but before he could use it to jump, the bolts were only moments away from hitting his face. Eyes wide with panic, heart pounding, Luo Ji instinctively swung at the bolts, risking his hand. As the bolts hit his palm, electricity exploded outwards, and he realized that his body was convulsing, his muscles and nerves paralyzed by the electric current coursing through him.

Luo Ji's heart pounded faster and faster. He was paralyzed! He circulated his qi, desperately trying to twitch a muscle, but the electricity held him captive.

"Not so strong, are you?" Liu Xing suddenly appeared above him. Though he couldn't see him directly, the air currents and sound showed Liu Xing's position. Then, a kick slammed into his shoulder, sending him plummeting to the ground like a meteor. When he hit the earth, the ground surged around him, and a cloud of dust billowed upwards.

In his mind, Luo Ji marveled at Liu Xing's incredible physical strength. His attacks felt so heavy and agonizing that each hit sent tremors through his entire body. Thinking this, Luo Ji tried to move, hoping that the impact of the fall would be enough to shake off the paralyzing electricity. But just as his fingers began to twitch, five bolts hit his torso, paralyzing his body once again.

While his body remained trapped by electricity, Luo Ji saw Liu Xing standing atop a floating shield, a ball of lightning hovering in front of his palm. He suddenly realized the situation had completely reversed. Now, he was the one pinned down, and Liu Xing was about to unleash the decisive attack.

With a shout, Liu Xing thrust his palm forward.Instantly, thousands of lightning strikes descended upon Luo Ji, as if he were a demon being smitten by the heavens themselves.

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