Blade Qi tore through the sky!

The entire Hongfeng Lake seemed to be cleaved in two by a single slash. Surrounding trees snapped, small islands crumbled, and the scene was left in total disarray.

But that domineering slash was effortlessly caught and then crushed by Lin Mu!

A hush fell over all of Hongfeng Lake.

He caught it? He actually caught it!

Not only did Lin Mu catch Xing Zirong's Overbearing Slash, but he even crushed it into pieces!

Are this guy's hands forged from steel?

Everyone was stunned by Lin Mu's feat, and Li Lingqing was no exception. She had always believed Lin Mu was strong, even holding a blind faith in him. But Xing Zirong was, after all, the tenth-ranked Martial Arts Grandmaster on the Heavenly List, possessing profound strength and condensed True Qi. Having entered seclusion at the bottom of Hongfeng Lake for ten years, he had already touched the barrier to the Divine Communion Realm.

If he truly managed to break his curse, he would undoubtedly ascend to the Divine Communion Realm in a short time.

In contrast, while Lin Mu was also a Grandmaster, he certainly couldn't compare to Xing Zirong in the concentration of his True Qi or the variety of his techniques. The most important factor was Lin Mu's youth. To become a Martial Arts Grandmaster before the age of thirty, his talent could only be described as monstrous. But precisely because he was so young, it was assumed that in terms of experience and accumulated power, he was no match for Xing Zirong.

Therefore, no one believed Lin Mu could withstand three of Xing Zirong's moves. But he hadn't just blocked the attack; he had shattered Xing Zirong's technique.

Shattering an ultimate technique with his bare hands!

This was the shock that Lin Mu delivered to everyone. Li Lingqing was so moved that tears welled in her eyes.

Master truly is the most invincible person in the world!

"How is this possible?"

The person most shocked by the broken technique was, of course, Xing Zirong himself. This Overbearing Slash was one of his trump cards. Unrivaled in its might, it could split mountains and cleave rivers! Any foe caught by this slash would be slain in a single blow! Even the former tenth-ranked master on the Heavenly List, Qin Chuan, had been forced to admit defeat and yield his position to Xing Zirong.

Yet this Lin Wudi had caught his slash barehanded and crushed it.

Has this guy's physique become so strong that it's impervious to swords and spears?

"Speak! What martial skill is that?" Xing Zirong demanded, his face grim as he stared at Lin Mu.

Lin Mu replied slowly, "It isn't any particular martial skill. Your slash was simply too weak."

He wasn't lying. Xing Zirong's slash was, indeed, far too weak.

His cultivation had broken through to the Twelfth Level of Qi Refining. With the construction of the Twelve-Fold Towers within him, his body had been tempered to the point of being impervious to swords and spears. It was safe to say that with his current physique, Lin Mu could sweep away any Grandmaster not ranked in the top ten of the Heavenly List!

At these words, Xing Zirong's expression darkened.

Is Lin Wudi mocking my slash, calling it weak? A man can be killed, but not humiliated!

"Lin Wudi, today, I will kill you!" Xing Zirong roared, his aura surging once more, threatening to stir the very wind and clouds. A wild wind howled, and countless spectators turned pale with terror, frantically fleeing the area.

"Lin Wudi, your martial arts are truly original and magnificent. They are quite the eye-opener, befitting the youngest genius in a century!" Xing Zirong spread his hands slightly, and streams of True Qi radiated from his body, dispersing into the air around them. "However, you should never have chosen to fight me here at Hongfeng Lake!"

"Because I am Xing Zirong, the Grandmaster of the Hongfeng Lake's Xing Family! I have been in seclusion at the bottom of this lake for a decade. Although I have not broken through that final barrier, I have spent those ten years comprehending the Dao underwater. Here on the water, my martial arts are far stronger than normal!"

Xing Zirong flicked his fingers repeatedly, like an ancient master plucking the strings of a zither.

"The thick strings roared like a torrential downpour, the fine strings whispered like a lovers' secret, like pearls both large and small falling onto a jade disk!"

The misty rain over Hongfeng Lake seemed to answer his call, coalescing into countless steel-hard beads that shot out like crossbow bolts, tearing through the air like bullets. In an instant, a hundred-meter radius was completely enveloped by these water droplets. As they collided, they produced a disorienting sound that rattled the mind.

Xing Zirong's use of True Qi was simply sublime. Combined with his ability to leverage the environment, his mastery of the Martial Way was truly the greatest Lin Mu had yet witnessed. He was worthy of his rank as tenth on the Heavenly List!

Condensing rain into beads formed an ambush from all sides, each one filled with killing intent. The sonic assault, moreover, was designed to confound the mind.

"Xing Zirong, you have finally managed to surprise me," Lin Mu said calmly. "But it is merely a surprise, and nothing more."

As his voice fell, Lin Mu slowly took a single step forward.

Heavenly Emperor Nine Steps—One Step, Rivers Shatter!

An invisible force radiated from Lin Mu, yet it remained condensed, refusing to disperse. No strange phenomena occurred in the world around them.

Xing Zirong merely smiled coldly. "Lin Wudi, now that you've fallen into my formation, your death is certain!"

Having been in seclusion in Hongfeng Lake for ten years, Xing Zirong could now manipulate its waters to form a deadly Formation. Condensing water into beads was only the first step.

"Is that so?" Lin Mu simply smiled faintly and took a second step.

Heavenly Emperor Nine Steps—Terrify Ghosts and Gods with the Second Step!

The third step, the fourth step…

After Lin Mu took his sixth step, Xing Zirong finally sensed that something was wrong. Lin Mu's aura had condensed to a terrifying degree. The entire lake seemed to fall still in an instant. Moreover, each of Lin Mu's steps felt as if it were stomping directly on his heart, causing him unbearable agony.

I can't wait any longer!

Feeling a growing unease, Xing Zirong decided to fight for a swift conclusion.

"Rise!"

As Xing Zirong lifted his hands, countless water droplets shot out instantly, howling toward Lin Mu like a violent storm. The sheer density of the attack was enough to make one's scalp crawl. The members of the Xing Family had already fled to a great distance, terrified of being caught in the aftermath.

SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Transparent rents appeared in the air, left behind by the droplets as they sliced through it. The attack was accompanied by an unbearably sharp sound that sent invisible ripples through the air, destroying every tree and building in the vicinity.

Sonic assassination! This was Xing Zirong's second killing move.

"Lin Wudi, what does it matter how strong your techniques are or how tough your body is?" Xing Zirong burst into laughter. "Surely you can't withstand a sonic assault?!"

Lin Mu stood amidst the thousands of water droplets as the incessant sound of their collisions washed over him. Yet, his expression remained unchanged. On the contrary, the corner of his mouth curved into a faint smile.

"A sonic assault?"

Lin Mu slowly shook his head. "Xing Zirong, your talent is remarkable and your ideas are astonishing. It's a pity. You have simply seen too little of the world."

As his voice faded, Lin Mu took the seventh step.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The moment his foot landed, the entire Hongfeng Lake began to tremble violently. Everyone watched in shock as the waters of Hongfeng Lake lifted into the air, revealing a starry sky beneath. It was as if time and space were inverted, as if Yin and Yang themselves had been reversed.

Xing Zirong stared, dumbfounded and utterly shocked.

What... what kind of ability is this?

Walking upon the starry sky, Lin Mu slowly approached Xing Zirong, his expression calm and his tone indifferent. "This is a Divine Skill I created myself. It is called the Heavenly Emperor Nine Steps."

"And this is the Seventh Step—Distortion of Years!"

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