"Buzz!"
The Star River Realm water demon's palm erupted with water energy, coming on fast. Lin Zhao had just finished off a group of players and had no time for extensive preparation, so he could only hastily thrust out his left fist. His entire body exuded boxing intent, unleashing a punch that pierced the heavens. A tremendous roar ensued. Being suppressed in his cultivation realm, Lin Zhao's body dragged a streak across the water's surface with the force of the impact. He employed the "Yi Wei Du Jiang" (One Reed Crossing the River) technique, which ensured that in water battles, he wouldn't be submerged by the opponent's power, giving him a natural advantage over other players.
"Good one!"
The gray-robed water demon before him wore a ferocious expression. Beneath his feet, streams of water energy rose like surging waves, supporting him in mid-air. He narrowed his eyes, looking at Lin Zhao, and sneered, "The legendary Lin Baiyi is merely a mere Ninth Realm. If I were to utterly slay you here, how many people on the human side would lament, I wonder?"
"Do you have the capability?"
Lin Zhao also narrowed his eyes at the opponent. This water demon was a Tenth Realm cultivator, which according to the current version's data rules, translated to a Ghost God-level Boss. However, its attributes were significantly stronger than that of an average Ghost God-level Boss. A one-on-one fight would undoubtedly be extremely challenging. But Lin Zhao had no choice but to act; ordinary players were simply no match for this Tenth Realm demon in a water terrain.
"Lin Zhao!"
From afar, Yi Shi Cang Liang, standing in the marshland with only 39% of his health remaining, frowned and said, "Are you okay? If not, just use your sword to escape. No need to clash head-on with them. Soon, people from Xing He, Xun Xian, and Sheng Tian will also arrive. It doesn't matter too much if Cang Long suffers some losses... but you absolutely must not be harmed."
"It's fine."
Lin Zhao shook his head. "You lead Cang Long and organize the defense. Don't let these demons attack the shore, or your living space will shrink even further. This Tenth Realm demon is mine to handle."
"Alright!"
Yi Shi Cang Liang gripped his sword and quickly relayed the orders, rallying the players of Cang Long.
...
"Such a big mouth!"
The gray-robed water demon grinned, "In the water, a Ninth Realm killing a Tenth Realm? Do you have that ability? Do you still think you are Lin Baiyi, who possessed the heart of a god of war and could draw the Dragon Slaying Sword? Hah, a joke. If one doesn't introspect and self-aware when facing adversity, they won't even know how they died. You should have stayed in the Mountain Summit Villa, plotting the future of the human realm under the protection of people like Fu Zhi, Huang Tingyu, and Tang Guangjun. You should never have come to an ancient ruin like the Upper Ancient Dragon Marsh to seek death. You've been too arrogant, and your death is insignificant!"
Lin Zhao frowned, somewhat surprised. "Why are you talking so much? The more the demon race talks, the faster they die. Just like Bai Lan back then, who was hailed as the number one sword cultivator of the demon race."
"..."
The gray-robed water demon gritted his teeth, his expression extremely unpleasant. The ancestral tablets of the demon race's sacred mountain had always enshrined the esteemed Lord Bai Lan. In fact, Bai Lan had always been a legend in the demon realm, one of the thirteen realm sword cultivators of the demon race from ancient times to the present, and the strongest among them. In the many great battles where the demon race resisted the human realm, he had achieved numerous merits. The number of cultivators in the human realm's Upper Five Realms who had died by his sword was no less than twenty. He could be said to have made immense contributions to the demon realm. Yet, such a precious thirteen-realm sword cultivator of the demon race had been killed by a single sword from this young man before him.
If it weren't for the profound karmic luck of the Dragon Slaying Sword, how could he have killed Bai Lan?!
Now, the opportunity for revenge for Bai Lan had arrived!
"Die!"
The gray-robed water demon let out a sharp cry, his figure transforming into a gray blur as he lunged at Lin Zhao. Behind him, streams of lake water shot towards Lin Zhao like blades, intending to kill him in one fell swoop. For a moment, Lin Zhao felt a slight heaviness in his heart. This Tenth Realm demon was indeed very powerful, arguably outstanding among the Tenth Realm demons. Otherwise, he wouldn't have dared to be so overconfident, especially in a water terrain where his advantage was too great.
But it wasn't a big problem; he felt he could definitely win.
"Whoosh!"
A Divine Speed Talisman was ignited in Lin Zhao's hand. Just as the gray-robed water demon lunged, his sharp claws pierced the air, but he unexpectedly didn't see blood splatter. In a flash, the young sword cultivator in white, enveloped in a milky white aura, vanished instantly. The next moment, the gray-robed water demon's armpit was struck heavily with a "bang," sending him tumbling across the water's surface. Simultaneously, Lin Zhao used Yi Wei Du Jiang to speed across the water, his right fist horizontal, adopting the stance for the fourth form of the Farmer's Nine Punches.
"Qi Tun Meng Ze" (Qi Envelops the Dream Marsh) style!
In an instant, the water energy in heaven and earth seemed to be mobilized. The Qi Tun Meng Ze style originated from the legendary phrase "Qi steams the clouds and embraces the marsh." It was inherently a style rich in water energy. As Lin Zhao channeled the boxing intent of the Qi Tun Meng Ze style, all the water droplets on the lake surface inverted, and the entire world seemed to freeze. Immediately after, a magnificent punch landed heavily on the face of the Tenth Realm gray-robed water demon.
The water demon spat blood, his face almost deformed by the punch. His heart was filled with confusion and horror. How could this Ninth Realm sword cultivator possess such potent boxing intent? It shouldn't be! And now, something even more critical was happening. Swords flew through the air, striking the water demon and inflicting damage numbers. Lin Zhao, using the "Zhen Ma Feng Qiang" (Forming Horses and Winds) movement technique, moved in two straight lines across the water, and delivered another heavy Qi Tun Meng Ze style punch to the water demon. Each punch inflicted over 100,000 damage.
Clearly, within the water terrain, Lin Zhao's Qi Tun Meng Ze style had a hidden damage bonus. Otherwise, it would have been remarkable to deal only thirty to fifty thousand health to the Boss.
Half a minute later, after enduring countless punches and flying swords, the gray-robed water demon's health bar had dropped by a full 15%, a rapid decline. At this point, Lin Zhao slowed down. The gray-robed water demon then took out a cyan dagger-like artifact from his sleeve. Seemingly regaining some confidence, he unleashed a series of water wave attacks, but they were all dispersed by Lin Zhao's punches. As the water energy scattered, the gray-robed water demon used the momentum of the water to instantly appear before Lin Zhao, his dagger aimed at Lin Zhao's neck. However, Lin Zhao's body was surrounded by a golden divine-robe-like form. The dagger pierced into a golden ripple, causing only minor damage.
"This..."
The gray-robed water demon was even more dumbfounded, realizing he had stumbled upon a formidable opponent. Lin Baiyi's Ninth Realm should absolutely not be treated as an ordinary Ninth Realm. Not only were his flying swords sharp and his boxing skills profound, but he also possessed several protective artifacts. The next moment, the gray-robed water demon swiftly retreated, his eyes filled with awe. "If the green hills remain, there will be firewood to burn. Farewell, farewell, Lin Baiyi. I shall return to take your head once I cultivate to the Eleventh Realm!"
"Leaving already?!"
Lin Zhao ignited another Divine Speed Talisman and pursued him. With a flick of his sleeve, a golden radiance appeared in the air – the Mirror of Demon Subduing. The next moment, a beam of golden light shot out, enveloping the gray-robed water demon from above, leaving him nowhere to hide. Instantly, the oppressive feeling of the Great Dao made the water demon feel as if he were in a sea of fire. He felt as if he were carrying a mountain, each step he took being incredibly difficult.
Damn it!
A chill ran through his heart. He feared he wouldn't be able to escape today.
Lin Zhao raised his sword, the Saint artifact Zhan Lu, and unleashed a "Slay Immortal" strike. The force of the blow caused the lake water to burst outwards on both sides. The water demon's health dropped significantly. Immediately after, flying swords swarmed towards him. The water demon brandished his dagger, desperately blocking, but he could parry one but not two. In the blink of an eye, his body was covered in bloody wounds.
...
In the distance, on the lake shore.
Yi Shi Cang Liang led the Cang Long members in a fierce defense, finally seeing hope in holding back the dense water creatures before them. At this moment, as they glanced towards the battle in the lake, they saw streaks of sword light and colossal waves rising. Amidst the deafening roars, the battle between Lin Zhao and the Tenth Realm demon was like a clash between deities.
"Is this still a player?"
Fu You Du Hai frowned, "Lin Zhao seems to have obtained too many things that other players cannot acquire..."
"It's still about realm, the issue of realm."
Yi Shi Cang Liang said calmly, "If you reached the Nascent Soul Realm and could obtain many immortal artifact-level magical treasures, you could also be like Lin Zhao. I think this game is still fair; all opportunities are laid out there, depending on whether you have the fortune and are willing to strive for them."
Fu You Du Hai remained silent, his heart filled with a complex mixture of emotions.
Everyone in the national server said Lin Zhao was the number one sword cultivator in the China region, and it seemed this statement was not unfounded. Chen Xue lived by his side. Faced with such an outstanding man, would Chen Xue be moved?
Thinking of this, Fu You Du Hai felt a pang of sadness. He liked her so much, but in the end, they were fated to be apart!
...
Not long after, the gray-robed water demon was being pushed back, his health bar dropping to less than 20%.
At this moment, a white sword light shot up into the sky from afar. The entire ground rumbled. Lin Zhao frowned; he could clearly sense that there was likely an Eleventh Realm cultivator over there. That feeling... was truly terrifying. At this very moment, someone spoke in the channel of the major guild leaders of the national server.
Su Xing He: "We discovered that Chang Ye Yu Huo summoned the Eleventh Realm great demon Bai Yu on the fourth floor. It turns out to be a sword cultivator. We've already engaged, but we don't have enough manpower and are rapidly reinforcing. Lin Zhao, how is your situation?"
"Me?"
Lin Zhao smiled, "I'm currently dueling a Tenth Realm water demon and will finish the battle soon. What about you guys?"
"How about this..."
Su Xing He grinned and said, "I know this might sound a bit selfish, but there's no other way. Everyone has to consider the future of their own guild. Therefore, our Xing He, Xun Xian, and Han Cheng guilds have decided to use a human wave strategy for a war of attrition to take down this Eleventh Realm Boss. No need for other guilds to help. What do you think, Lin Zhao?"
"Alright."
Lin Zhao nodded. It was indeed appropriate to give other guilds a chance to gain some "rewards." However, the cost of eliminating an Eleventh Realm great demon would likely not be small. He smiled and said, "In that case, I'll head to the fifth floor. I wish you all success with your human wave strategy and as little loss as possible."
"En!"
Su Xing He, Xian Bai, and Yan Yu Han nodded in unison.