Xu Mu had a sword.
But he had no time to draw it.
Ai Yan's spear had already flown within fifty paces, moving with extreme speed. It would likely hit his face in the next second. Unless Xu Mu was as fast as his words, it was impossible to complete the three steps of catching the sword, charging it, and then attacking within such a short timeframe.
Xu Mu knew this. Thus, facing the spear that had flown so close, he directly stepped onto his sword.
Darkness surged, brutal and terrifying.
Xu Mu, wielding his Dao Sword, exuded a power entirely unsuited for a sword. He charged straight towards the spear.
Seeing this, Ai Yan had no time to react to what Xu Mu was about to do before a mass of darkness swept towards him and invaded his body.
Instantly, Ai Yan's mind roared. It was filled with savagery and fear. His face turned deathly pale, and he stood frozen like a puppet, completely unaware of anything happening around him.
A Guda Mu noticed the anomaly and frowned, about to speak a warning, when he suddenly sensed a piercing sword intent. Turning his head, he saw the gaze Tian Shui Dao Ren was casting his way.
It was clear that neither of them would allow the other to interfere with the battle. Doing so would be equivalent to igniting a war. Thus, A Guda Mu could only hold back.
This general from the Royal Court stared grimly at Xu Mu. He didn't know what that aura erupting from Xu Mu was, nor how it affected Ai Yan. But that didn't matter, because Ai Yan's thrown spear was still in the air, and Xu Mu, standing on his sword, was about to collide with it.
A Guda Mu didn't know Xu Mu's swordsmanship, nor did he know the origin of that terrifying dark energy. But he knew the power of Ai Yan's spear. Among third-stage ability users, its destructive power was definitely among the top three, perhaps even first.
Xu Mu charging in like this would most likely result in his death.
No, it would certainly be his death.
These thoughts flashed through A Guda Mu's mind in an instant. His smile also appeared in that instant, but it immediately froze on his face.
Because he saw Xu Mu, standing on his Dao Sword, directly smash the formidable spear. The savage aura was swallowed by darkness, even emitting a wail. Fragments of the spear scattered everywhere. Besides the rumbling of the impact, there were no other ripples of collision.
It was obvious that Ai Yan had been crushed, utterly and completely. Anyone with a brain could see the result.
But how was this possible?
"Don't rush, it's just losing one move. The battle isn't over yet!"
A Guda Mu's eyes blazed as he stared intently at Xu Mu, shouting loudly to calm the few agitated individuals around them.
The battle between Ai Yan and Xu Mu was not over. Although the spear was shattered and hadn't caused much of a stir, Xu Mu's speed had been significantly reduced.
This was precious time. Though brief, Ai Yan seized the opportunity, waking from the shock of the demonic god's aura. He immediately burned his vital blood, concentrating all his abilities into an extremely high-grade spear, and threw it again.
This spear was sharper than the previous one, imbued with an ancient, primeval aura. A human-like spectral figure, appearing demonic, churned lightning in space, resisting the darkness emanating from the demonic god without yielding.
Seeing this, A Guda Mu's expression grew grave. Ai Yan burning his vital blood had forcibly elevated the spear's effect by another level, even manifesting an ancestral phantom. Even if he won the battle, the cost would be extremely painful. Broken meridians would be the least of his injuries. In a severe case, he could become crippled and never cultivate again!
"But that's fine too. This Mu Xu's strength is too terrifying, and his ability's grade seems to be higher than Ai Yan's. Being able to nip him in the bud is also a blessing."
A Guda Mu thought this and sighed softly, as if comforting himself.
In his heart, he had already sentenced Xu Mu to death.
But then, a change occurred.
Facing this even sharper spear, imbued with the most primal and ancient aura from the grasslands, Xu Mu remained on his sword.
Behind him, a dark red, demonic flower phantom also condensed. Its pistil resembled a snake's head, and its stamen was thick and straight, reaching the heavens, emitting the purest intent of the Great Dao of Death. Everything that came into contact with it slowly withered and lost its vitality.
Xu Mu frantically channeled the energy within his body. The energy in his Golden Core surged desperately. The sword beneath his feet glowed with black light, charging towards the spear with the ferocity of a collapsing sky.
"Boom!"
The Dao Sword collided with the spear. The phantom of the other shore flower also met the spectral figure of the Royal Court's ancestor. The black and red Great Dao of Death and the mottled, primal aura eroded each other, erupting into a terrifying explosion. Both the Dao Sword and the spear were submerged in the blinding, dazzling wave, its victor unknown.
But, as A Guda Mu had thought, the outcome of the previous exchange was no longer important.
Because the moment the Dao Sword and the spear collided, Xu Mu had already left the Dao Sword. Enduring the terrifying pressure that threatened to tear his flesh apart, he directly kicked towards Ai Yan.
"Rumble!!!"
An explosion occurred behind him, engulfing Xu Mu. The skin and bones on his back were instantly torn, but fortunately, he was wearing soft armor, which momentarily blocked some of the damage.
It was precisely in this instant that Xu Mu, using this backward thrust, broke out of the explosion's center. His speed increased even further, and in a flash, he was in front of Ai Yan. He then stomped on Ai Yan's face and delivered the most powerful kick of his life.
"Bang!"
Like a cannonball fired, a deafening impact sounded between Xu Mu's right foot and Ai Yan's skull.
Invisibly, Ai Yan's skull instantly cracked. Countless tissues in his brain were pulverized, and even his sea of consciousness showed countless spiderweb-like fissures.
This strike nearly shattered Ai Yan's head. Or rather, if not for the effect of his spear ability, this kick would have easily smashed his head, just as an old farmer would crush a rotten watermelon in his field.
"Ai Yan!!!"
Seeing Ai Yan's head struck by Xu Mu's kick, and then rolling and falling out of the clouds towards the Divine Land below, the general from the Royal Court could no longer restrain himself. He cried out and moved to rescue him, but was immediately blocked by Tian Shui Dao Ren.
"The outcome is not yet decided. He might still be able to stand up. I ask that you do not interfere!"
Tian Shui Dao Ren's Dharma image intercepted to the right, conjuring a vast lake from thin air and blocking A Guda Mu's path.
A Guda Mu's expression turned furious. He summoned his Dharma image and smashed his bone staff at the lake, stirring up a thousand-zhang elemental storm.
"Get out of my way!"
Tian Shui Dao Ren's expression remained calm. Under the surging water element, ten thousand thousand-meter-long whales surged from the lake, their gaping maws tearing at A Guda Mu.
A Guda Mu's face darkened. The totems etched on his body shone, granting him the power to destroy everything. With a single staff strike, thousands upon thousands of whales were crushed into沫, and even the lake shattered, falling as countless water droplets.
And so, the Holy City experienced a heavy rain.
...