Li Zhexian and Tang Lie stared each other down coldly.
Sword qi and Spirit Power clashed and disintegrated, exploding into rippling fragments around them.
Zheng—!
Behind Tang Lie, a remnant strand of shattered sword qi suddenly condensed—
into Li Zhexian's figure.
"Qinglian Sword Song, Second Form—Blazing Frost!"
As the words fell, the sword struck.
Flames surged like tides, frost-serpents coiled and writhed—one sword, two extremes, fire and ice united under heaven.
Yet Tang Lie seemed prepared. Without turning, he swung the Clear Sky Hammer backward in a sweeping arc.
The Blazing Frost sword qi shattered on impact.
The violent collision of heat and cold exploded into a thick white mist, rolling steam enveloping the field.
"Second Spirit Ability—Three Swords of Elegance!"
"Qinglian Sword Song, Seventh Form—Boundless Thought!"
Another sword cry echoed—this one twisting the void itself, shaking even the mind.
Within the shrouded mist—
No sword light could be seen,
yet a strange and razor-sharp strand of spiritual sword qi tore through the haze, piercing straight toward Tang Lie's brow.
"A spiritual attack?!"
Tang Lie's pupils contracted violently.
"This brat… actually cultivates spiritual power as well?!"
Words could not capture the shock roiling in his heart.
In technique, in Spirit Ring configuration—
this youth outstripped not just his peers,
but even most Titled Douluo.
And beyond that—his Spirit Power, his physique, his spiritual strength—all grew in perfect balance.
"In barely a decade of cultivation, no weakness at all…!"
"Unbelievable! Terrifying!"
A monster like this—now that he stands as our enemy—must be cut down before his wings fully form!
Otherwise… there will be no peace in my sleep!
That thought flashed—
and Tang Lie's killing intent erupted.
He gripped his hammer with one hand, meeting the invisible sword light head-on as he bellowed in fury.
Zzzt—!
Boom—!
The spiritual sword light shattered—
but splintered into countless psychic needles that shot straight toward Tang Lie's head!
Empowered by Three Swords of Elegance, the power of Boundless Thought intensified.
Even a Level 92 Titled Douluo like Tang Lie felt as if his head were splitting apart.
His eyes bulged, his face twisting in agony.
Nine Spirit Rings rose beneath his feet:
Yellow, Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Black, Black, Black!
The overwhelming might of a Titled Douluo burst forth unrestrained, erupting into a pillar of blazing, oppressive light.
Vast Spirit Power churned like a storm.
Dark purple clouds were swept clean from the sky.
The spectacle shook all powerhouses within dozens of miles, their heads snapping toward the surge.
"Which Titled Douluo is that?!"
"That direction… it's the ruined city!"
"I told you, that place is a gathering of titans! Anyone daring to go there isn't ordinary!"
"We'd better just watch from afar. As long as we keep our escape keys ready, maybe we'll even profit from the chaos!"
...
Far away in the forest,
an old man, wrapped in drifting wind and covered eyes bound by black silk, halted mid-step.
That immense pressure drew his blind gaze toward the heavens.
"That heavy aura…"
"Only a Titled of the Clear Sky Clan could exude such power."
"And to force one of them into this state…"
"Could it be—young friend Zhexian?"
Whoosh—
Before his words even faded,
the old man's figure vanished into the wind.
...
To the northwest,
Chen Xin and Ning Fengzhi joined together, heading toward the ruined city.
When the light pillar split the sky, both men's faces darkened.
Chen Xin immediately summoned the Seven Kill Sword's True Body,
carrying Ning Fengzhi as they streaked forward in a flash of crimson light toward the battlefield.
...
Elsewhere,
The Clear Sky Clan's Second and Fifth Elders also sped toward the city.
"Though the Seventh Elder's only Level Ninety-Two—"
"With the might of the Clear Sky Hammer, he can rival a Level Ninety-Three Titled Douluo!"
"Who could force Old Seven to such desperation?"
"Chen Xin? Gu Rong? Or that old dragon?"
...
Tang Lie clenched his teeth hard.
With a snarl, he hurled the Clear Sky Hammer high into the air.
At the same instant—
His fifth Spirit Ring blazed with searing light.
"Fifth Spirit Ability—Thousand Suns Annihilation!"
The suspended Clear Sky Hammer spun, stirring clouds and wind—
calling down torrents of blazing fire to coalesce into blazing spheres, each like a miniature sun crashing from the heavens!
The air warped from the heat, the earth cracked beneath the pressure, and storms howled outward.
Li Zhexian looked up—yet not a trace of fear marred his face.
He took out his Clear Spring Wine Gourd and took a large gulp.
Beneath his skin—
four streams of mystical energy began to swirl: fiery red, icy blue, crackling thunder, and blood crimson.
The mark of the Triform Spirit Meridian Body—
or perhaps now, QuadformSpirit!
A body destined to merge with the Myriad Forms Sword Dao!
...
Clang—!
He swung the Qinglian Sword to meet the first descending sun.
Sword light flashed.
The blazing sphere split clean in half—
rivers of molten fire poured forth like a bursting water balloon, splashing across Li Zhexian's body.
Yet the molten tide could not harm him in the slightest.
The lava slid down his robes like thick rainwater, dripping from his sleeves and lashes, the sight adding a touch of ethereal wildness to his already striking face.
His breath came out in waves of scorching heat—
each strand absorbed and refined into Spirit Power within his body.
The mystery of the Quadform Spirit Meridian Body was this: not only immunity to fire, ice, and lightning attributes—
but the power to absorb them, strengthening himself in the process.
But the energy within a Titled Douluo's ten-thousand-year Spirit Abilit was immense beyond measure.
White vapor began to rise from Li Zhexian's body, his skin glowing red-hot.
"Not enough—"
"Still not enough!"
His eyes blazed with a wild, captivating light.
He looked up at the blazing "suns" raining down upon him—
and rather than flee,
he charged upward to meet them head-on!
Sword and fist intertwined,
he clashed with the falling stars of flame.
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each descending sun shattered under Li Zhexian's strikes.
Though immune to the flames,
the crushing impact of each collision still hurled him back hundreds of meters.
Blood traced down the corner of his lips, his hair whipped wildly—
yet he seemed to feel no pain, no exhaustion.
Again and again, he leapt forward.
With every "sun" he smashed apart, he absorbed the erupting fire energy, his wounds mending in an instant—
only to reopen under the next impact.
And again he rose.
...
Those outside the secret realm, Tang Lie included, stared in disbelief at the white-robedyouth who collided again and again with falling suns, unflinching, unyielding.
It was madness.
Pure, unrelenting madness.
Never had anyone witnessed such a way to temper one's self.
Even the mighty Titled Douluo instinctively feared pain and injury—
such was nature's instinct for survival.
But Li Zhexian…
...
Outside the secret realm,
The crowd fell utterly silent.
Atop the drum tower, a Spirit Master trembled as he whispered the thought that was on everyone's mind:
"To endure what others cannot—
is to achieve what others cannot."
"The world sees only Lord Sword Wine's brilliance—his unmatched splendor among the younger generation—
but none know the nights of agony he endured, the countless trials he walked alone."
"Such suffering… only he himself can understand."
...
Yu Tianheng, Yu Tianxin, and Feng Buyu remained wordless, deeply moved.
For Li Zhexian—
They had long since laid down any thought of rivalry.
Fortunately—
Their Brother Zhexian was not one to forget his roots.
In their hearts, they all believed—
Even should Li Zhexian one day ascend to godhood,
he would still gather them all again…
to share a drunken night beneath the stars.