Chapter One Hundred and Eleven: Fierce Battle (Requesting Subscription, Requesting Votes)

The man in the black robe was truly naïve to compare Xiao Xie’s current strength to what it once was. Still, it was hard to blame him—who could have imagined that in just a few short months, Xiao Xie would leap from the Dou Ling rank straight to Dou Huang? If the black-robed man had known that Xiao Xie, while still just at the Dou Ling level, had managed to force back a one-star Dou Zong, perhaps he would never have dared act so arrogantly.

“Miss, should we run?” Once the flying squad had landed, Ling Ying glanced at the two figures confronting each other in the sky—Xiao Xie and the man in black—and turned to Xiao Xun’er. If they didn’t seize the moment to escape, their chance would be lost, and he certainly didn’t believe Xiao Xie could defeat the black-robed man. Ling Ying could sense that this foe’s strength was not that of someone newly ascended to Dou Zong—at minimum, he was a four-star Dou Zong or stronger.

Although he knew that, at the battle with Yunlan Sect, Xiao Xie had forced Queen Medusa back, Queen Medusa herself had just broken through to Dou Zong, which was no comparison to a seasoned Dou Zong. And Xiao Xie had only forced her back, not defeated her outright, which showed that his strength was only enough to contend with those newly promoted to Dou Zong.

If they didn’t hurry and leave now, once Xiao Xie was killed, the people from Soul Hall would, by nature, slaughter everyone here.

“If Cousin Xiao Xie loses, we won’t be able to escape anyway.” Xiao Xun’er glanced at Xiao Yan, shaking her head. She knew that even if Ling Ying could take her and flee, he could only take her—he would never be able to save Xiao Yan too. With one person, there was hope; with two, escape was impossible.

“But…” Ling Ying knew well that once Xiao Xun’er made a decision, she would not change her mind. Even if he signaled the Gu Clan for help now, it would be too late. Secretly, he resolved that if things turned dire, he would take Xiao Xun’er away—even if he had to knock her out first.

“So this is the might of a Dou Zong?” Xiao Yan, face pale, looked up at the two figures confronting each other midair. Even being able to speak under such oppressive auras was a feat—after all, he had no one to defend him. If it weren’t for his unique composure as someone who had crossed worlds, perhaps he too would have been unable to stand, like Xiao Yu and the others. Then again, if he hadn’t come from another world, he probably wouldn’t have tried to raise Xiao Xun’er as a loli, either.

“Can Cousin Xiao Xie really win?” Xiao Mei couldn’t help but worry as she recalled the terrifying pressure from earlier.

“Of course, young master will win.” Qing Lin lifted her chin proudly. She had absolute faith in Xiao Xie, for to her, he was invincible. Nonetheless, to guard against being caught up in their fight, Qing Lin had already readied the Beast Card of the Earth Giant—a creature whose strength matched a Dou Zong. If the battle spread their way, she would summon it at once.

“Xiao Xie is confident; he’s even enjoying himself right now!” The Little Doctor Fairy looked up at Xiao Xie and spoke softly. She knew him well—if he wasn’t certain of victory, he would never act the hero. What’s more, the slight curve of his lips told her he was only treating the fight as a game.

...

“Let’s see if you can amuse me—here I come!” Xiao Xie gave a light laugh, drew his blade, and in a flash, vanished from sight, the ground beneath his feet echoing with the sound of Shunpo. Instantly, he appeared behind the black-robed man, slashing down with a strike infused with the might of a hundred overlapping waves, as swift as lightning.

A chill ran down the black-robed man’s back. Bursting forth with Dou Qi, he retreated wildly, narrowly evading the fatal blow. He glanced down at his robe, now severed by Xiao Xie’s strike, and finally abandoned his underestimation—had he not reacted in time just now, he would have been gravely wounded. That strange speed was simply terrifying.

“Oh, so close! Just missed you—what a pity.” Though Xiao Xie spoke as if regretful, his face was full of mockery.

“You brat! I was merely caught off guard—don’t get cocky!” Enraged, the black-robed man brushed his hand over his ring, and a black saber appeared in his grasp. He had meant to toy with Xiao Xie, but now the tables had turned. If not for the concealing robe, Xiao Xie would have seen him stamping his feet in fury.

“Oh, getting angry, are we?” Xiao Xie teased, then his expression sharpened, his grip tightening on his blade. “Here I come!”

Xiao Xie had always abided by Chairman Mao’s maxim: treat your opponent with contempt strategically, but with respect tactically.

Stepping forward, he launched Shunpo once more and appeared before the black-robed man, bringing his blade down in a swift arc.

Clang! Boom!

The two blades collided, unleashing a shockwave that radiated outward from the center. The resulting gale whipped at the hair of the Little Doctor Fairy and Qing Lin as they watched from afar, their tresses flying wildly.

“So this is what a battle between Dou Zong is like?” Xiao Yan squinted, astonished.

“I never thought young master Xiao Xie would be this powerful. It seems we don’t need to flee after all.” Ling Ying let out a breath of relief. He called Xiao Yan “young master” for Xiao Xun’er’s sake, but his respect for Xiao Xie was genuine.

“Cousin Xiao Xie…” Xiao Xun’er glanced at Xiao Mei, whose eyes were full of adoration for Xiao Xie, and her own gaze grew complicated. If Xiao Yan hadn’t made such a deep impression on her as a child, she too might have developed feelings for Xiao Xie.

“You blocked it!” The black-robed man pressed down with his saber, sneering, “So your only strength is speed. You’re good at ambushes, but you’re useless in a frontal fight.”

“Is that so?” Xiao Xie scoffed.

With a sudden burst, he unleashed his Three-Stage Slash. In a single breath, he struck—the first blow knocking back the black saber, his body flashing behind the black-robed man, abruptly halting, defying all inertia, then reversing for a backhand slash that landed on the foe’s back. Without pausing, he used the momentum to return to the front and carved a third, gaping wound across the man’s chest.

Though it sounds lengthy, all three strikes took less than a second. Each was imbued with the might of a hundredfold blade aura: the first shattered the man’s defenses, the next two landed on his body, inflicting grievous injuries.

The black mist around the black-robed man had almost dissipated, the remaining wisps seeping into his wounds, which, as the mist entered, began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.

“You deserve death! Hundred Ghosts Soul-Slay!” the black-robed man roared as hundreds of hideous spirits erupted from his body, shrieking as they lunged at Xiao Xie.

“To slaughter the living and enslave them for your own gain—truly, you deserve death.” Xiao Xie’s killing intent could no longer be concealed as he faced the onrushing ghosts. To create such fiends, one had to slaughter innocents, letting them die in hatred, their souls becoming wraiths. With further means, these wraiths could be refined into evil ghosts of immense power, but such arts were monstrous—some of these spirits were even ghostly infants. Xiao Xie was done playing; the enemy had crossed his final line.

“Die!” At his word, crimson hellfire coiled around his blade. The flames of hell, wielded by the Ghost Rider who judged souls, were the nemesis of specters. These fearsome evil ghosts melted away like snow under sunlight as soon as they touched the inferno.

In a flash, Xiao Xie appeared behind the black-robed man. The blade gleamed, severing his head with a single stroke. Gazing coolly at the corpse, Xiao Xie said quietly, “Your flaws were too many.”

The black-robed man’s strength was not insignificant, but to Xiao Xie—now schooled in the Nine Swords of Dugu—his techniques were riddled with openings. It was like the world of Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, where power was everything, but in the world of Smiling, Proud Wanderer, cultivation of inner strength had its limits and people began to focus on skill and technique.

Though the martial prowess of Smiling, Proud Wanderer’s world could not compare to the world of Battle Through the Heavens, their mastery of technique surpassed it. In the world of Battle Through the Heavens, people cared for the raw power of Dou Techniques, not so much for the finesse of technique. If the gulf in power was vast, victory went to the stronger technique, but when two fighters were closely matched, the one with greater skill triumphed.