Qian Xia'ao sneered and said, "Kid, say your name. I never kill a nameless person."

"Remember this. The name of the man who will defeat you is Xiang Shaoyun," replied Xiang Shaoyun calmly.

"Very well. Xiang Shaoyun, I will handicap myself by giving you a three-move advantage. I don't really want to be known as someone who bullies the weak," said Qian Xia'ao.

"Hehe, forget it. If we do that, I'm afraid you won't be able to accept your defeat later," said Xiang Shaoyun with a smile.

"Cut the crap. Three moves. I won't take back my words. Everyone here can serve as the witness," Qian Xia'ao insisted.

"Fine. You asked for it," said Xiang Shaoyun.

He dashed forward and threw a Gold Helix Fist straight at Qian Xia'ao. Containing the attack power of a fifth-stage King, this was a rather impressive punch. But it was nothing in the eyes of the geniuses here. Each of them was a King of Kings, and there were even Super Kings among their ranks. Punching above one's weight was really nothing impressive as far as they were concerned.

They even wondered if Xiang Shaoyun was suicidal for challenging Qian Xia'ao with only this much strength. Unlike everyone else, Tang Longfei was frowning as he focused on Xiang Shaoyun, looking worried for him.

Qian Xian'ao drifted to the side and easily dodged the attack. A wide smile appeared on his face as he said, "Two moves left. Treasure them."

As far as he was concerned, this was already everything Xiang Shaoyun had. Defeating him with just this much strength was nothing but a dream.

"Have a taste of my second move," shouted Xiang Shaoyun as his attack power surged, reaching the level of a sixth-stage King. Someone capable of this feat was already good enough to be known as a freak among those of the same cultivation level.

His spiraling punch shone with a brilliant gold radiance as it shot straight toward Qian Xia'ao's chest. Alas, this attack still failed to give Qian Xia'ao any trouble as he directly blocked the attack with his defensive barrier. In his opinion, this was probably already Xiang Shaoyun's limit.

"Not bad, but your cultivation level is too low," said Qian Xia'ao with a sneer. But after saying that, he found that he had lost sight of Xiang Shaoyun. He even wondered if that was merely a misconception. The others who were watching the fight weren't any better off. All of them had lost sight of him.

Xiang Shaoyun's voice suddenly rang out above Qian Xia'ao, "Take my third attack!"

There he was, hacking downward with his Overlord Skyslaying Saber from the sky above.

Second stance of Nine Overlord Skyslaying Saber Technique, Changing Weathers!

Instantly, the weather changed. Wind billowed wildly, dark clouds gathered, and thunderclaps rumbled, enveloping an area of several hundred meters in a thunderstorm.

The wind was berserk, and the lightning bolts were dreadful. Furthermore, the lightning bolts dancing about in the sky were all silver lightning bolts possessing a destructiveness far beyond that of ordinary lightning bolts, and nine of them descended at the same time, each of a different strength ranging from seventh-stage Skysoar Realm to ninth-stage Skysoar Realm.

Rumble! Rumble!

Akin to dragons and serpents, the nine lightning bolts glided through the air and rained down upon the ground below.

"Summoning lightning to his body? Is this kid also someone with the Innate Lightning Celestial Physique?" Zuo Zhentian muttered with his eyes narrowed.

He had also noticed that these were not regular lightning bolts. Rather, they were unique lightning bolts! Even the weakest variation of the unique lightning bolts was far more powerful than an ordinary lightning bolt.

The might Xiang Shaoyun displayed shocked all of them. Nobody had expected a fourth-stage Skysoar Realm cultivator to unleash something so powerful. However, they still held the belief that if this was all Xiang Shaoyun had, he still wouldn't be a match for Qian Xia'ao.

The dust settled, and Qian Xia'ao reentered everyone's vision. He looked rather sorry after the lightning bombardment. His clothes had turned into rags, and blood was dripping from the corner of his lips. He had clearly been injured.

After all, he had underestimated his opponent too much. If he had treated Xiang Shaoyun seriously from the start, he would have prepared himself before the attack had even been released. He would then be able to withstand the nine lightning bolts much better.

"Damn it! I have actually let you wound me? I am going to rip you apart!" Qian Xia'ao roared furiously, finally taking the fight seriously.

A spear appeared in his hand, and he erupted in strength before stabbing it at Xiang Shaoyun. Just from the attack's prowess, one could say he was worthy of his reputation of being a genius cultivator. His offensive power had even gone slightly beyond what a peak King was capable of unleashing.

Numerous spear energies filled the air, each of them carrying a dreadful destructive prowess within them, showcasing how Qian Xia'ao was on a completely different level than ordinary ninth-stage Kings.

Xiang Shaoyun had long prepared himself to receive his attack. Although his successful surprise attack had not earned him victory, that did not mean he was not a match for his opponent.

Moving like the wind, he moved out of Qian Xia'ao's attack range, once again shocking everyone. Ruo Suifeng from Drifting Peak could see that Xiang Shaoyun had accomplished it by combining a powerful footwork technique with his footwork intent.He was also forced to acknowledge that even he himself hadn't been able to reach Xiang Shaoyun's current speed when he was still a fourth-stage King.

Qian Xia'ao was further infuriated after missing his attack. He attacked again with even more power, enlarging his attack range so as to prevent Xiang Shaoyun from escaping him again.

As far as the people here were concerned, Xiang Shaoyun would have a hard time escaping this time. And they were proved wrong yet again. At the exact moment Qian Xia'ao unleashed his attack, Xiang Shaoyun used his wondrous footwork and moved away from the attack before it could reach him. The same thing repeated over and over. No matter how Qian Xia'ao chased after him, Xiang Shaoyun was able to move away before the attack arrived.

"What footwork is this? It's so fast!"

"It is probably an ancient footwork technique. But I can also sense traces of footwork intent mixed in as well. That is why his footwork can be so fast."

"So he has used footwork intent to enhance his battle technique, reaching this speed at this cultivation level? How inconceivable!"

"No wonder this Xiang Shaoyun kid was so confident. So he is quite capable after all. How much stronger will he get after an advancement or two?"

...

The various geniuses started talking among themselves. They were no longer looking at Xiang Shaoyun with as much disdain. Instead, they had a complicated look in their eyes. Before this, they had been looking down at him. But from the strength he was displaying, he was completely qualified to stand at the same height as them.

"I refuse to believe I can't defeat you!" Qian Xia'ao roared and started using his trump card.

Riddled With Holes!

His spear danced about, forming countless spear energies. Each of them had the might to penetrate mountains, and they completely surrounded the area, forming an airtight encirclement where speed alone would not be enough to help one escape.

Little did he know, Xiang Shaoyun's gift of instincts was fully activated at this moment. With the gift of instincts, Xiang Shaoyun's eyesight was pushed to the limit, revealing all of Qian Xia'ao's attack trajectories before Qian Xia'ao had even attacked.

"Time for my counterattack," said Xiang Shaoyun with a confident smile.

Havoc Dance!