Chapter 24

"Among the outer disciples, few dare to speak to me like this. Boy, since you're seeking death, you can't blame anyone else!"

Initially, Gao Fan only intended to break Ling Dao's arms, but now he was filled with murderous intent. As the ninth-ranked outer disciple, he believed that even if he killed a newly initiated outer disciple, he wouldn't face severe punishment. He could always claim it was an accident, an unintentional mistake.

Fights among outer disciples often resulted in injuries or even deaths, which was considered normal. Gao Fan had good talent, and the Sky-Splitting Sword Sect wouldn't expel him for the sake of one Ling Dao. Moreover, the mastermind behind this was Zhou Xinghe, who would suppress the matter even if Ling Dao really died.

With a single hand capable of exerting five thousand pounds of force, Gao Fan was extremely strong. After all, he was not a body cultivator but a sword cultivator. His two fists struck out, generating a fierce gust of wind that Ling Dao could feel rushing towards him.

"Your strength is not bad, but it's nothing compared to mine!"

Ling Dao glanced at Gao Fan and made this assessment in his mind. Practicing the Savage Extermination Technique, a world-class body cultivation method, had made Ling Dao's physical body incredibly strong. However, he didn't want to reveal this yet.

He was only at the Bone Tempering stage. If he displayed a physical body stronger than Gao Fan's, many elders in the Sky-Splitting Sword Sect would surely take notice. He wouldn't be able to explain it, and if the elders forcibly took his cultivation, he would be in danger.

"Thunder Rush!"

Ling Dao hadn't mastered the Shadowless Thunder Sword, but he could still use the Thunder Rush technique. The sword he was using now was not the Free and Easy Sword but a very ordinary iron sword. He couldn't reveal the Free and Easy Sword until he had enough strength.

"Shameless! Senior Brother Gao is only using his fists, but he is using an iron sword!"

"Are you stupid? Senior Brother Gao is ranked ninth among the outer disciples. If you faced him, wouldn't you draw your sword?"

"That's true. Senior Brother Nine is so strong that even without a sword, he could easily defeat me. That boy is only at the Bone Tempering stage. Even if he draws his sword, he's no match for Senior Brother Nine!"

These words made Gao Fan extremely pleased. He enjoyed the feeling of being high and mighty. He was currently cultivating an extremely powerful sword technique. At the next outer disciple competition, he intended to shock everyone by defeating the top eight and becoming the senior brother.

Gao Fan's expression was clearly visible to Ling Dao, but Ling Dao didn't care. The iron sword in Ling Dao's hand slashed towards Gao Fan's fists with a grand and sweeping momentum.

As Ling Dao's sword struck, a thunderous sound seemed to echo in the arena. In Ling Dao's eyes, all of Gao Fan's movements were reflected. When Gao Fan saw Ling Dao's sword, he clearly changed the trajectory of his punch, not intending to clash head-on.

Gao Fan was only at the Blood Condensation stage, far from being invulnerable. If he were hit by the iron sword, his fists would likely be crippled. His movements were also very fast. He turned his body, getting closer to Ling Dao, and struck at his waist with both fists.

Unfortunately, Ling Dao's movements were even faster. The iron sword in his hand seemed like a flexible whip, instantly changing its trajectory. If Gao Fan had used a sword from the beginning, this battle might have been more interesting, but his arrogance led him to use only his fists.

"Rip!"

A splash of blood flew up as Ling Dao's iron sword sliced across Gao Fan's arm. The Thunder Rush should have been fierce and domineering, but at the critical moment, he switched to the Shadowless Sword, which was incredibly fast, leaving Gao Fan unprepared.

"Ah!"

Gao Fan let out a惨叫 and fell to the ground. Ling Dao's sword almost crippled his hands. Fortunately, Ling Dao didn't use his full strength; otherwise, Gao Fan would never be able to practice sword techniques again.

"Senior Brother Gao is so... uh..."

Everyone thought Gao Fan would surely win this clash. Zhou Xing originally wanted to cheer, but his words got stuck in his throat. The contrast between Gao Fan, who was sitting on the ground in pain, and Ling Dao, who stood proudly in the arena, was stark.

"It's impossible! How could Senior Brother Gao lose to a Bone Tempering stage martial artist?"

"Senior Brother Gao must have been too careless. If he had drawn his sword from the beginning, the one screaming would definitely be that boy!"

"Regardless, that boy has become famous. Defeating Senior Brother Nine with one sword, this news will surely attract a lot of attention!"

The outer disciples who witnessed the battle were stunned, staring at Ling Dao in disbelief. They hadn't even seen Ling Dao's sword clearly, and neither had Gao Fan.

"Do you remember the warning I gave you last time? I said not to provoke me again, but you didn't listen. It seems I was too lenient!"

Ling Dao walked towards Zhou Xing. Originally, Zhou Xing had looked down on Ling Dao, but after Ling Dao defeated him and now Gao Fan, he was genuinely afraid. As Ling Dao approached, he became increasingly panicked.

"Don't come closer! My big brother is Zhou Xinghe. If you hurt me, my big brother won't let you off!"

Zhou Xing shouted with a fierce but weak voice, but he didn't know that Ling Dao had never heard of Zhou Xinghe. Even if Ling Dao knew about Zhou Xinghe, he wouldn't let Zhou Xing go. He was just an inner disciple of a tenth-grade force; how strong could he be?

"Take my sword!"

As Ling Dao spoke, he heard a "clang" and drew his sword again. It was still the Shadowless Sword, incredibly fast. Zhou Xing only saw a blur before feeling a chill all over his body.

Just as Zhou Xing was about to call for help, he felt a sharp pain. Ling Dao's iron sword sliced across Zhou Xing's thigh, causing blood to flow. This injury would force Zhou Xing to rest for a while, and he wouldn't be able to cause trouble for Ling Dao in the short term.

"What a fast sword! In just an instant, it made Zhou Xing's clothes tattered. Even I couldn't do that!"

"What kind of sword technique is this? I've never seen it in the Sky-Splitting Sword Sect. Could it be from his family?"

The Shadowless Thunder Sword had never been mastered by anyone in the Sky-Splitting Sword Sect, so it was normal that they hadn't seen it. Only a few disciples who knew that Ling Dao was practicing the Shadowless Thunder Sword were extremely shocked. Could it be that Ling Dao had already mastered it?

"You!"

Zhou Xing's eyes blazed with anger. The injury was a minor issue, but Ling Dao had humiliated him in public, leaving him naked. With his legs injured, he couldn't even escape the arena.

"Remember, don't provoke me again, or you'll bear the consequences!"

A cold voice echoed in Zhou Xing's ears. He looked up, but Ling Dao was already gone from the arena!