Gu Xichun’s lips were pressed into a line, his eyes a strange red again. He gazed at Ding Ning, unable to understand his way of thinking at all.
“Why do you do this?” Li Xixing also could not understand Ding Ning’s thoughts as he took a step forward and asked Ding Ning harshly.
Ding Ning did not respond. He turned to the dazed Zhang Yi, and seemed to speak to himself but also to Zhang Yi, “Since I will do it, I will do it completely.”
“I must thank you.” Before Li Xixing could speak again, Ding Ning looked at him, Dugu Bai and the others, saying, “Without you, I would not have reached the top ten so easily.”
At those words, Li Xixing and Dugu Bai stopped breathing for a moment. The pair felt that Ding Ning’s words contained a deeper meaning. However, the meaning was veiled in mist so the two could faintly see but not capture it.
Ding Ning did not say anything else as he walked towards a clear spot.
Duanmu Jingzong narrowed his eyes slightly and let his vital energy flow visibly for the first time. In the next moment, his body was like a cottonwood seed in the wind that lightly landed dozens of feet away, waiting for Ding Ning to reach him.
He was the only person who did not ponder why Ding Ning wanted to do this. His breadth of mind had always been narrow. He only thought of killing Ding Ning with his own hands just like he had killed Li Xixing’s dog in the past.
“I only hope that you will not admit defeat before you fall down,” he said expressionlessly as he looked at Ding Ning.
Ding Ning did not dwell on the meaning in the words. He simply lifted the Last Flower remnant sword and said, “What are you waiting for?”
Many cultivation teachers frowned deeply.
At this moment, Ding Ning had even given up on the rest time Lin Suixin had allowed.
Duanmu Jingzong inhaled deeply and lifted his head. He had no sword in hand.
No one could see where his sword was.
As his eyes shone with cold energy, he started to breathe.
This was summer. When people breathed ordinarily, white mist would not form like it did in the winter. But as he breathed, two rays of white energy shot out of his nostrils.
He glanced at Ding Ning.
In this moment, the two energies shooting out of his nostrils left countless afterimages in the air in front of him.
There was a hissing sound as air tore apart.
The two white energies disappeared from his nose. A tangible glowing sword energy formed in the air and shot towards Ding Ning’s eyes at terrifying speed!
Sounds of shock arose.
Everybody could see this was a sword seal skill. It used sword energy to draw a seal, manipulating primal energies of the universe to form a true sword essence to attack the other. Duanmu Jingzong had managed to do this with his body’s vital energy in the span of a breath!
Among the shocked gasps, there was a crisp cracking sound and then a surge of cold.
Cultivators in the valley found the sound originated from in front of Ding Ning.
The Last Flower sword in Ding Ning’s right hand had not moved. The pure white flowers had not even bloomed on its surface. Yet, the glowing sword energy heading towards his brow had cracked.
The cracked sword energy shot backwards in front of his eyes, turning into small glowing streams of light like stars. These stars seemed to have a shroud of darkness moving around them, and numerous icy black lines appeared at the border.
Many cultivation teachers quickly caught on and their gazes fell towards Ding Ning’s left hand.
Ding Ning’s rise in Changling had been meteoric and many of his cultivation matters were a secret to the youth in Changling. However, many cultivation places knew that Ding Ning had received some lessons from Forefather Zhou in the Ink Garden and that he had mastered the stunningly powerful fiendish energy condensing skill.
Duanmu Jingzong’s pupils contracted, a hint of surprise appearing in his eyes. Then he screamed strangely in disbelief as his sword energy cracked.
At the same moment, the fastest reacting cultivation teachers had yet to even look at Ding Ning’s left hand.
A violent wave sounded in the air!
A black tide emerged from Ding Ning’s palm!
A cold fiendish sword energy that had been brewing in Ding Ning’s meridians for a long time formed a terrifying tide as it surged out of his body!
Dozens of cold fiendish sword energies charged out at the same time and shot towards the screaming Duanmu Jingzong!
Almost everyone stopped breathing.
The weather was slightly hot and dry, and there were even toads croaking in the forest. But the mountain valley became bone-chilling cold due to this violent blade tide!
Duanmu Jingzong’s pupils contracted into pinpricks. His right hand rose upward as his sleeve shattered into pieces. Circles of purple-reddish light spun around his thin and white arm before spinning out.
Everyone saw his sword.
This was a unique purple-red soft sword. A moment ago, it had been coiled around his arm like a poisonous snake.
As the purple-red sword light spun out, this soft sword gave off a wild and violent presence in addition to its usual aura of cunning.
The circles of light that coiled around his arm spun out as primal energies of the universe surged and formed thunderous clouds.The clouds quickly expanded like the ribbons of goddesses flying through the air. In an instant, a patch of wild thunderous lightning formed in front of the violent black tide.
Intimidating, cracking sounds occurred in unison.
Dozens of black clouds formed, giving off a terrifying presence.
At the same time, Ding Ning’s figure disappeared from its spot.
The afterimages of fine white flowers lingered in the air.
Flower petals seemed to be floating between Ding Ning and Duanmu Jingzong.
Ding Ning’s figure had already appeared inside the rippling black clouds.
Numerous blue lights appeared in the clouds, so fast they could not be seen with the eye.
Duanmu Jingzong screamed again, and the purple-red soft sword in his hand seemed to nod madly.
Each point his sword tip touched, lightning flashed followed by sprays of sparks.
Ding Ning continued to advance.
The blue lightning flashed around Duanmu Jingzong’s body.
Duanmu Jingzong continued to scream and retreat.
His wrist seemed to shake even faster, causing his sword to vibrate and appear like more poisonous snakes were flying through the air.
Yet, all the purple-red snake images extended only three feet in front of him.
He could not even push his sword forward!
“What kind of sword form is this!”
Because of the quick speed, the students only spoke in shock after Duanmu Jingzong had taken a dozen steps back and sprays of sparks surrounded him.
“Aurora Sword Manual, the fastest sword manual on the sword embryo.” Jin Liuli narrowed her eyes and murmured to herself. This time, not just her voice but even her face was cold.
“He managed to comprehend the Aurora sword manual of the Zhao Imperial Palace in such a short time?”
Jin Liuli was not the only one to see Ding Ning was using a sword move so fast his blade could nott be seen. The teachers of the cultivation places were so shocked they were numb, and their usually steady hands started to tremble.
Pan Ruoye’s breathing completely stopped.
She was one of the strongest cultivators present, yet even she had not seen Duanmu Jingzong’s actual vital energy cultivation.
Duanmu Jingzong had not had the chance to display his vital energy cultivation at all!
Ding Ning was at most the peak of realm three. Duanmu Jingzong’s vital energy cultivation was far greater than Ding Ning, yet he had been suppressed from the start and lost the initiative. Ding Ning’s speedy sword moves, he could only face them, having no time to channel vital energy or even use his sword moves!
Unable to channel his vital energy, or even counterattack with his sword… everyone could see that Duanmu Jingzong could not get faster.
“Can you be faster?”
Everyone saw Ding Ning open his mouth and speak in his uniquely calm voice.