Martial World

The intensity of the explosion was too strong. Lin Ming’s clothes were torn in many places, hanging off his body like rags. He had various injuries that ranged from mild to severe, but none of them were life threatening. If it wasn’t for the endless tenacity of his azure true essence and the fact that his own body’s defensive capabilities were so powerful, then he would have been in a pitiful state after taking such an attack.

As for Mugu Buyu, his defensive power was much stronger than Lin Ming’s. Still, with his main body hidden in the much less mobile Scarlet Gold Tortoise puppet, he was in a much more distressed and embarrassed state than Lin Ming. Under that violent detonation of energy, he and the Scarlet Gold Tortoise had been both sent flying backwards, smashing against the edge of the arena, and falling down like a turtle that was flipped over. Even the weapons in his hands had fallen out.

In the middle of the martial stage, the tiles that had just been repaired yesterday were completely blasted apart by the terrifying explosive force.

As for the Evil Fire God, its entire body was covered in fissures and cracks, and it seemed more dead than alive.

The other two puppets were also broken by the explosion. The giant alligator’s tail had broken, and the spider puppet had lost five of its eight long legs.

The audience gasped repeatedly, “The Evil Fire God is ruined?”

“I can hardly believe my eyes. A year ago, I personally witnessed the power of Mugu Buyu. At that time, the Evil Fire God could almost be considered better than the Deputy House Master of the Jade Bamboo Nation’s Seven Profound Martial House! And now a year later, the Evil Fire God has a red suit of armor. Its strength is most likely much greater than it was before, and yet it was defeated in a single move… no… it’s better to say that it was demolished.”

“This is too terrifying! Even the protective barrier shattered apart, is this really a human?”

“What attack did Lin Ming use? Was it purely the power of thunder?”

Everyone present had some level of cultivation. In the instant of the explosion, they had been able to sense an incomparably strong power of thunder. Not only that, but a thick purple column of light had impacted into the skies, piercing the heavens. This was something that anyone could see as long as they weren’t blind. It was just that no one believed that Lin Ming was actually able to unleash a power of thunder that could generate such catastrophic destruction.

At this moment, the sky resounded with claps of thunder. As the audience looked up, they could actually see flashes of lightning in the clouds above; it was as if a thundercloud had magically appeared on a rainy summer day.

Without a doubt, this phenomenon was created by the pillar of lightning that had shot up into the sky a moment ago. The power of thunder was actually able to break through the heavens and live amongst the clouds, the vibrant intensity of this power of thunder was simply amazing!

Mugu Buyu finally managed to roll over and right himself from the pile of rubble he was in. His deep eyes looked at Lin Ming in disbelief, his lips vigorously twitching.

This is impossible! How could he possibly have such a powerful attack!?

Ka ka ka!

With a light crackling sound, several pieces of the Scarlet Gold Tortoise’s shell began to fall off. This was obviously caused by the trauma of the impact a moment ago, making cracks appear!

“Even the Scarlet Gold Tortoise was damaged!”

Mugu Buyu let out a heavy gasp. The True Essence Force Field was a legacy that was on par with the power of Laws, and yet it still hadn’t been able to completely block Lin Ming’s strike!

What sort of terrifying move was this!? Even a peak Houtian powerhouse couldn’t compare!

‘To use such an attack, this baby boy must have used some sort of secret technique, there is no way that he could use it again! My True Essence Force Field hasn’t broken, there is no need for me to be afraid of that attack again…’ As Mugu Buyu thought this, his rapidly beating heart was able to settle down.

‘So many of my puppets were destroyed, that even includes my Evil Fire God! I will surely make you pay!’

Mugu Buyu clenched his jaw, the corners of his lips curving up in a vicious smile. To a Puppet Master, every puppet was extremely precious and valuable. The spider puppet and giant alligator puppet had been seriously damaged, and the Evil Fire God was turned to scrap. The Scarlet Gold Tortoise also had minor damage. This succession of losses caused Mugu Buyu’s heart to feel as if it were dripping blood.

The manufacturing of a puppet required one to invest a massive amount of time, effort, and all sorts of rare and precious materials. Mugu Buyu simply couldn’t afford to lose his puppets, especially the Evil Fire God. Mugu Buyu had paid the price for these puppets, and now they were nearly ruined by Lin Ming. It was just like breaking his hands and feet at the same time.

Mugu Buyu grabbed another four different weapons, glaring at Lin Ming as if he wished to shred him into a million pieces.

At this point, Mugu Buyu’s eyes jumped. He saw Lin Ming flex his fingers, and a purple steel needle appeared in his palm, spinning around.

Mm?

‘A moment ago, did this boy take out that steel needle to send out that terrifying attack?’

Mugu Buyu couldn’t confirm his suspicious. Looking at that purple steel needle, it didn’t seem as if there was anything special about it.

‘Regardless of whether not that horrifying attack was caused by that steel needle, it’s impossible for him to launch it multiple times. There is no need for me to fear him!’

As Mugu Buyu though this, he drove out all the hesitation and dread that had built up within his heart. He grasped the four weapons in his hand, his concentration at the limit. As long as he saw this steel needle fly out, he would immediately cut it down!

In the Grand Hall, Shi Zongtian saw this coiling dragon steel needle reappear once more. He was stunned to the point of immediately standing from his chair.

“This… this is!?!?”

Shi Zongtian naturally had extraordinary eyesight. When he first saw Lin Ming take out this coiling dragon steel needle, he didn’t really think that it was worth paying much attention to. But this time he deliberately used his soul force to probe. Just as his soul force touched the surface of the steel needle, a terrifying power of thunder that was compressed to an outrageous degree bounced back!

“Just what the… it can actually reflect my soul force probing?” Shi Zongtian was shocked. He was an extreme Xiantian master! And yet this steel needle that was taken out by a junior had actually managed to force back his perception. This mighty power of thunder… could that steel needle possibly be a manifestation of thunder energy that had actually substantialized into pure thunder matter!?!?

Shi Zongtian was about to continue investigating, but at this time, Lin Ming flicked his finger, and that coiling dragon steel needle was sent flying!

Mugu Buyu was at the end of the line, he was in a critical situation. He had a throbbing premonition that this steel needle wasn’t simple at all. The four weapons in his hands were all the highest high-grade human-step treasures. Not only that, but they had been inscribed with special puppet symbols that channeled the true essence within his body. They were weapons that were tailor-made for him to use.

Mugu Buyu had paid a great price for these special top quality treasures in his hand. He couldn’t believe that with these treasures, he wouldn’t be able to block a small steel needle. Lin Ming was a rare genius, but in the end he was still a common martial artist from the 36 countries. How could he have anything of a grade that surpassed these treasures in his hand?

“Break for me!” Mugu Buyu cried out, and he flourished all four treasure weapons to cut down that coiling dragon steel needle!

A sickle, longsword, iron nail, and hammer, all four of these weapons were thousands of times larger than that tiny coiling dragon steel needle. The clash between them would be completely out of proportion, just like a elephant against an ant. Even though everyone realized that Lin Ming’s strength was unfathomably deep, none of them believed that this steel needle could explode with a terrifying power.

However, as Mugu Buyu’s four treasures simultaneously struck the coiling dragon steel needle, a completely unexpected scene occurred!

Bang!

Thunder sounded on the ground, and a terrifying purple ray of light shot into the sky! Hundreds of thick electrical snakes wantonly coiled in the air, crazily twisting around. Mugu Buyu who was hiding in the Crimson Gold Tortoise was sent flying back, just like a ball that was hit by a human expert!

The entire audience was stunned, how could this happen?

Before the audience had a chance to react, an urgent voice suddenly cried out, “Watch out for the explosive shockwaves!”

That array formation was supposed to protect the audience by containing anything within the martial stage. However, that defensive barrier had already shattered apart in the last attack. Without the protection of the curtains of light, the purple explosion mixed with arcs of terrifying lightning savagely surged out into the audience!

The disciples nearest to the martial stage cried out in alarm. They immediately forced all of their true essence to protect their body, bracing themselves against the terrifying explosive shockwaves and lightning. They were not weak, but even so, after being struck by the purple energy waves, they felt their blood tumbling within them and their whole body go numb.

Several martial artists whose cultivation was only at the Bone Forging stage were even thrown backwards, wounded, vomiting blood.

“Heavens, that is just too terrifying. The true essence aftermath actually has this kind of power; just how terrible would it be directly facing it?”

In the contestant waiting area, Zhang Yanzhao had taken out his saber to resist the true essence shockwaves. Feeling the inestimable energy within, he could only ruefully smile, muttering to himself, “How laughable of me. Although my strength isn’t enough to reach the top five, in terms of attack power I foolishly believed I was far above everyone else. But not compared to Lin Ming. Even if I used the strongest move of the Blood King’s Triple Murder, I can’t even begin to match up to this.”

After the shockwaves of the explosion passed by, the audience was in total chaos. At this time, everyone couldn’t help but wonder, just what had happened to Mugu Buyu, who had been directly struck by this?

Suddenly, everyone turned their heads to look. They saw that Mugu Buyu’s Tortoise Shell had already smashed into a stone pillar, his entire puppet body covered in rubble, motionless.

Seeing this, everyone’s throats fiercely twitched as they gulped over and over again. Such a terrifying attack, even if Mugu Buyu had the defensive power of the Scarlet Gold Tortoise, the impact alone would have been enough to wound him.

This was too fearful.

With the sound of rolling rocks, Mugu Buyu finally crawled out from the rubble. It had to be said that the Scarlet Gold Tortoise’s defensive power was truly resilient. Even under the second attack of the coiling dragon steel needle, it hadn’t exploded into bits, only a massive number of cracks had appeared on the surface.

But even though the Scarlet Gold Tortoise had an amazing defensive power, it still couldn’t defend against the electric shocks or the impact damage from being flung away. Mugu Buyu was scorched black all over his body, and his organs felt as if they were dislocated.

Ka ka ka…

As more of the Scarlet Gold Tortoise pieces crumbled off, the True Essence Force Field was teetering on a very precarious situation.

Mugu Buyu was frightened out of his wits. This Lin Ming was simply an abnormal monster, that sort of inhuman attack could actually be launched in bursts!

Although the second attack was much weaker, it could definitely match or even exceed an all-out attack from a peak Houtian master.

If he was struck again, he feared that his Scarlet Gold Tortoise would be finished. If this happened, then Mugu Buyu’s combat effectiveness would sink to the pits. His great losses would simply be unimaginable.

Mugu Buyu’s eyes were bloodshot as he sent a withering glare at Lin Ming, as if he only wished to swallow him. He could only gnash his teeth and finally say, “I admit defeat!”

A Puppet Master had many different forms of attacks, and could form a three-dimensional attack system from all facets. Compared to an ordinary martial artist, they had many advantages. But the disadvantages were obvious too. Once a puppet was damaged, it was very troublesome to repair. They weren’t like normal martial artists that could just eat some healing medicine, rest for a few days and be completely healed.

“Mugu Buyu actually admitted defeat…”

“Too terrifying. Lin Ming was actually able to force Mugu Buyu into this situation. I think that even Jiang Baoyun will lose against Lin Ming!”

“I don’t think Jiang Baoyun has any hope, he seems to be around Mugu Buyu’s level…”

A Seven Profound Valleys disciple slapped his thigh, and said with some annoyance, “If I knew about all this earlier, I would have bet on Lin Ming to win! Even if I only placed down ten true essence stones, I would have become a rich man!”