Immortal-Exterminating Divine Venerable

'Such swordsmanship is a rare sight, even on the Divine Land Continent. This young man is truly a peerless genius.'

Seeing these two sword techniques—

one brutally simple to the extreme,

the other exquisitely perfect—

even Lu Changsheng, who was determined to kill Yang Xiao, couldn't help but sigh.

'Such beauty is truly a rare sight.'

However, what no one present realized was that while these two sword techniques had always been formidable, they had never before reached such a state of perfection.

The reason for this transformation was that Yang Xiao had comprehended the Gold Element Origin Power, which in turn allowed him to gain a deeper understanding of his Sword Dao.

Take the first technique, Meteor Fall, for instance.

When Yang Xiao had executed it before, it was a rather unremarkable slash. Now, however, it was utterly savage and wantonly unrestrained, possessing a wild and violent beauty.

The same was true for the second technique, Celestial Moon.

Though it had always been beautiful, it had never been so intoxicatingly so, so unforgettable.

It was as if the silver moon itself had fallen from the heavens, or a Divine Maiden had descended upon the mortal world.

Pristine and pure to the extreme.

But while everyone was lost in the beauty of this sword strike,

Qin Tianjun was the only one not admiring the exquisite technique. He didn't dare. He couldn't. By this point, he had long since discarded any contempt he held for Yang Xiao.

He sensed with chilling certainty...

...that as soon as this sword fell...

...he would die!

Utterly powerless to resist.

"No, I don't believe it! I don't believe this brat is so powerful! Haha, Qian'er, your father is truly useless... But rest assured, even if I die, I won't let these two brats off easy! Black Dragon Fall Body Technique, activate!"

Qin Tianjun let out an indignant roar, but his eyes ultimately filled with despair.

He knew his opponent truly was that powerful.

Under these circumstances, he resolved to die.

Instantly, he activated the most terrifying Secret Technique of the True Black Dragon Transformation Technique: the Black Dragon Fall Body Technique.

An incomparably powerful force immediately surged throughout his entire body.

Terrifying black Flood Dragons, wild and tyrannical, seemed to writhe within him.

'He... he actually... Damn it! He's determined to drag the entire Qin Family down with him!'

Seeing this,

the Qin Family Ancestor's heart, which had just begun to settle after seeing Yang Xiao gain the upper hand, leaped back into his throat. The two Demigod Level powerhouses beside him couldn't even bear to watch.

Because at this moment, they all believed...

...Yang Xiao was finished.

The Black Dragon Fall Body Technique was a Forbidden Technique of their Qin Family. When unleashed by an expert at the Peak of the Great Divine Power Realm like Qin Tianjun, not even they could have survived it.

But just then,

the longsword in Yang Xiao's hand moved once more.

It was just as magnificent,

and exquisitely beautiful as before.

However, his movements failed to attract Qin Tianjun's attention in the slightest.

He was completely immersed in his own world.

'Qian'er, rest assured. Your father will eliminate these two great enemies for you. You can finally rest in peace. And I... I will be joining you soon.'

He sighed to himself.

His expression was incomparably resolute.

And determined.

Especially after activating the Black Dragon Fall Body Technique, he could feel his three thousand years of Martial Arts Cultivation erupting within him, transforming into a swarm of terrifying, pitch-black Flood Dragons.

They darted relentlessly through his body until, under the effect of the Black Dragon Fall Body Technique,

they condensed into a single, terrifyingly real black dragon. Qin Tianjun knew that this fearsome power would destroy him along with everything else.

'But so what?'

'He was going to die, but when this black dragon erupted from his body, it would annihilate everything in its path. Not only would Yang Xiao die, but Li Mubai would die too!'

This was the Black Dragon Fall Body Technique, one of the most terrifying secret arts among the Qin Family's Black Dragon Secret Techniques.

But just as Qin Tianjun believed everything was about to end,

and just as the two Qin Family Demigods and the many other experts familiar with the technique were certain of Yang Xiao's demise,

the sword in Yang Xiao's hand...

...finally slashed out once more.

It transformed into a flash of sword light.

A flash of sword light like the silver moon in the sky.

Instantly, it showered down upon Qin Tianjun.

Yang Xiao had activated it again.

The second technique of his self-created swordsmanship: Celestial Moon.

And,

because Qin Tianjun paid it no mind,

it struck him squarely.

In that instant,

time itself seemed to freeze.

But off to the side, someone watching this scene let out a soft sigh.

'What a pity! Once the Black Dragon Fall Body Technique is activated, the boy should have retreated immediately—climbed to the one-hundredth floor, for instance. Because whether he attacks or flees, he isn't fast enough. He can't stop it. Now that he's chosen to attack, he's just thrown away his last chance at survival.'

The one who thought this was none other than the Qin Family Ancestor.

Before, he had held a sliver of hope for Yang Xiao.

He had hoped that at this most critical juncture, the young man would make the decisive choice to leave the ninety-ninth floor and ascend to the one-hundredth. But this was the result.

Although the sword strike was stunning,

so much so that even he couldn't afford to underestimate it...

because after absorbing the power of the Black Dragon Divine Aspect and incorporating the Gold Element Origin Power, it was powerful enough to obliterate any existence below the Demigod level in a single blow.

Even an ordinary Demigod couldn't withstand it head-on. The probability of death for anyone who tried would be exceedingly high.

But no matter how powerful the sword was, it was useless now.

Qin Tianjun had already unleashed the Black Dragon Fall Body Technique. He had poured his entire life's cultivation into this one final, brilliant moment. Even a Peak Demigod like himself might not escape the resulting blast unscathed.

Let alone Yang Xiao.

Worse, he had chosen to attack, which would not only trigger the Black Dragon Fall Body Technique's explosion prematurely but would also place Yang Xiao at its epicenter. He would likely be blasted into dust.

It reached a point where even the Qin Family Ancestor could no longer bear to watch.

'In my mind, I was anxiously wondering what I could possibly do to appease the Human Emperor's wrath.'

'If all else fails, I can only atone with my own life,'

the Qin Family Ancestor thought.

He withdrew his gaze,

convinced that a world-shaking explosion was about to erupt on the ninety-ninth floor of the Ascension Platform.

He did not want to witness it.

But after waiting a moment,

the result was still...

...silence.

There was no sound, no movement.

Just as the Qin Family Ancestor was growing puzzled,

a voice spoke up beside him.

"Huh? What's going on? Did the Black Dragon Fall Body Technique... fail?"

It was one of the Qin Family's Demigods who had spoken.

The Qin Family Ancestor's heart jolted. He looked over again, only to see Qin Tianjun's body, sliced in two, falling indignantly to the ground.

As for that terrifying power within his body—the power sufficient to kill a Demigod—

it was now gathered within Yang Xiao's sword.

This was the power of Celestial Moon.

The ability to absorb and devour all uncontrolled energy.

'Doesn't this guy know that as long as I have Celestial Moon, no one can even think about self-destructing in front of me?'

Yang Xiao smiled faintly.

With a casual wave of his hand,

the Void Divine Sword in his grasp shot forth.

BANG!

It exploded in the sky.

It was like a magnificent firework in the mortal world.

A very, very large firework, that is.

Seeing this, everyone—from Li Mubai on the platform to the spectators below—was utterly dumbfounded.

'Is... is it over?'

'Holy crap! That was the Qin Family Head, an expert at the Peak of the Great Divine Power Realm! He was killed in just three sword strikes, and his final self-destruction was turned into a goddamn firework display.'

'Isn't this just a little too fucking absurd?'