Chapter 118: Sword Qi Soaring to the Heavens

Xu Jie hurled hundreds of tons of rock into the air, sending them soaring like a rocket toward the heavens. At a height of over a hundred meters, the debris traced a massive parabolic arc, plummeting toward Lin Feng like a gargantuan meteorite.

Lin Feng’s eyes flashed with starlight. With a graceful movement, he gathered the spiritual energy from his dantian, channeling it into a whirlwind that surged through his meridians and directly into the Kunwu Sword.

He opened his mouth, and a sword aura roared from his chest, manifesting as words of tempered steel:

"Sword Style Seventeen: Severing the Firmament!"

With a flick of his wrist, his body moved like a wisp of cloud drifting across the sky, flashing rapidly aside. Amidst the flickering silver light, the tip of his sword danced like a viper, tracing intricate, sharp patterns in the void.

This technique was the most fundamental move recorded in the Sword Canon of the Wukun Heavenly Sect’s outer disciples, typically used for defense. Upon execution, it could unleash hundreds of sword auras in an instant, weaving a web of blades in mid-air to shred any encroaching enemy.

As the falling rocks collided with this web, they were pulverized by the countless sword auras, reduced to a pile of rubble just as if timber had been fed into a sawmill.

The supposedly lethal strike was shattered by Lin Feng’s exquisite swordsmanship, causing Wang Jisheng to exhale in involuntary relief. Andrew, however, wore a look of astonishment; he abandoned Wang Jisheng and moved to the railing to observe the battle closely.

"His aura clearly hasn’t even reached the Grandmaster realm, yet how can he unleash such sharp sword techniques? And this technique is far too profound. Even my master couldn’t perform a display of sword aura so dense and sharp!"

"This boy must not be allowed to live!"

Seeing his rocks reduced to dust, Xu Jie felt no anger. Instead, he curled his lip and laughed. "Kid, I didn't expect your swordsmanship to be this good. You’ve actually saved me quite a bit of effort!"

"Rock Peak Slaughter!"

Xu Jie let out a low roar. His internal energy surged violently, and with a wave of his hand, the scattered rubble on the ground moved without wind, rolling toward his feet.

"Die!"

Watching the stones gather, Xu Jie laughed and bellowed. The gravel swirled and encased his body. Standing at a tall 1.8 meters, he now surged in size, growing over half a meter taller as the stones covered him. He became incredibly burly, resembling a giant clad in stone armor.

He pushed off with his legs; despite the heavy stone armor, his speed remained blistering. In a blink, he was before Lin Feng, his giant, head-sized fists wrapped in formidable energy, smashing directly toward him. Each punch whistled with the force of a gale, creating thunderous cracks in the air.

Lin Feng remained composed, parrying with a slash. The Kunwu Sword struck the stone fist with a crisp metallic clang and was instantly deflected.

Lin Feng frowned. His Kunwu sword aura was capable of slicing through gold and stone with ease, yet today, it was struggling against a mere fist made of rock. Refusing to believe it, he lunged again. This time, he channeled his energy fully, his sword aura magnificent and vast. It descended like the dazzling golden rim of a setting sun, striking Xu Jie’s stone fist with blinding speed.

Yet, this blow left only a shallow mark on the stone.

Lin Feng was stunned. Was there truly something in this world he could not cut?

Xu Jie cared nothing for Lin Feng’s astonishment. His fists moved like dragons, landing blow after blow. Puzzled, Lin Feng resolved to unravel the mystery of Xu Jie’s technique, retreating step by step and defending against the onslaught.

"Hahaha! Lin Feng, did you think knowing a few sword moves would make you invincible? My internal energy has completely transformed into 'Gang Qi'! Forget ordinary blades—not even bullets or artillery could scratch me!" Xu Jie pressed forward, triumphant and mocking.

Even Wang Jisheng, watching from the high platform, was drenched in cold sweat, his fists clenched tight with worry. Seeing Wang Jisheng’s pathetic state, Long Yaoyang was delighted and laughed aloud.

"Hahaha! Wang Jisheng, what’s the point of watching? Lin Feng is doomed! Do you know how powerful Master Xu Jie is? He is a Grandmaster!"

Upon hearing that his opponent was a Grandmaster, Wang Jisheng’s heart sank, nearly jumping out of his chest.

Meanwhile, Andrew stood to the side, his brow furrowed in deep thought. *Strange. Could this boy truly only be skilled in sword techniques? He can’t even break through Xu Jie’s Gang Qi!*

Andrew was filled with doubt, feeling that Lin Feng’s strength fluctuated inconsistently—he was nothing like an orthodox Grandmaster. In the world of martial arts, there was a saying: "Those who are not Grandmasters are but ants."

This referred to "Gang Qi." A Grandmaster could condense and transform the energy within their body into an energy far superior to mere internal force: Gang Qi. When coated in Gang Qi, one could kill from a distance, defend against any weapon, and remain invulnerable to all things. Battles between Grandmasters were often battles of Gang Qi—not just in quantity, but in quality.

The stronger the Grandmaster, the more robust their Gang Qi. Below the watershed of the Grandmaster realm, some martial artists focused on quantity, specializing in long-range techniques to kill from afar. Others focused on quality, repeatedly tempering their Gang Qi until it was incredibly resilient, impervious to gold or iron.

Xu Jie followed the path of quality. The resilience of his Gang Qi was top-tier, even within the Skull Society. Combined with his stone armor, he was virtually indestructible.

The spectators in the arena watched as Lin Feng was suppressed with every move, their hearts heavy with dread. The atmosphere in the venue grew somber and despondent.

*Gang Qi?*

Hearing Xu Jie’s arrogant laughter, Lin Feng arched a brow and sighed softly. "Whether it’s Gang Qi or anything else, in front of me, anyone who blocks my path shall be cut down by a single sword!"

"Sword Style One: A Sword Beyond This World!"

As he spoke, the longsword in Lin Feng’s hand instantly turned into a streak of silver light. The movement was so fast it exceeded the speed of sound, shattering the sound barrier.

"What... what kind of sword is this..."

Xu Jie immediately crossed his arms to block. But the sword was too fast, too sharp. It felt as if a terrifying sword aura accompanied the silver light. Even as a Grandmaster with keen senses, he could not track the trajectory of the strike.

"Ah—"

In the blink of an eye, Xu Jie felt a chill on his arms and a heat in his chest. The sword light passed straight through him, striking the concrete floor behind him.

"Boom—"

The ground was struck by the residual force of the blow, carving a razor-thin line. If one looked closely, they would see that the sword mark was several meters deep!

"Impossible! My Gang Qi... it shouldn't..."

Xu Jie stared in disbelief at the sword in Lin Feng’s hand, his eyes dulling, before he collapsed to the ground.