I had, of course, heard about the Heavenly Way Sect"s ultimate technique. It was well known throughout the Great Zhou Empire, with the sect leader of the Heavenly Way Sect using it to destroy countless demonic sects.

Normally, it was designated as an anti-army attack, with enough power to obliterate an entire company of soldiers when it landed in their midst. Not only that, it was an unavoidable, unescapable technique. I wasn"t sure how it actually worked – not being a disciple of Heavenly Way Sect, who like all others kept the true nature and mechanisms of their strongest techniques a closely guarded secret – but apparently it tracked down and homed in on the target, pursuing relentlessly until the designated target had been completely destroyed.

There was no way I could dodge or escape it. I could only block it.

"Be honored, for very few people of our generation has the change to witness it! And none have survived thus far!"

Jiang Jun Hao was gloating as he held his Heavenly Spear up, continuing to draw more of his qi into it. As counterintuitive as it was, I knew that even if I tried to run now, it was too late. Even if I was out of sight, the moment he threw his spear, it would home in on me and hunt me down.

That being the case, there was only one thing left to do. I sheathed both my swords and returned them to my storage device and recalled all of the mobile turrets into my floating Snow Aegis.

Jiang Jun Hao didn"t care what I was doing. He was focusing everything into his attack. He backed away to almost a hundred meters, skillfully weaving through the crowd of battling martial artists. He then sprinted forward, only to jump high up once he had covered about fifty meters. Surging high up toward the heavens, he seemed to spiral about, lifting his Heavenly Spear as high and as far back as he could.

"Heaven Destroying…"

Arching his back, almost as if he was transforming his whole body into a tightly drawn bow, he pulled his Heavenly Spear as far back as possible, the muscles in his arm growing taut. Then like a tightly loaded spring, he hurled the spear forward as hard as he could.

"…Divine Spear Strike!!!!"

The Heavenly Spear disappeared into a golden streak as he threw it, flashing into a blinding projectile at it sped toward me like a colossal thunderbolt. Its path buffeted the battling martial artists with ma.s.sive shockwaves and sonic booms, knocking down both allies and enemies alike from the sheer force of it.

"What the h.e.l.l?!"

"That Jiang Jun Hao is actually using Heaven Destroying Divine Spear Strike?!"

"Who is his opponent, to have forced him to use his ultimate technique?!"

"Everyone, get out of the way! If you want to live, get away!"

Screams and shouts filled the plaza as the martial artists scattered, particularly those in our generation.

Unfortunately, it was useless for me to evade. There was only one move left for me. To block this terrifying blow with all my might!

For a moment, I closed my eyes. To many, it seemed almost as if I had given up and resigned myself to my fate.

But then I raised my hand and had Snow Aegis hover in front of me. Gathering all of my Heaven and Earth qi, I infused my Spirit Shield with my qi.

"Snow Aegis!"

With a yell, I constructed six formidable qi barriers in front of me.

And not a moment too soon. A millisecond later, Jiang Jun Hao"s Heavenly Spear struck the first layer of qi, furiously drilling into it.

For a moment, I dared to believe that I had successfully blocked it. And then Jiang Jun Hao"s Heavenly Spear shattered the first layer almost instantly. It struck the second layer forcibly, drilling mercilessly. The second barrier held – for a few seconds – before it blew up into transparent shards of azure-tinged qi, falling into fragments.

"Kuh!"

I staggered back, almost unable to withstand the blow. The Heavenly Spear crashed against the third layer, and once again it broke before long, unable to endure the vicious onslaught.

Then the fourth held. For about half a minute longer than the rest before it finally crumbled before the incredible might of the Heavenly Spear.

"b.a.s.t.a.r.d…"

Having landed a few dozen meters away, Jiang Jun Hao scowled. He straightened up and watched in disbelief as I fought to withstand his ultimate technique, his eyes narrowed. Gritting his teeth, he cursed under his breath.

Jiang Jun Hao had originally expected my defense to crumble instantly, and his Heavenly Spear to utterly obliterate me within a second, or ten seconds at most. Yet here I was, holding off his strongest strike for almost a minute. Even though my defenses were slowly but surely disintegrating away, it was a fact that I had staved off my inevitable defeat for a period of time that had exceeded everyone"s imaginations.

It wasn"t just Jiang Jun Hao. All the other martial artists were slowly drawn toward the amazing spectacle, their eyes riveted on my colossal battle to withstand Jiang Jun Hao"s ultimate technique. Our enemies were stunned while my fellow comrades and allies in Nine-Tailed Fox Sect were daring to hope that I could make it.

This was no longer just a fight between me and Jiang Jun Hao. We had both become symbols of the younger generations of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect and the Martial Arts Alliance, and the outcome of this showdown would certainly have a significant effect on our morale.

I couldn"t afford to lose!

Bang!

Despite that, my fifth layer shattered pathetically, and Jiang Jun Hao"s Heavely Spear drilled onto my sixth and final layer. It crashed violently against my barrier, rotating rapidly in an effort to penetrate my last defense.

There was no way I was going to give up here! Everyone was depending on me here! This would no longer be just my loss if I fell here!

"NUOOOOOOOOOH!"

With a roar, I poured every vestige of my qi into Snow Aegis through my right arm, and staked everything on soliditfying Snow Aegis"s defense. The final protective screen flared up brightly as more of my azure qi reinforced it.

However, Jiang Jun Hao"s Heavenly Spear also glowed mercilessly and tyrannically. The next moment, both Snow Aegis and I, as well as my opponent"s Spirit Treasure Weapon, were engulfed in an enormous explosion that blossomed upward like a mushroom cloud, consuming the plaza and sending all the younger martial artists flying and hurtling from the sheer force.

"What the h.e.l.l?!"

"AAAAAAAAAAH!"

"What power!"

"UGH!"

"Fei Wu!" Tang Qi Hong screamed, even though she had conjured a defensive Spirit Shield of her own to protect herself, Lian Rou and several of the other inner sect disciples.

"No way!" Tong Xue gasped a few distance away, even as he was being buffeted by the incredible shockwaves.

"Heh…I can"t believe the younger generation is capable of unleashing such destructive power." Tian Yu Di chuckled above as he clashed against Shen Tian Yi and Long Shen, knocking away the first guy"s spear and crushing the second opponent"s gargantuan green dragon with a gigantic fist made out of qi. "Times have really changed in a millennium."

"Don"t underestimate the kids," Shen Tian Yi growled. "They represent the hope of our future!"

"Yes…I have seen that firsthand." Tian Yu Di glanced at the explosion that had enveloped me. "My grand disciple is no pushover."

"But he has been killed by Young Master Jiang." Shen Tian Yi couldn"t conceal the slight smugness and pride in his voice.

"I wonder about that." Tian Yu Di grinned coldly before he darted away from Long Shen"s blazing sword and deflected Shen Tian Yi"s spear with his bare hand.

As the mushroom cloud abated, a single golden streak blurred through the air. It returned to a waiting Jiang Jun Hao, who reached out and grabbed it, twirling it easily before planting it on the ground. His scowl deepened when he noticed the countless cracks that had spread over his precious Heavenly Spear, and how the golden glow that used to suffuse it had dimmed drastically. Another hit and it would shatter.

"What the h.e.l.l was that Spirit Shield!?" he swore under his breath, and turned his disbelieving eyes toward the dissipating conflagration

I was on my knees, clutching my right arm. Blood dripped down my face and body, dozens of cuts having appeared all over me. Gritting my teeth, it was all I could do to keep myself from pa.s.sing out, but the injuries I had suffered were no joke.

Snow Aegis had disappeared, having reverted to the tiny storage device I usually carried around when not using it in battle. Like Jiang Jun Hao"s Heavenly Spear, its glow and qi had diminished and my gla.s.ses brought out worrying statistics and numbers. Even if I didn"t understand the numbers, I knew enough to comprehend that it had suffered incredible damage and was in urgent need of repair. I wouldn"t be able to use it in the next few days until I fixed it.

"Amazing…" I praised Jiang Jun Hao. "I didn"t think anyone from our generation would be able to penetrate Snow Aegis"s defenses. I had designed it to be impervious to all projectile attacks, and yet you were able to overcome its mystic barriers with just a single strike from your ultimate attack. In terms of raw attack power, you are truly stronger than perhaps even Bai Ning Xue and Zhu Jiao.

"Who the f.u.c.k are you?!" Jiang Jun Hao demanded, astonished that I had survived. Despite my grevious injuries, I had directly received his most powerful attack, an ultimate technique that was known to be the bane of many demonic martial aritsts, and emerged with my life preserved.

"Just a member of the Blood Blades from Nine-Tailed Fox Sect." I shrugged indifferently. "You should already be aware of my ident.i.ty."

"Bulls.h.i.t!" Jiang Jun Hao snapped. "I have never heard of anyone from Nine-tailed Fox Sect possessing a Spirit Shield durable enough to counter a Spirit Treasure Weapon pa.s.sed down for generations in Heavenly Way Sect!"

"Well, now you have," I pointed out dryly. "You can update your information now. And as you can see, this is the result."

I shook my head wryly as I raised both my hands in mock surrender.

"You smashed my Snow Aegis, after I have expended the majority of my qi to withstand that attack, and one of my arms are rendered almost useless in the process. Ah…that was the greatest protection that I possessed." I then smiled. "But at least I took out your precious Heavenly Spear in the bargain, so it"s worth it."

"Worth it?!" Jiang Jun Hao roared. "b.l.o.o.d.y f.u.c.king b.a.s.t.a.r.d! I will kill you!"

He charged forward with his diminished Heavenly Spear. Even though it was vastly reduced in power, it still had enough strength to kill me with a clean hit, more so especially now that I was heavily wounded.

Even though I was grievously wounded, I was far from helpless, however.

Drawing Azure Lotus Sword from my damaged storage device (which was stil functioning properly despite the defensive properties having been completely blown out and the DRAGOON system in emergency shut down), I plunged it into the ground – a job made easier because I was kneeling. The moment my blade touched the ground, I let out a shout.

"Enhance Armament!"

Again, the entire s.p.a.ce was encased in ice. Jiang Jun Hao tried to skid to a stop, but he found himself trapped in ice.

"This stupid trick again!" he bellowed, smashing his way out. But with his Heavenly Spear damaged heavily, he found it more difficult to break his way out of the ice.

It was more than enough for me to launch a counterattack of my own. Using my remaining good hand, I stabbed his shoulder with Azure Lotus Sword.

"!!!"

Jiang Jun Hao froze as my blade pierced his shoulder, his Heavenly Spear and limbs still trapped in the ice and thus unable to defend himself. I still had to hand it to him, though. I had been aiming for his head, or at least to decapitate him, but his reflexes had saved his life, Jiang Jun Hao moving his head out of the way in time.

Unfortunately for him, it wasn"t enough.

Heavenly Draconic Meteor Strike.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Without any hesitation, and just like Jiang Yan Pan before me, I unleashed one of my killing techniques at pointblank range, flooding Jiang Jun Hao"s insides with my destructive qi. As before, Jiang Jun Hao"s body swelled up before expoding into blood and viscera.

As I crashed onto the ground, a rain of blood pounding onto me and staining both my clothes and skin red, there was no sign of the screaming Jiang Jun Hao left.

"J…Jiang Jun Hao is dead!"

"Jiang Jun Hao has been killed!"

"Fei Wu has won!"

"Fei Wu not only withstood Jiang Jun Hao"s Heaven Destroying Divine Spear Strike, but defeated him as well!"

"No way!"

"Impossible!"

"Hah! The Heavenly Way Sect is nothing big after all!"

"All members of Blood Blades, counterattack!"

Just as I had expected, the outcome of our duel had a drastic effect on morale. The Heavenly Way Sect who had arrived immediately collapsed, the disciples going into shock and falling to their knees, becoming ripe targets for the murderous Blood Blades. Their allies from the Green Dragon Sect and Kunlun Sect were not as affected, but they were still shaken tremendously after witnessing the prodigy"s demise, and their movements were somewhat dulled.

Like a domino effect, the shift in morale rippled across the plaza, and the invading sects found themselves driven out of the plaza while taking ma.s.sive casualties.

"Retreat! Fall back! Regroup!"

"Stop fighting for now! Nine-Tailed Fox Sect holds the advantage!"

"Young Master!" Shen Tian Yi shouted when he saw Jiang Jun Hao"s messy death. However, he almost received a fatal strike when Tian Yu Di punched his midriff. He managed to parry the devastating fist with his spear, but he was sent spinning helplessly in the air from the tremendous impact, a trickle of blood leaking from his mouth.

"Where do you think you"re looking at, getting distracted in the middle of a battle?" Tian Yu Di taunted.

"Get lost, old monster!" Long Shen shouted as he slashed at Tian Yu Di"s back, but Ancestral Master merely caught his blazing blade with his bare hand before punching him away. He burst out laughing.

"Just the death of one kid, and you"re all getting this fl.u.s.tered? Did you guys really underestimate my grand disciple this much?"

Not far away, Song Si Yuan was being repelled by Zi Da Ji. He frowned as he glanced toward the middle of the plaza.

"…not bad," he said quietly. "We seem to have underestimated your disciples."

"Hmph." Zi Da Ji snorted. "Fei Wu has been one of the most promising younger generation members of Blood Blades so far. Look down on him at your own peril."

Song Si Yuan smiled sinisterly. "Honestly, I don"t care if Heavenly Way Sect loses one of their most talented disciples. They have nothing to do with me."

"Yet here you are, attacking us." Zi Da Ji scowled. "How shameless!"

She then drew a spear from one of her nine flailing qi tails and slashed at Song Si Yuan, taking him by surprise and driving him back a few steps.

Again, not far away, Lang Xie and a group of elite Blood Blades were dealing with Xie Zhi Zhang.

"Fei Wu has won against that prodigy second disciple of Heavenly Way Sect!"

"He did it!"

"All right! Let"s not lose to him! Eliminate this fellow!"
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The Blood Blades had been buoyed by the sight of Jiang Jun Hao"s demise and their attacks grew sharper and more precise, actually forcing Xie Zhi Zhang to retreat.

Lang Xie nodded quietly as he listened to his subordinates cheering. He took note of their increased morale and thought of how to beter make use of it. They didn"t have a lot of time left, after all.

He was right.

The three sects retreating from the plaza suddenly stopped falling back when reinforcements came. The first ten invading sects had finally gathered around Nine-Tailed Fox Sect"s entrance and were preparing for one final push.

"It"s about to tighten the noose," Yin Xue Sheng declared coldly.

"Yes." Jiang Yuan nodded in agreement. "All of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect"s combatants, inner sect disciples and inner sect elders have all pulled back to the plaza. It"s time we finish this once and for all."

"I want to witness this historical moment," Fu Zhuo Hui added with malicous delight. "The fall of Nine-Tailed Fox Sect…and the opening of a s.p.a.ce in one of the eight major sects."

No doubt he was planning for Dark Asura Sect to take Nine-Tailed Fox Sect"s place after the latter had fallen.

"I want to deal with that Fei Wu myself! I hope that you will leave that brat to me!" Jiu Liu Yu voiced out her desires, confident that no one would challenge her over an insignificant junior. She wouldn"t have cared about me either, until she had learned that I had saved her two disciples. And being the b.i.t.c.h that she was, she immediately jumped to conclusions and a.s.sumed the worst.

"Let"s go!"

The leaders of the invading sects led their subordinates through Tushan City and then barged through Nine-Tailed Fox Sect"s entrance, destroying the gate without hesitation or shame. Saturated with killing intent, all of them charged toward the plaza.

Su Bai Xue, Shi Jing Yun and Wu Tuo had retreated with the vanguard wave from Heavenly Way Sect and the others, and they were meeting up with the reinforcements surging through the broken gate for one last push.

It was now or never.

Forcing myself to my feet, I limped toward the center of the plaza. Noticing what I was doing, the surviving Blood Blades and inner sect disciples formed a ring around me protectively. They had heard the plan long ago, after all.

"Wu, are you all right?" Tang Qi Hong asked, concerned. "You"re badly hurt!"

"Yeah, well…I couldn"t possibly emerge from a duel with someone of Jiang Jun Hao"s caliber unscathed, can I?"

"But you defeated him." Tong Xue shook his head in amazement. "That"s really something! We might still have hope after all!"

"No…"

Lian Rou raised her head and stared in the direction of our sect entrance, turning pale. Everyone followed her gaze and trembled when they saw the vast host of the invading army marching toward us, emanating a hostile air of murderous intent.

"That was just the beginning," Lian Rou whispered timidly. "The real battle is just about to begin."

In reponse to her, I smiled darkly and chuckled malevolently.

"Let them come," I declared icily. "We have a surprise waiting for them."