Flesh is weak, but machinery transcends!
After losing parts of his body, Ma Rulong had replaced his right arm and left leg with Spirit Guidance Devices, becoming the Sun Moon Empire's first-ever individual modified with Spirit Guidance technology. He clenched his metal right fist and grinned.
"During the team battle finals of the Continental Elite Spirit Master Academy Tournament, you pointed your Angel Sword at my throat. That stinging sensation remains fresh in my memory. I'm a proud man, but for the glory of the Sun Moon Imperial Academy, I had to make the calmest judgment—to swallow my anger and preserve my strength.
Today, I bear no such burdens. Come! Let's have a good, satisfying fight and finish what should have been settled three years ago!"
Ma Rulong could no longer contain the battle intent surging from his chest. Without waiting for Lin Jiaran to announce the start, a sound like turning gears emanated from within his Spirit Guidance arm as over fifty metal cannon barrels of varying sizes instantly extended outward.
This was unlike how a normal Spirit Guidance Master released their devices. It was more like the weapons grew directly out of his arm.
Each metal cannon barrel gleamed dark gold in color. During the tournament years ago, Ma Rulong could already independently create and use Class 7 Spirit Guidance Devices despite being only a Class 6 Spirit Guidance Master.
Now a Class 7 Spirit Guidance Master himself, controlling such devices came as naturally as breathing. All the cannon barrels bloomed with deep radiance!
How terrifying was the might of a concentrated volley from Class 7 Spirit Guidance Devices! Violent booms erupted simultaneously across the testing ground. The Sun Moon students in the audience widened their eyes, their gazes refusing to leave for even half a second.
Class 8 Spirit Guidance Masters served as senior teachers of Illustrious Virtue Hall, while Ma Rulong, this peak Class 7 Spirit Guidance Master, genuinely stood as the strongest student of Illustrious Virtue Hall. He was worthy of the title Big Senior Brother.
All previous Sun Moon challengers had failed to force Ling Bai to manifest his Seraphim or use a single spirit skill. The Sun Moon Imperial Academy had lost all face. Ma Rulong now carried the entirety of their hopes!
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!!!
Dense explosions rang out in rapid succession. To the Sun Moon students' disappointment, the Angel Sword blocked every Class 7 Spirit Guidance Cannon—slashing here, cleaving there—preventing any from penetrating Ling Bai's defenses.
Ling Bai transformed into a hazy shadow, continuously closing in on Ma Rulong. The Seraphim, as master of the sky, inherently granted Spirit Masters top-tier speed, and spirit bones further enhanced the strength and speed of their corresponding body parts.
He had absorbed the Harbinger Zhen's left leg bone. This 100,000-year spirit bone granted him two powerful spirit skills: Traceless Phantom and Void. The speed boost it provided was exceptionally substantial.
A hard, grimly murderous might surged forth. The Angel Sword split the air above Ma Rulong's head with a sharp, piercing shriek!
Creak... creak...
The Angel Sword, invincible until now, found itself stuck. The Spirit Guidance arm blocking the golden blade gleamed with cold, hard metallic luster in the dusky sunlight. Judging by the blade's penetration depth, the strike had not even cut halfway through.
Surprise flickered across Ling Bai's face. Through the gap in that raised arm, he glimpsed Ma Rulong's punchable, cold smirk.
"The arm's interior is made of Refined Gold, the same material used for Invincible Barriers. Can't cut through it, can you!"
Ling Bai's mouth twitched. He decisively withdrew his sword, the blade scraping against the ashen-blue Spirit Guidance arm and throwing off dazzling sparks. Metal powder scattered to the ground, and faint green smoke immediately rose from it.
A vicious gust tore toward Ling Bai's face. He stood his ground, turning his head aside while countering with a thrust of his own. A massive metal fist grazed his cheek as the Angel Sword's edge broke through Ma Rulong's skin, revealing the fresh red flesh beneath. Blood trickled down to gather at his jaw.
Everyone, including Illustrious Virtue Hall Master Jing Hongchen, broke into a cold sweat. One combatant was Ma Rulong, the Sun Moon Imperial Academy's sole pioneer in Spirit Guidance bio-modification; the other wielded a God-level Martial Spirit cultivated by Shrek Academy. If they both suffered grievous injuries, both sides would suffer a catastrophic loss.
"How's that? Strong enough for you?"
Ma Rulong tilted his head back with a scoffing laugh. He had previously excelled at long-range cannon attacks, but after gaining his Refined Gold arm, he had transformed into a dual-range fighter. A man's romance was trading blow for blow!
Fierce light blazed in Ling Bai's eyes. He seized Ma Rulong's arm, spun in close, and delivered a blazing sword strike that severed the painstakingly crafted Spirit Guidance arm at its root!
Blood spurted forth as a bone-chilling howl echoed through the testing ground.
A swift kick sent Ma Rulong's stalwart body flying. The direct hit seemed to stun him for a second. He felt as if a Stationary Spirit Cannon had struck him head-on, excruciating pain exploding throughout his body. The force launched him into the air, flipping him twice before he crashed heavily to the earth.
A chaotic ringing filled his ears. Ma Rulong touched the back of his head and found it sticky with blood. The ground beneath him had cracked like a spiderweb, a pool of blood congealing at its center.
The metal right arm lay nearby as Ling Bai's calm voice drifted over:
"Refined Gold is as solid as a rock. If your entire body were made of it, that would indeed be troublesome. But you only have one arm and one leg."
"Strike the connection points, huh? Lesson learned…"
Ma Rulong slowly climbed to his feet. Though his right arm was severed, surrender never crossed his mind. He charged forward again, but this time, he suddenly drew a pitch-black, slender sword from his metal left leg. The blade resembled a demon's horn, occasionally crackling with dark electricity.
Vicious and swift!
The two swords met in a shower of sparks that illuminated both their faces. One was calm and as indifferent as carved stone, the other twisted like a blood-hungry demon.
"Death Lance?"
Ling Bai recognized the familiar aura of death emanating from the black sword.
"That's history. Its current name is the Death God Nether Sword," Ma Rulong corrected.
The Death God Nether Sword. The Sun Moon team had collected the damaged Death Lances, and Ma Rulong had transformed them into this peak Class 8 Spirit Guidance Device that inherited their power!
A dense black radiance voraciously devoured all surrounding light. Even from a distance, the audience could not suppress the instinctive tremor that ran through their hearts.
Ling Bai's expression grew slightly grave. Previously, Ma Rulong had needed the Class 7 Sacrificial Seal to activate the Judgement Sword. Now, he wielded the Death God Nether Sword through his power alone!
The ground suddenly fractured. A bizarre, black circular symbol formed beneath Ling Bai's feet. Black flames of death erupted from underground just as the explosive Death God Nether Sword descended, leaving an ominous trail of black fire.
Death God Nether Sword's attached skill, Silent Annihilation!
All sound was suddenly hushed. In Ling Bai's eyes, everything froze. The setting sun slanted into the testing ground, and tiny dust motes hung suspended in its light. The rays illuminated a sea of faces frozen in surprise, terror, and shock. In this world, everything was a colorless oil painting; only he remained vibrant with color.
Man and Sword as One.
The Angel Sword traced a sun wheel in an incredible display. It was as if Ling Bai had plucked the great sun from the sky, its scorching brilliance now his own sword gleam.
The first sun wheel formed. Silent Annihilation was truly annihilated in silence. Ma Rulong roared. His transformation had altered his personality. Fierce malevolence filled his eyes as he gritted his teeth and forced the Death God Nether Sword to continue its descent.
The Angel Sword parried the incoming attack. Ma Rulong was not a true sword cultivator. He had studied no sword techniques, comprehended no sword intent. All he possessed was the hardened body granted by his Spirit Guidance Devices.
A clamorous hurricane swept past. Ma Rulong could not track the Angel Sword; it moved too fast to capture even its shadow. The thought of dodging had barely formed in his mind when the attack was already upon his forehead. He instinctively flinched to the right, but the blade still bit deep into his left shoulder.
Ma Rulong collapsed, rolling three times before slamming into the testing ground wall, still death-gripping the broken Death God Nether Sword.
"Death God Nether Sword—quite the domineering name. Too bad you're neither a Death God nor a swordsman."
Ultimate Death had not yet claimed the title of 'Death God.' How could a mere Class 8 Spirit Guidance Device crafted from the lances of a 10,000-year Death Abyss Spider Emperor be worthy of such a name?
Applause rose and fell from the Shrek exchange students. At the same time, the Spirit Guidance Department students gazed at Ling Bai with starry eyes as he stood with his sword in hand. Many were seeing this legendary genius of the Martial Spirit Department for the first time.
Lin Jiaran approached Ma Rulong's fallen form and checked his breathing. The massive external force had knocked him unconscious. The grievous wound on his left arm meant he would likely need another Spirit Guidance arm.
'Such vicious strikes?'
Lin Jiaran gave Ling Bai a deep look and began to ponder whether the originally set plan was still feasible.
In the audience, Ji Juechen rose and departed. Jing Ziyan immediately followed, calling after him:
"Old Ji, Old Ji, where are you going?"
"To practice my swordsmanship."
Ji Juechen moved as if wind were at his feet. After watching Ling Bai fight for an entire day, his desire to practice the sword had reached its peak!
A full day of continuous battles had failed to force a Martial Spirit manifestation. The members of the Sun Moon Imperial Academy covered their faces and sighed. Some chose to give up entirely, but many more gazed at Ling Bai with eyes that burned with fierce flames.
There were still two days left in the friendly competition. They still had time. One by one, they eagerly prepared themselves, gathering their strength for the next opportunity.
Jing Hongchen observed the students' mental state and nodded with satisfaction. "Jiayi, tell those brats that whoever makes Ling Bai use his Martial Spirit gets a million spirit gold coins. I'll personally craft three Class 8 Spirit Guidance Devices for them!"
"Yes, Hall Master!"
Ning Tian and Wu Feng jumped down from the audience seats. The former teased with a smile, "Bai-ge, you've really become the Sun Moon Imperial Academy's public enemy now. So many people want to defeat you."
Ling Bai did not respond. He slowly closed his eyes, savoring the lingering resonance of his final Man and Sword as One state. Battle truly was the finest whetstone. The greater the adversity, the more readily one's potential emerged.
His nascent sword intent required extensive combat to be nourished. These ten thousand-plus students of the Sun Moon Imperial Academy were premium sword-cultivation material—unlike Shrek Academy's sparse population, where the Inner and Outer Courtyards combined might not even hold two thousand people.
When he reopened his eyes, spirit power suddenly stirred within him, breaking through the bottleneck as naturally as water flowing to a stream.
Spirit power advanced. Rank 70.