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**
Hearing Huyan Li's words, Ling Xiao let out a satisfied, soft laugh.
Suddenly, the tyrannical aura of soul power on Huyan Li's body came to a halt.
It was no longer as fierce and violent as before.
The brownish-yellow light abruptly receded as he deactivated his martial soul possession, revealing his original physical form. The muscles all over his body bulged, and streaks of soul power light wrapped around his frame.
Even without martial soul possession, relying solely on his soul power and tyrannical physical body, he was still exceptionally formidable.
He was likely strong enough to surpass many high-level Soul Elders of the same cultivation and engage in direct, bloody combat with thousand-year soul beasts.
Suddenly, a violent shout rang out.
In the distance, Huyan Li stomped his foot violently against the ground. Utilizing his astonishing, immense strength and the sudden explosion of his soul power, he shot forward like a cannonball, throwing a punch straight at Ling Xiao.
As Huyan Li circulated the full strength of his entire body.
His blood boiled and surged, and his bones and muscles seemed to emit bursts of low humming. Under Huyan Li's powerful explosive force, the distance of just over ten Zhang was crossed in the blink of an eye.
His fist, shimmering with a brownish-yellow glow of soul power, tore through the air, sending powerful gusts of wind whipping in all directions and letting out a sharp whistling sound.
This punch was aimed directly at Ling Xiao's chest.
However, seeing Huyan Li striking with full force, Ling Xiao acted as if he failed to react in time. Not only did he make no attempt to dodge or evade, but he did not even assume a counterattacking or active defensive stance.
Had it not been for the calm and composed expression remaining on his face, some of the lower-ranking disciples of the Elephant Armored Sect around the square would have thought he had been caught completely off guard.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, just as Huyan Li's punch was a mere half-inch away from Ling Xiao's chest, Ling Xiao suddenly took a step to the left.
Swings his arms slightly, he clenched his fists tightly. He truly intended to completely forego dodging or throwing a counter-punch, planning to rely solely on his physical body and soul power to face the strike head-on.
"Ling Xiao, you are truly arrogant."
Ling Xiao had no idea what Huyan Li was thinking in his heart.
At this moment, Ling Xiao was fully focused, not lacking in vigilance or being careless as the others thought. Not only did he activate his soul power at the peak of the Soul Elder realm.
But he also circulated the blood and Qi throughout his entire body, executing the 'Ox Demon Skin Tempering' transformation method from the Ox Demon Force Fist to fully enhance the defense of his physical muscles and skin.
Bang!
Huyan Li's fist struck Ling Xiao's chest.
Overbearing soul power combined with a powerful, heavy force instantly erupted.
Even though Ling Xiao's physical strength was remarkable and his bones and muscles were incredibly tough, and he had even deployed his soul power for defense, he still could not help but take a step back.
However, in the very next instant, Ling Xiao stabilized his stance. The look of joy in Huyan Li's eyes instantly vanished, and his eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Ling Xiao.
Suddenly, Ling Xiao swung his arms forcefully, and his torso jolted.
A powerful surge of blackish-red soul power light abruptly erupted from his chest.
The majestic soul power rapidly expanded into a massive amount of energetic astral streams, ultimately transforming into a spherical protective barrier that violently burst outward.
It flashed and vanished in an instant.
After forcefully blasting Huyan Li away, it dissipated without a trace, to the point where some people could not even see it clearly, with some even thinking their eyes had played tricks on them.
With a boom, Huyan Li was thrown back by Ling Xiao's counter-shock. His body crashed heavily onto the ground, causing a vast number of cracks to splinter across the surface, completely shattering the green flagstones where his feet landed.
"What is this?" He raised his head to look at Ling Xiao, speaking with a mix of shock and confusion.
"This is the Heavenly Astral Qi Method."
Ling Xiao looked at Huyan Li and explained, "When unleashed through the soul power of my Profound Sky Axe, I call it the Profound Sky Astral Qi."
"I must say, Huyan Li, your physical strength is truly remarkable. It surpassed my expectations. If I hadn't used the Heavenly Astral Qi Method just now, taking your punch head-on would probably not have been that easy. You have my respect."
"Heavenly Astral Qi Method? An Astral Qi-type defensive ultimate skill? What powerful defensive capabilities. Ling Xiao, you truly continue to amaze me!"
Looking at Ling Xiao, Huyan Li could not help but speak with deep shock.
He had thrown that punch just now with almost all his strength, yet he had failed to gain much of an advantage in terms of raw physical body strength. Putting aside Ling Xiao's protective Astral Qi for a moment, his physical body was genuinely not weak.
While it was unclear whether Ling Xiao's strength surpassed his own, he could feel that Ling Xiao's bones and muscles were exceptionally tough.
Even if Ling Xiao had not used his Astral Qi to protect his body just now and had taken that punch purely with his raw physical form, he probably would not have suffered any significant harm.
He would have only needed to take a few more steps back to vent the force into the ground. Furthermore, the Astral Qi barrier that Ling Xiao had unleashed in that split second not only possessed astonishing defensive power.
But it also contained an exceptionally powerful repulsive force, completely blasting his attack away.
"What a fine Heavenly Astral Qi Method."
The two had not deliberately lowered their voices while speaking.
So many people around the square could hear them to varying degrees depending on their cultivation levels. However, for the elders of the Elephant Armored Sect up on the high platform, they could hear everything crystal clear.
Naturally, they broke into a flurry of discussion.
"Heavenly Astral Qi Method..."
"Heavenly Astral..."
"To think the Heavenly Astral Qi Method has appeared in the world once more. This is truly unexpected." Huyan Zhen spoke with a somewhat complex expression, his voice laced with surprise.
After speaking, he fell into a brief silence, as if reminiscing about something.
Exchanging a glance with the Grand Elder of the Elephant Armored Sect, Huyan Kuang, Huyan Zhen turned to ask Chrysanthemum Douluo.
"May I ask, Elder Chrysanthemum, what is the relationship between this young man named Ling Xiao and His Excellency Heavenly Astral? Could it be...?"
Chrysanthemum Douluo chuckled softly and replied, "Hehe, precisely. Ling Xiao is indeed Old Mu's disciple. Otherwise, how could he possibly know the Heavenly Astral Qi Method? This is a defensive ultimate skill created solely by Old Mu."
"Even among all the defensive ultimate skills across the continent, it can be ranked as one of the absolute highest, with very few capable of rivaling it. There isn't a third person in this world who knows it."
"However, even this seat did not expect that in the short period since leaving Spirit City, Ling Xiao would actually manage to master the basics of the Heavenly Astral Qi Method and apply it in battle. It caught me by surprise as well."
Hearing this, Huyan Zhen spoke with deep emotion, "To think Senior Heavenly Astral has actually taken a disciple. This is truly something to be celebrated."
"The battle on Clear Sky Peak all those years ago is still vivid in my mind. Even though twenty or thirty years have passed, Huyan Zhen would never dare to forget the magnificent form of Senior Heavenly Astral."
With His Excellency Heavenly Astral having a successor to carry on his legacy, I'm afraid the Clear Sky Clan is in for trouble again. Another world-shaking battle will inevitably erupt on Clear Sky Peak. I just wonder when that day will come.
Huyan Zhen thought to himself.
Meanwhile, on the square below, the battle between Ling Xiao and Huyan Li raged on.
After Huyan Li was blasted back by Ling Xiao's Heavenly Astral Qi Method, Ling Xiao did not let Huyan Li make the first move again.
Instead, he took the initiative to strike. The soul power beneath his feet surged violently as he stomped down, instantly shattering the ground into countless fragments.
Ling Xiao shot fiercely toward Huyan Li.
However, he did not immediately utilize the Eight Extremes Collapse. Instead, he simply used the force-delivery technique of the Eight Extremes Fist to throw an incomparably condensed punch, just like Huyan Li had done moments ago.
"Huyan Li, let me witness your strength!"
Before the words fully left Ling Xiao's mouth, he had already charged right in front of Huyan Li.
His right fist, carrying a thick flame of soul power, smashed violently toward Huyan Li's chest. Instantly, powerful gusts of wind whipped up, and the air screeched.
Huyan Li let out a massive roar.
Returning the favor in kind—just as Ling Xiao had stood his ground without dodging, evading, or countering, relying entirely on his soul power and physical body to tank the hit—he did the exact same facing Ling Xiao's punch.
He clenched his fists tightly, focusing his mind and gathering his strength.
His legs became like pillars, firmly pinning themselves into the ground. He did not dare to be careless in the slightest; building upon his already tyrannical physical defense, he pushed the Elephant Armor Skill to its absolute limit.
A faint, brownish-yellow glow lit up across the surface of his skin.
It was slightly fainter than pure soul power light, but its defensive power was far superior. The Elephant Armored Skill was originally a cultivation technique primarily focused on enhancing physical body defense.
Pushing the Elephant Armor Skill provided a level of defensive power that was far stronger than simply relying on soul power to amplify the physical body.
**
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