Translator: GodBrandy Editor: Kurisu
The overbearing sword intent was obviously slashed out using a sword, yet the tyrannical power of the saber intent did not reduce in any way.
This saber intent was even more powerful than the one contained in the last attack that the saber intent armor had unleashed this morning when he and Fellow Daoist Tyrannical Song were discussing the path of defense.
Tyrannical Song… this Sage Name is really fitting, Sage Monarch Winter Melon thought to himself.
However, this saber intent was only the beginning.
After the flames rose from Scarlet Heaven Sword similar to ‘flowing water’, they spread out in all directions with Song Shuhang as the center.
In the next moment, the sky-filling flames covered Song Shuhang as well. At this time, bystanders could only see raging flames everywhere with a blurred figure in the center holding the hilt of [Scarlet Heaven Sword].
Song Shuhang stepped down from the air, descended on the ground, and then approached Sage Monarch Winter Melon step after step.
Every time he took a step, the sky-filling flames burning on his body would also follow. The temperature around him began to rise rapidly, the ground cracked, the water evaporated, and the grass and trees quickly dried up. Even some streams at the foot of the mountain directly evaporated to nothingness.
This was just the beginning… As Song Shuhang continued to move forward, more flames appeared, and the temperature kept rising.
Even at a distance of a thousand meters, those reporters felt their mouths go dry, and even the air around them was burning.
“Heavens, is this the power that an Eighth Stage Profound Sage can bring out when they make a move?” The reporter from Shengang Broadcast Station kept on swallowing, but his throat still felt extremely dry.
“This saber attack is really overbearing. It already has such power even before it has been officially executed. His title of ‘first Sage in a thousand years’ is well-deserved,” The reporter from the Daily Cultivator said as he continued to feel that the water in his body was evaporating.
“And this… is still just the prelude to the actual strike. Let’s retreat a bit more, a kilometer away is still too close,” The reporter from the Temple Channel said with a bitter smile.
Even a kilometer wasn’t safe enough. The prelude to Profound Sage Tyrannical Song’s strike has already caused the temperature to rise to such a terrifying degree. When this [Heaven Burning] technique actually slashes at Sage Monarch Winter Melon, what terrifying destructive power would break out?
The reporters all put away their recording equipment and moved back.
Fortunately, the recording equipment they were using were not ordinary ones and were actually a combination of cultivation and technology. Otherwise, with them recording from such a distance, they won’t even be able to see the shadows of Song Shuhang and Sage Monarch Winter Melon.
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Song Shuhang’s speed was not slow. He brought out the ❮Virtuous Man’s Ten Thousand Mile Walk❯ footwork to its peak. With every step he took, he raised his momentum as much as possible, and every step he took seemed to be press down on the opponent’s heart.
Finally, when he reached the peak of his momentum, he had reached a suitable distance to conduct his strike—a distance of one hundred meters from Sage Monarch Winter Melon.
This was the safest distance that [Scarlet Heaven Sword] had calculated to unleash the attack. From this distance, the ❮Heaven Burning Flaming Saber Technique❯ that would be slashed out would be the easiest to control and would not cause a disaster.
[So powerful… Will I be able to block this saber attack?] Sage Monarch Winter Melon thought to himself. He was extremely confident in his ‘path of defense’, but when faced with this close-range saber attack, he had no idea if he could bear it.
The flames spreading from Song Shuhang had turned into a sea of fire that engulfed Sage Monarch Winter Melon.
“Heaven Burning!” Song Shuhang shouted at this moment. He held the sword in his right hand and slashed towards Sage Monarch Winter Melon.
The sword rose and then descended.
The sea of fire responded to Song Shuhang’s sword, and the flames surged like a big wave. In the end… all of them gathered on the sword
At this moment, the only thing that Sage Monarch Winter Melon could see were flames!
He could see nothing but flames.
It was as if he was in a world of flames.
The heaven burning saber intent brought out overbearing flames that heavily came down on Sage Monarch Winter Melon’s shield.
Sage Monarch Winter Melon’s ‘defensive magical techniques and holy light enhancing techniques’ shattered as soon as they came into contact with this flaming saber. The inscriptions on his body, which provided him ‘flame resistance’, failed to provide a trace of resistance in the face of such a high level flame.
The holy knight halo and the mysterious Indestructible Body of the Buddha were also unable to resist the high temperature brought by the monstrous flames.
Although his defense had yet to be broken, Sage Monarch Winter Melon felt the water in his body evaporate and his lips turn dry.
After a breath…
Sage Monarch Winter Melon’s ‘Giant Shield’ shrank and turned back into a golden greatsword. The shield’s defensive line was breached.
This giant shield was Sage Monarch Winter Melon’s life-bound magical treasure. Winter Melon was one with his shield, and the duo had resisted the heavenly tribulation of the Eighth Stage for three full years! However, when faced with this single Heaven Burning saber attack, the giant shield was only able to persist for a while before he felt like it was melting.
“Profound Sage Tyrannical Song’s attack was actually able to reach such a degree of power…” Sage Monarch Winter Melon thought to himself.
More importantly, Profound Sage Tyrannical Song was not a cultivator that followed a purely offensive path, but one that practiced both offense and defense.
As Sage Monarch Winter Melon was in deep thought, the ‘armor intent’ on his body was also breached, and the brilliant golden armor intent fell apart.
The ❮Heaven Burning Flaming Saber Technique❯ broke through the giant shield and the armor intent, directly cutting into Sage Monarch Winter Melon’s physical body.
[Almost there.] Song Shuhang said in his mind.
Next… He just had to stop the ❮Heaven Burning Flaming Saber Technique❯ right before it cut into Sage Monarch Winter Melon’s body and cancel it.
Afterward, he would calmly say, “You’ve lost.”
This decisive battle of ‘one move to decide everything’ was coming to an end.
“As expected of Fellow Daoist Tyrannical Song! This is the duel I wanted, and this is the time to prove myself… aaaaahhh!!!” At this moment, Sage Monarch Winter Melon suddenly roared.
The moment ❮Heaven Burning Flaming Saber Technique❯ was about to cut into him, a small fortress-like projection emerged on his body.
The fortress covered Sage Monarch Winter Melon and protected him. When this fortress appeared, it suddenly went on to block the ❮Heaven Burning Flaming Saber Technique❯.
This was the ultimate technique of Sage Monarch Winter Melon, and it was the strongest defense he had ever developed.
“Iron Fortress Absolute Defense!” Sage Monarch Winter Melon clenched his fists, panting heavily. He had put everything he had into this ‘Iron Fortress’.
His path of defense, his convictions, he had gathered everything together for this ‘Iron Fortress’.
[Block this saber attack! It’s now time to prove that my path of defense is the right one!] Sage Monarch Winter Melon shouted in his heart.
“BOOM!”
The ❮Heaven Burning Flaming Saber Technique❯ struck the fortress projection.
The iron fortress shook violently, seemingly about to collapse. However, it stubbornly resisted!
At the same time, the blazing flames enveloped the entire steel fortress and burned wildly.
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The reporters from the various cultivation channels filmed this scene from different angles.
At first, when they saw that Sage Monarch Winter Melon’s defense had been destroyed by Profound Sage Tyrannical Song’s attack, they all thought that he was going to lose. However, it turned out that Sage Monarch Winter Melon still had a final line of defense.
The defense of this steel fortress was absolutely stunning.
As a result, it was still not certain who was going to win this duel where one move would decide everything.
Was the attack of the first Sage in a thousand years, Profound Sage Tyrannical Song, going to come on top? Or would the defense of the fifth Sage in a thousand years, Sage Monarch Winter Melon, allow him to have the last laugh?
Tonight, they would prepare a big headline.
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The ❮Heaven Burning Flaming Saber Technique❯ and the ‘Iron Fortress’ were in a stalemate.
Thanks to the ‘Iron Fortress’, Sage Monarch Winter Melon had already been able to hold on for over five breaths.
Scarlet Heaven Sword said, [I have to admit that although this kid is obsessed with the path of defense, he does have some skill. The defensive power of this ‘Iron Fortress’ is beyond my imagination.]
[Can you cut through it?] This was the Song Shuhang’s only question.
Scarlet Heaven Sword continued, [Of course. Are you ready? When you’re ready, just put me away… I will give him the final blow when you do that.]
Song Shuhang asked, [You don’t need my cooperation with anything else?]
Scarlet Heaven Sword said, [Nope. Next, you just need to handsomely stow me away. I want to smash this kid’s path of defense, and see if he can rise up again, going even further on the ‘path of defense’.]
Song Shuhang replied, [Alright.]
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As such, under the eyes of the reporters, as well as Su Clan’s Sixteen, Shi, Little Cai, and the others, Song Shuhang slowly kept his sword.
He turned his wrist and held the hilt backwards. Unfortunately, there was no scabbard, otherwise, handsomely returning the sword into its scabbard would have been a very good choice.
While Song Shuhang’s wrist was turning, the virtuous lamia silently appeared again. She stood beside Song Shuhang and took Scarlet Heaven Sword from him.
The reporters from the Daily Cultivator, Shengang Broadcast Station, and so on channels were puzzled.
The battle seemed to have just reached the real climax, why would Sage Monarch Tyrannical Song suddenly put away his sword?
Could it be that…
The reporters immediately stared at Sage Monarch Winter Melon.
“Crack, crack, crack~” A crisp crackling echoed.
A small crack appeared on Sage Monarch Winter Melon’s ‘Iron Fortress’. Subsequently, the crack grew larger and spread to the entire iron fortress.
“Boom~”
The iron fortress had been breached, and though it was clearly just a projection… when it broke, it seemingly released countless shards of real iron.
After breaking through the ‘Iron Fortress’, the flames of the ❮Heaven Burning Flaming Saber Technique❯ still maintained its overbearing momentum, and continued to advance until they finally stopped in front of Sage Monarch Winter Melon.
At this time, the saber intent, saber qi, and high temperature that the attack had brought along had completely disappeared, making it look like an ordinary flaming saber technique. However, the ❮Heaven Burning Flaming Saber Technique❯ was currently in its strongest state. After all, this weak-looking ❮Heaven Burning Flaming Saber Technique❯ had managed to destroy the Iron Fortress in one hit.
“Sure enough, I still lost,” Sage Monarch Winter Melon said.
This time, he was truly convinced. It was totally different from when he faced the ‘nuclear deterrence’, which didn’t completely convince him.
His iron fortress still had a lot to improve on, especially the structure of the fortress, there were still some changes that had to be made.
As such, Sage Monarch Winter Melon also benefited a lot from this match.
The battle between the ‘first Sage in a thousand years’ and the ‘fifth Sage in a thousand years’ had come to an end.
“Careful!” Su Clan’s Sixteen, Shi, and the reporters suddenly called out.
Some of the fragments of Sage Monarch Winter Melon’s shattered ‘Iron Fortress’ shot out towards Song Shuhang’s location after colliding with one another.
