Jiang Che moved like lightning, appearing high above Erhai Lake—ten meters in the air—his gaze locking onto BaiLiDongjun from afar.
"City Lord Bai Li, please…"
Jiang Che said with a calm smile, motioning for Bai Li Dongjun to make the first move.
Bai Li Dongjun's cultivation had already reached the half-step Heavenly Realm, slightly higher than Sikong Changfeng's.
Although the difference in strength wasn't enormous, at their level, even a small gap was significant.
After his fight with Sikong Changfeng, Jiang Che had a clearer understanding of his own abilities.
This time, he decided to use eighty percent of his strength.
Bai Li Dongjun nodded gravely, his expression solemn and his full attention focused on his opponent.
"Sea Voyage!"
With a shout, Bai Li Dongjun unleashed his trump card.
A vortex of purple true Qi formed in front of him, swirling violently and expanding to several meters wide.
With a powerful punch, he sent the first strike forward.
A giant fist-shaped shadow, brimming with terrifying force, surged toward Jiang Che, arriving in front of him in the blink of an eye.
"Flame Dragon Art!"
Jiang Che summoned his Five Elements SpiritualPower, casting the Fire Element technique in an instant.
"Roar!"
With a deafening dragon's cry, a massive flaming dragon materialized, coiling around Jiang Che. Its body stretched over ten meters long, burning with searing heat.
The fire dragon's eyes blazed with fury as it let out another roar, shaking the sky.
It opened its gaping jaws and devoured the massive true Qi fist in a single bite.
Then, with a divine swing of its tail, the fiery dragon launched a follow-up strike, streaking toward Bai Li Dongjun.
Bai Li Dongjun's expression shifted. Coating his body in true Qi, he narrowly dodged the dragon's attack.
"Mountain Splitter Fist!"
Without missing a beat, Bai Li Dongjun countered with another ultimate move.
Boom!
A thunderous explosion rang out as the illusory fire dragon finally dispersed into the surrounding heaven and earth.
Bai Li Dongjun staggered back dozens of steps, nearly falling into Erhai Lake. Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
The intensity of their battle caused the entire lake to boil, waves crashing wildly against the shore.
…
Eventually, the storm subsided.
Wiping the blood from his lips, Bai Li Dongjun let out a bitter smile.
"I've lost…"
He had expected to lose—but not this badly.
I couldn't even withstand a single strike from Jiang Che?
Damn it… all these years of training, and it feels like it's amounted to nothing!
He hadn't surrendered lightly. He'd only admitted defeat after exerting all his strength to block Jiang Che's strike.
Continuing the fight would have been meaningless—and he didn't want to end up like his junior, SikongChangfeng, who had nearly died.
There were too many people watching. As the dignified City Lord, he still had to preserve some pride.
"Admitting defeat, huh…"
Jiang Che responded with a faint smile, making no effort to press the attack.
Still, his face had paled slightly. The move he used had drained him more than expected.
At his current cultivation—Ninth Level Grandmaster—unleashing such a technique was pushing his limits. He wouldn't be able to fully master it until he reached the Heavenly Realm.
Bai Li Dongjun cupped his hands respectfully and said nothing more.
He leapt back to shore and sat down cross-legged, beginning to recover his strength.
Although he'd blocked the attack, the strain had left him with internal injuries.
…
"Wow! Brother Jiang is amazing!"
SikongQianluo looked at Jiang Che with shining eyes, her heart filled with admiration.
To her, her master had always been invincible.
Watching Jiang Che defeat such a powerful opponent in a single move had left her stunned.
Nearby, YinLuoxia also stared silently at Jiang Che, her eyes glinting as though deep in thought.
LiHanyi, her jade hand resting lightly on her Iron Horse Ice River Sword, suddenly released a powerful surge of battle intent.
She knew she probably couldn't defeat Jiang Che—but she didn't back down.
After all, judging by how he had treated Sikong Changfeng, she wasn't afraid that Jiang Che would go too far.
Since returning from her travels a year ago, she couldn't recall the last time she'd met an opponent who stirred such excitement in her.
Before Jiang Che could even speak, Li Hanyi had already leapt into the air, landing gracefully across from him. With a flick of her wrist, she drew her Iron Horse Ice River Sword.
She lowered her voice on purpose, making it sound hoarse and cold.
"Draw your sword…"
"As you wish."
Jiang Che answered immediately, drawing his own blade—the Seven Stars Abyss DragonSword.
Without hesitation, he launched into the Azure Dragon Sword Technique, charging toward Li Hanyi with speed and precision.
Li Hanyi didn't dare falter. She instantly activated her own technique—the Still Water SwordStyle—and engaged Jiang Che in fierce combat.
Though the Azure Dragon Sword Technique was only an Earth-rank martial art, Jiang Che's overwhelming cultivation allowed him to go toe-to-toe with Li Hanyi, neither side yielding an inch.
Their blades clashed with blinding speed, and every strike sent waves of sword energy rippling through the air.
Sparks danced. Cold light flashed.
And the sky itself seemed to split beneath the fury of their swords…