Chapter 67: When Combat Is No Longer Turn-Based
Qin Xuan—
Age: 20
Spirit: Changming Sword (Vermillion Bird)
Cultivation: Level 75
Spirit Ring Configuration: Yellow, Purple, Purple, Black, Black, Black, Red
Physique Level: Titled Douluo
Mental Force Level: Titled Douluo
Spirit Bones: Mind Condensing Wisdom Skull, 100,000-year Vermillion Bird Left Leg Bone
Domains: Slaughter God Domain, Vermillion Bird Domain
Talent: SSS
Self-Created Spirit Abilities: Longitudinal and Horizontal Swordsmanship, Ghost Valley Breathing Technique, Sword Control Technique (Wu Shuang Sword Case), Reincarnation Divine Art (Lao Ai Edition)
Emotional Value: 147,992
Blind Boxes: 0
Lottery Draws: 0
Godly Revival Coin: 1
Qin Xuan glanced at his personal attribute panel. "This should be far enough from the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well," he said. "There are no trees around, so we don't need to worry about burning down the entire Sunset Forest."
Jing Ni nodded slowly, her expression serious. "Then let's begin."
As soon as she finished speaking, two energy walls expanded outward from them. One was the white of her Slaughter God Domain, the other was the pink of Qin Xuan's. They swelled like domes before colliding violently. Boulders in their path shattered, sending sand and dust flying into the air.
After a moment, Qin Xuan's golden domain gained the upper hand. Since Jing Ni had not yet obtained her seventh spirit ring, her domain hadn't fully evolved, and it was gradually pushed back.
Seeing her Slaughter God Domain about to give way, six terrifying crimson halos—red, red, red, red, red, red—erupted from Jing Ni's body as she summoned her Spirit.
Buzz—
A sharp sword hum rang out. Pink sword qi, thick with killing intent, enveloped the long sword in Jing Ni's hand as she thrust it forward, shattering both of their domains simultaneously.
Seven spirit rings—yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black, red—quietly appeared around Qin Xuan as he also summoned his Spirit. The instant the Slaughter God Domain shattered, he was already beside Jing Ni. Golden sword light shimmered on his blade as he swung it fiercely, trailing a massive arc of flame.
Clang!
Jing Ni parried the blow. Her sword met the Changming Sword, creating a shower of crackling sparks as the blades scraped against each other.
Their eyes met for a split second before they separated, clashing several more times amidst the chaotic, flying rocks. Sword qi crisscrossed the battlefield. Qin Xuan's was imbued with fire and lightning, while Jing Ni's, originally water-attributed, had transformed into ice after she obtained the Slaughter God Domain.
Ice and fire collided. Wherever their sword qi passed, lightning flashed and boulders cracked. Shattered stones were either incinerated to ash or frozen into ice sculptures before crashing to the ground.
Neither of them used their spirit rings or Spirit Bone abilities; it was purely a duel of swordsmanship. Despite a five-level difference in spirit power, they were surprisingly evenly matched.
However, the stalemate did not last long.
Qin Xuan began to utilize his Longitudinal and Horizontal Swordsmanship. With its unpredictable left-right switching, Jing Ni gradually found herself unable to keep up. Seeing that she was outmatched in skill, she activated her Spirit Bone armor without hesitation. Her combat power instantly soared.
Even though Qin Xuan's sword moves surpassed hers, he still couldn't break through the defense of a complete set of 100,000-year Spirit Bones. The tables turned, and Qin Xuan began to fall into a passive state.
After clashing with Jing Ni's Horizontal Sword Technique, he used the powerful recoil to create distance. Gripping his sword in a backhand stance, his seventh spirit ring lit up.
A golden phantom, about ten meters tall and resembling Qin Xuan, materialized from nothing. It leaned on a golden greatsword with both hands, while seven slightly smaller golden greatswords encircled it, their blades glowing with golden-red flames.
"Is this the Spirit Avatar?" Jing Ni murmured, her eyes fixed on the avatar derived from a 100,000-year spirit ring. She dared not be careless.
Neither of them was a fan of turn-based, predictable combat. They lacked the so-called chivalry of the Spirit Master world, preferring to strike quickly and give their opponent no chance to breathe.
The instant Qin Xuan pulled away, Jing Ni was already charging, her body enveloped in her Spirit Bone armor. Her speed was so immense that it even surpassed Qin Xuan's.
But Qin Xuan didn't fall behind. As he swung his long sword, the greatsword in the Spirit Avatar's hand moved in unison. Vermillion Bird Flames erupted, and a massive, cross-shaped sword light, emblazoned with a Vermillion Bird pattern, shot through the air toward Jing Ni.
The attack was so powerful that the rocks in its path melted, and the terrifying temperature seemed to warp space itself.
If it were any other Spirit Master, even a Limit Douluo like Qian Daoliu, they would likely choose to face this move head-on. But Jing Ni was an assassin. She would not engage in a meaningless direct clash, always preferring to resolve a fight with the smallest cost and greatest speed.
The Teleportation skill from her Spirit Bone set activated. Jing Ni easily dodged the Spirit Avatar's attack, instantly appearing behind Qin Xuan and striking at his side, giving him no room to evade.
Just as her sword was about to connect with his waist, Qin Xuan chose not to use the seven flying swords for defense. Instead, a strong red light suddenly erupted from his left leg.
The 100,000-year Vermillion Bird Left Leg Bone's elementalization skill activated.
Jing Ni's strike passed through empty air.
Qin Xuan's entire body transformed into a raging torrent of Vermillion Bird Flames, which spread out wildly to engulf Jing Ni. She knew the terror of those flames; her ice couldn't withstand them. She teleported again, reappearing a hundred meters away, safely outside the fire's reach.
But if she could teleport, so could he. After refining the Immortal Herb "Yearning Heartbroken Red," Qin Xuan's mental force was even superior to hers. He instantly sensed her new location.
The moment Jing Ni's figure reappeared, Qin Xuan was already in front of her, swinging his Changming Sword.
Jing Ni had not yet stabilized her stance and could only block instinctively. Even with the Spirit Bone armor enhancing her strength and speed, she was sent flying. Her feet plowed a trench several meters long in the ground before she finally came to a stop.
His sword art has already surpassed mine, Jing Ni marveled inwardly.
When she first met Qin Xuan, she was no match for him, unable to dodge his Spirit Ability even while pregnant. But back then, in terms of pure swordsmanship, Qin Xuan had only practiced his Longitudinal and Horizontal Swordsmanship for a year and was still her inferior.
Now, only half a year had passed, and he had already left her far behind.
How did he do it? Jing Ni was puzzled. Even if his talent for the sword was once-in-a-lifetime, improving to this extent in just six months was truly incredible.
As Jing Ni was lost in thought, she saw Qin Xuan withdraw his Spirit and stand there with a smile. "Let's stop here for today. I've pretty much grasped the abilities of the Spirit Avatar."
His Spirit Avatar didn't have too many complex techniques. In that state, all skills cast by the Changming Sword were amplified by 100%, and his own strength and agility were also amplified by 100%. This was why he could keep up with Jing Ni while she was in her Spirit Bone armor. Additionally, it conjured flying swords equal to the number of his spirit rings, which could be used for attack, defense, or his Sword Control Technique.
"Aren't you going to try the Vermillion Bird Domain?" Jing Ni asked, retracting her Spirit and armor. She leaped in front of Qin Xuan and took the pouting A Yan out from the Qiankun Bag at her waist.