Chapter 544 - 539: Determining the Winner

Chapter 544: Chapter 539: Determining the Winner

The Dragon Race is one of the top-level races in the Great Thousand Realms, and the Martial Arts originating from them are naturally in a class of their own.

Even among Martial Arts of the same rank, Dragon Race Martial Arts are far stronger than ordinary ones. For example, take two techniques at the Earth Martial Realm Peak level. If one is a Dragon Race Martial Art and the other is a common one, the former will be at least twice as powerful as the latter—if not more.

The moment this Dragon Claw Hand was executed, the seawater around Ning Jiang froze solid. More terrifying, however, was the intent woven into it—an intent that crushed the hope deep within one’s heart, leaving them feeling that facing this attack meant certain death.

Such an attack touched upon the realm of willpower. Anyone with a weak and wavering will would surely be affected, becoming fearful before the fight even began and suffering a swift, crushing defeat.

But someone like Ning Jiang, whose will was as firm as a mountain, was naturally unaffected.

It wasn’t as if he had never seen Dragon Race Martial Arts before. Compared to the truly world-shaking techniques of the Dragon Race, this Dragon Claw Hand could only be considered average, far from profound.

"Break."

As the massive Dragon Claw descended, Ning Jiang’s eyes flew open. The sword in his hand shot out like a streak of light.

The sword struck the very center of the Dragon Claw’s palm. Instantly, a sound like shattering glass rang out as the massive claw broke apart into countless fragments.

"How is that possible?"

Ao Lie was stunned that his move had been broken with a single sword strike.

Even an expert at the Earth Martial Realm Peak would have to go all out to neutralize his Dragon Claw Hand, yet Ning Jiang’s sword strike had seemed completely effortless.

"Your Dragon Claw Hand has the form but lacks the spirit. The true Dragon Claw Hand is seamless and untraceable, its movements mysterious and unpredictable. While your Dragon Claw Hand has decent power, it’s far too rigid."

Ning Jiang commented coolly. When it came to understanding Dragon Race Martial Arts, forget Ao Lie—even the Flood Dragon King himself would be no match for him.

Ao Lie had not yet cultivated his Dragon Claw Hand to Perfection, and it contained flaws. Ning Jiang had simply seized upon that opening, breaking the entire technique from a single point—just like striking a snake’s weak spot, he easily dismantled Ao Lie’s attack.

"Arrogant! Take this!"

Ao Lie roared in fury. The Spiritual Qi in his body erupted like a volcano, condensing madly onto his claws. A dense, cyan light burst forth from them.

When the cyan light reached its peak intensity, he thrust out his claw, forming an enormous cyan talon that swept down toward Ning Jiang, threatening to blot out the sky.

"That move is useless against me. You could try it a thousand times, and it would still be the same."

Ning Jiang shook his head and thrust his sword out once more. A condensed beam of sword light shot toward the cyan Dragon Claw and pierced straight through it.

Seeing this, Ao Lie’s pupils contracted violently. No matter how reluctant he was, he had to admit that his Dragon Claw Hand posed no threat to Ning Jiang whatsoever.

’Damn it! My Dragon Claw Hand is powerful enough to contend with an expert at the Earth Martial Realm Peak, yet he neutralized it so easily... I absolutely cannot let him get away today.’

The killing intent in Ao Lie’s heart blazed even hotter. His entire aura soared, and bursts of cyan light erupted from his tail.

"Divine Dragon’s Tail Swing."

The next moment, he twisted his body, and his massive tail whipped through the water like a god’s lash. The strike churned the surrounding sea, kicking up a monstrous wave.

A blow this terrifying could pulverize a thousand-zhang mountain.

Even Gu Huaying, another prodigy from the Hidden Dragon List, paled at the sight of such an attack.

"Begone!"

Ning Jiang erupted in fury.

A divine radiance as brilliant as the sun surged from his fist, building layer upon layer before he finally unleashed a vicious punch.

Thunder Dragon Fist!

This incredibly tyrannical Fist Technique, possessing the power to shake the very heavens and earth, collided violently with Ao Lie’s tail. A terrifying, earth-shattering sound erupted.

The surrounding seawater was instantly vaporized, forming a hundred-zhang-wide vacuum in its place.

"Hmm?"

From all sides, the experts of the Flood Dragon Clan watched in stunned disbelief.

The force of the punch had actually split the skin on Ao Lie’s tail, sending scales flying and drawing blood.

"ROAR!"

Ao Lie let out a heaven-shaking roar. Every single scale on his dozens-of-zhang-long Flood Dragon Body stood on end. He had been driven into a frenzy.

Despite the toughness of his Flood Dragon body and his use of Dragon Race Martial Arts, he had not only failed to defeat Ning Jiang but had been wounded by his fist. His pride raged as if it had been trampled underfoot.

"Ning Jiang, I’ll kill you!"

As Ao Lie roared, countless rays of cyan light erupted from his body, enveloping him completely. He opened his maw and spat out a pillar of cyan light.

This cyan pillar of light was like the breath of the Dragon Race, containing a terrifyingly high temperature.

It was a cyan dragon Flame. Dragon Flame is one of the world’s Top Level flames; even a small flicker could severely injure a Martial Artist of the same realm.

A single blast of this dragon Flame could inflict grievous injuries upon even an expert at the Earth Martial Realm Peak.

"Cleave."

Ning Jiang made no move to dodge, simply bringing his sword down in a single slash.

A Sword Aura, as sharp and clear as autumn water, shot forth—indestructible, slicing through everything in its path. The searing cyan dragon Flame was instantly cleaved in two, parting to either side. Ning Jiang’s body blurred, achieving Man and Sword as One as he charged right up to Ao Lie.

"Ao Lie! It matters not that you’ve cultivated a few Dragon Race Martial Arts. Even if a true member of the Dragon Race stood here, I would cut them down all the same!"

Ning Jiang’s voice was so powerful it shook the very sea, sending out layer after layer of ripples.

The Sword Intent radiating from him surged, his entire Essence, Qi, and Spirit condensing into a single force as he brought his sword down on Ao Lie’s head.

The blow carved a fissure several hundred zhang long into the sea.

The might of this Sword Suppressing Sun and Moon technique had risen to a new level. This was because Ning Jiang had drawn upon a fraction of the power from his Sun and Moon Divine Eye. The addition of the Sun and Moon Power to his sword strike naturally elevated its might to an entirely new peak.

SQUELCH!

Ao Lie’s formidable body was carved open by the sword, leaving a massive wound so deep that bone was visible. Blood gushed out like a fountain.

And this was his Flood Dragon Body; an ordinary person would have been sliced in two by such a strike.

"AARGH!"

Ao Lie let out a heart-rending, miserable howl. His eyes were so bloodshot they looked as if they might bleed. From the moment he had made his name, he had never suffered such a major defeat at the hands of a contemporary.

’I am undefeated. I am invincible.’ This had always been his conviction.

Yet now, Ning Jiang stood before him like a Divine Demon, shattering that confidence piece by piece.

’This is bad.’

The faces of the many Flood Dragon Clan experts watching from the sidelines turned grim. They could all see it now: Ning Jiang had won. Ao Lie was no match for him.

As difficult as this was for them to accept, things had progressed to a point where they could no longer stand by and watch.

"This ends here, boy."

As he spoke, a Heaven-Reaching Realm expert from the Flood Dragon Clan lashed out with his palm!