Chapter 576

Chapter 576: Mutual Destruction

Ming Jianzi of Great Snow Mountain and Xue Sha of Blood River Sect argued fiercely, each trying to force the other to challenge Mo Lanyun so they could advance without fighting.

With only one slot available and neither willing to face the terrifying Mo Lanyun, their dispute dragged on endlessly.

Impatient spectators shouted: "You cowards! If you’re both scared of that woman, simply fight each other!"

"Stop wasting time!"

"Get out if you keep arguing! The Celestial Platform Competition needs no weaklings!"

Embarrassed by the taunts, the two reluctantly agreed to duel.

This gave Mo Lanyun an Enormous Bargain – she automatically advanced when unchallenged.

The slot should’ve gone to Taoist Qing Feng, but he challenged Wan Du Fairy instead to repay Fang Lie’s favor.

Entering the Celestial Platform arena, Ming Jianzi and Xue Sha exchanged polite smiles while standing mere miles apart – dangerously close for cultivators.

Ming Jianzi clasped his fists. "Brother, forgive my offenses today."

"Elder Brother, the fault is mine," Xue Sha answered sincerely. "I beg your understanding."

"Nonsense!" Ming Jianzi sighed. "My fear of challenging Mo Lanyun shames me. Let’s pretend to fight and I’ll surrender."

"How can I accept this?" Xue Sha said shyly. "I should yield instead."

"I know my limits," Ming Jianzi declared. "Why block your path? Let’s begin – but go easy on this old man!"

"Then I’ll start gently," Xue Sha smiled through blood mist. "Only thirty percent strength!"

The Blood River disciple activated his secret technique, becoming a crimson comet streaking toward Ming Jianzi – the divine skill Light Flash from their Blood Scripture.

This Demonic Path technique required dissolving one’s body in the Blood Sea’s agony. Successful practitioners could drain enemies’ cultivation and blood essence through touch. Eight of ten trainees died screaming. Xue Sha’s mastery made him chief disciple.

Ming Jianzi swung his Flying Sword – the five-foot Thunder Roar Sword. This Eighth-Rank High-Grade treasured item looked like a stone door slab with sound holes that wailed when moved.

The Penglai Sword Sect’s heirloom matched their Thunder Roar Sword Art. This Ultimate Skill used thunderous booms increasing destructive power with each strike. Legends told of masters shattering Eighth-Rank Treasures and tearing the void itself.

Sword shadows swallowed Xue Sha’s crimson streak as thunderclaps shook the arena. Even in blood form, Xue Sha trembled violently.

"You liar!" Xue Sha screamed. "Call this a fake fight?!"

"You’re the real damned one!" Ming Jianzi roared furiously. "Didn’t you claim to use only thirty percent power? Yet I’m exhausting every ounce of strength just to barely block you! How could thirty percent of your power be this monstrous? If you’re truly this powerful, why seek me? You could’ve casually slain Fang Lie, Mo Lanyun, even Qing Feng yourself!"

"Hmph!" Both men snorted simultaneously upon realizing the other’s deceit after their heated exchange.

Clearly, they’d attempted to lull each other with false words while preparing fatal ambushes. Though pretending to hold back, both actually unleashed twelve-tenths of their full power.

Xue Sha focused entirely on breaking through defenses to seize Ming Jianzi and drain his blood essence and cultivation. Ming Jianzi sought to reduce Xue Sha to dust with his Thunder Roar Sword Art.

One assaulting with full force, the other defending desperately – their battle reached white-hot intensity from the first clash!

Within the battlefield, Ming Jianzi swung his massive Thunder Roar Sword violently, conjuring countless black Sword Rays that formed a hundred-zhang lightning cage. The crackling prison trapped a crimson streak amidst deafening thunderclaps.

Neither dared falter – survival hinged on this deadlock. Should Xue Sha break free, Ming Jianzi would perish instantly. Should Xue Sha remain trapped, the thunderous onslaught would eventually shatter him.

Thus both combatants squeezed out every shred of power, truly using every ounce of their strength.

But overwhelming power cannot last. The fiercer their struggle, the swifter their exhaustion. Even cultivators of their caliber couldn’t sustain such reckless expenditure long. Within mere incense-burning time, both were drenched in sweat – magic depleted, divine sense fading, bodies pushed to collapse.

Realizing mutual exhaustion might kill them before their duel concluded, both simultaneously unleashed final trump cards.

Xue Sha produced an Eighth-rank Blood Bead treasure, sacrificing eighty percent of his blood essence to activate it – halving his cultivation instantly. Yet success meant gaining far more than lost.

The Blood Bead proved worthy, forming a crimson shield that bulldozed through lightning defenses, nearly reaching Ming Jianzi.

Not to be outdone, Ming Jianzi spat blood essence onto his Thunder Roar Sword, doubling its power before unleashing a Heaven-Splitting Slash.

Colossal sword met blood shield in cataclysmic collision. The resulting explosion first struck Xue Sha, whose body disintegrated instantly with a heart-wrenching scream.

Ming Jianzi fared no better – blasted backwards vomiting blood, countless meridians shattered.

Yet the true danger emerged as Ming Jianzi staggered – a serpentine blood streak materialized beside him and invaded his body.

Xue Sha’s true scheme unfolded. Through Blood Nerve cultivation, his form had become amorphous blood. While the explosion destroyed most of his substance, his vital Original Essence Blood escaped, exploiting Ming Jianzi’s weakness to infiltrate.

Victory seemed Xue Sha’s – given time, he’d drain Ming Jianzi’s cultivation and essence, recovering losses and growing stronger.

But Ming Jianzi refused surrender. Detecting the invasion, he ruthlessly detonated his Seventh-rank battle armor.

The Seventh-rank treasure’s Self-Detonation erupted catastrophically, shockwaves flattening ten li. At ground zero, Ming Jianzi’s body disintegrated completely – along with the Xue Sha parasite within.

Thus both treacherous scoundrels perished together, their schemes ending in mutual annihilation.