Xu Shang stood quietly on the rooftop as the night wind blew, gently fluttering the hem of his robes. Under the moonlight, his figure appeared exceptionally lonely, yet his eyes revealed firmness and unyielding resolve.
Su Lie let out a cold snort. He knew Xu Shang was no ordinary person, but today's battle was inevitable. He clenched his fists as powerful spiritual qi began to gather within his body, preparing to launch an assault.
"Xu Shang, today is the day we settle our score!" Su Lie shouted loudly, his figure abruptly charging toward Xu Shang and stirring up a gust of fierce wind.
Xu Shang's gaze narrowed. He could feel the power of Su Lie's strike, but he did not retreat. At the moment Su Lie was about to close in, Xu Shang shifted his stance, dodging Su Lie's attack at an uncanny angle.
Su Lie's attack missed completely, leaving him filled with doubt and astonishment—he had not expected Xu Shang's movement technique to be so profound. However, Xu Shang did not give him much time to think. Having avoided the strike, he immediately launched a counterattack.
Xu Shang's palm wind was like a blade, every strike carrying a sound that tore through the air, aiming straight for Su Lie's vital points. Su Lie was forced to go all out, circulating his entire body's spiritual qi to engage in a fierce duel with Xu Shang.
The two men's battle was exceptionally intense. Every exchange was accompanied by powerful spiritual qi fluctuations, and the surrounding air seemed to tremble. Relying on the Demon Lotus Divine Art, Xu Shang fought Su Lie to a standstill.
However, Su Lie was, after all, a veteran powerhouse of many years; his combat experience was far beyond what Xu Shang could compare to. After a fierce clash, Su Lie found an opening in Xu Shang's defense and abruptly lashed out with a palm strike, hitting Xu Shang squarely in the chest.
Though Xu Shang tried his utmost to evade, he was still grazed by the palm wind and sent flying backward, crashing heavily onto the ground. A sharp pain gripped his chest as a trickle of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth.
Su Lie did not seize the moment to press his advantage, instead looking coldly at Xu Shang: "Kid, your strength truly exceeded my expectations, but compared to me, you are still far behind."
Xu Shang struggled to climb up from the ground, wiping away the blood at the corner of his mouth. A trace of tenacity flashed in his eyes: "Su Lie, if I lose today, Sanqing Town will never know peace. I cannot afford to lose!"
Su Lie sneered, "Then let me see what other tricks you have left."
Suddenly, a blue kirin appeared behind Su Lie, radiating a faint blue light, its mighty presence terrifying to behold. This was no ordinary illusion, but a spirit beast summoned by Su Lie through a powerful divine technique, possessing formidable combat capability.
Xu Shang's pupils constricted slightly. He recalled Ji Yaoming saying that the Kirin Divine Technique was a supreme divine technique surpassing the Heaven Tier yet falling short of the Star Tier. However, looking at this divine technique, it was far less than one-tenth of a Xuan Tier divine technique—could it be that what he practiced was an incomplete Kirin Divine Technique?
Xu Shang could feel the oppressive aura emanating from this blue kirin. He knew Su Lie's strength far exceeded his expectations.
"Xu Shang, witness my new partner; it will help me end this boring fight," Su Lie said in a cold voice, a hint of complacency flashing in his eyes.
The blue kirin let out a skyward roar that shook the surrounding countryside, its soundwaves causing even the surrounding air to ripple. Xu Shang clenched his fists tightly; he knew that facing such an opponent, he could not afford the slightest carelessness.
"Come on, Su Lie, today I will let you see what true power is!" Xu Shang took a deep breath, the power of the demon lotus within his body beginning to surge, and once again, that blood-red lotus materialized behind him.
Upon seeing this, a flash of surprise crossed Su Lie's eyes: "The Demon Lotus Divine Art? I never expected you to have mastered such power. But do you really think you can defeat me with just this?"
Xu Shang did not answer. He single-mindedly channeled the demon lotus power within him, preparing to meet the impending battle. Under Su Lie's command, the blue kirin lunged fiercely toward Xu Shang, kicking up a gale of wind.
Xu Shang shifted his stance to dodge the kirin's charge, while simultaneously condensing a streak of blood-red radiance onto his palm, slamming it viciously into the kirin's back. The kirin let out a pained roar, and a deep palm print appeared where it was struck.
Seeing this, anger flashed in Su Lie's eyes: "Xu Shang, how dare you injure my spirit beast!" He formed seals with both hands, gathering powerful spiritual qi in his palms to form a massive ball of spiritual qi energy.
With a loud roar, Su Lie forcefully shoved the spiritual qi sphere toward Xu Shang. The sphere traced an arc through the air, carrying destructive power straight toward Xu Shang.
Xu Shang's gaze sharpened, knowing the power of this attack was no trivial matter. He swiftly channeled the demon lotus power, forming a blood-red barrier in front of him. The spiritual qi sphere smashed into the barrier with a deafening explosion, and the violent shockwave cracked the surrounding ground apart.
Xu Shang felt immense pressure as cracks began to appear on his barrier under the impact of the spiritual qi sphere. He clenched his teeth, desperately maintaining the integrity of the barrier while searching for an opportunity to counterattack.
Just then, the blue kirin launched another assault, its form streaking through the air as a blue light that fiercely crashed into Xu Shang. Xu Shang barely managed to dodge the kirin's charge, but the kirin's tail swept across his body, sending him flying.
He crashed heavily to the ground, feeling as though every bone in his body was about to shatter. Struggling to his feet, he wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, determination flashing in his eyes: "Su Lie, I will never be defeated by you today!"
Su Lie sneered, "Xu Shang, your courage is commendable, but your strength is still far from enough. Today, I will let you witness what a true powerhouse is!"
With that, Su Lie formed seals once more, preparing to unleash an even more formidable attack. The blue kirin also lurched nearby, poised to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.
Xu Shang took a deep breath, knowing he could no longer afford to remain entirely on the defensive. He began to mobilize all the power within his body, preparing to unleash the ultimate mystery of the Demon Lotus Divine Art—Demon Lotus Blooming.
Behind him, the blood-red lotus began to slowly bloom, radiating a dazzling brilliance. A powerful aura also emanated from Xu Shang's body, making him seem as though he had fused with the lotus itself.
"Su Lie, take this move of mine!" Xu Shang roared, gathering his full strength into his palms and thrusting them forcefully toward Su Lie.
The blood-red lotus blossomed in mid-air, unleashing immense power that formed a massive pillar of light shooting straight at Su Lie. Panic flashed in Su Lie's eyes when he saw this; he had never imagined Xu Shang could unleash such a devastating attack.
The blue kirin also sensed the threat, letting out an angry roar as its blue light flared brilliantly, attempting to block the torrent of power. However, the might of the Demon Lotus Blooming was simply too overwhelming; the kirin's blue light gradually dissipated under the onslaught of the light pillar.
Su Lie desperately channeled his spiritual qi to resist the force, only to find his own strength appearing utterly insignificant before this pillar of light. Ultimately, the beam struck Su Lie, sending him flying backward to crash heavily onto the ground.
Struggling to stand, Su Lie found his body severely battered and incapable of further combat. He looked at Xu Shang with reluctance flashing in his eyes: "Xu Shang, you won..."
Xu Shang walked over to Su Lie, looking down at him coldly: "Su Lie, your tyranny ends here."
With that, Xu Shang turned and left the ruins of the Xu Family, his silhouette appearing remarkably tall and imposing under the moonlight. Su Lie lay upon the ground, a trace of remorse flashing through his gaze.
In the distance away from the Xu Family, Su Biyun watched everything quietly, a shimmer of tears glistening in her eyes. She knew that Xu Shang was no longer the same youth he had been a year ago.