CHAPTER 148: CHAPTER 149 TRUE PHOENIX INTENT (3000 WORDS)

Absolutely cannot let the opponent fully enter this realm!

Lei Wenfeng’s expression was grave; this was the second person in the hundreds of years of the Hidden Kill Swordsmanship Stream to set foot in this extraordinary realm.

"Divine and clear?! Is this Bright Awakening?! Huang Jixuan actually stepped into Extraordinary Enlightenment at this moment?"

Among them, a martial artist couldn’t help but exclaim.

"This is interesting."

Lu Ren’s eyes narrowed slightly, yet there was no fear. Sensing the magnificent extraordinary intent and aura emanating from Huang Jixuan, he did not retreat but advanced, boldly making the first move and charging in.

If he allowed Huang Jixuan a moment to ease, then the danger would be upon him.

The skill level in his mind received an enormous boost in efficiency when facing Huang Jixuan.

It’s important to know that the improvement of proficiency in battle will instantaneously reflect in one’s body, allowing him to constantly refine his skills and enhance his will.

The Lamp of Freedom Observation was pushed to the extreme by him, and with the formation of skills in the system, he could use this visualization training method that amplifies mental will at any time.

Pushed to the extreme, the Lamp of Freedom Observation was like fire cooking oil, driving his blood and energy to the limit his body could withstand at this moment, emitting a massive amount of heat, making Lu Ren like a blazing furnace.

Just realizing Divine and Clear, achieving Bright Awakening, Huang Jixuan’s pupils contracted when he saw this, struggling to stabilize his involuntarily spreading spirit and will.

Their wills were clashing, entangling, with increasing amplitude, even causing the surrounding magnetic field to become chaotic.

To be honest, Lu Ren’s will was not particularly firm, from a certain aspect, his Martial Path heart was not very cohesive.

But he possessed a base of 30 points in the Spirit Attribute under extreme conditions of ordinary people. The perfect application of this slightly accomplished stage Spiritual Meditation practice method, the Lamp of Freedom Observation, greatly amplified and solidified his mental will. Perhaps in Ksitigarbha’s view, to comprehend the True Meaning of Lamp Burning requires Zen meditation, understanding of heaven and earth, and the intersection of one’s Yin and Yang.

But for Lu Ren, as long as he formed skills on the system panel at the entry level, he could use them perfectly.

For some reason, the weaker martial artists around even started to feel uncontrollable tremors under the imperceptible influence of the magnetic field, their internal systems gradually becoming disordered, muscles showing signs of spasms, and some whose spirit and will were not steadfast even had the impulse to turn and flee the memorial hall.

This is an instinctive reverence and fear generated by creatures entering a higher level.

Just as humans feel awe seeing the endless deep starry sky and fear seeing the vast, deep, unknowably distant dark ocean.

At this moment, the two standing before them seemed no longer human.

In their perception, they were two insurmountable mountains, suns that dared not be gazed upon!

Life energy flourishing to the extreme, the immense embodiment of life like a whale, all far beyond what these ordinary martial artists could imagine!

Wow!!

The next moment, both moved simultaneously.

The will emanating from Huang Jixuan was as though advancing fearlessly alone into the enemy, yet carried grandeur and righteousness, fighting for the shining righteous principles of the world, his aura was said to awe and vanquish evil.

This was the philosophy he adhered to his whole life, the recognized assassin’s path; Jing Ke was like this, Nie Zheng was like this, Zhu Zhe was like this, all bearing great righteousness, transcending life and death.

Lu Ren, on the other hand, was like a Phoenix Falcon enveloped in raging flames, desiring to be reborn in fire, completing an ultimate metamorphosis to become a True Phoenix, destined to surpass all shackles in this world and soar into the vast cosmos.

Their weapons collided.

Clang clang clang!!

Clang clang clang!!

Countless sword shadows violently collided, creating a large amount of sparks in the air, with intense sounds of metal clanging.

At this moment, both exhausted all efforts, revealing the depths of their skills.

Lu Ren’s gaze was icy, with the Lamp burning small and seeing large, intertwining Basic Swordsmanship and Phoenix Falcon Fist.

Phoenix Falcon Flapping Wings!

His arm muscles suddenly bulged, almost bursting blood from the torn wounds on his arms, yet were firmly compressed by the muscles the next moment.

The longsword carried a sharp whistle, its piercing sound cut through the air like a True Phoenix Falcon’s cry, erupting with heavy tones.

Suddenly, their bodies simultaneously halted, both maintaining the stance of holding a sword and thrusting forward.

To the shock of everyone present, both had a part of their sword blades protruding from their backs.

Mutual destruction?!!

However, the next moment, Lu Ren’s body moved.

It was only then that people realized that the sword in Huang Jixuan’s hand did not pierce through Lu Ren’s body but went through his side underarm.

His left hand was holding the Han Sword backhanded, deflecting the piercing longsword of Huang Jixuan, although a large gash was torn open on his side underarm, it blocked Huang Jixuan’s final deadly strike.

While his other Yan Form did indeed stab into Huang Jixuan’s heart.

Thud!

Huang Jixuan’s face was full of regret and unwillingness!

He had just touched the meaning of Bright Awakening, but died before he could experience it.

It was truly a great regret.

He pulled the longsword out from Huang Jixuan’s chest, and blood instantly gushed out.

Feeling his heart suffering a fatal injury, with the circulation of blood in his body unable to continue, he could clearly feel his own power rapidly draining away. His pupils dilated involuntarily, yet his expression showed not a trace of pain, only a sense of a certain regret.

"What a pity..."

He regretted that if his left hand hadn’t been injured, then it would be Lu Ren who had fallen.

His body uncontrollably leaned forward slowly, the longsword piercing straight through, his cheek pressed against Lu Ren’s body, slowly falling to the ground.

"Pity..."

Lu Ren also gently said.

If both of Huang Jixuan’s hands were intact, it would have been him lying here today, but if both of his hands were intact, Huang Jixuan wouldn’t have had the chance to comprehend Bright Awakening.

To fully obtain the power of Bright Awakening isn’t like in novels, where one immediately possesses overpowering strength right after the breakthrough.

Breaking through the limits of body and mind and stepping into the Extraordinary also requires time to settle, adjusting one’s body and spirit beyond the human level.

It’s just that Huang Jixuan pushed open the door; even going in requires time to progress.

Lu Ren deeply gazed at Huang Jixuan, who lay in a pool of blood. Although expressionless, inwardly he was quite respectful. This martial artist was indeed outstanding, yet unfortunately met with a disastrous master.

"Ding, due to the high-intensity use of Basic Swordsmanship, you have greatly realized and understood Basic Swordsmanship more thoroughly, successfully advancing to Integration."

"Ding, due to your insights into Basic Swordsmanship, your skill Basic Swordsmanship has received the ’Stable’ special effect."

Stable?

Before Lu Ren could ponder further, the system sounded again.

"Ding, due to using Phoenix Falcon Fist, you greatly realized, understanding the True Phoenix Intent not even comprehended by its founder."

True Phoenix Intent, not even understood by the founder?

Lu Ren completely scoffed at this, even thinking that the name of the fist technique could influence the system’s judgment; when the fist technique improved to perfection, it was entirely an optimization spontaneously occurring from the system. How could Phoenix Falcon Fist not have ’Phoenix’ in its name?

This was an astonishing discovery; it seems that this system has many functions that need to be explored.

As for what the True Phoenix Intent was, Lu Ren vaguely sensed it might relate to the recovery speed of the body.

But now was not a good time to investigate.

He looked at the fallen Huang Jixuan, whose eyes were quickly dimming. His heart had been fatally pierced, and although his martial artist’s robust life energy allowed a few more breaths, he was also near death.

This was indeed a formidably strong opponent. Lu Ren even thought he was stronger than Tie Feng. In battle, his heart burst forth, and his spirit broke through to stepping into the realm of divine clarity inherent in a person. Such breakthroughs during combat aren’t something just anyone can do.

This was a respectable opponent, regardless of his conduct, or his way of respecting his master and the Dao, furthermore, even though his swordsmanship was of the assassination variety, it carried a grand just intention.

His master Pengdi couldn’t compare to his disciple.

In this modern society rife with desire, martial artists like Huang Jixuan, with firm will and a heart toward martial paths and exceptionally high talent, are becoming increasingly rare.

But this was a duel to the death, where no holding back was possible.

The scene was silent, not just the martial artists, but even the invited entrepreneurs had no chance to witness two Great Perfectionists of Fist Technique from the country clash in combat, much less the most dangerous weaponed fighting.

When Huang Jixuan’s blood started spreading on the ground, everyone finally responded.

Cheng Tianle and Cheng Qin, the siblings, couldn’t stop their bodies from trembling; they had witnessed someone being killed alive by someone else right here.

Cheng Qin couldn’t help but whisper, "Uncle Tan, doesn’t the official... intervene?"

Uncle Tan: "That Lu Ren is the official representative..."

This sentence left Cheng Qin speechless. Indeed, if the official recognizes such a rule, what is there to say? The martial circle is distant from the public, and real-world police simply can’t manage these matters. There are certainly targeted security departments within the official system.

With the official acknowledgment of this method, presumably, such rules have existed for a long time and have finally been accepted even after significant obstacles.

And when the Assassination Swordsmanship school saw Huang Jixuan being decisively killed by Lu Ren with one sword,

faces among them drastically changed, and Huang Jixuan’s disciples immediately rushed forward to check his condition.

The bleeding wouldn’t stop, his pupils silently dimmed, breathing halted, and he was already devoid of any sign of life.

With a sword through the heart, not even an Immortal God could save him.

At the side of the memorial hall, Zeng Li, sitting in a wheelchair, looked at Huang Jixuan fallen in a pool of blood, his face expressionless, but everyone could see, as if drained of strength, the bodyguard pushing the wheelchair behind him could clearly feel the fear brought by his rapid breathing.

(Thank you Wuyou’s True Monarch for the reward, thank you all for the support. Today 9,000 words are completed, tomorrow may be less as the author is almost exhausted.)