Chapter 250 – Lin Ming VS Bi Tinghua
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The match of Lin Ming against Bi Tinghua was considered a fight between two heavyweights. It also meant that there would be one less contestant with an undefeated string of complete victories.
This match had aroused a tremendous interest amongst almost everyone. This wasn’t just because Lin Ming was strong, but also because this match was directly related to who the strongest amongst the disciples from the 36 countries was.
After Jing Chanyu defeated Zi Ling, she had seized the number one position among the disciples of the 36 countries, and was currently the one with the best betting odds to win at a rate of 1:1.1. As for her big brother Jing Chanshi, his odds of becoming the 36 countries champion was 1:1.3.
This had caused those that didn’t bet on the Jingchan Duo to feel great regret, but those that did were all smiles.
It was almost impossible to make any money on a 1:1.1 compensation rate. Still, even if they couldn’t, many people still happily bet on Jing Chanyu.
As for Lin Ming, his odds rose back to 1:6. Although he was the third highest possible candidate to win the 36 countries championship, his odds of winning were still far compared to the Jingchan Duo.
This match between Lin Ming and Bi Tinghua was very important. It would determine, to a great extent, just who the title of number one amongst the 36 countries rightfully belonged to.
Without a doubt, Bi Tinghua’s strength far surpassed that of Zi Ling. As for who was stronger between Bi Tinghua and Jing Chanyu, most people thought that Jing Chanyu was. If Lin Ming couldn’t defeat Bi Tinghua, then he would have lost all qualifications to become the champion of the 36 countries.
However, Lin Ming’s cultivation was only at the peak of Bone Forging. As for Bi Tinghua’s cultivation, he was actually at the late Pulse Condensation period. The difference was almost an entire realm; how could Lin Ming possibly win?
Let alone the audience who didn’t believe Lin Ming could win, not even Qin Xingxuan who normally had unshakeable faith in Lin Ming was sure.
“Lin Ming, I’ve been waiting for this match for a very, very long time. It’s a pity that I happened to miss you in the first group stage.” Bi Tinghua was a bit on the feminine side, so when he smiled it was just as if a dainty daisy was blooming. He narrowed his eyes as he glanced at Qin Xingxuan who was waiting for Lin Ming by the side of the martial stage. He said, “Your young lady friend is probably hoping very much for you to win. I’d be happy to let her feel disappointment.”
“I also think it was a pity that I missed you during the group stage. As for my friend, rest assured, she will not be disappointed.” Lin Ming knew that he absolutely could win against Bi Tinghua. The only question was whether he could do so while only relying on his Samsara martial intent. With regards to his Samsara martial intent attack, Lin Ming didn’t have full confidence.
As the audience heard this exchange of words, they were left speechless. This Lin Ming was really overly confident in himself.
Bi Tinghua was one of the top three ranked core disciple of the Mirage Faction. His cultivation was at the late Pulse Condensation period, but in terms of true combat ability, he could compare to a half-step Houtian realm master.
During this Total Faction Martial Meeting, Bi Tinghua had a very high chance of reaching the top 20 rankings. As for Lin Ming who only used bizarre soul attacks, with Fang Qi, Jing Chanyu, and Bi Tinghua still blocking his way, none was in favor of him reaching the first tier.
Bi Tinghua laughed and said, “You’re quite confident. How unfortunate. Let me tell you this, I also know soul attacks. I wonder, are your soul attacks weaker or stronger than mine?
“Originally, I wasn’t sure. But looking at the sorry state you’re in, I think my chances might have just increased.”
“Humph! What ridiculous nonsense!” Bi Tinghua gave a cold snort and suddenly the surrounding scene immediately changed. The audience disappeared, the sky disappeared, the ground disappeared, and Lin Ming and Bi Tinghua suddenly both stood in an endless wilderness, a prairie that extended to the ends of the earth. The ground underneath their feet was covered in soft grass, small fresh flowers and fragrant plants bloomed.
“This is my Mirage Faction’s dreamland combined with my soul attack; I’d like to see just how you’ll block this!
An illusion attack was also a kind of soul attack; it could invisibly kill someone.
An Illusionist could create his own separate dreamland. In this dreamland, the Illusionist was a god-like existence. In this dreamland, he could create anything, find out anything, and kill off anyone he wished with just a thought.
While trapped within a dreamland, if a martial artist believed he was dead, then he would really die in reality. An illusion was truly capable of killing a person. Ordinary abilities killed a person by destroying their body, but an illusion attack was able to destroy the human soul.
“Die!”
Bi Tinghua gave a loud shout and behind him appeared a beautiful naga. This naga had the upper body of an exquisitely heavenly beauty, naked and almost perfect in proportions, but her lower body was that of a massive python.
“Dying in the belly of this beautiful snake woman is also your luck! Go, eat him!”
With a thought from Bi Tinghua, the naga’s mouth curved up in a charming smile. Suddenly, the naga dropped to the ground, flattening her body to the floor and firing towards Lin Ming like an arrow.
“Rahh!” The beautiful naga uttered a low roar. Suddenly her cherry red lips opened, and revealed rows upon rows of sharpened teeth that extended from ear to ear. In that instant, her beautiful face became horrifyingly ferocious.
A dreamland battle?
A battle of souls within this dreamland was just to Lin Ming’s liking. Recently he had been trying to come to a deeper understanding of his Samsara martial intent. Since he had such a great opportunity to fight like this, he certainly wouldn’t miss it.
Lin Ming shut his eyes and then opened them. In that moment, his eyes had lost their pupils, becoming nothing but a swirling black vortex.
As, the Samsara martial intent activated A titanic black storm appeared spanning the entire dreamland, a massive vortex in the midst, swallowing all.
The grass and flowers were torn to shreds and trees were uprooted. Dirt and rocks twisted into the air, as everything began to rise towards that swirling vortex. The beautiful naga was also thrown into the roiling storm. With a pitiful scream, she was torn into pieces.
“Mm? Your eyes!”
Bi Tinghua had just reacted when he felt his mind tremble. Countless phantoms and images rushed into his brain, flooding his thoughts as his spiritual sea almost collapsed.
Bang!
The endless prairie dreamland collapsed, turning into nothingness under the power of the limitless vortex. In its place, a vast black space formed. Countless brilliant stars shined like glittering diamonds overhead, while the ground was nothing but barren black rock.
“Die!”
Lin Ming’s eyes flashed, and a black vortex fell upon Bi Tinghua, completely shredding him to bits!
However, the destroyed body of Bi Tinghua turned into millions of black butterflies that flew into the wind, scattering into all directions.
“Mm?”
Lin Ming felt his heart go cold; this Bi Tinghua was really hard to deal with.
The swarm of millions upon millions of black butterflies soared into the air, covering the entire sky. After a few moments, they all rushed towards Lin Ming, morphing into hawks as they zoomed down, their claws glinting with cold light.
Pah pah pah pah!
The millions of hawks crashed into Lin Ming, submerging into his body as if they were made of nothing but thoughts and headed straight towards his spiritual sea. At this time, Lin Ming’s spiritual sea was obscured by countless spirit hawks!
“Get out!”
Lin Ming’s eyes flashed with a purple thunder. Suddenly, massive arcs of purple lightning exploded from within Lin Ming’s spiritual sea. A gargantuan Purple Thunder Flood Dragon threaded between clouds, thunder billowing like a winter storm. Bolts of thunder the width of pillars covered the entire sea, and the hawks that were struck by this thunder could only let out unceasing pitiful screeches as they were instantly reduced to ashes in the blink of an eye, their black feathers littering the skies.
The power of thunder was the element that most restrained ghosts and illusions. This make-believe attack simply could not injure Lin Ming’s spiritual sea at all.
“Mm? His entire spiritual sea is covered in purple thunder!?”
Bi Tinghua was shocked beyond imagination. This was simply a kind of absolute soul defense. Only if the cultivation difference was too high would he be able to do anything, otherwise no one would be able to use a soul attack to damage Lin Ming’s spiritual sea.
A thunder-attribute martial artist was when the power of thunder flooded into their true essence. If their power of thunder and their true essence could achieve a 60% fusion rate, this was already very good. It would be considered a fourth-grade thunder fusion, and had enormous significance towards a martial artist’s combat potential.
If one achieved 90% thunder fusion, that would be considered as a fifth-grade fusion, and could be considered a thunder-attribute talent.
If one achieved 100%, then that would be a superior fifth-grade thunder fusion; this person would simply be a monstrous genius!
If one surpassed 100%, then not only would the power of thunder completely fuse into their true essence, but it would also enter into the martial artists flesh and blood body, tempering his everything with thunder. Every gesture he made or step he took would flash with thunder. This was a sixth-grade fusion.
But higher the degree of integration between the power of thunder and the body, the more perfect one’s thunder fusion was.
A superior sixth-grade fusion was the absolute limit that Bi Tinghua had ever known about. But, he had never heard of the power of thunder being able to enter one’s spiritual sea; this could only be achieved by an unsurpassed thunder fusion. How could he have achieved this point?
Was it a fabled seventh-grade fusion?
If it really was a seventh-grade fusion, then Lin Ming wouldn’t even need to use a soul attack. He would only need to use the power of thunder to defeat him…..
Impossible.
This was simply impossible!
Either Bi Tinghua had misunderstood some point, or this little kid had used some sort of secret skill in order to accomplish this.
Bi Tinghua consoled himself by repeating this. But, an inevitable fear emerged from his heart. His main method of attack was to use illusions, yet with his opponent’s spiritual sea like this, it could be said that Lin Ming was in an invincible position.
A soul force duel was ever-changing and fluid. Once fear crept into one’s mind, that was a fatal flaw. With Lin Ming’s keen perception, he instantly caught onto that moment were an opening appeared in Bi Tinghua’s spiritual sea.
The Samsara martial intent surged forth!
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“Is there something wrong? I just came back from the toilet and those two fellows are still standing on stage without moving? Are they still going to fight or something?”
“You idiot, the match had already began. From then to now, those two are engaged in an illusionary battle!”
“What?” The surprised martial artists came from a martial cultivation family; he had absolutely no understanding at all of the Seven Profound Valley’s illusion attacks.
“The Seven Profound Valley’s Mirage Faction has two offensive schools, one is mystic attacks and the other is illusions. Zi Ling was part of the mystic attack school, and this Bi Tinghua is from the illusion school. Within an illusion, one can instantly destroy the other’s soul. However, Lin Ming also happens to use soul attacks, so that’s why these two people are standing here. Don’t just look at them and see they aren’t moving, the truth is this type of battle is extremely risky; one wrong move and there’s a chance you would become an idiot.”
“What a shitty illusion duel; I can’t even see anything. What’s the point!”
After the martial artist from the martial family finished his criticism, he quickly walked his butt away. He had already been eliminated, and no matter how fierce the fighting was or who was winning or who was losing, he no longer cared.
However, not everyone was like that. There were some that came to watch for fun. Amongst the audience, there were many that were disciples of the Mirage Faction, and they were also experts from the school of illusionary attacks. They had specifically come to observe this ultimate soul force showdown.
Although Bi Tinghua couldn’t be considered the strongest disciple among the Mirage Faction’s younger generation, he was still skilled in illusions. It could be said that his attainments in dreamland attacks and soul attacks had reached the pinnacle of what was possible among the younger generation.
Lin Ming and Bi Tinghua’s soul force battle symbolized a fierce fight between Lin Ming and the Seven Profound Valleys strongest soul attack junior. If Bi Tinghua lost, then no one in the entirety of the Seven Profound Valley’s younger generation could surpass Lin Ming in soul force accomplishments.
This was a matter of pride for the Mirage Faction. If they lost they wouldn’t even be able to lift their heads from the shame!
For someone that had the best cultivation methods, the best masters, ate spiritual food since childhood and also had a large variety of resources, to lose to some random country bumpkin martial artist was truly unjustifiable.