Batian Martial Soul

Chapter 14573 Blackmail

The black sword, which originally seemed heavy and clumsy, suddenly came to life, its trajectory as unpredictable as a snake flicking its tongue, and trembled slightly at an angle that defied common sense!

The blade avoided the old man's fingertips and instead slashed upwards along the inside of his arm like a leech. The demonic intent on the blade surged like a tide, and the old man instantly saw a vision of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, his soul trembling!

This is Ling Xiao's true killing move... using demonic intent to disturb the mind and using a treacherous blade to conceal murderous intent!

The old man's hair stood on end, and an extreme sense of crisis exploded within him! He let out a strange cry, ignoring the backlash of his move, and forcefully twisted his body, his blood surging, as he retreated backward with all his might!

"Shoot..."

The sharp, piercing sound of tearing fabric was extremely shrill!

Although the old man retreated quickly, his left sleeve was slashed open by the blade, leaving a half-foot-long gash. A deep bloodstain on his arm revealed the bone, and blood gushed out instantly.

Even more terrifying, Ling Xiao's demonic intent burrowed into his meridians like a maggot clinging to his bones, flowing through his blood and directly into his sea of ​​consciousness. The old man's face twisted like a ghost, veins bulged on his forehead, and his soul was torn apart by waves of excruciating pain, almost causing him to collapse to the ground!

The audience fell into a deathly silence.

Everyone stared in disbelief at the scene unfolding on the arena. The once arrogant and domineering leader had been injured by a newcomer? And this newcomer was a demonic cultivator!

The old man staggered to his feet, glanced down at the bloodstains on his arm, then looked up at Ling Xiao. His gaze had changed from initial contempt and rage to extreme solemnity, even mixed with a hint of surprise and fear: "Such terrifying demonic intent... You! You are a demonic cultivator from the Demon Abyss!"

The Demon Abyss is a forbidden land that even major powers are wary of. The demon cultivators inside are all ruthless and their backgrounds are unfathomable.

Ling Xiao flicked his wrist, the black blade spinning rapidly in his palm, its light swirling like a wheel, carrying a chilling demonic aura. He casually slung it over his shoulder. He grinned, revealing sharp white teeth, his tone arrogant: "Senior has good eyesight. What, would you like to continue your instruction?"

The old man's face was so gloomy it seemed to drip water.

He originally thought he was just a clueless greenhorn who didn't know the rules and could be manipulated at will, but he didn't expect him to be such a tough nut to crack, and the most troublesome demonic cultivator at that! If they really fought to the death, he might not be able to gain the upper hand, and might even lose control of the Blood Battle Arena, which would be a loss for him.

"You dare to attack me with just ten Origin Crystals?" The old man suppressed his surging blood and qi, trying to intimidate others with his power. His voice was as deep as thunder. "Aren't you afraid of the forces behind me?"

Ling Xiao scoffed, his left hand outstretched, the white knuckles glaringly bright in the dim light: "Ten? Old man, are you getting old and forgetful, or do you think I'm easy to bully? It's clearly fifty... with interest, not a single one less!"

"What?!" The old man could hardly believe his ears. He trembled with rage, his cloudy eyes wide with fury. "You arrogant brat! How dare you try to extort me!"

"Extortion?" Ling Xiao's eyes turned cold. He stomped his foot, and the arena floor cracked open with a "crack." He shot out again like an arrow.

The black blade was raised high above the head, seemingly heavy enough to split a mountain, but in reality, as the blade trembled, an intense, impenetrable demonic aura spread like black mist, making the old man's scalp tingle and his soul ache faintly. "Then I'll beat you until you're willing to give it to me!"

"Too deceiving!"

The old man was also enraged. He roared, and his withered muscles swelled up slightly. His palms gleamed with a dark metallic sheen. Instead of retreating, he advanced and met the attack head-on!

After all, he was an old monster who had lived for hundreds of years, with profound cultivation. If it really came down to a fight, he was by no means an easy opponent.

"Boom boom boom!!!"

On the arena, the sounds of explosive energy bursting were deafening, and the two figures moved so fast that only afterimages remained as they passed each other.

Ling Xiao wielded the black blade with sweeping, powerful strokes, sometimes like thunderbolts striking down, the blade's wind heavy and fierce as Mount Tai pressing down; at other times, it moved like a ghost weaving through the air, the blade's edge cunning and treacherous as a venomous snake biting the throat. Each strike was imbued with an intense, irresistible demonic intent, making it impossible to defend against.

The old man grew increasingly terrified as the fight progressed... This kid was clearly using him to hone his swordsmanship! The demonic intent and sword techniques were perfectly integrated, each move ruthless and desperate, the relentless, madmanly energy sending chills down his spine.

However, he himself was hesitant: firstly, he was wary of the Demon Abyss forces that might be involved behind Ling Xiao's identity as a demonic cultivator; secondly, he was old and had long lost the courage of his youth, and valued immediate interests more, unwilling to perish together with a madman.

With the balance shifting, in less than half an incense stick's time, the old man had more than ten bloody cuts on his body, his clothes were tattered and blood had soaked through his gray Taoist robe, his breathing was disordered like a candle flickering in the wind, every breath aggravated his internal injuries, and the stinging pain in his soul almost drove him mad.

In contrast, Ling Xiao, although he also took a blow to the shoulder, which was stained with scarlet blood, had an astonishingly bright eye, as if burning with raging fire. His aura rose steadily, and his demonic intent became more and more powerful. He was like a demon who had crawled out of hell, becoming more and more courageous with each battle!

"boom!"

After another clash, both men were forced back several steps, and the black iron rock beneath their feet was shattered.

The old man, leaning against the stone table, gasped for breath, his chest heaving. Looking at Ling Xiao, who was again approaching with his knife drawn, a hint of fear finally appeared in his eyes. He couldn't help but roar, "Stop! What do you want?!"

Ling Xiao stopped, the tip of his knife pointing diagonally at the ground. A drop of bright red blood slowly dripped down the blade and landed on the ground with a "plop".

He tilted his head, seemingly thinking seriously for a moment, and a playful smile appeared on his lips: "Simple. Fifty source crystals, plus my token, and... compensation for mental distress, not a penny less."

"You..." The old man trembled with anger, his face turning pale and then red, yet he was helpless.

He glanced at the audience and saw that everyone was watching the spectacle with great interest, and many of them even had a hint of schadenfreude in their eyes... Clearly, this old man had been ripping off many people on a regular basis, which had long been a source of resentment.

Losing face is a minor matter; if this crazed demonic cultivator were to dismantle the arena and kill him, that would be a real loss!

He took a deep breath, suppressing the raging fire in his heart, and squeezed out his voice through clenched teeth: "I'll return the ten source crystals and the token to you, and let this matter rest!"

“Not enough.” Ling Xiao shook his head, sneered, and tapped the ground with the tip of his knife. With a “crack,” another fine crack spread out. “You won’t give me fifty? Then I’ll give you a hundred. If you keep arguing, I’ll tear down this lousy arena, dig up your lair, and see how many shady dealings are hidden behind your ‘rules’!”

The old man stared intently at Ling Xiao, his eyes filled with venomous resentment, but ultimately dared not confront him directly. He knew that this demonic cultivator was a man of his word, and if pushed too far, he might not even be able to save his own life.

Finally, he gritted his teeth and squeezed out a single word: "...Okay!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the old man flicked his wrist, and a small black animal-hide pouch appeared out of thin air, flying towards Lingxiao with a whistling sound. (End of this chapter)