Chapter 136: A Well-Matched Rival

Xia Ningshang carried Ji Huo through the air for quite some time before they saw lightning flickering in the distance, accompanied by heavy, dark clouds. These clouds stretched on endlessly, covering an area far greater than the capital city.

The lightning there struck the ground like a madman, bolts both large and small crashing down everywhere, leaving the earth scorched and charred. It was fortunate that the Sword Saint had foreseen such destructive power and chosen this desolate, uninhabited wilderness. Otherwise, if two grandmasters were to clash, no ordinary person in the vicinity would stand a chance of survival.

From within those dark clouds, streaks of sword light darted out from time to time, piercing holes through the gloom and allowing sunlight to stream down in a spectacular display. It seemed the two were engaged in a fierce battle.

As Xia Ningshang flew, she was eventually forced to descend to a lower altitude; the lightning in the sky was simply too dense, and flying in such conditions risked being struck by stray bolts. By the end, she was skimming just above the ground, moving like a slithering snake. Her face was beaded with fine sweat, and her expression grew noticeably solemn.

Noticing Ji Huo’s inquisitive gaze, Xia Ningshang explained, "The lightning your father summons is too masculine and vigorous; it suppresses the cultivation technique I practice."

Ji Huo realized with a start that Xia Ningshang likely practiced martial arts compatible with the Demonic Dragon Spear. Since the spear itself was inherently sinister, it was naturally vulnerable to such thunder. Of course, it was also possible this was a matter of rank suppression. Regardless, he had noticed that when he summoned lightning himself, Xia Ningshang didn't seem afraid at all.

Still... Ji Huo rubbed his chin. He wondered if this world had a concept of "resistance." If he were to practice by striking Xia Ningshang with lightning every day, would she eventually build up a resistance to it?

"What are you thinking about now?" Xia Ningshang asked, casting a light glance his way.

"Haha! Nothing at all," Ji Huo replied with a dry laugh.

Not far from the battlefield, Ji Huo suddenly spotted a familiar figure and hurriedly pointed, saying, "Let’s go over there first!"

The black dragon let out a low hum, its body turning sharply as it adjusted its course to fly toward the low-altitude area. The figure was standing at the edge of a cliff, watching the battle nervously but not daring to approach. Hearing the dragon's cry, she turned around, her face showing surprise.

The black dragon landed swiftly before her, shifting back into the forms of Ji Huo and Xia Ningshang.

"Aunt Bai."

Ji Huo called out sweetly, his tone so obedient that the newly landed Xia Ningshang nearly lost her footing.

Bai Rou laughed in realization, "So it’s you, little Huo."

Xia Ningshang’s mouth parted slightly before she performed a traditional Central Plains woman’s bow and said softly, "Hello, Auntie, my name is Xia Ningshang."

Bai Rou paused, then looked the girl up and down, her eyes crinkling with a smile. "What a charming young lady."

Xia Ningshang smiled demurely. "Not at all, you are the one who is truly beautiful, Auntie."

Ji Huo cleared his throat and asked, "Aunt Bai, how is the fight going between Bo-bo and my father?"

As he spoke, he looked toward the distance. From this angle, he could clearly see the two combatants.

Bai Rou pondered for a moment before weighing her words. "It’s a stalemate."

In the distance, the Sword Saint, his clothes scorched black and his hair standing up in an explosion of frizz, was frantically unleashing sword qi against a fifty-meter-tall, towering giant bear made of thunder, shattering its body into pockmarked fragments. Yet, whenever lightning struck from the sky, it landed on the bear, constantly mending its wounds.

Suddenly, a bolt of cyan lightning struck the bear, and the world went blindingly white, forcing everyone to shield their eyes. Ji Huo, who also practiced the "Thunderous Fierce Bear Fist," faintly sensed that something had changed the moment the lightning fell.

"ROAR!"

The giant bear swiped its massive paws at the Sword Saint in the sky, who dodged with nimble grace. Just as the Sword Saint, looking smug, pinched his fingers to unleash another flurry of sword qi, a bolt of lightning descended from the heavens, striking right behind him.

As someone who had been struck by lightning daily for some time now, the Sword Saint had long since stopped caring about bolts of this intensity. One look at his clothes told the story—he took these strikes head-on, his expression practically screaming, "Is that all the power the Thunder God has?" or "Are you getting too old and useless?"

Since no one could see his current state, he took immense pleasure in mocking Ji Xiaoxiong—his romantic rival and that "little blonde punk"—to the greatest extent possible.

However, after the lightning landed, the arcs suddenly shifted, coalescing into the tall, sturdy form of Ji Xiaoxiong. He stood like a small mountain. His imposing presence arrived in an instant; despite his own height, the Sword Saint suddenly felt as dainty as a young maiden compared to the two-meter-tall Ji Xiaoxiong, especially since he was standing with his back turned, completely undefended.

Terrifying pressure surged from behind, as if a gorilla with a gaping, bloody maw were standing right there. The Sword Saint spun around, desperate to create distance, but it was too late.

Ji Xiaoxiong grabbed him by the shoulders, first exhaling two bolts of lightning from his nostrils directly onto the Sword Saint’s head. The Sword Saint’s hair exploded even further, wisps of blue smoke rising from it, and his mind reeled with a momentary dizziness.

"Gotcha!"

Ji Xiaoxiong grinned viciously, his entire body wreathed in electric arcs as he grabbed the Sword Saint and slammed him straight toward the ground!

"BOOM!"

Trailing a long tail of light like a meteor, they sparked a brilliant blue glow beneath the dark clouds. If a meteor represented the romance of splendor, then these two were using their lives to perform the romance of men.

"AAAAAAAAHHH!!!"

The Sword Saint tried to transform into sword qi to escape, but his shoulders were gripped in a vice, and the surging thunder-qi wrapped around him, preventing any chance of slipping away. He could only watch helplessly as Ji Xiaoxiong drove him into the earth, disgustingly forcing his face to take the brunt of the impact.

"WAHAHAHAHA!!!"

Mid-air, Ji Xiaoxiong roared with laughter, his face twisted with the triumph of a successful scheme, clearly savoring the thrill of dragging his enemy down with him. A small mushroom cloud rose from the ground; amidst the dense dust, circular rings of lightning flickered through the explosion like blooming lotuses. Chains of electric dragons intertwined, crackling and popping, scorching all the vegetation nearby to charcoal.

"Hmm..." Xia Ningshang rubbed her chin. For some reason, she felt this move looked very familiar.

"Ah! Stop it!"

Pinned to the ground, the Sword Saint tried to break free, but Ji Xiaoxiong held him down with one hand while the other, a fist the size of a sandbag, rained blows onto his face.

"Don't hit the face! AHH!!!"

"You're just jealous that I'm better looking than you! AHH!!!"

After taking several heavy, old-fashioned punches, the Sword Saint finally unleashed his sword intent, transforming into a streak of light and vanishing.

"Come back here!"

Ji Xiaoxiong suddenly lashed out with his left hand, his arm morphing into a thunderous beast, and forcefully snatched the sword light out of the air. Immediately following this, he turned his own body into lightning, reappearing instantly above the sword light, and delivered a "crow-sits-on-plane" maneuver, pinning the light to the ground once more to continue the beating.

"AHH!!! Stop it!"

The Sword Saint’s screams and Ji Xiaoxiong’s maniacal laughter echoed across the plains. The three of them hid in the distance, staring at each other in silence. Bai Rou tried to say something, but in the end, she helplessly covered her face.

Ji Huo cleared his throat and said, "A well-matched pair of rivals."