36: Fierce battle! Bai Xiao vs. Ugluk

Ugluk turned around, his gaze falling upon a corner of the room.

The space there seemed to twist slightly, and then, a figure emerged silently from within.

The newcomer was dressed in a plain white combat suit, which seemed somewhat out of place amidst the surrounding gloom and the blood-red flames. His face was stern, his eyes sharp as blades. In his hand, he held an ancient-looking longsword. Though the sword was still sheathed, it exuded a chilling aura that made one's heart palpitate.

It was Bai Xiao, who had infiltrated this place...

Ugluk scrutinized Bai Xiao, a flicker of surprise in his crimson eyes, which then turned into an almost appreciative gaze.

"Interesting. You humans can actually produce someone like you," his voice carried a peculiar penetrative quality.

"It seems we have indeed been too engrossed in the south these past years, overlooking these 'surprises' hidden in the corners. A strong one overlooking another strong one on the rise—this truly is... a miscalculation."

Bai Xiao did not respond, merely looking at Ugluk with indifferent eyes, but the coldness emanating from his body seemed to lower the room's temperature by several degrees.

He sensed the profound power, like an abyss or a sea, within the Goblin before him, and he determined that this opponent was indeed the target of his mission.

"Ugluk?" Bai Xiao finally spoke. Though it was a question, he was certain in his heart.

Ugluk's lips curved into a slightly ferocious grin, revealing his sharp teeth, mixed with an indescribable emotion, like excitement, yet also like helplessness. "Heh... it seems you were very well prepared."

He sighed, as if regretting something. "It's never too late to mend the fold after the sheep are lost."

He stretched his body, his metal armor emitting a dull scraping sound, and a mountain-like, oppressive aura slowly began to rise. "Let me personally correct this oversight..."

His gaze became intensely aggressive, like a beast that had locked onto its prey. "And while I'm at it, let me see just how much an audacious human swordsman who dares to assassinate me is truly worth!"

Before he finished speaking, an invisible, terrifying pressure suddenly filled the entire room. The air seemed to instantly solidify into a viscous, heavy gel, pressing down on Bai Xiao!

The edges of the beast-hide map hanging on the wall seemed unable to withstand this pressure, beginning to curl slightly and emit faint tearing sounds.

Bai Xiao's sword-holding fingers moved slightly. The silk tassel wrapped around the hilt swayed without wind, and a wisp of blue-green flame quietly ignited.

The pressure from Ugluk seemed to hit an invisible wall, silently annihilating and dissipating.

Ugluk's pupils contracted imperceptibly, and the curve of his lips receded slightly. The young man before him seemed even more troublesome than he had anticipated.

Clang—!

Without further words, Ugluk moved.

His movements were swift and eerie; the dark armor did not hinder him in the slightest.

Only a blurry afterimage was left behind, and in the next moment, Ugluk's true form had ghost-like closed in on Bai Xiao!

He had, at some unknown point, produced a broad, heavy, black greatblade with crude, serrated edges. The blade body was wreathed in a fierce, dark-red aura, and it thrust directly at Bai Xiao's heart from an incredibly tricky angle!

Fast! Ruthless! Precise!

Bai Xiao's pupils constricted, but his reaction was also incredibly swift.

The ancient longsword in his hand instantly swept upwards, its tip precisely striking the side of the black greatblade.

Clang!!

An ear-splitting clang of metal exploded, sparks flying! A mighty force surged up the sword, and Bai Xiao felt his arm violently shake, his body uncontrollably sliding back several steps.

The greatblade spun, carrying a tearing shriek through the air, and slashed at Bai Xiao again. The offensive was continuous, heavy as a mountain, yet agile as a snake.

Each strike precisely targeted Bai Xiao's defensive weak points, forcing him to meet it head-on, attempting to overwhelm him with absolute power.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The clanging of metal resounded wildly through the empty top floor of the fortress. Sparks flew, illuminating the two figures moving rapidly.

Bai Xiao's figure was ethereal, his toes lightly tapping continuously on the hard stone floor, leaving trails of afterimages. His longsword parried or redirected, neutralizing Ugluk's storm-like attacks one by one.

Bai Xiao could feel that his opponent's strength and stamina far surpassed his own. The probing was enough.

He took a deep breath, and the dormant spiritual energy within his body began to surge wildly at a specific frequency.

"Om—!"

'Mind Unleashed'

In an instant, the cyan-blue spiritual pressure, flowing fire, and fine electric arcs that originally wrapped around the sword body boiled and surged like living things! They rapidly spread upwards along Bai Xiao's sword-wielding arm! Wherever they passed, they quickly condensed and shaped on his body, instantly forming a tight-fitting, cyan-blue armor!

Liquid light flowed across the armor's surface, and fine electric sparks occasionally flickered and burst at the joints, emitting faint crackling sounds. In the center of his chest, a complex, profound emblem, seemingly composed of countless tiny sword shadows and lightning patterns, slowly lit up, emitting a powerful energy fluctuation that repelled the dust swirling around due to the battle.

"Oh?" Ugluk's figure appeared a dozen meters away. He stopped his pursuit, and for the first time, an undisguised expression of solemnity and surprise appeared on his face. "This... is this your true power?"

He could clearly sense that the human's aura, which had just been at the initial stage of the seventh rank, had surged to a terrifying level... enough to pose a fatal threat to him!

Bai Xiao did not answer. In his Mind Unleashed state, his perception was heightened to the extreme. Every subtle movement of Ugluk, every trace of power flow, was clearly reflected in his "Heart Mirror."

In the next instant, both figures vanished from their original positions simultaneously!

Rumble rumble rumble—!!!

Deafening roars reverberated without end!

The core of the entire Greystone Keep began to shake violently and collapse!

No longer confined within the room, two incredibly fast figures fiercely collided throughout the fortress. Cyan flowing sword light intertwined with dark-red, violent blade energy, and each impact unleashed destructive shockwaves.

Walls were torn apart like paper, stone pillars were cut in half, and sturdy floorboards collapsed layer by layer!

The aftershocks of the battle even penetrated the thick stone walls and spread outwards!

"Retreat quickly!!"

Below the fortress, the Spirit Pivot Sword Servants, who had been fighting the Goblin warriors, changed their expressions slightly. The leading Sword Servant captain let out a sharp cry, leading everyone to rapidly retreat.

Those Goblin warriors, who had been fearless, now ignored their enemies, looking in terror at the continuously collapsing fortress above and the terrifying energy fluctuations emanating from it, screaming and scattering in all directions.

Rubble rained down like drops, and dust shot up into the sky!

In just a moment, this sturdy fortress, symbolizing the pinnacle of power in Greystone Keep, was forcibly torn into ruins by the fierce battle between the two!

Boom!!!

With the last earth-shattering roar, the upper part of the fortress completely collapsed, and countless huge stones mixed with dust rolled down.

Above the ruins, two figures stood facing each other from a distance...