NOVPUBChapter 864: Chapter 463 Equally Matched_2 Chapter 864: Chapter 463 Equally Matched_2 “Blue Heart True Flame!”
Upon seeing the appearance of the Blue Heart True Flame, Gu Changqing also recognized the origin of the flames and couldn’t help but exclaim in alarm.
Immediately treating Gu Changqing like a formidable enemy, he retreated explosively, his speed surpassing any of his previous attempts, clearly understanding the terrifying power of the Blue Heart True Flame.
Meanwhile, Lin Tianming was not idle either. As he retreated, he hurled a fireball from his hand towards Gu Changqing.
In an instant, the fireball shot out, appearing right above Gu Changqing’s head.
Despite his speed being fast, the fireball’s speed was equally swift, only a few dozen yards away from Gu Changqing.
Feeling the temperature from the approaching fireball, Gu Changqing’s expression became anxious, and his speed in dodging increased.
...
Following a loud explosion, the fireball grazed past Gu Changqing and finally hit the ground, exploding on impact.
For a moment, firelight filled the sky and a larger fire cloud surged upward.
As the firelight and smoke dissipated, Gu Changqing’s figure reappeared.
His Daoist robe was tattered, and many of his hairs had been burnt off by the sparks, leaving him looking disheveled.
Fortunately, he had dodged the hit and was only affected by the terrifying high temperature of the fireball.
When he recalled the perilous situation just now, his heart couldn’t help but pound wildly.
By now, he had truly witnessed Lin Tianming’s strength. It was no wonder that he was able to collaborate with other Golden Core Cultivators of the Lin Family and kill Xu Zhi, a Medium Stage Golden Core cultivator, and even single-handedly eliminate Meng Qingfeng of the same rank, achieving astonishing results in the subsequent battle in Myriad Medicine Valley.
These were genuine achievements, not merely rumors. Indeed, they were incredibly formidable.
Knowing this, Gu Changqing no longer dared to be careless, constantly monitoring Lin Tianming’s every move, fearing that Lin Tianming would seize an opportunity and lead him to the same fate as Xu Zhi.
At this time, Lin Tianming remained calm despite his attack missing its mark, showing no surprise.
He was very aware of the strength of a Golden Core Cultivator, especially a Mid Stage Golden Core Strongman.
In his eyes, although Gu Changqing might not be as powerful as Chen Jingtian, he was, after all, a legitimate Mid Stage Golden Core Realm cultivator.
Who among those who had cultivated to this level was ordinary?
Moreover, Gu Changqing was a veteran Golden Core Cultivator who had entered the Golden Core Stage over two hundred years ago, having experienced many battles and his hands stained with blood.
It could be said that both his strength and battle experience were not comparable to those of ordinary newly advanced Golden Core cultivators.
Thus, such a figure was naturally not someone who could be heavily injured or killed by ordinary means.
Understanding this, Lin Tianming was not at all discouraged; instead, his spirit brimmed with combativeness.
Previously, although he had killed many Golden Core Cultivators, including Medium Stage Golden Core Xu Zhi and Changqing of Golden Sword Sect, he had needed others’ help to kill them. Moreover, he had used his utmost Spirit Art when killing Xu Zhi.
Strictly speaking, he had never faced a Mid Stage Golden Core Strongman alone.
Now, fighting against Gu Changqing, empowered by his Magical Treasure, he had reached the peak of his strength.
In this situation, he, too, wanted to see what his limits were and whether he possessed the capability to kill or defeat Gu Changqing.
With this anticipation, Lin Tianming repeatedly swung his Qinghong Sword, unleashing copious amounts of Sword Qi targeting Gu Changqing.
Facing Lin Tianming’s relentless assault, Gu Changqing was both shocked and angry, hastily unleashing numerous attacks to clash directly with Lin Tianming.
Both men fully exerted themselves in a frenzy of strikes.
“Boom, boom, boom…”
Continuous explosive sounds resonated from the sky, the vast expanse of ground beneath their feet trembling slightly under their strikes.
A short period later, after more than a dozen rounds of exchanges, both men were blown a hundred yards away by the blast of air, finally stabilizing their forms.
Lin Tianming’s face alternated between red and white, his Qi-Blood churning wildly within him, and his Daoist robe was torn and ragged, revealing the Blue Star Armor he wore underneath.
Across from him, Gu Changqing was in a similar state, his clothes tattered and his face alternating between pale and green, clearly showing considerable exhaustion.
At that moment, the two of them hovered in midair, their pupils fixed solely on each other, not blinking even once.
After more than ten rounds of attacks, both had gone all out, expending a substantial amount of mana and sustaining several injuries.
Among them, Lin Tianming had suffered more injuries and had expended nearly half of his mana.
Fortunately, he practiced Dual Cultivation of Body and Law, possessing an exceptionally powerful physique. Whether it was recovery from injuries or mana regeneration, both were visibly superior to Gu Changqing’s.
However, Gu Changqing was slightly better off for the time being. Though there were victories and losses between them, he seemed to have a slight upper hand, but the advantage was almost negligible; neither had gained much ground over the other.
Yet Gu Changqing lived up to his strength as a Mid Stage Golden Core Realm cultivator. Despite Lin Tianming’s relentless attacks, although sometimes perilous, he managed to turn danger into safety every time.
As for Lin Tianming, most of the time he had to rely on the Eye of Five Colors to narrowly dodge Gu Changqing’s attacks.
There were several extremely close calls, almost hit by a beam emitted by the Ancient Mirror Treasure wielded by Gu Changqing.
Had it not been for the miraculous effects of the Eye of Five Colors, combined with his exceptional speed and his powerful physical strength, he always managed to find the quickest and most effective escape route.
Otherwise, by now, he might have fallen into life-threatening crises several times.
Whether he could survive those memorable crises was left to Heaven’s Will.
Now, as they continued their fierce combat, both understood how formidable their opponent was.
In particular, Gu Changqing had not expected Lin Tianming’s strength to be so formidable, with tactics both abundant and incredibly bizarre.
Primarily, it was his extraordinary speed and agile moves.
Under his powerful offense, revealing many of his trump cards, several times Gu Changqing almost predicted Lin Tianming’s doom, yet each time Lin Tianming miraculously found an escape path.
To Gu Changqing, Lin Tianming now seemed like an invincible warrior, capable of both enduring and attacking, defending and striking, with a speed unmatchable and seemingly without any flaws.
At this point, he finally understood the ordeal faced by Xu Zhi and Meng Qingfeng.
Recalling what the disciples had recounted initially, passed on as if it were miraculous, it was clear they had been terrified out of their wits.
Initially, he had some doubts about the truth of those stories, but now, after witnessing Lin Tianming’s capabilities firsthand, nothing seemed strange anymore.
This moment marked a tremendous shift inside Gu Changqing. Facing Lin Tianming again, his inner state was completely overturned, like a calm lake stirring into a massive wave.
As for Lin Tianming, he remained vigilant at all times.
The two briefly fell into a quiet standstill, until Lin Tianming made the first move, prompting Gu Changqing to hastily engage.
In an instant, they fiercely bombarded each other, the massive fluctuations of their strikes whipping up gusts of air.
For a moment, the whole area was a whirl of flying sand and stone, the ground riddled from the impacts.
As they alternated between attack and defense, their mana was rapidly depleted and their array of tactics dwindled.
Driven to this point, a prolonged battle left Lin Tianming somewhat helpless about the outcome.
One could say he had exerted himself to the fullest, having called upon all conventional tactics except for the Heaven’s Sword Lotus and Earth’s Sword Lotus Divine Skills.
Even so, he hadn’t gained a definitive upper hand.
This feeling of impotence was a first in these recent years.
However, he wasn’t disheartened; he knew as their mana rapidly drained, his advantage would gradually begin to show.
After all, he possessed a physical strength and recovery ability unmatched by Gu Changqing.
Although this advantage wasn’t obvious normally, at certain times, it might be the final straw that breaks the camel’s back.
Just a few more rounds of attacks and Gu Changqing would grow increasingly weaker, while he would barely be affected.
At that time, he would be able to seize the gap between them, further solidify his advantage, and find an opportunity to annihilate Gu Changqing in one fell swoop.
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