Chapter Seven: Edmond vs. Ling Nangong

A thunderous voice echoed boldly throughout the hall.

Edmund stood an imposing two meters and thirty centimeters tall, his thick, coarse golden hair bristling like the spines of a porcupine, wild and untamed as it cascaded down to his waist.

His face was chiseled with sharp, axe-like lines, as though a warrior god from ancient times had come to life, exuding a primal sense of power.

His golden army uniform was stretched tight over his bulging, veined muscles, as if it might burst open at any moment.

Countless medals of varying sizes adorned his left chest, gleaming with different metallic hues under the light, collectively resembling a dazzling banner symbolizing supreme merit.

On his shoulders rested three majestic golden dragons.

Among the thirteen legion commanders, he was one of the most decorated and highly ranked.

The reason was simple: rather than being bogged down by tedious military affairs, he was obsessed with fighting on the front lines, feeling the surge of life amid blood and fire, earning the nickname "War Demon" among the people.

At this moment, his challenge to Nangong Lin was not provoked by her words, but purely driven by his innate warlike nature, which had found a perfect excuse to engage in a fierce battle with this empress from another world.

Bai Yujing observed the deliberately feigned "anger" on his face but did not immediately consent. Instead, she cast a questioning glance toward Nangong Lin beside her.

With a calm expression, Nangong Lin gave a slight nod, signaling her acceptance of the duel.

Bai Yujing nodded and said, "I permit you to draw your blade before me."

"Hahaha!"

Edmund grinned wildly, his burly frame launching forward like a cannonball, swiftly crossing the spacious hall.

Nangong Lin’s hands remained elegantly folded before her abdomen. Her steps were light and measured as she calmly left the throne and stood firmly opposite Edmund.

Her voice was soft as willow-wind, "Give it your all."

Nangong Lin was equally curious. Aside from Bai Yujing, the anomaly, could other powerful beings in this world also manifest extraordinary battle prowess beyond their source energy levels?

Take this War Demon before her, for example. His source energy fluctuation was roughly equivalent to the early stage of the Divine Spirit realm in Shenzhou, far below Bai Yujing’s usual state, yet among legion commanders, who were generally at the late Nascent Soul stage, he was considered strong.

"Hahaha, then I shall not hold back!"

Edmund laughed uproariously, his broad hand gripping the handle of a menacingly shaped greatsword at his waist.

Hum!

Fierce source energy surged wildly through the intricate source pathways in his body, compressing and condensing.

As a top-tier master of the condensing type, his abilities were simple, pure, yet immensely powerful.

By compressing source energy to the extreme, he could grant his body the invulnerability of diamond or transform his blade into an indomitable divine weapon.

Boom!

His foot slammed the ground, causing the solid wood floor to crack in a spiderweb pattern.

He became a piercing golden light tearing through the air, shooting straight toward Nangong Lin.

The greatsword was drawn with no flashy moves, only a terrifying black gleam swallowing the light, wielding the force to cleave mountains and part seas as it descended with deadly resolve.

Its speed was about mid-Divine Spirit realm.

Nangong Lin judged swiftly. Her hands remained folded, but her right index finger atop the left hand moved ever so slightly.

Swish.

The black gleam tore through the afterimage, fiercely striking down, yet without any real impact.

"?!"

Edmund’s pupils suddenly constricted to pinpoints.

Without warning, Nangong Lin appeared like a phantom three steps away, her robes fluttering as if she had never moved.

So fast!

A storm of astonishment roared within Edmund’s heart.

Nangong Lin raised her delicate hand lightly, flicking casually in Edmund’s direction. Her crimson lips parted, uttering three words: "Water Dragon Technique."

In the void, turbulent torrents surged forth without any prior sign.

Instantly, the waters gathered and took shape at her fingertips, forming a lifelike, roaring water dragon, scales and claws flying.

"Roar!"

The water dragon charged at Edmund with overwhelming and unstoppable force, baring its fangs and claws.

"Well met!"

Edmund roared like thunder, muscles bulging anew as source energy violently infused the blade. The black gleam on the greatsword intensified, carrying the resolve to sever all things, as he once again swung down upon the dragon’s head.

Clang!

The expected softness of cutting through water never came.

At the moment the blade met the dragon’s head, a deafening clash of metal rang out.

An unimaginable, immense force surged wildly along the blade.

Edmund’s complexion changed drastically.

He felt his tiger mouth crack open, his arms trembling violently, as if he had struck not a water dragon but a speeding steel mountain.

His feet were planted firmly, yet he could not resist the terrifying push. Like a battering ram blow, he was forced to slide rapidly backward.

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack!

The solid wood floor beneath him shattered, splintering and pulverizing inch by inch.

The wild force spread, causing even the seated legion commanders to feel their chairs tremble and the ground beneath them resonate with clear shockwaves.

This woman...

For the first time, Serena’s ocean-blue eyes revealed an expression of profound gravity.

She fixed her gaze on the terrifying water dragon, seemingly made of water yet harder than refined steel and powerful enough to crush mountains.

Edmund was pushed by this giant force crashing into the palace wall, with no way to evade, colliding awkwardly.

"Enough, stop."

Bai Yujing’s calm voice sounded just in time.

Hearing this, Nangong Lin gracefully placed her right hand back over her left, maintaining her composed posture.

The mighty water dragon instantly lost its form, crashing down into a common torrent with a splash.

Splash!

Water sprayed everywhere, quickly flooding the shattered and chaotic floor, spreading outward.

Serena lowered her head, watching the clear stream flow past her feet.

A flicker of disbelief and astonishment crossed her eyes. She couldn’t help but bend her knees and waist, her full figure tracing a breathtaking curve, like a stalk bowed down by heavy ears of wheat.

She extended slender, jade-like fingers to gently touch the flowing water on the floor.

It was icy cold, moist, and incredibly real.

This was no water conjured by source energy from concretion or fluidity-type superpowers.

Such energy constructs would vanish the moment the caster ceased supplying energy.

What her fingertip now sensed was water truly created from nothing.

This was genuine magic!

Serena’s eyes blazed with unprecedented admiration and fervor, as if she had glimpsed the gateway to a new world.

Meanwhile, Edmund leaned on his sword, breathing heavily, staring at the mess strewn across the floor and the cracked tiger mouth in his hand. The fervor of battle finally faded, replaced by deep frustration and a trace of respect.

His voice was low but resolute: "I lost."

Nangong Lin looked at him and said, "There’s no need to be discouraged. To unleash combat power comparable to mid-Divine Spirit realm while only at the early stage of Divine Spirit is truly extraordinary.

In Shenzhou, the gulf between realms is like a chasm; for a lower level to overcome a higher one is nearly a fool’s dream."

She was not merely consoling Edmund.

Even the formidable Nangong Lin had, so far, only maintained peak power within her own realm. She had never fought across realms to win against a stronger opponent.

Because it was impossible.

The treasures held by higher-level cultivators were never inferior to those of lower levels.

Even if a lower-level cultivator possessed a stronger treasure, the mana consumption would be enormous.

For example, someone at the initial Tribulation stage with a late Great Ascension treasure could never defeat a mid-Tribulation opponent.

But such clear-cut realm distinctions were shattered on Blue Star, stirring her intense curiosity about the power system here.

Especially regarding this planet’s limits, which were simply absurd.

Among a group of warriors not surpassing the Divine Spirit stage, a sudden contender emerged who could easily defeat even Great Ascension-level foes.

This showed that the ceiling of superpowers here was not to be underestimated.

No, perhaps it was not the superpowers alone but the man named Bai Yujing who was formidable.

Her gaze involuntarily shifted toward the one seated on the dragon throne.

"Edmund, take your seat."

Bai Yujing broke the brief silence, drawing everyone’s attention back.

"Next, we shall discuss the following topic."

His eyes swept over the assembly.

"Regarding the seeds of rare heavenly materials and treasures from Shenzhou stored within Nangong Lin’s storage ring, can we utilize concretion-type abilities to attempt cultivation and planting in Blue Star’s environment?"