Emperor Jingzhong's martial path was like a needle wrapped in silk — seemingly gentle, yet occasionally revealing its sharp edge.
However, at this moment, Emperor Jingzhong's heart was churning with turbulent waves. The difficulty of this battle far exceeded his estimates.
He was even starting to regret it. He had always considered himself a composed man, but rushing to spar with Peerless Emperor this time had been rather reckless on his part.
He could never have imagined that Peerless Emperor — whose cultivation had previously been slightly below his own — would, after breaking through, rise to such terrifying heights of combat power.
Among the Six Titans of the independent cultivator world, if one were to rank pure offensive power, Emperor Jingzhong would absolutely not claim first place. But in terms of defensive capability, he was firmly and unquestionably number one.
A rock-solid defense was Emperor Jingzhong's trump card against all comers. He could routinely wear his opponents down through sheer defensive endurance until they were exhausted, then seize the opportunity to launch a devastating counterattack and claim victory.
But this time, he discovered that Peerless Emperor's offensive had completely suppressed his defenses, rendering his counterattacks nearly futile.
Normally, after a breakthrough, combat power would see a substantial improvement. Before Emperor Jingzhong had sought out Peerless Emperor for a spar, he had actually factored such an increase into his calculations.
However, it was now painfully clear that despite his efforts to overestimate the improvement, reality had proven him wrong — he had still underestimated Peerless Emperor's strength after the breakthrough.
In truth, it wasn't just Emperor Jingzhong who was surprised. Even Peerless Emperor himself, having fought to this point, could feel the dramatic surge in his own combat power.
He had crossed blows with Emperor Jingzhong before, and never once had he been able to move with such ease and confidence as he did now.
While he couldn't say he was on the verge of certain victory, the flow of battle was crystal clear to Peerless Emperor — this rhythm was entirely under his control.
"The Heavenly Kun bloodline's transformation of me has truly been comprehensive. Not only did it grant me the breakthrough, it also strengthened my bloodline power and elevated my martial realm. Combined with the tremendous boost in my speed... this battle is truly the perfect whetstone."
Peerless Emperor's heart was electric with excitement.
The Six Titans sparred among themselves from time to time. Among the six, when Peerless Emperor faced Emperor Huoyan or Emperor Ruoyi, he had always been confident of gaining the upper hand.
But against the three titans of the upper tier, he had consistently been at a disadvantage.
Emperor Ziyou, Emperor Mozhe, and Emperor Jingzhong.
These three each possessed distinct characteristics in their strength, remarkably well-balanced, with no clear superiority among them. Overall, Emperor Ziyou was more domineering, Emperor Mozhe more enigmatic, and Emperor Jingzhong more steadfast.
Each had their own style.
Yet, whichever of these three styles one chose, they had all held a slight edge over the Peerless Emperor of the past.
But now, Peerless Emperor was subtly pressing Emperor Jingzhong — gaining the upper hand.
The independent cultivators watching from below the stage might not yet be able to perceive the deeper nuances of this battle, but
"Brother Mo has become like a tiger with wings after his breakthrough — like a golden-scaled carp transforming into a dragon, unstoppable. Even someone of Emperor Jingzhong's caliber is being suppressed by him. Hmm... that Heavenly Kun bloodline really is extraordinary."
The independent cultivators gathered around the arena, witnessing this spectacle, were filled with puzzlement. In the eyes of most of them, Emperor Jingzhong held a higher ranking among the Six Titans than Peerless Emperor, and his strength should have been at least marginally superior.
But judging from the current state of the battle, it was obvious — the one with the advantage was not Emperor Jingzhong, but Peerless Emperor.
This left the watching cultivator-reapers mildly astonished.
"This Peerless Emperor — could he really be this powerful after his breakthrough?"
"Could it be that Emperor Jingzhong is deliberately holding back? Or feigning weakness to lure his opponent in?"
"You're all overthinking it. Emperor Jingzhong's style leans toward defense — he seeks victory through stability. Flashy displays of dominance were never his goal."
"That may be true, but this level of suppression is still extreme. Could Peerless Emperor actually be about to overtake Emperor Jingzhong's ranking among the Six Titans?"
"Hard to say. I feel like after his breakthrough, Peerless Emperor's entire bearing and presence have jumped up several levels. Perhaps even Emperor Ziyou and Emperor Mozhe wouldn't have an advantage against him now."
"That makes sense. If Emperor Jingzhong can't gain the upper hand, the other two certainly wouldn't either. If that's the case, Peerless Emperor's progress truly has been enormous."
"Could it be that Young Master
The watching cultivators, each with their own allegiances, buzzed with animated discussion.
Among them, some admired Emperor Jingzhong, others favored Peerless Emperor — each had their own supporters.
On the stage.
Though Emperor Jingzhong was startled by the leap in Peerless Emperor's strength, he was still a supreme Emperor-realm powerhouse who had been famous for three thousand years. Even at a slight disadvantage, he was far from panicking.
He kept his defenses locked tight and managed to hold his ground against Peerless Emperor in a close contest, showing no immediate signs of distress or exhaustion.
As for Peerless Emperor — after a flurry of ferocious attacks failed to break through, he too recognized that while his strength had improved, it was at best enough to dominate the flow of the fight. Actually bringing down Emperor Jingzhong was virtually impossible.