Chapter 1319: Attack Limit

The objective was to conquer him while preserving his physical body as much as possible, ensuring his core essence wasn't too damaged. This way, the Venerable Ox King might be able to reach a new realm.

"Very good. Since you've reached this understanding, there's no need for further discussion. Let's begin."

The next moment, guided by Xu Yang's spiritual power, an incomparably brilliant golden sword light rapidly materialized behind him, completely enveloped by the surging sword winds of the surrounding Infinite Sword Dao.

This massive sword light was in no way inferior in aura to the unsealed Earth's Lament Battle Axe; in fact, it subtly appeared to be growing even stronger.

"Oh my god, this must be the most powerful sword in the world. Our boss is truly terrifying. Even His Majesty the Emperor probably isn't qualified to contend with him!"

Azure Dragon knew that speaking those words, as a royal guard loyal to the imperial family, constituted a grave disrespect. However, at that moment, no one spoke up to refute him; everyone found his assessment quite reasonable.

"Hahahaha, I don't know why, but I'm suddenly a little excited. If there's a chance in the future to witness a true peak showdown between His Majesty the Cloud Dragon Celestial Emperor and our boss Xu Yang, how incredible that would be!"

Azure Dragon quickly shook his head, interrupting the Black Tortoise clone.

"As for such a scenario, you should pray that day never comes. If it does, how would you and I position ourselves? More importantly, if those two were truly forced into a peak showdown, the entire Central Region Imperial Family's status would likely be shaken. The legacy of the vast Yingzhou Continent's orthodox imperial dynasty would probably face unprecedented variables in that battle."

The Black Tortoise clone also realized that their conversation was becoming increasingly outlandish. He wisely closed his mouth, redirecting his attention to the center of the battlefield.

The Venerable Ox King's fury was no longer confined to his frantic roars; his eyes, his body, and even his trembling arms clearly revealed his current state, on the verge of his physical limits.

This time, he gripped the Earth's Lament Battle Axe with both arms, clearly channeling the entire essence of his physical power into this upcoming strike.

Meanwhile, the astonishing, brilliant sword light forged by Xu Yang's Infinite Sword Dao had also perfectly condensed behind him. This was a sword light formed without Xu Yang even employing the Laws of Void.

While still far from Xu Yang's true strongest strike, for the Venerable Ox King, it already possessed the intensity of a final battle capable of altering his destiny.

The Venerable Ox King still struck first. At that precise moment, Xu Yang accurately judged the maximum power that his opponent's strike could unleash.

Xu Yang promptly locked down and precisely controlled the ultimate power of his Infinite Sword Dao. Then, he launched the sword light totem from his back towards the descending battle axe in the void.

"I'll see if my battle axe is stronger, or your sharp sword. Who truly possesses the greatest offensive power in this barren land will be revealed in this clash!"

After speaking, the Venerable Ox King heavily brought down the Earth's Lament Battle Axe, unleashing the most powerful strike of his life—a force he had never before wielded.

At that moment, Xu Yang slowly raised his right hand, perfectly integrating all the sharp sword qi of the surrounding Infinite Sword Dao, which had condensed around him, into the complete sword light totem.

This imbued the sword soul with the most formidable offensive power. The two attacks collided mid-air, and the entire sky above the extreme northern wilderness instinctively darkened.

The sky was plunged into five seconds of darkness by the impact of this incredibly terrifying power. As the sky gradually regained its color, Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, and the others immediately recovered their vision.

They then realized that the ground where Xu Yang and the Venerable Ox King had fought had completely collapsed into nothingness. A massive crater, a full kilometer in diameter, had been blasted into the earth by the two combatants.

The once flat, barren battlefield was now a desolate mess, scarred by the impact. It was uncertain how long it would take for the land to recover from such devastation.

After the dust settled, everyone saw Xu Yang's silhouette, still perfectly intact, reappearing under the protection of a shimmering light.

On the other side, where the Venerable Ox King had stood, only the Earth's Lament Battle Axe remained, standing alone and isolated on the ground. The Venerable Ox King's body, however, was nowhere to be seen.

"What the hell? What happened? Could the Venerable Ox King have been shattered by the boss's sword? Why is only the axe left here, and he's nowhere to be seen?"

*Rumble!* Just as the Black Tortoise clone finished speaking, a shower of rubble and debris suddenly erupted from a corner of the deep pit.

From the bottom of the debris-filled pit, the Venerable Ox King arduously climbed out, his entire body already drenched in blood.

At this point, he was practically on his last breath. However, Xu Yang had intentionally controlled his power output, ensuring he didn't shatter the Venerable Ox King's core life force and thus preserved his foundation for breaking through to a higher realm.

"If my judgment is correct, you can now attempt to break through. This should also be your last opportunity in this lifetime. If you fail, your life force will be depleted, and your days will be numbered. However, if you overcome this obstacle, you will achieve a true rebirth. You will reach the realm of the strongest among the Ten Venerable King Guardians in the current extreme northern barbarian beast domain, second only to the Beast King clan."

Hearing Xu Yang's words, the Venerable Ox King was truly encouraged. He had previously lacked the confidence to make such a crucial decision, uncertain if he could even attempt to transcend to the final beast realm in his current state.

It is well known that for any cultivator, attempting a breakthrough without absolute certainty and confidence, especially in a hesitant or uncertain state, almost always leads to failure.

Under Xu Yang's encouragement and guidance, the Venerable Ox King, despite his battered body, finally found the sense of breakthrough he had most yearned for. His deep-seated desire to reach the strongest realm was completely rekindled at that moment.

"Thank you, Esteemed Xu Yang."

Xu Yang nodded with a smile and simultaneously unleashed a special power around the Venerable Ox King's body. That light quickly cleared all negative aura within a ten-meter radius around the Venerable Ox King.