Observing Caesar opposite him, radiating an astonishing battle intent, Li Xiaotian silently drew his long saber.
"Very well, as you wish! Then let us fight!"
"Hum!" As the words fell, a potent saber intent erupted across the heavens and earth. A colossal black saber materialized in the sky, descending to cleave Caesar’s head.
Caesar’s eyes sparkled with excitement. Li Xiaotian was formidable, and defeating him would truly showcase his own might.
"Kill!!!"
Caesar roared, his long spear erupting with blinding radiance. Astride his white steed, he was like a knight, charging headlong into Li Xiaotian’s descending saber.
"In this era, the Golden Family is destined for greatness!"
Caesar bellowed, his spear weaving, instantly shattering the giant saber in the sky.
"Not enough! Li Xiaotian, unleash your full strength! You were hailed as the foremost person of your time, why is your attack so weak?"
Caesar roared again. He had cleaved the previous strike far too easily, almost without expending any effort.
"Roar!"
Caesar thrust his spear forward, which blazed with a piercing golden light. Then, within this golden radiance, the phantom of a golden lion surged forth. It let out a deafening roar and pounced towards Li Xiaotian.
Li Xiaotian raised his eyes slightly, gripped his long saber with both hands, and then slashed.
"Second Saber!"
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
As the second saber strike was unleashed, the surrounding space and ground seemed to be sliced apart. The air trembled, and a fissure even appeared on the ground.
"Rumble!"
Caesar’s golden lion was instantly bisected, and the saber light continued its path, aiming for Caesar.
A flicker of emotion crossed Caesar’s eyes, then his expression turned solemn. Li Xiaotian’s power in this strike was several times greater than the previous one.
"Kill!"
But he would not retreat. His eyes held only battle intent. Urging his white horse forward, golden light began to emanate from Caesar, and a suit of golden armor enveloped him. Simultaneously, he thrust his spear with rapid speed, accompanied by waves of roars.
Phantoms of several golden lions emerged from the void, roaring and charging towards the saber light Li Xiaotian had unleashed.
A series of booming sounds echoed through the sky as the golden lion phantoms dissipated. Simultaneously, Li Xiaotian's saber light grew ethereal but had not yet vanished.
Caesar galloped forward, his spear dancing swiftly. Li Xiaotian’s saber light instantly dispersed, but just as Caesar began to relax, Li Xiaotian’s voice reached his ears.
"Third Saber!"
Caesar’s expression shifted slightly upon hearing this. He had underestimated Li Xiaotian’s strength. His second saber strike had required him to employ two techniques to counter, and now the third saber was upon him, completely robbing him of the initiative.
"This cannot continue. I must close the distance!"
Caesar murmured inwardly. Only in close combat could he leverage his strength to its fullest advantage.
"Hum!" The saber light, emanating a terrifying aura, rapidly approached Caesar. Caesar roared, releasing his long spear, which instantly split into countless individual spears.
He moved his hands, and the surrounding spears followed suit, as if countless versions of himself were attacking simultaneously.
"Boom boom boom!!!"
The plains echoed with thunderous roars as terrifying fluctuations erupted between the two.
Innumerable spears thrust, parried, and blocked, executing various attacks to meet Li Xiaotian’s long saber.
At the same time, a glint flashed in Caesar’s eyes. With a thought, his white horse instantly moved, carrying him towards Li Xiaotian.
For the third saber strike, he could only block. If he were to fully counter it, he would inevitably be tied down by Li Xiaotian, and then face Li Xiaotian’s fourth or even fifth saber, which would be extremely disadvantageous for him.
Therefore, he needed to turn his passivity into initiative. He had practiced ancient martial arts since childhood, making his physical body stronger than others his age. Furthermore, after the world’s revival and the return of the Golden Family’s strong cultivators, they had passed down the Golden Body Technique to him, making his physique so formidable that he could withstand weapons with his bare hands.
Thus, his close combat was his trump card. In terms of physical confrontation, he believed no one among his peers could match him.
In a flash, Caesar reached Li Xiaotian and, without hesitation, swung his fist to strike.
But Li Xiaotian remained impassive, merely glancing at Caesar before throwing a punch to meet the attack.
"Boom!"
Their fists collided, unleashing terrifying fluctuations. However, immediately after, Caesar’s confident expression froze, then contorted in disbelief.
His body was sent flying backward, while his arm throbbed with searing pain. The formidable armor on it had completely shattered.
"This is impossible!!!"
Caesar roared. His esteemed body technique, his pride and joy, could not even withstand a single punch from Li Xiaotian?!
How was this possible? After all, in ancient times, the Golden Family’s body techniques were among the top ten for cultivators of the same generation.
And Li Xiaotian, lacking a powerful lineage and having cultivated midway, how could his physique be even more robust than his own?
But before Caesar could react, Li Xiaotian pursued him.
Caesar's expression changed drastically. He roared, preparing to gather strength for a counter, but in the next moment, Li Xiaotian’s long saber stopped before him.
"You lost!"
Li Xiaotian stated calmly.
Caesar’s face suddenly turned ghastly pale. He had lost? He had believed that with his own strength, even if he couldn't crush Li Xiaotian, Li Xiaotian certainly wouldn’t defeat him.
But who would have thought that after only a few exchanges, he would be defeated?!
"Ahhh! Ahhh!" Caesar roared, his heart filled with unwillingness. He still had many methods he hadn't employed, many trump cards he hadn't used, so how could he have lost?!
"You are strong, but your combat experience is too limited. Moreover, my time is pressing today, so I went all out from the start, aiming for a swift conclusion to the battle,"
As Caesar was internally raging, Li Xiaotian spoke unhurriedly.
"Therefore, you have lost this time. But I can give you a chance to challenge me again, though not now."
Upon hearing Li Xiaotian’s words, a flicker of hope rekindled in Caesar’s eyes, only to dim again. He had lost, and that was that. Even if he hadn't been prepared, even if he hadn't used many of his trump cards, he had ultimately lost.
"I will take you to find them! I concede this time. For the next three years, I will not disturb you. After three years, I hope to fight you again!"
Caesar spoke. Upon careful reflection, he realized he had too many flaws in this encounter: overconfidence, a lack of combat experience, and excessive reliance on his body technique. He knew that in a true fight for survival, he would have already become a corpse by now.
In reality, Caesar’s strength was not weak. His late Emperor realm cultivation was already a cause for pride.
However, he had only known cultivation since childhood. His opponents were either from his family or formidable martial artists captured from outside by his family elders.
Those individuals, due to his status, often held back their true strength. This resulted in Caesar never having participated in a fight for survival.
His practical combat experience was exceptionally limited. Despite being at the late Emperor realm, it was uncertain whether he could defeat a seasoned mid-Emperor realm cultivator.