TL Note: Its turned into a martial arts novel lol
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"This... how is this possible...?"
Luo Hao stared at the dashing male-dressed Phoenix before her, overwhelmed by the immense power she radiated. Her expression was one of utter disbelief.
Phoenix's power felt far greater than Luo Hao's own, despite the fact that the girl before her had only recently become a Campione. Moreover... this wasn't curse power at all.
It was an entirely new force, one Luo Hao had never encountered before. This strange power actually surpassed even that of a Campione. It completely shattered Luo Hao's understanding of the world.
In other words... even without the title of Campione, this young girl before him... possessed power rivaling that of a Campione?
But how could this be possible? Whether through martial arts or magic, no force could possibly match that of a Campione. Luo Hao, once the leader of the martial arts alliance, knew this all too well.
Without sheer luck, even as the foremost warrior of China two centuries ago, Luo Hao herself could never have succeeded in becoming a Campione.
Yet the evidence lay before her eyes, leaving no room for doubt.
The young girl before her wielded power equal to a Campione's - an unknown force of immense strength.
Phoenix... the guardian of China for ten thousand years?
In over two centuries, Luo Hao had never heard of such a thing.
Still, even if everything the girl said proved true, Luo Hao would never feel fear or intimidation.
Luo Hao's personality was peculiar, marked by extreme arrogance and self-assurance.
Even if she could overpower the girl completely, leaving her utterly defenseless, this woman would never change. Forget making her bow her head - simply getting her to acknowledge your existence would be the limit.
So, she couldn't possibly be intimidated by Phoenix's display of superior strength before her.
Thus, Luo Hao was momentarily stunned but quickly regained her composure, her eyes locked on the striking young girl with long pink-white hair.
For the first time, Luo Hao focused with intense seriousness—more so than when facing her mortal enemy, Marquis Voban.
"Then let me show you whether I'm truly as ignorant as a frog at the bottom of a well!"
The moment her words faded, Luo Hao unleashed a torrent of colossal curse power from within, shaking the very atmosphere.
Boom!
Without hesitation, she struck down with a palm strike, reducing the ground where Phoenix had stood to dust. The resulting shockwave of curse power sent shivers through the air.
Yet by the time the attack landed, Phoenix's figure had already vanished—her speed so great that even Luo Hao couldn't react.
Luo Hao scanned her surroundings frantically, but Phoenix remained nowhere to be seen.
"Too slow..."
The words came from beside Luo Hao, accompanied by a calm voice that might have been offering instruction.
"..."
Luo Hao grew even more displeased at Phoenix's tone. It had been so long since anyone dared to speak to her like this.
As a Campione with a long-established reputation, Luo Hao had already been the martial arts champion of China's wulin alliance before becoming a Campione. Her mastery of martial arts and curse magic placed her at the pinnacle of China's martial arts world. Even on a global scale, no one could match her in hand-to-hand combat.
Now, with the immense curse power amplification of a Campione, Luo Hao could single-handedly kill a Heretic God without even using her divine powers.
However, Luo Hao had finally met her match. Dressed in traditional Han clothing, she closed the distance to Phoenix with lightning-fast, fluid movements. Concentrating vast amounts of curse power in her right palm, she unleashed a seemingly slow yet incredibly swift strike toward Phoenix's shoulder.
This was one of Luo Hao's supreme techniques: the Flying Phoenix Twelve Palms.
The palm technique's sophistication far surpassed other martial arts, and with Luo Hao's execution, it could rightfully be called the world's foremost palm technique.
"Immortal Technique: White Cock!"
Facing Luo Hao's palm strike, Phoenix didn't evade this time. Instead, she countered with equal force.
A fist bearing the phantom of a white cockatrice clashed with Luo Hao's Flying Phoenix Twelve Palms.
The collision between the white cockatrice and Luo Hao's technique left her face pale as she staggered backward several steps.
It felt as if a mountain range had collided with her. For the first time... Luo Hao had been defeated in her pride and joy - her martial arts.
"Crimson Flame Danxin!"
Phoenix's fist effortlessly repelled Luo Hao. With a wave of her hand, a half-meter Crimson Phoenix Immortal Bird materialized from Li Fire, circling around her body.
She advanced toward Luo Hao. Though it appeared as walking... it was more akin to teleportation, leaving behind numerous afterimages along the path.
It was that... Dusting Step.
"Reversed Feather Strike!"
Upon closing the distance, Phoenix unleashed a barrage of punches and kicks without hesitation.
Facing Phoenix's assault, Luo Hao dared not underestimate her. This wasn't the power of a Campione - it was something entirely different. Yet... it proved no weaker than a Campione's strength.
So... in the next instant, a curse-imbued word spirit suddenly resounded.
"Stand south of the city, die north of the wall, wild death with no burial for crows to feast. Tell the crows: 'Be my guests, feast on this bounty'!"
"Wild death means no burial, rotting flesh cannot escape your beaks. Water flows swiftly, reeds grow dense; vultures perish in battle, weak horses whine in retreat."
The elegant voice coalesced in the air. Golden particles erupted from Luo Hao's palm, meeting Phoenix's body with enough force to barely repel her attack.
This palm strike carried the weight of Authority.
The very Authority Luo Hao had seized from the Buddhist Benevolent Kings - Vajrapani and Narayana.
The Great Vajra Divine Art!
By unleashing this Authority, one could host the power of the Vajra Warrior within their body, granting them peerless divine strength.
Boom!
Fists collided violently, unleashing a catastrophic shockwave. The mountain peak's rocks shattered instantly, sending tremors through Mount Lu that made the entire mountain range quake.
The battle between Phoenix and Luo Hao involved little use of large-scale Authorities. It was primarily a close-quarters brawl of fists and feet.
Yet... even in this manner, the impact they caused was immense. A vast area at the summit of Mount Lu, including Luo Hao's favored residence, was utterly destroyed.
The clash atop Mount Lu's peak sent tremors through the entire mountain range and its surroundings.
What Luo Hao didn't realize was that Phoenix hadn't even unleashed one-tenth of her true strength.
Nor had she used any Authorities or divine keys.
Even the power of Li Fire had been restrained. Though Phoenix intended to temper Luo Hao's temperament, she had no desire to kill or cripple her.
After all, if Luo Hao were to meet misfortune after Phoenix's departure, China would be left without a Campione.