The Ancient Strengthening Technique

AST 2357 - The Water Emperor VS. The Ghost King

After all was said and done, strength spoke the loudest.

Qing Shui and Nalan Qing stood in the middle, occasionally feeling the movements of the crowd around them. Very quickly, a barely visible layer of light appeared, shrouding the entire area. At this moment, this area had already become an independent space. The sound here will not be transmitted out and the energy here will not spread outside.

"Nalan Jian, you are still as strong as ever. However, you are wrong to think that you only need to use strength to suppress us. We also have some strong individuals here that are the same level as you," Bei Yuan Cao said, his smile full of deceit. It also seemed cunning, just like a fox.

"Who is the one responsible for the poisoning?" The Water Emperor was the nation's emperor. Though he was temperamental at times, he could be calm in needed times and would not fret over small things. Moreover, the situation now was a lot better than before.

"How was your poisoning cured? Is it convenient to talk about it now?" A gloomy voice boomed out.

Following the voice, an old man walked out, all clad in black. He was thin and bony, with a pair of deep eyes—eyes which were layers of sullenness over sullenness. His inhuman-like appearance left everyone shocked.

An image of a white skeleton was embroidered on his black clothes. It was incomparably strange. His hands held a pure white bone weapon.

"Looks like you are the one responsible for the poisoning. What a great method!" The Water Emperor gave him a sharp look. So it was this man who harmed him, so much so that his family was almost destroyed and he himself almost killed. He would be lying if he said he did not hate him. He had already made up his mind: This man was going to die.

"I was not successful in my first attempt. I can tell that someone cured you of your poisoning. I'm curious as to what kind of person could cure the wrath of the Immortal Powder? I really want to have a look." The Ghost King said to the Water Emperor.

"I'll wait till you're on your deathbed. Then, I shall let you know," The Water Emperor replied indifferently before pulling out his golden sword, which was also known as the Emperor's Sword.

This weapon was a relatively good one, and could only be used after one had gained the title of Emperor. The power it wielded was not bad, and could be classified as a weapon of imperial power. This imperial power was not the kind that could destroy lands and wipe out all existence. It simply commanded the respect of all.

It was as if the Ghost King had no qualms about the Water Emperor. He said lightly, "I'll just capture you first and we'll talk later."

As soon as he finished speaking, he waved the bone in his hand and like a ghost, he advanced quickly before disappearing.

Many people could not see him, including Qing Shui. However, in the blink of an eye, Qing Shui's Heavenly Vision Technique was activated and he was able to locate where the Ghost King was.

Hah!

The Water Emperor gave a loud shout with an untouchable regal aura. A mystical force enveloped the surroundings. The Ghost King, however, was already three meters away from the Water Emperor. He used this chance to raise the bone in his hand and strike.

A simple blow, but the effects were immediate. So quick that many could not keep up with their eyes.

Ding!

The sword in the Emperor's hand had blocked this hit, but that bone weapon made of god-knows-what was too hard and strong, remaining undamaged despite a direct collision. The Ghost King's arm was retracted for a brief moment before extending out again, waving his bone weapon for yet another hit.

The hit was direct, but it was as if the power of the blow became even stronger. It did not seem to be any simple bone, but one that could collapse the heavens.

Heavenly Dao!

The Ghost King's Heavenly Dao Realm was stronger than that of the Water Emperor's. He had used this to suppress the Water Emperor, guaranteeing his position of invincibility and the inevitable defeat of the Water Emperor.

Qing Shui frowned. He thought that helping them to cure the poison was enough and everything would be a smooth journey from there. Looking at the circumstances now, it seemed like his plans could not keep up with the changes.

The sword in the Water Emperor's hands suddenly erupted with a strong halo of light—the Emperor's power.

A strong wave of power burst from the Emperor's body and he seemed to grow in size. Most importantly, the Emperor now resembled a small mountain, reducing the distance between the Ghost King and him.

All emperors and kings had a unique regality about them, able to negate the effects of suppression. Though this effect was constant and not exceptional, it was very effective in leveling the playing field. The downside was that it could never be used to gain an advantage.

Thump… Thump...

The initial clear and melodious collisions turned dull and the opposing parties fought till they were on equal footing.

The Ghost King's bone weapon became a shadow that loomed over the whole sky. Like a fast-flowing river, it rushed to toward the Water Emperor. If it was Qing Shui, he could use his Heavenly Vision Technique to see what was approaching him. However, the Water Emperor did not have this power. Nonetheless, if the Water Emperor could reach this level, he could probably find his own way to block the incoming attack.

Close the sword!

The Water Emperor's sword immediately retracted before the sharp tip protruded out, causing the surroundings to be blinded by a bright light. The light surrounded the Emperor and enveloped him. At the same time, the bone weapon tried to deliver a hit toward the Emperor but clashed with the Emperor's sword instead, casting a shimmering golden ray of light.

Qing Shui knew that both parties were now on equal footing and it would not be easy to distinguish a winner or a loser. Both of them were beings that had unsurmountable experience.

"Water Emperor, you forgot that I am a master of poison. If I use poisoning techniques, I would easily defeat you." the Ghost King taunted his opponent.

"Bring it on!" The Water Emperor's eyes were shining brilliantly. He was not scared. He might even be excited.

"Then you'll get a taste of this Magic Fog!" Right after he spoke, a cruel smile extended across his face. The surroundings then turned foggy and a poisonous-smelling gas rapidly diffused in the air.

To be on the safe side, Qing Shui cast an Area Dominance shield on the Water Emperor.

It was still foggy, but the Water Emperor seemed to be in a pure ground; the fog would immediately dissipate upon contacting him.

Seeing this, the Ghost King was in a state of shock. Even though he knew that the Water Emperor was mighty, he himself had his own set of skills. He waved his bone weapon and sent a long skeleton dragon hovering around them, exuding chilly bouts of air.

A crystal-like armor then appeared on the Water Emperor's body, making him greater and more powerful. A sea started to form around him. He was also gradually getting stronger and stronger.

The strength and capacity of the Water nation!

The Ghost King's face became solemn before taking out a pill and swallowing it. The tooth necklace on his chest started to emit a bright white light. This was a necklace made up out of teeth of many different beastly creatures. The different teeth contained the essence of each creature, each with their own unique skills. This necklace was made up of a hundred different teeth. A special way was used to string them together to provide the wearer with the essence of the creatures and to provide the wearer with temporary strength.

The skeleton dragon was flying around, roaring non-stop at the Water Emperor.

There was also a massive Water Dragon beside the Water Emperor that sprayed clouds. It kept colliding with the skeleton dragon, spraying out giant torrents of water.

The Water Emperor could get replenishment from the "large sea" below him while the Ghost King could do the same using his tooth necklace, and had the aid of pills. Once again, the battle was in a deadlock. In the middle, the Ghost King had tried using his poisoning techniques, but none of them had worked. This made him feel uneasy.

The Water Emperor had on him stashes of strong antidotes. Even though the antidote pills were small, they were extremely effective. Additionally, he had the Area Dominance shield that Qing Shui had cast on him. This had rendered the Ghost King's poisons useless.