The legendary warrior

"Check it out, Grace. I think we know who the winner is," Connie claimed arrogantly, staring down at the field. Needless to say, the winner she referred to was her disciple, Wade. She then continued teasing, "I thought yours would at least have half a brain. Seems I was wrong. He's such a newbie."

Wade had enormous power, being at the seventh grade of Skin Refinement. Not only that, but there was his blade, imbued with the power of the winds. His command of all these energies was so powerful that not even a warrior at the ninth grade of Skin Refinement would dare to fight him. Such a challenger would be risking his life. Wade's energies were powerful enough to destroy anything—or anyone.

But Ricky dashed right into that bladestorm. Everyone thought he was suicidal.

"Shut your mouth and watch," Grace responded calmly. She would never show any worry or weakness around Connie.

In reality, she was worried, heart threatening to leap right out of her chest. She wondered what on earth Ricky thought he was doing. He was usually cool and calculating, but now he just seemed reckless. Did he want to die? How could he survive this attach? Grace was at the end of her wits.

"Humph!" Connie replied with a disdainful look and then turned her arrogant eyes to the battlefield, expecting this to be over any minute now. She decided not to gloat before it was over. After that, though, victory would taste sweet, and she would definitely lord it over Grace.

That would be vengeance for her son.

She wanted to see Ricky defeated for that.

"What the hell are you doing?" Wade asked in surprise. Most other warriors would close cautiously, hoping he would expend most of his power before they went toe to toe, or even jump aside. However, Ricky just rushed toward him with nothing but merely a sword in his hand.

"Swatting a fly," Ricky replied, turning his cold eyes to Wade.

Meanwhile, an evil smile found its way to his face.

There was a glint in Ricky's gaze. Wade noticed it, and it bugged him. However, that feeling fled quickly because Wade was super confident in himself. He did not believe that Ricky would be able to resist his ferocious attack.

Wade thought it a good idea to pump more and more spiritual energies into his blade just in case. He knew he had to defeat Ricky, and wanted to be prepared. He didn't know what his foe was doing, but he had to do his part of attacking. The air around them crackled with the awesome energies.

"Go to hell!" Wade roared with a mask of rage.

"Nine-degree Body Refining Formula - the First Degree!"

At the same time, Ricky focused his energies into a spiritual roar which boomed around the battle ring.

out from every pore of Ricky's body. Then they moved quickly and started to

both Ricky's black hair and his fair skin

Light red, though.

to Ricky. His flesh became as hard

Thump! Thump!

slashed towards Ricky's shoulders, intending to end the fight by dismembering him. However, the young man remained tactic, except that his clothes were slashed away,

no! How could this happen? That's impossible! No!!" screamed Wade. The man was astounded.

the ninth grade of Skin Refinement would have been taken down. How

pronounced with a cold voice,

blink of an eye, he waved his sword and three flames danced through

was Nonuple Flame Strike - the Third Strike!

was still in shock from what happened. He was lost in thought, and didn't notice Ricky's attacks until the three jets of flame reached him. But by then, it was too late. He was struck full in the chest. He had violated the cardinal rule

carried along the field from the force of the blow, causing a loud

silence from the crowd. Everyone was taken aback and their jaws

of an eye. Like Wade, no one thought it

sure that Ricky would be slain by Wade. Instead, he stood victorious.

a cultivation method like that. How could it make his body turn red like that? Weird! And his body—tough as iron? He even survived Wade's blade!" People

incredible!" one of the

technique!" other inner disciples also chimed in with him. They exchanged looks with each other with

greed in their covetous eyes. All of them were eager to learn Ricky's

helped Ricky resist a fierce attack from a warrior at the seventh grade of Skin Refinement by only using his body. That was just unfathomable and fair enough to prove it

no lower than the intermediate stage of Black Level," the Elder murmured to himself with intense

with his rich experience, he was better able to recognize the extraordinary nature of that cultivation method.

other hand, gasped in shock. She managed to remain as calm as she had been, but in her head

Nine-degree Body Refining Formula to Ricky earlier, and had never expected that Ricky might succeed in

this formula. She had never

was that he did it, within