After her power-up, it was pretty much a beat-down. She didn't utilize her gentle ending palm as it could cause fatal harm to Horo; instead, she used a more basic palm technique while delivering devastating blows to Horo.
He couldn't keep up with her speed at all now that she merged with her pure cloud, and all technique related to her pure cloud received a tremendous boost as well.
He was constantly tossed across the stage by the blows that landed on him, even as he tried his best to defend.
Xiang Hi was surprised to see the unyielding will in his eyes. She wondered why he didn't just throw in the towel since it was a simple spar.
She thought, "He's taking this too seriously."
She didn't know this was due to something from his life as a cultivator. He had a special, one-of-a-kind intent, named the unyielding intent. Even though he didn't inherit the intent in this life, he still had traces of it due to it being directly related to his will.
This intent influenced him deeply, so much so that he would rather break than bend. The only way for this spar to end is for her to concede or for the elders to end it.
Horo himself didn't even know that the lingering effect from that intent in his previous life was acting as a seed for it to be reborn, or even to birth something different and possibly more special.
Even though Horo had all of the memories from all of his lives, he couldn't just think of them on the spot. It was more like a giant library with all of the books and files was formed in his soul, and only a sense of déjà vu could easily bring certain memories to the forefront of his mind. Alma could also mention certain memories to him as well due to her having complete access to everything in his mind. But neither was needed at the moment because the feeling wasn't strong enough; he just fought as if he was the type to not give up in general.
Plus, he didn't feel too much disadvantaged since he had plenty of skills at his disposal that he has yet to showcase.
Suddenly she disappeared, and when she reappeared she was directly in front of him sending a kick that knocked him into the sky extremely fast.
She knew he would have to come back down since no one below the legend stage could fly without special means, and she would end the fight when he was delivered to her by gravity.
But that moment would never come, and two things struck her instead. The first was immediate shock because Horo had came to a sudden complete halt while facing downward with his left hand outstretched.
Next she was bombarded by silent, but devastating bright lightning.
Everyone was extremely shocked to see Horo resisting gravity. He was only an expert stager, and he wasn't utilizing any special technique like wings or footholds.
They didn't know that his true golden core acted as a personal singularity giving him the ability to resist gravity and even fly.
As Xiang Hi was being drowned in lightning Horo's tattoos begin to glow as he activated one of his ultimate abilities for the first time. He figured he should be able to handle this ability as long as he didn't go all out, since it was a part of his body and soul.
Just as he was about to shoot down like a meteor Xiang Hi appeared behind him and struck him so hard, he crashed into the ground in nearly an instant.
She had used her true cloud to switch spots to end up in his backside while he was in the air where she couldn't reach normally.
She fell gracefully from the air and landed softly on the ground.
As the dust cleared to reveal a crater, everyone saw Horo returning to his feet slowly while his fractured armor was falling off of his body piece by piece.
As he did elder May whispered softly but every one heard it somehow, "That's my boy, hehe."
Xiang Hi shook her head and said, "It's just a simple spar you know that right? I'm sure you've proven yourself to everyone already."
Horo's white robe with dark letters fluttered in the wind as his body release a ridiculous pressure, if one was paying attention closely they would have noticed a golden glint flash in his eyes for an instant. The pressure he released cleared the stage of dust immediately.
His tattoos began to glow was again and this time everyone could feel it, whatever it was. It was like a dark beast that devoured stars was staring them dead in the eye.
Xiang Hi nearly flinched from what she felt. Since she was directly in front of him it was as if the beast was breathing down her neck.
Horo cracked his neck before saying, "That's right, it is just a spar, but I just remembered something. I am the one who shall never yield."
Horo saw a notification immediately after saying those words.
"You are on the precipice of awakening the vestige of a one of a kind ?!*=!? from your past life."
Horo wasn't concerned with the notification or memory he just received.
Instead he raised his hand with two fingers pointed to the sky. His darkstar force left his tattoos and traveled up his fingers to create a two foot sword. The moment that happened another one of his ultimate abilities activated on its own.
"Passive effects of [Force User: Sword Saint] Activated"
"Aura of the Saint Unleashed"
"Sword Force Naturally permeates your body and sword"
He raised his arm high into the sky and when he did... everyone revered, everyone nearly kneeled.
As for Xiang Hi, she did kneel. What was reflected in her eyes was a humongous sword shadow with dark stars swimming within.