Body Refining Cultivators were mostly hulking, brawny figures with knotted muscles.
Yet Chen Heng's build was no different from that of an ordinary person. If one had to point out a distinguishing feature—
It was that he looked exceptionally nimble and agile, like an ape in the mountains.
And that was perfectly normal.
Thus, not only had Luo Yuyan in the arena failed to identify it at first glance.
Even the cultivators outside the arena, such as the Chen Family members, had not immediately realized it.
It was only when Great Elder Chen Xingzhou slapped his bald head that he suddenly recalled, "It should be the Fiery Eyes Water Ape Transformation."
Although cultivating this technique increased one's strength, its greater benefit was enhancing a cultivator's agility.
Unfortunately, this technique was incomplete.
With that thought, Chen Xingzhou, who rarely smiled or spoke lightly, offered rare praise. "I never expected Youngster Heng to cultivate it to such a level."
"It seems I underestimated you, Daoist Brother!"
Luo Yuyan paid no heed to the murmuring discussion outside. She glanced at Chen Heng, her lips curling into a confident smile.
Then she said, "So be it. I won't play with you any longer, Daoist Brother. I shall use my Leaf in the Wind to send you on your way."
Before her words had faded, she stepped forward, lowered her stance, held her sword in one hand, and pointed its tip at Chen Heng.
Her other slender jade hand gently stroked the blade before she curled a finger and lightly flicked its clear, water-bright spine.
The sword tip immediately trembled, stirring the airflow around her. The blade swayed like a willow hanging in the wind.
Her movements appeared loose and casual, yet she had condensed Wind Spirit Power upon the sword's edge.
She transformed Sword Qi into a pure breeze, gathered the force of the wind into sword radiance, and concealed murderous intent within graceful, nimble elegance.
A moment later, sword qi filled the sky before compressing into a pale green wind blade, shaped like a slender willow branch.
Luo Yuyan lowered her eyes and murmured, "Extreme of Wind, Willow-Flicking Shadow Pierce!"
She suddenly thrust her sword forward. The pale green sword radiance pierced through the wind like a shadow slipping through a crack, streaking toward Chen Heng.
Where the sword radiance passed, it was like willow threads brushing through narrow gaps, its trajectory impossible to grasp.
Seeing this, within the Luo Family cultivators' encampment, the Palace-Gowned Beauty Luo Rushuang's lovely eyes shifted toward the Luo Family's Great Elder, Luo Ruhai.
She gave a faint smile. "Niece Yuyan truly possesses outstanding talent. I never expected her to have already mastered the most difficult-to-evade killing move in the Wind Origin Sword Canon."
"Even if that little brat of the Chen Family dies beneath Yuyan's spell, he will have died where he belonged."
Luo Ruhai, standing with his hands behind his back, replied blandly, "If not for the truly bizarre technique cultivated by Chen Xingyuan of the Chen Family, Yan'er would not even have needed to act. The Luo Family could have won this contest."
"Elder Brother is absolutely right!"
The Luo Family cultivators all believed that once Luo Yuyan successfully unleashed this technique, victory was already securely in hand.
They now even had the leisure to offer commentary.
Naturally, Chen Heng would not wait helplessly for death. He leaped into the air and raised the Water-Fire Cudgel high with both hands.
As he swung it, water and fire followed.
The surrounding water and fire spiritual qi gathered like whirlpools.
Chen Heng shouted in a low voice, "Water-Fire Soaring Heavens!"
He then struck toward Luo Yuyan, and a heaven-reaching staff force instantly shot forth.
At the same time, he drew upon the qi of water and fire, making them clash briefly.
In the blink of an eye, vast water vapor first billowed from the heaven-reaching staff force, followed by an explosive burst of fiery power within.
As water and fire collided, the heaven-reaching staff force instantly erupted with a violent impact.
Judging from its sheer might alone, it was already no weaker than many First-Order Top-Grade Spells.
This was the Water Fire Heaven-Reaching Staff Technique cultivated to the major mastery realm, revealing traces of heaven-and-earth might.
In that flash of lightning and spark of flint—
The willow-like, gale-swift sword radiance unleashed by Luo Yuyan silently bypassed Chen Heng's heaven-reaching staff force.
It struck Chen Heng directly, even as he crossed his arms before his chest.
His entire body flew backward in an instant like a kite with its string cut.
On the other side—
Luo Yuyan did not fare well either. Though her nimble, graceful form, like a leaf in the wind—
Allowed her to evade the heaven-reaching staff force's direct blow, she was injured by the violent shockwave generated from the water and fire qi it carried.
A crack several zhang long and wide was left in the ground as well.
Yet she did not halt her attack. Instead, she heavily stamped down with the tip of her foot.
Her figure flashed as she charged at the backward-flying Chen Heng with sword in hand.
Luo Yuyan intended to take this chance to kill Chen Heng completely!
In her eyes, Chen Heng posed a far greater threat than Chen Mingyun, that Foundation Establishment Seed!
At that moment—
Chen Heng could not even hold onto the unremarkable Water-Fire Cudgel in his hand. It had already slipped from his grasp and fallen to the ground first.
It seemed his defeat and death were already set in stone.
Quite a few cultivators outside the arena even began raising their arms and cheering.
Most of them had wagered on the Luo Family's victory. Of course, a small number simply felt that Luo Yuyan's victory had been splendid.
They were absolutely not coveting her beauty.
Within the Chen Family encampment, Chen Xingzhou and Chen Xinshen had originally seen Chen Heng raise both the Fiery Eyes Water Ape Transformation and the Water Fire Heaven-Reaching Staff Technique to remarkably profound realms.
They had thought he possessed the strength to battle Luo Yuyan, that favored daughter of heaven.
Yet the situation suddenly plunged downhill, and Chen Heng's forces collapsed like mountains in an instant.
Their expressions immediately turned from joy to worry.
Even Chen Xingyuan, whose face had been as still as an ancient well, looked quite grim.
He was merely emotionally steady; that did not mean he was indifferent to all matters.
Old servant Chen Fu had been tending to Chen Mingyun's severed arm. When he looked up, he saw the backward-flying Chen Heng being rapidly caught by Luo Yuyan, who was rushing after him with her sword.
Just as Chen Heng was about to be beheaded by a single stroke—
A sudden change erupted in the arena!
Golden light flashed across Chen Heng's body as he flew backward. His figure suddenly halted in a strange manner, and he lifted two fingers in a sword gesture.
The Water-Fire Cudgel that had slipped from his hand, been ignored by all, and long since fallen to the ground—
Suddenly twitched.
A three-foot-long Mysterious Iron Dagger, thin as a cicada's wing and glinting with concealed cold light, shot explosively from the cudgel's head.
"Blade-Hiding Staff!?" Luo Ruhai cried out in alarm.
The Mysterious Iron Dagger met Luo Yuyan head-on just as her center was completely exposed, her guard entirely absent, and she was preparing to swing her sword down upon Chen Heng.
"Not good!"
Seeing the situation turn dire, Luo Ruhai's face filled with astonishment. His figure moved, turning into a streak of golden light as he sought to enter the arena and save Luo Yuyan.
But he was one step too late.
The Mysterious Iron Dagger, controlled by Chen Heng using nothing more than a simple Object Manipulation Technique, flashed like lightning and plunged directly into Luo Yuyan's heart.
Luo Ruhai's heart turned cold, followed at once by towering fury!
The Luo Family's favored daughter of heaven had actually died like this at the hands of an obscure, utterly ordinary junior.
Before the disbelieving gazes of several thousand watching cultivators, Luo Yuyan spat out a mouthful of blood and fell straight down.
Her sword, which had been no more than an inch away from Chen Heng's neck, also slipped from her hand and crashed to the ground.
The cultivators watching throughout the arena heard only two thuds ringing beside their ears!
And all of this had happened within only a few short breaths.
A moment ago, Chen Heng had revealed every sign of defeat; his loss was certain, and the marks of death had already shown themselves.
The next moment, Luo Yuyan, who had held the upper hand, was instantly defeated and died on the spot!
Such an absurd turn from defeat into victory was truly beyond everyone's expectations.
Chen Heng spun gracefully and landed on his feet, no longer displaying any of his earlier wretchedness. Clearly, the appearance of him being thrown away without control had been false.
With a wave of his hand, the Water-Fire Cudgel on the ground and the Mysterious Iron Dagger embedded in Luo Yuyan's heart both returned.
He spoke calmly. "Hah... it seems I was fortunate enough to win this contest."
His unhurried words spread in every direction, only then bringing everyone back to their senses.
"Niece Yuyan!"
The Palace-Gowned Beauty Luo Rushuang rushed into the arena and gathered Luo Yuyan into her arms. Disbelief and terror still lingered on Luo Yuyan's face, while Luo Rushuang's phoenix eyes glared at Chen Heng, killing intent overflowing from them.
Chen Heng paid her no mind. He merely gave her a slight smile before looking toward Steward Li of the Azure Profound Sect, seated high in the pavilion.
Steward Li should have been the one to announce the victor of this contest.
"Eh!?"
However, Steward Li let out a strange cry of surprise.
Chen Heng followed his gaze toward Luo Yuyan, whose white dress in Luo Rushuang's arms had been dyed red.
Then, another sudden change erupted!
Luo Yuyan, who should have been dead, suddenly coughed violently and actually came back to life!
Chen Heng froze, his eyes widening at once as disbelief filled his face.
He immediately understood and exclaimed in shock, "A Death Substitution Charm Doll? How can she use such a rare treasure? Isn't that cheating?"
As soon as he spoke, the watching crowd instantly understood.
Luo Yuyan had actually used a Death Substitution Charm Doll, a secret treasure of unknown origin whose inheritance had long been lost, to escape calamity!
Could the situation still reverse once more!?
Before you continue