The Might of the Broken Sword

"Dragon Slaying Sword Art, Second Form."

With a clear shout, Qi Xuanxuan was the first to slay a Blazing Bear wreathed in flames.

At this point, Qi Xuanxuan's spiritual energy was depleted by more than half, and her sword-wielding hand trembled slightly. She had also been struck by the Blazing Bear, leaving her injured.

Gao Cheng said, "This is the chain reaction. When Qi Xuanxuan first started, she used spiritual energy to protect her body, preventing the venomous snake's blood from touching her. So, by the time she realized her spiritual energy was too depleted, it was already too late."

Han Fei naturally understood. Just resisting that filthy blood had consumed nearly a quarter of his spiritual energy, meaning he only had a quarter left for actual combat.

"Xuanxuan is in trouble..."

Han Fei couldn't help but worry about Qi Xuanxuan.

At this time, the arena witnessed quite a few dramatic scenes; four people had already fallen in the second trial.

Gao Cheng burst into laughter, "Genius? Hah! As proud prodigies, their spiritual energy is so unstable. They probably didn't suppress their realm at all, just breaking through whenever they could. And you call them geniuses."

Gao Cheng wasn't wrong. This was also what Sect Master Qi Xiaotian worried about the most. To secure rankings, the peak masters would push their disciples to break through as much as possible, turning geniuses into fools.

The third and final trial. Only twelve people had reached this stage.

Out of nineteen participants, five had died, and two had withdrawn, rescued by the Hidden Guards.

Of course, upon seeing that the final trial involved facing a demonic beast of the same cultivation level, despair began to set in.

Qi Xuanxuan's opponent was a Frost Giant Ape, level twenty-one, equivalent to the first level of the Spirit Gathering Realm. It stood four to five meters tall, with thick, muscular arms, exuding immense power.

Bang! Before Qi Xuanxuan could even move, the Frost Giant Ape swiped, felling a giant tree.

Qi Xuanxuan quickly retreated to dodge. The Frost Giant Ape followed up, kicking the base of the tree.

The impact sent the tree flying, its other end hurtling towards Qi Xuanxuan.

Swish! The Azure Spirit Sword was raised to block, and the tree crashed against it.

The immense force sent Qi Xuanxuan flying backward, spitting out a mist of blood.

Han Fei's heart immediately tightened. Beside him, Gao Cheng clenched his right fist. Although he spoke dismissively, treating everyone equally, Qi Xuanxuan's life was different from others.

While no one had been killed in this round yet, many had voluntarily surrendered or withdrawn. Four of the twelve participants had already quit.

Of course, besides the four who couldn't continue, two had passed: Wang Xin from Digui Peak and Dai Wei from Jade God Peak. One was a master of ranged attacks, and the other, a master of control.

Their opponents, the demonic beasts, were miserable. Not only were their movements sluggish, but they could only passively take hits. Their large size became a disadvantage rather than an advantage.

The third person to pass the trial was a woman from Tongtian Peak, the only female to reach the third stage during the martial arts tournament.

Her name was Xue Tong. She was at the Eighth Level of the Innate Realm but came from a family specializing in formation arrays, possessing unique talent in that field. Of course, due to her lower cultivation, she faced a lower-level demonic beast. The third trial only required defeating a level eighteen demonic beast.

Meanwhile, Qi Xuanxuan was locked in a grueling battle, being dominated by the Frost Giant Ape with no chance to retaliate.

Out of nineteen participants, seven had now passed the assessment and gathered in the open space before the inner courtyard gate, leaving only Qi Xuanxuan behind.

However, her severe spiritual energy depletion made it nearly impossible for Qi Xuanxuan to defeat the Frost Giant Ape.

How could she fight a beast known for its freezing power and strength without spiritual energy? Let alone win.

Swish! With her last strike, Qi Xuanxuan poured all her remaining strength into the third form of the Dragon Slaying Sword Art, "Dragon Slayer." However, due to her insufficient spiritual energy, the sword energy's power was greatly diminished.

A large amount of frost formed on the Frost Giant Ape's chest. The Dragon Slaying Sword energy struck the ice, only managing to shatter the surface layer. The elegant sword technique, lacking follow-through, inflicted no substantial damage on the Frost Giant Ape.

Qi Xuanxuan gasped for air, utterly spent.

If Qi Xuanxuan hadn't wasted that two-and-a-half-tenths of her spiritual energy, this strike of the Dragon Slaying Sword Art would have been at full power, barely enough to kill the Frost Giant Ape before her. But she had no "if," no second chances.

At this moment, Han Fei took a deep breath and stepped towards the dense forest.

Gao Cheng frowned, "What are you doing?"

Han Fei turned his head slightly, "What else? Participating in the entrance trial."

Gao Cheng threatened, "If you go in to help her, you'll be facing two level twenty-one demonic beasts. You need to think carefully."

Han Fei's lips curved into a confident smile, "What if it's three?"

With that, Han Fei charged directly into the forest.

At the inner courtyard gate, whether it was Gao Cheng, the selected disciples, or the surrounding Hidden Guards, they all looked upon the seventeen-year-old youth with admiration.

Han Fei's voluntary participation in the trial meant he would face two level twenty-one demonic beasts. Furthermore, if he failed, he would lose his qualification as a core disciple of the sect. Such a choice was not something ordinary people could make.

Upon entering the forest, Han Fei moved straight ahead, quickly sensing the Frost Giant Ape's presence.

He placed his right hand on the hilt of the Broken Sword, a fierce glint in his eyes, and charged directly towards the source of the icy aura he felt.

Gao Cheng slightly turned his head and said to a Hidden Guard beside him, "Add two more level twenty-one demonic beasts to their area."

The Hidden Guard was taken aback. Gu Yue, Meng Qing, and the others were also stunned.

Meng Qing: "Senior Brother, there are only two of them. Isn't it too much to ask them to kill three? And Han Fei's cultivation is at the peak of the Eighth Level of the Innate Realm. Is it appropriate to add level twenty-one demonic beasts?"

Gao Cheng said coldly, "He's the one who wants to play the hero. Besides, can his cultivation be measured normally? He was first in the martial arts tournament. If he can't pass this trial, I have no reason to acknowledge him."

"Furthermore, he didn't pass the first and second trials. Adding one more demonic beast for him isn't excessive, is it? If any of you have objections, report it directly to the Elder Council or the Sect Master. Frankly, I haven't wanted this job for more than a day or two."

Everyone was speechless, scoffing at Gao Cheng's reasoning.

Gao Cheng moved his hands, and all the surrounding images slowly condensed like water droplets, forming a large screen five meters square. Inside was the situation in Qi Xuanxuan's area.

Qi Xuanxuan was forced to the base of a giant tree, and the Frost Giant Ape slowly approached. It raised its right hand and swung it at Qi Xuanxuan, showing no mercy.

The Hidden Guards, hiding in the shadows, were ready to spring into action, prepared to rescue Qi Xuanxuan at any moment.

But just then, a sword energy shot out from between the tree's branches, striking the palm of the Frost Giant Ape's descending hand.

Buzz! The sword energy erupted. With a bang, the Frost Giant Ape's entire right palm exploded, and the rampant sword energy enveloped its hand.

Meng Qing: "Such powerful sword energy."

Gu Yue: "The person hasn't arrived yet, but the sword energy has already come, and it's precise and unerring. It's even stronger than during the martial arts competition. How long has it been?"

At this moment, Han Fei, emitting a golden aura from his body, arrived. He protected Qi Xuanxuan behind him, looking at the Frost Giant Ape before him with disdain.

Qi Xuanxuan said weakly, "Why are you here?"

Han Fei: "Seeing you all having so much fun, my hands got itchy. I wanted to see if a level twenty-one demonic beast would give me any pressure."

Splat! As soon as Han Fei finished speaking, Qi Xuanxuan slumped onto his back. In her relaxed state, she actually fainted.

Seeing that the Frost Giant Ape had no intention of attacking for the moment, Han Fei turned around and slowly placed Qi Xuanxuan down at the base of the tree.

At this time, two more demonic beasts appeared in the open space from the sides.

Han Fei frowned: "Senior brother really thinks highly of me, bringing out three level twenty-one demonic beasts."

He slowly stood up, channeling spiritual energy madly into the Broken Sword. The Broken Sword, missing its tip, immediately emitted a dazzling golden light.

Han Fei whispered, "Annihilation..."

He pulled the golden-glowing Broken Sword back to his left waist, then swept it forward horizontally.

The three Frost Giant Apes charged at Han Fei simultaneously. However, in that instant, they were quickly engulfed by the golden light.

Boom! A cloud of dust erupted from the open space. Surrounding trees fell in large numbers. From above, the open space had expanded by several times.

The scene was obscured by thick smoke and dust, and Gao Cheng could not see what was happening inside.

As the smoke and dust slowly dispersed, Han Fei walked out of the dense forest, carrying the unconscious Qi Xuanxuan in his arms.

Everyone was stunned, including Gao Cheng. He hurriedly looked at the image on the screen.

At this moment, the smoke and dust gradually dissipated over the battlefield in the open space. However, in a huge fan-shaped area, trees were cut down on a large scale. Amidst the lush green leaves and branches, the bodies of three Frost Giant Apes, emitting steam, lay quietly.