Three-Star Artifact: Blade of Blockade

Severely wounded, Zhuge Xiang didn't even take a Healing Pill to treat his injuries. Instead, he seized the time to gather Qi and unleash Blood Thunder Slash. Although skills that require Qi accumulation in battle—especially in duels—aren't very practical, there's no doubt that such skills boast exceptional attack power.

Two breaths. Normally, with Ji Wuxue's decisiveness, Zhuge Xiang wouldn't have succeeded in gathering Qi; he would have fallen just short. As the saying goes, a miss is as good as a mile. But at this critical moment, the Frost Headband's function turned the impossible into the possible for Zhuge Xiang...

The Frost Headband's effect activated, visible to the naked eye. Ji Wuxue's speed suddenly dropped by twenty percent. Although to most onlookers, Ji Wuxue still seemed fast, for a few elite disciples like Lu Yuling, they clearly sensed the impact on his speed.

At this crucial juncture, why did Ji Wuxue's speed decrease? Many elite disciples narrowed their eyes. Would Ji Wuxue deliberately go easy? Obviously not; otherwise, the sword that pierced through Zhuge Xiang's chest wouldn't have been so ruthless. The conclusion was clear: Zhuge Xiang possessed some incomprehensible means that affected Ji Wuxue's speed.

"So he still has a trump card?" A flicker of unusual light flashed in Lu Yuling's eyes, her expression one of "I knew it."

Though severely wounded, seeing Ji Wuxue's speed drop and Zhuge Xiang's Blood Thunder Slash already launched, Lu Yuling knew the outcome was decided. Zhuge Xiang's rise was unstoppable, a battle that would make his name...

Blood Thunder Slash, carrying rolling Blade Intent, pressed down on Ji Wuxue like Mount Tai Crushes Down. Ji Wuxue's speed was affected, dropping by twenty percent, while Zhuge Xiang, with Bloodthirsty Technique boosting his speed by fifty percent and Artifact Boots adding another thirty percent, had nearly double the speed. With this shift in momentum, coupled with Blood Thunder Slash's terrifying attack power, Ji Wuxue, under Zhuge Xiang's explosive assault, was like a rabbit facing a rampaging lion at full force.

Blood Thunder Slash roared with the sound of wind and thunder. Crimson Qi Energy infused the Blood Refinement Saber, causing ghostly faces to coalesce on its surface—some ferocious, some agonized, some manic...

Ji Wuxue's expression was one of sheer terror, clearly shaken by Zhuge Xiang's strike. From the start of the competition until now, Zhuge Xiang had never used Blood Thunder Slash. Ji Wuxue hadn't expected that Zhuge Xiang had not only mastered Bloodthirsty Technique to the Proficient Level but also cultivated Blood Thunder Slash, the most powerful offensive Martial Art.

Though he hastily used his sword to block Zhuge Xiang's attack, how could Blood Thunder Slash, which gathered all of Zhuge Xiang's conviction and staked everything, be so easily stopped?

The Black Longsword, though also a One-Star Artifact, couldn't withstand Zhuge Xiang's Blood Thunder Slash. With a mournful cry, a deep and long sword scar appeared on the black blade. Breaking through like a splitting bamboo, Zhuge Xiang's strike slammed heavily into Ji Wuxue's chest.

Though blocked by the Black Longsword and not cutting in, the impact of Blood Thunder Slash sent Ji Wuxue flying with a scream. The crisp sound of breaking bones rang out; clearly, several ribs in his chest were shattered by Zhuge Xiang's strike. A mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out as Ji Wuxue flew backward, tracing a tragic parabola in the air...

His internal organs were shaken, and several ribs were broken. Lying on the ground, Ji Wuxue clearly had no strength left to fight. Not waiting for Zhuge Xiang to deliver a killing blow, Ji Wuxue, enduring his injuries, hurriedly shouted, "I concede!"

Whoosh!!!

The crimson Blood Refinement Saber stopped right before Ji Wuxue's forehead, not cutting down. In the Demonic Sect of Asura Sect, duels were always life-and-death struggles. Having nearly died under Ji Wuxue's sword moments ago, Zhuge Xiang naturally wouldn't hold back. However, since Ji Wuxue had already conceded, there was no need for Zhuge Xiang to kill him.

Looking at the Blood Refinement Saber hovering before his forehead, feeling the fierce and chilling saber Qi, Ji Wuxue's heart trembled, and he was also grateful that he had been decisive in conceding; otherwise, he would now be headless.

Sheathing his Blood Refinement Saber and carrying it on his back, Zhuge Xiang deactivated Bloodthirsty Technique. A wave of weakness washed over him as he turned and walked away. He admired Ji Wuxue's decisiveness.

Though this battle seemed perilous and full of twists, from the two exchanging probing moves to the three-strike agreement, the actual time spent, including activating Bloodthirsty Technique, was only about seven or eight breaths.

Although the aftereffects of Bloodthirsty Technique left Zhuge Xiang feeling weak, with a short rest, he figured he could recover seventy to eighty percent of his combat power.

The duel ended. The host stepped up and announced Zhuge Xiang's victory, while staff quickly carried Ji Wuxue off for treatment. Though defeated, Ji Wuxue's sharp sword techniques lived up to his reputation as a genius. The Asura Sect naturally valued such talent.

"Ding! Defeated Ji Wuxue of Qi Cultivation Realm Third Layer, exceeding your level. Gained 150 EXP. Obtained Blade of Blockade."

As Ji Wuxue conceded, the system notification arrived as promised. 150 EXP? That was quite satisfying for Zhuge Xiang.

Back when he fought the Fox Demon, equivalent to Qi Cultivation Realm Third Layer, he got over 130 EXP. At that time, Zhuge Xiang was only at Qi Cultivation Realm First Layer, two levels below, but Lu Yuling had helped. This time, he defeated his opponent alone, so getting a bit more EXP was only natural.

Stepping down from the Duel Platform, Zhuge Xiang looked down. A black dagger appeared in his palm, about five inches long, entirely black, seemingly neither metal nor something else. Its streamlined shape gave it an unusual beauty, and it felt very comfortable in his hand.

Blade of Blockade (Three-Star Artifact): Attack 2-5. Unique Active: Can block any single-target attack from a Refining Essence to Qi Stage cultivator. Cooldown: 1 day.

Seeing it was a Three-Star Artifact, Zhuge Xiang gasped. A One-Star Artifact like the Blood Refinement Saber and Frost Headband were already this powerful. A Three-Star Artifact? Wasn't this making him overpowered?

But seeing the pitifully low attack stat, Zhuge Xiang felt disappointed. However, when he saw the Blade of Blockade's active effect, he got excited again.

Can block any single-target attack from a Refining Essence to Qi Stage cultivator? This effect was truly formidable. The Refining Essence to Qi Stage included not just Qi Cultivation Realm but also Body Tempering Realm, Meridian Opening Realm, and even the final Return to Simplicity Realm. Any single-target attack could be blocked? Though it didn't boost Zhuge Xiang's combat ability, this Blade of Blockade greatly increased his survivability.

If not for the long cooldown and the limitation to single-target attacks, this Blade of Blockade would likely be at least a Four- or Five-Star quality.

Though it didn't add much to his combat power, this Blade of Blockade was worthy of its Three-Star quality. Suddenly obtaining such a Three-Star Artifact made Zhuge Xiang very happy.

Walking off the stage, Niu Geng and Lu Yuling both congratulated Zhuge Xiang on his victory. As he passed, the disciples below the Duel Platform automatically parted, creating a path. This showed that his battle with Ji Wuxue had made these disciples fully recognize the strength of this dark horse. The strong are revered.

The crowd parted on their own, making way for him. This was treatment Zhuge Xiang had never imagined before. Undeniably, he liked this feeling. Why had he come to the Asura Sect? The goal was clear: to become someone above others.

Finding a relatively secluded spot where he could still see all the duel arenas, Zhuge Xiang sat down, circulating Qi Energy to treat his injuries and the weakness period. The sword that had pierced his chest earlier, though severe, had only cost him a little over 40 HP. With Blood Thunder Slash and the Blood Refinement Saber's 10% lifesteal effect, Zhuge Xiang had already recovered a small amount of HP.

He wasn't in a hurry to use the Healing Pill; that was a lifesaver for critical moments. He just applied some Golden Wound Medicine to stop the bleeding and waited for his next duel.

Though he had some injuries and the weakness aftereffect of Bloodthirsty Technique reduced all his stats by 15%, after defeating Ji Wuxue on this Duel Platform, there were no other disciples who could threaten Zhuge Xiang. With two or three more duels ahead, these disciples had become targets for his lifesteal to recover his injuries...

Overall, encountering Ji Wuxue early was a hundred benefits and no harm for Zhuge Xiang. Activating Bloodthirsty Technique early gave him enough buffer time for the weakness period, and he could use the Blood Refinement Saber's lifesteal to recover from injuries.

Otherwise, if he had faced Ji Wuxue in the final duel, the weakness period of Bloodthirsty Technique during the Top 32 competition would have been a significant hindrance, and he would have wasted the Healing Pill early. Indeed, using a Healing Pill that restores 100 HP when he had only lost a little over 30 HP would have been a waste...

The subsequent duels indeed had no one who could pose a major threat to Zhuge Xiang. With the Blood Refinement Saber, Frost Headband, and the reputation from his previous battle, the three disciples he faced were all at Qi Cultivation Realm Second Layer. Zhuge Xiang put in some effort, leaving them covered in saber wounds and unconscious. These three disciples were nearly hacked to death by Zhuge Xiang, their HP reduced to a mere ten or so points from over a hundred.

But the effect was significant. Harvesting a total of around 300 HP from the three disciples, the 10% lifesteal attribute nearly fully restored the 30-plus HP Zhuge Xiang had lost. The wound from the sword through his chest was almost completely healed. If he pulled open his clothes, only a scar from the sword wound remained.

With some close calls but no real danger, Zhuge Xiang successfully advanced, becoming one of the Top 32. The first-place winners from other Duel Platforms also emerged one after another...

Including Lu Yuling, the earliest batch of disciples from the Asura Sect who had comprehended Qi Energy five months ago were all formidable opponents for Zhuge Xiang. By the Top 32, there were no weak hands left.

However, Zhuge Xiang grew even more excited. Strong opponents meant high EXP. If he could keep breaking through like this, he believed he would soon advance to Qi Cultivation Realm Third Layer. By then, his confidence in securing first place would be even greater.