Quarter-Final Battle

On the screen, the matchups for the top four were finally finalized under the watchful eyes of the crowd:

[First Half: Lin Feng (Jiangnan City) vs. Zhao Feng (Jiangnan City)]

[Second Half: Qin Wushuang (Beichen Affiliated Middle School) vs. Lie Fentian (Lieyang Martial High)]

Upon seeing this result, the atmosphere in the entire Starfall Arena instantly exploded!

Especially the matchup in the first half, which drew the attention of almost everyone!

A civil war within Jiangnan City!

Two geniuses, both from Jiangnan City, both astonishingly talented, and both aiming for the championship, were meeting in the semifinals ahead of schedule!

"Lin Feng! Zhao Feng! Oh my god, they're going to face each other!"

"This is a true battle of dragons! Even more anticipated than the finals!"

"Who do you think will win? Lin Feng's Wind and Thunder power is mysterious and unpredictable, while Zhao Feng's Sword Intent is unstoppable!"

"I'm rooting for Zhao Feng! His sword is too pure!"

"I think Lin Feng has a better chance. His methods are endless!"

The roaring crowd almost threatened to overturn the dome.

Whether they supported Lin Feng or Zhao Feng, the spectators were all incredibly excited, anticipating this peak duel that was destined to be etched into the history of Jiangnan Province's Martial Arts Examination.

In the resting area, Lin Feng and Zhao Feng rose almost simultaneously.

Their gazes met in mid-air. There were no words, only pure fighting spirit burning and colliding.

From the mock exams in Jiangnan City to the Myriad Phenomena Battlefield of the provincial trials, they had been rivals, yet there was also a subtle sense of mutual admiration between them.

And now, all those emotions would be transformed into the strongest power in their hands, to determine the true victor on this highest stage!

They walked side-by-side towards the first arena, their steps steady, their auras contained, yet they were like two divine weapons about to be unsheathed, their sharpness held back but already making the surrounding air congeal.

Stepping onto the stage, they stood facing each other.

Zhao Feng slowly drew the ancient sword from his back. The blade was like a pool of autumn water, clear and cold, reflecting his equally cold eyes.

His aura seemed to merge with the sword in his hand, his entire being transforming into a sharp sword aiming to pierce the heavens.

"Lin Feng, I've been looking forward to this battle for a long time," Zhao Feng said, his voice carrying a metallic quality.

"Please fight with all your might, do not hold back."

Lin Feng nodded slightly. Purple-black Wind and Thunder True Qi began to flow quietly around him. Lightning flickered in his left eye, and starlight rotated in his right. His aura was as deep as an abyss. "As you wish."

"Match--begin!" The referee's voice fell, and he quickly retreated to the edge of the stage, leaving the spotlight entirely to the two combatants.

Almost at the start, Zhao Feng moved!

He showed no hesitation, unleashing his full power from the first strike!

His body followed the sword, transforming into an incredibly brilliant, straight sword light that seemed capable of splitting light and darkness. In an instant, he crossed the distance between them, thrusting directly at Lin Feng's brow!

"Sky-Splitting Sword Intent!"

This sword strike was fast!

Ruthless!

Accurate!

It condensed his lifelong understanding of the Way of the Sword, focusing all his strength, will, and spirit onto the single point of the sword tip!

Before the sword even arrived, the terrifying Sword Intent that could tear apart everything and destroy all things descended, causing Lin Feng's brow to sting, as if his very soul were about to be cleaved by this strike!

Facing this earth-shattering sword strike, Lin Feng's eyes grew serious, and he dared not be the slightest bit careless.

He knew that any defense might be instantly pierced in the face of such an extreme attack!

"Wind-Thunder Flash!"

Purple-black lightning exploded beneath his feet. His body didn't retreat in a straight line but, like a willow catkin blown by a strong wind or a leaping bolt of lightning, he drifted backward at an extremely bizarre and unpredictable arc, narrowly dodging the sword's lock!

However, Zhao Feng's sword was like a shadow, following closely. The sword light shifted, like a bone-attaching maggot, locking onto Lin Feng once more and slashing horizontally!

Where the sword light passed, the specially made alloy floor of the arena was plowed into a deep gully by the sharp sword energy!

Lin Feng pushed the "Wind-Thunder Flash" movement technique to its extreme, leaving countless indistinguishable true and false afterimages on the stage, constantly evading the sword light that rained down like a storm.

He attempted to disrupt from a distance with "Electric Light Finger" several times, but before the finger winds could get close, they were shredded by the sharp Sword Intent!

Zhao Feng's sword was too fast, too sharp!

He displayed the essence of the Way of the Sword – "only speed is unbreakable, only offense is not defense" – to its fullest, completely suppressing Lin Feng, leaving him no opportunity to counterattack for a time!

"Lin Feng is being suppressed!"

"Zhao Feng's sword is too terrifying! There's no way to block it!"

"It looks like it still comes down to the ultimate offense of sword cultivators!"

The audience watched, their hearts pounding, filled with tension.

A prolonged defense is bound to fail!

A flash of sword light streaked past, slicing open the fabric on Lin Feng's chest. A shallow white mark appeared on his skin. If not for his formidable physique, he would have been injured!

"I can't keep dodging forever!" A fierce glint flashed in Lin Feng's eyes. He knew he had to break free from this passive situation.

Just as Zhao Feng thrust his sword again, his old strength waning and new strength about to emerge—

Lin Feng abruptly stopped his retreat, his feet planting firmly on the ground as if rooted. The Wind and Thunder True Qi around his body converged towards his fists with unprecedented speed!

He didn't choose to defend; instead, he opted for the most ferocious and direct confrontation!

"Wind-Thunder Strike: Twin Dragons!"

He unleashed both fists, striking left and right!

Two colossal energy dragons, formed entirely from solidified Wind and Thunder power, let out deafening roars. Carrying an aura of utter destruction, they charged, one to the left and one to the right, crashing headlong into the brilliant Sky-Splitting sword light!

"RUMBLE--!!!"

The sword light and the twin dragons collided head-on!

An energy storm erupted, more terrifying than any previous clash!

The blinding light instantly blinded countless onlookers. The rampaging shockwave slammed into the energy barrier surrounding the arena, causing it to fluctuate violently and emit a groaning sound under the immense strain!

A stalemate! A terrifying stalemate!

The sword light was sharp, attempting to tear apart the twin dragons!

The twin dragons were ferocious, attempting to devour the sword light!

Two ultimate forces clashed and annihilated each other in the center of the arena!

Zhao Feng's face turned red, veins bulging on his sword-wielding arm as he pushed his Sword Intent to its limit. Lin Feng also broke out in a sweat, his internal Wind and Thunder True Qi pouring out madly.

"Break... for me!"

Zhao Feng let out a long roar, the sword light suddenly intensifying by another third. He actually managed to cleave the left Wind and Thunder dragon in two!

However, the moment he split the left dragon, the right Wind and Thunder dragon seized the fleeting opportunity, coiling around the sword light and slamming its massive head into its side!

"CLANG--!"

A resounding clang, like a great bell!

Zhao Feng's entire body trembled violently. He felt an irresistible, immense force travel along the sword, his tiger's mouth splitting open and blood streaming down. The ancient sword nearly slipped from his grasp!

He was sent staggering backward by this colossal force. With every step he took, he left a deep footprint on the arena floor, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

Lin Feng was also repelled by the exploding Sword Intent, his Blood Essence churning. He retreated several steps before steadying himself, his face slightly pale.

In their first direct clash, both fighters ended up mutually injured!

The entire venue fell silent, everyone stunned into speechlessness by the earth-shattering duel.

Zhao Feng wiped the blood from his lips, looking at the ancient sword humming in his hand, then at Lin Feng, whose aura remained powerful across the arena. Instead of defeat, his eyes burned with even fiercer fighting spirit.

"Excellent! Lin Feng, you are worthy of my final sword!"

Zhao Feng's voice carried a sense of finality. He slowly raised the ancient sword to his brow, his entire aura becoming incredibly ethereal, as if he had merged with the sword in his hand and this very world.

A Sword Intent far more terrifying and purer than before began to condense around him!

It was the ultimate sword, where nothing existed beyond the sword itself!

Lin Feng's gaze was incredibly solemn; he could feel the terrifying power of this sword.

He took a deep breath. The lightning and starlight in his left and right eyes began to rotate and converge at an unprecedented speed, as if about to merge into one!

The Wind and Thunder True Qi around his body stopped radiating outward and instead compressed inward frantically, converging onto his right fist. That fist seemed to transform into a black hole, devouring all light, with only an aura of destruction pervading it!

The final confrontation was about to erupt!