"Good, refreshing!" Dongfang Bai nodded and leaped onto the arena.
Everyone's eyes fixed on the two of them. This was perhaps the most heavyweight clash of the Sect Internal Competition—whoever won would be the champion among the Inner Disciples. Every Sect Internal Competition drew the greatest attention. Though there would still be matches among the Outer Gate Disciples afterward, their overall strength lagged more than a single stage behind that of the Inner Disciples. After watching the Inner Disciples' matches, few people had any desire to watch the Outer Gate Disciples. The various elders and hall masters watching from the platform would also leave one after another, with only a few elders in charge of Outer Gate affairs remaining. It was always like this.
"Then I won't hold back!" Dongfang Bai flicked his longsword in a flourish and pointed it at Ye Xiwen. "Draw your blade!"
Dongfang Bai was renowned among the Inner Disciples for his swordsmanship. His cultivation was even more impressive, having reached the Houtian Seventh Stage Peak. He could step into the Houtian Eighth Stage at any time.
This generation's Inner Gate Five Great Disciples could be called an exceptionally formidable generation among the Inner Disciples. The Yi Yuan Sect stipulated that one qualified to become a Core Disciple upon reaching the Houtian Fifth Stage. The Houtian Seventh Stage was not weak even among Core Disciples, the Houtian Eighth Stage made one a powerhouse among them, and the Ninth Stage meant one was absolutely among the peak experts of the Core Disciples.
Ye Xiwen finally drew his long blade. The surrounding disciples watching widened their eyes. This was the second time Ye Xiwen had drawn his blade before them. The first time, he had faced Hall Master Wang Jian of the Punishment Hall, a Xiantian expert, and had been utterly suppressed. Now, perhaps, they would finally get to see his true capabilities. Before this, everyone had been defeated by his palm techniques.
"Careful!" Dongfang Bai gave a low shout. His longsword danced out a sharp flash of sword light, instantly stabbing toward Ye Xiwen. It was incredibly fast, sword light filling the sky—yet only one streak was the true killing move, hidden amid the boundless sword light.
Ye Xiwen slashed out with New Moon Slash. The blade came down in a straight, unyielding stroke, seeing through the killing move at a glance and heading directly for it.
Boom! Ye Xiwen's blade knocked aside Dongfang Bai's sword tip, the tremendous force making the air erupt with a sharp blast.
The two struck with extreme speed. Dongfang Bai's swordsmanship followed a nimble, swift path—only speed was unbreakable. Ye Xiwen's Cold Moon Slash likewise excelled in speed; otherwise, how could he slash out nine blade shadows in a single stroke? Moreover, Ye Xiwen had fused part of Thunderclap Hand's profound essence into his blade techniques, pushing his saber speed to the absolute limit.
Only after their weapons had swung apart did the spectators below manage to see their movements.
Elsewhere, Zhang Xiang, one of the Inner Gate Five Great Disciples, watched the two fighting with an ugly expression. He had fought Ye Xiwen before and had originally believed Ye Xiwen had already gone all out. Yet that had not been the case at all. Clearly, compared with his palm techniques, Ye Xiwen's blade techniques were far more formidable. This was his true strength.
As a Houtian Seventh Stage Peak cultivator, Dongfang Bai possessed enormous strength, nearly breaking through to the strength of twenty tigers. Though he followed the path of speed, an ordinary Houtian Seventh Stage expert would be sent flying by the force of a single slash from him.
Yet although Ye Xiwen was only at the Houtian Sixth Stage Peak, his strength was not inferior in the slightest. His long blade did not pause at all. The second slash followed immediately, still swift as lightning and cold as the moon, giving Dongfang Bai no chance to catch his breath. Ye Xiwen had long since cultivated New Moon Slash to great mastery. When he attacked, it flowed as naturally as clouds and running water, every move linked seamlessly to the next without the slightest flaw.
Dongfang Bai had not expected Ye Xiwen's moves to contain no pause at all, nor that his blade technique would be honed to such a level. Clearly, though Dongfang Bai's realm was higher than Ye Xiwen's, his understanding of swordsmanship was far beneath Ye Xiwen's understanding of blade techniques.
He was only in his teens. How could he possibly comprehend them to such a degree?
He would never know the secret of Ye Xiwen's special space!
But at this moment, he had no spare time to ponder the reason. Ye Xiwen's blade had already come crashing down.
Dongfang Bai could only thrust out his sword. The blow was powerful and heavy, breaking Ye Xiwen's slash. Yet though he had broken that strike, the initiative in the battle had passed from Dongfang Bai's hands into Ye Xiwen's.
Ye Xiwen pressed his advantage without mercy. The long blade in his hand swept out like lightning, and three blade shadows instantly appeared in the sky, slashing down at Dongfang Bai.
Dongfang Bai could only defend passively, feeling so stifled he was ready to explode. If it had been an ordinary Houtian Sixth Stage Peak martial artist, they likely could not have blocked even three of his sword strikes. Even against a typical Houtian Seventh Stage Peak expert, Dongfang Bai was confident of victory. But Ye Xiwen was simply a freak. In terms of speed, with all his various advantages, Ye Xiwen was not inferior to him at all. In fact, Ye Xiwen, using a high-level technique like Heavenly Immortal Steps, was several degrees faster than Dongfang Bai. In terms of strength, Ye Xiwen was even more monstrous. Because he had constantly drunk Monkey Wine, his strength had grown rapidly and was no weaker than Dongfang Bai's. Even in the density of true qi, Ye Xiwen, transformed by the mysterious ball of light, still held the edge over Dongfang Bai.
In every aspect, Ye Xiwen was no worse than Dongfang Bai, and in many aspects he even surpassed him. Thus, from the very beginning, Dongfang Bai had fallen into a disadvantage and was being relentlessly pressed by Ye Xiwen.
Everyone was stunned. They all knew Ye Xiwen was strong, but none of them had imagined he would be strong to this extent.
Who was Dongfang Bai? The foremost of the Inner Gate Five Great Disciples. Among this generation of Inner Disciples, there was no one who could rival him. Long ago, he had records of fighting Core Disciples without defeat. Yet now, Ye Xiwen had actually forced him into a disadvantage. In their eyes, this was simply an unbelievable miracle.
The elders seated above watched the two fighters with some surprise. It was not that the level of their battle was enough to astonish these Xiantian elders, but rather that Ye Xiwen was far too unexpected.
Dongfang Bai was a genius disciple of the Inner Gate whom they all thought highly of. With his talent, he would soon rise among the Core Disciples and take the places of several current Core Disciple experts after they departed. One could imagine just how great their expectations for him were.
Yet unexpectedly, after the clash began, he had been forced back by Ye Xiwen. Though he had yet to reveal signs of defeat, if Ye Xiwen continued to seize the initiative like this, then unless Ye Xiwen's true qi ran dry, Dongfang Bai's defeat was only a matter of time.
This dark horse was a little too dark!
To one side, Ye Kongming watched Ye Xiwen's outstanding performance, grinning so broadly that his mouth could hardly close. There was nothing he could criticize about Ye Xiwen's performance.
Dongfang Bai naturally understood that if this continued, defeat was only a matter of time. Wait for Ye Xiwen's true qi to run dry? How could that be possible? Judging by Ye Xiwen's rosy complexion, he was clearly in even better shape than Dongfang Bai himself.
He could only take a risk and gamble everything on one move!
Dongfang Bai let out a clear howl and swung his sword. A streak of silver sword light blotted out the sky, vast and mighty like the Milky Way cascading down from the Ninth Heaven. One move would decide victory or defeat.
Ye Xiwen also gave a long roar and slashed out. Nine blade shadows immediately appeared in the sky, and faintly, a crescent moon seemed to be carved forth. The technique's profound essence was fully revealed.
Boom! A terrifying blast wave swept out from the arena, and the massive platform was directly crushed down.
As the dust cleared, Dongfang Bai's clothes were somewhat torn and his appearance rather disheveled. Ye Xiwen held his long blade across Dongfang Bai's shoulder.
Victory and defeat had been decided!
Champion...
Ye Xiwen!
There would be a fourth update at midnight!
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