Yi Yun vs. Tao Yunxiao

With two quarters of an hour remaining before the final match, the Tao Clan held a clan ceremony and prayer to bring out their Ancestral Artifact.

A cow was killed, and two shamans with cow blood totems smeared on their faces came out. They chanted incantations and danced among the crowd.

A shaman brought out the Ancestral Artifact Female Sword of the Tao Clan and baptized the sword with cow blood.

This is a necessary ritual for the Tao Clan to invoke Ancestral Artifact. In the Tao Clan, simply taking out Ancestral Artifact for martial arts practice and demonstration is nothing special, but when using Ancestral Artifact to kill Ancestral Artifact and draw blood, a ritual must be performed to worship the ancestral spirits within the Ancestral Artifact.

Strangely enough, when the Ancestral Artifact of the Tao Clan, the Female Sword, was immersed in a copper basin filled with cow blood, the blood quickly began to boil and churn, with bright red bubbles rising and bursting. In no time, the entire basin of blood dried up, as if the sword had absorbed all the blood!

"This sword... it's somewhat sinister..."

Yi Yun frowned slightly. Originally, Yi Yun thought that such a prayer ceremony was just superstition among the people of the Great Wilderness and was actually useless. But he did not expect that the Ancestral Artifact of the Tao Clan, the Female Sword, would actually drink all the blood.

After drinking blood, the Female Sword became even more crimson, as if an invisible force lingered around its blade. It seems that the Ancestral Artifact of the Tao Clan is truly extraordinary!

After the Ancestral Artifact drank blood, the shaman of the Tao Clan carefully wiped the blade before bestowing it upon Tao Yunxiao.

Tao Yunxiao knelt on one knee, raised both hands above his head, and received the Female Sword!

After receiving the Female Sword, Tao Yunxiao felt his whole body filled with power. He looked at Yi Yun, his eyes burning with fierce battle intent.

"Yi Yun! Come up on stage!"

As Tao Yunxiao spoke, he leaped onto the arena.

Yi Yun took a deep look at the Female Sword before stepping onto the arena.

The Great Wilderness stretches out before us. As the sun sets, its brilliant afterglow paints the western sky crimson.

Yi Yun and Tao Yunxiao stood ten feet apart, facing each other. There were tens of thousands of spectators around them, all holding their breath and paying close attention, afraid of missing any exciting moment of their duel.

This is a battle that utilizes the Ancestral Artifact of the Tao Clan!

The Ancestral Artifact of the Tao Clan are extraordinary. Many members of the Tao Clan have never even seen Ancestral Artifact before, and some don't even know whether the Ancestral Artifact are long or flat.

Today, witnessing the power of the Ancestral Artifact, how could they not be filled with excitement?

"Young Master Yunxiao will surely prevail! Long live the Tao Clan!"

People in the audience shouted, and the shouts formed a wave, one wave higher than the next.

For both Yi Yun and Tao Yunxiao, this is a battle that will determine their future!

Yi Yun wanted to become National Scholar. He knew that outstanding National Scholar had the opportunity to enter the capital of the Divine Kingdom, enjoy the Divine Kingdom's cultivation resources, and practice the <Tai'a Sacred Law>!

Becoming National Scholar is an important step on my path of martial arts.

Moreover, National Scholar has his own fiefdom. Yi Yun can bring his sister Jiang Xiaorou to the Central Plains to live a peaceful life.

Including some people from the Lian Clan who had been kind to him, such as Aunt Wang, Uncle Zhou, and the pitiful Zhou Xiaoke, Yi Yun wanted to take these people to the Central Plains so that they could say goodbye to their precarious lives in Yunhuang forever.

"Yi Yun, we have no enmity, but swords have no eyes. If I accidentally hurt you, please don't blame me. Also, let me give you a piece of advice: with the Female Gu Sword in hand, my strength has at least doubled!"

Tao Yunxiao crossed his arms in front of his chest, cradling the Female Gu Sword, and spoke with great spirit.

"There's no point in saying all this, let's fight!" Yi Yun said, lowering his hands to face Tao Yunxiao's Ancestral Artifact, the Female Sword, with his bare hands!

At that moment, the desert wind howled, blowing against Yi Yun's linen clothes. Yi Yun's imposing aura subsided, and his figure left a deep imprint on the irises of many people.

Some of the young girls from the Tao Clan, upon seeing Yi Yun's current appearance, had their feelings subtly changed. The girls of the Great Wilderness admired heroes, and at this moment, Yi Yun was a hero in their eyes!

He was a prodigy with a bright future. He faced Tao Yunxiao's sword barehanded, yet he was completely unafraid!

This proud demeanor captivated many young women in the Great Wilderness. As they watched Yi Yun's retreating figure, some even blushed and their hearts raced.

It seems that if Yi Yun wins against Tao Yunxiao, and if they can gain Yi Yun's favor and follow him to the fiefdom of the National Scholar, thus escaping the poverty and danger of the Great Wilderness, and serving Yi Yun by his side forever, it would be a very good thing...

Tao Yunxiao was unaware of what these girls were thinking. If he knew, he would probably be furious. He only sensed that Yi Yun's aura was intensifying. His gaze turned cold, and with a cold snort, he drew the Female Gu Sword from his bosom!

"Clang!"

The Female Gu Sword seemed to possess a spirit and flew into Tao Yunxiao's hand. At this moment, Tao Yunxiao couldn't wait to defeat Yi Yun.

Time seemed to stand still as Tao Yunxiao drew his sword under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands!

His body instantly stretched into a series of shadows, and the surrounding people could only hear the "thump thump thump" of footsteps and the sound of a sharp sword cutting through the air!

"Snap!"

The Female Gu Sword sliced through the desert wind; the Sword Light was so fast that people couldn't even see it clearly.

"What a fast sword!"

"Young Master Yunxiao's sword is so sharp you can't even see it, how can you dodge it?"

Compared to using fists, attacking with a sword increases attack range, attack power, and most significantly, attack speed.

The speed of slashing down with a sword is completely different from the speed of throwing a punch.

"Call out!"

Tao Yunxiao took a swift step and arrived in front of Yi Yun, his Female Gu Sword aimed straight for Yi Yun's throat!

If this sword were to strike, Yi Yun's throat would be severed, and even if the Brocade Dragon Guard's physician were nearby, he might not be able to save him.

People gasped in surprise, but Yi Yun remained calm.

He had already read <The Nine Heavens Profound Sword>!

He had watched Lin Xin Tong's Nine Heavens Profound Sword all night long. Compared to Lin Xin Tong's sword moves, Tao Yunxiao's Nine Heavens Profound Sword were nothing to mention.

Although Yi Yun never quite got used to Lin Xin Tong's swordsmanship, seeing through Tao Yunxiao's swordsmanship was no problem for him at all.

Just as Tao Yunxiao's sword was about to sever Yi Yun's throat, Yi Yun suddenly retreated, dodging the fatal blow without missing a beat. In that instant, the tip of the sword was less than an inch away from Yi Yun's throat!

"Um!?"

Seeing Tao Yunxiao Yi Yun Yi Yun had dodged his first sword strike without even showing the slightest sign of panic, Tao Yunxiao was unconvinced and immediately thrust his second sword at him.

He used the "Rain of Pear Blossoms" move from the Nine Heavens Profound Sword Profoundness. When this move is mastered, one can unleash hundreds of sword strikes in the time it takes to breathe!

Tao Yunxiao couldn't reach that level, but he could still unleash dozens of sword strikes in a single breath. From a distance, Tao Yunxiao's sword danced like a snowflake.

When the <Nine Heavens Profound Sword> is wielded, water cannot penetrate it. The Sword Light and Sword Qi around the body form a protective layer. Tao Yunxiao has now begun to grasp this realm.

However, when such a dense Sword Light sword light enveloped Yi Yun, his body also created a series of shadows, making it difficult to see clearly.

This feeling was just like when Zhang Yuxian demonstrated the "Elephant Swallowing Art." People had no idea what Yi Yun did; they only felt that there were many afterimages on the arena!

Sword Light, afterimages—the sight was dazzling!

But without a doubt, Tao Yunxiao's swords all missed their mark!

One person wields a sword, unleashing a barrage of attacks, while the other, unarmed, merely dodges them. The difference in skill is immediately apparent!

"What!?"

Tao Yunxiao's face turned red. He had originally expected Yi Yun to be a troublesome person, which was why he had brought out the Ancestral Artifact to deal with Yi Yun. However, he also did not expect that Yi Yun would be even more troublesome than he had imagined.

Despite years of dedicated practice in swordsmanship, during which he wielded the sword with Yi Yun's clothes!

"Yunxiao, don't be anxious!"

Tao Yunxiao heard his father's voice transmission. Tao Yunxiao's father could tell that his son was clearly distracted by his opponent, Yi Yun.

"I know, Father. Since he has such power, I have no choice but to use the power of the Ancestral Artifact!"

Although Tao Yunxiao was arrogant and conceited, he wasn't a complete fool who couldn't understand Yi Yun's strength. He knew that Yi Yun had hidden his strength from the battle with Lian Chengyu, but Tao Yunxiao was still confident in defeating Yi Yun because he could use the power of the Ancestral Artifact!

"Yunxiao, have you thought this through..." Tao Yunxiao's father was anxious, clearly indicating that using the power of the Ancestral Artifact was no small matter.

Tao Yunxiao didn't answer; instead, he punched himself in the chest.

"Puff!"

Tao Yunxiao forced out a mouthful of blood, which he spat all onto the Female Gu Sword.

The Female Gu Sword, as if absorbing cow's blood, absorbed all the blood that Tao Yunxiao spat out, and in an instant, the Female Gu Sword became even more crimson and eerie!

This scene left tens of thousands of spectators stunned.

They only knew that the Tao Clan possessed Ancestral Artifact, but they had no idea what these Ancestral Artifacts were or what their functions were.

"Sacrificing blood to the ancestral artifact... Yunxiao is truly reckless."

The elder frowned. The Ancestral Artifact of the Tao Clan was somewhat malevolent. Using the Ancestral Artifact alone, it was merely a sharp sword, and its actual power was limited.

To unleash the full power of the Ancestral Artifact of the Tao Clan, Ancestral Artifact must be fed with blood, and the best results are achieved by feeding them with the user's own blood!

However, feeding the Ancestral Artifact with one's own blood is a very draining thing for the user. Tao Yunxiao will probably need at least half a year to recover from this Blood Sacrifice. And for a young martial arts student like Tao Yunxiao, half a year is really too precious.

This time, Tao Yunxiao is taking a gamble. If he still can't win, it will be a huge blow to Tao Yunxiao!

"Buzz--Buzz--Buzz--"

After the Female Gu Sword drank blood, it emitted a series of mournful cries that resounded throughout the entire area, leaving the people of the Tao Clan dumbfounded.

Little did they know that the Ancestral Artifact of the Tao Clan would exhibit such a scene after drinking blood.

A blood-drinking Ancestral Artifact, though somewhat malevolent, its power is undeniable; one can imagine its might simply by observing Ancestral Artifact groaning. (Third update, requesting monthly votes)

...(To be continued~^~)