Outstanding

No one paid attention to the steward of Yuan Wu Alley or other minor details.

Everyone's attention was now focused on the arena. Many gamblers who had placed heavy bets were waving their fists and cheering wildly.

Chen Yao had been honing her skills here since the Ninth Rank. She had fought dozens of matches so far, losing only four, and even then, she had only been slightly outmatched, always managing to retreat safely.

In contrast, this was Lu Sheng's first time here.

Perhaps his family had encountered some difficulty, forcing him to come to Yuan Wu Alley and gamble his life and fortune. The dirt and grime in his messy hair hinted at this.

Therefore, before the match, most gamblers had placed their bets on Chen Yao. However, seeing Lu Sheng's swollen, muscular physique and exaggerated muscles, they suddenly felt a bit uneasy.

"Alright, you go first."

Lu Sheng looked at Chen Yao and spoke in a low voice.

His weapon was a pair of iron bracers worn on his wrists, indicating he practiced fist techniques.

Swish.

Chen Yao was as agile as a rabbit. In an instant, she appeared on Lu Sheng's right side. The Blood Qi of an Eighth Rank Martial Artist surged within her, bursting twice in quick succession.

The Three-Foot Green Edge in her hand drew an arc in the air that was almost invisible to the naked eye, slashing towards Lu Sheng's neck.

Clang!

Lu Sheng raised his hand to block. The iron bracers collided with the sword edge, producing a crisp metallic clang.

At the same time, two bursts of Blood Qi erupted, causing his body, as heavy as a small mountain, to instantly unleash astonishing speed as he swung his fist down towards Chen Yao.

The two quickly engaged in a fierce battle.

"The Nether Fox can actually fight that big guy to a standstill."

Someone exclaimed in surprise.

"No, you should say that big guy is a bit strong. Martial Artists don't rely on size... The Nether Fox has defeated more than one Eighth Rank under her sword."

Another person nearby's eyes flickered.

Martial Artists below the Sixth Rank often decided the outcome of a fight very quickly because their means of victory relied on the short-lived surge in strength and speed from Blood Qi Burst.

Chen Yao's figure in the arena had already turned into an afterimage that ordinary people could barely see. The sword edge she swung while moving even created a visible streak of sword light.

On the other side.

Lu Sheng was forced to parry, but he wasn't flustered. His mindset was calm and steady.

Although he wasn't skilled in speed and couldn't touch Chen Yao when she was going all out, in a fight between Martial Artists, being good at speed didn't necessarily guarantee victory. The key was the duration of the Blood Qi Burst!

He didn't think Chen Yao's Blood Qi Burst could last longer than his. As long as it was even one breath shorter than his, at the moment she couldn't maintain it, he could immediately catch up and end the fight with one blow.

Four breaths,

Five breaths,

Six breaths,

Time passed little by little.

In the eyes of ordinary people, it was but a blink of an eye, but for Chen Yao and Lu Sheng, every single breath was a life-and-death struggle, with multiple exchanges of offense and defense.

As time went on, Lu Sheng's skin gradually became stained with blood, and his breathing began to quicken. Chen Yao's skin also took on a faint pink hue.

This indicated that both of them were approaching their limits.

Lu Sheng, who had been calm and composed all along, finally found it difficult to maintain his composure. A look of shock appeared in his eyes, because it was already the twelfth breath, and his burst could only last for a maximum of fourteen breaths!

This woman could actually hold on until now!

Thirteen breaths.

Sword light intertwined, the crisp clang of metal on metal like a rapid strumming of a pipa. Chen Yao gave Lu Sheng no chance to avoid the edge and catch his breath. Although her own skin was stained with alarming patches of crimson, she did not back down at all.

Fourteen breaths.

Lu Sheng roared, no longer dodging the sword strike coming from Chen Yao. He let the sword pierce his shoulder while fiercely charging forward, intending to trade a sword strike for a collision.

However, Chen Yao's sword strike, halfway through, suddenly became soft and weak. It was a feint. She used the momentum to dodge to the left, instantly clearing the path and causing Lu Sheng's charge to miss.

"The victor has been decided."

The deacon of Yuan Wu Alley said in a low voice.

Indeed.

In the very next moment, Lu Sheng could no longer maintain his burst state, and his speed suddenly slowed down. Chen Yao, on the other hand, turned in mid-air and swung her sword again.

Lu Sheng raised his arms to parry, but no longer in his burst state, he met Chen Yao's sword. Although he managed to withstand it head-on, he couldn't resist the force and was sent flying backward, out of the arena.

Thump, thump, thump!

He landed directly off the stage, crushing the ground nearby, and then stumbled back more than ten steps before finally stopping, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

On the stage, Chen Yao also stopped abruptly after swinging her final sword. Her face was crimson like blood, and she staggered, propping herself up with her sword to barely remain standing.

That was close.

Chen Yao thought to herself.

She had also reached her absolute limit. Compared to Lu Sheng's burst time, she had only lasted half a breath longer at most, which was why she could only deliver one final sword strike and couldn't follow up with any subsequent moves.

Fortunately.

She had still managed to knock Lu Sheng out of the arena.

If Chen Mu hadn't adjusted her stance a few days ago, her burst time would have been even shorter than Lu Sheng's by half a breath. In that case, she would undoubtedly have lost this battle, and at most, she could have relied on her speed to retreat out of the arena and concede before reaching her limit, but even that would have been extremely dangerous.

Watching Lu Sheng being knocked out of the arena, Chen Yao stood leaning on her sword. After a brief silence in the arena, cheers erupted, soaring into the sky and echoing through the clouds!

Mixed in were the cheers of those who had won their bets and the wails of those who had lost.

Thus.

Chen Yao had completed a total of forty battles in Yuan Wu Alley!

Among them, she had thirty wins, six draws, and four losses. Furthermore, she had come from behind, having not suffered a single defeat since last year and maintaining a winning streak until now. Including this match, she had a total of seventeen consecutive wins!

Among the countless martial artists clashing in Yuan Wu Alley, this record was considered top-tier!

In a certain corner.

Chen Mu quietly watched Chen Yao in the arena. Besides his surprise, a hint of admiration appeared in his eyes. He hadn't expected Chen Yao to possess such a resolute heart for martial arts, such determined belief and will.

One had to know that the exact timing of a Blood Qi Burst was impossible to predict for anyone other than oneself. If Lu Sheng had lasted even half a breath longer than Chen Yao, and Chen Yao hadn't retreated at the fourteen-second mark, she wouldn't have just lost; she wouldn't have even been able to escape unscathed!

But Chen Yao didn't retreat!

In a fight between martial artists, a single thought in an instant could decide life and death, victory and defeat!

Chen Mu felt he might have underestimated Chen Yao. With this spirit and will, even if she hadn't been born in the Xuanguo Estate but in one of those brutal Jianghu sects, Chen Yao could still rise.

"Since that's the case, I'll give you a little more help. Let's see how far you can go in the future."

Chen Mu smiled faintly in his heart.

Chen Yao's spirit and will were commendable, and he naturally didn't mind giving her a few more pushes. However, how far she could go in the future still depended on Chen Yao herself.