This Sword Was Too Strong!

In the arena.

After using "Walking Through Snow" to shift positions, Chao Qingteng did not pause for even an instant. While Xu Xiaoshou was speaking, he crossed his hands and formed dozens of hand seals in a flash.

Xu Xiaoshou immediately felt terrible.

This was definitely some ultimate move. He had only been distracted for a moment, yet Chao Qingteng had seized the opportunity.

Liu Zhen, I'm sorry! I'd still committed the grave taboo of underestimating my enemy! He shot forward at once, but the distance was too great; there was no way to close in immediately.

Xu Xiaoshou took a breath of Spirit Crystal, barely recovering some spiritual energy, then leisurely slashed out with another sword.

Sword Net Form! Facing the instantaneously arriving sword net, Chao Qingteng ignored it completely and pressed a bloody palm into the air.

"Great Cold Without Weapons!"

Only after doing that did he pick up the Ice River Sword and barely fend off the sword net.

Amid hissing sounds, Chao Qingteng's flesh was torn and mangled.

Xu Xiaoshou could not imagine how terrifying the move Chao Qingteng had risked his life to complete would be. A single breath later, the snowflakes that had reached his ankles within his "Perception" were stirred by the spiritual seals in the air and slowly rose.

The spectators rubbed their eyes one after another. By now, the snow had already accumulated thickly on the ground. Once it was called up, the barrier was instantly filled with a bewildering haze of white dots, until even human figures became indistinct.

"Edict!"

With a clear shout from Chao Qingteng, sword intent tore through the void.

In that instant, every snowflake erupted with chilling sword intent, like countless slender swords soaring into the air.

Xu Xiaoshou stood dumbstruck. Chao Qingteng was truly vicious!

So the snowfall from the very beginning had not merely served "Walking Through Snow." It had also been prepared for this moment—for "Great Cold Without Weapons."

At Chao Qingteng's command, the sword-intent snowflakes filling the sky instantly crisscrossed, carving endless swordlight through the barrier.

Not only did they destroy Xu Xiaoshou's sword net in an instant, they also pierced through his innate body.

Xiao Qixiu's expression turned grave. Though this terrifying innate spiritual technique was called "Great Cold Without Weapons," every falling snowflake was a sword weapon containing the intent of death!

Could Xu Xiaoshou truly hold on?

In the spectators' eyes, within the vast whiteness of the barrier, blood suddenly burst outward from one point in every direction.

That was Xu Xiaoshou's position!

Xu Xiaoshou clenched his teeth hard. He had even shut his eyes, because if he did not, the sword-intent snowflakes would likely shoot straight through his eyeballs.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Every snowflake was a tiny sword, incomparably sharp. Even his innate body could not withstand them. In the blink of an eye, countless bloody holes had been pierced through his body.

Xiao Qixiu stood poised to act. If Xu Xiaoshou showed even the slightest sign of surrendering, he would intervene at once.

Chao Qingteng panted heavily. He had played every trump card he possessed, and this move had consumed nearly half his spiritual essence. Yet Xu Xiaoshou could still endure?

Was an innate body really this formidable?

Gritting his teeth, he actually flew forward and struck Xu Xiaoshou with his palm.

"Has he gone mad?!"

The people in the stands were shocked. Even with the situation overwhelmingly in his favor, how could Chao Qingteng choose close combat? Was he not afraid Xu Xiaoshou would turn the tables once he got close?

"No!" Someone suddenly slapped his thigh and rose to his feet. "It's the 'Profound Ice Stele-Sealing Palm'! This is an innate peak spiritual technique. Xu Xiaoshou is finished!"

"Profound Ice Stele-Sealing Palm?"

Even Elder Qiao was stunned now. He knew that even in the Inner Court, this spiritual technique could rank among the very best.

He clutched his collar tightly. Xu Xiaoshou was in grave danger!

Xu Xiaoshou, still unable to make out his surroundings, was struggling against the sword-intent snowflakes. Within his body, "Endless Vitality" circulated madly.

Pierced, repaired...

Repaired, pierced...

The pain Xu Xiaoshou suffered at this moment was even worse than when he had refined the "Emberlight Fire Seed."

Under attack, Passive Value +1.

Under attack, Passive Value +1.

...

Over a thousand messages flashed through the information panel in his mind in an instant. This meant the attack density of those sword-intent snowflakes was simply insane! Xu Xiaoshou was truly holding on by sheer force of will. As he "Perceived" Chao Qingteng's palm striking toward him, he finally could not endure any longer and threw in his skill points.

Sword Mastery (Acquired Lv.7).

Sword Mastery (Acquired Lv.8).

A vast flood of knowledge instantly poured into his mind, and Xu Xiaoshou seemed to find a way to break the deadlock once more.

Enduring the agony in his body, he abruptly raised "Hidden Pain." Surging sword intent condensed into the blade as he staked everything on a single throw! Whoosh! "Hidden Pain" tore through the air at high speed, its blade even bursting into flames. Yet Chao Qingteng had been prepared. He tilted his head, and the spiritual sword only pierced through his shoulder!

Its remaining momentum did not lessen. Before everyone's astonished eyes, it actually shot through the barrier and flew toward the horizon.

No one had the leisure to care about the spiritual sword anymore. Even after suffering the pain of having his shoulder pierced, Chao Qingteng still fiercely struck out with his palm.

As for Xu Xiaoshou...

There was no saving him now!

"Profound Ice Stele-Sealing Palm!"

Boom! As the sound fell, the rapidly piercing sword-intent snowflakes abruptly stopped.

With the half of the arena where Chao Qingteng stood as the boundary, Xu Xiaoshou and all the space behind him turned into an enormous block of ice beneath that terrifying palm.

Half the arena had frozen into ice! The entire venue fell deathly silent. This block of ice, larger than a house, was simply too astounding.

The scene froze there.

Then the spectators discovered in terror that it was not over yet!

Chao Qingteng finally let out a breath. Covered in blood, he pressed his palms together. "Seal!"

With a soft whoosh, before everyone's disbelieving eyes, the block of ice occupying half the arena instantly shrank, clamping tightly around Xu Xiaoshou.

Leaving only the image of his hands raised high in their final frozen pose.

"Holy shit!"

Everyone's eyes bulged!

Such an enormous block of ice had become so tiny in an instant. With all that density compressed within it, would that not turn a person into an ice-sculpture fossil in an instant?

Was there even the slightest shred of life left? This was far too ruthless!

Was Xu Xiaoshou dead? Xiao Qixiu drew a deep breath. He felt that something major had happened.

As always, what referees feared most were these one-strike, decisive moves.

If he rescued him, it would mean helping Xu Xiaoshou admit defeat in advance, and Xu Xiaoshou likely would not appreciate it. If he stood by coldly, he would be watching a contestant march to his death. What was he supposed to do?

He could only slowly raise his hand. "The match is conclud—"

Whoosh! At that moment, a sound tore through the void, interrupting Xiao Qixiu's words.

Everyone looked toward the horizon in confusion. The "Hidden Pain" that had previously pierced Chao Qingteng's shoulder and vanished into the distance was now shooting back at lightning speed.

Chao Qingteng turned around in terror, only to see the black dot instantly swell before his eyes. One sword pierced through his chest and slammed viciously into the ice statue imprisoning Xu Xiaoshou.

"Pfft!"

Chao Qingteng's body bent over as he violently spat out a mouthful of blood, mixed with fragments of his liver.

Xiao Qixiu had already lunged out to stop the sword, but he was too late. Even he had never expected such a heaven-defying returning strike.

"Hidden Pain" was nailed into the ice statue, humming excitedly with extraordinary spirituality.

Xiao Qixiu stared in utter shock. This was...

A sword weapon gaining sentience?

Xu Xiaoshou had actually grasped the threshold of Innate Sword Intent! Outside the arena, Zhou Tianshen sprang to his feet in excitement. Watching "Hidden Pain" tremble without end, he felt even his own fighting spirit stirred.

This sword was too strong!

Truly too strong!

Compared to Xu Xiaoshou from a day ago, he was more than ten times stronger! Elder Qiao was dumbfounded. He had never imagined that after merely emerging from a closed-door cultivation session, after only a few days apart, Xu Xiaoshou's progress could be this immense! It was simply inconceivable! In one waiting area, staff helped Mu Zixi, who had fallen to the ground, back onto her chair. The little girl in green had her mouth formed into an "O," while her two long ponytails had nearly been yanked right off.

Crack, crack!

Under the blade's trembling, the ice statue cracked open.

Xu Xiaoshou's wounds had all frozen shut. He felt as though even his soul were trembling.

The reason he could still guard a sliver of clarity in his spiritual platform was because "Endless Vitality" was so powerful! Walking out of the ice statue, his lips quivered, and his body went limp as he collapsed to the ground.

"What sword technique was that?" Chao Qingteng's face was full of unwillingness.

Xu Xiaoshou trembled twice and slowly exhaled a breath of frost.

"White Cloud Sword Technique."

Doubted, Passive Value +1.

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