At the referee's announcement, Chu Feng and Lin Yan stepped onto the platform.
Lin Yan wore a deep purple fighting outfit, a soft silver-thread sash cinched around her waist and showing off every curve of her graceful figure.
As she walked with light, delicate steps, the gold ornament in her hair chimed. Her gaze swept across the stands, and more than a few young martial artists held their breath.
"Young Master Chu, please go easy on me~"
Lin Yan's red lips parted, her voice honeyed to the bone.
Yet the paired mandarin-duck sabers in her hands gleamed with icy light. She had taken the Opening Stance of the Lin Family's secret Butterfly Dance Saber Technique.
Chu Feng drew the long saber from his back without expression. The cloth wrapped around it shredded inch by inch, revealing a sharp blade with a blue-green sheen.
Three Thunderclap Forms: Thunder Moves the Nine Heavens!
Chu Feng opened with a killing move, dispensing with all pleasantries.
Thunder truly sounded as his saber fell, its gleaming edge tearing through the air like lightning.
Lin Yan hastily raised both sabers to block. Metal rang against metal, and she stumbled back seven steps, the webbing between her thumb and forefinger already split open.
Anger flashed in Lin Yan's alluring eyes. She had not expected him to show so little tenderness toward a beauty.
With a sharp cry, she sent her twin sabers into a sky full of butterfly shadows. A Hundred Butterflies Through the Flowers!
Cries of surprise rose from the stands.
The flashing sabers truly looked like a hundred bright butterflies in flight, their beauty concealing deadly intent.
Chu Feng gave a cold snort and thrust his saber straight at her center. Thunderclap Breaks the Dawn!
The strike was plain and unadorned, yet astonishingly fast.
It punched straight through Lin Yan's net of butterfly shadows, its tip aimed at her throat.
She twisted aside in a panic, but a lock of her dark hair was cut away.
"I yield!"
Lin Yan cried out just as Chu Feng's third strike was about to fall.
Her pretty face had gone pale, with none of her earlier seductive composure left.
At her words, Chu Feng sheathed his saber and walked off the platform without looking back, leaving the crowd murmuring.
At the referee's announcement, two figures, one in red and one in blue, stepped lightly onto the platform.
Su Mei wore a water-blue gauze dress, with only a white magnolia pinned in her hair. She was lovely and refined.
As she saluted with her sword, cheers rose at once from the stands.
"Mei, please."
Su Yun wore a scarlet fighting outfit, his features sharp as if cut by a blade.
His sword remained sheathed, but waves of heat already rolled around him.
"Cousin, do go easy on me."
Su Mei smiled sweetly.
Ripples like water had already spread along her sword. Gentle Water Sword: Green Waves Ripple!
Her sword flowed like a spring stream, seemingly gentle, yet with powerful currents hidden beneath.
Su Yun did not dare take her lightly. He drew his Blazing Flames Sword in one fierce motion. Blazing Flames Burn the Heavens!
Red and blue Sword Qi collided in midair, sending up a hazy veil of steam.
Through the mist, Su Mei's sword strokes looked now like a trickling stream, now like great waves crashing against the shore.
Su Yun's strokes were broad and forceful, each one raising a scorching gust.
As their figures crossed, they painted a wondrous scene of water and fire mingling across the platform.
"So beautiful!" someone in the audience murmured, transfixed.
The match looked less like a fight to the death than a carefully arranged sword dance.
But anyone with a keen eye could see that whenever the seemingly gentle blue sword light met the scarlet Sword Qi, dazzling sparks of spiritual power burst forth.
After thirty exchanges, Su Mei suddenly withdrew her sword and leaped back.
Fine sweat beaded on her brow, though her breathing remained steady. "I yield."
Su Yun sheathed his sword and showed a rare hint of a smile. "Your Wave Chasing Saber Technique has improved quite a bit too, Mei."
With that, all four semifinalists had been decided.
"Next match: Su Yun versus Lin Tian!"
At the referee's announcement, the entire Training Ground erupted.
Discussion swept the stands. Everyone remembered how Lin Tian had humiliated Su Yan yesterday, and how Su Yu had struck back against Lin Mo.
Today's match was charged with hostility before it had even begun.
Su Yun rose slowly, his scarlet fighting outfit stirring though there was no wind.
He turned to Su Yu, determination in his eyes. "I'll do my best to force him to reveal his trump cards."
Su Yu gave a slight nod.
Though he was not close to Su Yun, he understood his choice completely.
The path of martial arts meant defying the heavens.
If a powerful opponent made you shrink back, how could you speak of climbing to the peak of martial arts?
"Brave, but foolish."
Lin Tian stood with his hands behind his back, a mocking smile on his lips.
"How much stronger than Su Yan do you think you are?"
Su Yun did not answer. He slowly drew his Blazing Flames Sword. The instant the blade left its sheath, a scorching wave swept across the platform, even making the air waver.
Fire Crow Soaring Through the Sky!
His blade swept out, and three crows formed of flame beat their wings and flew forth.
In Su Yun's hands, this opening move was several times more powerful than it was in those of an ordinary disciple.
Spirit Snake Emerges from Cave!
Lin Tian's sword took an oblique path. Blue-green Sword Qi darted out like a venomous snake's tongue and pierced the fire crows in an instant.
It pressed on without losing force, driving Su Yun back several steps.
Blazing Flames Burn the Heavens!
Su Yun steadied himself, and his swordplay abruptly changed.
Scorching Sword Qi erupted like a volcano, bearing down on Lin Tian from every direction.
Spirit Snake Wags its Tail!
Lin Tian flicked his wrist, drawing an uncanny arc with his blade.
His blue-green Sword Qi lashed out like a giant python's tail. It shattered the flames and left a bloody cut across Su Yun's chest.
Ten exchanges, then twenty...
More and more wounds appeared on Su Yun's body, and blood soaked through his scarlet outfit.
But his gaze remained resolute. Each time he was driven back, he immediately raised his sword and charged again.
"How stubborn."
Lin Tian finally lost patience, and his swordplay grew three parts fiercer.
"If you're determined to die, I'll oblige!"
Su Yun was sent flying again and crashed down at the edge of the platform.
Blood spilled from the corner of his mouth, but his eyes grew clearer than ever.
Just when everyone thought the match was over, a sudden change occurred!
Scarlet flames surged around Su Yun. Their aura grew steadily denser, then burst forth as a mighty flaming sword force.
Blazing Flames Sword Style—the Perfected Realm!
"What?"
Lin Tian's pupils contracted sharply. For the first time, his expression turned grave.
In the stands, Su Tianheng shot to his feet.
At the brink of death, Su Yun had broken through to the Perfected Realm of the Blazing Flames Sword Style!
He had reached that level in this Human-grade Mid-tier Martial Skill in just one year.
"The Third Elder has raised a fine son..."
Su Tianheng murmured, a complicated look passing through his eyes.
Though he and the Third Elder disagreed on family affairs, he had to admit that Su Yun's talent and perseverance were worthy of admiration.
On the platform, Su Yun slowly stood.
The Blazing Flames Sword Style's force merged with him. Each step he took left a charred footprint on the bluestone floor.
"Again!" His voice was hoarse, but every word rang firm.
A mocking smile curved Lin Tian's lips, and the aura around him suddenly solidified.
A blue-green serpent shadow rose behind him. As its tongue flicked in and out, it radiated a chill that made hearts tremble.
"Spirit Snake Sword Intent? He's comprehended sword intent too?"
Su Mei cried out.
Su Yu's gaze sharpened slightly. "The gap in cultivation is too great. For Su Yun to force out his Perfected Realm sword intent is already no small feat."
On the platform, the two sword forces faced each other across the distance.
Scorching heat and icy cold tore at one another, setting off repeated cracks in the air.
The instant the two sword forces collided, the entire platform shuddered.
Within the mass of intertwined scarlet and blue-green light, Su Yun could be seen gritting his teeth, veins bulging along the arm that held his sword.
Lin Tian's face was grave, yet a confident sneer still clung to his lips.
"Break!"
Lin Tian suddenly roared, and his Spirit Snake Sword Intent surged with even greater force.
Su Yun's already faltering flaming sword force could hold on no longer. It shattered inch by inch.
Su Yun flew backward like a kite with its string cut and landed heavily beyond the platform.
He struggled to rise, but coughed up a mouthful of blood.
"Winner: Lin Tian!" the referee announced loudly.
In the stands, Lu Yue stroked his beard and sighed. "Both have outstanding talent and strength. Given time, they'll achieve great things."
Lin Zhentian looked even more pleased at those words.
But when his gaze swept over the Su Family seats, a shadow passed through his eyes. The Su Family's younger generation had produced one talent after another...
Su Yu raced down and helped the barely conscious Su Yun up.
Su Yun turned to Su Yu and managed a bloodstained smile. "The rest... is up to you."
Su Yu nodded solemnly, his gaze turning cold.
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