Liu Yunxi had waited far, far too long for this day.
Today, she would prove herself before all the sects of the Barren Continent!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
At that moment, everyone's gaze turned toward the Violet Firmament Sect.
Among the four regions, the three first-tier sects held firmly established positions, and no one would challenge them. Only the Northern Region was different!
Everyone knew that aside from the clashes between the first-tier sects, the battle between the Azure Mist Sect and the Violet Firmament Sect was the greatest attraction of this Sect Tournament!
Moreover, the Violet Firmament Sect, which should have been on its last legs, had completely lost the bearing of a first-tier sect. Yet today, its Holy Son Ye Xuan had actually taken both the alchemy and artifact-refining championships, shocking Tianxuan City.
That had added a sliver of suspense to what should have been a foregone conclusion.
"Actually, there's no suspense in the battle between these two sects. The Azure Mist Sect now has two Heavenly Gang experts!"
"That's right. The number-one sect in the Northern Region will change hands today!"
Even though Ye Xuan's double championship had brought considerable glory to the Violet Firmament Sect,
it was ultimately only the Dao of artifacts and alchemy. In a sect clash, what mattered was martial strength!
"Heh..."
At that moment, Chu Wan'er merely let out a soft scoff from the Violet Firmament Sect's seats.
"You? You think you're worthy of challenging me?"
Her hair cascaded down, and her eyes, clear as water cut by a blade, glanced down from the elevated platform.
"Chu Wan'er, and you're still putting on airs at a time like this!?"
"I, Liu Yunxi, am going to prove today that I'm the number-one Saintess of the Northern Region!"
Liu Yunxi was thoroughly enraged by Chu Wan'er's disdainful gaze.
"Then today, I'll give you a chance!"
Only then did Chu Wan'er rise to her full height on the elevated platform. With lotus steps treading through the air, she descended onto the platform below.
"Hmph, what an act!"
When Liu Yunxi saw Chu Wan'er come down, joy flashed through her heart instead.
Immediately afterward, she released her aura in full. A Heavenly Gang Dharma Idol and the phantom of a Spirit Physique burst out of her body at the same time!
Boom!
In an instant, a hundred-zhang expanse of flowing clouds emerged above her head. Radiance spread boundlessly as waves of air surged and sank!
"Hm!? Wasn't Liu Yunxi supposed to have a Treasure Physique? Why does this look like the might of a Spirit Physique!?"
"This Saintess Liu really was hiding something!"
"The talent of a Spirit Physique truly isn't inferior to Chu Wan'er's at all!"
"Besides, Chu Wan'er was injured two years ago. Who knows whether she's fully recovered!"
For a moment, everyone cried out in alarm when they saw Liu Yunxi's imposing aura.
This battle seemed to have no suspense at all!
"Churan, can Wan'er win?"
Among the crowd below, Nangong Fei asked as she gnawed on a spirit fruit.
"Although Liu Yunxi has advanced to the Heavenly Gang Realm, she's still no match for Sister Wan'er!" Lin Churan said with a smile, without the slightest hint of nervousness.
"Oh?"
Nangong Fei was still somewhat doubtful.
"You're still too weak..."
At that moment, Chu Wan'er, who had descended onto the platform, raised her delicate hand.
Buzz!
In the blink of an eye, the Emperor Blood within her body trembled slightly. As her dantian shook violently, a Heavenly Gang aura suddenly burst from her body!
Above and behind her head, the phantom of an ancient tree flickered. Its pressure towered overhead, instantly suppressing all the aura surging toward her from Liu Yunxi!
"Something's wrong!"
"This... this doesn't seem to be an ordinary Spirit Physique!"
At that instant, the sect masters on the second elevated platform cried out one after another.
The phantom of the ancient tree above Chu Wan'er's head was surrounded by Sacred Light, while strands of Daoist charm suffused the air. Its aura was so mighty that Liu Yunxi's Spirit Physique could never compare!
"This is... a Quasi-Dao Body!?"
"The Violet Firmament Sect's Saintess Chu Wan'er actually has the talent of a Quasi-Dao Body!"
At that moment, the people from the Lin Tian Sword Sect all changed expressions.
Previously, Ji Fengliu, the strongest prodigy of the four regions, had possessed a top-tier Spirit Physique and was publicly acknowledged as the possessor of the strongest talent.
But now, that title of strongest talent was going to belong to Chu Wan'er!
Ji Fengliu and Wen Yuyan both wore solemn expressions.
At this moment, they actually remembered the scene from two years ago, when Chu Wan'er had challenged the entire sword sect alone.
Even Ji Fengliu, who had been unrivaled in the limelight, had been unable to defeat Chu Wan'er.
Afterward, Chu Wan'er's foundations had been damaged, her cultivation had stagnated, and her reputation had fallen silent.
Who would have thought that the once-dominant Chu Wan'er would not only return, but seem to have grown even stronger!
The hand hidden in Ji Fengliu's sleeve clenched tightly.
It seemed that taking the martial-combat championship today would not be so easy.
On the first elevated platform, Xuan Zhou also opened his eyes, his gaze fixed on Chu Wan'er's graceful back.
"A Quasi-Dao Body? Interesting. Uncle Gu, go investigate this woman's information!"
"Yes!" The old man in black behind Xuan Zhou bowed. Then his figure vanished.
"A Quasi-Dao Body?"
"This... this is impossible!"
At that moment, Liu Yunxi, standing on the platform and feeling the endless pressure Chu Wan'er brought her, had a face that twisted horribly.
Her talent had clearly advanced to a Spirit Physique, and she had entered the Heavenly Gang Realm. Why was she still being suppressed by Chu Wan'er!?
"I won't lose to you!"
Under the humiliation and unwillingness, Liu Yunxi's face contorted.
She rose into the air, summoned her magic sword, and frantically formed hand seals. With the Heavenly Gang Dharma Idol reinforcing the radiance of her Spirit Physique, she transformed it into nine streaks of Azure Cloud Sword Qi that cleaved straight toward Chu Wan'er!
Liu Yunxi cultivated Daoist arts, and this Flowing Cloud Sword Formation was one of the Azure Mist Sect's secret inheritances!
Its might was not overbearing, but it excelled in an unbroken, ceaseless assault!
The moment Liu Yunxi made her move, she unleashed her strongest Daoist art!
"Overestimating yourself!"
Yet Chu Wan'er, shrouded in the radiance of her Quasi-Dao Body Dharma Idol, merely let out a soft laugh and raised her delicate hand.
In an instant, the branches and vines of the ancient tree behind her surged, transforming into a hundred-zhang-long whip that swept downward!
The long whip was wrapped in azure light as it cut across the void.
Crack! Crack!
The moment Liu Yunxi's Azure Cloud Sword Qi touched the long whip, it shattered one after another!
It could not withstand even the slightest resistance!?
"No, this is impossible!"
Only after all nine streaks of Azure Cloud Sword Qi had been shattered and the sweeping whip had reached her did Liu Yunxi, finally recovering her senses, cry out in alarm.
She had never expected Chu Wan'er's battle prowess to be so powerful!
But at the final moment, she still exhausted every bit of her aura to condense a cloud shield before her, attempting to block it.
Boom!
Yet the long whip descended with the force of ten thousand jun, its power penetrating everything. The cloud shield exploded, and Liu Yunxi, as if struck by a heavy hammer, was sent flying straight out of the arena!
Hiss!
For a moment, as they watched clouds scatter across the arena, the cultivators of the Barren Continent's sects all drew in a sharp breath.
Who would have thought that this battle, watched by countless people, would end just like this!?
Liu Yunxi of the Azure Mist Sect had actually been unable to withstand even one move, completely crushed!
"Yunxi!"
Only after Liu Yunxi crashed heavily outside the platform did Xiao Chengfeng and the others rush over.
By then, Liu Yunxi's azure robes were stained with blood, and her pretty face was deathly pale.
With only one lash, Chu Wan'er had severely wounded her.
"Pathetic."
On the arena, Chu Wan'er slowly lowered the hand she had extended.
Her tone was indifferent, as if the tyrannical whip just now had been no more than a casual wave of her sleeve.
But those four words fell into Liu Yunxi's ears like a blade that killed both body and heart!
She looked toward Ye Xuan on the elevated platform, but he had not even glanced over!
Boundless humiliation nearly drowned Liu Yunxi.
"Brother Chengfeng, avenge me!"
Liu Yunxi wept blood, her teeth almost shattered from clenching them.
"Yunxi, don't worry!"
"I'll handle everything!"
At that moment, Xiao Chengfeng was furious to the extreme.
Whether for Liu Yunxi or for the sake of entering Cloud Palace Academy, he had to defeat Chu Wan'er!
"Just watch. Watch how I crush every disciple of the Violet Firmament Sect!"
Then Xiao Chengfeng handed Liu Yunxi over to the sect master and flew straight onto the arena.
Buzz!
A long sword was drawn. Spirit radiance gleamed like a blade around its body, and its edge pointed directly at Chu Wan'er!
"Your opponent is me!"
Yet faced with the enraged Xiao Chengfeng, Chu Wan'er merely gave a contemptuous scoff before turning around and heading back to the second elevated platform.
"Your opponent isn't me."
Xiao Chengfeng froze at those words. "What do you mean!?"
"If not you, then who?"
The cultivators of the various sects in the arena exchanged bewildered looks.
His opponent wasn't Chu Wan'er!?
Wasn't she the only disciple of the entire Violet Firmament Sect in the Heavenly Gang Realm?
Who else could fight Xiao Chengfeng?
"It's me!"
Just as all the cultivators were wondering, a voice suddenly rang across the entire arena from the second elevated platform.
Whoosh!
Every gaze swept over in unison.
Hm!?
But when the crowd saw who had risen and spoken, they were all struck dumb with astonishment.
Even Liu Yunxi could not help widening her eyes!
Because the person who had accepted the challenge was none other than Ye Xuan, who had risen from the Violet Firmament Sect's seats!
Ye Xuan was going to represent the Violet Firmament Sect in the battle!?
Had he gone mad!?
After a moment of silence, a clamor erupted across the arena.
Qi Chuan shook his head even more.
Who was Xiao Chengfeng?
He was the person Master Ji had taken a liking to. Xiao Chengfeng had merely been concealing his abilities before. Even if Ye Xuan possessed excellent comprehension and had won both the alchemy and artifact-refining championships, facing Xiao Chengfeng, he would undoubtedly lose!
"Interesting!"
Xuan Zhou propped up his chin as he watched the lowly cultivated Ye Xuan below, and his interest was piqued.
He did not know what confidence this person had to dare accept a challenge from someone in the Heavenly Gang Realm.
"Clearly, Chu Wan'er alone would have been enough..."
Ji Fengliu also frowned. He truly could not understand the Violet Firmament Sect's maneuver.
In his heart, Chu Wan'er could absolutely crush Xiao Chengfeng now.
"It's over. The Azure Mist Sect is really going to become a laughingstock this time!"
Yet Nangong Fei and Lin Churan exchanged a glance, and could not help feeling a little sorry for Xiao Chengfeng.
"What? Do you actually think Ye Xuan can win?"
"Being skilled in alchemy and artifact-refining is useless on this arena!" Nangong Shou frowned from the side.
But Lin Churan and Nangong Fei merely smiled without saying anything.
Having experienced the secret-realm expedition, they knew exactly how terrifying Ye Xuan was!
"Brother Chengfeng, cripple him!"
At that moment, in the Azure Mist Sect's seats, Liu Yunxi's eyes were bloodshot as she snarled in a low voice.
She could not let Ye Xuan see her humiliation!
"Hmph, Ye Xuan, are you here to die!?"
Even without Liu Yunxi saying so, he would never have let Ye Xuan off.
The humiliation at the Marquis Manor banquet had to be repaid in blood!
"Dead?"
"Ye has never known what the word 'dead' means."
Yet Ye Xuan walked down from the high platform step by step.
"Heh heh, you're merely a Mortal Body, yet you still dare to grandstand and seek attention?!"
"All I need to do is wave my hand, and I can kill you!"
Boom!
As his voice fell, Xiao Chengfeng's aura suddenly surged. A gale swept across the arena and charged straight at Ye Xuan!
Who was he?
The Holy Son of the Heavenly Gang Realm, the number one of the Hundred Refinements Tower, and a sworn brother of Marquis Qi!
Only Ji Fengliu was worthy of being his opponent!
"You're no more than an ant!"
But at that very moment, Ye Xuan, who had stepped onto the arena, suddenly shook both shoulders. His aura instantly burst out through his body.
Radiant energy surged wildly around him, scattering the oncoming torrent of gale winds in an instant!
What!?
In the blink of an eye, the entire arena fell as silent as a secluded valley.
Everyone looked at one another, their hearts shaken with astonishment.
Ye Xuan had actually been concealing his cultivation!?
He wasn't a Mortal Body incapable of cultivating!
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