Eighth Level of Kaiyuan: Victory Over Shangguan Lin

It was nine in the morning.

The Su Ye Team had already changed direction several times.

"A'Su, A'Su, we're only three field mice behind Meng Li's team!"

"Come on! One more round, and we'll definitely overtake them!"

Xia Zhiqiu cheered Su Ye on.

Only an hour remained of the twenty-four-hour period. At the rate Su Ye was killing field mice, first place was as good as theirs.

The other three members of the team nodded in agreement.

Meng Li's tally was still climbing fast, but overall, Su Ye was killing faster.

But...

When they reached another boundary, they discovered...

Someone was already there.

"Shangguan Lin."

It was Shangguan Lin, who had begun practicing swordsmanship while still in the Kaiyuan Realm.

Shangguan Lin was not surprised to see Su Ye and the others. In fact, he had been waiting for them—or more precisely, for Su Ye.

"Su Ye, I challenge you."

Su Ye frowned.

He did not want to waste time fighting Shangguan Lin.

Xia Zhiqiu flared up at once.

"What's your problem, Shangguan Lin? Did you come here just to pick a fight?"

Shangguan Lin kept his eyes on Su Ye.

"Fight me, and you can kill as many field mice as you like in our area. Otherwise, I'll stand in your way, and you'll never catch up to Meng Li's team."

Even if Su Ye's team used Luoluo Beast Meat to lure the field mice over, the mice were in Shangguan Lin's area. They would have to get past him first.

With Shangguan Lin blocking them, Su Ye would indeed be unable to do as he wished.

"If I beat you, you'll move aside?"

Shangguan Lin smiled, his eyes blazing with Fighting Spirit.

"That's right. Show me your swordsmanship at the level of Perfection!"

He had been learning the way of the sword since childhood and had later devoted himself to practicing his family's Thousand Jun Sword Technique.

Yet even now, he had only brought it to the level of Perfection.

But Su Ye...

Shangguan Lin thought of those remarkable videos.

Su Ye had gone from swinging his blade wildly to practicing the Basic Blade Technique, then mastering it at the level of Perfection.

All in less than a day!

By the time Shangguan Lin finished the last video, his Fighting Spirit had been surging.

Su Ye drew his blade.

"Enough talk. Let's start. I'm in a hurry."

However...

Before they could clash, Zhang Xuan stepped between them.

"Hold on... Shangguan Lin, you're at the Ninth Level of Kaiyuan, and you're challenging Su Ye, who's only at the Seventh Level? Aren't you embarrassed?"

Shangguan Lin paused. "I honestly hadn't thought about that. How about we don't use Star Power and just compare our blade and sword techniques?"

Su Ye waved a hand.

"No need to make it complicated."

System, add points!

[80 Slaughter Value burned. Cultivation Level +1.]

[Cultivation Level]: Abyssal Demon Dragon Technique · Eighth Level of Kaiyuan

As the Slaughter Value burned, Star Power surged around Su Ye.

Then...

Right before everyone's eyes, he broke through in spectacular fashion.

Xia Zhiqiu stared. "A'Su, I knew you were incredible, but I didn't know you were this incredible!"

Zhang Xuan stared too. "That's Student Su for you. I'm not surprised at all... As if!"

Mu Wanrou blinked. "He can break through just because he decides to?"

Xiao Qiyue smiled. "That's Su Ye for you."

The four members of Su Ye's team simply widened their eyes in surprise.

On the other side, Shangguan Lin's teammates nearly had their eyes pop out.

Was...

Was it really that easy?

They were all final-year students in the Elite Class. Naturally, they knew that advancing through the later stages of the Kaiyuan Realm only got harder. Everyone had to train desperately until they reached their Physical Limit, then use resources to break through.

But Su Ye...

He had broken through as easily as eating or drinking.

Su Ye rolled his wrist, felt the greater energy filling his body, and nodded in satisfaction.

He had discovered another benefit of the system.

Breaking through a Minor Realm restored his body to peak condition.

Used well, that could prove invaluable at a critical moment.

He pointed his blade at Shangguan Lin.

"I'm at the Eighth Level of Kaiyuan now, so fighting you at the Ninth Level won't be a problem. Come on. I'm in a hurry."

Shangguan Lin laughed.

"Good! Straight to the point! Here I come!"

The words had barely left his mouth when he charged with his sword.

Bang!

Clang!

Thud!

Blade and sword collided again and again.

So heavy!

Su Ye could clearly feel the tremendous force behind Shangguan Lin's sword.

The Thousand Jun Sword Technique lived up to its name.

No wonder members of the Shangguan Family could break through to the Extraordinary realm by practicing it. With its emphasis on force, it must be excellent for strengthening the body and improving explosive power.

Su Ye marveled inwardly.

Across from him, Shangguan Lin was shaken.

What strength!

Su Ye looked lean, but the power behind his blade far exceeded Shangguan Lin's expectations.

Su Ye was only at the Eighth Level of Kaiyuan, and he had only just broken through.

A Minor Realm still separated them.

Yet Shangguan Lin felt that Su Ye's strength was almost equal to his own.

Was this the Supernatural Ability Su Ye had awakened?

A physical Talent?!

And despite his tremendous strength, Su Ye was neither slow nor clumsy. His blade flew through the air.

He chopped, slashed, swept, hacked, flicked, intercepted, shoved, and thrust.

Every move came effortlessly, yet landed at precisely the right moment.

"Well done!"

The longer they fought, the more excited Shangguan Lin became.

Su Ye's blade technique truly had reached the level of Perfection.

There was not a single opening.

As he fought Su Ye, Shangguan Lin could feel his own swordsmanship improving.

It felt wonderful to face a worthy opponent.

Shangguan Lin almost wished the fight could go on forever.

However...

Su Ye did not feel the same way.

He was in a hurry.

Shangguan Lin's swordsmanship is also at the level of Perfection, and he's closer to the next level than I am. He has more practice than I do.

His Cultivation Level is higher, too. My Vampire physique can make up some of the difference, but it isn't enough...

If I want to win, I'll have to catch him off guard!

Clang!

Blade and sword collided once more.

This time, Su Ye held his blade in his right hand to block Shangguan Lin's sword, then drove his left fist forward.

Black Tiger Steals the Heart!

A move from the Basic Combat Technique.

Caught off guard, Shangguan Lin had never expected Su Ye to throw a punch while wielding his blade. The fist struck him square in the chest.

He stumbled back four or five steps before regaining his balance.

"Shangguan Lin!"

Shangguan Lin's teammates rushed to support him and glared at Su Ye.

"You cheated!"

"We're all classmates! Su Ye, how could you hit him so hard?"

"Exactly! That was out of line."

Xia Zhiqiu was the first to jump to Su Ye's defense.

"Shangguan Lin was the one who challenged him! A'Su accepted, and now you're calling him a cheat? So Shangguan Lin has to win no matter what? Why bother fighting? We might as well just surrender!"

Zhang Xuan stepped up on Su Ye's other side.

"You lost and won't admit it. Talk about bad sportsmanship."

"You..."

Shangguan Lin's teammates were still fuming, but Shangguan Lin raised a hand to silence them.

"I lost."

"And Su Ye held back just now. Otherwise, I wouldn't have merely stumbled a few steps—I'd be seriously injured."

Shangguan Lin turned to Su Ye.

"You beat me this time. I didn't expect you to use the Basic Combat Technique while wielding a blade, but I won't make the same mistake next time!"

Su Ye sheathed his blade.

"Good fight."