Top Three Outer Prefecture

Qin Jue made his way down the mountain, silently calculating in his heart.

The first form of Cicada Wing, [Flap Wings], was already complete. Combined with the sword dao experience accumulated in his past life, he was confident he could defeat an ordinary Hundred Refinements Fourth Layer martial artist head-on.

As for Hundred Refinements Fifth Layer...

Although [Thousand Threads] placed an enormous burden on the body and forcibly using it would injure his arm, if he found an opening and caught them off guard, he might still be able to kill with a single strike!

"I still need to raise my realm as quickly as possible."

Qin Jue withdrew his thoughts and kept walking without pause.

Just then, a clamor of voices reached his ears.

"Did you hear? Zhong Li Shan challenged Chu Hanjiang! Both of them are at Hundred Refinements Seventh Layer, top three in the outer academy rankings. This fight is bound to be a clash of titans!"

"That lunatic Zhong Li Shan, his Cloak Chaotic Mace Technique is overwhelmingly domineering, and Chu Hanjiang's Flow Breaking Light Splitting Sword has long reached perfection. Who knows who'll win or lose!"

In an instant, many disciples rushed over upon hearing the news, eager to witness this peak duel.

"Zhong Li Shan? Chu Hanjiang?"

Qin Jue searched his memory for these two names. Both were prominent figures in the outer academy, their cultivation reaching Hundred Refinements Seventh Layer with solid foundations, only a step away from the Eighth Layer.

"Since it's on the way, I might as well take a look." Qin Jue mused to himself. "Shutting oneself away and working in isolation is no true path of martial arts. Only by knowing both yourself and your enemy can you gauge the caliber of Qingcang Academy's top talents and how far I still lag behind them."

With that thought, he hesitated no longer and followed the crowd deeper into the Martial Arena.

Before he even neared the Martial Arena, a fierce wave of force surged toward him.

"Boom!"

A dull, heavy explosion echoed across the arena floor, and the struck bluestone slab visibly dented inward!

In the center of the arena, a burly young man stood bare-chested. Beneath his bronze skin, his blood and qi blazed like fire, steaming into a faint bloody mist—the mark of Hundred Refinements Seventh Layer [Molten Blood]: "Wolf Smoke Blood"!

He swung his pitch-black heavy mace in a crushing overhead strike!

"Chu Hanjiang! Stop dodging like a woman! Take this blow!"

That burly youth was none other than Zhong Li Shan. He grinned wildly, his words brimming with arrogance.

Facing this ferocious strike, Chu Hanjiang's brow furrowed slightly. Just as the heavy mace came crashing down, he shifted his footing and narrowly evaded.

"Boom!" With a thunderous roar, the bluestone slab shattered into pieces, fragments flying in all directions!

The instant Zhong Li Shan's old force was spent and his new force had yet to arise, Chu Hanjiang struck with his sword.

"Shut up!"

With a cold shout, his blood and qi surged silently. His sword moved with unbelievable speed. Amid the shrill whistle of Sword Qi tearing through the air, one afterimage lingered in place while another cold gleam, tinged with a faint bloodlight, sliced toward Zhong Li Shan's wrist!

Flow Breaking Light Splitting Second Form—Light Splitting!

"Shiiing!" A light sound, like tearing silk.

Zhong Li Shan's wrist went cold. His tough wristguard was slashed open in a single stroke! Had he not cultivated the Hundred Refinements Profound Gold Body, making his skin and membranes far tougher than ordinary men, this strike would have severed his tendons!

"Good! That move has some bite!"

Far from anger at the strike that nearly crippled his wrist, Zhong Li Shan's eyes lit up instead. He bellowed, "Again!"

He twisted his body violently, pouring all his boiling blood and qi into the heavy mace. The originally pitch-black weapon now shimmered with a faint red glow as he swept it horizontally, kicking up an even more piercing howl!

Cloak Chaotic Mace Technique Second Form—Thousand Jin Drop!

Chu Hanjiang's expression remained unchanged. His long sword, at an impossible angle, precisely tapped the heavy mace!

"Ting!"

A crisp ring rang out. Zhong Li Shan's momentum-laden mace was forcibly halted, leaving his chest tight and stifled!

"Good eyes."

Standing at the edge of the crowd, Qin Jue narrowed his eyes and nodded inwardly.

In that split second, Chu Hanjiang had actually found the gap in his opponent's technique. Such eyesight was far beyond ordinary.

"Damn it! You blasted mosquito, always pulling these dirty tricks!"

Zhong Li Shan in the arena felt as if his mace had smashed into a wad of cotton. The frustration of having his strength neutralized was unbearable, and he roared in fury.

"Since I can't outplay you with skill, I'll crush you with raw power!"

With a furious shout, the "Wolf Smoke Blood" steaming from his body grew denser. The heavy mace spun faster and faster, forming a black storm wreathed in bloody mist around him!

"It's the third form of Cloak Chaotic Mace Technique—Raging Waves Roll!" someone in the crowd shouted in terror. "Fall back! You'll get caught in it!"

Facing this all-devouring black maelstrom, Chu Hanjiang's expression shifted slightly. He knew well that trying to meet the rotating inertia-fueled heavy mace with sheer physical strength was like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.

But—there was no escape!

A cold gleam flashed in Chu Hanjiang's eyes. He squeezed every drop of his boiling blood and qi, concentrating it into a single point! The long sword in his hand ceased trembling and froze in place. At the sword tip, a crimson speck like a drop of blood gathered, brimming with infinite piercing power!

Flow Breaking Light Splitting Third Form [Breaking Momentum]!

This strike sought not to kill, but to break the momentum!

The sword light shot out like a single thread of raging tide, aimed at the most violent point of the black storm—needle point against needle point—and stabbed forth with a thunderous clash!

"Boom!"

The violent explosion shook the entire Martial Arena! Dust swept through the air, gravel flew in all directions, and the surrounding disciples were knocked back several steps by the immense shockwave, their faces pale with shock!

If you can't find the title by searching, try searching for the author—maybe it's just been renamed!

As the dust cleared, two figures were sent flying backward at the same time!

Zhong Li Shan grunted, retreating seven consecutive steps, each one leaving a deep footprint in the hard bluestone floor. A white mark appeared on his chest—a Sword Qi slash that had breached the defenses of the Hundred Refinements Profound Gold Body. Though it drew no blood, the pain was sharp and lingering.

As for Chu Hanjiang, the force sent him flying back like a broken kite, and with a heavy "thud," he crashed hard onto the ground!

"Cough..."

Chu Hanjiang spat out a mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning as pale as paper! He struggled to get up, but his entire right arm, the one holding the sword, trembled uncontrollably, his palm already drenched in blood!

"Now that's what I call a fight! Damn, that felt good!"

Zhong Li Shan steadied himself, wiped a hand across his chest, and his battle intent only flared higher. His eyes, as large as copper bells, seemed to burn with two blazing flames.

He laughed heartily: "Excellent! Chu Hanjiang, you're much stronger than last year! But if this is all you've got, then today ends here!"

The moment he finished speaking, Zhong Li Shan let out a fierce roar. His blood energy erupted violently, and a visible crimson wave of qi surged outward from him! The bluestone floor beneath his feet cracked inch by inch under the invisible pressure, letting out a mournful "crack"!

"That's the Crimson Blood Armor!! It's a blood energy martial technique!"

"Heavens! He's already comprehended a blood energy martial technique!"

Some of the newly initiated disciples, who had never witnessed such a scene, turned pale with terror, their legs weak and trembling.

On the other side of the arena, Chu Hanjiang's pupils also contracted slightly. A flicker of surprise crossed his face, but it was quickly replaced by even fiercer battle intent: "Good, good, good! Zhong Li Shan, I didn't expect you to have reached this level too!"

Before his words faded, Chu Hanjiang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, took a step forward, and an unnatural flush surged onto his pale cheeks.

The sword in his hand, once cold and clear in its light, now took on an eerie blood-red hue, like a blood-red sun about to burst forth.

The weaker disciples, struck by this sword light, felt a sharp sting in their eyes and couldn't help but retreat several steps!

Seeing this, Zhong Li Shan was first slightly stunned, then roared with even greater excitement: "Good, very good! Now that's more like it!"

The disciples below were completely fired up.

"Both... both of them have comprehended blood energy martial techniques! Is this year's Outer Court Grand Competition going to be a battle of gods?"

"After all, this year's rewards are too astonishing. I heard the top ten can directly qualify for the 'Inner Court Promotion Assessment,' and the top three can even enter the legendary [Dragon Transformation Pool] for baptism! That's a treasure ground that can completely remake a person—no wonder they're saving their ultimate moves for last."

"Exactly! Either of these two this year is already infinitely close to last year's Zhong Li Shan! I remember last year, he barely managed to pull Xiao Ting Yuan off his throne with just half a blood energy martial technique!"

An experienced older disciple exclaimed in awe.

At the mention of Xiao Ting Yuan's name, the surroundings quieted down a few degrees. The number one of the Outer Court—a name that weighed like a mountain on every Outer Court Disciple's heart!

The Dragon Transformation Pool... a direct path to the Inner Court...

Hearing the chatter around him, Qin Jue's heart stirred slightly.

But just as the two overwhelming blood energies were about to collide, Zhong Li Shan suddenly retracted his momentum.

He grinned, his voice booming like a bell: "Chu Hanjiang! Excellent! Today, you've finally earned the right to stand before me! Hold back—this move is for the Outer Court Grand Competition! When the time comes, I'll use it to make you understand that the gap between second and third is a chasm you'll never cross!"

Hearing this, Chu Hanjiang also dispersed his blood-colored sword light and said coldly: "Too bad. This year, you're no longer my target. The number one seat of the Outer Court—this year, it's changing hands!"

Both saw in each other's eyes a blazing battle intent and a hint of mutual recognition. This fight no longer needed to continue.

"Tch—"

The watching crowd let out a disappointed jeer, but they also knew this was the wise choice. Blood energy martial techniques were precious techniques only accessible from the second floor of the Myriad Scrolls Pavilion—life-or-death trump cards that required consuming one's own blood energy to unleash, with terrifying power!

But the cost was equally horrifying. An ordinary [Blood Melting Realm] martial artist could only use them once or twice before their blood energy was depleted, even to the point of fainting. To harm one's foundation in a sparring match would be true foolishness.

"Too bad—we didn't get to see the final clash."

Qin Jue shook his head, withdrawing his gaze with lingering interest. Though the fight hadn't finished, it gave him a clearer understanding of his current body's strength.

"If I used all my trump cards, I'd be far from a match for them right now."

Qin Jue pondered inwardly. "Hundred Refinements Seventh Layer, blood energy like fire—their strength and explosive power far exceed my current level. Unless I can break through to Hundred Refinements Sixth Layer, my chances of winning in a direct confrontation are less than one in ten."

The Outer Court Grand Competition was still eight months away. The legendary Dragon Transformation Pool, said to completely remake a person, was only open to the top three. If he wanted to close the gap in foundation with these top-tier geniuses in a short time, this competition was his best chance.

"I have to fight for it."

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart, turned, and walked away toward the Deacon Hall.

Just then, someone in the crowd suddenly pointed at his retreating back and whispered in surprise:

"Hey? That guy... the one carrying a sword—isn't that Qin Jue, who beat Ning Zhiyuan a few days ago?"

"I think it really is him! I was there that day—that [Tide Surging Stance] of his was absolutely stunning!"

"I heard he's only at Hundred Refinements Third Layer? Defeating a superior—this guy's another sword freak!"

"Tsk, looks like this year's Outer Court Grand Competition will have some spice. That kid might just be a dark horse. Word is the Ning Family has already put out word that they're going to deal with him."

The murmurs reached Qin Jue's ears, but he didn't slow his pace. His expression remained as calm as still water.

Fame?

To him, it was neither food for the belly nor resources for cultivation. In this world where strength reigned supreme, only the sword in his hand and his own cultivation were eternal truths.

"How interesting."

From behind came Zhong Li Shan's booming voice—he'd clearly overheard the gossip too. He casually glanced at Qin Jue's retreating back, scratched his head, and let out a chuckle. "Hundred Refinements Third Layer? That frame's way too brittle! I wouldn't dare touch a little runt like that—what if one swing of my mace kills him? Chu Hanjiang, looks like this so-called 'dark horse' is best left for someone like you, who plays with embroidery needles, to slowly break in, hahaha!"

In his eyes, only Chu Hanjiang, a peer at the same level, was worthy of being his opponent. As for everyone else, they couldn't stir his interest.

Faced with Zhong Li Shan's arrogance, Chu Hanjiang sheathed his sword, cast a glance at Qin Jue's back, and replied with a detached expression:

"Zhong Li Shan, put away your pride. Be careful you don't capsize in a gutter."

"Ha? Him?" Zhong Li Shan scoffed dismissively, clearly unbothered.

Ahead, Qin Jue's steps paused briefly. The corner of his mouth lifted slightly, but he didn't look back, continuing on toward the Deacon Hall.

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