Within the blood pool, the Nirvana Star God Fruit finally ripened completely. The fruit was no larger than a longan, crystal-clear and translucent, as though it contained a miniature starry sky. It was both the ultimate condensation of life and the desolation of all things reaching their end.
Xuanyuan Che made a beckoning gesture, and the Star God Fruit drifted lightly into his palm. It felt faintly cool to the touch, yet weighed as heavily as a mountain, clearly containing vast and surging energy.
"Sister Mu, this item shares the same origin and resonance as your Guixu Sword Intent. It is the supreme treasure for tempering your sword soul and condensing a Nirvana Sword Heart." Xuanyuan Che handed the Star God Fruit to Mu Qingxue, his tone serious. "But the energy within is tyrannical. You must proceed step by step. I will guard you while you refine it here."
Mu Qingxue's cold eyes rested on the strange fruit. She could clearly sense the intense yearning emanating from the Sword Bone within her body and the Wuchen Sword. She did not decline. Taking the Star God Fruit, she nodded heavily. "Thank you."
She sat down cross-legged, placing the Star God Fruit in her palm. Guixu Sword Intent slowly flowed forth, carefully wrapping around the fruit. Strands of nirvanic power from the stars were drawn out and flowed through her meridians into her body, beginning to merge with her own sword essence.
In an instant, Mu Qingxue was enveloped in a hazy gray sword light, like a field of stars. Her aura began to rise steadily. The barrier at the Xing Yuan Realm Peak immediately loosened as she advanced toward the Wu Xiang Realm. More importantly, her sword intent was undergoing a qualitative transformation, becoming purer and carrying a profound truth of silence that seemed capable of returning all things to the void.
Xuanyuan Che watched from the side and flicked his fingers. Several Chaos Qi Flows entered the major acupoints around Mu Qingxue's body, helping her sort through the somewhat violent energy.
Thunder Roar Ravine was not idle either. It dug up the sapling of the Nirvana Star God Tree along with a large chunk of rock around its roots, temporarily wrapping it in Spiritual Power to nourish it before taking it back to the academy.
While Xuanyuan Che and the others harvested their opportunity beneath the abyss, outside the Myriad Races Battlefield, the Myriad Manifestations Battle Arena at the center of Xuanhuang Ancient City had already erupted into an uproar.
Tens of thousands of enormous light screens hung high in the sky, projecting real-time scenes from every corner of the battlefield, especially regions with high-ranking scores or fierce battles.
And one of those screens was currently focused on the edge of the Cang Mo Abyss!
Though the view beneath the abyss could not be captured, the scene of Xuanyuan Che smashing the Saint Corpse Bone Demon's arm with a single punch had been projected in full.
"Gasp—! What... what kind of monster was that?! He blew apart a Saint Realm Bone Demon's arm with one punch?!"
"Eastern Xuan Academy? Since when did the Eastern Wasteland Domain produce such a monstrous genius?!"
"Xing Yuan Realm? What a joke! That had to be a disguise! He was at least in the Saint Realm! He might even be a Saint King disguised as one!"
"And that woman—her sword intent... how terrifying. It could actually devour Death Qi!"
"The Netherworld Clan! They actually infiltrated the battlefield! What were they plotting...?"
"Look at the score rankings! Eastern Xuan Academy's points are soaring like mad!"
The crowd buzzed with discussion, staring in shock at the figure in coarse linen clothes on the screen.
On the towering viewing platform, silence reigned as well.
Jiang Daoxuan, the Academy Lord of Xuanhuang Academy seated in the place of honor, had a trace of surprise appear on his usually still face. His gaze was profound, as if it could pierce through the light screen and see something deeper.
"This aura... though it is being restrained with all his might, the foundation of that punch... why does it bear traces of Chaos Qi?" Jiang Daoxuan pondered inwardly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "Eastern Xuan Academy..."
The academy lords and elders of the other top academies, along with the leading figures of Central Continent's great powers, all wore different expressions. They secretly sent messages to investigate Eastern Xuan Academy and the background of the youth called Xuanyuan Che.
The Netherworld Clan infiltrating the battlefield to scheme for a supreme treasure was already a major incident. Yet the disciples of Eastern Xuan Academy had uncovered it and resolved it with thunderous methods, causing Eastern Xuan Academy and the name Xuanyuan Che to instantly enter the sight of every major power.
"Academy Lord, this..." An elder leading Eastern Xuan Academy's team was so excited that even his voice trembled as he looked toward Lu Xuanchen beside him.
On the surface, Lu Xuanchen looked calm as drifting clouds and gentle winds. He stroked his beard with a smile, as though everything were within his grasp, but inwardly he cursed, That brat... I told him to keep a low profile, to keep a low profile. It's only the first day, and he's already made such a huge commotion! But... well done! Hehe, let's see who still dares say Eastern Xuan Academy comes from some barbaric wasteland!
His gaze swept over the Central Continent magnates around him who had previously paid little attention to Eastern Xuan Academy. Seeing the unconcealed astonishment on their faces, he could not help but feel secretly delighted.
At the same time, within the battlefield, the top geniuses in other regions vaguely learned through the simple messages from their Identity Tokens and the shifting scores that a heaven-shaking event had occurred near the abyss.
In a land of lava, a young man surrounded by crimson-gold dragon phantoms and radiating an incomparably tyrannical aura had just slain a Late Great Void Realm lava beast with one punch. He glanced at Eastern Xuan Academy's unusual leap in points on his token, as well as the vague rumor of "one punch shattering a saint corpse," and a powerful fighting spirit flashed through his eyes.
"Xuanyuan Che? Interesting! I hope you make it to the end and fight me, Zhou Qiankun!" He was Zhou Qiankun of True Martial Academy. He had already reunited with his fellow disciples and recovered considerably from his injuries, and he felt both gratitude and curiosity toward Xuanyuan Che.
Elsewhere, a beautiful woman in snow-white palace robes, ethereal as an immortal, walked lightly upon the snow. Wherever she passed, all things froze. She too noticed the changes on the score rankings and the messages being spread, and her cold eyes stirred faintly.
"Guixu Sword Intent... Nirvana Star God Fruit... It seems this grand competition is more interesting than I imagined." She murmured softly. She was Xue Qingxian, successor of the Ice Snow Holy Palace in the Northern Plains, ranked twelfth on the Earth Ranking.
Within the ruins of an ancient temple, a young monk in plain monastic robes, with nine precept scars atop his head and a compassionate expression, pressed his palms together and delivered several powerful evil spirits from suffering. Feeling the fluctuations transmitted by his token, he shook his head slightly. "Amitabha. The Netherworld has appeared in this world; it is not a blessing for all living beings. That benefactor Xuanyuan seems somewhat too murderous, but... he has also performed a great meritorious deed."
He was Shakya, the Buddhist Son of Vajra Academy in the Western Desert, the Golden Body Arhat.
In a valley where Sword Qi crisscrossed the air, a young man in black carrying a sword, his face as cold and stern as ten-thousand-year ice, slowly opened his eyes. Sword Qi naturally circled around him, shredding several approaching invisible thought demons to pieces.
"Xuanyuan Che..." He silently repeated the name once. His eyes showed not the slightest ripple; only the ancient sword in his arms let out an almost inaudible hum. He was the sword heir of the Xiao Family, ranked eleventh on the Earth Ranking—the Indestructible Sword Body, Xiao Wuji. To him, only stronger opponents seemed capable of stirring even a trace of interest.
Because of Xuanyuan Che's team, the undercurrents within the Myriad Races Battlefield grew ever more turbulent.
The geniuses of every side had all been stirred!
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