Mu Qingxue's process of refining the Nirvana Star God Fruit went exceptionally smoothly. With Xuanyuan Che standing guard beside her, the vast power of the stars flowed like a tame stream, perfectly merging into her sword essence and sword soul.
Her cultivation also broke through to the Wu Xiang Realm as naturally as water flowing into a channel, then rose all the way until it slowly came to a halt at the middle stage of the Wu Xiang Realm.
But this was not the most important improvement. The greatest change lay in her Guixu Sword Intent. Specks of starlight had merged into the originally gray sword radiance; with a single thought, she could draw down falling stars and return all things to the void. A rudimentary Sword Heart interwoven with star patterns and nirvana had already begun to slowly condense in the depths of her sea of consciousness.
When she opened her eyes, it seemed as though a river of stars flowed within them. Her aura was more than several times stronger than before!
Mu Qingxue rose to her feet and gave Xuanyuan Che a solemn bow. "Thank you, Junior Brother Xuanyuan, for making this possible."
Xuanyuan Che waved his hand and smiled. "You're too polite, Sister Mu. We're on the same side, so there's no need for that. How do you feel? Are you confident you can beat up Nangong Huo now?"
Mu Qingxue was slightly startled, then a powerful confidence flashed through her eyes. "If I encounter Nangong Huo, he has no chance of winning." Her Guixu Sword Intent hummed, brimming with excitement.
Xuanyuan Che nodded, then swept his gaze across the underground hollow. "That commotion just now wasn't small. Although most of it was concealed by the abyssal Death Qi, there's no guarantee it won't draw other trouble. Besides, the Netherworld Clan lost a Saint and four peak Great Void Realm cultivators. They won't let this go. Let's leave first."
The four of them did not delay and swiftly returned the way they had come.
When they returned to the surface, the ruins of the ancient battlefield had already been reduced to utter devastation. The enormous claw-marked craters were a shocking sight, and the air still carried a dense aura of death.
"It seems things weren't peaceful above while we were down there," Yun Mengyao said coolly as she sensed the surroundings.
Xuanyuan Che swept his gaze over the battlefield before it suddenly settled on a patch of scorched earth, where an extremely faint fluctuation of sword intent remained.
"Oh?" Xuanyuan Che raised a brow, sensing the indestructible trait contained within that strand of sword intent. "Looks like that Xiao Family sword heir also came to join the excitement, and he fought someone. His opponent wasn't weak—at least in the Saint Realm—and... carried an unpleasant scent of curses."
"Another group from the Netherworld Clan? Or other foreign-race experts within the battlefield?" Mu Qingxue asked gravely.
"Either is possible." Xuanyuan Che did not pursue the matter further. "Let's go. There are still quite a few days left in the first round, and our Battle Merit should be enough to advance. Next, we can take a look around, meet the geniuses from other regions, and while we're at it... deal with the Netherworld Clan."
A dangerous curve tugged at his lips. The Netherworld Clan had dared to make a move under his very nose. This matter could not simply be let go.
Not long after they departed, a figure appeared at the edge of the battlefield.
He was still dressed in black. The ancient sword in his arms had slid three inches from its sheath, its blade flowing with cold light like water and radiating a razor-sharp sword intent that seemed capable of severing all things. His gaze swept across the battlefield and lingered briefly on the abyssal fissure and the direction where Xuanyuan Che had last stood. His eyes remained icy, yet now held an indescribable gravity and fighting spirit.
"Interesting, interesting..." he murmured to himself. Then his figure transformed into peerless sword light and vanished in an instant.
The Myriad Races Battlefield was boundless, and more than half of the ten days had already passed.
Xuanyuan Che's group of four charged through the battlefield without concealing their tracks. Wherever they went, whether powerful foreign-race settlements or academy teams that thought highly of themselves, all were swept aside with the force of rotten wood collapsing before a raging torrent.
Xuanyuan Che rarely made another move. Most of the time, he merely held the line from the side. Even so, the terrifying combat strength displayed by Yun Mengyao and the other two was enough to deal with every opponent they encountered.
Eastern Xuan Academy's points surged wildly at a rate that left people in despair. They had long since secured a place in the top ten thousand, and had even charged straight into the top hundred, with their ranking continuing to rise!
Xuanyuan Che's name also rapidly spread throughout the battlefield alongside all manner of exaggerated rumors.
"Have you heard? That Eastern Xuan Academy from the Eastern Wasteland produced a monster named Xuanyuan Che. He blew apart a Saint Realm Bone Demon with one punch!"
"That's nothing! They say a Netherworld Clan Saint couldn't even survive one move before him!"
"The three teammates by his side are freaks too. Every one of them can fight better than the last!"
"Damn it, if you run into them, take a detour immediately. Whatever you do, don't start a conflict!"
Within the battlefield, Eastern Xuan Academy's Xuanyuan Che squad had become one of the names nobody dared provoke.
The next day, the four arrived at a region known as Meteor Lake. The lake water contained a peculiar spiritual essence and was extremely valuable, attracting quite a few teams to hunt there.
A conflict was currently erupting along the lakeshore.
One side of the battle was unexpectedly another Eastern Xuan Academy team led by Xiao Chen! They seemed to have discovered a treasure ground where a school of Star Scale Fish had gathered, only to be targeted by another team.
Their opponents came from Heavenly Palace Academy of the Central Continent, the very academy Yuxi belonged to—the man who had a grudge against Xuanyuan Che! Yuxi was not present at the moment. Leading the group was another young man with a proud aura, dressed in a magnificent cloud-patterned battle robe. His cultivation had astonishingly reached the Late Great Void Realm, and five or six teammates, all above the Wu Xiang Realm, followed at his side. Their strength far surpassed Xiao Chen's group.
Xiao Chen's side had only five people, and the strongest among them was merely at the Early Great Void Realm. Every one of them was wounded, and they had been surrounded by the people from Heavenly Palace Academy. Their battle formation was on the verge of collapse.
"You bumpkins from the Eastern Wasteland, if you know what's good for you, hand over the Star Core and fish school you just captured. Then kneel and kowtow three times. If I'm in a good mood, I might let you crush your tokens and crawl away!" the richly robed youth from Heavenly Palace Academy sneered, his eyes full of contempt.
"Not a chance! We discovered this place first!" Blood seeped from the corner of Xiao Chen's mouth as he gritted his teeth and held on, his eyes filled with unwillingness. He had not expected to encounter an elite team from Heavenly Palace Academy here. They were somewhat powerless to resist.
"Stubborn to the bitter end. Then don't blame me for being ruthless. Cripple them!" The richly robed youth's gaze turned cold as he gave the order.
The people of Heavenly Palace Academy immediately intensified their assault, sending all kinds of dazzling spells and combat techniques crashing toward Xiao Chen's group's battle formation.
As the battle formation was about to shatter, humiliation flashed through Xiao Chen's eyes. He thought of Xuanyuan Che, yet his heart was ultimately still unwilling.
Drip... A drop of blood fell from the corner of Xiao Chen's mouth. The condition of those behind him was even worse. Xiao Chen no longer hesitated and was about to order them to crush their tokens and withdraw—
"Heh, Heavenly Palace Academy? What imposing prestige!"
A lazy voice rang out.
Immediately afterward, a thick bolt of silver lightning descended from the heavens, striking precisely in front of the attacks from Heavenly Palace Academy!
The lightning exploded, and the violent thunder force instantly annihilated those spells and combat techniques!
A burly figure, mountain-like in stature, crashed heavily down between the two sides. It was Thunder Roar Ravine.
He cracked his neck, producing a series of popping bone sounds. "Who wants to cripple my Eastern Xuan Academy people? Did you ask Grandpa Shi first?"
"Just now, was it you who said you wanted to cripple my Eastern Xuan Academy people?"
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