"Clang!"
Metal rang against metal, and sparks flew.
A tremendous force surged through the sword. Lu Jiuyuan staggered back three steps, cracking the stone slabs beneath his feet.
Feng Qing'er, however, didn't move an inch. She looked down at him from above.
"Is that all?"
A mocking curve tugged at her lips. "Looks like you're not all that strong. Your victory over Bibi Dong must have been nothing but luck."
Lu Jiuyuan shook out his wrist and said nothing.
But his gaze had changed.
That last strike had given him a much clearer sense of Feng Qing'er's strength.
She was indeed powerful.
Her speed, her strength, and the density of her Dou Qi were all beyond what he had expected.
But he could handle her.
Now all he had to do was beat Feng Qing'er into submission and make her obey him from then on!
"That was just a warm-up. Now I'm getting serious."
Lu Jiuyuan tilted his head and took a deep breath. The spiritual energy within him surged wildly.
A brilliant blue light blazed along his sword.
Feng Qing'er raised an eyebrow. "Oh? So you're finally getting serious?"
She didn't let her guard down. Golden Dou Qi gathered around her, forming a protective barrier, while the faint image of a pair of golden wings appeared behind her.
The Heavenly Demon Phoenix Wings.
The next moment, Lu Jiuyuan moved.
He thrust out his sword, plain and unremarkable.
A flicker of confusion crossed Feng Qing'er's eyes, but her battle instincts took over, and she raised her sword to block.
Just as their swords were about to clash, the heavens and earth changed color.
The star-filled sky suddenly darkened beneath thick clouds, and thunder rumbled.
A bolt of lightning tore through the sky and struck Lu Jiuyuan's sword!
"Divine Sword Thunder Control Technique!"
Lu Jiuyuan roared, skipping the usual buildup. His sword, wrapped in thunderous might, crashed into Feng Qing'er's Phoenix Feather Sword!
"BOOM!!!"
The deafening blast sent waves of violent energy sweeping outward, shattering the stone slabs across the platform.
Feng Qing'er's expression changed drastically.
It felt as if she weren't fighting a sword, but the entire world!
The power of the thunder was as vast as the sea and utterly overwhelming. It even seemed to suppress the bloodline of her Heaven Demon Phoenix Clan!
"What... what kind of technique is this? How can it be so overbearing?"
She gritted her teeth and held on, pouring out her golden Dou Qi to resist the thunder.
"Break!"
Lu Jiuyuan wasn't surprised by Feng Qing'er's resistance. He roared and unleashed every last bit of spiritual energy within him.
The thunder surged, transforming into a silver dragon. It opened its jaws and lunged to swallow Feng Qing'er whole!
Feng Qing'er's pupils contracted.
She knew she couldn't stop it.
In the blink of an eye, she made her choice. Her golden wings snapped open, carrying her skyward just in time to dodge the thunder dragon's attack.
But the price was her Phoenix Feather Sword. It flew from her grasp, spun through the air, and embedded itself near the edge of the platform.
Lu Jiuyuan lowered his sword and stood calmly, watching her.
Feng Qing'er landed at the other end of the platform, her face ashen as she glared at him.
[First round: Lu Jiuyuan wins!]
The system's voice rang out.
Feng Qing'er stood where she was, her full chest rising and falling rapidly. She stared at Lu Jiuyuan, her expression deeply conflicted.
There was anger, unwillingness to accept defeat, and a trace of wariness that even she hadn't noticed.
"You... what kind of demonic trick did you use?"
Lu Jiuyuan gave a soft laugh, his deep eyes fixed on her. "That move is called the Divine Sword Thunder Control Technique. It's no demonic trick. It's a proper orthodox Daoist technique."
Feng Qing'er bit her soft, pink lip.
Of course she knew it wasn't a demonic trick.
The power of the thunder was calm and righteous, vast and powerful. It was clearly the most orthodox kind of Daoist technique.
That was exactly why it could suppress the Demon Phoenix bloodline within her.
The natural order of the Dao countered demons and evil.
That was an unchanging truth.
"Second round." Feng Qing'er took a deep breath, tamping down her emotions. She reached out, and the Phoenix Feather Sword flew back into her hand. "I won't let my guard down again."
Lu Jiuyuan looked at her and suddenly smiled.
"Are you sure you still want to fight?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean..." Lu Jiuyuan rolled his neck. "Do you think I used my full strength just now?"
Feng Qing'er stared at him coldly.
She wasn't going to believe him. After using such a terrifying Divine Sword Thunder Control Technique, he must have expended a tremendous amount of spiritual energy.
How could he possibly have anything left?
He was just bluffing!
"Cut the nonsense!" Feng Qing'er said coldly. "I'll win the second round!"
With that, she charged at him again.
This time, she moved at blinding speed, leaving a trail of afterimages behind her.
Lu Jiuyuan's lips curled slightly. His footwork shifted several times, and he easily dodged her attacks.
"How is that possible? You still have strength left?"
Feng Qing'er stared at the man before her, eyes wide as he effortlessly dodged her assault.
"Enough! I'm done playing around!" Lu Jiuyuan said in a low voice. "It's time to end this!"
He straightened and tightened his grip on the long sword in his hand.
In an instant, his entire bearing changed.
If he had been like a sword hidden in its scabbard before, now the blade was drawn.
Its sharpness was fully revealed.
Feng Qing'er's pupils contracted.
She felt an incomparably fierce sword intent rising from Lu Jiuyuan.
It wasn't a technique or spiritual energy. It was pure swordsmanship!
Feng Qing'er had almost no time to react. She could only raise her sword to block on instinct.
"Clang!"
Their swords clashed.
"Again."
Lu Jiuyuan spoke softly.
The next instant, he vanished from where he stood.
The tremendous impact numbed Feng Qing'er's hand. To her horror, Lu Jiuyuan's strength was more than twice what it had been before!
Before she could react, his second strike was already upon her.
"Clang!"
The third strike.
"Clang!"
The fourth, the fifth, the sixth...
Each strike came faster than the last, and hit harder than the one before.
Feng Qing'er was driven backward again and again. She could only defend, with no chance to counterattack.
She stared at the man before her, eyes wide with disbelief.
What... what kind of swordsmanship was this?!
There were no flashy techniques, no dazzling lights, just the simplest, most direct move of all—slash!
Every strike was plain and unadorned, yet every one carried immense force.
He was like a blacksmith hammering a red-hot piece of iron, blow after blow.
And Feng Qing'er was that piece of iron!
"Clang!!!"
"BOOM!!!"
The seventh strike landed, and Feng Qing'er finally couldn't hold on any longer. She was sent flying and slammed hard into the barrier at the edge of the platform.
The Phoenix Feather Sword flew from her grasp once more.
She struggled to get up, only to find herself aching all over, without the strength to move.
Looking up, she saw Lu Jiuyuan walking toward her at an unhurried pace, his sword dragging along the ground with a shrill scraping sound.
He stopped in front of her and looked down.
"Do you still want to fight the second round?"
Feng Qing'er moved her lips, but in the end, no words came out.
She had lost.
She had lost completely.
[System notification: Second round, Lu Jiuyuan wins. Best two out of three; challenge over. Winner: Lu Jiuyuan.]
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