Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix

In the second round, Ling Xuan's opponent was Ren Yaoli, one of a trio.

As soon as Ling Xuan was teleported onto the arena, an exaggerated wail came from across the way.

Ren Yaoli pulled a long face and stared at him with her bright, limpid eyes. "Heavens! How did I end up against you, of all people?"

"Haha." Ling Xuan smiled faintly. "We were bound to meet sooner or later, weren't we?"

"Since we know each other, go easy on me, please." Ren Yaoli pulled an exaggerated expression. "I'm doomed to be eliminated now that I've run into you."

"Don't worry. You won't feel any pain." Wielding the Fire God Absolute Domain Blade, Ling Xuan charged at her.

Ren Yaoli pouted adorably. Ling Xuan's words sounded like reassurance, but every one of them hit a nerve. He made killing someone sound like slaughtering a pig.

Crimson flames surged around Ling Xuan, and the air rippled as the heat warped it. Wrapped in scorching waves that seemed to burn the heavens, the Fire God Absolute Domain Blade came crashing toward Ren Yaoli like a streak of red lightning.

Ren Yaoli's expression changed. She lightly tapped the arena with her toes and retreated at speed, her figure drifting like a willow catkin.

She clasped her hands before her, and purple light burst from her bright eyes.

"I was saving this to use against that Feng Lishuang girl, but if I don't use it now, I won't get another chance."

In an instant, the arena space twisted violently, and countless mirrors appeared out of thin air. Ling Xuan's reflection was copied again and again within them. Each duplicate gripped a blade wreathed in black mist, eerie light gleaming in its eyes as it drove toward his sea of consciousness.

An oppressive sensation filled the air, chilling to the bone. It was as though countless invisible hands were trying to wrench Ling Xuan's soul from his body.

"Myriad Flower Spirit Connection, Soul Strangling!" Ren Yaoli shouted. The mirror duplicates struck all at once, and the rich stench of blood instantly filled the arena.

Ling Xuan felt a sharp pain in his sea of consciousness, as though thousands upon thousands of steel needles had pierced it at once.

"Soul Suppressing Cauldron."

The ancient little cauldron deep within Ling Xuan's soul immediately shone brightly, unfurling a barrier around it.

The soul spikes that tried to pierce through vanished like moths flying into a flame the moment they touched the barrier, leaving only faint crackling sounds.

Ling Xuan sneered. The flames around him suddenly tripled in intensity, and his blade's momentum only grew stronger. "Pathetic tricks!"

With a shout, his blazing blade swept down like a miniature sun, carrying the force to split heaven and earth.

Under that terrifying blade light, the mirrors shattered one after another. Cracks spread like a spiderweb, and the shards reflected countless flickering images, making the arena look like a broken river of stars.

Ren Yaoli's face went deathly pale. Feeling the terrifying pressure bearing down on her, she desperately summoned every ounce of power within her, trying to form a new defense.

But Ling Xuan was too fast. Before she could use another technique, he appeared before her like a specter, the blade tip pressed to her throat, its chill seeping through her skin.

The flames dancing on the blade's tip illuminated her terrified face, while Ling Xuan's eyes remained utterly calm.

"It's over."

Ling Xuan's voice was as even as if he were stating the most ordinary fact.

Ren Yaoli froze in place, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. It took her a long moment to find her voice. "...You call that going easy?"

"It was much gentler than you expected." Ling Xuan withdrew his blade. The flames gradually died down, and the lingering heat in the air slowly faded with them.

The Fire God Absolute Domain Blade swept lightly past her, and Ren Yaoli instantly turned into a pile of data and was teleported out of the arena.

The next second, Ling Xuan appeared beside her and casually added, "Remember to review what went wrong."

"Ugh!" Ren Yaoli made a fierce face at Ling Xuan, then turned away and ignored him.

Aside from the fight between Ling Xuan and Cao Benqi, the other matches were all protracted and intense.

The fight between Feng Lishuang and Leng Yanqiu was especially evenly matched.

On their arena, Feng Lishuang lightly tapped the ground with her toes and soared into the air, the scorching currents swirling around her crimson outfit. The Nine Phoenix Divine Fire Spear in her hand spat red flames, and the nine phoenix emblems on its shaft flickered with each breath. Leng Yanqiu's silver hair stirred without a breeze. Nine golden swords floated around her, shimmering with the cold radiance of the Origin of Gold. Each tremor left a thin golden crack in the void.

"Illusion Sword Style!" Leng Yanqiu raised her delicate hand, and the nine golden swords instantly became streaks of light, shooting out in a fan-shaped spread.

Feng Lishuang's beautiful eyes widened. She kicked off hard and shot backward like a flaming meteor, sweeping the Nine Phoenix Divine Fire Spear at the same time.

The spear erupted with nine streaks of crimson flame. They crashed against the golden swords with a ringing clash, sparks raining down like a sudden shower and causing the arena to flicker between light and shadow.

Leng Yanqiu crooked a finger. Two of the golden swords suddenly skimmed along the ground like venomous snakes, darting for Feng Lishuang's legs.

Feng Lishuang leaped and spun. The butt of her spear slammed down like an iron whip, colliding with the swords in a burst of dazzling sparks.

She used the impact to turn in midair, aiming the spear at Leng Yanqiu.

"Nine Phoenixes Facing the Sun!"

Nine golden beams shot skyward from the spear. The phantom images of nine fire phoenixes merged into a hundred-meter-long golden phoenix of flame. It spread its wings, unleashing a wave of heat that swept across the arena, and plunged toward Leng Yanqiu.

Leng Yanqiu remained composed. Her pale hand traced an intricate pattern in the air, and the nine golden swords instantly merged into a golden greatsword just over a foot long.

"Heaven Piercing Style!" she cried. The golden greatsword tore through the void, bearing the force to destroy heaven and earth as it met the fire phoenix.

Seeing this, Feng Lishuang swung the Nine Phoenix Divine Fire Spear. Layer upon layer of spear shadows surged forth as she engaged the golden greatsword head-on.

The moment spearpoint and sword tip collided, the immense shockwave sent ripples across the arena's protective barrier, as though it might shatter at any moment.

The fire phoenix's claws raked wildly at the golden greatsword, scattering sparks as brilliant as fireworks. Yet the Origin of Gold law clinging to the sword gnawed relentlessly at the phoenix's fiery body.

Feng Lishuang gritted her teeth and poured all her strength into the Nine Phoenix Divine Fire Spear. Its flames tripled in intensity, and the nine phoenix phantoms spun wildly, transforming into a colossal fire phoenix that blotted out the sky.

"Hundred Birds Facing the Phoenix!"

At her sharp cry, the fire phoenix raised its head and shrieked, then hurtled into the golden greatsword.

Veins bulged on Leng Yanqiu's forehead as she controlled the golden greatsword with all her might. Golden light flared from its tip, colliding furiously with the fire phoenix's flames.

The two clashed for several seconds. Then, with a deafening boom, the golden greatsword shattered into nine smaller golden swords. Yet they still followed a strange trajectory toward Feng Lishuang. The Nine Phoenix Divine Fire Spear darted rapidly, its tip quivering as it bloomed into sprays of spear flowers, trying to intercept them.

The fire phoenix's momentum didn't abate. It slammed into Leng Yanqiu, blasting her away like a kite with its strings cut. She crashed hard into the edge of the arena, kicking up a cloud of dust.

When the dust gradually settled, Leng Yanqiu lay sprawled on the ground, her breathing faint. Feng Lishuang knelt on one knee, panting heavily, several sword wounds marking her delicate body as well.

In the end, she had won by trading wounds.

The two were then teleported out of the arena together.

That made five finalists.

Flame God · Cao Benqi

Flame Demon · Ling Xuan

Phoenix Maiden · Feng Lishuang

Mad Blade · Alister

Ape Demon · Austin

Venerable Beiyan's figure appeared silently, like a specter. His expression was stern, but his face, usually as cold as thousand-year-old ice, managed to form a rare smile.

The smile, however, looked stiff and forced. It was as cold and hard as his title, North Rock, and sent a chill down the spine. He would have looked more at ease without it.

His gaze swept across the five, sharp as lightning. His voice seemed to come from the depths of the netherworld, hoarse and icy. "Not bad. All five of you are exceptional talents. And not just you—the top ten in this year's competition are so strong that every one of them could have contended for the championship in previous years. But fate is cruel... You were born in the same era."

Hearing this, everyone bowed respectfully. They didn't dare make a sound or show the slightest hint of pride.

Ling Xuan muttered inwardly, This Venerable doesn't look easy to deal with. I'd better keep a low profile and focus on building my strength.

"Rest for a while, everyone. The top-five round robin will begin shortly. The rules are... Each of the top five will face the other four once. A win earns one point, and the champion and runner-up will be decided by the final standings."