"Haha! That was exhilarating!"
Jiang Yao finally understood why so many universe-level warriors, Domain Lords, and even World Lords who weren't slaves would stake their long lives on fighting Life-and-Death Battles at the Giant Axe Coliseum.
Fighting really could become addictive.
The secret techniques he had seen on Yulu Island surfaced as clearly as patterns in his palm during battle, and he wielded them with abandon.
From awkward to practiced, from rough to refined.
It reminded him of the unrestrained clarity he'd felt after Opening the Xu Yuan Space, when he practiced Seven Turns of Heaven's End and the Boat of Guidance. His soul had felt crystal clear, as though nothing could stand in his way.
Sure enough, no amount of armchair theorizing could replace practice.
At the same time, his battle instincts and his control over his Domain and Telepathic Weapon were improving at an incredible rate. After only a few fights, he could wield his fourth-level Telepathic Weapon, the Red Shadow Blade, as naturally as his own arm, as if he and the weapon had become one.
And this wasn't even real combat—it was only a battle in the Virtual Universe.
The sensation of years of accumulated skill bursting forth all at once had completely drawn him into the thrill of fighting.
Round Five: Passed!
Inside the Elder Council chamber, hundreds of Domain Lord and World Lord elders sat on tiered semicircular platforms. They had dropped their reserve and were now whispering excitedly about the dozen or so geniuses who had yet to be eliminated.
Naturally, all eyes were on Jiang Yao.
Meng Yi and Beiqiong exchanged glances. Both could see the shock and delight in the other's eyes.
Raising his Domain to the Fourth Layer in seventeen years was astonishing enough. Yet even while cultivating his Domain, Jiang Yao had kept up with his secret techniques.
What did that mean? What kind of comprehension did it take?
Was practicing secret techniques as easy as drinking water for him?
Even the elders present, with their long lives and broad experience, were stunned to see such an exceptionally young Star Level genius casually wielding one secret technique after another—including techniques practiced by warriors.
Meng Yi couldn't describe how he felt watching a Spirit Reader Controller who had only reached the Planetary Level twenty years ago use a high-level secret technique practiced by Lingtong Race warriors.
It wasn't unusual for a Controller to cultivate as a warrior too. But for someone who had advanced from the Planetary Level to the Star Level in just twenty years and possessed a Fourth-Level Domain to do so was beyond belief.
Where had he found the time?
Cultivating as both a Controller and a warrior seriously slowed one's progress. And to say nothing of bringing a high-level physical secret technique like Sufeng to this level—any Star Level warrior capable of using Sufeng would be considered a genius in his race.
He didn't know that after Jiang Yao's first transformation into Bizhang, his Gene Level had already risen to twice the human norm. Over the past decade or so, as he'd struggled against Bizhang's will, his body's genes had continued to improve, approaching three times the norm for an ordinary member of the Human Race.
That meant Jiang Yao's physical foundation was nearly three times greater than that of a human at the same level!
Jiang Yao's physical talent was unmatched even among the Lingtong Race. He was a born warrior.
Even the Main Sect Clan Leader, who sat beside Jiuyuan and had a weathered face, set aside his frustration over his prized disciple Bancha being eliminated. "Wouldn't you need at least a Seventh-Level Domain to use the Red Shadow Blade's Flowing Flame Storm? How did he pull that off?"
Kasa, the World Lord presiding over the competition, was about to speak when his eyes suddenly widened again.
"The Soul-Killing Arrow?"
When his opponent for the sixth round appeared—a female Illusionist—Jiang Yao didn't wait for her to make a move. He was already eager to face the seventh-round opponent and didn't want to waste time on an Illusionist who posed little threat and couldn't stir his fighting spirit.
So he used a soul-attack secret technique he'd seen on Yulu Island: the Soul-Killing Arrow.
Three black arrows shot out in an instant, merging into one before reaching their target.
The Illusionist struggled for a moment, then dissolved into a streak of light.
Round Six: Passed!
The Domain Lords and World Lords in the Elder Council chamber watched, dumbfounded.
It was perfectly normal for Spirit Readers to practice soul-attack secret techniques. But how much power they could unleash was another matter.
Jiang Yao's opponent was a Star Level Nine Illusionist in the sixth round.
By this stage, any Illusionist was an expert in soul attacks. She was certain to have means of defending her soul, too.
Yet she'd barely put up a fight before Jiang Yao killed her with the Soul-Killing Arrow.
"That's the Three Arrows Returning as One technique. To use it at that level, both his will and soul must be extraordinarily powerful. Most universe-level warriors couldn't pull it off."
"I wonder if his seventh-round opponent can stop him."
Jiuyuan, whose face was weathered and ancient, asked with a faint smile, "Who's Jiang Yao facing in the seventh round?"
Kasa, dressed in a black battle robe, replied respectfully, "It's Nuowei, a Leixi Race genius who ranked among the top thousand in the Xuanshang Universe Country at the last Peak Genius Tournament. His Domain will be lowered from the Ninth Level to match Jiang Yao's Fourth Level, of course, and he won't have any insight into the laws."
The other World Lord elders seated on the highest tier were astonished.
"Good grief, Kasa, you're ruthless. You're not planning to let anyone pass the seventh round, are you?"
"Not necessarily. If he can use some of the powerful combat secret techniques he saw on Yulu Island, he might really be able to fight Nuowei. There's a huge difference between a Ninth-Level and a Fourth-Level Domain, and Nuowei won't be able to use many of his techniques."
"Still, I don't believe he can beat Nuowei. Getting through six rounds with a Fourth-Level Domain is already a miracle, but... who knows? If he pulls off another miracle, I won't be surprised."
By now, every contestant except Jiang Yao had been eliminated. Only five had passed the sixth round, including Jiang Yao, and the other four all had First-Level Domains. Jiang Yao was the only one with a Fourth-Level Domain.
As they spoke, Jiang Yao's opponent appeared on the screen.
He looked like an ordinary human, except he was only about one and a half meters tall. Jiang Yao's expression turned grave.
"Good grief! What kind of monster is that?!"
Brilliant bolts of lightning flashed one after another, joining into a continuous torrent that lit the asteroid's once-dark, silent night as brightly as day. Yet the sight was more unnerving than the darkness.
Jiang Yao clicked his tongue. "Such a powerful aura. Is that really only a Fourth-Level Domain?"
One side was a raging tide of blazing flames, the other a surging storm of thunder. Their Domains began to collide, once sharply distinct from each other.
The result was that Jiang Yao's Domain crumbled at the first touch.
"Not good!"
After several fights, Jiang Yao's battle instincts had become razor-sharp. They screamed a warning as a bolt of lightning shot toward him.
He instinctively used Sufeng's footwork, dodging the lightning by a hair's breadth.
No—not lightning. Or rather, the enemy was wrapped in lightning.
His opponent was so fast it was hard to imagine. Jiang Yao was immediately reminded of the Domain Lord from Yinhu Island who had once ambushed him.
Against a warrior this fast, a Controller could easily be forced into an extremely passive position.
Without the slightest hesitation, Jiang Yao stepped onto the Red Shadow Blade and turned into a streak of light, dodging the enemy's attacks at incredible speed.
Two streaks of light raced across the asteroid like meteors, one pursuing the other.
Everyone watching the battle in the plaza was left dumbfounded.
But Jiang Yao still couldn't fly as fast on his Telepathic Weapon as his opponent, who seemed to have become lightning itself. A deafening crash sounded, and Jiang Yao was smashed into the ground.
"Whew, is it finally over?"
"That freak's stopped at the seventh round."
"His seventh-round opponent is ridiculous. With speed like that, Jiang Yao can only fly around on his Telepathic Weapon to dodge. But then he can't use it to attack, so all he can do is run—he can't fight back."
"Exactly. This opponent is far stronger than the ones with First-Level Domains."
"I looked him up. I think he's Nuowei, a Leixi Race genius who made it to the Peak Grand Finals in the last Genius Tournament."
"Even with his Domain lowered to the Fourth Level, an opponent like that is absurd. They clearly never intended to let anyone pass this round."
Jiang Yao flew out of the crater and looked at the lightning Domain surrounding his opponent. His face was bright with excitement. "Haha, exhilarating! Absolutely exhilarating! It's only polite to return what you've been given! Now it's my turn!"
With that, he stepped onto his fourth-level Telepathic Weapon, the Red Shadow Blade, and shot toward the short figure as a streak of light.
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