Three People Meet

"Damn it, his phantom is too real—I can't tell which one is the real body!"

"Watch out! His blade speed is too fast!"

"That female swordswoman was impressive enough, but I didn't expect this guy to be no simpleton either."

"This batch of competitors in the tournament is fiercer than the last."

A dozen or so people stared intently at the figure at the foot of the mountain, their expressions grim to the extreme.

Bai Xingyun held twin blades, like a war god, closing in on them step by step.

"What's this? You made the first move, and now you want to retreat?"

At his words, the group's faces turned ashen.

They knew he was strong, but they never imagined he'd be this strong!

First, his artistic conception was bizarre—able to condense a phantom indistinguishable from the real body. They couldn't see through it, so they had no choice but to split their strength and attack both the real body and the phantom simultaneously.

Even more troublesome was his blade, terrifyingly fast.

The interplay of illusion and reality paired with this gale-quick blade technique was like adding wings to a tiger.

If it were only that, they might still have a chance to fight.

The biggest problem was that his combat awareness was far too advanced!

The attacks of the mentalist seemed to be seen through by him long before they landed, and he handled them with ease.

After a quick discussion, the group realized this was a tough nut to crack and decisively withdrew.

Watching them leave, Bai Xingyun slowly sheathed his blades and shook his head slightly.

"I was thinking of unleashing my full strength, but they ran off first."

He wasn't too disappointed, though, because he already had a more suitable target in mind.

"A female swordswoman? Sounds like she might be even stronger than what I've shown so far."

"I hope she's an opponent worth going all out against."

--

As time passed, one young member of the Blade Clan after another was eliminated.

Outside, the crowd was already in an uproar.

But what was surprising was that the focus of their debate wasn't the grudges and rivalries inside the Blade Tomb World—it was who would take first place in this tournament.

"I'm putting it out there: first place this time is definitely that female swordswoman! If I'm wrong, I'll chew up this Force Blade and swallow it in front of all of you!"

"In terms of combat power, that female swordswoman is indeed outstanding. But tournament rankings have always considered overall performance. In past years, there have been cases where someone was eliminated early and still ended up first. In my opinion, Bai Yuan has the best shot."

"I second that! Bai Yuan is only at Apprentice rank eight, and his strength is already this terrifying. If he reaches rank nine, he'll sweep the whole field. First place is his for the taking."

"Actually, that Bai Xingyun isn't bad either. I think he has a chance."

"That twin-blade expert? He's strong, and his artistic conception is impressive, but compared to the first two... he's still a bit lacking."

These youngsters naturally lacked the insight of cosmic-level experts, so in their eyes, fighting above one's rank was the most powerful proof of talent.

That was why Bai Yuan's name was the most popular among them.

Meanwhile, Bai Yuan, deep in the Blade Tomb World, knew nothing of the outside commotion.

He was walking between hills and wastelands, searching for his next worthy opponent.

As he clashed with geniuses who had comprehended different artistic conceptions, his horizons kept expanding.

The insights gained from each battle settled deep in his consciousness, becoming an indispensable foundation for his future cultivation path.

Many people don't display earth-shattering talent early on. Instead, they accumulate a deep foundation through victory and defeat, trials and tribulations, life-and-death struggles.

Tempered by time, honed by bloodshed, their talent—like a mineral vein buried deep underground—is gradually unearthed.

If talent alone were enough, why bother seeking a master, why endure training? Just sit back and wait to grow stronger.

In the end, how many of the supreme experts who reached the peak weren't forced step by step by reality in their youth?

Struggling against the heavens, against the earth, against others.

The one who ultimately triumphs is destined to stand at the pinnacle of the universe, his feet planted on the countless bones of the fallen.

Ten days passed in the blink of an eye.

By this day, of the original ten million-plus participants, only a little over three thousand remained.

Then, a sudden change occurred.

The eliminated contestants waiting in the plaza for the final results noticed a shift in the sky above. A moment later, a clear projection screen unfolded above their heads.

The image showed a vast, boundless plain.

On that plain, three figures unknowingly converged.

"Oh? Him?" Bai Yuan's gaze shifted as he looked at the figures approaching from two other directions.

One of them, clad in a blue robe, was the mysterious youth he had briefly encountered before.

And Bai Xingyun's heart was equally turbulent. When they first met, he had admired Bai Yuan's lofty ambition, but he had never taken his strength seriously.

He had never imagined that the other's power would be so unfathomable—leaping realms to fight was as simple as eating or drinking to him.

As for Bai Luoyan, seeing the two of them so composed, she seemed to pay them no mind at all.

"What do you two think? Should we draw lots for one-on-one, or just jump straight into a three-way brawl?" Bai Yuan asked with a smile.

Since they had run into each other, a fight was naturally unavoidable.

"No need for such trouble. Both of you come at me together," Bai Luoyan said slowly.

There was not a trace of arrogance in her tone, only a faint indifference, as if this was how it was always meant to be.

Bai Xingyun and Bai Yuan both stirred inwardly, not expecting to be so lightly dismissed by her.

The two exchanged a glance, then Bai Xingyun spoke slowly: "Since you've said you want to take on two at once, we won't hold back."

Swoosh! Swoosh!

Bai Yuan struck first, his war blade descending with a heavy, sinking momentum.

On the other side, Bai Xingyun was not to be outdone. His twin blades danced wildly, and beside him materialized a phantom form that perfectly mirrored his own posture and movements, making it impossible to tell real from fake.

"Some skill—much stronger than those before you. But still not enough," Bai Luoyan said with a faint smile, offering a nod of praise for their abilities.

Swoosh!

Before her words had faded, her figure began to dance gracefully, like a lone wild goose spreading its wings. In a blur, she was already before the two of them.

The sword tip had not yet arrived, but the chilling sword intent had already swept forth like a tide of cold. A solid blade of light, like the first ray of dawn, shot toward Bai Yuan and Bai Xingyun!

Boom!

A thunderous roar echoed across the plains. Bai Yuan and Bai Xingyun were both sent flying backward, knocked several zhang away by that single strike.

Bai Luoyan, in contrast, used the momentum to lightly spin and land, her robes fluttering, her expression as calm as still water.

"Two... no, three concepts!" Bai Yuan's arm gripping the blade was faintly numb, shock surging in his heart.

"And her explosive power is even greater than mine!"

Though her amplitude of force was inferior to his, it couldn't make up for the fact that her base strength far exceeded his—nearly twice as much.

On top of that, her speed was also extremely fast, making her far more agile than him.

Strength and speed—both were a cut above his!

"Tsk, looks like I'll have to go all out. But fighting a genius like this—it really gets the blood boiling!"

On the other side, Bai Xingyun's expression was equally grave. His lifelike phantom form meant nothing in her eyes.

In terms of concept comprehension, she was clearly a level above him. His Water Moon Concept was completely useless here.

But after a brief shock, a blazing fire ignited in his eyes instead.

"Excellent! Only an opponent like this is worthy of my full strength!"