Defeat

On the platform.

After the first probing exchange established each other's level, their attacks grew increasingly swift and fierce.

Flames surged and coiled, while visible ripples of spiritual power continuously spread outward.

From time to time, bits of shattered stone sprayed off the platform with piercing whistles, finally embedding themselves deep in the ground.

At first, Yuan and Xu Xing were evenly matched, neither able to do anything to the other.

After they remained deadlocked for a while, Yuan actually discovered the secret behind Xu Xing's flame-slicing technique. In an incredibly short time, she learned it—and used it herself!

Xu Xing was greatly alarmed. Realizing something was wrong, he finally stopped holding back and directly employed Swordsmanship.

Swordsmanship.

As the sword art created by Wu Shi—and the first sword art in this world—its contents encompassed not only moves, but also a corresponding method for wielding spiritual power.

Mobilizing spiritual power through a special method could lend the power itself an extra measure of sharpness.

Over these past two-odd years, Xu Xing had already practiced it to perfection. Whether his sword struck, thrust, or swept upward, sword gleams would screech forth.

One had to know that it was difficult for a Qi Refinement cultivator's spiritual power to exist outside the body. Usually, they had to rely on weapons forged from special materials.

Moreover, in this era, there were no divine abilities or spells.

This meant that Qi Refinement cultivators basically had no means of ranged attack.

Yet sword gleams condensed through special methods of spiritual power manipulation could wound enemies from afar. The role they could play in battles between Qi Refinement cultivators was self-evident.

Thus, once Xu Xing used Swordsmanship, Yuan quickly fell into a disadvantage. Forced by the sword gleams, she could only twist, dart, and continually evade, seeming