The moment Su Mo finished speaking, the entire arena fell silent; a pin drop could be heard.
Many people wore strange expressions as they looked at Su Mo with interest. Did he still want to fight Wei Rufeng? Did he think he could defeat Wei Rufeng?
"Su Mo, what was the point of competing any further?"
Lin De's face darkened as he said, "Wei Rufeng is already first place. Even if you fight him again, it will only be a formality."
"Oh? The victor has yet to be decided. How do you know Wei Rufeng is first place?"
Su Mo sneered and shrugged indifferently.
According to the competition rules, each of the top three had to fight the other two to determine their rankings.
There should have been three battles in total, yet only one had taken place. Wei Rufeng had merely defeated Lin Qiong, and they had already declared him first!
What a joke!
The crowd was astonished. Su Mo's expression made it seem as though he truly possessed the strength to fight Wei Rufeng.
Lin De frowned, his face somewhat displeased.
"Chief Steward Lin, he and I were meant to fight in the finals anyway. Since he wishes to fight, I shall grant him his wish."
A smile lingered in Wei Rufeng's eyes as he looked at Su Mo, his face full of mockery. "I'll beat you into a dog. I'm only afraid you'll surrender right away."
"Don't worry. The words 'admit defeat' do not exist in my life," Su Mo said.
Wei Rufeng gave a sinister smile. That was exactly what he wanted to hear from Su Mo.
As long as Su Mo did not surrender, he could keep attacking him. By then, even if he crippled him, no one could say anything.
"But what if you surrender?"
Su Mo looked at Wei Rufeng and asked in return, as though he had no idea what the other man intended.
Wei Rufeng froze, then laughed in surprise. "Me, surrender? Heh heh! That is the funniest joke I have ever heard in my life."
"Good. Since that is the case, then let us fight!"
Su Mo stepped onto the platform and stared at Wei Rufeng.
"This Su Mo truly does not know his own limits!"
"Exactly. He defeated Wei Kun, who is at Qi Cultivation Level Eight, so his confidence must have swelled!"
"I bet he can't even withstand three moves from Wei Rufeng!"
No one thought highly of Su Mo. None of them believed he was Wei Rufeng's match.
Even Su Hong in the stands wore a face full of worry. Though Su Mo had repeatedly exceeded his expectations, he still did not believe Su Mo had the strength to defeat Wei Rufeng.
Perhaps Xi'er was the only person in the entire martial arts arena who had faith in Su Mo. It was a blind sort of worship.
On the platform, Su Mo's sword came out of its sheath with a clang. His aura changed, his gaze as sharp as sword light and piercing straight into the heart. Waves of sharp energy radiated from his body.
Wei Rufeng was slightly surprised when he saw Su Mo's aura.
But that was all.
"Slash!"
Wei Rufeng shouted, raising his saber high. Dazzling crimson light gathered upon its blade before it slashed toward Su Mo in an instant.
Screech!
A scorching Saber Light shot forth, melting even the air.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
With a flick of his wrist, Su Mo rapidly thrust his sword three times.
Crackle! Crackle!
A sound like exploding beans rang out. Before the Saber Light could even approach Su Mo, it was pierced into fragments by his sword, sending ripples of energy outward.
"Fall!"
Wei Rufeng rushed forward. Taking advantage of the moment Su Mo shattered the Saber Light, he stepped forward and arrived directly before Su Mo.
"Blazing Sun Triple Slash!"
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The heavy saber tore through the air, emitting mournful howls. Its blazing firelight set even the air aflame.
"Su Mo is going to lose!"
The crowd thought to themselves. Su Hai had been defeated by this move before. Even Su Hai could not withstand these three saber strikes, so it was even more impossible for Su Mo.
"Wind Sweeps Clouds!"
Su Mo's expression remained calm as true qi surged wildly into his sword. The sword's radiance abruptly flared, and with one swing, a wild wind rose up. Sharp sword light swept across everything.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Saber and sword clashed without end, while blasts of forceful energy erupted continuously. Su Mo's long hair flew wildly, and his robes snapped in the wind, yet he stood as firm as a mountain.
What?
He had blocked it!
The crowd widened their eyes, staring incredulously at the calm-faced youth.
"You have some skill. No wonder you are so arrogant!"
Wei Rufeng narrowed his eyes and shouted coldly, "But you are still only struggling on the brink of death. Take another nine slashes from me."
With that, Wei Rufeng shot into the sky. He gripped his saber with both hands and chopped down fiercely as though splitting Mount Hua.
"Blazing Sun Nine Consecutive Slashes!"
Nine crimson streams of saber qi burst forth, crisscrossing through the air and forming an enormous saber net that crushed the void.
"Break!"
Facing the enormous saber net, Su Mo roared. Rather than retreat, he advanced, leaving an afterimage on the ground. Sword light spilled forth, his sword momentum shifting unpredictably. Sharp sword light merged with Wind Momentum, like the Nine Heavens Gale.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Forceful energy swept in every direction as the saber net collapsed.
Breaking through the saber net, Su Mo swung his sword.
"Wind Sweeps Clouds!"
Peerless sword light vanished into the Wind Momentum, fast as lightning as it slashed toward Wei Rufeng.
"Damn it!"
His attack had been broken, and he was even being counterattacked. Wei Rufeng's fury was beyond words as all the true qi in his body gathered within his saber, which he violently struck against the sword light.
Boom! Crack!
An explosive sound rang out as fierce winds swept through the arena. Both men were sent flying backward.
Su Mo frowned and looked at the sword in his hand.
The tip of his refined steel sword had already broken off, while cracks covered the remaining blade.
Su Mo's refined steel sword was merely a first-grade middle-tier weapon, forged from repeatedly tempered steel. It could no longer withstand his strength.
Moreover, Wei Rufeng's weapon was clearly of no low grade. The sword tip had been severed by the other man's saber.
"Ha ha! Su Mo, your sword is broken. You are destined to lose today!" Wei Rufeng laughed.
Su Mo sneered. Just as he was considering whether to take out the Spirit Severing Sword, Su Hong's voice rang out.
"Mo'er, catch the sword!"
From the stands, Su Hong directly seized the sword worn by an elder beside him and threw it to Su Mo.
"Good sword!"
After catching the treasured sword and examining it, Su Mo's eyes immediately lit up.
It was a silver sword, over three feet long. Although its broad blade looked ancient and unadorned, it could not conceal its sharp aura.
This was a second-grade weapon. Though inferior to his Spirit Severing Sword, it was still far stronger than the refined steel sword.
"Wei Rufeng, your strength is nothing special. Today, you are destined to lose!"
The moment his words fell, Su Mo suddenly rushed forward. His figure flickered continuously, so fast that the naked eye could not follow it.
"So fast!"
Wei Rufeng was startled, and his expression grew solemn. He no longer dared to underestimate Su Mo.
Whoosh!
With Phantom Steps pushed to its peak, Su Mo instantly appeared to Wei Rufeng's left and slashed with his sword.
Clang!
Wei Rufeng raised his saber to block, his body jolting. Then Su Mo's figure vanished again, and when he reappeared, he was already behind him.
"Slash!"
The cold, sharp sword edge sent a chill down Wei Rufeng's back. He twisted slightly and raised his saber again to block.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Su Mo's figure drifted unpredictably as he flickered around Wei Rufeng without pause. One sword strike followed another, each one heavy and powerful.
In close combat, Su Mo's physical strength was brought into perfect play.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
One step.
Two steps.
Three steps.
Explosions rang out continuously as Wei Rufeng retreated again and again. His arms were unbearably numb and sore, while the blood and qi throughout his body churned violently.
He was furious beyond measure and roared repeatedly.
"What? Wei Rufeng is actually being suppressed by Su Mo!"
"How is this possible? Su Mo's strength is actually this formidable."
"Heavens! He is only at the Peak Seventh Level of Qi Refining, yet he possesses such strength."
The crowd was shaken.
Su Mo's attacks became incomparably violent. Relying on his unparalleled speed, he continuously struck with his sword. His sword momentum was like the wind, each sword faster than the last.
"Gale Edge!"
"Wind Sweeps Clouds!"
"Wind Howls Nine Heavens!"
"Mm!"
Wei Rufeng gave a muffled grunt and staggered back seven or eight steps. He raised his head furiously, only for a streak of light to suddenly appear before his eyes.
It was sword light!
Incomparably sharp sword light!
The instant the sword light appeared, it had already reached Wei Rufeng.
"Divine Wind Kill!"
Every hair on Wei Rufeng's body stood on end. He wanted to raise his saber to block, but the sword light was simply too fast. His saber had only just risen when the sword light slashed across his abdomen.
Screech!
Blood sprayed out as Wei Rufeng was instantly sent flying.
"Ah!"
A shrill scream suddenly rang out as Wei Rufeng crashed heavily onto the battle platform.
"My dantian... my cultivation!"
Wei Rufeng lay on the ground like a madman. His lower abdomen had been torn open, and the true qi within his body poured out wildly like floodwaters through a burst dam.
Su Mo sheathed his sword and stood still, coldly watching his opponent.
Had he not hurriedly withdrawn eighty percent of his strength at the final moment during that last Divine Wind Kill, Wei Rufeng would certainly have died from that strike!
The entire martial arts arena was deathly silent, quiet as a graveyard.
Everyone had widened their eyes. No one had expected Su Mo to be so powerful, defeating Wei Rufeng so forcefully while only at the Peak Seventh Level of Qi Refining.
Su Mo's earlier words could not help but echo in everyone's ears.
I haven't even competed yet!
The victor has yet to be decided. How do you know Wei Rufeng is first place!
It turned out Su Mo was not arrogant. He truly possessed that level of strength.
"Rufeng!"
A loud shout suddenly rang out from the stands, jolting everyone awake.
Wei Wankong instantly rushed down from the stands and arrived before Wei Rufeng. When he saw that his son's dantian had been shattered and his cultivation crippled, his body shook violently.
"You little beast! You are courting death!"
Wei Wankong's eyes turned blood-red as he struck a palm toward Su Mo.
An enormous palm imprint carrying heaven-shaking might instantly blasted toward Su Mo.
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