Taiyi Golden Sword

Senior Brother Li hurriedly manipulated his Cloud Sword to defend, his figure retreating rapidly as he once again executed the Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping to widen the distance.

However, Lu Lingxiao was even faster; he clung to him like a shadow, his three Cloud Swords acting like bone-deep maggots, sealing off every path of retreat for Senior Brother Li.

With nowhere left to dodge, Senior Brother Li had no choice but to channel the Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms with all his might, layering shields of cloud energy around his body.

Yet, Lu Lingxiao's Cloud Swords were incomparably sharp, piercing through several layers of defense in an instant.

Senior Brother Li felt a massive force strike him; his chest tightened, and he stumbled, nearly falling to the ground.

Before he could steady himself or even react, he saw the tip of one of Lu Lingxiao's Cloud Swords hovering just an inch from his throat.

The victor had been decided.

Senior Brother Li looked at the condensed, unmoving Cloud Sword before him, then at the calm-faced Lu Lingxiao, and offered a helpless smile.

He had lost again, and it could be called a crushing defeat at that; Lu Lingxiao hadn't even used his other top-tier Daoist technique.

The other technique Lu Lingxiao possessed was a purely offensive one, its power far exceeding the utility-focused Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms.

Senior Brother Li had witnessed the power of that technique before; had Lu Lingxiao unleashed it, he would have been defeated long ago.

Senior Brother Li dispersed the cloud energy around him and cupped his hands, saying, "Junior Brother's Daoist techniques are profound; this Senior Brother is thoroughly convinced."

Lu Lingxiao also dispersed his Cloud Swords and returned the salute, "Senior Brother Li, you are too kind."

The referee immediately announced, "Number two wins."

After the announcement, the referee asked again, "Do you wish to challenge number one?"

Lu Lingxiao nodded slightly, his gaze already locked onto Chen Xuan below the stage.

Chen Xuan leaped lightly, arriving on the challenge stage.

Senior Brother Li had already stepped down by this point.

Next was the final match of the Outer Sect Grand Competition.

"Lu Lingxiao, please grant me your guidance, Junior Brother Chen."

Lu Lingxiao looked toward Chen Xuan and cupped his hands.

"Very well!"

Chen Xuan replied with a smile.

The referee then announced the start of the duel.

Chen Xuan struck immediately, holding nothing back.

With a thought, he suddenly activated the Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art.

The one hundred and twenty dragon patterns were no longer hidden, appearing beneath the skin of his arms and transforming into cyan dragon markings that shimmered with light.

A surge of formidable blood energy, far exceeding that of an ordinary peak first-realm body cultivator, radiated from his center, carrying the faint majesty of a dragon's roar.

"Is that... the Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art?"

Among the watching disciples, Senior Brother Li's eyes widened significantly, his face showing astonishment.

The disciples around the plaza who had heard of the Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art's reputation were in an uproar.

"Good lad, I saw early on that his physical body was extraordinary, but I didn't expect it to be this technique."

An elder said with a smile.

The three elders had seen that Chen Xuan practiced body tempering during the first round, but as they hadn't probed with their divine sense, they hadn't known it was the Azure Heaven Dragon Transformation Art.

"Senior Brother Lu, be careful!"

As Chen Xuan's voice fell, his figure turned into a streak of light, rushing toward Lu Lingxiao before throwing a punch.

The punch tore through the air, triggering a violent sonic boom.

Chen Xuan was not only physically formidable but also possessed incredible speed thanks to the Flowing Cloud Moon-Chasing.

Lu Lingxiao had no time to dodge and could only activate the Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms, forming layers of cloud shields before him.

The powerful punch slammed into the layers of cloud shields instantly.

Although the shields formed by the Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms were incredibly tough, under Chen Xuan's punch, the outermost layer shattered upon impact, followed by the second, the third...

Lu Lingxiao's expression shifted slightly; before the shields could fully shatter, he executed the Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping, his figure drifting backward like smoke to narrowly avoid the aftermath of the punch's force.

Chen Xuan's physique was astonishing; close-quarters combat was disadvantageous for him, so he had to widen the distance.

Steadying his stance, Lu Lingxiao's expression turned solemn.

He quickly formed seals with his hands, his spiritual energy surging violently.

With a low shout, he commanded: "Taiyi Golden Sword!"

In an instant, golden light flared above the stage, and spiritual energy swords, entirely golden and incomparably sharp, condensed out of thin air.

Their tips pointed directly at Chen Xuan, and a fierce sword qi permeated the area, seemingly slicing the very air and emitting a faint hissing sound.

This was the other top-tier offensive Daoist technique Lu Lingxiao possessed; its raw lethality far surpassed the utility-focused Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms, and it was his true trump card.

"Go!"

Lu Lingxiao pointed his fingers, and several Taiyi Golden Swords tore through the air, transforming into streaks of golden light that shot toward Chen Xuan at astonishing speed, leaving shallow sword marks even on the hard ground in their wake.

Facing this intimidating attack, Chen Xuan dared not be careless.

His thoughts raced as he channeled the Purple Imperial Dragon Flame within his body.

"Roar—!"

A faint dragon's roar echoed as a purple flame surged from Chen Xuan's palm, instantly manifesting into a majestic purple fire dragon that grew against the wind, its scorching heat causing the surrounding light to warp slightly.

"Purple Imperial Dragon Flame, go!"

Chen Xuan waved his hand.

The purple fire dragon let out a silent roar, moving with extraordinary agility to meet the incoming Taiyi Golden Swords.

Instead of meeting them head-on, it coiled its body, striking with its claws and sweeping with its tail to precisely intercept the golden sword light.

Every collision between the purple fire and the golden swords erupted in dazzling light and violent energy fluctuations, accompanied by a sizzling sound of burning.

The purple flame contained immense incinerating power, causing the razor-sharp Taiyi Golden Swords to show signs of melting and dimming.

"This flame... it's the Spirit-Devouring Profound Fire, isn't it? To think it possesses such spiritual power!"

Watching from below the stage, Li Junmo, a disciple of Cinnabar Firmament, recognized the flame.

Looking at this profound fire, he felt a twinge of envy.

As the saying went, he had placed fourth in the Floating Cloud Trial and could only exchange for high-grade Daoist techniques, missing out on this Spirit-Devouring Profound Fire.

Over the years, he had been accumulating contribution points, but he was still a bit short of the amount needed to exchange for a top-tier Daoist technique.

However, he was close; once this Outer Sect Grand Competition ended and he broke through to the Spirit Sea Realm, he would have nearly enough points to acquire this technique.

Seeing the might of the Purple Imperial Dragon Flame, he felt a flicker of anticipation for his own profound fire.

High above on the platform, several elders also revealed expressions of shock.

Elder Zhang sighed, "This fire has a miraculous form and is controlled with the precision of a living creature; its power even exceeds that of an ordinary Spirit-Devouring Profound Fire. This child's talent is truly profound."

Damn it, I'm regretting it more and more.

Can I just snatch a disciple by force?

On the stage, Lu Lingxiao was even more shaken to see his Taiyi Golden Swords blocked by the Purple Imperial Dragon Flame.

He channeled his spiritual power to the limit, manifesting more and denser Taiyi Golden Swords to form a golden rain of blades, intending to use quantity to overcome finesse and break through the purple fire's blockade.

Chen Xuan also pushed the Purple Imperial Dragon Flame to its peak; the purple fire dragon surged in size, its flames towering to shield him securely while continuously splitting off into smaller dragon flames that actively lunged at the golden rain.

For a time, golden and purple light intertwined and collided on the stage, accompanied by constant rumbling and churning shockwaves that left the disciples below dazzled.

After a moment of stalemate, the purple fire dragon let out a sharp, high-pitched roar, its purple flames suddenly retracting to form a streak of purple fire condensed to the extreme, which pierced through the gaps in the golden rain like lightning, shooting straight at Lu Lingxiao!