The Battle for the Top Four

The disciples of Big Bamboo Peak straightened their backs, their faces filled with astonishment and pride.

Song Daren's mouth hung wide open, unable to close for a long time, as he muttered, "This kid has been hiding his strength well."

Tian Ling'er's eyes were also filled with surprise.

Watching the panting youth on the arena, whose gaze remained simple and resolute, she felt a strange sensation toward this junior brother she had usually looked down upon for the first time.

On the viewing platform, Tian Buyi's tense, chubby face relaxed. He picked up his teacup, only to find his hand trembling slightly.

Beside him, Su Ru's face had long since blossomed into a gratified smile, her eyes full of pride and affection as she looked at Zhang Xiaofan.

After a brief commotion, the matches of the Seven Meridians Martial Arts Tournament continued.

Talents emerged from every peak, each showcasing their own brilliance.

Li Xiaoyu cut through the competition, defeating everyone—whether their cultivation was lower, equal, or slightly higher than his own—without exception.

On the other side, Zhang Xiaofan either drew a bye or won through sheer, inexplicable luck.

After several rounds of competition, the final four were finally revealed to the anticipation of the masses.

When the deacon disciple in charge of announcements loudly read out the names of the final four and the match pairings, the entire Heaven-Reaching Peak plaza erupted once more!

"The Seven Meridians Martial Arts Tournament, the semi-finals!"

"First match: Dragon Head Peak, Qi Hao, versus Big Bamboo Peak, Zhang Xiaofan!"

This pairing was both expected and full of drama.

One was the senior brother of Dragon Head Peak, a long-renowned figure hailed as the next leader of the Green Cloud Sect.

The other was the biggest dark horse of this tournament, a nameless boy who had fought his way into the final four relying on a bizarre magic weapon and sheer perseverance.

Qi Hao wore a smile of certain victory, nodding gracefully toward the Big Bamboo Peak section, though his gaze was filled with provocation.

Zhang Xiaofan gripped his fire poker tightly, feeling the surrounding pressure as beads of sweat seeped from his forehead.

Tian Ling'er, meanwhile, kept her head down, her heart a complex mix of emotions.

However, when the deacon disciple read out the second match, the sensation it caused was even greater than the first.

"Second match: Small Bamboo Peak, Lu Xueqi, versus Morning Sun Peak, Li Xiaoyu!"

As soon as these names were spoken, it was as if a bomb had been dropped on the plaza.

Lu Xueqi!

A once-in-a-century genius of Small Bamboo Peak, possessing peerless beauty and a cold, ethereal aura. Wielding the divine weapon Tianya, she was already recognized as a top-tier talent of the younger generation.

Throughout her journey, she had defeated every opponent with a single sword strike, her grace rivaling that of Qi Hao.

Li Xiaoyu, on the other hand, was the most mysterious and shocking presence in this tournament.

After six years of silence, he had achieved sudden enlightenment.

He defeated enemies with a single finger and shattered weapons with a single sword stroke.

The calm, unfathomable nature he displayed left everyone filled with curiosity about him.

One was an icy fairy; the other, a returning genius.

This battle was undoubtedly a clash of titans, the most anticipated duel of this year's Seven Meridians Martial Arts Tournament!

"Heavens, Senior Sister Lu is actually facing Senior Brother Li!"

"This will be worth watching! The long-renowned daughter of heaven versus the rising, mysterious dark horse—who will come out on top?"

"I still favor Senior Sister Lu. After all, she has the cultivation of the seventh level of the Jade Purity Realm and wields the divine sword Tianya. No matter how strong Senior Brother Li is, he can't bridge a two-level gap, can he?"

"That's not necessarily true; Senior Brother Li's strength cannot be judged by common logic!"

The discussions rose and fell, and everyone's emotions were stirred to their peak.

On the viewing platform, Shang Zhengliang's face was full of both pride and worry.

He felt proud that his disciple had made it this far, but anxious about the opponent he was about to face.

Master Shuiyue of Small Bamboo Peak remained calm, though her cold, clear eyes betrayed a hint of gravity.

She had absolute confidence in her disciple, but the extraordinary performance Li Xiaoyu had shown previously made her unable to underestimate him.

Under the gaze of the masses, four figures walked toward the two large central arenas.

Qi Hao and Zhang Xiaofan stood facing each other from across the first arena.

Li Xiaoyu and Lu Xueqi slowly ascended the second arena.

Li Xiaoyu's steps were steady, his expression as calm as water.

His gaze fell upon the white figure opposite him.

She was still dressed in white, surpassing the purity of fresh snow.

The moonlight seemed to gather upon her, making her radiate a holy, aloof aura that seemed untainted by the mortal world.

Her beauty was peerless and flawless, yet those bright eyes were like cold autumn pools—icy and keeping everyone at a distance.

It was none other than Lu Xueqi of Small Bamboo Peak.

The memory of their first meeting in the moonlit valley surfaced in Li Xiaoyu's mind.

Back then, she had been just as cold and vigilant, clutching Tianya with a menacing sword intent, as if she were ready to unleash a world-shattering strike at any moment.

Now, Lu Xueqi stood upon the arena stage, the same Tianya divine sword glowing with a faint blue light held in her hand.

Her gaze, too, fell upon Li Xiaoyu.

Unlike that time in the valley, her eyes held more curiosity than vigilance.

Lu Xueqi also remembered the young man in green robes who had held a strange gourd under the moonlight.

She remembered his composure and calm when faced with her interrogation and the threat of the Tianya divine sword.

She remembered even more clearly how her Tianya had hummed with excitement and longing the moment it sensed that gourd.

This man harbored a secret.

A secret so profound that even the Tianya divine sword reacted to it.

His earth-shattering strike during the Morning Sun Peak internal competition, along with the overwhelming strength he displayed in the first two rounds of the tournament, only confirmed her suspicions.

He was strong.

Their gazes met in the air.

There were no sparks, no killing intent.

There was only the unspoken understanding between two masters meeting.

The air seemed to solidify.

The clamor of the entire plaza seemed to drift away from them.

In their world, only the two of them remained.

The deacon disciple in charge of the second arena felt the powerful aura and swallowed hard before announcing loudly:

"The second match of the semi-finals!"

"Lu Xueqi of Small Bamboo Peak versus Li Xiaoyu of Morning Sun Peak!"

"The match begins!"

As the words fell, Lu Xueqi moved.

The Tianya divine sword rang as it left its sheath!

The moment Tianya was unsheathed, a biting chill swept forth like a tidal wave.

The temperature of the entire second arena seemed to plummet instantly.

The audience below felt a wave of cold wash over them, and the disciples with weaker cultivation could not help but shiver.

"Such powerful sword qi!"

"It truly is the Nine Heavens divine weapon, the Tianya sword!"

Exclamations rose one after another.

Lu Xueqi flicked her wrist, and Tianya traced a blue arc before her.

The sword light was like water, cold and bright.

She did not test him; from the very first move, she unleashed the fierce sword techniques of Small Bamboo Peak.

Tianya's light flared brilliantly, and icy sword qi manifested out of thin air, transforming into a sky full of snowflakes that enveloped Li Xiaoyu.

These snowflakes appeared beautiful, yet each one contained sharpness and coldness enough to slice through metal and stone and freeze rivers solid.

Before the sword qi even arrived, the sensation of being frozen in place had already locked Li Xiaoyu down completely.

Facing this sky full of killing intent, Li Xiaoyu's expression remained calm.

He finally moved.