Suppressing the Entire Arena (Part 1)

With that crisp shattering sound, and the utter collapse of Cold Jade's manifestation—the phantom of a twisted starry sky—the Dao Discussion Platform fell into absolute silence.

It was not that no one spoke, but that the silence seemed to have weight, pressing heavily upon everyone's hearts and making even their breaths cautious.

Xu Yuan slowly lowered the Green Wood Greatsword in his hand, its blue-gold lightning gradually receding. The Green Wood Battle Armor covering his entire body also ebbed away like a tide, turning once more into dark-green vine-like spiritual radiance that slipped into his sleeve.

At the same time, the phantom of the world-piercing Jianmu above his head, along with the blue-gold patterns of the magical net spreading and intertwining across the ground, quietly faded away as though they had never appeared.

Sunlight fell upon the Dao Discussion Platform once more, yet it could not disperse the shock branded deep into everyone's souls.

He looked across at his opponent.

Cold Jade's face was pale as paper, a streak of crimson at the corner of his mouth. His body swayed faintly, and only the dimly glowing Cold Star Sword, planted upside-down in his hand, allowed him to remain standing.

There was no fighting spirit left in his eyes now. Only boundless shock and frustration remained, along with a deeper, more complicated scrutiny of the figure in blue robes.

His manifestation had been directly and decisively shattered—a tremendous blow to his sword heart. Yet it had also let him see a gap that was impossible to cross.

"My thanks for yielding," Xu Yuan said calmly, breaking the suffocating silence.

Cold Jade took a deep breath, suppressing the surging blood and qi within him and the tremor in his soul. He raised a hand to wipe the blood from his mouth, then