Fierce Battle

Clang!

A staff and a sword collided, countless sparks bursting and scattering between them. Zhou Mingyu (sword) gripped the hilt tightly, held the blade upright before him, and slashed again.

Clang! Clang!

Qian Gu Fengjin shifted his Coiling Dragon Staff to block, catching the sword slash perfectly. Then, drawing on the joints of his arm and wrist, he swung the staff once more.

Unfortunately, that strike failed to force Zhou Mingyu (sword) back. He held the Mysterious Ice Sword, gleaming with a cold light, against the staff's tip and refused to yield a single step.

When Qian Gu Fengjin's Coiling Dragon Staff collided with the Mysterious Ice Sword, he discovered that the glow on the staff, enhanced by his body-breaking soul skill, had dimmed. Then, an energy carrying a bitterly cold aura traveled from the staff into his hand, seeking to invade his body.

"This aura! Is this Ultimate Ice?!"

Startled, Qian Gu Fengjin forcibly exerted strength and swung his staff, driving Zhou Mingyu (sword) back. He then activated the power of the dragon soul within the Coiling Dragon Staff, intending to block that aura outside his body.

Boom—

A dragon's roar rang from the Coiling Dragon Staff. A purple dragon phantom emerged from its shaft, shattering the flecks of frost coating it and scattering them in every direction.

The Coiling Dragon Staff martial soul was the inherited martial soul of the Qian Gu Family. Ordinary Coiling Dragon Staffs were merely high-grade martial souls, but the reason they could shake the world and allow the Qian Gu Family to sit firmly in the position of Pagoda Master of the Spirit Pagoda was the dragon soul power dwelling within them.

Only after a Coiling Dragon Staff awakened with a dragon soul attached could it be called a top-tier martial soul. Born to a branch lineage, he had originally been fated to have no connection with the Exorcising Dragon Soul and White Dragon Soul inherited by the main branch.

It was only because his fortune ran deep and his martial soul underwent a beneficial mutation, allowing a Thunder Dragon Soul to dwell within his staff, that the clan chief made an exception and taught him one form of the Unyielding Staff Technique.

Competition within the Qian Gu Family was fierce. It had not been easy for him to stand out among the branch lineages.

If not for the need to gather a full set of battle armor for himself, he would not have come here this time.

"What a tyrannical aura. Its corrosive power is actually this strong. If I hadn't been prepared beforehand, my meridians would probably already have been frozen solid by you!"

Yet even with his Thunder Dragon Soul blocking part of Ultimate Ice's corrosion and destruction, a small portion still entered Qian Gu Fengjin's body along with the sword qi, hindering the circulation of his soul power.

Sure enough, when they clashed again, Qian Gu Fengjin's movements remained swift, but compared with before, there was a trace of sluggishness in his staff technique. Though it was only a tiny flaw, it still gave Zhou Mingyu (sword) an opening.

He took a deep breath and gathered all the strength in his body into his right arm.

Then he fiercely kicked off the ground with his right foot. A shallow crater instantly appeared beneath him, and he shot toward his opponent like an arrow loosed from the bowstring.

"First Soul Skill! Mysterious Ice Thorn!"

His sword thrust forward, its sword qi as cold and sharp as an ice spike, carrying bone-piercing chill as it stabbed straight toward Qian Gu Fengjin's face. Just as success was within reach—

"Third Soul Skill! Coiling Dragon Protection!"

Qian Gu Fengjin activated his third soul skill and wielded the Coiling Dragon Staff to shield himself. A curtain of soul power formed around him, barely blocking the attack.

"You're very good. Even an ordinary Soul King, prepared or not, couldn't have blocked my attack so easily."

The more Zhou Mingyu (sword) fought, the more serious he became, and the greater importance he attached to Qian Gu Fengjin. The techniques with which he wielded the Mysterious Ice Sword became increasingly intricate.

Streams of fierce sword qi, carrying an intensely cold sword intent, continued to assault Qian Gu Fengjin.

"You're the real monster. You're only a Grand Soul Master, yet you're this hard to fight."

Feeling his movements gradually slowing and the temperature in the arena continuing to plummet, Qian Gu Fengjin gave a bitter smile.

I never expected this battle armor to be so difficult to obtain. No, dragging this out will only put me at a disadvantage. I have to end this quickly!

Qian Gu Fengjin then twisted his wrist, turning the Coiling Dragon Staff he had swung out and knocking aside the Mysterious Ice Sword Zhou Mingyu (sword) had braced against it.

Then, his second soul ring lit up as he unleashed his soul skill—Thunder Dragon Break.

His body and the Coiling Dragon Staff in his hand were enveloped by a purple dragon soul phantom. He then wielded the staff with his staff technique and smashed the Coiling Dragon Staff viciously into the ground. A deafening boom erupted, scattering streams of sword qi and crushing the extreme cold aura.

"Zhou Mingyu (sword), if we keep fighting like this, who knows when we'll determine a victor? How about we decide it with one move? What do you say?"

Zhou Mingyu (sword) saw through his intentions but did not stop him. He merely called out loudly.

"Fine! As you wish!"

Then, he abruptly opened his eyes. A brilliant cold gleam flared in them, and a deep, powerful roar burst from the depths of his throat. "Mysterious Ice Sword Domain, open!"

In an instant, an overwhelming chill spread madly outward in every direction from Zhou Mingyu (sword) in a circular wave. The previously clear sky was instantly shrouded by thick storm clouds. The sunlight was completely blotted out, and the entire arena sank into darkness.

Biting winds howled and swept through the field, as though demons from a land of absolute cold were roaring. They cut across people's faces with the pain of blades.

Sword qi crisscrossed throughout the arena like agile ice serpents weaving freely through the air.

These streams of sword qi were condensed from Mysterious Ice power. They glimmered with an eerie blue radiance and gave off piercing cold. They continually interwove and collided in midair, producing crisp, shrill sounds. Every collision burst into a dazzling cluster of ice blossoms before swiftly vanishing into the air.

Some sword qi shot straight into the distance like arrows loosed from bowstrings, instantly slicing the stones along their path into countless tiny fragments. Others circled and danced through the air, forming spinning ice blades as if searching for prey.

The bone-piercing chill seemed capable of penetrating one's marrow, making people feel as though they had been thrown into an ice cellar.

Zhou Mingyu (sword) stood quietly at the center of the domain, unmoving like an ice sculpture. A faint blue glow radiated from his body, merging with the surrounding sword qi and frigid wind. His gaze was resolute and cold, as though declaring to his opponent that victory in this battle would inevitably be his.

Within the shroud of this Mysterious Ice sword intent domain, he was like the sovereign of this frozen world, holding dominion over all life and death.

Upon the battlefield where sword shadows and ice intertwined, Qian Gu Fengjin keenly caught the fleeting flaw in Zhou Mingyu (sword)'s Mysterious Ice sword intent domain. He knew that this momentary opportunity was the key to turning the battle around.

Qian Gu Fengjin's expression turned grim. In an instant, he retracted the aura he had released, like a vicious beast about to pounce as he lowered himself and gathered strength.

His body sank slightly, his feet rooted firmly to the ground as if they had grown there. His knees bent, gathering all the strength in his body into his lower stance.

His waist tightened like a fully drawn bow, poised to strike. Both hands gripped the Coiling Dragon Staff, his knuckles whitening from the force. The staff pressed tightly against the muscles of his arms, as though they had become one.

At that moment, the fifth soul ring around him began to flash violently. Blinding electric light radiated from it, like a nimble thunder serpent coiling and darting around his body. Every flash was accompanied by a low rumble of thunder, as though proclaiming the descent of immense power.

"Fifth Soul Skill! Thunder Dragon Awakening!" Qian Gu Fengjin roared, his voice like rolling thunder echoing across the battlefield. In an instant, his aura surged like an erupting volcano.

A mighty energy flooded from his body, shaking the surrounding air until it hummed. Driven by that energy, the Thunder Dragon phantom became even more solid.

Its once faint and indistinct outline became vividly clear. Dragon scales gleamed with metallic luster, each one lifelike, as though formed from true lightning. Its dragon claws were sharp as blades and slightly curved, revealing boundless dominance. Its dragon eyes flew open in fury, firing two fierce bolts of electricity that seemed capable of piercing everything.

Immediately after, Qian Gu Fengjin let out a mighty shout. "Battle Heaven and Earth!"

That roar was filled with endless fighting spirit, as though it would shake heaven and earth alike.

A blazing fire burned in his eyes—the thirst for victory and unwavering devotion to battle.

In the blink of an eye, the Coiling Dragon Staff in his hands began to move, the staff striking out like a dragon.

With howling wind, the Coiling Dragon Staff surged forward in an unstoppable advance. Dense lightning radiance wreathed the staff, arcs of electricity crackling like nimble little snakes slithering over its surface.

Every swing tore through the air with a shriek, as though even space could not withstand such overwhelming power.

As he charged forward, Qian Gu Fengjin's body was like an arrow loosed from the bowstring, incomparably swift. His footsteps were light yet powerful, every step firm and steady, as though leaving deep footprints in the ground.

His body turned nimbly with the motions of his staff technique, deliberately avoiding the crisscrossing sword qi and bone-piercing winds within Zhou Mingyu (sword)'s domain.

The Thunder Dragon phantom also followed closely beside Qian Gu Fengjin, tumbling and weaving with his movements. From time to time, the Thunder Dragon spat thick bolts of lightning toward Zhou Mingyu (sword). Like twisting flood dragons, those bolts carried devastating force; wherever they passed, ice shattered and sword qi dispersed.

Qian Gu Fengjin's assault was like a surging flood, charging forcefully toward Zhou Mingyu (sword).

The tip of the Coiling Dragon Staff collided directly with the point of the Mysterious Ice Sword. Streams of sword light and the Thunder Dragon staff force tangled together, shattering one another.

Now it was a contest of their soul power and relative cultivation levels. Both sides had nearly abandoned defense, merely unleashing soul power amid collision after collision.

Zhou Mingyu (sword) was suddenly forced backward. The mass of sword light on the Mysterious Ice Sword in his hand became increasingly dazzling, while the icy aura around the blade grew sharper and sharper.

"Second Soul Skill! Profound Sword Returns to the Self!"

The next moment, all the scattered sword light within the arena gathered onto the blade, forming a blue-green phantom of a longsword before Zhou Mingyu (sword). It slashed fiercely toward Qian Gu Fengjin.

A flash of cold light swept past. Zhou Mingyu (sword)'s expression changed, and he gritted his teeth as he pulled back his sword and retreated.

The cold light struck Qian Gu Fengjin. Wind and snow whirled through the arena alongside streams of sword qi, making it impossible to open one's eyes.

"Cough... cough!"

Zhou Mingyu (sword) gripped the Mysterious Ice Sword, pressing his other hand to his chest as he circulated his soul power slightly to soothe the dull ache in his chest.

Forcibly driving his sword intent and merging it with his sword qi had also drained Zhou Mingyu (sword) heavily. On top of that, during their previous contest of soul power, he had abruptly withdrawn his strength and retreated, yet he was still injured by Qian Gu Fengjin's staff force.

Zhou Mingyu (sword) was sent flying several meters, while Qian Gu Fengjin was struck directly by the sword phantom. He suffered severe injuries and collapsed to the ground, unable to rise.

"Second round, Zhou Mingyu (sword) wins!"

The referee hurriedly announced the result before going over to help Qian Gu Fengjin up. The youth's eyes were tightly shut, his body icy cold and his face deathly pale.

Holding his hand, the referee sent streams of soul power into his body to stabilize his aura.

In Eastsea Academy's spectator seats, Liu Tianran watched Zhou Mingyu (sword) being helped down from the stage and pondered inwardly.

Sure enough, fighting across three ranks—even he had to suffer some minor injuries. But this is already very good. If he had emerged completely unscathed, it would have been far too shocking.

Meanwhile, in the Spirit Pagoda viewing room, Leng Yaozhu had also watched the entire match.

"At such a young age, he has already comprehended a domain of the sword path. His future is boundless!"

For a moment, Leng Yaozhu even saw that person's shadow in the young man. The two were equally young, equally invincible among their generation, equally brilliant and peerless.

"Pagoda Master Wang, I will truthfully report what I have seen to headquarters."

"Thank you, Your Excellency Sky Phoenix."