Fierce Battle

Clang!

A staff and a sword met, and countless sparks burst and crossed between the two. Zhou Mingyu gripped the sword hilt tightly to make the blade stand forward, and slashed again.

Clang, clang!

Qian Gu Fengjin moved the Coiling Dragon Staff to parry, just managing to block the sword slash. Then, leveraging the joints of his arms and wrists, he swung the Coiling Dragon Staff once more.

Regrettably, this strike failed to drive Zhou Mingyu back. He gripped the flashing, chilling Mysterious Ice Sword against the staff head and refused to retreat even a single step.

When the Coiling Dragon Staff swung by Qian Gu Fengjin collided with the Mysterious Ice Sword, he felt the light on the staff body, reinforced by the Body Break soul skill, dim. Then, a chilling and biting stream of cold energy traveled from the staff into his hands, attempting to invade his body.

This aura! Is this Ultimate Ice?!

Qian Gu Fengjin was startled. Exerting a sudden burst of force, he swung his staff to force Zhou Mingyu back, then mobilized the dragon soul power within the Coiling Dragon Staff, seeking to directly block that aura outside his body.

Bang~

The Coiling Dragon Staff emitted a dragon roar, and a purple dragon shadow emerged from the staff body, shattering the specks of frost on the staff and letting them scatter all around.

As the martial soul of the Qian Gu Family, the Coiling Dragon Staff was an inherited martial soul. While ordinary Coiling Dragon Staffs were merely high-grade martial souls, the reason it could shake the world and allow the Qian Gu Family to securely hold the position of Spirit Pagoda Master was that the dragon soul power residing within it was the true reliance.

Only when the Coiling Dragon Staff awakened and possessed a dragon soul could it be called a top-grade martial soul. Hailing from a branch family, he originally had no affinity with the Exorcising Dragon Soul and White Dragon Soul inherited by the main branch.

It was precisely because his fortune ran deep and his martial soul underwent a benign mutation, housing a Thunder Dragon Soul within the staff, that the clan head made an exception to impart an Unyielding Staff Technique to him.

Internal competition within the Qian Gu Family was fierce, and for him to stand out among the branch families was already no small feat.

This time, had it not been for the sake of gathering a set of Battle Armor for himself, he would not have come here either.

Such an overbearing aura. Its corrosiveness is actually this strong. If I hadn't been on guard earlier, the meridians inside my body probably would have been frozen solid by you!

Yet relying on his Thunder Dragon Soul, although he blocked part of the erosion and destruction of the Ultimate Ice, a tiny fraction still entered Qian Gu Fengjin's body along with the sword qi, hindering the circulation of his soul power.

Sure enough, during the next clash between the two, although Qian Gu Fengjin's movements remained fierce, compared to before, his staff technique developed a trace of sluggishness. Though merely a minute flaw, it still allowed Zhou Mingyu to find an opening.

He took a deep breath, concentrating all his strength onto his right arm.

Immediately following, his right foot kicked fiercely against the ground, instantly stamping a shallow pit into the floor, and his entire person shot toward his opponent like an arrow off a taut string.

"First Soul Skill! Mysterious Ice Thorn!"

With a single sword thrust, the sword qi was as cold and sharp as an icicle, carrying a piercing chill as it thrust straight for the opponent's face, just as victory seemed within reach.

"Third Soul Skill! Coiling Dragon Protection!"

Qian Gu Fengjin activated his third soul skill, brandishing the Coiling Dragon Staff to protect himself, and a screen of soul power formed around his body, finally blocking the blow.

"You are quite good. Even with preparations, an ordinary Spirit King wouldn't find it this easy to block my attack."

The more they fought, the more serious Zhou Mingyu became, and his regard for Qian Gu Fengjin grew increasingly high. His technique in wielding the Mysterious Ice Sword became more and more ingenious.

strands of fierce sword qi accompanied by frigid sword intent continued to assail Qian Gu Fengjin.

"You're the real monster here. A mere Soul Grandmaster, yet you're so hard to fight."

Feeling his movements gradually slowing down and the temperature in the arena continuing to drop, Qian Gu Fengjin smiled bitterly.

I didn't expect this Battle Armor to be so hard to get. No, if this drags on any longer, it will only be disadvantageous for me. I must end this quickly!

Qian Gu Fengjin then twisted his wrist to swing the Coiling Dragon Staff, deflecting Zhou Mingyu's Mysterious Ice Sword resting against the staff body.

Subsequently, his second soul ring lit up, releasing his soul skill—Thunder Dragon Break.

His body and the Coiling Dragon Staff in his hand were covered by a purple dragon soul projection, and then, wielding the staff technique, he smashed the Coiling Dragon Staff fiercely against the ground, producing a deafening sound that shattered strands of sword qi and extinguished those frigid auras.

"Zhou Mingyu, if you and I keep fighting like this, who knows when we'll determine the victor? How about we decide the outcome in a single move? What do you say?"

Sensing his intentions, Zhou Mingyu made no move to stop him, but instead said in a loud voice:

"Fine! As you wish!"

Then, he abruptly opened his eyes, a fierce, icy glint blazing within his pupils as a deep and robust roar burst from the depths of his throat: "Mysterious Ice Sword Domain, open!"

In an instant, a chilling power so strong it was suffocating spread wildly outward in a circle with Zhou Mingyu at the center. The originally clear sky was instantly shrouded by a layer of thick, heavy dark clouds, completely blocking out the sunlight and plunging the entire arena into gloom.

A biting, fierce gale howled as it swept over, feeling like demons roaring from a land of extreme cold, cutting against people's faces with the pain of blades.

Sword qi crisscrossed the arena like agile ice serpents darting wantonly through the air.

This sword qi was condensed from the power of mysterious ice, flashing with a secluded blue light and exuding a piercing chill. They constantly intertwined and collided in midair, producing crisp and sharp sounds, with each collision bursting into a brilliant flurry of ice blossoms that swiftly dissipated into the air.

Some sword qi shot straight into the distance like arrows off a string, and wherever it passed, stones on the ground were instantly sliced into countless tiny fragments; other sword qi spiraled and danced in the air, forming spinning blades of ice as if searching for prey.

That piercing chill seemed capable of penetrating a person's marrow, making them feel as though they were placed inside an ice cellar.

Zhou Mingyu stood quietly at the center of the domain, remaining as unyielding and motionless as an ice sculpture. A faint blue light emanated from his body, blending into one with the surrounding sword qi and freezing wind. His gaze was firm and ruthless, as if declaring to his opponent that victory in this battle would inevitably belong to him.

Enveloped by this Mysterious Ice Sword Intent Domain, he was like the supreme ruler of this frigid world, in complete control of life and death.

Above the battlefield where sword shadows and bone-chilling cold intertwined, Qian Gu Fengjin keenly captured a brief flaw within Zhou Mingyu's Mysterious Ice Sword Intent Domain. He knew deeply that this fleeting opportunity was the key to turning the tide of battle.

Qian Gu Fengjin wore a stern expression, instantly withdrawing his outward-flowing aura like a fierce beast about to pounce, crouching to gather momentum.

His body squatted slightly, his feet firmly nailed to the ground as if taking root, his knees bent to channel all his strength into his lower stance.

His waist tightened like a fully drawn bow, ready to spring at any moment. Both hands gripped the Coiling Dragon Staff tightly, his knuckles turning white from the exertion, the staff shaft pressing flush against the muscles of his arms as though they had merged into one.

At this moment, the fifth soul ring around his body began to flash violently, emitting a blinding electrical light that coiled and slithered around him like an agile thunder snake. Each flash was accompanied by a low rumble of thunder, as if proclaiming the arrival of immense power.

"Fifth Soul Skill! Thunder Dragon Awakening!" Qian Gu Fengjin let out a fierce roar, his voice echoing across the battlefield like rolling thunder. In an instant, the aura around him surged like an erupting volcano.

A powerful surge of energy gushed forth from within his body, causing the surrounding air to hum. Urged by this energy, the thunder dragon projection became even more tangible.

Its once vague and illusory outline was now clearly visible. The dragon scales gleamed with a metallic luster, every single one lifelike as though condensed from genuine lightning. The dragon claws were as sharp as blades and slightly curved, exuding boundless dominance; its dragon eyes bulged wide, shooting forth two fierce bolts of lightning as if capable of piercing through everything.

Immediately after, Qian Gu Fengjin roared, "Battle Heaven and Earth!"

This roar was laden with boundless battle intent, as if it would shake the entire heaven and earth.

A scorching flame burned within his gaze—that was a yearning for victory, and a tenacity for battle.

Too swift to cover ears, the Coiling Dragon Staff in his hand danced instantly, the staff thrusting out like a dragon.

The Coiling Dragon Staff carried a whistling wind, pushing forward with an unstoppable posture. A thick layer of lightning radiance coiled around the staff shaft, arcs of electricity crackling and snapping as they slithered across the staff like agile little snakes.

With every swing, the sound of the air being torn apart could be heard, as if space itself could not withstand this formidable power.

During the charge, Qian Gu Fengjin's body moved with the speed of an arrow leaving a bow. His footsteps were light yet powerful, every step landing solidly and steadily as if leaving deep footprints in the ground.

His body pivoted flexibly with the movement of the staff technique, intentionally evading the crisscrossing sword qi and piercing cold wind within Zhou Mingyu's domain.

The thunder dragon projection also followed closely by Qian Gu Fengjin's side, churning and slithering along with his movements. From time to time, the thunder dragon spat out thick bolts of lightning, shooting them toward Zhou Mingyu. These lightning bolts were like winding flood dragons carrying formidable destructive power, and wherever they passed, the ice shattered and the sword qi dissipated.

Qian Gu Fengjin's offensive rushed aggressively toward Zhou Mingyu like a surging torrent.

The head of the Coiling Dragon Staff touched the tip of the Mysterious Ice Sword directly, their respective sword lights and thunder dragon staff momentum entangling and mutually pulverizing one another.

At this juncture, it was a contest of both parties' soul power and relative tiers. Both sides virtually abandoned defense, blindly exploding their soul power in successive collisions.

Zhou Mingyu was suddenly struck by force and forced back. The cluster of sword light on the Mysterious Ice Sword in his hand grew increasingly dazzling, and the biting aura along the length of the blade grew ever sharper.

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

The next moment, all the sword light scattered across the arena converged onto the blade, transforming into a cyan-blue longsword projection in front of Zhou Mingyu, which slashed fiercely toward Qian Gu Fengjin.

A flash of cold light swept past, and Zhou Mingyu's expression changed as he grit his teeth, drew his sword, and retreated.

The cold light struck Qian Gu Fengjin, stirring up a flurry of snow and wind across the arena accompanied by strands of sword qi that made it impossible to keep one's eyes open.

"Cough... cough!"

Zhou Mingyu grasped the Mysterious Ice Sword, pressing his chest with his other hand while circulating his soul power slightly to pacify the dull ache reverberating in his chest.

Forcefully channeling his sword intent to unite sword and qi took a heavy toll on Zhou Mingyu. Added to the sudden withdrawal of force and retreat during their earlier soul power clash, he had still been injured by the momentum of Qian Gu Fengjin's staff.

Zhou Mingyu was sent flying back several meters straight away, while Qian Gu Fengjin was struck directly by the sword shadow, suffering severe injuries and collapsing to the ground, unable to rise.

"Round two, Zhou Mingyu wins!"

The referee hurriedly announced the match result and went over to help up the fallen Qian Gu Fengjin. At this moment, the youth's eyes were tightly shut, his body icy, and his complexion as pale as paper.

The referee gripped his hand, channeling streams of soul power into his body to stabilize his breathing.

In the spectator stands of Eastsea Academy, Liu Tianran watched as Zhou Mingyu was finally helped off the stage and pondered inwardly.

As expected, fighting across three consecutive tiers means even he must sustain some minor injuries. Still, it's already very good. If he had emerged completely unscathed, it would have been simply too sensational.

Meanwhile, in the spectator room of the Spirit Pagoda, Leng Yaozhu had also watched the entire match from start to finish.

"So young, yet he has already comprehended a sword dao domain. Boundless prospects indeed!"

In a daze, Leng Yaozhu even saw the figure of that person upon that youth. The two were equally young, equally invincible among their peers, and equally breathtakingly brilliant.

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

"Many thanks, Your Grace Sky Phoenix."