One Fire Suppresses All Arts

Shen Jingyuan's strength exceeded everyone's expectations.

Sure enough, none who could gather True Qi were mediocre.

This made everyone put away their contempt. Only Wei Zhixing's eyes shone brighter, as though he had grown even more excited.

And the matches continued.

The second match was Lu Xuan against Ning Wanqing.

One gathered Dawn Radiance True Qi, while the other gathered Netherstring Lunar Qi.

Strictly speaking, this was also a contest between Great Yin and Great Yang.

Anticipation rose in everyone's hearts, and Wei Zhixing watched without blinking.

"Senior Sister, if you please!"

Lu Xuan was the first to cup his hands and bow to Ning Wanqing.

Ning Wanqing was gentle and lovely, with bright, spirited almond eyes. Looking at Lu Xuan now, she smiled faintly. "Junior Brother, come at me."

The moment her words fell, a hazy moon shadow emerged above the great river, and Ning Wanqing herself directly "vanished."

This was naturally not true invisibility. Yet within everyone's Spiritual Sense, Ning Wanqing had disappeared, as though she had severed all connection with the world. Only a vague silhouette remained where she stood.

Netherstring Lunar Qi—adept at awakening spirits, concealing in darkness, and nurturing the origin.

Awakening spirits meant granting intelligence to all things, excelling at enlightening Spirit Monsters; concealing in darkness meant skill in hiding, evading arts, and escaping tribulations; nurturing the origin meant being suited to cultivation, with pure Qi Sea power and a firm foundation.

At this moment, Ning Wanqing was using Netherstring Lunar Qi to activate Water-Moon Escape Art, concealing her aura within the moon shadow. She did not reveal herself to the world, and ordinary techniques or magic artifacts could not find her trace at all, allowing her to evade slaughter.

But Lu Xuan merely smiled faintly. Then, within his Consciousness Sea, a Millet Pearl shone with blazing radiance, illuminating darkness and breaking falsehood.

In but an instant, Ning Wanqing's hazy moon shadow was seen through.

"Boom!"

Then a terrifying heartfire swept forth, like a waterfall of falling flames cascading from within the blazing sun, striking at Ning Wanqing.

Ning Wanqing's expression changed at once.

"Boom!!"

The fire was utterly silent in reality, yet within her Spiritual Sense, it roared vast and mighty like surging tidal waves.

Without any hesitation, she immediately activated her Dao art.

The moon shadow rippled, and Ning Wanqing's Spiritual Sense instantly turned icy as water, carrying extreme cold.

"Boom!"

Yet with only the slightest lick of the heartfire, the so-called moon shadow and icy chill were burned dry in an instant.

"Still!"

Ning Wanqing's expression became solemn as she repeatedly activated her magic artifact. A green jade ruyi floated into the air, spilling down threads of azure glow as it sought to stop the vast heartfire.

This was the magic artifact Heart-Calming Ruyi. It could suppress an enemy cultivator's Spiritual Sense and also protect its wielder.

"Hiss!"

But the heartfire surged, and in only an instant, the azure glow was burned away.

Ning Wanqing wanted to activate her art again, but the heartfire had already entered her mind. Her thoughts immediately felt as if they were being scorched. Her whole body burned with heat, and she only wanted to plunge into the great river to extinguish the fire, utterly unable to gather an art.

"Senior Sister, I yield to you."

At that moment, the heartfire swiftly withdrew. A wave of coolness washed through Ning Wanqing's heart, dispersing the burning heat and saving her from the embarrassment of falling into the river.

Everyone witnessed this scene, and all were shocked.

From beginning to end, Lu Xuan had used only one art.

Heartfire.

Yet this single ball of heartfire had burned through Ning Wanqing's two arts and one artifact, entering directly into her Consciousness Sea. Had Lu Xuan not withdrawn it, something too dreadful to speak of might have happened.

What kind of heartfire was this?

It actually possessed the bearing of one art triumphing over ten thousand arts.

If one could not block it and one's thoughts were burned dry, then no matter how peerless the physical body or how full the Qi Sea, one would be no more than a walking corpse.

Although Zhang Xuange had seen Lu Xuan's heartfire once before in Honored Guest Hall, he was still shocked upon seeing it again today.

How much of his strength did Senior Brother Lu use today?

He could not help but speculate inwardly, then gave a bitter smile.

Why did it feel as though all his fellow students on the island were crouching tigers and hidden dragons, while he alone was so ordinary?!

"Junior Brother, what fine Dao arts, what fine heartfire!"

Ning Wanqing had also returned to normal by now. Looking at Lu Xuan, she bowed in acknowledgment.

She felt that Lu Xuan had not used his full strength. Otherwise, the moment the heartfire ignited, it should have entered her Consciousness Sea directly. In an instant, her thoughts would have burned as though aflame, and she likely would not have had the leisure to activate her Dao arts or magic artifacts.

"Senior Sister flatters me. The True Qi I gathered cannot compare to the profundity of your Netherstring Lunar Qi, so I could only seek another path."

Lu Xuan smiled.

Heartfire for pill refinement was merely a minor path. What his Burning Heart Sunfire excelled at was slaughter!

This was also the confidence he possessed today.

Wei Zhixing's gaze was like lightning as he looked deeply at Lu Xuan.

But in the next instant, he withdrew his gaze and stepped into the middle of the great river.

The third match was between him and Zhan Qingyang.

"Junior Brother Wei, be careful with your attacks!"

Zhan Qingyang said with a smile.

Wei Zhixing said nothing, but a character for water condensed above the river's surface: "Giving your all is the true way to respect Senior Brother."

Zhan Qingyang immediately cried out, "Hold it, hold it! Don't tell me you want to beat Junior Brother Lu's winning speed and use me as your target!"

But Wei Zhixing did not say more. His entire body blazed as he transformed into a wheel of light and fiercely charged toward Zhan Qingyang.

Overbearing, fierce, supremely yang and supremely rigid.

Just like the noon sun.

Though Zhan Qingyang's Central Balance True Qi had its own mysteries, he was ultimately no match for Wei Zhixing's Dry Yang True Qi. After several breaths, he was defeated.

It was only somewhat slower than Lu Xuan's victory.

Wei Zhixing said nothing. He merely returned to the crowd, closed his eyes, and adjusted his breathing to restore his qi power.

Zhan Qingyang, meanwhile, was not surprised in the least.

Afterward, Gu Changgeng and Jiang Zhou, the two who had gathered Grand Clarity True Qi, fought another match.

Grand Clarity True Qi turned turbidity into clarity, shattered obsessions, and clarified the heart. When their arts clashed, they seemed like drifting immortals and were exceedingly pleasing to the eye. Yet in the end, Gu Changgeng prevailed with the Delusion-Breaking Art.

After everyone had finished adjusting their breathing, the four immediately began the second round of matches.

But after witnessing the first round of Dao battles, those present had already gained a rough understanding of one another's strength.

They could also vaguely guess between whom the top rank would be decided.

Thus, the second round proceeded with extreme swiftness.

In the end... Lu Xuan defeated Gu Changgeng, while Wei Zhixing defeated Shen Jingyuan.

Everyone had expected Wei Zhixing to reach the end.

After all, back in Hibernation Academy, Wei Zhixing had already excelled at swordsmanship and Dao battles. Later, when he defeated Qi Heting, his renown became boundless.

Only Lu Xuan had somewhat exceeded everyone's expectations.

After all, Lu Xuan had previously become known in Hibernation Academy only for his Heaven-Given Bearing. He had not been considered some astonishingly gifted cultivator.

But after the Second Grand Rite, his cultivation had grown ever more formidable.

In today's two battles, he had won both with a single art, making everyone look at him anew.

"Senior Brother Wei, if you please!"

Lu Xuan did not care what everyone else was thinking.

He had single-handedly brought about today's Dao battles. There were only eight participants, so it could hardly be called a grand gathering. The title of top rank was only of use on Cangyun Island.

If other inner sect students learned of it, they might even sneer.

But he still had to fight for it.

How could one sweep the world without first sweeping one room?

Today, he would take first place on this island, gain the ancient character, and gain a foundation. Only then could he one day take first place in the inner sect and first place in the Immortal Cult.

"Senior Brother Wei, I will use only one art. If you can withstand it, you win!"

With that, Lu Xuan extended a finger. A brilliant halo gathered at its tip, forming a Golden Hoop that shot toward Wei Zhixing with the speed of lightning, too swift to cover one's ears.

Origin Astral Heart Band!