Enlightenment and Overcoming Weaknesses! A Breakthrough in Desperation, a Deadly Reversal!

Ning Chengyi smiled faintly at the Sword Venerable and flashed a peace sign, then drove his spear into the ground, planting it firmly beside him.

"What does he mean by that?"

"Has he gone mad? How does he still dare provoke the Sword Venerable?"

"I think he really has lost it. A peace sign? Is he trying to act cute?"

"Exactly! How does a mere Soul Master dare do that?!"

The spectators buzzed with discussion, all convinced that Ning Chengyi had lost his mind.

They believed he had realized he could not defeat the Sword Venerable and had simply given up, choosing to throw his life away.

"I'll tear you apart with my own hands!"

The Sword Venerable had fought dozens of matches at the Great Soul Arena. If he had not desperately needed money, he would never have entered the Death Arena. This was his final match.

Once it was over, he could take his winnings and leave to buy the freedom of the woman he loved.

He had secretly rejoiced upon meeting Ning Chengyi, intending to end the fight quickly. But this fellow's strength had exceeded his expectations, leading to the situation before him.

And now he still dared provoke him. He was practically begging to die.

"Boy, remember this. The man who kills you... is the Sword Venerable!"

Ning Chengyi still did not answer him.

"Let the storm rage even harder."

He spread his hands and closed his eyes. Scenes from their fight replayed in his mind like a film, flashing back again and again, every frame and every second rendered in exquisite detail.

"He's mad! Mad! Is he not going to fight back?"

"He's giving up just like that? We thought too highly of him..."

"Ah! A flash in the pan. What a shame for the Soul Fighting Arena to lose such a promising talent!"

Sighs of regret rose from the spectators.

Quite a few chose to leave, unwilling to watch themselves lose so badly.

"Young master, should we forcibly halt the match?"

"No. If he loses, so be it. A genius is useless until he matures. Keep watching."

The youth waved a hand to stop him, his gaze fixed on the arena below, a hint of gravity in his eyes.

The person behind him wanted to say more, but hesitated with the words on his lips and ultimately said nothing.

The rain of swords whistled down from above. But Ning Chengyi wore armor beneath his clothes, so aside from the sword energy cutting his exposed arms and other uncovered areas, he suffered almost no serious injuries.

The flaws in his own Soul Skill flashed through Ning Chengyi's mind. He immediately identified the most crucial problem, and his smile deepened.

He allowed the sword energy to cut his body, seemingly oblivious to the pain. The uproar outside the arena could not hinder him in the slightest.

Amid the flying blades, he closed his eyes and focused, turning the pain of his wounds into insight.

Mystic Edge, Leveling Mountains emphasized breaking through enemies and fierce offense, but neglected defense and could not counter attacks covering a wide area.

Though he followed a fierce, forceful path, that did not mean blindly unleashing a barrage of attacks.

This was his first shackle.

The spear was the king of all weapons.

If all he knew was charging forward with relentless attacks, crushing enemies through brute force, then he had fallen into the lowest form of its art.

True spearmanship could storm fortresses and shatter enemy formations on the attack, while defending against every technique without yielding. It left room to maneuver, letting its wielder advance and retreat freely, like Zilong charging in and out seven times. Only then could it deserve the title of king.

This was his second shackle.

The instant Ning Chengyi understood, his countless thoughts threaded together like a needle drawing thread—a flash of inspiration!

"Neither peril nor ease weighs upon my heart—what are they but clouds drifting through the boundless sky!"

Ning Chengyi suddenly seized the spear beside him and pulled it free with all his strength.

At that moment, the rain of swords around him seemed to freeze.

The Soul Power within him surged like floodwaters bursting through a dam, breaking through the barrier in an instant.

Crack!!

He entered the ranks of level-fifteen Soul Masters.

His Soul Power rippled outward, and the Soul Ring around him shimmered with a hazy glow.

"Watch this thrust closely!" Ning Chengyi abruptly opened his eyes, their brilliance striking terror into anyone who saw them.

At that moment... the way of the spear became clear!

The rain of swords rang with clinking impacts, as though rejoicing for him.

"He... he broke through!"

"He broke through during a fight—and in the Death Arena!"

The noisy spectators in the stands suddenly fell silent, then erupted into earth-shaking cheers.

Those supporting Ning Chengyi cheered and leaped with excitement. "Azu, kill him! I knew you could do it!"

"Damn it, move your foot! That's my betting slip!"

The clamor rose again, the shouts in the arena even louder than before.

"He actually broke through in a fight to the death!"

"What an extraordinary stroke of fortune!"

Some sharp-eyed Soul Masters immediately noticed the strange change in Ning Chengyi's condition.

"First Soul Skill: Mystic Edge, Leveling Mountains!"

At that moment, Ning Chengyi seemed like a demonic god descended upon the world. His killing intent flowed like water, almost taking tangible form as he fixed a ferocious gaze on the Sword Venerable.

His spear shot toward him with an unprecedentedly chilling gleam.

"A paltry trick!" To the Sword Venerable, he was nothing more than a prancing clown trying the same old move!

Boom!

But this time, dodging was useless.

He saw spear shadows on every side, surrounding him completely, leaving him unable to discern which was the true attack.

By the time he came to his senses, all he saw was a sly smile.

"No!" the Sword Venerable roared, raising his sword above his head to block. But the three-foot blade shattered on impact, and the spearhead pierced his skull.

Bang!

The terrifying force instantly burst his head apart like fireworks.

Ning Chengyi flicked the blood and flesh from his spear and walked out of the arena without expression.

Outside the arena, there was only deathly silence.

Even breathing could be heard clearly. The reversal had come far too quickly.

Though it took many words to describe, everything had happened within just three to five seconds.

From the Sword Venerable unleashing his rain of swords to kill Ning Chengyi, to Ning Chengyi gaining enlightenment, recognizing and correcting his weaknesses, and finally killing the Sword Venerable with a single thrust.

All of it had happened in an extremely short span of time.

"Azu! Azu! Azu!"

Someone outside the arena shouted his name, and the entire spectator stand instantly erupted.

Today, they had witnessed what an overwhelming disparity truly meant.

And what it meant to turn defeat into victory.

The first to attain enlightenment in the Death Arena!

Ning Chengyi's name, "Azu," was destined to resound throughout the Great Soul Arena tonight, and from there spread across the world!

"Young master, young master..." The person standing behind the youth in fine robes called several times without receiving an answer, until he finally touched him.

"Wh-what is it?" the youth asked in a daze.

"He won. Shall we still carry out the plan?"

"Go! Invite him to the Nightglow Tower. Don't reveal my identity. I'll tell him once he arrives." Hidden beneath his robes, the youth's hands clenched into fists, his nails digging deep into his palms. In his eyes lay admiration and profound... shock!

He had single-handedly broken free of certain death.

And in doing so, he had broken through, recognized his own flaws, corrected his weaknesses, and killed an opponent several levels above him. Such a genius had to become his trusted right-hand man.

The person beside the youth caught every trace of the delight concealed in his eyes.

He acknowledged the order and swiftly vanished from the room.

Before Ning Chengyi could return to his courtyard, someone stopped him along the way.

The visitor invited him to the Nightglow Tower with an exceptionally courteous manner. His attire marked him as either wealthy or noble, and a snake-shaped marking adorned his forehead. Ning Chengyi needed little thought to know whom he served, and accepted with a smile.

"The fish has taken the bait."