Meridians Shattered

"What kind of sword technique is that?" Liu Xiao stared at the scene in disbelief.

Qin Hao still hasn't shown his full strength. Chen Yuntian's heart sank, and his eyes narrowed.

"Sixty sword shadows—and every one of them rivals the Sword-Drawing Art!" Even Liu Ruoxue, who had been sitting calmly, could no longer stay still. Shock flashed across her face. "How could a good-for-nothing like Qin Hao use such an advanced sword technique?"

"Is this... an enhanced Sword-Drawing Art?"

Yang Benhong was startled at first, then gave a disdainful sneer. "No need to make a fuss, Junior Sister Liu. His move is impressive, but I've seen through it. He's simply swinging his sword faster to create countless shadows. You've trained hard at the Myriad Phenomena Hall for three months. With your current strength, you could defeat him in one move."

Liu Ruoxue nodded, her expression settling. "You're right, Senior Brother Yang. Come to think of it, Qin Hao has practiced the sword since childhood. It's hardly strange that his swordsmanship is advanced. Who do you think will win, Liu Kuang or Qin Hao?"

Yang Benhong hesitated, then said quietly, "If Liu Kuang fully draws out the Violent Burst Pill's effects, he might be able to fight Qin Hao."

Liu Ruoxue frowned.

Once Liu Kuang fully drew out the pill's effects, Chi Zhenheng would likely sense it in an instant. Liu Kuang might not be able to bear the consequences.

As the two spoke, another powerful aura suddenly surged from the arena.

Liu Kuang's earlier shock had turned to fury.

"Qin Hao, you're nothing but a good-for-nothing! How could you possibly master such an advanced sword technique?"

"You must have used some Secret Art strictly forbidden in the Genius Tournament! Otherwise, trash like you could never have this kind of strength."

"But even so, you're destined to be trampled under my feet today. I'll sever the tendons in your legs bit by bit and shatter your dantian. I'll make you the most wretched cripple of all!"

Buzz!

The Violent Burst Pill's effects had fully erupted within Liu Kuang.

"What nerve!"

Almost at the same moment, a thunderous shout rang out.

On the judges' platform, Chi Zhenheng's face darkened. Terrifying killing intent radiated from him.

Chi Zhenheng had already suspected Liu Kuang of taking a forbidden pill. Now that Liu Kuang had unleashed its full effects, Chi Zhenheng sensed it at once and flew into a rage.

But before Chi Zhenheng could act, the first dozen or so sword shadows struck Liu Kuang.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

As the sword shadows closed in, Liu Kuang's face twisted. He swung his saber wildly, hacking at them.

His blade was faster and fiercer, its power doubled.

In an instant, Liu Kuang shattered several sword shadows.

But shattering a few was nothing. More and more came at him!

Even after drawing out the Violent Burst Pill's full power, I'm still being overwhelmed?

After breaking through more than a dozen sword shadows, Liu Kuang's strength began to flag. The shock on his face deepened.

The Violent Burst Pill lasted only half a quarter of an hour, and its effects waned rapidly as time passed.

"You can't stop this." Qin Hao stepped through the Seven Stars, Iron Sword in hand, weaving among dozens of sword shadows as he thrust straight ahead.

Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!

At last, one sword shadow pierced Liu Kuang's defenses and plunged into his shoulder.

Then came a second, a third...

Sword shadows struck Liu Kuang without end.

"Liu Kuang... he can't hold them off!"

"Qin Hao's sword attack is too powerful!"

Everyone in the martial arts grounds watched the fight without blinking.

When they saw Liu Kuang gradually lose ground, they stood stunned. The grounds fell silent once more, without even a crow's caw or a sparrow's chirp.

"Ah! Aah!"

Liu Kuang roared in pain. Each sword shadow left another wound on his body, sending waves of agony through him.

What enraged him even more was that every one of Qin Hao's strikes avoided his vital points. Qin Hao only wounded him. The pain in his body and the anguish in his heart piled upon each other until living felt worse than death.

"I never wanted to fight you, yet you provoked me again and again." Qin Hao stabbed Liu Kuang in the thigh, drawing another scream from him.

"You wanted to trample me, torment me, destroy my future..."

Qin Hao's voice was cold as ice. "Your Liu Lineage truly repays kindness with betrayal. You're savage and vicious to the bone!"

"Qin Hao, you... you're a good-for-nothing! How can you be this strong? I don't believe it!" Liu Kuang howled, pain driving him to the edge of madness.

Yet regret rose unbidden in his heart.

Not only had Qin Hao's countless sword shadows left wounds all over Liu Kuang, but Liu Kuang could also feel the pill's effects weakening. In their place, a violent force ran rampant through his body.

The Violent Burst Pill's backlash!

The pill's surge of strength was fierce but brief, and its backlash was fiercer still. Agony tore through Liu Kuang's meridians as though his insides were being ripped apart. Starting near his wounds, they began to snap inch by inch.

Then the damage slowly spread toward his dantian.

My dantian... If it shatters, I'll be a cripple! Terror seized Liu Kuang. He regretted letting Liu Feng have his way, and regretted provoking Qin Hao even more.

If I hadn't provoked Qin Hao, perhaps I wouldn't have ended up like this...

Everyone called Qin Hao a good-for-nothing. But with the terrifying strength he had just displayed, if Qin Hao was a good-for-nothing, what did that make Liu Kuang?

What's going on? Qin Hao was baffled. I didn't attack his meridians or his dantian. How have his meridians suddenly snapped?

Qin Hao stopped attacking, utterly astonished.

He was not the only one who noticed. Most of the people in the martial arts grounds saw it too.

The meridians breaking beneath Liu Kuang's skin were plainly visible. But to the crowd, it looked as though Qin Hao's sword shadows had severed them, strike by strike!

"His meridians really have been severed inch by inch. Qin Hao is ruthless."

"Liu Kuang is finished. He's a complete cripple now. He'll never cultivate again."

"We'd better not provoke Qin Hao from now on. Genius or good-for-nothing, he's not someone we can afford to cross!"

The crowd came back to its senses.

"Liu Kuang... Liu Kuang has been crippled!"

"Sister, what happened? How could that good-for-nothing Qin Hao defeat Liu Kuang and destroy his meridians and dantian?"

Where the Liu Lineage stood, Liu Ruojie shrieked as though he had seen a ghost. His body shook like chaff in a sieve.

It was as though he could see his own fate. Boundless fear rose in his heart.

"Shut up," Liu Ruoxue snapped. "Liu Kuang broke the Genius Tournament's rules by secretly taking a forbidden pill. Now he's suffered its backlash. His meridians are severed and his dantian is shattered!"

"He brought this on himself. It has nothing to do with the Liu Lineage!"

"Kuang'er! Qin Hao, you dared to destroy my son's dantian and ruin his future! You're courting death!"

Liu Chengfeng was the first to react. Eyes blazing and face contorted with rage, he leaped toward the arena.

Liu Chengfeng had not cared in the slightest when Liu Feng was crippled. But Liu Kuang was exceptionally gifted, and he had placed great hopes in him. Now Liu Kuang had been crippled too.

How could he not be furious?

"You old bastard! Touch my son, and I'll make the entire Liu Lineage pay with their lives!" Among the Qin family, Qin Yuntian had been caught up in excitement and disbelief at Qin Hao's latest victory. When he saw Liu Chengfeng attack in front of everyone, fury seized him.

Without a moment's hesitation, he leaped up and charged toward the arena as well.

But...

A thunderous shout rang out.

"How dare you!"

"The Liu Lineage has some nerve! One of your younger members takes a forbidden pill, and now you dare disrupt the Genius Tournament?"

From the judges' platform, Chi Zhenheng's powerful voice rolled across the martial arts grounds like a heavy hammer striking every heart.

He remained seated, yet his authority needed no anger behind it. His presence bore down on everyone there.