Seven Section True Martial Stance

Before the energy arrived, Li Chen Zhou's Flying Fish Uniform already bore dozens of cracks. He let out a long cry, and the Blood Demon Blade was drawn with a fierce clang. The Sanskrit and demonic script on the blade lit up simultaneously.

"Three Abyssal Slashes—Severing Samsara!"

The moment the blade and sword collided, the entire Black Tortoise Arena sank three inches!

Through the dust, two figures crossed paths—

"Tziiip!"

Li Chen Zhou's left sleeve was severed at the shoulder, revealing an arm covered in demonic script. Jian Wu Dao's hair tie shattered, and a lock of black hair drifted to the ground.

"Good blade," Jian Wu Dao said, wiping blood from his cheek. "A pity..."

He suddenly spun and thrust again, this time ten times faster than before! The Big Dipper constellation on the Seven Kill Sword lit up, one star at a time, each one increasing the sword's speed!

"Pfft!"

The blade pierced Li Chen Zhou's right chest, drawing a spray of blood. Just as Jian Wu Dao was about to press his advantage, he found he couldn't withdraw his sword—Li Chen Zhou's muscles had clamped down on the blade like iron pincers!

"Got you," Li Chen Zhou's blood-stained lips curved into a smile, his eyes gleaming with madness. "Soul Absorption Art!"

True energy flowed backward along the sword, and Jian Wu Dao was shocked to feel his internal energy draining away like a breached dam. He made a decisive move, forming a finger-strike with his left hand towards his own right wrist—intending to sever his arm to save his life!

"Too late," Li Chen Zhou sneered. The Sanskrit on the Blood Demon Blade suddenly blazed.

"Ding—Congratulations to the Host for comprehending 'Buddha-Demon Duality!'"

The blade erupted with a golden-black interweaving light, one half like a Buddha holding a flower, the other like an Asura thirsting for blood.

As the blade descended, the Seven Kill Sword let out a mournful cry of being unable to bear the strain, spiderweb-like cracks appearing on its surface!

Jian Wu Dao cried out, "No—how is this possible? The Seven Kill Sword's 'Po Jun' is an Earth-tier Divine Weapon!"

"Clang—"

At the critical moment, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion Master's abacus suddenly flew in, forcefully separating the blade and sword.

The old Pavilion Master stood between the two, his bamboo hat blown off by the shockwave, revealing a scarred face.

"This match..." he announced hoarsely, "is won by Li Chen Zhou!"

Shards of the Seven Kill Sword rained down like stars. Jian Wu Dao knelt at the edge of the arena, the tiger's mouth of his right hand split open, blood dripping down the sword hilt. The pride of Sword King City, his eyes were filled with disbelief.

"An Earth-tier Divine Weapon... was actually..." His trembling fingers traced the cracks on the blade. "This is impossible..."

Li Chen Zhou slowly sheathed his blade, the sword wound on his chest healing at a visible rate. The Sanskrit and demonic script on the Blood Demon Blade flowed and intertwined, emitting a heart-palpitating pressure.

"It's a good sword," he said, kicking aside the fragments at his feet. "Too bad the person wielding it—" He flicked the tip of his blade, nailing the last piece of the sword in front of Jian Wu Dao. "—was unworthy."

Having witnessed the duel between Li Chen Zhou and Jian Wu Dao, the fighting spirit of everyone else surged. Previously, the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion had conducted spontaneous rankings, and the question of who was truly the number one on the Earth Ranking, the foremost among the younger generation, had always remained a mystery.

"Next match!" the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion Master's hoarse voice echoed throughout the venue. "Zhang Xuanling of Dragon Tiger Mountain versus..."

"No need," Li Chen Zhou suddenly pointed his blade at the spectator stands. "Come at me all at once."

A commotion erupted in the stands. The Mad Daoist's wine gourd fell to the ground with a snap, Zhang Xuanling's Five Thunder Command Flag fluttered without wind, and even the God Hunter, Leng Wu She, who had been feigning sleep, opened his eyes.

Zhang Xuanling's daoist robe billowed as if in a strong wind, and the Five Thunder Command Flag hovered around him. He bit his finger and drew a lightning pattern on his brow, and the sky immediately became overcast.

"Lord Li, you're a bit overconfident. The Five Thunder Ritual specializes in countering evil techniques. Be careful..."

Before he could finish speaking, the Blood Demon Blade came slashing towards him! Zhang Xuanling hastily formed a lightning seal, and five lightning bolts as thick as buckets crashed down.

A bizarre scene unfolded—the moment the lightning touched the blade, it was absorbed like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea! The Taotie patterns on the Blood Demon Blade opened their mouths wide, devouring the lightning completely.

"Ding—Blood Demon Blade charged 0.5%"

The instant the five lightning bolts were consumed by the Blood Demon Blade, the Taotie patterns on its surface suddenly opened a third eye. Blue and white electricity flickered within its pupil, illuminating the entire long blade like a weapon of the thunder god.

Zhang Xuanling's daoist crown was blown off by the shockwave, residual arcs of electricity dancing in his hair. He looked in disbelief as the lightning he had summoned flowed obediently along Li Chen Zhou's blade.

"This is impossible! The Five Thunder Ritual is..."

Before he could finish, Li Chen Zhou's blade flashed like lightning. This strike was three parts faster than the previous one, and the blade was now wrapped not in ordinary lightning energy, but in "tribulation lightning" tempered by the Blood Demon Blade!

"Three Abyssal Slashes—Abyssal Hell!"

The moment the blade's momentum unfolded, the entire arena was engulfed in blue and white electricity. The protective jade talisman Zhang Xuanling hastily produced shattered with a crack, and the lightning-repelling talismans embroidered on his daoist robe burst into flame without fire.

"Boom!"

After the lightning storm, everyone saw Zhang Xuanling kneeling on one knee, his Five Thunder Command Flag charred and smoking. As he looked up, the cold edge of the Blood Demon Blade was at his throat.

"Ding—Defeated Dragon Tiger Mountain True Disciple"

"Obtained: Fragment of Five Thunder Ritual (Can be integrated into Wind God Kick)"

"This match—Li Chen Zhou wins," the Heavenly Secrets Pavilion Master announced the victory at the opportune moment.

"Thank you for showing mercy, Lord Li," Zhang Xuanling said, standing up and bowing his thanks.

"You're welcome. For true geniuses, I, Li, still hold admiration."

At this point, the Wudang Mad Daoist stepped onto the stage.

"Wudang's Song He Gui requests guidance."

The Mad Daoist staggered onto the arena, the scabbard of his True Martial Sword still stained with wine. His cloudy eyes swept over Li Chen Zhou's blade, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of wine:

"What a fierce blade that drinks blood and swallows lightning! No wonder the Earth-tier Seven Kill Sword – Breaking Army shattered. Its rank must be at least Above Heaven-tier."

As these words left his mouth, everyone was shocked: "Above Heaven-tier..."

Li Chen Zhou did not deny it. "As expected of Mad Daoist San's prized disciple, you have some insight."

Before the wine mist had even dissipated, the old Daoist's figure had already closed in like a ghost. The True Martial Sword was unsheathed without warning, its blade tracing an arcane trajectory, carrying three parts drunkenness and seven parts madness.

"Drunk, I watch the sword by lamplight!"

Li Chen Zhou blocked horizontally with his saber, only to see the sword's momentum suddenly change direction. The True Martial Sword, like a viper's tongue, pierced through the saber net and aimed straight for his throat! At the critical moment, the Sanskrit characters on the Blood Demon Blade suddenly lit up—

"Clang!"

Buddhist light and sword energy clashed. Li Chen Zhou retreated seven steps, a foot-long gash appearing on his Flying Fish Uniform. The mad Daoist, seizing the advantage, pressed his attack, his sword moves becoming even more elusive:

"Killing in a dream!"

This sword strike seemed to come from the void. Only when the sword tip was three inches from his heart did its true form appear. Li Chen Zhou hastily dodged sideways, the sword's edge grazing his ribs and sparking against his protective Golden Bell Shield.

"The True Martial Sword Intent is quite interesting."

The True Martial Sword Intent drilled into his meridians like a persistent leech. Li Chen Zhou felt his internal organs being churned by tiny sword blades. He staggered back three steps, each one leaving an inch-deep footprint on the Black Tortoise Arena.

"Kid..." The mad Daoist tilted his head back and took a swig of wine. "The True Martial Sword specializes in breaking hard-body techniques..." The wine dripped down his white beard, etching honeycomb-like holes into the stone slab. "Your Golden Bell Shield..."

Before he could finish, the old Daoist's eyes widened—Li Chen Zhou rapidly circulated the Soul Absorption Art, condensing all the sword intent that had invaded his body, and then injected it into the Blood Demon Blade in his hand!

A mouthful of blood spilled from Li Chen Zhou's lips, but a smile spread across his face. "Thank you for the... gift, senior!"

The Blood Demon Blade suddenly let out a dragon-like hum. The demonic patterns on the blade evolved to mimic the trajectory of the True Martial Sword. Li Chen Zhou's opening stance had inexplicably transformed into the opening of a Wudang sword technique!

"This... this is impossible!" The mad Daoist's wine gourd fell to the ground with a "smash."

Li Chen Zhou's saber momentum shifted abruptly. Though the Blood Demon Blade was clearly a saber, he now wielded the purest True Martial Sword Intent! Even more terrifying was that each move carried the ruthless decisiveness of the Three Abyssal Slashes.

"Seven Section True Martial Stance?" The mad Daoist hastily blocked, his True Martial Sword vibrating with a hum. "No... this is..."

"Three Abyssal Slashes Third Slash: True Martial, Uninterrupted Tribulation!"

Amidst the clash of saber light and sword shadows, Li Chen Zhou's figure split into seven. Each phantom executed a different True Martial Sword move, yet all were imbued with the ferocity of hellish demons. The mad Daoist retreated nine steps, seven cracks already appearing on his Daoist robe.

As the most fatal blow aimed for his throat, the mad Daoist suddenly burst into laughter. "Magnificent! I concede. Lord Li, your martial arts are superb."