Battle Against Xingchen Yu

Ye Lingyun and his companions stood below the platform for the quarterfinals, looking up at Xingchen Yu and his teammates opposite them. Dressed entirely in white, Xingchen Yu had an extraordinary, otherworldly bearing, as though untouched by the smoke and fire of mortal life. The teammates beside him also carried steady auras and possessed considerable strength. Xingchen Yu swept his gaze over Ye Lingyun and the others, the corners of his mouth lifting into a confident smile, as if victory in this match were already in his grasp.

"Ye Lingyun, I heard you performed well in the previous matches, but now that you've run into me, you won't be so lucky." Xingchen Yu's voice was as pleasing as a clear spring, yet his words carried an unmistakable arrogance.

Ye Lingyun remained calm. Looking at Xingchen Yu, he said firmly, "The match hasn't even begun. Who brings down the deer is still anyone's guess."

The referee stepped onto the platform and read out the rules once more. "This quarterfinal is a team match, with the same rules as before. Defeat every member of the opposing team or render them unable to fight to win. Lethal methods are strictly forbidden. Stop once your opponent is beaten. Now, begin!"

At the referee's command, Xingchen Yu attacked first. A Jade Flute appeared in his hand, and he raised it to his lips and played softly. A melodious tune immediately rang out, but powerful spiritual power fluctuations lay within it. Ye Lingyun and his companions felt an invisible force pressing down on them, as though it would shatter their very souls.

"Everyone, be careful! There's something strange about that flute music!" Ye Lingyun warned his teammates loudly while swiftly circulating his spiritual power to form a Spiritual Power Shield before him. His teammates employed their own defensive measures as well. Li Hao swung his broadsword, forming a Blade-Ray Shield in front of himself; Wang Li quickly prepared several Defensive Pills and distributed them; Zhang Feng swiftly laid down a small Defensive Spirit Array; and Chen Yao concentrated her spiritual power, forming a Spiritual Power Barrier before herself.

However, the power of Xingchen Yu's flute music far exceeded their expectations. Under its assault, the Spiritual Power Shield trembled continuously, fine cracks spreading across it. Ye Lingyun knew that defending passively like this was no solution. They had to take the initiative and disrupt Xingchen Yu's rhythm. He shouted to his teammates, "Follow my commands! Li Hao, Chen Yao, attack Xingchen Yu from the left and right to interrupt his playing! Wang Li, prepare support pills and be ready to assist us at any moment! Zhang Feng, set up interference spirit arrays to stop the other Star Pavilion members from supporting Xingchen Yu!"

His teammates answered in unison and swiftly acted on his instructions. Like a ferocious tiger, Li Hao charged at Xingchen Yu from the left, brandishing his broadsword, each step making the ground tremble slightly. Chen Yao darted away, circling around from the right like a phantom, Spiritual Power Arrows poised in her hands.

Seeing their movements, a trace of disdain flashed through Xingchen Yu's eyes. Still playing the Jade Flute, he casually raised his left hand and sent several Spiritual Power Waves toward Li Hao and Chen Yao. The waves moved with incredible speed, reaching them in an instant.

Li Hao roared and poured all his spiritual power into his broadsword, unleashing Mighty Qian Jun Strike in an attempt to cleave through the Spiritual Power Waves. But their strength surpassed his imagination. The instant his blade collided with them, an immense force surged into him, numbing his arms and driving him back several steps.

Chen Yao used her agile footwork to weave between the waves and evade them. Seizing an opening, she fired her Spiritual Power Arrows at Xingchen Yu. He shifted slightly to the side and effortlessly avoided them, while his flute music grew more rapid. An even stronger assault on the soul swept toward Chen Yao. A sharp pain tore through her head, and her movements immediately slowed.

Anxiety gripped Ye Lingyun at the sight. He used Breeze Phantom Steps to appear before Xingchen Yu in an instant, gathering all his strength into his longsword and unleashing Starry Illusion Spirit Slash. A dazzling streak of sword energy carrying the power of the stars shot toward Xingchen Yu. At last, Xingchen Yu cast aside his contempt. He stopped playing the Jade Flute and rapidly formed seals with both hands, creating a shield shimmering with starlight before him.

The sword energy struck the shield, erupting in a blinding radiance as powerful spiritual power fluctuations spread in every direction. Although Xingchen Yu's shield blocked the strike, several cracks appeared in it. Ye Lingyun seized the opportunity to attack again. This time, he incorporated the spiritual power transformation methods of the Nine-Turn Spirit Illusion Art into his sword technique, making his moves even more elusive and unpredictable.

Sensing the change in Ye Lingyun's attacks, Xingchen Yu dared not be careless. He raised the Jade Flute again and played an entirely different melody. As the tune rang out, the space around Ye Lingyun seemed to twist, making it difficult for him to move. At the same time, the other four Star Pavilion teammates sprang into action and attacked Ye Lingyun and his companions.

Zhang Feng quickly activated the interference spirit arrays he had set up earlier. Runes rose from the ground, forming barriers that blocked the Star Pavilion teammates' advance. However, those four were also exceptionally strong. They attacked together, attempting to break through the spirit arrays.

At the rear, Wang Li swiftly prepared various pills to replenish her teammates' spiritual power and treat their injuries. As she worked, she kept an eye on the battlefield, searching for the best moments to support them.

During his confrontation with Xingchen Yu, Ye Lingyun gradually worked out a way to counter his flute music. He circulated his spiritual power and concentrated it around his ears, forming a special Spiritual Power Barrier to resist the music's assaults on his soul. At the same time, he continued unleashing exquisite sword techniques, clashing fiercely with Xingchen Yu.

After briefly recovering, Li Hao rejoined the battle. With a furious roar, he unleashed his strongest martial technique, Earth-Splitting Slash. Spiritual power surged along his broadsword, and a massive blade ray slashed toward Xingchen Yu. Forced to divert some of his attention to blocking Li Hao's attack, Xingchen Yu swept the Jade Flute through the air, firing a Spiritual Power Beam at the blade ray. The two collided, unleashing powerful spiritual power fluctuations.

Chen Yao also recovered. Working together with Ye Lingyun and Li Hao, she attacked Xingchen Yu from different directions. Though Xingchen Yu was powerful, he began struggling to keep up under the three-pronged assault.

Elsewhere, Zhang Feng relied on his mastery of spirit arrays to continually adjust their layout, barely holding off the other four Star Pavilion members. But the four coordinated seamlessly, and their offensive grew fiercer and fiercer. The spirit arrays were in danger of shattering at any moment.

Seizing the right moment, Wang Li threw several pills with disorienting effects toward the four Star Pavilion members. The pills burst open, releasing clouds of multicolored smoke that briefly threw the four into confusion. Zhang Feng took advantage of the opening to strengthen his spirit arrays, stabilizing the situation for the moment.

Catching the instant Xingchen Yu's attention wavered, Ye Lingyun unleashed an Ultimate Sword Technique that fused the power of the stars, the power of lightning, and the essence of spiritual power transformation-Starry Thunderlight Illusion Spirit Slash. His longsword blazed with light, its blade encircled by stars, lightning, and ever-shifting spiritual radiance. A streak of sword energy that seemed capable of destroying heaven and earth shot toward Xingchen Yu.

Feeling the immense power of the strike, Xingchen Yu's expression changed dramatically. He swiftly drove all his spiritual power to its limit, condensing an extraordinarily powerful Spiritual Power Shield before him. The sword energy struck the shield with a heaven-shaking crash, and the entire platform shuddered violently. The shield shattered instantly beneath the impact. The remaining force struck Xingchen Yu, sending him flying several dozen feet before he slammed heavily into the ground.

The other four Star Pavilion members were alarmed to see Xingchen Yu injured, and their offensive immediately faltered. Ye Lingyun and his companions seized the opportunity to launch an all-out counterattack. Under Ye Lingyun's leadership, their tenacious fighting spirit and seamless coordination finally brought down all four Star Pavilion members.

Seeing this, the referee immediately announced, "Ye Lingyun's team wins this match!"

Deafening cheers erupted around the Martial Arts Arena. In this grueling quarterfinal, Ye Lingyun and his companions had defeated Xingchen Yu's powerful team and successfully advanced to the semifinals. Their names once again spread throughout Star City and even across the entire Lingxi Continent, becoming the focus of countless heated discussions. Yet Ye Lingyun and his teammates knew that the semifinals and final ahead would be even tougher. Still, they were ready to make their final charge toward the throne of champions...