An astonishing clash

Elsewhere, Tang Xuan recovered some Soul Power after taking an Origin-Recovery Pill. Zhao Wuji had already exhausted most of his Soul Power. Strike while he's ailing and take his life! That was Tang Xuan's thought at that moment.

"First Soul Skill: Sword Slash!"

"Second Soul Skill: Sword Burst!" Two attacks shot out, forcing Zhao Wuji back again and again. Tang Xuan glanced over and saw that the incense was almost burned out. It was time to settle the outcome. He leaped up, soaring into the air. Raising his sword overhead with both hands, he channeled all his strength into the Godslayer Sword. His blade pointed at the heavens, and a fierce sword intent erupted, as though it would pierce the sky itself.

Zhao Wuji watched Tang Xuan, his expression growing increasingly grave. Why do I feel like I can't withstand this move? As Tang Xuan's aura grew stronger and stronger, even his heart began to tremble.

Tang Xuan gripped the Godslayer Sword's hilt tightly with both hands. Condensing such immense power strained him as well. This was the second move of the Godslayer Sword Art. He had only grasped its basics and had yet to master it thoroughly, so his execution was still somewhat unpracticed.

The Godslayer Sword Art had nine moves in total, each consisting of a single sword strike, and every strike had the power to shake heaven and earth and make ghosts and gods weep. Despite years of diligent training, Tang Xuan had only reached the second move: Star-Splitting Sword Slash!

An enormous sword took shape in Tang Xuan's hands, more than ten meters long and radiating a terrifying aura.

"One sword to cleave the stars!"

"Slash!"

The enormous sword in Tang Xuan's hands slowly descended, unleashing tremendous power tinged with traces of destruction.

"Seventh Soul Skill: Martial Soul Avatar!"

Facing such a powerful attack from Tang Xuan, Zhao Wuji dared not be careless and immediately unleashed his strongest ability, his Martial Soul Avatar. His body instantly grew two meters taller, and brown fur sprouted all over him, making him truly resemble a giant bear. His instincts told him that without his Martial Soul Avatar, this sword strike would leave him gravely wounded, if not dead.

"Everyone, scatter!" Seeing Zhao Wuji unleash his Martial Soul Avatar, Tang San and Dai Mubai shouted at the same time. The Seventh Soul Skill marked the turning point at which a Soul Master began to undergo a qualitative transformation. Some Seventh Soul Skills were even stronger than Ninth Soul Skills. They told everyone to scatter because a battle at this level was no longer something they could watch up close. Even if they wanted to watch, they needed the ability to survive it. Tang San scooped up Xiao Wu and darted into the distance with the others.

Meanwhile, Tang Xuan's enormous sword met the brown bear Zhao Wuji had become. Zhao Wuji caught the blade head-on.

"Aah!" Zhao Wuji roared, pouring out all his strength.

"Slash!" Tang Xuan growled, increasing his power as well.

Both men threw everything they had into their attacks. The collision of their immense power was like the explosion of a small nuclear bomb. A small mushroom cloud rose from the center of their clash.

Tang Xuan gained a slight upper hand, and Zhao Wuji kept sliding backward beneath the enormous sword's pressure. Boom! At last, the recoil of that tremendous force sent both of them flying.

Zhao Wuji's Martial Soul Avatar dissipated. He hurtled backward dozens of meters, smashed through a wooden house, and was buried beneath the wreckage.

The enormous sword in Tang Xuan's hands dissipated as well. As he flew backward, he thrust the Godslayer Sword into the ground behind him to increase the resistance, stopping after only a dozen or so meters.

Using the Godslayer Sword for support, Tang Xuan knelt on one knee, a clear trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. He looked up toward Zhao Wuji and murmured, "I can just about fight a high-level Soul Saint to a draw!" This was already the full extent of his strength.

Although Tang Xuan appeared to have gained the upper hand in this battle, Zhao Wuji had not lost either. Zhao Wuji had used his Martial Soul Avatar, but this was not a real battlefield. Both had held something back rather than truly fighting to the death. In a life-or-death battle, the outcome might still have been uncertain.

"Cough, cough, cough." Tang Xuan coughed up a little blood. The collision of such powerful forces had left him slightly injured as well. He immediately took out a Third-Grade Healing Pill and a Third-Grade Origin-Recovery Pill and swallowed them. Sitting cross-legged on the ground, he began recovering his Soul Power. As he circulated the Nine-Turn God-Slaying Art, the Spiritual Qi in the surrounding air rapidly flowed toward him, forming a vortex around his body. Once inside him, it transformed into pure Soul Power to heal his injuries.

Tang San and the others, who had retreated dozens of meters away, hurried over when they saw that the battle was over.

"Whoa, Boss Dai, did someone invade the academy? What was all that commotion just now? Where's Teacher Zhao?" a heavily bearded, hairy "middle-aged man" called out to Dai Mubai.

Before him lay a crater ten meters across and nearly two meters deep. Everything around it was in shambles, with savage sword marks covering the ground and most of the nearby houses and fences destroyed. That crater in particular had nearly swallowed him when he ran over. Who was so rotten as to dig such a huge hole in the ground?

Dai Mubai ignored his questions and stared at the traces left behind by Tang Xuan and Zhao Wuji's battle. Is this really the kind of combat power a Soul Elder can possess? I'm a Soul Elder too, so how come I never knew? A Soul Elder can actually stand against a Soul Saint! He admitted that he was stunned. Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong were equally stunned. Oh, and there was one more: Zhao Wuji, who had experienced it firsthand.

Dai Mubai turned to look at Tang Xuan, who was deep in meditation. Tang Xuan weighed on his heart like a mountain, leaving him struggling to breathe.

"Hey, boss, I'm talking to you! Have you lost your mind? And with something this big happening at the academy, where's Teacher Zhao?" Seeing that Dai Mubai was not responding, the "middle-aged man" ran over and nudged him out of his daze.

Dai Mubai came back to his senses and heard him asking where Zhao Wuji had gone. He looked around but saw no sign of Zhao Wuji.

"Uh, I don't know either," Dai Mubai said helplessly. Who knows where he ended up fighting?

Crack, thud! Zhao Wuji pushed aside the timber pinning him down and jumped out of the wreckage. He searched for Tang Xuan and, upon seeing that he was all right, shouted at the "middle-aged man" muttering beside the crater, "Oscar, get over here. Cough, cough, cough, cough..." No sooner had he shouted than he clutched his chest and began coughing. Tang Xuan was clearly only a Soul Elder, yet he was outrageously strong. Even Zhao Wuji had suffered at his hands, sustaining considerable injuries to his internal organs.

"Yes, Teacher Zhao!" Hearing Zhao Wuji call him, Oscar immediately ran over.

"Teacher Zhao, I didn't see you when I arrived. Where did you pop out from?" Oscar asked.

"Why do you have so much nonsense to say? Hurry up and give me two sausages." Zhao Wuji was in poor condition and had no desire to answer Oscar's questions. Sword wounds of varying depths covered his body, his Soul Power was completely exhausted, and even his footing was unsteady.

Oscar handed Zhao Wuji the sausages he had made earlier and asked cautiously, "Teacher Zhao, are you all right?"

"What could possibly be wrong with me?"

Zhao Wuji snatched the sausages and immediately ate them. Afterward, his unsteady footing became considerably firmer.

Oscar thought, Looking that battered, you certainly don't seem all right...

Once Tang Xuan had recovered most of his Soul Power, he ended his meditation.

"Brother, are you all right?" Tang San stepped forward and asked with concern. That battle had worried him terribly. Their father had already left without saying goodbye, and Tang Xuan was his only remaining family. He could not let anything happen to him too.

"San, don't worry. I'm fine. I only suffered a minor injury. It's nothing serious." Then he remembered something.

"San, give this pill to Xiao Wu. She'll recover quickly after taking it." He took out a pill and handed it to Tang San.

"Mubai, they've all passed the assessment. You and Oscar go arrange their accommodation. Ask the Dean to reimburse the damage here," Zhao Wuji said. He certainly would not save Flender any money. Besides, Flender seemed rather wealthy lately.

With that, Zhao Wuji turned to leave.

"Teacher Zhao, please wait." Tang Xuan hurried forward and blocked his path.

"Kid, what do you want now? Haven't I already passed all of you?" Zhao Wuji looked at Tang Xuan before him and thought, This kid is full of strange tricks. I'd better not get too close. As he spoke, he actually took two steps back.

His behavior left Tang Xuan rather bewildered.

"Teacher Zhao, please forgive any offense I caused earlier. I'm only just venturing out into the world. Thank you for holding back." Those earnest words preserved Zhao Wuji's dignity, and his expression improved considerably.

Nearby, Oscar said to Dai Mubai, "Boss Dai, don't tell me all that commotion and that huge crater were caused by Teacher Zhao fighting that new student?"

Dai Mubai said quietly, "If you don't want a beating, shut up." Can't you see Teacher Zhao's face has darkened again? You really can't read the room. If you want a beating, don't drag me into it.