A trace of savagery surfaced on Li Bie's face. He glared fiercely at He An nearby, formed a seal with one hand, and traced an arcane path through the air with his palm.
The bells on the ropes surrounding the arena suddenly rang, and the flags fluttered rapidly like butterfly wings...
An invisible pressure bore down on He An like a mountain, choking off his breath. He struggled to breathe and could clearly feel the air around him compressed into something thick and viscous, as though he were trapped in a mire.
The shattered pieces of the longsword on the floor quivered gently, leaping merrily like silver fish revived from the brink of death...
Sensing danger, He An's hair stood on end, and he tried to leap away...
But his body stalled. The mountainous pressure surged, and his futile struggles left him gasping, his heart racing. He was just like... a fish on a chopping block, waiting to be butchered.
The spectators were shocked by the sight. Students unfamiliar with cultivation were awed by the uncanny scene, while the cultivators marveled at Li Bie's extraordinary control over Heaven and Earth primordial energy.
For a moment, the Martial Restraint Hall fell utterly silent. Even Cheng Zi Ya and the others watching the match made no sound.
Clink, clink, clink-
The sword fragments on the floor shone with dazzling light, striking one another with crisp ringing sounds. They whirled through the air at tremendous speed, blooming fiercely toward He An like brilliant flowers...
The bloodthirsty petals opened, and a fist burst from the heart of the flower, striking like an enraged dragon surging out of the sea.
A sharp gleam flashed through He An's eyes. In that instant, the surging true qi within him erupted from the acupoints all over his body.