"Hm?"
Wu Ling looked at Luo Li, who had stepped onto the battle platform ahead of them, feeling a little frustrated. "Is Ji Xuan really that popular? Does anyone else want to fight him?"
"Uh... I don't think that's it. They already have a grudge between them. But Luo Li's cultivation seems to be below Ji Xuan's," Qing He said, stopping to look at the battle platform, where the atmosphere had all but frozen.
"Then let's wait."
"We might not get a chance to go up at all. I worked with her briefly once, so I know a little about her temperament. She clearly intends to fight Ji Xuan to the death."
"..."
"Let's watch from down here and see how the others fight too," Yun Mo said as he arrived nearby with Wu Yingying, looking at the two figures on the platform.
Meanwhile, Ji Xuan stood on the battle platform in white robes. Looking at Luo Li's lovely face, he revealed his signature smile, his eyes gentle.
"Actually, I knew from the start that as soon as I stepped onto the platform, you would follow immediately. That made me hesitate a little, but after thinking it over, I decided that what happened on the Spirit Road really ought to have an ending."
Luo Li's expression was indifferent. She gave no reply, merely raising the Luo God Sword slowly as her spiritual energy pressed outward.
After the trial participants received their Spiritual Energy Empowerment, their Storage Rings and other storage tools became usable again. The Luo God Sword, which Luo Li now wielded as her weapon, could also unleash a small fraction of its power.
Yet Ji Xuan seemed unconcerned by Luo Li's indifference and hostility. He continued speaking as though nothing had happened. "On the Spirit Road, the process doesn't matter, only the result. Anything you can use becomes an advantage on the Spirit Road, and that is part of your own strength.
"He was expelled from the Spirit Road. That was his final result, and it only proves that he wasn't strong enough. In his contest with me there, he can only admit that he was a loser."
"Heh..."
A trace of coldness appeared on Luo Li's exquisite face. Unwilling to listen to any more pointless words, she let dazzling azure sword light burst from the Luo God Sword. Her slender figure flashed, and she thrust straight at Ji Xuan's face.
At that moment, terrifying sword intent enveloped the entire battle platform, making the surrounding spiritual energy seem to turn into boundless sword aura, cold enough to pierce the bones.
Watching the sword stab toward him, Ji Xuan sighed. A flash of viciousness crossed his eyes, and storm clouds gathered over his previously gentle face.
A spear appeared in his hand, while brilliant holy light gathered behind him like a sacred sun, illuminating the entire battle platform and melting away the azure sword aura.
At the same time, the spear flashed in his hand. Its overlapping phantoms merged into one as he thrust toward the tip of the Luo God Sword.
Clink...
The spear tip and sword tip collided with perfect precision. Sword intent and spear intent erupted, freezing the point where the two weapons met and sending ripples of spiritual energy through the entire space of the battle platform.
Those ripples made the spectators' scalps prickle. They reckoned that if they faced either of these two, that single sword thrust or spear strike might already be beyond their ability to withstand.
"A pity Luo Li's cultivation is still a notch below Ji Xuan's. She's at a slight disadvantage," Wu Ling said with a frown, watching their exchange with some regret.
"Where did Ji Xuan find so many opportunities? Even after we snatched one from him, he still managed to reach the peak of the Heaven Fusion Realm!" Wu Yingying looked rather indignant.
"I don't know. But even if Ji Xuan is at the peak of the Heaven Fusion Realm, Luo Li won't necessarily lose to him," Qing He said calmly.
That girl's resolve was truly firm. Even he probably fell short of her inner strength. Though they had only worked together briefly, that was the impression she had left on him.
While the trial participants below marveled, the elders of the Five Great Academies likewise watched with gleaming eyes. They needed to find ways to guide these two true prodigies into their academies.
Ji Xuan might already belong to the Sacred Spirit Academy, but there was certainly still a way to recruit Luo Li.
"We need to protect these two. Although the Mirror of Judgment watches over the battle platform and their lives aren't at risk, serious injuries could still affect their cultivation," Dean Taicang said.
"Indeed. This isn't merely a sparring match. We need to keep a closer eye on them." The Martial Heavenly King of the Martial Spirit Academy nodded as he watched the increasingly fierce exchange.
Clang!
The two figures on the platform flashed faster and faster, even leaving faint afterimages. Every collision sent sword aura and spear light rampaging, making the entire platform look as though it had suffered a devastating assault. Sword cuts and spear marks covered it.
"Stop. You're no match for me." Ji Xuan guided his spear tip, and the sacred sun behind him descended, seemingly intent on smashing into the blade of the Luo God Sword.
Luo Li's eyes remained calm. Watching the descending sacred sun, she merely raised the Luo God Sword upright and flicked it lightly with her delicate hand, making the blade ring.
Looking at the Luo God Sword, she smiled faintly. Her red lips parted as she whispered, "First seal, release!"
"Luo God Sword Art, Luo River Sword Shadow!"
At that moment, the Luo God Sword's spirit slowly awakened, expressing an almost human delight toward Luo Li.
Azure sword aura erupted at that very instant, making the phantom of a great river seem to appear across the entire battle platform. The sword aura that had filled the air seemed to come alive anew, darting through it like tiny fish.
"Go!"
With that single word, the sword aura abruptly sharpened. Every streak blazed with a terrifying presence as it shot toward Ji Xuan.
Ji Xuan lowered his eyelids, gritting his teeth as he stared fixedly at the sword aura. In the end, he could only draw a deep breath and form hand seals, making the holy light shine once more.
As he moved, the spiritual energy within him circulated at tremendous speed. More and more sigils appeared around him, arranging themselves in orderly patterns to form a wheel of light even more terrifying than before, its radiance flooding heaven and earth.
"Holy Light Art, Holy Wheel!"
As his low shout rang out, the wheel of light spread like a halo, blotting out the sky and sun.
Ji Xuan slowly extended his hand and struck the halo with his palm, sending it toward the azure sword aura shooting at him.
Boom!
The two terrifying forces met head-on, finally crashing together in the fiercest collision this stretch of heaven and earth had witnessed, leaving everyone aghast.
Some even stopped fighting on the other battle platforms, staring toward Ji Xuan and Luo Li in shock.
No one had imagined they could unleash such power. Ordinary Heaven Fusion Realm cultivators likely had no way to withstand it.
And they had to remember that these two were still far from displaying their full strength. At the very least, neither had yet refined their own spirit beast essence. Once they fully absorbed the gains from this Spirit Road empowerment, what heights would they reach?
"Unimaginable. Their foundations are actually that deep. Ji Xuan, Luo Li... they truly deserve their place among the Spirit Road's finest," someone murmured.
"The gulf between them and me is like the distance between clouds and mud. I'll never dare call myself a prodigy again..."
"How did it end? It looks like a dean intervened."
"That's hard to say. But after this, I'll certainly be twice as vigilant with myself."
Everyone sighed with emotion, and Yun Mo's group was no exception.
"So strong. I'm no match for them."
Wu Yingying looked somewhat downcast. She had thought that now she too had reached the peak of the Heaven Fusion Realm, no one apart from the few people beside her could match her. Yet reality had proved different from what she had imagined.
"Heh, even the Martial Spirit Academy's young lady has a day when she bows her head?" Yun Mo turned toward her dejected face and couldn't help chuckling.
For once, Wu Yingying merely rolled her eyes without arguing.
"They both ended up injured. Two deans protected them at the last moment," Qing He said quietly.
"They really are strong. Looks like we'll still have to keep training hard once we get back." Wu Ling was likewise shaken. He reckoned that he might be able to defeat Ji Xuan or Luo Li, but only by fighting in a way that would take them down with him.
"Then next comes choosing the Spirit Crown Holder and conferring the king titles..."
Before you continue