Spear and Shield

P.S.: So far, there were already more than 180 votes. I wonder if it could break 300. Taixu was deeply grateful for everyone's support.

"Ye Hai lost. It seemed that among the younger generation of the Ye Family, only Ye Chen could stand toe-to-toe with Ye Xuan."

"Honestly, I didn't think too highly of Ye Chen. It wasn't that his strength was inferior to Ye Xuan's, but that he couldn't attack from a distance. You saw Ye Xuan's swordsmanship just now—wave after wave without end, making it impossible to get close."

"That makes sense, but Ye Chen might not be without a trump card. Let's keep watching."

"Mm. It was still too early to draw conclusions."

The important figures of Luocheng City who had come to watch whispered among themselves, each voicing their own opinions.

At the referee's table, the Third Elder nodded approvingly. With such a girl in the Ye Family, even if they could not rise to the next level in the future, they would not decline.

"Ye Xuan wins. The final round will be the championship match. First place will receive one Low-Grade Storage Spirit Ring, one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones, and ten thousand taels of gold. Ye Xuan, Ye Chen, I hope you will both give it your all in the next match and leave no regrets. Of course, apart from not receiving the Low-Grade Storage Spirit Ring, second and third place will receive the same amount of Spirit Stones and gold."

"Now, rest for a quarter of an hour."

One hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones? Why was it so little? Ye Chen was somewhat puzzled.

In truth, Ye Chen had let his first impression take root too deeply. He thought that since the deceased senior had left behind more than ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones, the Ye Family, one of the Eight Great Families, would surely possess even more. Indeed, the Ye Family's Low-Grade Spirit Stones were counted in tens of thousands. But the Ye Family had over six hundred martial artists, with more than three hundred at the True Condensation Realm or above. Even if each person used only one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones a year, that would consume thirty thousand stones—a tremendous sum that could bankrupt an ordinary great family within a few years.

Furthermore, True Condensation Realm Early Stage martial artists consumed Spirit Stones at a rate of one every five days, requiring only a little over seventy a year. Any more than that could only be used for other purposes and held no further meaning for their cultivation. Thus, the reward of one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones had been carefully considered, not casually declared.

As for the ten thousand taels of gold, it was neither much nor little. In Ye Chen's memories, his father Ye Tianhao's personal fortune amounted to only a hundred thousand taels of gold. Of course, as the Patriarch of the Ye Family, he had no need to spend his own money. Everything was reimbursed by the Ye Family, such as purchasing Pills, weapons, or secret manuals. But for other personal matters, he had to pay out of pocket himself.

Below the stage, Ye Xuan took out a Low-Grade Spirit Stone and diligently restored the True Qi she had expended.

As her True Qi gradually became full and robust, Ye Xuan turned her gaze toward Ye Chen and thought, No matter how powerful you have become, I will defeat you. Disciples of Jade Valley are not permitted to fail—not in the past, not now, and not in the future.

Clang!

The Bronze Bell for the final match rang out. The Third Elder exhaled sharply and announced, "Time is up. The match begins!"

Ye Xuan put away the Spirit Stone and walked step by step to the center of the arena, stopping ten meters away from Ye Chen.

Ye Chen studied Ye Xuan and said, "It's only been a few months, yet you've already advanced further and reached the True Condensation Realm Early Stage Peak." The last time they met, she had been about the same as Ye Tang, her True Qi still unstable. A few months later, everything was different.

"My cultivation speed would rank among the very best in the Flowing Cloud Sect, but in Jade Valley, it is nothing special. There are many whose progress surpasses mine." From the start, Ye Xuan sought to undermine Ye Chen's confidence with her words.

Ye Chen smiled unconcernedly. "Let's begin."

"Your swordsmanship is not bad. I wonder how it compares to mine."

As soon as she finished speaking, Ye Xuan's figure flashed forward. Like a wisp of green smoke, she appeared five steps before Ye Chen. With a casual flick of the longsword in her hand, it began to tremble violently. Blossoms of dazzling Sword Light, brilliant as fireworks, burst forth from its tip and swept forward with the sword's momentum, shrouding the space ahead.

"Good!"

Ye Xuan's swordsmanship was exceedingly profound, but it only stirred Ye Chen's fighting spirit. The Fine Steel Sword left its sheath, striking back even faster. In an instant, he thrust out thirty-six times.

Puff puff puff puff puff puff...

Sword tip collided with sword tip, sending brilliant sparks flying and concealing both figures. All that could be seen was the scattering of fiery sparks.

Ye Xuan had been renowned throughout the Ye Family for her swordsmanship three years ago. During her three years in Jade Valley, her skill with the sword had advanced by leaps and bounds. Now that she unleashed it with all her strength, the naked eye could no longer catch the sword's trajectory. Like lightning in the heavens and starlight in the night, it flickered and leapt without pause.

Ye Chen, on the other hand, had not possessed such talent in the past. People had called him trash, a good-for-nothing. Since his soul merged with that of the other Ye Chen, however, his comprehension had increased tremendously. No matter what Martial Arts came into his hands, he could break through to its highest realm in a short time. He was practically a monster.

With a sword in hand, Ye Chen unleashed the Thirteen Peaks Sword Style to its fullest. His swordsmanship roamed like a heavenly steed across empty skies, leaving no trace; it could be drawn in and released at will. It was also like an antelope hanging its horns, a stroke of divine inspiration. Often, one sword strike could offset three of his opponent's, rampaging freely in every direction.

The two fought from the center of the arena to outside it, then from outside the arena to the platform of the training ground. Their fierce, dazzling sword techniques left the younger generation of the Ye Family aghast. Not one dared blink; they stared blankly, afraid of missing the most spectacular moment.

In the VIP seats, every important figure sucked in a cold breath.

"Too inconceivable! Were they really only fourteen- or fifteen-year-old youths? They were simply more accomplished than some elders who had immersed themselves in swordsmanship for years."

"The new waves drove the old waves before them. The future truly belonged to the young."

"This trip was not in vain, having witnessed this match."

The crowd's discussions did not affect the two of them. Instead, the battle grew even more intense.

Reaching the Pinnacle!

Relying on his formidable strength, Ye Chen feared not the impact of her True Qi. He suddenly thrust forth a stunningly brilliant strike, like ascending to the highest peak and surveying all the mountains below.

Ye Xuan's beautiful eyes widened. The longsword in her hand was dyed a Glazed Color as she met the attack with a strike of her own, shouting, "Break for me!"

Creak!

The Fine Steel Sword in Ye Chen's hand gave a groan. It was a sign that it was about to shatter.

But that was only natural. Ye Xuan's sword was the renowned Glazed Sword of Jade Valley, while Ye Chen's was merely an ordinary Fine Steel Sword. The two were not on the same level at all, so naturally it could not hold out for long.

Pushing his Internal Energy to the limit, Ye Chen suddenly released the Fine Steel Sword with his right hand. Then, he traced a full circle through the air before fiercely slamming his palm forward.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh...

The Fine Steel Sword exploded into countless fragments that shot toward Ye Xuan like a swarm of locusts.

"How cunning! But it is useless against me." Startled by Ye Chen's bizarre move, anger rose in Ye Xuan's heart. Her left hand likewise traced a full circle before her, spreading out a layer of Glazed Color True Qi barrier that blocked every fragment.

"Hahaha! Take my punch!"

Having lost his sword, Ye Chen's Momentum rose rather than fell. His blood and qi surged through his body with a rushing roar. The instant he charged forward in an arrow step, he threw a punch.

Bang!

A sound like bamboo splitting rang out as the True Qi barrier shattered.

Taking advantage of that brief opening, Ye Xuan flew backward. She shifted her sword to her left hand, then brought together the index and middle fingers of her right hand and swiftly brushed them across the blade.

"It's the Star Point Sword Art. Ye Chen is in trouble now."

"Still, this indirectly proves that Ye Xuan's swordsmanship is inferior to Ye Chen's."

"So what? A martial artist's duel looks only at the result, not the process."

"That's true."

Amid the crowd's cries of alarm, streak after streak of starlight, sharp as blades, shot forth and sealed off every avenue of Ye Chen's escape. Other than resisting head-on, there was no other way.

Ye Chen remained calm in the face of it. A jade-like radiance bloomed over his body as he shouted, "Let's see whether your spear is sharper, or my shield is stronger!"