Seizing the chance while Xu Changxing's flying sword swept back to defend him, Han Mingguan pulled out several hundred talismans in one go. Only then did he quietly breathe a sigh of relief.
Their first exchange finally came to an end.
By then, however, the Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators watching nearby had unwittingly let their jaws drop.
Han Mingguan's sky full of talismans had been not only dazzling, but impressively powerful.
Some of the Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators imagined themselves in Xu Changxing's place and discovered, to their shock, that they might not even have survived the first shower of talismans.
Yet Xu Changxing had cut through eighteen talismans with a single sword, forcing Han Mingguan to unleash his killing formation.
And that wasn't all. That flying sword had torn through the talisman formation, then cut through thirteen Dragon-Locking Talismans in succession, forcing Han Mingguan entirely onto the defensive.
Such might lay far beyond these ordinary disciples' imaginations.
Gulp!
Someone swallowed and blurted out, "So this is a sword cultivator?"
Almost the same thought appeared in the minds of many of the Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Before their imaginations could wander any further, however, a timid voice spoke beside them:
"P-probably not, right? I don't think my flying sword could even cut through the first shower of talismans."
In the stands, the Core Formation elders who had just joined the betting had also unconsciously held their breath.
Only now did someone murmur:
"Where did this kid spring from? How is his sword intent so ferocious?
"This isn't what newly condensed sword intent should look like.
"Say, Old Liu, you weren't deliberately fooling us, were you? Has this kid really only been at Foundation Establishment for two months?
"Why do I feel he might actually win this match?"
"Now you're exaggerating. Han Mingguan is Uncle-Master Pei's final disciple. These certainly aren't his only tricks.
"And this isn't his first fight against a sword cultivator. It's too early to say he'll lose.
"But Old Liu's third disciple really does have something.
"Old Liu, you've found yourself a treasure!"
"Old Liu found a treasure, all right, but he's really screwed me over.
"I bet ten thousand low-grade spirit stones that his disciple wouldn't make it through five rounds.
"Now I'm finished.
"With flying sword skills like that, who in the losers' bracket could possibly stand against him?"
While the Core Formation elders buzzed with discussion, Liu Chenyu remained expressionless.
Only he knew that his own jaw was about to hit the floor.
He had never imagined that this disciple, whom he had previously thought so little of, could condense his sword intent to such a degree.
Whether Xu Changxing won or lost this battle, that Sword Light alone was enough to earn him a place among the Setting Sun Sect's many immortal seedlings.
Yet just over two months ago, Liu Chenyu had thought his third disciple had ruined himself through cultivation.
Had Li Changge not said that his third junior brother had a solid foundation and was a promising immortal seedling, Liu Chenyu might already have sent Xu Changxing off on sect missions.
Countless thoughts welled up in his heart, but in the end, they all converged into a single sentence.
How can my eye for talent be so much worse than that little bastard Li Changge's!
While the spectators voiced their amazement, Xu Changxing had already set his flying sword in motion again.
The Greenwood Sword turned into a streak of light and shot straight toward Han Mingguan.
Han Mingguan's expression shifted slightly, and he raised his hand, scattering talismans across the sky.
Hundreds of talismans transformed into a sky-filling rain of spell arts that descended upon Xu Changxing.
At the same time, several layers of spiritual light lit up around him.
These lights would guard him securely. Even a flying sword infused with sword intent could never cut through them in a single strike.
Before that could happen, the sky-filling shower of talismans he had unleashed would overwhelm the sword cultivator facing him!
Watching that emerald Sword Light, Han Mingguan's lips curled slightly. "How will you deal with my true shower of talismans?"
Across from him, Xu Changxing also wore a somewhat odd expression as he watched the talismans filling the sky.
In his previous simulation, this was precisely the move that had defeated him.
His flying sword had been unable to break through his opponent's defenses quickly, while the opposing shower of talismans had continued without pause.
He had been forced to recall his flying sword to protect himself.
But the arena was only so large. He had endured amidst the talismans for an incense stick's worth of time before a single lapse shattered his Sword Light.
Xu Changxing had, in fact, long since prepared for this situation.
He had now refined the Flying Shuttle.
He could easily use the Flying Shuttle to carry him clear of the attacks while using his flying sword to meet offense with offense.
The power of his Sword Light had now increased far more than severalfold compared with the simulation.
With the Flying Shuttle carrying him out of harm's way as he traded attacks, victory would undoubtedly be his.
Yet as Xu Changxing watched that sky-filling shower of talismans, he suddenly no longer wanted to use the Flying Shuttle.
An unbidden surge of heroic resolve rose in his heart.
In this life, I'll use the flying sword in my hand to overpower you fair and square!
The thought came from nowhere, yet it was extraordinarily strong-so strong that his sword intent actually condensed a little further.
Without realizing it, Xu Changxing stopped his left hand from reaching for the Flying Shuttle and instead began tracing shapes in the air.
Talismans appeared out of thin air around him, one after another.
The sight utterly baffled those watching from afar.
One Core Formation elder even sprang from his seat and roared:
"What is he doing? Why isn't he running yet!
"Does he mean to just give up like this?
"With that sword intent, he still has a chance if he keeps moving!"
"Could he be trying to meet offense with offense?"
"Offense, my ass! Can't you see all those layers of protective barriers around Han Mingguan?
"Even if we went down there ourselves, we couldn't finish that kid off in just a few breaths.
"But under that sky full of spell arts, how many breaths can the other kid last?
"Why isn't he running yet? It's over, it's over... huh?"
Just as he was stamping his feet and beating his chest, he discovered to his astonishment that Xu Changxing was using Sword Flight with one hand and drawing talismans with the other, actually holding back the shower of talismans overhead.
Meanwhile, his flying sword hammered Han Mingguan's protective barriers again and again.
In just a few blows, it smashed through several layers of Han Mingguan's defenses.
"Th-this... am I seeing things?
"He's actually holding back Han Mingguan's shower of talismans with his own true essence?
"Isn't he a sword cultivator? How can his foundation be so deep?"
"He should be a sword cultivator.
"Look, his Sword Light just cut through another layer of Han Mingguan's defenses."
As they spoke, another dozen or so talismans scattered out around Han Mingguan.
These talismans transformed into chains that rose to meet the emerald Sword Light.
Han Mingguan himself retreated at full speed, dodging that terrifying Sword Light.
In that exchange of attacks, Han Mingguan had actually been the one unable to hold out, choosing to retreat first!
The sight sent another uproar through the watching cultivators.
"Where on earth did this Xu Changxing spring from?
"He stood there without taking a single step back and actually shattered Han Mingguan's shower of talismans.
"That's just absurd!"
"It's over, it's over. There's no hope in this tournament.
"I was hoping to make a bit of a name for myself this time.
"But two monsters popped up in the very first match.
"One of them will be in the winners' bracket and the other in the losers' bracket. How are the rest of us supposed to survive!"
Before you continue