"The Magnetic-Light Crimson Fire Talisman Register can instantly imprint the Blazing Fire Talisman Hua Ming draws and amplify its power several times over."
"On top of that, Hua Ming's Blazing Fire Talisman has already reached Dao Resonance Major Accomplishment. It's too hard to defend against."
Below the stage, Guo Qingqing and Zhang Xingming both looked dejected. With the Magnetic-Light Crimson Fire Talisman Register bolstering Hua Ming, they would have a hard time resisting even this single move.
Across the sea of flames, the smile gradually vanished from Bai Yi's lips. His face turned icy, and sharpness glinted in his eyes.
In an instant, an aura capable of cleaving all things rose around him.
Buzz, buzz, buzz...
Azure Edge and Questioning the Heart trembled, ringing out with a long, clear cry.
Azure Edge flew from its sheath, transforming into a whirling streak of sword light that cut through the waists of several Blazing Fire Talisman Birds closing in on Bai Yi.
Sparks rained down before Bai Yi. A fierce wind gathered, and Azure Edge soared upward, like a blue flood dragon whipping up a gale before plunging into the sea of flames.
Sword light blossomed, countless strands of Sword Qi raking through the sea of flames like sharp claws.
Under the crowd's shocked gaze, Sword Qi swelled around Azure Edge, wrapped in sword light, almost condensing into Sword Gang.
With the might of a single sword, it cleaved the sea of flames straight in two.
The many Blazing Fire Talisman Birds had barely cried out before Sword Qi tore them to pieces. Then the sword light surged forward, closing in on the Magnetic-Light Crimson Fire Talisman at the heart of the sea of flames.
"Qi Refining Fifth Layer?!"
"Bai Yi broke through to Qi Refining Fifth Layer!"
Faced with such sword might, the students watching stared in horror, drawing in sharp breaths as they cried out.
At Qi Refining Fourth Layer, Bai Yi had already been able to defeat a Qi Refining Fifth Layer Demon Tiger by relying on the Little Breeze Sword Art at Dao Resonance Perfection. Now that his cultivation had advanced another step, even Hua Ming, with the help of the Magnetic-Light Crimson Fire Talisman Register, could barely withstand this sword light.
"So this is the might of Dao Resonance Perfection..."
Below the stage, Guo Qingqing and Zhang Xingming watched the Clearwind sword light cleave the sea of flames, their faces tinged with bitterness and unwillingness.
Zhang Xingming, who had just felt the power of Hua Ming's Blazing Fire Talisman at Dao Resonance Major Accomplishment, clenched his fists even tighter. His Vajra Body had already reached Dao Resonance Minor Accomplishment.
Yet facing Bai Yi's sword, rich with flowing Dao Resonance, even if he gave it everything he had, he could probably only block two or three strikes.
Ignoring the crowd's cries below, Hua Ming first paused when he saw his Flame Swarm sea of flames cleaved apart on the Dharma Combat Arena. Then, his expression grave, he raised a hand and pointed into the air.
The three Qi Vortices in his Dantian spun rapidly. Vast crimson Spiritual Power rose around him, gathering at his fingertip like flames and blazing with dazzling Flame Radiance.
"How can I lose this easily!"
Hua Ming growled. His finger, burning with Flame Radiance, stabbed into the void like a brush and forcefully drew a rune.
Blazing Fire Talisman-Azure Flame!
The rune took shape. The Magnetic-Light Crimson Fire Talisman Register was like a pot of oil on the verge of going out, suddenly doused with hot oil again. The runes on its surface transformed in an instant.
Magnetic light crackled and burst forth like a printer, using magnetic light as its base and Spiritual Power as its source to imprint the Azure Flame Talisman once more. Two or three copies appeared, suspended in midair.
The three Azure Flame Talismans burst forth, becoming a skyful of deep-blue flames that gave birth to Azure Flame Firebirds. The searing heat twisted and burned the incoming Sword Qi and the air alike. With a long cry, they slammed into the sword light formed by Azure Edge.
The expected clash never came.
Bai Yi's thoughts shifted. Amid a gentle breeze, Azure Edge drifted like a willow catkin in the wind, tracing a graceful S-shaped curve as it nimbly dodged the Azure Flame Firebirds.
Then the sword light converged. Facing the sea of flames conjured by the second Azure Flame Talisman, it struck once and broke through.
In the blink of an eye, it closed in on the third Azure Flame Talisman formed by the Magnetic-Light Crimson Fire Talisman Register.
The third Azure Flame Talisman hung high in the air, radiating waves of scorching heat like a furnace and suppressing the sword light after its successive breakthroughs.
"As a Lower Vehicle Sword Art, the Little Breeze Sword Art excels in agility, but lacks some of the force."
"I stored power in the Magnetic-Light Red-Ink Graphene inside the Magnetic-Light Crimson Fire Talisman Register. At full strength, I can turn one into three and deploy three Azure Flame Talismans, enough to suppress your sword light."
Hua Ming watched intently as Azure Edge was gradually surrounded by the sea of flames, his thoughts rising involuntarily.
Just a little more...
As long as he could trap Azure Edge, this Flying Sword, which was only a basic entry-level model from Guangmi Group, wouldn't be able to withstand the flames roasting it for long once it lost the cover of the sword light.
"Talisman Cultivators really are loaded..."
"Too bad, this isn't my only sword!"
A sharp glint flashed in Bai Yi's eyes. The Dao Resonance of the breeze vanished, and in an instant, everyone saw a dazzling Rainbow Light blossom from within the sea of flames.
Buzz!
A sword's cry shook the air!
A white sword light tore through the air and sliced across the Dharma Combat Arena. The deep-blue Azure Flame covering the entire arena went out in an instant, leaving only the Magnetic-Light Crimson Fire Talisman, its spiritual light now dim, trembling as it floated within the sea of flames.
At the far end of the sword light, Hua Ming's eyes were filled with dejection and shock.
Azure Edge hovered silently before his neck. The Sword Qi escaping from its edge sent a deep chill through him.
In that final instant, he had thought the third Azure Flame Talisman could already suppress the sword light. He hadn't expected that this sword would be so dazzling and unstoppable.
"This is... the White Rainbow Sword Art?!"
"You've already comprehended Dao Resonance..."
Hua Ming's eyes lost focus, and his hands fell limply at his sides. Ever since the day of the assessment, he had been keeping close tabs on Bai Yi.
Naturally, he knew Bai Yi had chosen the White Rainbow Sword Art. After all, that was the only Higher Vehicle Sword Art among the Daoist Arts at the Qi Refining Stage in all of No. 2 Middle School.
But what he hadn't expected was that, in less than a month, Bai Yi had already cultivated the White Rainbow Sword Art to the point of comprehending Dao Resonance.
"So this is what a genius is..."
Hua Ming lowered his head, clenching his fists, then loosening them.
He didn't bow or look around at the watching students. As if he had accepted his fate, he staggered a little as he quickly walked off the stage, disappearing from everyone's sight in dejection.
"Hua Ming lost?"
"Pinch me. If I'm not mistaken, Bai Yi only used three swords?!"
"One sword broke the Flame Swarm Talisman, two broke the Azure Flame Talisman, and then he went straight for Hua Ming's neck?!"
"That last Rainbow Light was the White Rainbow Sword Art?!"
"Bai Yi has already cultivated the White Rainbow Sword Art to the point of comprehending Dao Resonance?!"
"A monster!!"
"In a year and a half, I've only just brought my Ice-Cold Curse to perfect mastery, but Bai Yi has already touched the Dao Resonance of the White Rainbow Sword Art in less than a month?!"
Only after Hua Ming left did the watching students come to their senses. They cried out and discussed it among themselves like boiling water.
Defeating Hua Ming in three swords, comprehending Dao Resonance in the White Rainbow Sword Art... Each of these two things shattered their understanding.
If the last assessment had made Bai Yi an overnight sensation, then this Dharma combat had secured his place as No. 2 Middle School's number-one genius.
"The Blazing Fire Talisman is a Higher Vehicle technique and has already reached Dao Resonance Major Accomplishment. And then there's that Magnetic-Light Crimson Fire Talisman Register."
"Before today, judging by their current strength alone, Hua Ming had unquestionably surpassed Li Zixing of No. 1 Middle School. He was Blue Mountain's number-one Dao Student."
"But today, he lost completely... in just three swords."
Zhang Xingming looked up at Bai Yi, who was walking toward the pillar holding the Qi-Nourishing Pill. His thoughts churned like a river and a sea. If he cultivated his Vajra Body to Dao Resonance Major Accomplishment, how many swords could he block?
"Two swords."
Guo Qingqing seemed to have guessed what Zhang Xingming was thinking. She turned her head, still with a trace of shock in her eyes.