Crossing blades

Gu Xingyue strolled onto the arena and stood opposite Ji Xueyi.

He did not rush to release his martial soul, instead looking her over first.

Up close, the white-robed woman's face was a few shades paler than before. Blood still seeped from the wound on her left shoulder, and her breathing had not fully steadied.

Although she had successfully defeated her opponents, two consecutive battles had still taken a considerable toll on her.

"Gu Xingyue. Martial soul: Thunderclap Infernal Prison Vine. Rank 31 Power Attack Soul Elder."

He announced his information in a casual tone.

Ji Xueyi froze slightly.

Rank 31?

She looked down at her own Soul King cultivation, then looked back up at the composed young man opposite her and fell silent for two seconds.

Of course, she would not let her guard down because of his low rank, nor would she assume Shrek Academy was going easy on her because she had already fought twice.

The oppressive sensation she had instinctively sensed when Gu Xingyue stepped out was genuine, exerting even more pressure on her than a fellow Soul King.

"Ji Xueyi. Sword Martial Soul. Power Attack Soul King." After announcing her information, she steadily raised her sword hand, pointing the tip forward.

For the first time in today's sparring matches, she took the initiative to adopt an attacking stance.

Gu Xingyue raised his right hand. Purple arcs gathered in his palm, and lightning coiled up his arm, bursting into fine sparks at his shoulder.

Three purple soul rings rose from beneath his feet and hovered quietly at his sides.

Ji Xueyi's gaze fell on those purple soul rings, and her pupils contracted slightly.

Even his first soul ring was a thousand-year ring. This was already beyond the realm of normal people. He was practically a god!

Finally, she hesitated no longer and attacked first.

She surged forward. She was not fast, but her footwork was exceptionally precise.

Ji Xueyi's steps were as light as though the wind had lifted her, her figure drifting elusively as her sword pointed straight at Gu Xingyue.

She poured her entire heart and mind into this thrust. How confident was she?

Once the sword struck, there would be no regrets, and not the slightest room to retreat.

Her sword craved blood.

That thirst welled up from deep within the blade. Only the blood of the strong could excite it.

At the edge of the arena, Yan Shaozhe nodded slightly.

This thrust of Ji Xueyi's was better than any she had delivered before. Her sword intent was more solid than it had been moments earlier. Clearly, she was the type to grow stronger against stronger opponents.

Had her opponent been at Chen Zixuan's level, this thrust would at least have gained her the upper hand.

But her opponent was Gu Xingyue.

Gu Xingyue did not retreat.

He reached out with his right hand, spreading his fingers. The power of thunder gathered in his palm, stretching and taking shape until a long blade made entirely of purple-white lightning formed out of thin air.

Arcs coursed over the blade, giving off a low hum.

Blade met sword.

A metallic clash so shrill it set teeth on edge exploded across the arena, making quite a few students at the sidelines instinctively cover their ears.

Purple-white lightning and snowy-white sword energy tore at each other, blasting out a visible ring of air that scattered the dust across the arena floor.

The wrist of Ji Xueyi's sword hand abruptly went numb, and her sword's momentum was forcibly broken.

Her pupils contracted. What shocked her was not how powerful Gu Xingyue's blade technique was, but that the long blade he had casually fashioned from the power of thunder was actually sturdier than her martial soul itself.

Elemental control at this level was simply like having comprehended the truth of the elements.

She gritted her teeth and did not retreat. Instead, she closed her eyes.

Her sword tip lowered, and her aura sank in that instant.

The surrounding sword energy did not disperse. Instead, as though drawn in by something, it slowly gathered around her.

Seeing this from the sidelines, Yan Shaozhe's brows shot up.

Gu Xingyue saw it too.

Rather than interrupting, he drew his blade back half a step and watched the white-robed woman opposite him with interest.

Suddenly finding inspiration in battle was an opportunity not everyone encountered.

He wanted to see just what Ji Xueyi could comprehend in this state at her limits.

Ji Xueyi opened her eyes.

Her gaze was clear and sharp as she looked straight at Gu Xingyue.

Then she stepped forward and thrust out her sword with all her strength.

The instant that thrust struck out, it was as though all the air in the arena had been sucked away.

Sword energy condensed into an exceedingly fine line, bearing down on Gu Xingyue with an almost majestic sense of oppression.

Standing at the sidelines, Yan Shaozhe's pupils abruptly contracted, and she cried out inwardly. That thrust actually held a trace of King's Presence.

King's Presence was a soul skill created by the Sea God Pavilion's Pavilion Master, the ultimate manifestation of the fusion of spirit and strength, a killing move for defeating higher ranks with a lower rank.

Ji Xueyi naturally did not know King's Presence, but in that instant, she had touched upon something similar.

It was the sense of looking down from on high that naturally arose after spiritual will and sword fused completely.

If the quality of her martial soul were a little better, this insight into the sword alone would have made her future achievements boundless.

Yan Shaozhe even felt a flicker of appreciation for her talent. Unfortunately, Ji Xueyi's martial soul was too poor. Level 3 innate soul power, and a sword martial soul that could not have been more ordinary-even with her comprehension of sword intent, the ceiling of her future remained fixed.

Looking into Ji Xueyi's burning eyes, Gu Xingyue suddenly understood something.

He knew he would never again be able to find meaning in crossing blades.

So he raised his blade, looked at the white-robed woman opposite him, and said softly, "Just this once."

As his words fell, the Thunder Blade in his hand began to swell.

The blade extended section by section, growing larger as lightning layered upon lightning. Purple arcs became a pillar of purple-white light, and that pillar in turn became a massive blade radiance spanning the arena.

The blade grew longer and longer, broader and broader, until finally it became a Thunderclap Greatblade dozens of meters long, hanging directly above the arena and almost blotting out the sky overhead.

"Face the might of this thunder."

Gu Xingyue swung his blade in a horizontal slash.

The Thunderclap Greatblade, dozens of meters long, swept down with the might to destroy everything. Wherever it passed, the air was ripped in two, leaving a charred black trail.

Ji Xueyi looked up at the enormous blade bearing down on her, gritted her teeth, and raised her sword to block.

The moment her sword touched the edge of the blade radiance, she felt an irresistible force pour down from overhead, as though a mountain were pressing onto her blade.

Her arms shook violently, her knees bent, and the stone slabs beneath her feet shattered inch by inch.

With all her strength, she withstood thirty percent of its might before she could hold on no longer. Her entire body was hurled backward, and her sword flew from her hand.

The referee rushed in from the sidelines, spreading both hands to raise a Soul Power Shield in front of Ji Xueyi and forcibly taking the remaining blade radiance.

The blade radiance dispersed, leaving the arena in utter disarray. Ji Xueyi lay at the edge of the grounds, her white robes covered in dust and blood, her chest heaving violently, but she remained conscious.

Her sword stood embedded in the ground several zhang away.

The sidelines remained quiet for a long time.

Yan Shaozhe slowly sat back down in her chair, let out a long breath, and turned to glance at Jin Hongchen beside her.

Jin Hongchen looked at the charred blade mark across the arena, and she remained silent for several seconds.

"Dean Yan, this student Gu Xingyue of your academy... truly is unfathomable."

Yan Shaozhe nodded without replying.

Her gaze settled on Gu Xingyue. The young man was withdrawing his blade, the lightning around him gradually dissipating, his expression calm.