On the dueling platform, Qian Zuo took out his weapon, a massive iron staff.
Chen Boyu's gaze instantly turned exceedingly grave.
The iron staff alone made it clear that Qian Zuo possessed terrifying strength.
Chen Boyu also took out his weapon, a long saber. He disliked swords and preferred sabers.
Their weapons came as something of a surprise to each other, making both of them more cautious.
"Take my staff!"
Qian Zuo attacked first. Without the slightest flourish, he raised the enormous iron staff overhead and brought it crashing down toward Chen Boyu's head!
Chen Boyu snorted coldly, pivoted, and shifted several steps sideways. His left hand formed a seal, and lightning gathered in his palm.
"Rushing Thunder Fist!"
Chen Boyu shouted and punched with his right hand, lightning flickering over his fist.
His fist swelled as it met the wind, growing several times larger in an instant and arriving directly before Qian Zuo.
Ji Wuchang was slightly taken aback at the sight. He had practiced this fist technique in his previous life as well. It was a high-grade yellow-tier combat technique.
Although its attacks looked imposing, its power was scattered. It was barely usable before the Purple Mansion Realm, but after reaching the Purple Mansion Realm, it was little more than chicken ribs-hardly worth keeping, yet a pity to discard!
"Just in time!"
Qian Zuo showed no intention of dodging. He thrust out a palm, a faint golden light suffusing the wind of his strike.
This was the Great Saber Pavilion's Golden Blaze Palm, another palm technique with exceptionally domineering offensive power!
With a bang, fist met palm. After the thunderous impact, both men swayed.
"Kill!"
A hint of gravity entered both their gazes. Staff and saber collided furiously, interspersed with exchanges of punches and kicks.
In mere moments, they exchanged over a hundred moves. With one final crash, both grunted and retreated.
"Take this saber strike-Rushing Thunder Triple Slash!"
Chen Boyu shouted, his presence surging as faint threads of lightning flickered over his body.
Then Chen Boyu raised the saber in his right hand overhead, bringing his left hand onto the hilt as well!
"Slash!"
With Chen Boyu's shout, three streaks of saber light slashed out as fast as lightning, heading straight for Qian Zuo.
The three streaks of saber light nearly overlapped at their hilts, forming a blade of light almost two meters long that slashed down at Qian Zuo.
Qian Zuo's expression turned solemn. He gripped the iron staff with both hands, veins bulging along his arms, which brimmed with explosive strength.
"Hegemon Lifts the Cauldron!"
As Qian Zuo shouted, the iron staff in his hands doubled in size. He lifted it to meet the three descending saber strikes.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Three sounds rang out on the dueling platform almost simultaneously. With each one, Qian Zuo's body shuddered violently, and he took a step back.
After three consecutive clangs, Qian Zuo had retreated three steps. His face paled slightly, and thin trickles of blood ran from the corner of his mouth!
"What a Rushing Thunder Triple Slash! That was exhilarating!"
"Take this staff strike-Mountain-Shattering Strike!"
Qian Zuo laughed heartily, ignoring the blood at the corner of his mouth. He raised the iron staff with both hands, and as he shouted, it doubled in size.
Several staff phantoms appeared over the iron staff. Accompanied by the vast spiritual power within Qian Zuo, it smashed down toward Chen Boyu's head.
The iron staff swelled, and more than a dozen overlapping staff phantoms sealed off every route of retreat. This move could only be broken by meeting it head-on!
The long staff swept through the air, giving off a shrill whistle as it descended, a clear sign of this move's power.
Seeing the might of Qian Zuo's move, many of those around the Foundation Establishment Realm first layer wore exceedingly grave expressions.
This move had already surpassed the strength of someone at the Qi Refining ninth layer, matching the power wielded by someone at the Foundation Establishment Realm first layer!
Chen Boyu's expression was also as grave as could be, but he showed no fear whatsoever.
He still had one move he had yet to use.
But once he used it, his fighting strength afterward would be greatly diminished. He might not even be able to fight again!
Now, however, it seemed he had no choice. He could only stake his life on it!
Since things had reached this point, he would cast everything else aside and defeat the enemy before him first!
At that thought, Chen Boyu's gaze instantly turned icy, his expression solemn!
"Rushing Thunder Eightfold Slash!"
Chen Boyu roared. Lightning flickered over his body, and even his saber crackled with electricity!
Chen Boyu raised his saber and narrowed his eyes. Holding it with both hands, he poured out his spiritual power in a frenzy, and the saber swelled in an instant.
"Slash!"
With Chen Boyu's shout, the saber in his hands slashed down furiously.
Although this move was called Rushing Thunder Eightfold Slash, Chen Boyu unleashed not eight slashes, but nine.
Each additional slash increased the burden on Chen Boyu. As the final slash fell, he opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood.
On the Longevity Sect's side, almost everyone's heart rose into their throat. Many in the Qi Refining Realm and Foundation Establishment Realm marveled at Qian Zuo's and Chen Boyu's fighting strength!
Ji Wuchang also narrowed his eyes, unable to help secretly admiring Chen Boyu. With that ninth slash, his meridians had probably suffered some damage.
After this move, Chen Boyu would be unable to fight again.
Under everyone's gaze, the enormous staff phantoms and the saber several meters long crashed violently together.
Clang...
A piercing sound rang out. Many Qi Refining Realm disciples covered their ears, their faces turning pale.
Saber and staff collided, their spiritual power intertwining as a dense series of explosions rang out.
Everyone stared fixedly at the saber and staff. Streaks of saber light shattered beneath the long staff, seven breaking in an instant, making everyone feel as though their hearts had stopped beating.
Just then, the eighth streak of saber light slashed down, colliding directly with the long staff's phantom. The staff phantom finally gave way, shattering together with the saber light.
At that very moment, the ninth streak of saber light fell. Qian Zuo's expression changed drastically, and he held his staff horizontally before his chest.
With a deafening clang, Qian Zuo was sent flying by the slash. Both his hands shook violently, his face turned white, and blood gushed from his mouth!
With a thud, Qian Zuo crashed down below the dueling platform.
At that moment, the Longevity Sect disciples burst into cheers.
Although this bout could not decide the overall outcome, that last exchange had truly been spectacular.
Qian Zuo rose from the ground, cupped his fist toward Chen Boyu, and then left.
Chen Boyu breathed a sigh of relief. Just as Ji Wuchang had predicted, he felt threads of pain coming from the meridians within his body, making him shake his head with a bitter smile!
Although he had defeated Qian Zuo, he had also lost the strength to fight.
Besides, this was only a sparring match. Had it been a true battle to the death, he might not have been the one who survived.
Although Qian Zuo was injured, he should still have had the strength to fight, whereas Chen Boyu did not!
Most importantly, Qian Zuo was not even the strongest Qi Refining Realm cultivator in the Great Saber Pavilion.
Chen Boyu glanced at Ji Wuchang, who was at the peak of the Qi Refining seventh layer, and could not help shaking his head with a bitter smile.
Even if you can fight above your level and defeat someone at the Qi Refining eighth layer, you still cannot change the outcome!