Flames surged across the arena, waves of heat rolling like a tide.
Liu Feng swung his palms again and again. Crimson firelight became one blazing palm shadow after another, crashing toward Qin Yu in overlapping layers and almost swallowing the entire arena.
"Fire Spirit Palm: Chain Burning!"
Countless flaming palm shadows piled down amid incessant thunderous crashes, like a pouring rain of fire. Even the air twisted from the heat.
Qin Yu gripped the Spirit Annihilation Sword and swept its light through the air. Blue-green sword rays repeatedly cleaved the flames, each collision setting off a deafening explosion. Sparks scattered as light and shadow crossed.
Yet Liu Feng's assault grew ever more violent. Waves of fire followed one after another, gradually forcing Qin Yu backward. Blood and Qi churned in his chest, and sweat seeped from his forehead.
This can't go on... Spirit Light Slash alone can't suppress him completely.
Qin Yu drew a deep breath, his gaze suddenly firm.
Deacon Zhang said that as long as I seize the right moment, this strike is enough to win in one blow. In that case-I'll use the Extinction Spirit Light Art to end this battle!
Spiritual Qi rapidly gathered within Qin Yu. The spiritual breath at his dantian surged like rivers, gradually compressing into his Sword Heart Acupoint. The spiritual patterns along the blade lit up in response. The spirit pearl on its hilt trembled slightly, flickering with blue-white radiance like a meteor about to erupt.
Watching him, Liu Feng curled his lips into a cold sneer. The flames on his palms swelled violently. "You still dare gather Qi? You're courting death!"
Waves of fire crashed down with a roar, staining the entire arena crimson.
Yet amid those flames, Qin Yu stood unmoving, his eyes clear. Gripping the Spirit Annihilation Sword with both hands, he murmured:
"Extinction... Spirit Light!"
The blade shuddered violently. Blue-white sword light abruptly condensed, its sharpness slicing through the air. The surrounding flames were instantly suppressed, as though about to be cleaved apart completely!
At that moment, everyone held their breath.
This strike would decide the victor!
Flames churned across the arena, the heat waves almost burning away the watching disciples' breath. Liu Feng laughed loudly. The waves of fire from his palms converged into a giant flaming beast that lunged at Qin Yu, baring fangs and claws.
"Die!"
A thunderous roar shook the entire square, as though the raging fire would burn everything to ashes.
At that very instant, Qin Yu held his sword in both hands. The Spiritual Qi within him compressed to its limit, and dazzling blue-white radiance abruptly erupted from the blade.
Every spiritual pattern on the Spirit Annihilation Sword lit up. The spirit pearl on its hilt shone like a star, and a beam of sword light shot straight into the highest heavens, instantly suppressing the presence of the flames. The air froze, and heaven and earth fell deathly silent.
Qin Yu shouted in a low voice, youthful yet firm as iron:
"Extinction Spirit Light Art!" The sword light slashed down!
The blue-white sword ray instantly swelled to several zhang in length. Like a meteor splitting heaven and earth, it pierced straight through the giant flaming beast! The flames were instantly torn apart and shattered, scattering through the air as countless sparks.
Boom-!
The entire arena shook violently. The protective formation's light barrier trembled fiercely as blue-green light and crimson flames intertwined in the air. In the end, the sword light utterly annihilated the flames with its absolute sharpness!
Liu Feng's expression changed drastically. Before he could dodge, the lingering force of the sword light swept across his chest, instantly blasting him several zhang away. He slammed heavily into the edge of the arena, spraying blood, his presence immediately weakening.
The arena fell silent. The watching disciples stared wide-eyed, their hearts seeming to skip a beat.
The next instant, the entire crowd erupted!
"He won! Qin Yu won again!"
"What was that sword strike? How could it be that powerful?!"
"That hardly looked like a move someone in the Mortal Fetus Realm could unleash!"
The presiding elder's eyes flickered. At last, undisguisable admiration appeared on his face, and he announced solemnly:
"Second round-Qin Yu wins!"
At the center of the arena, the dust dispersed. Qin Yu panted like an ox, his arms trembling slightly, yet he still stood straight. The Spirit Annihilation Sword remained in his hand, the blue-green light on its edge extinguished. Only his gaze remained clear and resolute.
At that moment, the way everyone looked at Qin Yu changed completely.
He was no longer a "new disciple"-he was a powerful fighter truly qualified to challenge the outer sect's top ten!
In the spectator stands, Deacon Zhang Hao had kept his eyes fixed on the arena.
The instant that sword light cleaved the flames and blasted Liu Feng away, a rare flash of excitement crossed his eyes, and his fists clenched unconsciously.
Good! Qin Yu, you really can master the Extinction Spirit Light Art! To reach this level in just a few days... you are the most perfect choice I, Zhang Hao, have made in my life!
An irrepressible brilliance shone in his eyes, and the rise and fall of his chest betrayed his joy even more. Some nearby deacons watched coldly, yet they too had to nod inwardly.
"Zhang Hao... truly has a discerning eye," an elder sighed softly.
On the other side, Luo Chuan's face was dark. His hands pressed hard against the armrests, his knuckles white, his gaze as cold as a venomous snake.
Extinction Spirit Light... this brat...
He clenched his teeth so tightly that he nearly bit through the corner of his lip. Jealousy and resentment churned into raging fire in his heart, as though about to set his chest ablaze.
Qin Yu, you're just a newcomer. What gives you the right to steal all the glory before every disciple and elder here?!
An icy gleam flashed through Luo Chuan's eyes, seemingly revealing a trace of killing intent. Beneath his sleeve, his hand slowly rose, Spiritual Qi stirring faintly in his palm, before he abruptly pressed it down again, hiding it within his sleeve.
He slowly lowered his head, his lips curling into a sinister smile as he murmured inwardly:
It doesn't matter, Qin Yu. Enjoy your moment at the very height of glory. Because in the arena, you'll be utterly trampled beneath my feet.
Across the square, the disciples were still cheering Qin Yu's victory.
Zhang Hao's smile and Luo Chuan's coldness were like two entirely opposing tides, secretly converging within the magnificent martial grounds and laying a heavy scent of gunpowder beneath the coming confrontation.
The morning bell rang again, its lingering notes echoing among the mountains. The time for the third round had finally arrived.
In the square, the arena's formation patterns lit up again. The barrier rose, spiritual light soaring skyward. Thousands of disciples watched with bated breath, their gazes all fixed on the orb floating in midair.
The orb spun, spiritual radiance surging within it like the Milky Way hanging upside down. Every flicker tugged at the heartstrings of countless disciples.
The presiding elder slowly raised his hand, amplifying his voice with spiritual power. "Third round, drawing lots-begin!"
In an instant, the orb erupted with light. Two streaks of spiritual light shot into the clouds, then plunged swiftly down, landing at opposite ends of the arena.
The disciples looked up, their gazes eager.
"Will it be Qin Yu and Luo Chuan?"
"If they really meet this early, this tournament might as well go straight to the finals!"
"I'd actually like to see it-the legendary child with a phenomenon spiritual root against one of the outer sect's top ten. It'll surely shake heaven and earth!"
Qin Yu's heart tightened slightly. He held the Spirit Annihilation Sword, his gaze calm and focused. Luo Chuan stood with his hands behind his back, his expression indifferent and a faint, cold sneer on his lips.
The radiance gradually condensed, and the names finally appeared.
"Qin Yu-versus-Wu Qing!"
A wave of low cries instantly rose across the square.
"It's not Luo Chuan!"
"Phew... I thought they'd meet this round."
"Wu Qing? He's famous for his movement techniques. No one below the Peak Spirit Awakening Realm can match him. Even Late Mortal Embryo Realm disciples can't handle his speed."
Discussions rose one after another as everyone's gaze turned to Qin Yu again.
On the other side, Wu Qing was lean, his expression cold and stern. Spiritual Qi rippled beneath his feet, as though shadows of wind wound around them. He sneered. "Qin Yu, your sword may be powerful, but can you cut a shadow?"
In the distance, Luo Chuan snorted coldly, his gaze icy:
Qin Yu, let someone else wear you out completely first. Once you fall into my hands, I'll crush you utterly.
The arena's formation patterns fully activated, and a spiritual light barrier enclosed all sides. Beneath its radiance, Qin Yu and Wu Qing stood facing each other. The clash between sword and shadow was about to begin.
The presiding elder swept his sleeve, his voice like thunder:
"Third round-begin!"
The arena shook with a boom. Wu Qing tapped his toes against the ground, his figure abruptly blurring into an afterimage before vanishing in an instant.
"So fast!" the watching disciples exclaimed in unison.
The next moment, the air behind Qin Yu suddenly shuddered. Wu Qing appeared soundlessly, the short blade in his hand flashing coldly as it aimed straight for his heart!
Already prepared, Qin Yu swept the Spirit Annihilation Sword across. Sword light sliced through the air, scattering fragments of light like sparks as he barely blocked the strike.
Wu Qing sneered. His figure turned indistinct again, shattering like a reflection in water before abruptly reforming at the other end of the arena.
"Qin Yu, your sword light may be formidable, but if you can't even catch my shadow, how can you speak of defeating me?"
In the arena, Wu Qing's figure split into three, afterimages circling. Sometimes he rushed in from the left, sometimes he launched a sneak attack from the right, and sometimes he dove from above. His short blade flashed like falling meteors, its shrill whistles through the air continuing without pause.
Qin Yu swung his sword to defend. Sword light burst apart repeatedly, Spiritual Qi roared within the barrier, and sparks flew. He was forced back step after step. The clashes between sword and short blade shook the entire grounds, sparks falling like rain.
"Qin Yu seems to be getting suppressed!"
"Wu Qing is too fast! Even late-stage outer sect disciples would struggle to handle him."
"Could Qin Yu's miracle end here?"
Discussion surged through the crowd like a tide.
Yet Qin Yu, standing at the center of the arena, showed no panic.
He calmly observed while swinging his sword to defend. Each time Wu Qing's figure faded and reformed, his eyes brightened slightly, and he silently noted:
He's not shadowless. He's using Spiritual Qi to disrupt perception and create afterimages... every time, his real body has an instant when its spiritual breath stills!
As sword light continued to crisscross, his movements gradually grew restrained. He stopped swinging wildly and instead slowly gathered Spiritual Qi into his Sword Heart Acupoint.
Blue-green light flowed dimly along the Spirit Annihilation Sword. Its spiritual patterns lit up bit by bit, and the spirit pearl on its hilt trembled slightly, like a star about to fall.
Wu Qing's figure split again. Three afterimages lunged together, their cold gleams like snow, their killing intent chilling.
Qin Yu drew a deep breath, his gaze icy:
Enough... it's time to end this battle with this strike!
He gripped the Spirit Annihilation Sword with both hands. His Spiritual Qi compressed instantly, and his dantian shook with a boom.
The Spirit Annihilation Sword abruptly shuddered, its edge erupting with dazzling blue-white radiance that illuminated the entire arena!
Blue-green light suddenly bloomed like a rising sun. Beneath that radiance, every afterimage twisted and disintegrated. Only the real Wu Qing remained, abruptly taking shape at the edge of the arena, his expression changing!
"What kind of sword light is that?!"
The entire crowd fell silent. The air seemed to freeze.
Qin Yu stepped forward, his voice low yet clear, carrying a youthful but unshakable determination:
"Extinction Spirit Light Art!"
Blue-white sword light abruptly burst forth across the arena, dazzling as thunderbolts piercing the sun, illuminating every direction.
Wu Qing's three afterimages instantly twisted and shattered beneath the radiance. Like illusions evaporated by the blazing sun, they vanished into nothingness. Only the real Wu Qing remained, pinned in a corner of the arena by the sword light, his face suddenly deathly pale.
"Impossible... how could you see through my movement technique!"
At that instant, his mind was utterly shaken. He tried to move his feet, only to find the sword light had sealed off every chance of survival like a net cast by heaven.
Qin Yu gripped the Spirit Annihilation Sword with both hands, the Spiritual Qi within him compressed to its limit. The blade was like an exploding star as he shouted in a low voice:
"Slash!"
Sword light erupted as though the firmament had split open. A three-zhang-long radiance swept across the arena, tearing the air apart. The barrier trembled violently, and Spiritual Qi surged like a tsunami. Wherever the blue-white light passed, dust was instantly annihilated, as though only the sharpness of this strike remained in the world.
Wu Qing crossed his arms and desperately drove his Spiritual Qi, forming a thick protective light barrier before his chest in an attempt to withstand it head-on.
"Hold-!"
Yet the next moment, the light barrier shattered beneath the sword ray's impact, cleaved apart in a single blow like fragile glass!
Boom!
The sword light lost none of its momentum and struck Wu Qing heavily in the chest. The violent impact blasted him away and slammed him hard into the barrier. Spiritual light flashed wildly as the barrier shook. Blood sprayed from Wu Qing's mouth, and he fell limply, crashing heavily onto the arena.
The entire crowd fell silent, then erupted into deafening cries!
"One strike again! Another victory decided by a single strike!"
"He actually unleashed that sword light a second time in the arena! Even Wu Qing's movement technique was completely shattered!"
"This is already beyond what an ordinary Mortal Fetus Realm cultivator can do..."
Qin Yu's chest heaved violently, his arms trembling slightly from the tremendous recoil. Yet he still stood upright at the center of the arena. The Spirit Annihilation Sword's tip slowly lowered, the blue-green radiance along its blade gradually fading.
Qin Yu's youthful face was covered in sweat, yet held a cold brilliance, as though the entire arena were making way for him.
The presiding elder stared for a long time before finally sweeping his sleeve and announcing:
"Third round-Qin Yu wins!"
Cheers rose like thunder once again. The watching disciples' gazes burned as they all settled on Qin Yu.
On the other side, Luo Chuan's face was dark as ink, his gaze icy to the extreme.
Qin Yu... do you really think this is enough to defeat me?
The third round ended. The arena's spiritual light slowly receded, and its formation patterns gradually dimmed. Qin Yu stood with his sword withdrawn, his breathing still rapid and his forehead covered in sweat. The Spirit Annihilation Sword trembled slightly in his hand.
In the spectator stands, Zhang Hao's gaze burned, and his clenched fists finally relaxed.
Good! Qin Yu, you've won again! Three consecutive victories, defeating powerful opponents one after another before everyone's eyes... step by step, you're securing your foundation in the outer sect.
Yet when his gaze fell on Qin Yu's arms, trembling slightly from the intense expenditure, the joy in his heart quickly gave way to worry.
The Extinction Spirit Light Art... its power truly is unmatched, but the consumption is too great. In just a few days, you've already used it twice in succession in the arena. If your Spiritual Qi runs dry at a critical moment, how will you protect yourself?
A trace of gravity flashed through Zhang Hao's eyes. He clenched his sleeves, his knuckles turning white.
When the matches dispersed, Qin Yu walked down from the arena and searched the crowd. His gaze soon met Zhang Hao's.
Zhang Hao's expression was calm. Yet when he called Qin Yu over, his voice carried a suppressed solemnity.
"Qin Yu, you did very well."
A smile appeared on his youthful face, and Qin Yu hurriedly bowed. "This disciple has not failed your trust, Deacon Zhang!"
Zhang Hao gazed at him, then sighed after a moment. "But remember, although the Extinction Spirit Light Art is powerful, it isn't a lasting path. At your current realm, you can't withstand using it frequently. If your constitution weren't stable, you might have suffered Qi deviation today."
Qin Yu's gaze faltered slightly, and he nodded gently.
Zhang Hao reached out and patted his shoulder, his tone low and solemn. "In the next round, you must learn to steady your mind. Don't use this sword art lightly again. In the arena, a sharp edge isn't the only thing that decides victory. A true victor must also know how to seize the right moment."
Qin Yu replied solemnly, "This disciple understands."
A trace of gratification flashed deep in Zhang Hao's eyes, but his brow remained tightly furrowed.
Qin Yu, your talent may be peerless, but I'm even more afraid that you're too sharp... if you don't restrain that edge, it will eventually break.
The morning bell rang again, officially opening the fourth round.
At the center of the martial grounds, the orb slowly rose, more brilliant than in the previous three rounds. Its spiritual radiance hung like a blazing sun, illuminating the entire square. Thousands of disciples held their breath, their gazes unwavering as they waited for the moment that would decide fate.
The presiding elder's voice rumbled like a great bell, shaking the valley:
"Fourth round, drawing lots-begin!"
The orb abruptly erupted with dazzling light. Two streaks of spiritual light shot out, soaring straight into the clouds before slowly descending to opposite ends of the arena.
The radiance gradually faded, revealing the names.
"Qin Yu-versus-Luo Chuan!"
Boom!
The entire martial grounds seemed to split beneath a thunderbolt. Deafening cries instantly erupted, sweeping across the grounds!
"They finally met! Qin Yu against one of the outer sect's top ten!"
"Now this is a true clash at the summit!"
"Qin Yu won each of his last three matches with a single strike, but Luo Chuan is different. He's firmly among the top ten!"
In the spectator stands, the elders' gazes sharpened as well. Some looked interested, others expectant, while still others secretly shook their heads, feeling that the outcome of this duel was already certain.
At one end of the arena, Qin Yu walked forward slowly, the Spirit Annihilation Sword in hand. Azure light flowed faintly along its blade, and his youthful face looked utterly resolute in the sunlight.
At the other end, Luo Chuan stood tall and graceful, his azure robes fluttering, Sword Qi flickering around him, his gaze cold and chilling. He slowly drew his sword. The instant its edge emerged, the air abruptly tightened, as though an invisible blade had already locked onto his opponent.
The two figures faced each other from afar, their presences colliding fiercely at the center of the arena. Their invisible sword intent and imposing force made the barrier hum.
The presiding elder raised his hand, his gaze grave, and his voice thundered down:
"Fourth-round duel-begin!"
The arena's formation patterns blazed to life, and the spirit-light barrier instantly sealed shut. A pillar of light shot into the heavens, piercing the nine skies, making the entire mountain range of Cloud-Leveling Hall tremble!
The entire crowd fell silent, thousands of gazes locking onto the arena at once.
This battle was destined to decide who would bear the title of strongest in the outer sect tournament.
Qin Yu and Luo Chuan finally met in a true head-on clash.
The air above the arena was cold and clear, as though sliced open by a blade. The barrier refracted the sunlight into countless razor-sharp rays that fell upon the two of them. Qin Yu held the Spirit Annihilation Sword, his breathing even; Luo Chuan stood opposite him, his azure robes snapping, his sword intent like a blade in the depths of winter. Their presences met, and the entire training ground seemed to have been muted. Even the wind sounded heavy.
Viewed from above, the spectators around the arena became a black ocean, their gazes like ten thousand arrows, everyone's heartbeat echoing in unison within their chests. Low-frequency sound effects pulsed like war drums rolling through a mountain valley.
The elder swept his sleeve, and the battle began.
The first strike-
Luo Chuan moved first. His sword fell in a long arc that seemed to rend the sky, carrying the sword intent of "Azure Frost Severing Stream." The air was scraped into blades, and a ribbon of light sliced across like a cutting edge. Water droplets instantly froze into silver flecks in midair, then were cut to pieces by Sword Qi. The effects played out in slow motion: an azure-white ribbon swept past, light fragments scattered, and every shard refracted his cold, fierce smile.
Qin Yu met it with "Spirit Light Slash" from the Spirit Awakening Sword Art. He raised his sword to defend, and the spirit patterns covering the Spirit Annihilation Sword instantly lit up. The blade became a glowing string, azure-white lightning surging along its spine. The two force fields collided, unleashing immense sound pressure. The spectators recoiled a beat later, and dust surged up like a tsunami. Qin Yu's arm trembled, but his gaze remained rock-steady.
Several exchanges followed-
Luo Chuan gave his opponent no room to breathe. Every strike changed its angle and rhythm, his sword light alternately long and short, fast and slow, like a gale turning into a swarm of blades, like a tide transforming into torrential rain. Each point where Luo Chuan's sword struck left an afterimage. These afterimages were not his true body, but traces of his presence left by his high speed, capable of misleading his opponent's perception.
Qin Yu did not panic. He reined in his edge and channeled Qi into his sword, the spiritual flow quietly making minute adjustments within him. The spirit pearl on the Spirit Annihilation Sword gave off a low-frequency resonance, like bells and chimes beneath the sea, slowly stabilizing his breathing. He unleashed several combinations of "Light Spirit Step + Spirit Light Slash," using rhythm to defuse Luo Chuan's ferocious assault. His footwork was like wind, his sword light like threads; united, they repeatedly knocked Luo Chuan's longsword back half a step. Spiritual Qi flowed between them like visible ripples of water, azure arcs bursting from every collision.
The battle became a tug-of-war, and the two gradually turned the arena into their own language. Luo Chuan suddenly changed forms, accelerating his sword assault into "Sky-Breaking Frenzied Tide." Sword Qi surged like mountain ranges in motion, setting off successive sonic booms. Each boom carved a fissure into the air, forcing the formation barrier to flicker as it suppressed them. Low-frequency rumbling, the texture of splitting air, the barrier's surface cracking like a mirror only to be repaired inch by inch by the formation-the visual was a struggle between "tearing apart/self-repair."
Qin Yu felt as though an iron hammer had struck his chest, violently shaking his Spiritual Qi. He steadied himself, focused, and began incorporating the compression pathways of the "Extinction Spirit Light Art" into the flow of his movements. Rather than unleashing it immediately, he subjected the Spiritual Qi between his Sword Heart Acupoint and the Spirit Annihilation Sword to "elastic compression"-like drawing a bowstring to its limit without releasing it yet. The pale-blue spirit pearl on the hilt resonated like a crystal bell, and azure-white glimmers danced along the blade. Patterns pulsed like meridians within the flowing light, as though the spectators could hear their vibrations.
Suddenly, Luo Chuan feinted and shifted instantaneously to the left, his sword point aimed straight at Qin Yu's throat-that was killing intent meant to end it. The scene grew suffocatingly quiet. Time seemed stretched into a string, and all the spectators heard was breathing within the silence.
Qin Yu seized that instant. Instead of immediately unleashing extinction, he used a variation of "Spirit Light Slash." His sword light instantly became a ring-shaped band of waves, first cutting off Luo Chuan's steps and retreat, then pushing back with elastic compression to send him staggering backward. Visually, it was "light-band cutting + rebound impact," like the recoil of a bowstring, delaying Luo Chuan's attack by half a beat.
The battle reached fever pitch. Luo Chuan revealed his true sword realm: he marshaled his will and converted part of his internal breath into "edge conversion," adding a frequency to his sword light that oppressed the mind. Each blow his opponent endured would slightly damage their resolve-not mind control, merely a brief disruption of perception and reaction. This manifested as flickering at the edges of the opponent's vision and brief auditory distortion. The frequency disrupted Qin Yu several times, but he drew his will back into his dantian, using the physical stability gained through the Mystic Origin Body Tempering Art to resist that interference, resolving it step by step.
Their clashes produced chain reactions: sword light tore through the void, sending shattered stones several feet into the air; the barrier shook, and the flags in the stands were sucked toward the center before being flung back; distant spirit herbs trembled like an awakened sea. Sound effects: bronze gongs, low drums, and metallic scraping intertwined, like an ancient battle song echoing.
Qin Yu defended at every turn while seeking the right opportunity. A calm light gradually settled into his eyes: this was not a simple contest of sword speed, but of "who could turn power into a decisive strike." He began "drawing out silk and peeling away the cocoon" of Spiritual Qi with greater delicacy, using the Spirit Annihilation Sword's spirit patterns to guide the lingering echoes of each of Luo Chuan's sword attacks back into a return flow, turning them into points from which to raise his own Qi. This appeared as azure "power threads" interweaving between them before finally converging at Qin Yu's sword tip.
Luo Chuan sensed the pull, and his anger intensified, his sword attacks growing fiercer. His sword carried even more violent air currents, as though it would split the entire firmament apart. Each sweep of his sword was magnified: air split into lines, firelight and cold light crisscrossed, and the rhythm of time around him seemed stretched into disconnected points. A trace of resolve appeared on Luo Chuan's face-he intended to end the battle with a single "Heaven-Breaking Slash."
Both gathered power, and the formation patterns surrounding the arena pulsed. Among the spectators, some held their breath, some had reddened eyes, and even some elders murmured incantations to bless or warn the two. Wind, drums, and heartbeats blended together.
Luo Chuan struck first. Heaven-Breaking Slash raised a storm of blade Qi, tearing a vortex through the air over half the arena. It was a ferocious attack that could almost cut off every avenue of retreat. Azure light and the storm crashed toward Qin Yu like the judgment of doomsday.
At the last moment, Qin Yu released all the spiritual power he had previously subjected to "elastic compression." The spirit pearl on the Spirit Annihilation Sword's hilt burst like the sun. An azure-white pillar of light shot straight up, then became an extremely compressed ray of extinction sword light erupting from its tip, sounding like thunder rather than a sword's cry. The sword light was like a meteor in broad daylight. The surrounding firelight and dust all seemed cleanly severed by an invisible ruler, and after the impact, time knotted and overturned.
The two force fields collided, and heaven and earth seemed split in two. The shock wave lifted the flags in the stands, dust scattered in visible fibers, and the barrier flashed blindingly at its breaking point. Sound was compressed, then amplified-in the spectators' ears, it felt as though a massive drum had struck their hearts.
Countless details filled that elongated instant: the unwillingness in Luo Chuan's eyes, the traces of blood on Qin Yu's palm as he gripped the hilt, the final tremor of the Spirit Annihilation Sword's spirit patterns-all converged in one critical collision.
Amid sustained rumbling and the oscillation of light and shadow, the pillar of light broke through the barrier's edge. Before it could pierce through completely, however, both forces retreated half a foot at once, then stirred up an even greater aftershock. A fissure formed at the center of the arena, and Spiritual Qi churned like fireworks. Both men were knocked several steps back, their breathing heavy, faint light dripping from their sword tips.
After a brief silence, the entire crowd erupted in earth-shaking roars and cries. Every face bore an interweaving of awe, fear, and excitement.
They did not stop. Luo Chuan unleashed "Shadow-Rending Chain Slashes" again, each slash producing an azure afterimage. These afterimages were not illusions, but "residual Qi blades" he could produce with his fully developed cultivation, capable of instantly sealing off multiple directions. Qin Yu used the Spirit Annihilation Sword's "spirit-pattern guidance" to find gaps each time an afterimage alternated with the physical blade, countering with short, precise "Spirit Light Slashes" that cut into those openings.
The fierce blade light of close combat; an overhead shot of two figures intertwining like lightning and thunder across the arena; the composure in Qin Yu's eyes, the cold smile at Luo Chuan's lips; and the more distant spectator stands, boiling like a sea.
Both tested each other's limits, employing techniques with ever more layers. Luo Chuan occasionally fell briefly silent, as though adjusting his inner demons as he pressed deeper sword intent into his moves; Qin Yu used the dual stabilization of the Mystic Origin Body Tempering Art and the Spirit Annihilation Sword to form his bodily sensations and sword intent into a tight cycle-absorb, compress, unleash, then absorb again.
Each exchange brought a new visual explosion: sword light tore through formation patterns, leaving afterimages resembling ancient runes in the air; at one instant, the Spirit Annihilation Sword's radiance resembled a flame of extreme cold igniting in the night, leaving everyone unable to distinguish whether it was light or shadow.
As time passed, both grew pale, sweat and beads of blood glinting beneath their sword edges. Each step was like treading on thin ice: one more move could trigger a fatal backlash or secure a decisive advantage.
The battle showed no sign of stopping. More and more light scars and cracks were branded onto the arena, while applause, startled cries, and gasps from the stands intertwined into an earth-shaking movement. The elders' brows were tightly furrowed. Deacon Zhang clenched his hands until they turned white, his eyes holding both pride and unconcealable worry-Qin Yu's physical stamina was being drained enormously, while Luo Chuan's sword intent was gradually revealing dangerous boundaries.
Every blow gave the illusion that life and death would be decided in the next second, yet the battle continued, both sides searching for the opening through which a single strike could sever everything.
The storm on the arena had yet to subside. Azure-white light and azure-frost sword intent, afterimages and lingering echoes tangled in the air. Vast particle effects fell back and forth like windblown grit. Whenever the two collided, sparks and frost fragments were drawn into close-up, making it almost possible to hear the sound of light breaking.