Spiritual light filled the arena, and the air blazed as though about to burn. Qin Yu's chest heaved like thunder. The Spirit Annihilation Sword in his hand still shone with a faint azure glow, but the Spiritual Qi within him was like a dried-up river, reduced to a trickle.
I can't use the Extinction Spirit Light Art again... if I force it once more, I'm afraid I'll collapse from exhaustion on the spot!
Sweat dripped from his forehead, but his gaze remained resolute.
Opposite him, Luo Chuan felt the weight at his sword tip and secretly gritted his teeth.
No... this brat may be swaying on his feet, but if I give him another chance to catch his breath, I really might lose to him! I have to settle this in one strike!
The next moment, Luo Chuan abruptly raised his sword. Sword Qi surged around him, instantly igniting the atmosphere throughout the arena!
"Qin Yu, fall before me!"
A black-and-azure storm suddenly swirled up around the arena. Sword light circled Luo Chuan, forming a vortex of Sword Qi dozens of zhang high. The air seemed to have been sucked dry, and the roaring sounded like rolling thunder.
An icy glint flashed in his eyes as he suddenly shouted:
"Soul Severing Sword Art · Spirit Extinction and Shattered Void!"
Sword Qi thundered forth. The black-and-azure sword radiance became hundreds of afterimages, as though cleaving heaven and earth apart!
The sword light fell like countless meteors, slicing through space and trailing pitch-black fissures through the air, as though even space and spiritual breath would be devoured completely. The entire arena shook violently. The watching disciples turned deathly pale, feeling as though their souls were being torn apart.
This was Luo Chuan's trump card, a sword strike that exhausted all his strength, fusing the sword intent and Spiritual Qi he had honed over many years and condensing every afterimage and trace of killing intent into one!
Deacon Zhang Hao abruptly rose from his seat, his gaze suddenly sharpening:
This is bad! Luo Chuan has actually forced out the sword momentum of the half-step Spirit Awakening realm while still below the Mortal Fetus realm! Qin Yu... is in danger!
At the center of the arena, Qin Yu gripped the Spirit Annihilation Sword tightly. Facing the countless sword rays sweeping toward him, his body trembled slightly, but his gaze grew ever sharper.
I can't retreat... I absolutely cannot retreat! Even if my Spiritual Qi runs dry, I have to meet it head-on!
Reflected in the sword light, Qin Yu's eyes resembled two burning stars. Cracks slowly spread across the arena beneath his feet. The Spirit Annihilation Sword trembled in his hand, its azure-white radiance dim but gradually condensing into a lone, proud gleam!
Between heaven and earth, two sword intents were approaching their ultimate clash!
Luo Chuan's eyes were icy, his sword momentum violent to the extreme. Only that black-and-azure sword intent remained between heaven and earth.
"Soul Severing Sword Art · Spirit Extinction and Shattered Void!"
With a furious shout, he swung his longsword down. The spiritual light on its blade burst apart, and fierce winds swept out instantly. The arena's stone bricks shattered inch by inch, and the waves of air raised by the impact seemed ready to blast the watching disciples away. Countless black-and-azure sword shadows poured from the blade, overlapping, interweaving, and tearing, becoming a waterfall of sword rain.
The instant the sword shadows descended, the entire sky seemed to be sliced into countless fragments. Piercing cracks rang through the air, as though space itself were wailing. Wherever the sword light passed, black fissures were carved into the void, which collapsed inch by inch, as though the entire arena would be utterly annihilated.
The sword momentum bore a presence that would extinguish everything, rushing at them and making it almost impossible to breathe. Countless watching disciples turned pale, their souls seemingly being torn out as an irresistible despair rose in their hearts.
Qin Yu stood at the center of the arena, his body already swaying on the brink of collapse. His Spiritual Qi was nearly exhausted, and he could no longer activate the Extinction Spirit Light Art. Yet his back remained straight, and a blazing light burned in his eyes.
"I can't retreat... even with my last breath, I have to meet it!"
He gripped the Spirit Annihilation Sword desperately with both hands, frantically gathering the last of his Spiritual Qi at its edge. The azure-white spiritual patterns on the blade gradually began to burn, as though using flesh and blood as fuel. The Spirit Annihilation Sword hummed like the thunder of ancient war drums, merging with Qin Yu's heartbeat.
"Break-for me!"
Qin Yu roared. The stone slabs beneath his feet cracked instantly as he swung the Spirit Annihilation Sword, sending an incomparably sharp azure-white sword ray soaring skyward like the first light of dawn!
The sword ray swept out, meeting the black-and-azure sword rain that blotted out the sky.
In an instant, azure-white and black-and-azure light collided at the center of the arena, like two oceans of different colors crashing together. A roar like the heavens collapsing resounded over the arena. Shattered stone and spiritual light mingled into a gale, making the entire barrier shake wildly.
Azure-white sword rays swept in every direction, tearing through countless black-and-azure sword shadows, while the black-and-azure sword rain pressed down in endless layers. The clash of light against light became hundreds of millions of sparks bursting in midair. Every impact shattered another inch of the arena, wrenching the ground upward.
Agony shot through Qin Yu's arms, and the webs of his hands had already split open, but his gaze remained as resolute as the newborn blazing sun. The Spirit Annihilation Sword sliced through the sky, its azure-white radiance piercing through the sword rain and cutting a path to the heavens.
Chaos filled heaven and earth.
Azure-white sword light and black-and-azure sword rain devoured and tore at one another, as though the world were being split in half in their hands!
Heaven and earth thundered. The azure-white and black-and-azure seas of light tore wildly at each other over the arena for dozens of breaths before finally exploding with an earth-shaking crash.
Rumble!
The impact swept in every direction like a collapsing mountain and a tsunami. The barrier's spiritual light flashed to its utmost before it finally failed to withstand the force. The entire arena shattered amid explosive booms, sending stones and fragments of light shooting skyward.
Countless disciples in the crowd cried out in alarm. The elders also acted one after another to suppress the aftershocks, barely bringing the situation under control. When the dust cleared, the entire arena had been reduced to broken walls and shattered remnants. A huge fissure split its center, stretching across it like a heavenly chasm.
Qin Yu and Luo Chuan were hurled backward at the same time. One struck a shattered stone wall, blood splashing down; the other slammed into the ground, smashing a deep crater into it.
Deathly silence fell all around.
Thousands of disciples held their breath, staring fixedly at the ruins. No one dared speak first.
Only the barrier's lingering spiritual light drifted through the air, slowly falling like raindrops and illuminating this ultimate duel with no distinction between life and death.
Qin Yu knelt on one knee on the shattered arena, his chest heaving like thunder. A mouthful of blood surged into his throat, but he forcibly swallowed it. Opposite him, blood also seeped from the corner of Luo Chuan's mouth. His face was pale, yet his eyes blazed hotter than flames.
He suddenly threw back his head and laughed, his laughter hoarse yet savage. "Good! Good! Very good, Qin Yu! I never thought you could push me this far!"
As his words fell, his presence instantly surged. His azure robe billowed and snapped as he raised his sword high, Spiritual Qi surging around him like an ocean.
Black-and-azure sword intent abruptly condensed. No longer the sword rain and raging tide from before, it became an icy sword moon suspended behind Luo Chuan. The sword moon was pitch-black, azure arcs flashing around its edges, as though it used the laws of heaven and earth as its blade and the endless void as its body.
The sword moon frantically pulled in all the rubble, dust, and spiritual light across the arena. Even the Spiritual Qi within the distant watching disciples stirred faintly, as though it might be stripped away at any moment.
The air gave a shrill, tearing shriek. The sword moon slowly rotated, each turn opening a pitch-black fissure in the void, like the curtain of night collapsing.
Blood-red light shone in Luo Chuan's eyes, his voice low and savage. "No one has ever seen this strike... it is also my true killing move, my last hidden trump card. Qin Yu, you should consider it an honor to die beneath this sword!"
He abruptly stepped forward, and the arena instantly shattered into countless fragments. Pointing his sword at Qin Yu, he shouted coldly:
"Soul Severing Sword Art · World Extinction and Realm Shattering!"
Boom!!!
The sword moon suddenly plunged, carrying the might to destroy heaven and earth. The void shattered completely at that moment. Black-and-azure sword rays swept across the entire arena like the Milky Way collapsing, drawing everything in heaven and earth into them.
The radiance was as dazzling as daylight. The sword intent forced the watching disciples to their knees, utterly stifling even their breathing. The elders looked horrified, and one even blurted out, "This is bad! This is no longer power the Mortal Fetus realm can control. He's forcibly drawing on his lifespan and burning his soul!"
Before Qin Yu's eyes, only that moon of destruction remained between heaven and earth, its pressure like the arrival of doomsday.
That sword moon came crashing down, as though heaven and earth had been completely swallowed. Around the arena, the watching disciples were deathly pale, their knees trembling, utterly unable to look directly at that oppressive force.
Qin Yu gritted his teeth and roared, raising the Spirit Annihilation Sword high. The spiritual pearl on its hilt suddenly shone!
"Spirit Annihilation Sword, third form-Spirit Protection Screen!"
In an instant, azure-white spiritual light surged from the blade, becoming a spherical barrier that tightly enclosed Qin Yu. Spiritual patterns flickered across its surface, as though woven from a river of stars. In a brief instant, it raised an isolated island.
Boom!!!
The sword moon descended. Black-and-azure sword shadows crashed frantically against the Spirit Protection Screen with a thunderous roar of overwhelming force. The barrier was instantly compressed and distorted. Cracks crisscrossed its surface, its spiritual light trembling, as though it would shatter completely the next moment. Blood streamed from Qin Yu's arms under the impacts. His body shook repeatedly, and his vision blurred.
But he held on desperately, refusing to retreat even half a step!
"I... absolutely cannot lose here!"
At the instant the Spirit Protection Screen was about to shatter, Qin Yu sank his awareness into his dantian, frantically circulating the Mystic Origin Body Tempering Art while forcibly drawing in Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi with the Spiritual Breath Essence Condensation Method!
The Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth seemed drawn by an invisible vortex, pouring madly into his body. Dust, rubble, and spiritual light outside the barrier were all swept into that violent suction, flooding Qin Yu's meridians like a tide.
Boom, boom, boom!
His bones reverberated, his blood boiled, and his blood Qi surged like a dragon. Dazzling azure-white radiance poured from Qin Yu's entire body! Within his dantian, a mass of primordial Qi abruptly condensed and expanded, suddenly breaking through its shackles.
The middle stage of the Mortal Fetus realm!
"Aah-!"
With a furious roar, Qin Yu abruptly stepped forward and slashed with the Spirit Annihilation Sword.
"Spirit Light Slash!"
Azure-white sword radiance suddenly erupted from the blade, a hundred times more brilliant than before! Like the sun's disk at dawn, the sword light pierced straight through the black-and-azure sword rain, completely transforming the nearly shattered Spirit Protection Screen into a sharp counterattack!
Crack-!
Under the impact of the sword light, Luo Chuan's World Extinction and Realm Shattering sword moon abruptly shattered. The sword shadows filling the sky collapsed into countless lingering glimmers that scattered and faded.
The azure-white sword ray continued unabated, slashing straight toward Luo Chuan's chest!
"How is this possible-!"
Luo Chuan roared and raised his sword to block, but that sharp force still blasted him away. He slammed heavily into a ruined arena wall. Stones collapsed one after another, and blood sprayed from his mouth.
The entire crowd fell deathly silent!
Then earth-shaking cheers rang out above Cloud-Leveling Hall.
"Qin Yu-won again!"
"The middle stage of the Mortal Fetus realm! He actually broke through during battle!"
"Now that's a true Phenomenon Spiritual Root!"
The arena lay shattered, spiritual light filling the air. At the center of the ruins, Qin Yu stood with his sword held out, his chest heaving violently. His presence blazed like fire, but his gaze remained as resolute as the rising sun.
Dust and smoke filled the shattered arena, and loose stones rolled down. Qin Yu stood with his sword held out, his chest heaving violently. Blood slid down the sword's hilt, yet his gaze still burned like fire.
Opposite him, Luo Chuan had been smashed heavily against a broken wall. Half his azure robe had already been torn apart by sword light, and a deep bloody wound crossed his chest, soaking his clothes with blood. He raised his head with difficulty, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, yet his smile remained cold.
"Qin Yu... well done! You actually broke through during battle. You certainly show the bearing of someone with a Phenomenon Spiritual Root."
He slowly pushed himself up with his sword. Every movement tore his wounds open again, but there was not the slightest hint of retreat in his eyes.
"But... do you think that means you can beat me?"
As his words fell, Spiritual Qi abruptly churned around Luo Chuan, as though he would offer his flesh and blood as a sacrifice. The air suddenly grew heavy, and an icy killing intent spread between heaven and earth. Under that presence, the shattered arena continued to crack. Rubble floated in the air, and spiritual light hung like mist.
"I, Luo Chuan, will not fall here!"
He slowly raised his sword. Though his body swayed, he carried a sharp presence that could not be ignored. His fragmented black-and-azure sword intent condensed once more, becoming a long, narrow sword ray that trembled continually in the void, as though it might unleash an even more frenzied assault at any moment.
Qin Yu gripped the Spirit Annihilation Sword, his gaze grave as cold sweat slid down his forehead.
He could sense it-Luo Chuan was now an arrow at the end of its flight, but precisely because of that, he would burn his last strength without any restraint. Without caution, this strike could still bring fatal danger.
The entire crowd held its breath, silent as crows and sparrows.
Everyone knew that the next clash would be the final strike deciding life and death!
Blood-red light shone in Luo Chuan's eyes. The wound on his chest was still bleeding, yet he suddenly threw back his head and roared at the sky, his voice hoarse and frenzied.
"Qin Yu! Even if I exhaust every scrap of my flesh and blood, I'll cut you to pieces!"
With that roar, the Spiritual Qi within him suddenly boiled. Blood mist gushed from his pores, instantly enveloping him. His sword trembled as blood Qi and Spiritual Qi fused, becoming a terrifying sword intent that shot straight into the heavens.
Bloody light wound around the blade. The black-and-azure sword edge seemed to have been ignited, countless cracks appearing across its surface. It resembled an evil sword that might shatter at any moment, yet contained the power to destroy everything.
"Burning Blood and Severing Souls-Realm-Shattering Slash!"
Luo Chuan stepped forward, and the ruined arena immediately split apart, the ground shaken into pieces. Trailing a blood-colored sword shadow, he slashed down from midair. His sword radiance spanned the arena like a crimson heavenly chasm, seeking to utterly destroy Qin Yu!
At that moment, the entire square seemed to plunge into an abyss. The watching disciples trembled beneath the pressure of the sword intent. Some lower-level disciples even fell straight to their knees, unable to raise their heads.
"What terrifying sword momentum... has Luo Chuan gone mad?"
"He's burning his life! This strike... even an elder wouldn't dare take it head-on, would they?"
Deacon Zhang Hao abruptly rose from his seat, his expression utterly grave and his palms covered in cold sweat.
Qin Yu... be careful! This is a desperate, all-out strike. The slightest mistake will kill you on the spot!
At the center of the arena, Qin Yu's legs were planted deep in the cracked stone slabs, both hands gripping the Spirit Annihilation Sword. The blood-colored sword light filling the sky closed in, as though about to swallow him whole.
Waves of air struck his face, sharp as knives. Qin Yu's clothes were torn, and bloody cuts opened across his skin. But he did not retreat. Instead, his gaze grew even more resolute.
"Luo Chuan-if this is your final strike, then I, Qin Yu, will defeat you utterly with this very strike!"
The Spirit Annihilation Sword hummed, azure-white spiritual light gathering once more. All of Qin Yu's Spiritual Qi, blood Qi, and will flowed into the sword's edge at once. His sword intent was sharp as the rising blazing sun, seeking to clash head-on with that blood-colored heavenly chasm!
Between heaven and earth, the atmosphere froze.
The final strike was about to fall!
Above the arena, the blood-colored sword radiance and azure-white sword light finally collided.
In an instant, heaven and earth fell silent, as though even time had stopped at that moment.
"Boom-!"
The boundless tide of sword intent was about to explode, but in the instant of collision, a strange gray light suddenly flashed within Qin Yu. It was not dazzling, yet it was sharper than the blazing sun and heavier than thunder. It vanished in a flash, yet instantly became an irresistible force that swept out from within Qin Yu.
At that moment, the edge of the Spirit Annihilation Sword seemed to become a vessel for the gray light. It released a low hum, like the rumble when heaven and earth first opened.
Luo Chuan's pupils suddenly widened, and his mind jolted violently. Before he could understand what had happened, his sword's edge had already been utterly crushed by that power!
"Pfft-!"
Blood sprayed wildly. Like a kite with its string cut, Luo Chuan was blasted a hundred zhang away by that force and slammed viciously into the stone wall at the edge of the square. The wall instantly shattered, sending rubble flying.
His longsword broke apart inch by inch in midair, becoming countless fragments that scattered across the ground and turned to ash.
Luo Chuan's face was deathly pale, his chest caved in and his eyes rolled back. He fell unconscious on the spot, completely losing the ability to fight.
The entire crowd fell silent!
Thousands of disciples, deacons, and elders all stared dumbfounded at Qin Yu in the center of the arena.
They had only seen Luo Chuan's final desperate strike, which had clearly pressed Qin Yu into a nearly hopeless position, only for a gray light to erupt abruptly the instant their sword edges met.
That light had come quickly and vanished even faster. No one could see clearly what had actually happened.
The next moment, Luo Chuan had already lost!
"This... what exactly happened?"
"My eyes weren't playing tricks on me, were they? Luo Chuan's sword was... shattered by the impact?"
"Impossible! I felt a flash of gray light just now... what was it?"
Discussion rose like a tide among the watching disciples, but no one could reach an answer.
On the raised platform, several elders' gazes flickered, their expressions varied. Zhang Hao's heart jolted even more violently. He looked at Qin Yu with a complicated gaze and secretly clenched his fists.
At that moment, Qin Yu still stood on the shattered arena, the Spirit Annihilation Sword hanging at his side. His body swayed on the brink of collapse and his presence was weak, but his eyes remained clear and resolute.
Everyone felt that-at this moment, his figure was no longer merely that of a new outer sect disciple, but seemed like an existence standing at the pinnacle of all living beings.
At the center of the ruined arena, the dust and smoke gradually cleared.
Qin Yu rested on one knee, breathing rapidly, the Spirit Annihilation Sword still trembling softly in his hand. His chest rose and fell, every breath carrying intense pain, as though he might collapse at any moment.
Luo Chuan had long since fallen unconscious in the distance, his sword shattered and bloodstains scattered around him. The outcome no longer needed to be stated.
The presiding elder remained silent for a moment, his gaze moving between Qin Yu and Luo Chuan. Finally, a resounding declaration rang throughout the venue:
"Fourth round-Qin Yu wins!"
Boom-!
The square erupted!
"He won! Qin Yu won!"
"Looks like that brat really does have a Phenomenon Spiritual Root. He really is invincible!"
"Even Luo Chuan lost to him! This battle will spread throughout Cloud-Leveling Hall!"
The disciples were so excited that their blood boiled, as though they had witnessed a new legend with their own eyes.
Deacon Zhang Hao did not immediately join the cheers. His eyes remained fixed on Qin Yu, that instant replaying over and over in his mind.
Gray light... was that an illusion, or...
He was certain he had seen it, but in that flash of lightning and spark of flint, the gray light had come too quickly-so quickly that even he could not distinguish truth from illusion. Had it been a disturbance in the Spiritual Qi, or some power hidden within Qin Yu?
Doubts churned in Zhang Hao's heart, but he shook his head.
Now was not the time to pursue the matter. Whatever the case, Qin Yu had won, and that was what mattered most.
His gaze softened as he looked at Qin Yu's thin yet upright figure, and intense gratification welled up in his heart.
But the toll had been too great... Without timely recuperation, he feared Qin Yu would be left with hidden injuries.
He silently resolved that, no matter what, once Qin Yu left the arena, he would immediately arrange the best pills and a place for him to recuperate.
At that moment, Qin Yu raised his head and met Zhang Hao's gaze from afar, a weary yet resolute smile on his youthful face.
Zhang Hao's heart jolted. With a sweep of his long sleeve, he suppressed his doubts and silently murmured:
Child, take good care of yourself... The road ahead is still long.
After the announcement ended, the crowds around the arena remained in an uproar, awe and shock filling countless disciples' eyes.
Yet amid the clamor, Zhang Hao had already strode down from the raised platform. His blue robe billowed in the wind, his expression composed, though it could not conceal the worry in his eyes.
"Qin Yu!"
He stepped into the ruined arena and caught Qin Yu, who was swaying on the verge of collapse. At that moment, Qin Yu's chest heaved like mountains, his body covered in wounds and his clothes stained with blood, yet he still gripped the Spirit Annihilation Sword tightly.
"Deacon Zhang..." Qin Yu spoke weakly, his voice low and hoarse, but his gaze remained resolute. "I... haven't let you down."
Zhang Hao's heart jolted, and a complicated look flashed through his eyes. He patted Qin Yu's shoulder, his tone unusually gentle. "You did very well, better than anyone. But now, victory has been decided. What you need is to stay alive, not force yourself to keep going."
He waved a hand, and two outer sect disciples immediately stepped forward, their expressions respectful.
"Come, support him and take him to a quiet chamber. Bring the high-grade Breath-Nourishing Pills allotted to me, along with the Spirit-Gathering Stones. Make absolutely sure he recuperates properly!"
"As you command!"
The two disciples hurried to support Qin Yu with great care. Qin Yu still tried to struggle to stand steadily, but Zhang Hao pressed a hand to his shoulder, his tone carrying a trace of unquestionable authority. "Settle down. What you need now is rest."
Qin Yu hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded lightly.
Zhang Hao swept his gaze over the crowd and said in a deep voice, "In today's battle, although this young man possesses a Supreme Spiritual Root, it was even more through his perseverance, a swordsman's courage, and tenacity that he won everyone over! Once he recovers, the outer sect of Cloud-Leveling Hall will gain another true expert!"
His words sent the entire crowd into an uproar. The disciples' cheers grew even louder, and fervor even shone in quite a few of their eyes.
As the disciples helped Qin Yu out of the arena, those words warmed his heart. Tears glimmered at the corners of his eyes, but he said nothing, only gripping the Spirit Annihilation Sword tightly as he silently murmured:
Mother, I did it.