The ten-minute rest ended, and the square of White Frost Ancient City abruptly thundered, as though all heaven and earth were answering this clash destined to shake them.
"Ding-!"
A clear bell rang out, like war drums urging battle.
The array patterns at the center of the arena suddenly lit up like golden dragons soaring skyward. Spiritual light shot into the heavens, enveloping the entire arena in boundless radiance. The patterns interwove, space trembled, and Spiritual Qi surged in like a tide, gathering into an overwhelming field of force.
The referee shouted, "Cloud-Leveling Hall! Pure Fragrance Garden! The tiebreaker between the two sides officially begins!"
Boom-!
Amid cheers like roaring mountains and surging seas, Qin Yu and Nangong Heyao slowly stepped onto the arena. They stood shoulder to shoulder, their presences as steady as mountains. Behind them, the Spirit Annihilation Sword and the heavy greatsword rang out together, azure and golden light intertwining to illuminate two imposing figures like gods.
The disciples of Cloud-Leveling Hall instantly erupted in earth-shaking cheers:
"Senior Brother Qin! Senior Brother Nangong!"
"Cloud-Leveling Hall will win!"
"Slay the bewitching women of Pure Fragrance Garden!"
Their voices pierced the nine heavens, making the Spiritual Qi in the square tremble.
On the other side, Liu Hongzhuang and Yue Linmeng slowly entered the arena.
Liu Hongzhuang wore a crimson battle dress, her slender waist alluring. Every step seemed to land on the crowd's hearts. Seduction flowed through her beautiful eyes, concealing cold killing intent. She lightly raised her fair hand, winding a strand of red thread around her fingertip. As her supple body swayed, uncanny ripples spread through the air, like an enchanting phantom drifting through the mortal world.
Yue Linmeng wore an ice-blue robe, cold mist swirling around her as snowflakes formed out of thin air. Her face was stern, her eyes like freezing pools. She held a crystalline frost blade, its sharp edge fully exposed, her presence as cold as a knife. Standing beside Liu Hongzhuang, she resembled cold frost against bewitching flame. Their two extreme presences intertwined, instantly making the atmosphere at the arena's center unbearably oppressive.
The disciples of Pure Fragrance Garden shouted in unison, "Senior Sister Liu! Senior Sister Yue! Pure Fragrance will win!"
Their voices were shrill and piercing, yet carried a sinister power, as though seeking to overwhelm Cloud-Leveling Hall's momentum.
The two waves of voices collided in midair, becoming tangible sonic waves that shook the light screen above the arena without cease.
Qin Yu quietly watched Liu Hongzhuang and Yue Linmeng opposite him. His azure robes snapped in the wind, and the Spirit Annihilation Sword trembled softly in his hand, its light glittering like a river of stars. His gaze was cold as a blade as he said in a deep voice:
"Today's battle isn't about whose hearts your Pure Fragrance Garden can bewitch. It's time for our Cloud-Leveling Hall to establish its might!"
Nangong Heyao gripped his greatsword, his presence mountainlike, and shouted fiercely, "We disciples of Cloud-Leveling Hall swear to slay evil and bewitchment! Today, we'll stain this arena with your blood!"
Liu Hongzhuang giggled, her voice seductive and her gaze alluring. "Hehe, two grown men, so hot-tempered. Once your big sister has played you to pieces, you might even beg me for a little more tenderness."
Yue Linmeng said coldly, "Enough nonsense. Once we strike, death is the only outcome."
Boom!!!
As all four fully unleashed their imposing presences, the Spiritual Qi at the arena's center exploded. Wind and clouds suddenly changed across heaven and earth. The clouds churned like a raging sea, and thunder roared across the horizon!
The watching disciples held their breath. The entire square fell utterly silent, while four earth-shaking presences collided and tore at one another on the arena, like four enormous beasts roaring to rip heaven and earth apart!
At that moment, the same thought arose in everyone's heart:
This battle will decide who truly reigns supreme among the outer disciples!
At the arena's center, Spiritual Qi surged wildly, and the air seemed about to solidify under the extreme tension.
Liu Hongzhuang lightly raised her slender hand and parted her crimson lips, her voice like a seductive chant. "Soul-Bewitching Sound-Mind-Disordering Melody!"
In an instant, the Spiritual Qi within her became countless crimson musical notes suspended in midair, and sound waves swept outward in ripples. The red ripples carried a deadly power of bewitchment, forming a sea of alluring music. Like invisible plucked strings, they struck deep within the soul. The surrounding disciples heard low murmurs, like a lover's whispers and the weeping and laughter of ghosts, and their minds grew dazed.
At the same time, Yue Linmeng abruptly raised her hand, and cold Qi suddenly spread!
"Frost Soul-Severing Slash!"
She pointed her frost blade straight at Qin Yu and Nangong Heyao. Ice-blue light immediately erupted like an avalanche sweeping down. The arena instantly became a world of ice. Crystals grew wildly from the ground, freezing an area several zhang across beneath thick ice within a breath. The air froze, sound stagnated, and even time seemed sealed in ice!
Boom!!!
Crimson sound waves intertwined with blue-white frost light, like the extreme collision of blazing fire and cold frost, enveloping the entire arena. The watching disciples felt their vision blur, as though their souls were about to be dragged inside.
Qin Yu's gaze darkened. He abruptly stepped forward and raised the Spirit Annihilation Sword, its edge bursting with azure-silver radiance!
"Qi Shield Spear Wall!"
With his low shout, Spiritual Qi erupted like an ocean tide, and a thick shield of light suddenly formed before him. Spiritual patterns flashed across its surface, azure light circling it. Linked to the force of the Spirit Annihilation Sword, it formed a barrier of power! As the shield spun, Spiritual Qi became a vortex, drawing in every approaching sound wave and surge of frost!
Nangong Heyao roared. Sword intent erupted around him, and Sword Qi shot skyward, gathering into mountainlike pressure. "Mountain Crushing the Summit!"
He swung his greatsword fiercely. Golden sword light crashed down like a collapsing mountain, carrying incomparably heavy pressure! Its force broke through the bewitching crimson sound waves and shattered the sealing frost. Golden and azure light merged into one, like a heavenly pillar holding up the sky, forcibly withstanding the two women's combined attack!
Boom!!!
The arena cracked apart, its array patterns flashing wildly. Azure, gold, red, and blue light tore and collided in the air. An explosive storm of power swept in every direction, making the scalps of the disciples outside the protective barrier tingle. Some with weaker cultivation even turned deathly pale and spat blood on the spot!
At the storm's center, Qin Yu and Nangong Heyao stood firm like two unshakable peaks. Behind them, azure-silver sword light and golden sword radiance intertwined into a dazzling barrier, holding back the seductive bewitching sounds and frigid frost blades.
On the other side, Liu Hongzhuang's body trembled lightly, her long hair flying. Her seductive smile remained, but a trace of gravity had entered her eyes. "These two... are harder to shake than I imagined."
Yue Linmeng's expression was icy, her breath turning to frost as she said coldly, "Hongzhuang, stop holding back."
The storm of Spiritual Qi on the arena gradually dispersed, revealing the four figures facing one another, their killing intent even stronger.
As soon as the violent storm of power dissipated, the air above the arena still seemed to tremble. Every disciple in the stands held their breath, not daring to blink.
Nangong Heyao abruptly stepped forward. The array patterns beneath his feet instantly burst apart, and sword intent as heavy as a mountain surged into the sky!
"Mount Heng Sword Art-Mountain Shatters Heaven!"
He raised his greatsword high, golden light erupting from its blade like a mountain a thousand zhang tall crashing down. As the sword's force descended, the Spiritual Qi between heaven and earth froze in an instant, as though all weight were pressing down upon Liu Hongzhuang and Yue Linmeng.
Boom!
The golden sword shadow smashed down, and the entire arena shook amid the roar. The air spread outward in layers of surging waves, like mountains and rivers overturning, its might unmatched!
Liu Hongzhuang's pupils abruptly contracted, yet her seductive smile remained unchanged. She twisted her slender waist, lightly lifting her crimson sleeves. Her fingertips traced alluring runes as she cried coldly:
"Demonic Eye Illusion Realm-Soul-Devouring Array!"
A red light screen suddenly rose. The runes became countless demonic eyes in the air, each radiating soul-seizing light that pressed straight into Nangong Heyao's mind. The illusion realm formed abruptly, and the sword force around him faltered, as though countless chains had bound him. His sword's momentum immediately weakened!
"Hmph!"
At that critical moment, Qin Yu gave a cold shout, and azure light flashed from the Spirit Annihilation Sword!
"Spirit Spear Fleeting Shadow!"
He became an afterimage, darting over at tremendous speed. Azure light along the Spirit Annihilation Sword's edge thrust toward Liu Hongzhuang like lightning! The Spiritual Qi shock wave erupting from its tip surged like a raging gale and furious waves, shattering the demonic eyes in midair as red light collapsed in succession!
Liu Hongzhuang's expression changed sharply. She retreated swiftly, and a sinister red barrier immediately appeared before her. Yet Qin Yu's sword force still slammed into it, sending violent tremors through the barrier as spiderweb cracks spread across it.
At the same time, Yue Linmeng snorted coldly. Her figure flashed behind Qin Yu in an instant, and her frost blade thrust straight out!
"Frost Soul Devouring!"
Ice-blue light suddenly erupted like a glacier bursting its banks, rushing straight toward Qin Yu's back with bone-piercing cold!
In that lightning flash, Qin Yu's eyes narrowed, and Spiritual Qi surged explosively. "Qi Shield Spear Wall!"
An azure shield of light abruptly expanded. The frost blade struck it, instantly unleashing an earth-shaking frost explosion! Ice fragments flew, and cold Qi shot skyward. In an instant, the entire arena seemed to plunge into a frozen purgatory!
Boom-!
Azure and ice-blue light collided fiercely. The shield shook violently, but forcibly blocked Yue Linmeng's killing move!
Nangong Heyao seized the opening, roared, and swept his greatsword across!
"Balanced Force Break-!"
Golden Sword Qi surged like mountains and rivers bursting their banks, sweeping straight toward Yue Linmeng. Her expression chilled. She hastily protected herself with frost, but the Sword Qi still blasted her back several zhang. Her chest tightened, and she spat out a mouthful of blood!
The stands erupted!
"Senior Brother Nangong injured Yue Linmeng!"
"Senior Brother Qin has suppressed Liu Hongzhuang too!"
"Cloud-Leveling Hall actually gained the upper hand in a head-on clash!"
The disciples of Cloud-Leveling Hall raised their arms and cheered wildly, their momentum soaring like a rainbow!
Liu Hongzhuang's expression darkened, a vicious gleam flashing through her beautiful eyes. She licked the corner of her lips. "Hehe... not bad. But if you think you can win, you're far too naive."
With that, she flicked her wrist. Demonic power surged wildly within her, and crimson light abruptly became an alluring blood lotus that slowly bloomed. Low ghostly wails faintly emerged from its heart.
"Hongzhuang is bringing out her trump card!"
The disciples of Pure Fragrance Garden cried out together below the arena, while the hearts of Cloud-Leveling Hall's disciples abruptly tightened. The atmosphere instantly froze to the extreme.
The crimson blood lotus bloomed in Liu Hongzhuang's palm, its petals unfurling layer by layer. Each resembled congealed blood, shimmering with sinister light. Its heart suddenly burst apart, shooting out crimson chains that rushed straight toward Qin Yu and Nangong Heyao's seas of consciousness with soul-seizing power!
"Blood Lotus Soul-Devouring Array!"
At the same time, cold light blazed in Yue Linmeng's eyes. All her Spiritual Qi condensed into a crystalline ice altar. With her sharp cry, the altar instantly disintegrated into countless sharp ice blades, densely packed as they swept toward Qin Yu and Nangong Heyao from every direction with destructive cold.
"Mystic Frost Thousand Blades!"
Boom-!
The crimson chains and ice-blue rain of blades erupted together, instantly plunging the entire arena into an apocalyptic scene!
Qin Yu and Nangong Heyao were just about to meet the attack when their seas of consciousness shuddered. The blood lotus chains seemed about to wrench their souls away. Their minds lost their defenses for an instant, and their movements immediately slowed half a beat.
"Not good!"
Before they could recover, the frost blades filling the sky had already descended!
Boom!!!
Azure and golden light abruptly flared as Qin Yu and Nangong Heyao simultaneously raised protective Spiritual Qi. But the rain of blades filled the sky like a violent storm, instantly tearing through their protective light screens. Sharp blades pierced through, Spiritual Qi exploded, and bone-piercing cold slammed directly into their bodies!
Nangong Heyao grunted and held his greatsword across himself, yet he was still blasted back several zhang. Blood sprayed from his shoulder, and his chest heaved violently.
Qin Yu was struck by several ice blades, his protective sword light shattering inch by inch. The crimson chains seized the chance to coil around his arm and shoulder. His Spiritual Qi instantly fell into chaos, his chest tightened, and he spat out a mouthful of blood!
The arena thundered, smoke and dust filling the air.
When the dust dispersed, Qin Yu was down on one knee, his shoulder mottled with blood. He still gripped the Spirit Annihilation Sword tightly, its azure light weak but not extinguished.
Nangong Heyao knelt beside him, his breathing disordered and blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. Yet he still stared fixedly at Liu Hongzhuang and Yue Linmeng ahead.
An uproar swept the stands!
"Qin Yu and Senior Brother Nangong are injured!"
"Is this... Pure Fragrance Garden's trump card? It's too vicious!"
"Can they still stand?"
The disciples of Cloud-Leveling Hall turned pale and shouted, "Senior Brother Qin! Senior Brother Nangong!"
Meanwhile, the disciples of Pure Fragrance Garden erupted in fervent cheers. "Senior Sister Liu is invincible! Senior Sister Yue is invincible!"
On the arena, Liu Hongzhuang's eyes shimmered, her seductive smile blooming like a flower, yet carrying deadly cruelty. "Hehehe... I wondered how long you could hold out, but this is all you amount to. Qin Yu, Nangong Heyao, you've lost!"
Yue Linmeng said icily, "Nothing but two corpses."
Yet Qin Yu slowly raised his head. His gaze remained as firm as a mountain, and his voice was low, yet carried a power that shook the heart:
"Lost? No... the real contest begins now!"
At the arena's center, bloodstains lay scattered, and the air still held the lingering chill of frost and the bloody stench of the blood lotus.
Qin Yu braced himself on his sword with one hand and tightly gripped the chain on his shoulder with the other. Azure Spiritual Qi surged explosively in his palm, forcibly shattering the sinister chain inch by inch! The broken crimson light dispersed into countless sparks. He slowly raised his head, his gaze as cold as stars in the nine heavens.
"Since you've pushed me this far, take my true strike!"
Boom-!
Azure light suddenly erupted from the Spirit Annihilation Sword. Spiritual Qi circulated wildly within Qin Yu, his dantian thundering like a sea of lightning. The powers of the War Spear Art and sword art actually intertwined at that moment! All his Spiritual Qi poured into the sword's edge. Spiritual light flashed beneath his feet, and he leaped high!
"Heaven-Guiding Strike-!"
The azure sword blade descended from midair like a lightning chasm across the heavens, carrying the violent might to cleave heaven and earth as it slashed straight toward Yue Linmeng!
At the same time, Nangong Heyao threw back his head and roared. Blood stained his robes red as he raised his greatsword once more, its golden light suddenly blazing bright enough to sting the eyes!
"Balanced Force Break-!"
The golden sword force surged like a mighty river, following Qin Yu's sword light in concert. The power of their two swords resembled the sun and moon shining together, tearing heaven and earth apart!
Yue Linmeng was abruptly startled. Her ice blade guarded her body, and frost instantly condensed into a thick ice wall as she attempted to block the two earth-shaking strikes.
But in the next instant-
Boom!!!
Azure and golden light cleaved viciously into the ice wall. The ice crystals instantly exploded, collapsing into countless fragments as a deafening roar shook the entire venue! The remaining sword force did not weaken in the slightest, slashing straight into Yue Linmeng's protective Spiritual Qi!
Crack-!
Her protective Spiritual Qi shattered instantly, and the sword light struck her shoulder and chest!
"Ah-!"
Yue Linmeng screamed as the tremendous force sent her flying. She slammed heavily into the edge of the arena, blood spraying wildly. Her chest was bright red, and her presence rapidly weakened! Her frost blade fell to the ground with a clang, its icy light instantly fading away.
The stands exploded into uproar!
"Heavens! Yue Linmeng is badly injured!"
"Cloud-Leveling Hall actually counterattacked successfully from a desperate situation!"
"Qin Yu and Nangong Heyao... are too strong!"
The disciples of Cloud-Leveling Hall shouted themselves hoarse, their eyes red as they waved their fists. "Cloud-Leveling Hall will win!!!"
Meanwhile, the disciples of Pure Fragrance Garden looked sharply changed, shock and fear intertwining as they struggled to believe the scene before them.
On the other side of the arena, Liu Hongzhuang's expression finally darkened. Killing intent and coldness flashed through her beautiful eyes, yet a cruel smile still lingered on her lips. "Hehehe... I didn't expect you to still have such a bloody bite left in you. Unfortunately, this will only make your deaths more miserable."
Qin Yu and Nangong Heyao stood shoulder to shoulder. Though their bodies were bloodstained and their breathing rose and fell, their gazes were firm as rock.
"Liu Hongzhuang, next... it's your turn."
Above the arena, the air had been torn by blood and spiritual power as though it were something tangible. Shattered light and shadows danced wildly in midair.
Liu Hongzhuang slowly stepped forward, her skirts snapping and flying. Against the blood-red spiritual light, her alluring figure resembled a demoness emerging from a demonic realm. Her lips curved upward, and her cold laughter carried a seductive charm that made hearts tremble.
"It's still too early for that."
She lightly raised her fair hands, her ten fingers slender, and crimson runes suddenly bloomed at their tips. In an instant, an utterly uncanny presence enveloped the entire arena-blood lotuses bloomed one after another in the air. Each seemed to hold thousands upon thousands of resentful souls, their sobs and wails merging into an illusion realm of a sea of blood.
Nangong Heyao gritted his teeth and roared. Spiritual power erupted throughout his body, and his golden greatsword slashed down. Its light resembled a heavenly mountain collapsing, crashing into the sea of blood lotuses.
Boom-!!!
Yet the blood lotuses instantly became countless tiny streaks of red light, sweeping back upward like sharp arrows and stabbing viciously into Nangong Heyao's protective Spiritual Qi!
Crack!
His protective Spiritual Qi fractured, then shattered completely.
"Pfft-!"
Hundreds of streaks of bloody light pierced Nangong Heyao. His robes instantly ripped into blood-red fragments, and he was blasted dozens of zhang away, slamming heavily into the arena's edge. Blood sprayed wildly from his mouth, and his presence rapidly withered.
"Senior Brother Heyao!!" The disciples of Cloud-Leveling Hall cried out in horror, their eyes reddening.
Qin Yu's eyes narrowed. He abruptly raised the Spirit Annihilation Sword across himself, Spiritual Qi roaring like a tide as it protected his front. But the blood sea illusion realm swept over him in an instant, its unbearably oppressive force seeming about to crush heaven and earth!
Boom-!!!
Qin Yu's body shuddered violently, his chest feeling as though a heavy hammer had struck it. His protective sword light instantly shattered, and the azure radiance on the Spirit Annihilation Sword flickered violently. He grunted, dark red blood seeping from the corners of his mouth. His feet were driven back more than ten steps across the arena, forcibly leaving deep cracks in the ground.
At that moment, countless watching disciples held their breath.
"Nangong Heyao is badly injured! Qin Yu is hurt too!"
"This Liu Hongzhuang... she's terrifying! That's a sinister art!"
"Cloud-Leveling Hall is probably going to lose..."
Liu Hongzhuang watched the blood streaming from Qin Yu, her gaze fixed on him like a venomous snake, her smile growing colder. "Qin Yu, you're strong. Far stronger than I expected. Unfortunately, you're nothing but a clown jumping about."
Another blood talisman gathered at her fingertips. Red light converged wildly in the air, forming a hideous blood blade aimed straight at Qin Yu's heart.
Life and death hung by a thread!
Above the arena, the bloodiness and killing intent filling the air had almost become tangible. Nangong Heyao lay gravely wounded on the ground. Blood streamed from Qin Yu's chest, yet he suddenly grew calm.
He slowly raised his head, his eyes as deep as an abyss. The next instant, spiritual light surged behind him, and gray-white ripples welled from his dantian, as though they would swallow heaven and earth.
"That's...!"
Tens of thousands of eyes across the venue widened in utter shock as Qin Yu slowly put away the Spirit Annihilation Sword and reached his right hand into the void. With a thought, an ancient, entirely gray-white battle spear slowly emerged from nothingness!
The spear was about thirteen feet long, wreathed in gray light, with a radiance like dying stars flowing across its surface. Its blade was so sharp that a light stroke seemed capable of slicing space apart. The moment the battle spear appeared, the air throughout the arena fell still. The watching disciples felt their chests tighten, as though an immense, invisible force were pressing them to the brink of suffocation.
"The Spear... the Spear of Ashen Annihilation!!"
"He's only bringing out his real weapon now!"
Cries of astonishment swept through the venue like a tide, stunning everyone.
Liu Hongzhuang's expression changed abruptly. Her cold smile froze, and her pupils contracted sharply. "This brat... he kept it hidden until now!?"
Qin Yu did not answer. Gripping the Spear of Ashen Annihilation with both hands, he poured his Spiritual Qi frantically into its shaft like surging rivers and seas.
Boom-!!!
Countless gray-white runes suddenly lit up along the spear. Amid thunderous rumbling, the entire arena shook violently, and gray-white spiritual light shot into the highest heavens!
"Third form-Heaven-Guiding Strike!"
Qin Yu roared, concentrating his spiritual power to its utmost limit. He leaped up, his figure rising from the ground like a colossal mountain holding up the sky, and brought his battle spear crashing down!
In an instant, a curved, gray-white blade of Spiritual Qi swept across half the arena, as though a heavenly chasm were splitting open. It tore through the void and slashed viciously toward Liu Hongzhuang with unstoppable, annihilating force!
Boom-!!!
The sea of blood lotuses shattered instantly before the gray-white arc. Layer after layer of Liu Hongzhuang's bloodlight defenses were crushed, utterly unable to stop it.
"Aah-!!"
Horrified beyond measure, Liu Hongzhuang hurriedly gathered protective bloodlight, but the gray-white sword blade crashed down, tearing her entire protective screen apart!
Pfft!!!
Liu Hongzhuang spat out a great mouthful of blood. The impact sent her flying backward dozens of yards in utter disarray, her presence abruptly weakening and her face turning deathly pale.
Yet Qin Yu did not stop. Drawing on the resonance of the Spear of Ashen Annihilation, his figure flashed as he unleashed the fourth form-Spirit Spear Fleeting Shadow!
Boom-!!!
Countless afterimages thrust forth with gray-white radiance, blanketing the sky like a meteor shower. Even the air was torn open with pitch-black fissures. Beneath the rain of spear afterimages, Liu Hongzhuang's protective Spiritual Qi was pierced, and several bloody wounds instantly opened across her shoulders, arms, and abdomen!
Pfft, pfft, pfft-!!!
She vomited blood repeatedly, her slender body swaying, almost robbed of the strength to fight.
The entire venue was stunned!
"Qin Yu... he's too strong! This is already beyond the scope of the Qi Condensation Realm!"
"It's as though he unleashed all his strength just for this moment!"
Yet the light of the Spear of Ashen Annihilation in Qin Yu's hands was gradually dimming. The Spiritual Qi within him was almost exhausted, his chest heaved as rapidly as a pounding drum, and cold sweat rolled down his temples.
Still, he stood upright in the arena, his battle spear held across the air, his gaze sharp as a blade and locked firmly on Liu Hongzhuang.
Only Qin Yu and Liu Hongzhuang remained in the fight atop the arena.
Nangong Heyao and Yue Linmeng both lay gravely wounded on the ground. Their faces were pale, and blood still seeped from the wounds on their chests. With no strength left to fight, they could only force themselves to prop up their bodies and stare fixedly at the arena. Anxiety and worry intertwined in their eyes, yet they could only grit their teeth and endure, for they knew that everything now had to be left to Qin Yu to decide.
Qin Yu stood in the center of the arena, the Spear of Ashen Annihilation held across his body. The gray-white radiance along its shaft flickered in the air like a star on the verge of going out, yet still burning stubbornly. His breathing was ragged, his chest heaved violently, and cold sweat covered his forehead, but his eyes remained sharp, filled with unshakable resolve.
Opposite him, Liu Hongzhuang was also swaying on her feet. Her face was deathly pale, and the blood at the corners of her lips had yet to dry. Her once alluring, beautiful bearing now held an added edge of ferocity and menace. She stared fixedly at Qin Yu, her chest heaving violently, her voice hoarse but still icy. "Brat... you think this is enough to defeat me?"
As her words fell, her remaining blood-colored Spiritual Qi gathered wildly around her. Her long hair streamed loose, and blood mist seeped from the pores of her skin, turning into a layer of uncanny blood-colored flames. She looked like a demoness who had stepped out of the netherworld.
Boom-!
Bloodlight suddenly flashed above the arena, and a crimson lotus phantom appeared. Each petal was accompanied by thunderous rumbling as it loomed over Qin Yu, its oppressive force almost crushing the air throughout the spectator plaza.
The watching disciples cried out one after another:
"That's... Liu Hongzhuang's ultimate secret art!"
"She still had another trick up her sleeve!"
Nangong Heyao forced himself up, his eyes filled with anxiety. "Junior Brother Qin, be careful!"
Yue Linmeng gritted her teeth and murmured, "Junior Sister Liu... you've gone mad..."
Qin Yu gazed at the bloodlight filling the sky. His hands trembled slightly around the Spear of Ashen Annihilation. His Spiritual Qi was almost exhausted, but his resolve only grew firmer.
With a thought, the spear suddenly hummed. A thread of gray light blossomed from its tip, faint yet seemingly capable of piercing this blood-colored heaven and earth.
"No matter what trump cards you still have... today, I, Qin Yu, will not retreat."
His voice was low and powerful, echoing across the arena like the beating of war drums, shaking every spectator.
At that moment, only he and Liu Hongzhuang remained in the arena. The clash of their presences was already like a raging tempest, making heaven and earth tremble.
In the arena, Liu Hongzhuang's presence suddenly soared. Her eyes turned entirely blood-red, and bewitching red light rose around her, like countless bloody flames converging into a sea of fire. She abruptly brought her slender, jade-like hands together, and a blood-colored lotus phantom a full thousand feet tall burst into bloom behind her. Its petals unfurled layer by layer, each radiating dazzling bloodlight, as though it would devour everything between heaven and earth.
"Die, Qin Yu!"
She let out a shrill cry, her voice seductive yet filled with bone-piercing killing intent. The blood lotus phantom spun with a roar, frantically drawing in Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. The surrounding space was dyed blood-red, and Spiritual Qi raged as though the end of the world had come. Then the lotus's center suddenly condensed into an enormous sphere of bloodlight, countless wailing afterimages churning within it, as though countless wronged souls were roaring.
"Blood Lotus Buries Heaven!"
With her incantatory cry, the sphere of bloodlight suddenly burst apart. Millions of blood-colored chains erupted from the lotus like countless demonic hands reaching out of hell. Every chain carried a presence that could burn heaven and destroy earth as they swept across the arena, rushing straight toward Qin Yu.
Boom!!!
At that moment, a blood-colored storm swept above the arena, and the sky seemed to warp under its pull. The watching disciples turned deathly pale, even their breathing suppressed. Even the elders in the distance were visibly moved. They could clearly sense the terror of this move-it was no longer the strength of an ordinary cultivator at major accomplishment of the Qi Condensation Realm, but a might touching the level of the Yuan Transformation Realm!
Countless blood chains writhed like frenzied snakes, whipping up a howling storm and completely enveloping Qin Yu in an instant. Within the bloodlight, countless blood-colored lotus petals faintly appeared, spinning and slicing like blades, as though they would tear him to pieces.
The spectator stands fell deathly silent. Everyone had only one thought-
It's over!
At the center of the arena, heaven and earth roared.
Liu Hongzhuang's blood lotus phantom crashed down. Crimson flames blanketed the sky like a landscape of purgatory, flooding the entire arena with towering bloodlight. Countless disciples cried out, the elders' expressions changed drastically, and the hearts of the Cloud-Leveling Hall disciples clenched.
At that very moment-
Qin Yu gripped the Spear of Ashen Annihilation with both hands and explosively released the last thread of Spiritual Qi within him.
"Qi Shield Spear Wall!"
Boom! A gray-white Spiritual Qi shield suddenly spread outward. The Spear of Ashen Annihilation spun like the wind, its afterimages intertwining with the shield to form an impregnable barrier. The blood lotus phantom crashed down, and the shield crackled as cracks spread inch by inch. Yet at the final instant, it reflected the raging force, raising a storm that swept across the arena.
Qin Yu spat blood, his face instantly turning pale, but his gaze did not waver in the slightest.
"It's not over yet!"
He swung the Spear of Ashen Annihilation again, his entire body seeming to become a gale as the battle spear moved with a howl.
"Qi Cyclone Spear Dance!"
In an instant, spear afterimages moved like dragons, and gray-white Spiritual Qi became a towering whirlwind sweeping through heaven and earth. Within that whirlwind, spiritual light swept in all directions like blades, instantly disrupting Liu Hongzhuang's vision and presence, tearing apart the might of her blood lotus inch by inch.
Before she could catch her breath, Qin Yu's figure suddenly became an afterimage.
"Spirit Spear Fleeting Shadow!"
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
Countless gray-white afterimages emerged from the void, their spear tips flashing coldly. The successive thrusts poured down like torrential rain, breaking through Liu Hongzhuang's protective Spiritual Qi in an instant. With the final thrust, the spear tip punched through her chest. Gray light erupted, blasting her entire body into the air as a rain of blood fell.
"Aah-!"
Liu Hongzhuang screamed, her eyes filled with disbelief and terror. Then she went completely rigid in midair, her presence dispersed, and her body crashed to the ground. She died on the spot. At that same moment, the blood lotus phantom shattered inch by inch, dissolving into a sky full of blood mist before vanishing without a trace.
The entire venue fell deathly silent.
Qin Yu swayed as he stood in the center of the arena, the Spear of Ashen Annihilation still held across his body, but his eyes had long since lost focus. The Spiritual Qi within him was utterly exhausted, and his presence was hollow. At last, unable to hold on any longer, he collapsed heavily to the ground and lost consciousness.
An earth-shaking uproar erupted throughout the venue. The Cloud-Leveling Hall disciples' eyes reddened as they shouted in unison, "Senior Brother Qin!"
The elders looked aghast, shocked both by the fighting strength Qin Yu had unleashed in desperate straits and by the fact that he had killed Liu Hongzhuang, the demoness of Pure Fragrance Garden, on the spot!
Meanwhile, the senior figures of top sects such as the White Cloud Sect and Thousand Autumns Hall all fixed their gazes on the unconscious Qin Yu, light flickering in their eyes.
They understood that this name was destined to resound across the heavens among the younger generation of the Great Yan Continent.