As Lin Feng's sword came crashing down toward Jiang Chen, the latter roared and swung his saber upward with all his might.
"Cleave Saber Art – Third Stance!"
A powerful wave of saber energy surged toward Lin Feng's descending blade. But the sword light tore through everything in its path, devouring the saber energy like a raging tide consuming a candle flame. Jiang Chen's eyes widened in disbelief—his ultimate stance had been shattered in an instant.
Before he could dodge, Lin Feng's sword aura slammed into him.
Bang!!!
His armor cracked, then shattered into fragments. The impact sent Jiang Chen hurtling through the air like a broken kite. Each time his feet touched the ground, a fresh mouthful of blood splattered from his lips until he finally crashed unconscious to the arena floor.
Lin Feng stood in the center of the stage, breathing heavily, his robes fluttering in the fading storm of spiritual energy. Sweat beaded on his brow as he muttered between gasps,
"That was a tough fight… I need to recover before the final match."
He stuffed a few recovery pills into his mouth, letting the medicinal energy flow through his meridians.
Around him, murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"Jiang Chen… defeated? Even with his half-step Xiantian cultivation?"
"That Lin Feng… he's a monster!"
Fatty couldn't contain his excitement, slapping his belly with glee.
"Hahaha! Boss, we've hit the jackpot today!"
After a short rest, Lin Feng's breathing steadied. He raised his sword and shouted,
"Next!"
The crowd fell silent. A young man stepped onto the stage, his aura sharp and steady like an unsheathed blade.
"That's Ouyang Ye!"
"He actually came!"
Ouyang Ye's expression was cold.
> "So you're the one who injured my junior brother?"
Lin Feng smirked faintly.
"I've injured a lot of people. You'll have to be more specific."
"Hmph. You've got guts," Ouyang Ye replied, his voice calm but brimming with killing intent.
"Start!"
Lin Feng launched forward first, his fist slicing through the air with thunderous speed. Ouyang Ye met the attack head-on, their fists colliding like hammer and anvil. The shockwave rippled across the arena, forcing nearby disciples to shield their eyes from the flying dust.
They exchanged blow after blow—each strike faster, heavier, and sharper than the last. Within moments, over a hundred moves had passed in a blur of fists, palms, and flashing inner qi.
Lin Feng's grin widened.
"You're strong! Finally… a real fight!"
Ouyang Ye's expression darkened. He had underestimated Lin Feng—the boy's power and instincts were growing fiercer with every exchange.
Lin Feng suddenly gathered his inner qi into his palm and struck toward Ouyang Ye's chest. Ouyang Ye countered, meeting palm with fist.
Boom!!!
The explosion of force shook the entire arena. The ground cracked beneath their feet, and the air grew thick with heat from their clashing energies. Lin Feng staggered back several steps, his arm numb from the impact.
Ouyang Ye exhaled slowly.
"If I hadn't already reached Xiantian Second Grade, I'd have lost that exchange."
Without hesitation, they both charged forward again—two streaks of motion colliding midair.
Boom!!!
Both were forced backward, dust swirling around them.
"You're strong," Ouyang Ye said coldly, "but you can't defeat me."
With a twist of his wrist, a gleaming sword appeared in his grasp, humming with inner qi.
Lin Feng's eyes narrowed and drew his own weapon, aura rising like a storm.
"Shadow Piercing Sword Art—Kill! Kill!"
Killing intent burst out of Ouyang Ye like a flood.
"Azure Sword Art—Second Stance!"
Their blades met.
BOOOOM!!!
A deafening explosion erupted. Lin Feng was blasted backward, blood spraying from a deep gash across his chest. Only his tempered golden body saved him from being split in two.
Ouyang Ye steadied himself, coughing up a trace of blood.
"He didn't die?"
Lin Feng wiped the blood from his mouth, frowning.
"You're not just at the ninth-grade Mortal Realm… are you?"
Ouyang Ye's lips curved slightly.
"You've got sharp eyes."
A powerful aura erupted from him, pressing down on the entire arena like a mountain.
"Xiantian Second Grade!" someone shouted.
"No wonder Lin Feng can't overpower him!"
The presiding Elder rose, ready to intervene, but Lin Feng raised his hand.
"Don't worry, Elder. I'll finish this fight."
The Elder hesitated, then nodded.
"Very well. Continue if you wish."
Ouyang Ye snorted.
"You're too arrogant for your own good."
But Lin Feng's eyes gleamed with determination. His blood boiled with fighting spirit; he could feel himself on the verge of a breakthrough.
He dashed forward, gathering his entire reserve of inner qi into his sword and swung down with a shout:
"Azure Sword Art – Third Stance!"
Ouyang Ye responded instantly.
"Shadow Piercing Art!"
BOOM!!!
The resulting explosion shattered the arena's protective array. The shockwave sent weaker disciples staggering back, faces pale, coughing blood from the sheer pressure.
When the dust settled, Ouyang Ye was on one knee, his sword trembling. Blood dripped from his lips, disbelief flooding his eyes—he had been injured by a mere seventh-grade Mortal Realm cultivator.
Lin Feng's condition was worse. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his internal organs aching from the clash. Yet the fire in his eyes only burned brighter.
"It's really… tough to deal with him."
The crowd erupted in disbelief.
"Ouyang Ye was injured by Lin Feng!"
Ouyang Ye wiped the blood from his mouth, forcing a cold smile.
"You got lucky. I was careless."
Lin Feng didn't respond. He simply shot forward again, qi flaring as he poured everything into his next attack.
Slash!
Their swords collided once more—Bang!—forcing Ouyang Ye to take a step back.
Lin Feng pressed the advantage, striking again.
Bang! Another step back.
Cracks split the ground beneath Ouyang Ye's feet, each step leaving a deep crater. The pressure of Lin Feng's momentum mounted like a tidal wave.
"Azure Sword Art – Third Stance!"
"Shadow Piercing Art – Second Stance!"
BOOOOOOM!!!
A massive shockwave erupted, the entire fighting hall trembling as the two geniuses clashed with everything they had.