"White Dragon Passing the Gap!"
Spotting a flaw in Yun Tianhe's defense, Ling Chen suddenly clutched the hilt of the Juechen Sword. Man and sword as one, he launched himself directly at Yun Tianhe's weak point.
This sword strike was swift and fierce.
SWISH...
The Sword Light brushed against Yun Tianhe's Jinghong Sword, its trajectory deviating as it pierced through Yun Tianhe's shoulder.
RIP!
The Sword Light merely grazed Yun Tianhe, yet it tore his robes at the shoulder, leaving behind a startling bloody gash.
"Seeking Dragon without Shadows!"
Without giving Yun Tianhe an opportunity to breathe, Ling Chen once again swung the Juechen Sword. His True Qi vibrated, and the roar of a dragon echoed. In the blink of an eye, he appeared behind Yun Tianhe.
Yun Tianhe's heart lurched. Not good! He quickly turned to counter Ling Chen, but he was a fraction too slow. Ling Chen easily flicked aside the Jinghong Sword Yun Tianhe held defensively before him, then unleashed a punch with his left hand, swift as a raging storm.
BANG!
The Fist Strength slammed heavily into Yun Tianhe's chest, sending him flying backward as he abruptly spurted a mouthful of blood.
"What?"
Ye Nantian was so shocked he leaped from his seat, his face a mask of disbelief.
"What kind of Swordsmanship is this? It's as if it were truly a roaming dragon, its head unseen as its tail vanishes—utterly elusive and incomparably exquisite."
Qin Shan's eyes lit up. The two consecutive moves Ling Chen had just executed were evidently from the same Swordsmanship. Compared to the Thirteen God's Gate Swords Ling Chen had displayed before, this Swordsmanship was like a Kirin to a common nag—ten times more profound and sophisticated.
"I haven't seen this Swordsmanship either," Zi Yun True Immortal beside him shook his head. "But this isn't surprising. Ling Tianyu is renowned for having studied all the profound martial arts in the world; it's entirely possible that he passed on an unknown, exclusive Swordsmanship to Ling Chen."
"Yun Tianhe is defeated!" a Disciple shouted from the training grounds.
"No, not yet!"
Scarcely had the words left the speaker's mouth when, on the martial arts platform, Yun Tianhe fiercely plunged the Jinghong Sword into the ground. The Treasure Sword carved a deep gash across the platform's surface, finally screeching to a halt at its very edge.
THUD!
Ye Nantian sank back into his seat, his heart finally settling. If Yun Tianhe were defeated just like that, he would truly lose all face.
"Yun Tianhe, is this the extent of your ability?" Ling Chen stared indifferently at Yun Tianhe. "Is this the strength you're so proud of?"
"You can't even defeat someone you consider trash. Doesn't that mean you yourself are worse than trash?"
Ling Chen's gaze, sharp as electricity, fixed on Yun Tianhe at the edge of the martial arts platform. His cold words issued forth, reverberating across the entire training grounds and instantly causing an uproar.
Yun Tianhe, a man of such esteemed status, had never suffered such humiliation. Ling Chen's words were like daggers to the heart; ordinary people could not endure them, let alone Yun Tianhe.
As everyone expected, Yun Tianhe was currently biting his lips tightly, his eyes practically spitting fire. His gaze suddenly shifted to Ye Nantian in the stands. Ye Nantian met his gaze and nodded, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
With that nod, it was as if Yun Tianhe had received some kind of approval; his expression turned somewhat ferocious.
"Ling Chen, next I will make you understand just how high the heavens are and how thick the earth is!"
Yun Tianhe's shout was like thunder. A bloody hue suddenly appeared in his eyes. The next moment, an astonishingly baleful aura abruptly erupted from him. He wielded his sword single-handedly, its tip pointed towards Peerless Sword; then, a vast, surging, and inexhaustible ferocious baleful aura slowly began to emanate.
"This is—?" Qin Shan, who had been perfectly composed in the stands, showed a flicker of movement in his expression, looking rather startled.
Yun Tianhe had evidently used some kind of Secret Art to explosively increase his power. Otherwise, his aura would not have surged so rapidly.
"It's the Blood Spirit Sword Technique!"
Zi Yun True Immortal's face turned ashen as he stared fixedly at Ye Nantian. "To win this battle, you actually went so far as to use such a body-damaging Secret Art! After executing the Blood Spirit Sword Technique, one's strength will double for a short period. However, the side effects of this Swordsmanship are extremely severe: in the best-case scenario, it damages one's cultivation foundation; in the worst, one can suffer cultivation deviation and become possessed!"
"Heh heh, don't be so alarmist. The side effects of this Blood Spirit Sword Technique aren't as severe as you claim," Ye Nantian said, his face wreathed in smiles. "It just means he won't be able to use True Qi for a few months, that's all. I also didn't expect Tianhe to actually use the Blood Spirit Sword Technique. But it can't be helped; it's quite normal for young people to push themselves hard to achieve rapid success."
It was precisely because Yun Tianhe had cultivated the Blood Spirit Sword Technique, coupled with his True Qi cultivation already being a large margin higher than Ling Chen's, that Ye Nantian had maintained absolute confidence in Yun Tianhe from start to finish.
"His strength has suddenly surged so much? At this point, the outcome is likely already decided."
A Family Head from one of the Aristocratic Families shook his head, feeling regret for Ling Chen's sake.
"Indeed. I initially thought Ling Chen could win against the odds, but who would have thought Yun Tianhe still had such a move hidden? This has reversed the tide; he now completely controls the situation."
Prince Tai also sighed with some emotion. "The variables determining victory and defeat have come to an end here."
"Such a pity!"
Many people simply felt it was a pity. In terms of actual strength, Ling Chen was not inferior to Yun Tianhe, yet he was about to lose because of such a Secret Art.
"Heh heh, Tianhe truly didn't disappoint," Ye Nantian said, looking as if the overall situation was already settled.
"That's not necessarily so," Zi Yun True Immortal countered, still harboring hope.
Ye Nantian sneered inwardly. Your wishful thinking will soon be utterly crushed.
On the martial arts platform, Yun Tianhe's aura had now reached its absolute zenith. That vast and majestic baleful aura, in particular, had reached an extremely astonishing level. Such a terrifying baleful aura indicated that the power of the sword strike Yun Tianhe was about to unleash would undoubtedly be world-shaking.
"Ling Chen, let this sword of mine be the one to slay you!"
Yun Tianhe's voice was chilling. Immediately, the Jinghong Sword slashed through the air, leaving a blood-red streak as it descended upon Ling Chen with an extremely terrifying Sword Momentum.
CLANG!
A sharp glint flashed in Ling Chen's eyes. He had anticipated the sword's direction and raised his own to parry. The two swords met, and sparks instantly flew. Under a terrifying force, Ling Chen's Juechen Sword was knocked away, and a fierce Sword Light slashed down violently before him.
SQUELCH!
Blood splattered. A sword gash appeared on Ling Chen's chest. If not for his swift reaction, it likely wouldn't have been just a gash; his entire body would have been cleaved in two.
Even though Ling Chen could see through Yun Tianhe's move, he simply couldn't react in time.
This was a battle of Life and Death!
Yun Tianhe had unleashed such a Secret Art with the explicit purpose of slaying Ling Chen!
"Still not dead?!"
Surprised that Ling Chen had avoided this strike, Yun Tianhe didn't pause in the slightest. His next sword thrust arrived in an instant, aimed directly at Ling Chen's heart.
This sword, stained with Ling Chen's blood, carried an overwhelming killing intent that blotted out the sky.
"He's in danger!"
The Divine Intent Sect disciples close to the martial arts platform all felt their scalps tingle; from that sword strike, they could all sense the aura of death.
Ling Chen flicked aside Yun Tianhe's sword, but Yun Tianhe abruptly struck out with his left hand, hitting Ling Chen in the chest.
THUMP!
This exceptionally ferocious punch directly caved in Ling Chen's chest, and he violently spewed a mouthful of blood.
"HAHAHA! How satisfying!"
Yun Tianhe threw his head back and roared with laughter. At this moment, he felt power coursing through his entire body; killing Ling Chen seemed as easy as slaughtering a pig or a dog.