Heavenly Sword Saint
The final battle of the round of sixteen came to an end.
Jian Yue withdrew her sword and stepped off the platform.
The supervising elder waited for the crowd to settle before raising his voice.
"The round of sixteen is over."
Everyone looked toward him.
"The disciples who have advanced to the next stage are..."
He unfolded the ranking list.
"Jian Yuan."
"Jian Wei."
"Jian Sheng."
"Jian Huang."
"Jian Chen."
"Jian Ming."
"Jian Xun."
"Jian Yue."
The eight names echoed across the training ground.
These were the strongest disciples remaining in the tournament.
The supervising elder continued.
"The next stage will begin after one incense stick has burned."
"Use this time to recover."
"The matchups have already been decided."
A servant stepped forward and lit an incense stick beside the platform.
Thin smoke slowly rose into the air.
The eight contestants moved to their respective positions and began recovering.
Some sat cross-legged and circulated their spiritual energy.
Others took recovery pills.
A few quietly adjusted their breathing.
Jian Chen sat alone in the waiting area.
His iron sword rested beside him.
His eyes were closed, and his breathing was steady.
The conversations around him didn't interest him.
He already knew the four matchups.
Jian Yuan against Jian Wei.
Jian Sheng against Jian Huang.
Jian Chen against Jian Ming.
Jian Xun against Jian Yue.
There was nothing worth discussing from his perspective.
The surrounding disciples, however, were already immersed in conversation.
"Jian Yuan against Jian Wei."
"Jian Yuan has the advantage."
"Twelve open meridians. His foundation is extremely strong."
"But Jian Wei isn't weak."
"He made it into the final eight for a reason."
Another disciple shook his head.
"Still, fighting someone like Jian Yuan is different."
"If Jian Wei can't stop his attacks early, the battle could end quickly."
A few disciples nodded.
Jian Yuan had already demonstrated enough strength throughout the tournament to make people wary.
His cultivation was higher.
His spiritual energy was powerful.
And his twelve open meridians gave him an exceptional foundation among the younger generation.
But Jian Wei had his own strengths.
His swordsmanship was refined, and he had enough combat experience to prevent himself from being overwhelmed easily.
The discussion soon shifted.
"Jian Sheng against Jian Huang."
This matchup immediately attracted another group of disciples.
"That one is difficult to predict."
"Jian Huang's sabre is extremely powerful."
"But Jian Sheng's timing is excellent."
"He doesn't need to overpower Jian Huang."
"He only needs to find an opening."
A disciple glanced toward Jian Huang.
"But can Jian Sheng even withstand his sabre?"
"If Jian Huang gets close and establishes his rhythm, it will be difficult."
Another disciple shook his head.
"That's why Jian Sheng won't fight him directly."
"He'll try to control the distance."
The disciples continued analyzing the two combatants.
Jian Huang possessed overwhelming offensive power.
Jian Sheng relied more on precision, movement, and timing.
Neither was an obvious favorite.
Then the conversation shifted again.
"Jian Xun against Jian Yue."
Several disciples looked toward the two contestants.
"Jian Xun has excellent timing."
"But Jian Yue is extremely patient."
"She barely makes unnecessary movements."
"She waits for her opponent to expose an opening."
A disciple nodded.
"Jian Xun won't be easy to trick."
"He knows how to wait too."
"Then it'll come down to who loses patience first."
The disciples exchanged opinions.
Every matchup had its own uncertainty.
But there was one battle that continued to draw the most attention.
"Jian Chen against Jian Ming."
The surrounding voices became quieter.
Several disciples looked toward Jian Chen.
He remained seated with his eyes closed.
One disciple lowered his voice.
"That's the battle I want to see."
Another nodded.
"Jian Ming is at the Peak Eighth Stage."
"And his Phantom Flow Sword Art has reached an impressive level."
A third disciple added,
"Some people even believe Jian Ming is stronger than Jian Xuan."
The statement immediately drew several nods.
Jian Ming's cultivation was higher than Jian Xuan's.
More importantly, his swordsmanship was extremely difficult to deal with.
The Phantom Flow Sword Art emphasized speed, deception, and sudden changes.
Against an opponent who couldn't see through its rhythm, it could become overwhelming.
"But Jian Chen defeated Jian Xuan."
The disciple who spoke seemed uncertain.
"That's what makes this battle difficult to predict."
Another disciple crossed his arms.
"Jian Xuan was already an Eighth-Stage cultivator."
"And Jian Chen defeated him despite being at a lower cultivation stage."
"Which means Jian Chen's combat ability can't be judged by cultivation alone."
Someone else spoke quietly.
"But Jian Ming is stronger than Jian Xuan."
"At least that's what everyone says."
"Then we'll find out soon enough."
The discussion continued.
Some believed Jian Ming would win because of his higher cultivation and superior sword technique.
Others believed Jian Chen's previous victory had already proven that ordinary measurements couldn't be used to judge him.
One disciple finally asked,
"If Jian Ming really is stronger than Jian Xuan..."
"Can Jian Chen defeat him too?"
No one answered immediately.
The question was simple.
The answer wasn't.
Not far away, several elders were having a similar discussion.
"Jian Yuan's foundation is impressive."
"Jian Wei will need to fight carefully."
"Jian Huang's offensive power gives him an advantage against Jian Sheng."
"But Jian Sheng's timing could cause problems."
"Jian Xun and Jian Yue are difficult to predict."
Then an elder glanced toward Jian Ming and Jian Chen.
"Jian Ming is probably the most dangerous opponent Jian Chen has faced in this tournament."
Another elder nodded.
"His cultivation is higher, and his Phantom Flow Sword Art is troublesome."
"But Jian Chen defeated Jian Xuan."
"He has already shown that cultivation alone cannot determine the result."
The elders fell silent for a moment.
None of them could confidently predict the outcome.
Meanwhile, the incense continued to burn.
The flame slowly consumed the final portion of the stick.
The contestants gradually finished recovering.
Jian Chen opened his eyes.
There was no excitement in his expression.
No nervousness.
Only calm.
He reached down and picked up his iron sword.
Around him, the other contestants also stood.
The supervising elder stepped onto the platform.
The conversations throughout the training ground immediately stopped.
He looked across the eight remaining disciples.
"The resting period is over."
"Prepare yourselves."
The eight contestants stepped forward.
The elder looked down at the ranking list.
"The next stage will determine the final four."
"Those who win will advance."
"Those who lose will be eliminated."
The atmosphere became tense.
The final eight had already proven themselves.
Now, only four would remain.
The elder slowly raised his head.
"The first battle..."
His gaze settled on two figures.
"Jian Yuan."
"Jian Wei."
The crowd immediately erupted.
Jian Yuan stepped forward.
Jian Wei followed.
The two climbed onto the platform and stopped several meters apart.
Jian Yuan's expression remained composed.
Jian Wei tightened his grip around his sword.
Neither spoke.
The supervising elder stepped away from the center.
The entire training ground fell silent.
The disciples watched closely.
Jian Yuan was the favored side.
But Jian Wei had made it this far for a reason.
The elder raised his hand.
"Begin!"
Jian Yuan's spiritual energy erupted.
Jian Wei's eyes sharpened.
Both moved at the same time.
The battle for the final four had begun.