Heavenly Sword Saint
Jian Ming slowly drew his sword.
Clang!
The blade left its sheath.
In the next instant, his aura surged.
Peak Eighth Stage!
A powerful wave of spiritual energy spread across the arena.
The surrounding disciples immediately focused on the platform.
Jian Ming had reached the Peak Eighth Stage through countless battles. His foundation was solid, and among the younger generation, only a handful could stand against him.
Yet Jian Chen remained completely composed.
He reached behind his back and drew his iron sword.
The moment his fingers closed around the hilt...
His presence subtly changed.
The supervising elder's eyes narrowed.
That posture.
That control.
That composure.
It didn't resemble a Peak Sixth-Stage cultivator.
Jian Ming's gaze sharpened.
"Be careful."
His voice fell.
Then his figure disappeared.
Phantom Flow Sword Art!
Phantom Step!
Whoosh!
Jian Ming flashed across the platform.
Several afterimages appeared around Jian Chen, moving from different directions.
Jian Chen remained still.
His eyes swept across the shadows.
He didn't need to distinguish every illusion.
The moment Jian Ming moved, his spiritual energy followed his body.
The false images could imitate his appearance.
They couldn't perfectly imitate the flow of his spiritual energy.
There.
Jian Chen raised his sword.
Clang!
The true blade was blocked.
Jian Ming's expression changed.
Before he could withdraw...
Swish!
Jian Chen's sword swept across his face.
A thin line of blood appeared on Jian Ming's cheek.
He immediately retreated several steps.
His fingers touched the wound.
His expression became solemn.
"He can see through it."
The Phantom Flow Sword Art relied on speed and deception.
But against Jian Chen...
The illusions had lost much of their purpose.
Jian Ming tightened his grip.
Instead of retreating, his fighting spirit intensified.
"Then I'll make it harder for you."
Spiritual energy surged through his body.
Phantom Step!
His figure blurred.
Flowing Shadow!
Several shadows scattered across the platform.
Twin Phantoms!
Two identical figures appeared beside Jian Chen.
Then Jian Ming pushed the technique to its limit.
"Thousand Phantom Blades!"
Boom!
Countless sword shadows filled the platform.
Sharp sword qi swept through the air.
Jian Chen's expression remained unchanged.
His gaze locked onto Jian Ming's true position.
The movement of his feet.
The shift of his shoulders.
The direction of his spiritual energy.
Everything revealed the real attack.
Jian Chen stepped forward.
His iron sword moved.
Cloud Gathering!
The first stage of the Flowing Cloud Sword Art unfolded.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Sword shadows shattered beneath his blade.
Jian Ming's pupils contracted.
Jian Chen continued advancing.
Drifting Cloud!
His sword changed direction smoothly.
The incoming attacks were redirected one after another.
Then...
Flowing Cloud!
The third stage erupted.
The iron sword accelerated.
Its trajectory became fluid and difficult to predict.
Jian Ming was forced backward.
The surrounding phantoms collapsed one after another.
His expression became solemn.
His strongest illusion-based attacks had failed to create an opening.
Continuing like this would only drain his spiritual energy.
Jian Ming suddenly stopped.
His spiritual energy surged into his sword.
The countless illusions began converging.
One by one, they vanished.
Until only a single sword remained.
All of Jian Ming's strength condensed into the blade.
"Phantom Flow!"
Boom!
The sword descended.
Jian Chen's eyes sharpened.
This attack was different.
Jian Ming had abandoned the illusions.
Everything had been compressed into one overwhelming strike.
Jian Chen stepped forward.
Cloud Gathering!
Clang!
The two swords collided.
Jian Ming's attack continued pressing downward.
Jian Chen shifted his wrist.
Drifting Cloud!
The force was redirected to the side.
But the power behind the attack was immense.
Jian Chen immediately followed with the third stage.
Flowing Cloud!
His sword swept upward.
Boom!
The collision sent both figures backward.
Jian Chen slid several steps across the platform.
A cut stretched across his shoulder.
Blood slowly soaked into his clothes.
Across from him, Jian Ming steadied himself.
His breathing was heavier.
The battle had already consumed a considerable amount of his spiritual energy.
Jian Chen glanced at the blood on his shoulder before raising his eyes again.
Jian Ming's gaze remained sharp.
Neither spoke.
They moved at the same time.
Clang!
Their swords collided.
Jian Ming's blade swept toward Jian Chen's waist.
Jian Chen blocked.
Another strike followed.
He turned his wrist and deflected it.
Jian Ming changed direction without hesitation.
Their blades crossed again.
Clang!
Jian Chen stepped sideways.
Jian Ming followed.
Another clash.
Another exchange.
Their movements grew faster.
Jian Ming relied on his superior cultivation and relentless attacks.
Jian Chen answered with precise movements, exploiting every opening he could find.
For several breaths, neither could gain the upper hand.
Then...
Jian Ming's movement suddenly faltered.
His sword lowered.
His expression changed.
The spiritual energy within his body was no longer circulating normally.
It was rapidly gathering toward his dantian.
Jian Ming immediately understood.
His Peak Eighth-Stage cultivation had reached its limit.
The intense battle had pushed him against the final barrier.
And now...
It was beginning to crack.
A breakthrough opportunity!
Jian Ming's eyes flashed.
He had been stuck at Peak Eighth Stage for a long time.
He had spent countless days cultivating.
Countless nights enduring the same invisible barrier.
He had imagined this moment countless times.
He had imagined standing at the Ninth Stage.
He had imagined the day he would finally break through.
But he had never imagined it would happen like this.
In the middle of a battle.
Against an opponent who had forced him to use everything he possessed.
Jian Ming didn't hesitate.
He seized the opportunity.
He immediately circulated his cultivation technique.
Boom!
Spiritual energy from the surroundings surged toward him.
The air around Jian Ming trembled.
Jian Chen noticed the change and lowered his sword slightly.
He understood at once.
Jian Ming was breaking through.
Below the platform, the supervising elder's expression changed.
"He's breaking through..."
The disciples stared in disbelief.
"During the battle?"
"Jian Ming is actually breaking through now?"
"His aura is rising!"
Jian Hu's face changed.
"Could it be..."
The spiritual energy around Jian Ming grew denser.
Boom!
A powerful wave exploded from his body.
The platform trembled beneath his feet.
Jian Ming's aura climbed rapidly.
Inside his body, the bottleneck shook violently.
Crack!
A faint sound echoed.
The barrier shattered.
Boom!
An overwhelming aura erupted from Jian Ming.
Early Ninth Stage!
The arena fell silent.
Then a voice finally broke the silence.
"Jian Ming has broken through!"
"He's a Ninth-Stage cultivator!"
"He's actually broken through!"
"He's now at the same major realm as Jian Yuan!"
Jian Ming slowly opened his eyes.
A sharp light flashed within them.