Ruan Jun sneered at the strange-looking Tai'a Sword in Yun Jin's hand. "Just flashy nonsense to impress the crowd."
"Oh?" Yun Jin gave a light laugh. As she infused the Tai'a Sword with spiritual power, a blade of light tore through the air.
Although her current cultivation was at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, the moment her spiritual energy flowed through the Tai'a Sword, its might surged—nearly rivaling the Nascent Soul stage.
To Ruan Jun, that attack wasn't particularly dangerous. He waved his flame-curved saber to scatter the sword light, but his expression subtly shifted.
That wasn't a casual enhancement. A simple strike had gained such a boost in power?
This sword was... unusual.
High above the arena, Cang Li's expression grew more serious. That single slash had doubled in strength at minimum. And if this was Yun Jin's custom star-upgrading method, it might already surpass his own. Had she really developed a superior path to refine and ascend spiritual weapons?
He narrowed his eyes and watched the platform intently, unwilling to blink.
"Cheap tricks," Ruan Jun scoffed and launched an attack of his own.
He was a pure fire-element cultivator, perfectly matched with the flame-curved saber. Together, they unleashed overwhelming power. A vortex of fire erupted, sweeping toward Yun Jin in a burning tide.
Yet she stood unmoving, holding the Tai'a Sword at her side.
She wasn't dodging?
Ruan Jun's heart lifted. If she planned to take the hit head-on, then she was asking for trouble.
The raging flames engulfed Yun Jin in an instant.
The entire arena became a sea of fire.
Was that it? Had Yun Jin already lost?
Yue Zhao's grip tightened on his sword.
But in the very next breath, waves surged through the flames.
A great current rose skyward, transforming into a dragon of water. It burst free from the inferno, opened its mouth wide, and devoured the fire in a single, sweeping motion. In a flash, the battlefield turned.
The water dragon had absorbed all the flames—and it wasn't finished. Surging forward, it charged directly at Ruan Jun.
His pupils contracted.
That aura... was not weaker than his own.
And he was at the peak of Nascent Soul!
He had no time to think. Flames surged up around him, forming a towering wall of fire. Water countered fire, true, but only if they were on equal footing. He refused to believe that Yun Jin's spiritual strength could surpass his. He braced himself for the water dragon's impact, but just as it neared, the dragon suddenly veered upward into the air.
Its mouth opened again.
Ruan Jun's eyes shrank to pinpoints.
What the—?!
A bolt of lightning had been hidden within the dragon's maw.
It crashed down.
He barely raised a defense in time.
The lightning smashed through it.
A second later, Ruan Jun staggered back, his body trembling from the impact. His entire figure turned charred black, hair standing on end.
The Water Thunder Technique—an advanced mystic art derived from the Mystic Codex modified with a water attribute divine ability.
And it had worked beautifully on its first outing.
Yun Jin grinned. "Senior Brother Ruan, I must say… that look suits you."
Ruan Jun clenched his jaw, barely keeping his composure.
The arena had gone still.
Everyone had expected Ruan Jun to dominate Yun Jin with overwhelming force.
Even if she somehow managed a narrow victory, it should have come at a painful cost.
But now?
In their first real exchange, Yun Jin had taken a clear and decisive upper hand.
Below the arena, Elder Jian chuckled softly.
The wave-shaped Sword Intent from the Azure Lotus Sword Art, combined with the Water Thunder divine technique—Yun Jin had certainly hidden more than anyone expected.
Elder Ming stroked his beard, eyes wide with surprise. He had sensed the aura of the Mystic Codex in that move. Yun Jin had not only mastered it, she had advanced it. It was now at least a high-grade mystic-tier technique.
And that was just one element.
If he recalled correctly, Mystic Codex was a five-element cultivation art. Yun Jin had used only one so far.
What might the other four divine abilities look like?
He had started out worried for Yun Jin, but now, curiosity had begun to stir in his heart.
Ling Fei watched from the sidelines, Gun Gun nestled in his arms.
The little beast writhed with excitement, clearly itching to leap into battle.
Ling Fei gently patted its head. "Your cultivation is still too low. Once you reach the Golden Core realm, then you can start helping your master."
Gun Gun let out a pitiful squeak. It felt like it had already worked so hard to improve...
But its master was just too monstrous.
All Gun Gun could do was sigh, then mentally revise its training plans again.
Back in the arena, spiritual energy surged. Ruan Jun quickly restored his appearance, glaring coldly at Yun Jin.
"Good. You've really pissed me off this time."
Yun Jin met his gaze calmly. "I'm looking forward to it."
Ruan Jun said nothing more. His body moved like a ghost, blade flickering with deadly light. His saber arts were not just flashy swings—he had trained in a true saber technique, and not a low-level one either. Combined with his flame-curved blade, the pressure he exuded was immense.
But Yun Jin remained unfazed.
The Tai'a Sword left its sheath. Tide Sword Intent and Spiral Sword Intent activated simultaneously.
The moment they clashed, Ruan Jun sensed something was off. He already knew Yun Jin's swordplay was elusive, knew she had grasped the Tide Sword Intent. But her spiritual reserves were limited, and on the arena, no one was allowed to use pills. If he dragged things out, she would eventually run dry.
Only now…
There was something strange about her sword movements. A subtle spin had woven itself into the flow of her strikes.
Each time he tried to land a blow, her sword curved slightly, misdirecting the force. She absorbed and redirected his momentum, turning defense into effortless evasion.
What... what was this?
Some new sword technique?
"Another realm of intent," Qing Yun's eyes lit up. "To redirect and reinforce with every motion... this Spiral Sword Intent is fascinating."
Cang Li stared, lips pressed tightly.
The swirling motion—it reminded him of the Tai'a Sword's yin-yang fish pattern. When he was a child, he had once glimpsed a massive yin-yang fish in the sky, slowly turning, hiding endless mysteries. He couldn't comprehend it back then, but the feeling never left his heart.
Part of what inspired the Tai'a Sword's creation had come from that memory.
And now, Yun Jin had touched on the same insight.
She didn't just wield the sword—she understood its essence.
The Spiral Sword Intent perfectly complemented the Tai'a Sword's design. Their combination made each strike more efficient, more deadly.
With this intent, Yun Jin's energy expenditure dropped significantly. Ruan Jun had hoped to outlast her, but now found himself draining faster than she was.
His confidence faltered.
He instinctively tried to retreat from the clash.
But Yun Jin's sword flow shifted. Her strikes corralled him, cutting off his escape routes.
Panic flickered in Ruan Jun's eyes.
Then he saw her smile.
"Senior Brother Ruan," Yun Jin said sweetly, voice calm and steady. "Now, it's my turn to attack."