Chapter 302 Immortal Spirit Guard
Cultivators from the two sects retreated like the tide, leaving a hundred-zhang open space in the center of the Heaven Stele Square. Xiao Chen and the middle-aged man stood facing each other, secretly gathering spiritual power in their sleeves.
"Please."
Almost simultaneously, the two men put their fingers together like swords and slashed towards the ground. Wherever their fingertips passed, the supposedly indestructible meteoric iron was easily cut through like tofu, splashing dazzling sparks.
The ear-piercing sound of metal friction caused the watching cultivators to cover their ears and retreat one after another.
When the two arcs perfectly closed, everyone gasped—two rings with exactly the same depth were shimmering with a cold metallic luster under the sunlight.
The material of the square ground was not ordinary bluestone, but meteoric iron. Even a full-powered strike from an ordinary Longevity Realm cultivator would leave no trace on it!
The pupils of several elders from the Heavenly Absolute Holy Land suddenly contracted.
The hand behind the middle-aged man's back trembled slightly. The depth of the circle he drew on the ground was actually exactly the same as Xiao Chen's.
There was a major difference in cultivation realms between the two! He, a dignified Heavenly Human Realm cultivator, had already lost all face by being on par with a Longevity Realm cultivator.
This made the middle-aged man's heart sink. However, since the face of the sect was involved, he was already committed. Suddenly, his thoughts raced—
"For the first round, why not let the junior disciples of the Return to Origin Realm fight first?"
This proposal seemed like a concession, but actually hid a hidden scheme. Several elders on the other side were peak Longevity Realm cultivators. If the three Heavenly Human Realm elders behind him directly took action to designate opponents, they would inevitably fall into the reputation of bullying the small with the big.
But if the right to designate opponents in the second round was handed to the other side... the other side was young and vigorous. They would certainly not be afraid to designate our Heavenly Human Realm elders!
Xiao Chen: "Agreed."
A gleam of light flashed in the middle-aged man's eyes as he winked at the person beside him.
The purple-robed elder immediately shouted loudly: "Li Jiuzhong!"
From the group of disciples of the Heavenly Absolute Holy Land, a thin young man walked out slowly.
With every step he took, a blood-colored lotus mark bloomed under his feet. After seven steps, the seven blood lotuses actually formed a formation in the air.
"Go meet the junior brothers and sisters of the Immortal Spirit Holy Land."
Li Jiuzhong cupped his fists to accept the order. When he turned around, the jade pendant at his waist suddenly burst out with blinding blood light.
Someone in the crowd watching from the pavilions cried out in a low voice: "It is the new generation prodigy of the Heavenly Absolute Holy Land, 'Blood Lotus Sword' Li Jiuzhong!"
Merely a Return to Origin Realm cultivation, yet he had already made such a big name. It seems the one sent by the other side already had a heart determined to win.
...
Subsequently, Li Jiuzhong tapped his fingertip lightly. A line of blood drew a dazzling trajectory in the air, pointing directly at a young disciple in the Immortal Spirit Holy Land camp:
"Please grant instruction, junior brother."
That disciple's figure paused for a moment, then he walked out steadily. The words "Immortal Spirit Guard" on the bronze token hanging at his waist shimmered with a simple luster under the sunlight, forming a sharp contrast with the noble purple-gold jade pendant of Li Jiuzhong opposite him.
"Xu Qingshan, please grant instruction, senior brother." The young disciple cupped his hands and saluted.
"Begin!" Mo Yandao's voice had just fallen when Li Jiuzhong already made his move.
First form of the Blood Lotus Sword Art—"Blood Dyes the Blue Sky"!
Nine blood-colored sword qi were like poisonous snakes spitting out their tongues, instantly sealing off all of Xu Qingshan's retreat routes. The meteoric iron ground was plowed out with deep gullies by the sword qi, and sparks flew in all directions.
Xu Qingshan hastily held his sword across to block. The refined iron long sword broke into two pieces with a "zheng" sound. A bloodstain bloomed from his left shoulder, instantly dyeing half of his gray robe red.
The watching crowd cried out in surprise, and the disciples of the Heavenly Absolute Holy Land laughed mockingly.
"Admit defeat now, and you can keep your life." Li Jiuzhong picked up the tip of his sword lightly, drawing a blood-colored lotus in the air.
Xu Qingshan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and picked up the broken sword from the ground: "Immortal Spirit Guards do not retreat."
The second wave of attacks came even more urgently. Blood Lotus sword qi poured down like a rainstorm. Xu Qingshan instantly added seven or eight wounds to his body. The most dangerous sword brushed past his throat, leaving a line of blood on the side of his neck.
Jiang Che's hand subconsciously pressed on the hilt of his sword, but he was stopped by a look from Xiao Chen.
"Quite stubborn." Li Jiuzhong suddenly changed his move. His sword momentum was like a rainbow, going straight for the heart. "It's a pity you are a bit stupid!"
"Dang!"
Xu Qingshan used his broken sword to block precisely. Amidst the splashing sparks, he actually borrowed the force to spin his body. The broken sword stabbed straight towards the other party's throat like a poisonous dragon coming out of its hole! This move "Returning Wind Brushes Willow" was performed without any flourish, but its advantage lay in being tempered a thousand times.
The faces of several elders from the Heavenly Absolute Holy Land changed slightly.
Li Jiuzhong hastily leaned back. His jade crown was swept off by the sword qi, and his long hair draped down. Annoyed and shamed, a blinding blood light suddenly erupted from his entire body: "Courting death!"
Blood Lotus Sword Art ultimate killing move—"Nine Layers Blood Prison"!
Nine blood-colored lotuses bloomed in the air. From the stamen of each flower, a deadly sword qi shot out.
Xu Qingshan waved his broken sword continuously, but he only blocked the first six. The seventh sword qi penetrated his right leg, the eighth pierced through his left shoulder, and the ninth went straight for the center of his brows—
At the critical moment, Xu Qingshan suddenly abandoned his sword and formed seals with both hands. A faint green light burst from his palm. It was the defensive spell "Iron Wall Art" that every cultivator must practice.
"Boom!"
The blood light and green light collided. Xu Qingshan flew out backwards like a ragdoll. However, at the instant he was about to fly out of the circle, he used his blood-stained fingers to dig desperately into the cracks of the meteoric iron ground.
All his fingernails flipped up, dragging ten shocking bloodstains on the meteoric iron.
"Still won't admit defeat?" Li Jiuzhong pointed the tip of his sword against Xu Qingshan's throat.
Xu Qingshan suddenly smiled. His mouth was full of blood, but he difficultly lifted his right hand. In the shocked gaze of everyone—he grabbed the blade!
"Immortal Spirit Guards... can die..."
Blood gurgled down the sword body.
"But do not retreat!"
Li Jiuzhong's face was iron-green. Just as he was about to exert force, a copper coin suddenly broke through the air and knocked the blood sword away with a "ding".
Jiang Che did not know when he had already stood by the circle. With a light lift of his hand, he had already pulled Xu Qingshan out of the circle.
"The first round, Heavenly Absolute Holy Land wins." Mo Yandao's voice sounded timely.
And when Jiang Che brought Xu Qingshan back to the Immortal Spirit Holy Land formation, this boy who did not change his face even in the face of life and death was actually sobbing silently.
Blood mixed with tears dripped onto the meteoric iron ground.
"You have already done well enough." Xiao Chen reached out and pressed on his bloody shoulder: "After returning to the Immortal Spirit Holy Land, you will be promoted to the Inner Sect."
This sentence made the faces of everyone in the Heavenly Absolute Holy Land change suddenly.
The purple-robed elder widened his eyes in disbelief: "A disciple with such will is actually not an Inner Sect disciple yet?"
The hand holding the sword of Li Jiuzhong suddenly trembled a little—he had just used his full strength, yet only defeated an Outer Sect disciple?
Xu Qingshan, however, suddenly raised his head. On his blood-stained face, a color of disbelief bloomed.
He struggled to bow, but was stopped by Jiang Che: "Don't move, your wound is still bleeding."
At the same time—
Han Yu stepped slowly into the circle. The Green Edge Sword had not yet been unsheathed, but the green cloth strip wrapped around the scabbard moved automatically without wind.
He pointed his sword at the purple-robed elder. His voice was as calm as if saying what we are eating today: "Just you."
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