"Shua—"
Chen Junting launched into the air, and thirteen piercingly clear sword auras sliced forward like streaks of blue lightning. Each strand of sword qi locked onto one of Huo Yuhao's vital points—nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.
With no other choice, Huo Yuhao switched to his Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion martial spirit. His spiritual detection sharing immediately cut off.
From the sky, Ning Tian saw the moment and acted—Illusionary Space activated seamlessly, flooding the battlefield in a thick, disorienting mist. Only the area around Ma Xiaotao and Dai Yueheng remained untouched. Everyone else was now fighting blind and alone.
Back in Huo Yuhao's section, the air froze around him as his Ice Emperor's Claws formed, jagged crystals of diamond-hard ice sheathing his arms. He threw them up against the oncoming sword qi—
Clang!
But it wasn't enough.
Chen Junting, powered by his own soul skills and enhanced by Ning Tian and Gong Yangmo's boosts, completely outclassed him. Huo Yuhao's defenses crumbled. One by one, twelve of the thirteen sword strikes tore through his barriers and hammered toward him with deadly precision.
Just before the blades could cut deep, the world blurred.
When Huo Yuhao came to, he was standing beside Xuan Lao—pale, drained, but alive.
Xuan Lao had pulled him out at the last moment. The residual sword energy in his body had already been purged.
Beside him stood Yao Haoxuan.
"You too?" Huo Yuhao asked, already suspecting the answer.
Yao Haoxuan let out a long sigh. "Ling Luochen, Ning Tian, and Gong Yangmo were in my area. Without you to suppress her, Ling Luochen overwhelmed me. Gong Yangmo's soul tool skills were the nail in the coffin."
He shrugged, bitter but resigned. "Tried to take one of them out before going down. No dice. Hope Ma Xiaotao doesn't kill me."
Huo Yuhao didn't reply. Instead, he turned and stared at the arena.
He hadn't even scratched Chen Junting.
"That gap…" he whispered, flexing his bruised hands. "It's wider than I thought."
He Caitou and Wu Feng, who had rushed over, said nothing. Huo Yuhao didn't seem discouraged—just thoughtful. They followed his gaze to the battlefield.
From the viewing platform, Xuan Lao crunched down on his roast chicken and sipped his wine with obvious satisfaction.
In the mist-shrouded arena, Chen Junting and Chen Zifeng dueled like twin shadows. Sword light flashed like lightning. They clashed, feinted, cut, and countered—more than a hundred moves exchanged in mere minutes.
Ning Tian's Illusionary Space mist had deliberately left their area clear. This wasn't just a fight—it was a dance of blades, of killing intent and skill.
Then, blood-red light surged around Chen Zifeng. His ten-thousand-year soul ring ignited, and the stench of blood filled the air.
"Destroy!"
The true intent of the Soul-Chasing Sword exploded forth—fast, lethal, merciless.
He lunged.
Chen Junting moved a hair faster.
Six slashes. One word: Kill.
The air split as the word took shape in glowing blue light.
Sword aura blanketed the field.
The two passed each other.
Zifeng halted, sword low. Junting stood behind him, blade resting lightly on his neck.
No blood.
Just silence.
"I lost," Chen Zifeng said, breathing out in relief.
Then he smiled.
He had broken through a bottleneck. His comprehension of sword intent had deepened. His defeat had forged growth.
"Congratulations," Junting replied, hair drifting like silk in the mist.
"You're welcome at the Nine Treasures Glazed Sect anytime. If you want to pursue the sword of killing further… we can help."
Zifeng's eyes gleamed—then he vanished. Xuan Lao had removed him from the field.
Chen Junting frowned. "Stingy."
But there was no time to dwell. His soul power reserves were burning low. Even with the help of his array-pattern soul guide, the constant manipulation of the Sword Wings Flying and Sword Domain: Raging Sky had drained him.
Time to end it.
His mind swept the field.
Xu Sanshi: eliminated by Beibei.
Beibei: still standing, but soul power nearly empty.
Jiang Nannan and Wang Dong: eliminated by Xixi, who dominated the air with her soul tools.
Only Ma Xiaotao remained.
She was locked in a grinding battle with Dai Yueheng, who was still riding the powerful boosts from Ning Tian and Gong Yangmo. She had realized brute force wouldn't win and shifted to a war of attrition.
But she didn't know…
She was alone.
Chen Junting dispersed the sword barriers.
Ning Tian dropped Illusionary Space.
The battlefield cleared—and six figures surrounded Ma Xiaotao.
She froze.
Ling Luochen didn't hesitate. Raising her ice staff, she summoned a layer of glacial mist from the sky. With a flick, Ice Mist Cold swept out, draining Ma Xiaotao's fire energy and accelerating her soul power consumption.
Flames sputtered. Her momentum collapsed.
And so did her will.
"...I concede."
Complete victory.
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(End of Chapter)
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