Below the raised platform, Luo Haitian, Luo Ruofeng, and Xiao Geng all wore faint smiles, their eyes fixed on the two figures locked in combat above. Even watching Ye Jingyu force Qin Yunxiao into a defensive retreat from the outset, none of the three showed any sign of change in their expressions…
Luo Haitian was utterly calm, Luo Ruofeng entirely detached, and Xiao Geng openly disdainful; in his eyes, both Ye Jingyu and Qin Yunxiao were mere, insignificant clowns putting on a show…
As for Qin Yuting and Luo Ling’er, seeing Ye Jingyu immediately push Qin Yunxiao back ignited a shared spark of joy in their eyes…
But just at that moment, everyone felt the oppressive aura emanating from Qin Yunxiao, and their expressions shifted in unison. Qin Yuting and Luo Ling’er showed a flicker of worry, Luo Haitian manifested a hint of smug satisfaction, while Luo Ruofeng displayed true concern. Xiao Geng, however, merely furrowed his brow, his thoughts inscrutable…
On the stage, however, Ye Jingyu showed no trace of fear upon sensing Qin Yunxiao’s formidable pressure. He gave a sharp flick of his Broken Blade, and his figure instantly surged forward toward Qin Yunxiao once more…
“Cloud-Shattering Slash…” Qin Yunxiao scoffed, his long sword trembling. A blade light instantly ignited, growing brighter and brighter until, in the blink of an eye, it was a full three feet thick. His sword now resembled a colossal blade, which he brought down ruthlessly upon Ye Jingyu…
Ye Jingyu felt the immense power contained within that beam of light and dared not be careless. He moved rapidly to the side, simultaneously shaking the battle saber in his hand. A streak of blade light flared up, aiming directly to meet the massive sword light…
With a sharp Ching, the moment the blade light and sword light met, Ye Jingyu’s radiance was instantly fractured. Qin Yunxiao’s sword beam shone even more brilliantly. In that instant, the gulf between Postnatal Zhenqi and Innate Zhenqi was laid bare…
The sharp sword beam gave Ye Jingyu no chance to react, slamming heavily into his seemingly dilapidated saber. A crisp sound echoed out, and the sheer force left Ye Jingyu’s hand numb around the grip; his Broken Blade nearly slipped from his grasp and fell…
Qin Yunxiao was inwardly startled. He had never imagined his Cloud-Shattering Slash would fail to sever the seemingly battered blade Ye Jingyu wielded. Nevertheless, being a peak expert of the Innate Realm, he stomped his foot forward sharply, seizing the moment before Ye Jingyu could fully recover (Read the full novel at .1.(1.m.Literature Net) and delivered a crushing palm strike straight to his chest…
It was the White Cloud Manor’s Cloud-Parting Palm!
The crowd heard a tremendous impact, followed by Ye Jingyu’s body flying backward in a straight line, blood erupting from his mouth in torrents…
Qin Yunxiao naturally offered no chance for a counterattack. He lunged forward again, leaping high, and shook his long sword once more. A razor-sharp sword qi ripped through the air, striking instantly toward Ye Jingyu’s heart…
It pierced directly through Ye Jingyu’s outer garment, and immediately, a line of crimson blood began to seep out…
Only then did Ye Jingyu’s body crash heavily onto the stage…
Everyone gasped. Luo Ling’er instinctively covered her mouth, her large eyes filled with anxiety. If not for the presence of so many people, she would have rushed up already…
Qin Yuting also stared at Ye Jingyu on the stage, her face etched with worry, her heart aching, yet she knew not what to do…
“Third Brother, it seems your good fortune has finally run out…” Seeing Qin Yunxiao so easily subdue Ye Jingyu, the Eldest Young Master, Luo Haitian, chuckled mockingly…
Though his words were polite, the underlying message was that Ye Jingyu’s success thus far was purely luck, and that Luo Ruofeng, standing beside him, had no true subordinates…
“Heh heh, Big Brother exaggerates. The match isn't over yet,” the Third Young Master, Luo Ruofeng, replied with a light smile, his gaze returning to the platform…
“Hm?” Hearing this, Luo Haitian turned and saw Ye Jingyu struggling to stand, his chest garment already drenched in blood, a crimson trickle hanging from the corner of his mouth…
Qin Yunxiao stared at Ye Jingyu with utter astonishment. Even if his Cloud-Parting Palm hadn't shattered Ye Jingyu’s internal organs, that sword strike should have pierced his heart. How could he be unharmed?
What he did not know was that Ye Jingyu wore the top-grade Celestial Cicada Soft Armor confiscated from the White Cloud Manor—it was impervious to blades and spears. Although his sword qi was piercing, most of it had been deflected by the armor; only a small fraction had merely breached the skin, failing to strike the heart… thus narrowly avoiding death…
Even so, that sword qi had pierced the surface half an inch deep, and combined with the palm strike, had he not possessed a far tougher physique than others, he would have long lost his fighting capacity and certainly wouldn't be struggling back up…
“Junior Brother, you certainly surprise your Eldest Brother often—surviving even this,” Qin Yunxiao remarked calmly, yet the killing intent in his eyes intensified. He finally understood why his father insisted on eradicating Ye Jingyu: a man like this, if left alive, would undoubtedly become the greatest future adversary…
“The bigger surprise is yet to come… Thunderous Shock to the Heavens…” Ye Jingyu roared, yet battling the pain in his chest, his internal Zhenqi circulated wildly. His body transformed again into a blur, instantly appearing before Qin Yunxiao, raising his saber for a strike…
Startling Thunder Cleaving Slash—all thirty-six forms specialized in speed. Despite only being a Martial Master, the velocity of this technique reached an absolute peak…
Qin Yunxiao sneered, fully prepared and unafraid of Ye Jingyu’s assault. He flicked his sword, intercepting Ye Jingyu’s blade, resulting in a sharp Clang…
But before Qin Yunxiao could launch his counterattack, Ye Jingyu’s second form descended…
Qin Yunxiao was forced to continue defending, but as soon as he blocked, Ye Jingyu’s third form materialized. The speed increased relentlessly, becoming so fast that Qin Yunxiao began to feel overwhelmed…
What kind of saber art is this? How can it be so fast?
Qin Yunxiao’s surprise deepened. He could clearly sense that Ye Jingyu was circulating Postnatal Zhenqi, yet for some inexplicable reason, faced with Ye Jingyu’s accelerating speed, he felt that if this continued, he would be the one to fall…
Below the platform, the spectators only saw flashes of movement and heard the clash of steel ringing through the air; most had no true grasp of the battle’s intensity…
The smug look vanished from Luo Haitian’s face, replaced by a deep, somber gloom…
The tension on Luo Ruofeng’s face tightened further, his body leaning slightly forward as if he himself were the one fighting on the stage…
Xiao Geng’s brow furrowed even deeper, lines beginning to form on his forehead like the character ''. He genuinely could not fathom that such a swift saber technique existed in this world…
Among all martial arts, speed is paramount. When speed reaches a certain apex, no matter how sublime your swordsmanship or how supreme your martial prowess, defeat becomes inevitable…
While Ye Jingyu had not yet reached that ultimate level, forcing a master of the Innate Realm into continuous retreat while maintaining only a Martial Master cultivation was enough to prove the profound mastery of this saber art…
Perhaps the boy is not entirely useless, Xiao Geng mused quietly. He then glanced toward Luo Ling’er, who stood tense beside him, and the killing intent in his eyes grew sharper…
He would permit no one to exist who threatened his position in Luo Ling’er’s heart… Luo Ling’er belonged to him…
On the stage, although Ye Jingyu’s speed was increasing, the consumption of his internal Zhenqi accelerated even faster. Gradually, he began to feel the strain of insufficient power. Yet Qin Yunxiao, despite appearing to be in constant peril, remained completely unscathed. If this continued until Qin Yunxiao regained his composure, Ye Jingyu would be utterly defeated…
Should he resort to using Soul Power now?
Just as Ye Jingyu was contemplating whether to employ Soul Power against Qin Yunxiao, the latter suddenly roared, and a surge of cyan Innate Zhenqi erupted from his body. In an instant, a figure shot out from within Qin Yunxiao’s form—yes, an identical double of Qin Yunxiao had emerged…
This… was the Phantom Image Sword Technique, one of the ultimate secrets of the White Cloud Manor…