A red light flashed beneath Guan Qingyun’s feet. Rather than retreating, he surged forward, charging straight at Li Guanqi. Sword light burst in every direction, and the clash of their blades rang out in a ceaseless metallic rhythm.
Clang clang clang clang clang!
Both were deeply versed in the sword Dao, and their mastery of the fundamentals allowed them to adapt and evolve their sword techniques into a diverse array of moves.
In the brief gaps between their swordplay, they attacked with their fists, feet, knees, and elbows with brutal efficiency.
Shockwaves rippled outward from the two of them.
The spectators held their breath, not daring to blink for fear of missing even a single movement. A few early Golden Core Realm cultivators murmured under their breath.
“If it came down to pure swordsmanship... I might not be able to defeat them,” one of them muttered. Others nodded in solemn agreement.
Many cultivators at the Foundation Building Realm watched the fight in astonishment, their jaws dropping in disbelief.
“Is this even something Foundation Building Realm cultivators can do?!”
Their white robes fluttered in the wind. The tremendous force from their colliding swords traveled down their blades to their hands, splitting the skin between their thumbs and forefingers.
Blood drenched both of their right hands, yet neither relented. Their attacks only grew fiercer. Each strike was lethal, and their killing intent grew with every move.
Clang clang clang clang!
Guan Qingyun’s style was wild and devastating, as if he could fight ten thousand men on his own. His sword techniques relied heavily on slashing and chopping motions. In contrast, Li Guanqi flowed like water—his style alternated between softness and hardness, all while mixing deceptive feints.
Before long, both of them had sustained several sword cuts, though their quick reflexes kept the wounds shallow.
Guan Qingyun’s tiger-like eyes gleamed brightly, and his swordplay turned even more aggressive in a sudden shift.
Guan Qingyun’s sword shone with a blinding red light. He roared furiously, “Blazing Crimson Sword!”
A streak of red light shot past Li Guanqi’s sword, hurtling straight toward his face. Even from a chi away, Li Guanqi could feel its searing heat. He was stunned—he hadn’t expected Guan Qingyun to possess such a pure Fire Spirit Root. Just the spirit force radiating from the attack was enough to burn.
Li Guanqi retreated immediately, but Guan Qingyun’s sword light continued charging ahead. At the same time, Guan Qingyun took out several talismans and stuck them to his body. Their runes lit up at once, and Li Guanqi felt a crushing wave of pressure bearing down.
From the sidelines, Zhao Beichen muttered, “Will you be able to block this next assault...?”
The Blazing Crimson Sword was a low Earth-tier sword technique from the Profound Gate Pavilion. When used by someone with a Fire Spirit Root, its potential reached frightening heights.
Guan Qingyun unleashed all seventy-two sword moves flawlessly.
Li Guanqi’s blade blurred, slicing seven times in a single breath as he struggled to parry the blazing crimson light.
Then, he noticed a twitch. Guan Qingyun’s left hand moved ever so slightly beneath his sleeve.
He felt a sudden, intense wave of danger that made his skin crawl.
“Spirit spell number two hundred and seventy-six, Triple Flame Slash!”
Three red lights suddenly appeared in a “品” shape behind Guan Qingyun’s back, firing beams of sword light at Li Guanqi.
As soon as Li Guanqi sensed the attack, his left hand flew into motion, risking injury to make hand seals.
Li Guanqi’s Thunder Whip snapped through the air, lashing straight at Guan Qingyun’s back.
Terrifying explosions echoed across the battlefield.
After a dozen breaths, the dust finally settled. All eyes turned to the two silhouettes emerging from the smoke.
Li Guanqi stood at the edge of the platform, arms soaked in blood. Tens of zhang away, Guan Qingyun was in no better shape. His cheek had been scorched black by the Thunder Whip, and a dozen sword wounds marred his body.
Even after unleashing the Blazing Crimson Sword, he still couldn’t fully repel Li Guanqi’s assault.
The crowd watched in awe. Casting spells mid-battle without pause was a feat few could match—most cultivators needed time to calm their minds and circulate vital force first.
Both of them had cast spells as if they were ready-to-use talismans.
Blood had dyed Guan Qingyun’s robes red. He glared at Li Guanqi solemnly. Li Guanqi was much stronger than he’d imagined. He wasn’t just pressured—he felt something entirely unfamiliar.
The speed of Li Guanqi’s sword unsettled him. His right hand still trembling, Guan Qingyun wiped blood from the corner of his mouth. He met Li Guanqi’s gaze and said coldly, “I underestimated you. You’re stronger than I thought.”
A thick layer of gray clouds suddenly gathered in the sky above, with crackles of electricity weaving in and out of the rolling layers.
Within the haze, Li Guanqi raised his arm. His gaze locked onto Guan Qingyun with steely defiance. He crooked a finger and shouted, “Lightning Spear!”
A deafening thunder crashed, and a purple spear made of lightning shot down from the sky. It pierced through the barriers around the stage without slowing, heading straight for Guan Qingyun.
The gigantic stage trembled violently, and the tiles within a ten-zhang radius of Guan Qingyun exploded.
Li Guanqi gave him no time to react. He raised his sword and charged again. The blade that had once been sheathed now crackled with lightning as it was drawn once more.
A burning hot sword light from the Blazing Crimson Sword technique shot through the cloud of smoke, then disappeared.
Li Guanqi was blasted tens of zhang into the air. His feet skidded across the stage when he landed, and he slid twenty zhang back before stopping.
Blood sprayed out of his mouth, and his face flushed unnaturally red. He lifted his gaze slowly.
Guan Qingyun remained defiant, though blood poured from a gaping wound on the left side of his chest. The strike had pierced clean through his shoulder.
Guan Qingyun’s sword spontaneously burst into bright red flames. He licked the blood off the corner of his lips and growled, “I never thought you’d push me this far!”
Li Guanqi’s pupils dilated. The burning red sword contained a special ability from the artifact soul in his spirit void.
He’s awakened a spirit void sword too!
The elders from tens of sects watched in stunned silence.
Only the disciples of the Daxia Sword Sect remained calm. To them, Li Guanqi was like the God of War, a figure that would never lose to Guan Qingyun.
Li Guanqi narrowed his eyes. He frowned as he watched Guan Qingyun. What is his soul artifact’s ability?
Knowing that he had spent almost half of his vital force already, Li Guanqi took a deep breath and closed his eyes.
Sword Spirit Void... open!