The battle raged intensely. After Ye Xuan finished his first fight, Xue Lingzi and the others also successively concluded theirs, with mixed results of wins and losses. By the time the competition for the top hundred ranks ensued, none of these contenders were average; winning a fight was not an easy feat.
If Ye Xuan were still in the same state as a year ago, coming here could at best bring him only as far as the point-based matches. However, times had changed, and he was no longer his former self.
In the point-based competition, each person had nine fights, and the interval between each battle was not long. In strict terms, it was a battle of endurance. For most people, if they encountered an opponent who was clearly stronger than themselves, temporarily conceding was not unacceptable, in order to prepare for the next match.
However, as the competition progressed, Ye Xuan’s consecutive victories gradually accumulated. After seven rounds in Group Eight, only Luo Zhen, the Swordsman of Tianxing, remained undefeated besides him.
In the other groups, amidst these continuous battles, some dark horses emerged, but most did not pose a threat to the high-rankers on the Martial Saint Candidate List.
Although dark horses were formidable, they often had their limits; it was unlikely for a newcomer to suddenly challenge and defeat a famous expert.
In Group Nine, there emerged a strong contestant by the name of Dong Zhuo, who narrowly missed defeating Tang Yurou, the last-ranked hopeful on the Martial Saint Candidate List.
Other groups also saw the rise of dark horses, with everyone looking forward to strong contenders who could rival those on the list, and vie for supremacy with the list’s top fighters.
"It’s a pity about Dong Zhuo, he was so close to beating Tang Yurou," someone remarked.
"Yeah, he was just a bit short of luck; otherwise, he could have been first in Group Nine."
"Hey, over in Group Eight, there seems to be a noteworthy fighter with seven consecutive wins already. It looks like that kid called Ye Xuan."
"I’ve had my eye on him from the beginning, capable of defeating one with the Ancient Bronze Demon Bloodline, he’s no ordinary person. Now let’s see his fight against Luo Zhen, the Swordsman of Tianxing. If he wins, that would be a true underdog tale."
People started to notice Ye Xuan’s winning streak, and maintaining such continuous victories under these circumstances was indeed eye-catching.
The eighth fight quickly approached, and Ye Xuan’s opponent was none other than Luo Zhen, the Swordsman of Tianxing.
"Finally facing the Swordsman of Tianxing," Xue Lingzi said with a solemn expression as he watched the battle platform, whether Ye Xuan could enter the top ten hinged on the result of this fight.
"Ye Xuan versus the Swordsman of Tianxing, this match will be interesting to watch."
"What’s so interesting? Ye Xuan’s not bad, but if it wasn’t Luo Zhen he faced, he might have continued to win. Now it’s a pity."
"Even if the odds are large against Ye Xuan, as someone from the Yunlan Domain, reaching this stage is already something to be proud of. Now, let’s see how he fares against Luo Zhen."
Hardly a few were optimistic about Ye Xuan; after all, the Yunlan Domain was just a weaker region, while Luo Zhen, the Swordsman of Tianxing, was a top talent from the White Dragon Domain, his strength couldn’t possibly be less than Ye Xuan’s. For Ye Xuan to have come this far was already impressive; did he still aspire to surpass the White Dragon Domain?
On the battle platform, two figures stood opposed.
Luo Zhen was clad in white, with a long sword at his waist, his eyebrows sharp as swords and eyes shining like stars, exuding an incomparably fierce aura as if he were a treasured sword incarnate, a natural-born swordsman.
"The Swordsman of Tianxing truly lives up to his reputation," Ye Xuan said, standing across from his opponent, taking him in and not being able to help but offer praise.
"You seem to be a swordsman as well, although you’re not purely a swordsman, I sense an aroma of a formidable enemy from you."
Luo Zhen looked at Ye Xuan, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes. It was only in the presence of a worthy opponent that a swordsman would have such a feeling.
"Then let us decide the victor with our swords."
Ye Xuan drew the Dragon Abyss Ancient Sword, facing such a natural-born swordsman; it would be disrespectful to the Sword Dao if he did not defeat his opponent with swordsmanship.
"Let me see if my premonition is accurate or not."
Luo Zhen’s gaze shifted as he suddenly took the initiative to attack. Gripping the hilt with both hands, he channeled his True Yuan throughout his body, concentrating it in his arms and unleashing a fierce slash.
A very domineering sword strike.
The sword move was clean and sharp, with no fancy feints.
Standing on the Battle Platform, the audience could clearly see a sword Qi, pure as a shooting star, fly out from Luo Zhen’s sword, splitting the air to either side, creating a magnificent Sword Qi stream as if a sword Qi version of the Milky Way had been formed between the combatants on the platform.
Indistinctly, one could hear the "roaring" sound of the cosmic river, shaking the soul.
"What a terrifying sword strike, worthy of the Star Swordsman. His power is truly imposing. Merely the force of this strike might be enough to contend with a Saint Realm powerhouse," Lin Wan’s heart tightened, growing somewhat worried for Ye Xuan.
Luo Zhen’s strength was suffocating, a level entirely different from any opponent Ye Xuan had faced before.
Luo Zhen himself was already at the Semi-Saint level of Cultivation. In fact, he could live up to the title of the Stars Sword Saint, but Luo Zhen did not wish to do so, believing he had not yet reached that level of strength. The Sword Saint’s rank was still far beyond him.
"Excellent swordsmanship."
Upon seeing the brilliant Sword Qi Milky Way before him, Ye Xuan wasted no words and swung his sword as well. His strike, like celestial stars, collided with the Sword Qi Milky Way.
At the moment of impact, the Sword Qi bloomed like flowers, radiating in all directions, creating an extremely spectacular scene.
"Interesting, you are indeed a formidable opponent. Take another one of my swords, ’Starry River Boundless’!"
Luo Zhen’s eyes surged with an astonishing fighting spirit. He lifted his treasured sword overhead, and around him, Sword Qi spontaneously condensed, turning into a myriad of stars, forming a dazzling Sword Array that enveloped the entire arena.
Within the Sword Array, everything was under Luo Zhen’s control.
Even a mere leaf could instantly become a deadly blade.
Feeling the descent of the Sword Array, Ye Xuan did not hesitate, instinctively slashing out with his sword. This slash, imbued with the might of the Earth Core Cold Fire, immediately cleaved through Luo Zhen’s overwhelming sword energy.
Seeing this, Luo Zhen’s gaze sharpened, and he propelled his body forward, sword Qi accumulating behind him like a constellation, converging into a massive star and smashing down toward Ye Xuan.
Inside the Sword Array, with the two as the center, the sword Qi was clearly divided, one side dazzling with starlight, the other bright with firelight. The two streams of Sword Qi intertwined, opposing each other, while the figures of the two combatants clashed amidst the sparkling sword light. In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged more than ten blows.