As the blade light grew faster and faster, Zhao Tianlei’s punching speed gradually couldn’t keep up with the speed of the blade light.
Splutter splutter splutter...
Shredded clothing fluttered in the air, and at the same time, thin blood marks began to appear on Zhao Tianlei’s body. However, because of his Earth Level Low Tier Defense Armor, although he looked quite disheveled, it was only a light injury.
With a punch, Zhao Tianlei shattered an oncoming blade light; his eyes were filled with a sharp glint. He lightly shook his fist, as numerous blade lights once again slashed towards him.
"Purple Divine Bell Shield!"
Zhao Tianlei roared in a low voice, and a profound purple light rose from around his body, which resonated with the purple sun behind him.
The purple light transformed into an enormous Ancient Bell, completely enclosing Zhao Tianlei. The profound purple light brimmed with an ancient, primal aura.
The blade light collided with the purple Ancient Bell, shattering upon impact and transforming into countless fragments of blade light, flying in all directions. For the moment, the blade light could not break through the surface of the bell, let alone defeat Zhao Tianlei.
"This cultivation technique is truly remarkable!"
Chu Ming’s eyes showed a trace of admiration. The "Purple Light Infinite Skill" could not only enhance attack power but also served as a defense. It was truly an all-encompassing technique. His "Pure Essence Sword Qi Technique" could also defend, but it would only be truly effective once he cultivated it to the Sixth Layer.
"Aurora Blade Breaker!"
Ye Ming’s sword momentum changed, and a dazzling sword aura burst from his hand, like the only point of light in the dark night. The aura was unparalleled; this strike was like nothing he had ever performed before.
"Zhao Tianlei can’t withstand it!"
Chu Ming’s eyes narrowed as he spoke calmly.
Zhu Hongxue’s eyes flashed with a look of surprise. While Ye Ming’s strike was indeed powerful, the defense of the purple bell was also strong.
"This strike is not simple. On the surface, it’s a single strike, but in an instant, it compresses and releases thousands of blade lights simultaneously. The sword force contained within is several times more powerful than usual!"
Chu Ming’s soul power far exceeded that of the average martial artist. Just one glance and he nearly grasped all the essence of Ye Ming’s technique without missing a beat.
As they spoke, Ye Ming’s blade light had already torn through the purple bell around Zhao Tianlei, scattering spiritual power fragments in all directions.
The residual power of the sword force remained strong. Forced into a corner, Zhao Tianlei could only use his fists to block. The purple light was like a dragon, but with each punch, a trace of blood dripped from the corner of his mouth, and his steps retreated, blood scattering in the air.
With the last punch shattering the blade light, Zhao Tianlei’s face turned pale. Even though he was wearing Earth Level Low Tier Defense Armor, his injuries were still severe, and his strength had dwindled to less than eighty percent of his peak.
Glancing over at the incense burner, he saw there was still one-fifth left. Zhao Tianlei gritted his teeth and raised his fist once more, launching at Ye Ming. For a moment, the air was filled again with overlapping fist shadows and blade light, with energy waves sweeping madly in all directions.
Watching Zhao Tianlei’s figure, Elder Zuo nodded slightly. Although Zhao Tianlei’s enlightenment wasn’t the strongest, the fierceness in his bones was something he valued. In martial arts cultivation, sometimes it’s not just about being ruthless to one’s enemies, but also to oneself. Otherwise, how could one force out their true potential?
A blade light shot forward, forcing Zhao Tianlei to retreat in disarray. However, before he could react, a subtle blade light struck towards him again, like a dazzling star in the night sky.
As Zhao Tianlei was about to raise his hand to block, a second purple sun rose behind him, illuminating above his head with the previous one, dazzling beyond compare.
"Concealed his strength?"
Chu Ming frowned slightly. With two purple suns side by side, it was clear that Zhao Tianlei had cultivated the "Purple Light Infinite Skill" to the Fifth Layer.
"No, he must have just broken through in the battle!"
Instantaneously, Chu Ming dismissed his earlier thought. Zhao Tianlei had no reason to hide his strength.
With the addition of the two purple suns, Zhao Tianlei’s momentum surged, faintly surpassing Ye Ming by a considerable margin. The clouds in the sky swirled, and at that moment, Ye Ming’s face completely changed. Now, Zhao Tianlei’s strength was in no way inferior to his own.
Zhao Tianlei closed the gap in a few steps, his right hand crackling with purple lightning, clenching it tightly within his palm. Instantly, his aura surged, launching a punch far beyond his previous ones in both momentum and force.
Ye Ming stomped hard on the ground, his body instantly shooting upwards. In a swift turn, he gripped his blade with both hands and slashed horizontally at Zhao Tianlei below, the icy blade light dark as a wrathful dragon.
As soon as the blade light clashed with Zhao Tianlei’s fist, it was torn in half almost instantly, and the remnants of the blade light scattered in all directions.
Just as Zhao Tianlei was about to continue his attack, Elder Zuo suddenly spoke, waving his sleeve lightly. The air pressure around them instantly calmed.
"Zhao Tianlei, full marks. Not bad!"
Elder Zuo rarely smiled, but did so now. Over half of the geniuses had already undergone the second round of evaluation, and very few had achieved full marks.
Zhao Tianlei let out a deep breath of relief, revealing a smile that suggested a great weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and respectfully addressed Elder Zuo.
Achieving full marks in combat power greatly increased his chances of entering the Celestial Travel Sect.
It was now the turn of the martial artists from Black Dragon City. Unfortunately, following Zhao Tianlei, very few others achieved full marks. Even Wang Hao and Zhang Xu scored only in the nineties, largely due to differences in the cultivation techniques they practiced.
Combat power was evaluated as overall strength, but martial artists with strong defenses held a distinct advantage.
Elder Zuo called out calmly, his eyes filled with anticipation. He was quite curious about Chu Ming’s combat power. At this moment, Huangfu Jian and Black Teeth’s attention also focused on Chu Ming.
Chu Ming leapt forward, his feet lightly touching the ground as he steadily landed on the platform.
Elder Zuo glanced around and said solemnly.
Ye Ming hesitated. This did not conform to the rules for the combat power evaluation. According to the regulations, the opponent for the assessment should be a disciple of the Celestial Travel Sect with the same cultivation level. Chu Ming was at the Second Layer of the True Dao, while Ye Ming was at the Fourth Layer. Despite hearing rumors of Chu Ming’s full mark in enlightenment, Ye Ming believed that enlightenment did not equate to combat power.
High enlightenment did not necessarily translate to superior combat power.
"No problem, if something goes wrong, I’ll take responsibility!"
As if knowing Ye Ming’s concerns, Elder Zuo spoke calmly, providing assurance.