From the contestant seats, Mu Qianxue held her black cat, Ye Yi, tightly in her arms, unable to hide the worry on her face.
"Fight on, Boss Gu! You can do it, Brother Feng!"
Ye Nanfeng, Lin Mochen, and Yu Sixian clenched their fists tightly, their gazes fixed on the stage, unblinking. They hardly dared to breathe.
On the sword fighting platform, Yue Yunlan bit her lip. As the flag keeper for the Central Court sword team, she stood on the opposing side. No matter how much she worried for Ling Feng, she could only silently pray for him in her heart.
At the center of the grand sword fighting platform, where Ling Feng and Mu Liufeng clashed, the temperature had risen to terrifying heights. Waves of scorching heat radiated outward, drenching the surrounding fighters in sweat.
The two combatants resembled miniature suns—every movement they made turned the battlefield into a sea of flames.
Nearby, Gu Tengfeng and Lu Qingshan were locked in fierce combat, exchanging blows in a relentless back-and-forth.
Though Gu Tengfeng had received the Wuji Sword Dao teachings from Ling Feng, he had only begun training in it recently and had yet to grasp its true essence. Meanwhile, Lu Qingshan proved to be a natural talent, matching Gu Tengfeng in strength. Neither could gain the upper hand.
Suddenly, fireballs rained down like meteors across the platform. Forced to dodge while fighting, the two found themselves at a stalemate.
"You two have held me off long enough to be proud. But I don't have time to waste on you anymore."
Li Yunting snorted, gathering immense force. Though still within Jiang Xiaofan's Hundredfold Gravity Field, he had gradually adapted to its effects, his speed slowly returning. Without Li Bufan's assistance, Jiang Xiaofan would have long since been overwhelmed.
Right now, Mu Liufeng's attacks seemed ferocious, but the longer this dragged on, the greater the toll on his body. If he didn't cut down the Canglong battle flag soon, all his sacrifices would be for nothing.
"Thousand Radiance Sword Array!"
Li Yunting raised his sword, and countless streaks of sword light descended like falling stars, forming rows of glowing blades around him.
With a thought, the blades shot skyward—half targeting Li Bufan, the other half hurtling toward Jiang Xiaofan. Meanwhile, Li Yunting himself lunged forward like a dragon, aiming straight for the battle flag behind Xue Xiaolin.
Jiang Xiaofan roared, slamming a fist into the ground. The platform trembled violently as stone walls erupted behind him, forcing Li Yunting back. Instead of dodging, Jiang Xiaofan stood firm, letting the glowing swords strike his body.
The blades shattered upon impact, scattering into motes of light like eggs dashed against stone.
Li Yunting's expression twisted in disbelief. Jiang Xiaofan's physical resilience was monstrous.
"Thunder Incarnation! Thunderstorm!"
While Li Yunting was still stunned, Li Bufan unleashed his next assault. Bolts of lightning cascaded down like a furious deluge.
The platform's surface exploded, spiderweb cracks spreading rapidly. Debris lifted into the air, only to be incinerated by the scorching flames.
Meanwhile, at the Central Court sword team's flag-guarding area, Sun Wei stood protectively in front of Yue Yunlan. Though not directly engaged in battle, he continuously swung his sword to deflect incoming fireballs.
But the most intense and perilous fight was still the one between Mu Liufeng and Ling Feng.
Mu Liufeng had nearly lost all control. The arrogance in his eyes had been replaced by sheer madness. His consciousness blurred, yet a stubborn will drove him forward.
"I can't lose... I absolutely can't lose!"
He gritted his teeth, but the longer the battle dragged on, the more the borrowed power within him drained away.
After his defeat at the hands of Tianyang Empire's Li Xue, he had trained in a secret realm and achieved a breakthrough. But when he heard that Ling Feng had withstood a strike from Yan Jinghong, he knew he still wasn't strong enough.
So he recklessly activated a forbidden art, forcibly breaking through to the Spiritual Element Realm.
But his mind couldn't handle the power. It twisted him—turned him into this frenzied monster.
"Pity... What a pity."
Ling Feng shook his head. In this state, Mu Liufeng was strong enough to kill him. But his energy was in chaos—like a punctured balloon, his power was leaking away bit by bit.
Soon, he would burn himself out completely.
"Not good! Mu Liufeng's about to collapse! His energy is dissipating on its own. If this continues—"
Ye Guichen's eyelids twitched. He was about to call for the match to be stopped when Tong Chengtai held him back.
"Wait. Look at Ling Feng."
Ye Guichen focused and saw Ling Feng weaving between Mu Liufeng's attacks while pulling out golden needles. With each clash, he flicked a needle into one of Mu Liufeng's acupoints.
"What is he trying to do?"
Before Ye Guichen could ponder further, the Daoist physician on standby gasped in shock.
"Golden Needle Qi Transfer?! H-how... How can someone perform healing mid-combat?! In my decades as a Daoist physician, I've never seen such skill!"
"That boy... truly defies belief!"
Tong Chengtai stroked his beard. Against all logic, Ling Feng was treating his opponent.
The crowd erupted in murmurs. Fighting and healing the enemy simultaneously? Such a thing was unheard of.
"Seventh needle—Jingmen Point[1]!"
"Eighth needle—Tianfu Point[2]!"
Ling Feng flicked another golden needle into Mu Liufeng's body. Through the Golden Needle Qi Transfer, he redirected the elemental qi within Mu Liufeng. Though it would weaken his cultivation, it would save his life.
At first, Mu Liufeng continued attacking wildly. But by the twelfth needle, the madness in his crimson eyes faded. His breathing steadied. Though weakened, he was no longer at risk of qi deviation.
1. On the lateral side of the waist, at the free end of the 12th rib.
Used to strengthen the spleen and kidneys.
Helps with digestion, water metabolism, and lower back pain. ☜
2. On the arm, about three finger-widths below the anterior end of the armpit, along the Lung Meridian
Used to regulate lung function, clear heat, and relieve cough and chest tightness.
Can be stimulated to improve breathing and boost circulation. ☜