Ling Tian Sword God

"Ling Chen, is Xiao Yin alright?" Shangguan Hong and the others from the Divine Intent Sect anxiously asked. It was fine to lose a contest, but it would be unbearable if anything happened to her.

Ling Chen settled Ling Yin into a seat, allowing her to lie on her side. "She's fine, just overly exhausted. She just needs to rest for a while," he said.

He hadn't expected Ling Yin's desire to win to be so strong that she would resort to tactics that inflicted as much damage on herself as on her opponent.

At this moment, Ling Yin, who had been unconscious, began to stir.

"Brother Ling Chen, I lost." Ling Yin looked a bit disheartened.

"Silly girl, you were fantastic."

Ling Chen patted her hair. "Leave the rest to me."

Given Ling Yin's potential, even if she couldn't succeed in this Martial World Conference, there was always the next. At a future conference, she was bound to enter the Martial Arts Monument. So, there was no need to rush.

Meanwhile, the duels on the two dueling platforms were continuing.

On one side, Xu Ruoyan was battling Lin Ya, the Worry-free Young Master; on the other, Huo Yu was up against Nie Wu Xiang.

「On the left-hand dueling platform.」

There stood two graceful figures: one of peerless beauty, the other enchantingly captivating. Each possessed a unique charm.

"Xu Ruoyan, young palace master of the Sky Void Palace, I heard you're Ling Chen's fiancée? So, you must like him very much, then?" Lin Ya said, a seductive smile on her face.

"Where did that rumor come from? The engagement was called off long ago. I don't like him at all," Xu Ruoyan denied, her expression shifting slightly.

"Oh, is that so? That puts me at ease," Lin Ya's smile grew even more radiant.

"At ease about what?" Xu Ruoyan raised an eyebrow.

"That I can pursue Ling Chen without any worries, of course," Lin Ya chuckled. "Since you're not interested in Ling Chen, it has nothing to do with you. Without a formidable competitor like you, my chances of winning Ling Chen's heart are even greater. We've known each other for a long time, and our bond is strong. I've long wanted to be with him, to live as a pair of carefree, blissful immortals."

Her words sent a ripple of shock through the venue. Many gazes, filled with envy, turned towards Ling Chen.

Two breathtaking beauties vying for him—it was undeniably a delightful spectacle for many.

"Ling Chen, you certainly have a way with women," Shangguan Qiushui said with a playful smile, his eyes teasing and full of implication.

"I'm afraid it's not as you think," Ling Chen responded with an awkward chuckle. True to her Black Market origins, Lin Ya spoke with audacious directness, lacking the usual reserve of most women.

Lin Ya is only doing this to unsettle Xu Ruoyan's mind, Ling Chen thought. Given Xu Ruoyan's composure, she won't be so easily provoked…

Just as Ling Chen's thought trailed off, an angry shout erupted from the dueling platform.

"You shameless woman!" Xu Ruoyan's face suddenly turned cold. She drew the Cloud and Water Sword from its sheath, and an aura as veiled and mysterious as misty rain instantly filled the air.

"White Rainbow Pierces the Moon!" A fierce Sword Light surged from the indistinct aura, exuding a bone-chilling coldness.

"Are you angry?" A smile crept onto Lin Ya's face. Just as she'd surmised, Xu Ruoyan was practically flawless; Ling Chen was her only weak spot.

Initially, Lin Ya had been reluctant to believe Xu Ruoyan truly had feelings for Ling Chen. However, according to their Black Market's intelligence analysis, it was indeed highly probable.

So, she had deliberately tested the waters earlier, and unexpectedly, she had managed to anger Xu Ruoyan.

In a duel, the most dangerous opponent was one who was fully focused and revealed no openings. Now that Xu Ruoyan's mind was in turmoil, her performance would surely be affected. This gave Lin Ya a chance to win.

Drawing the sword from her waist, Lin Ya's Sword Light struck like a venomous snake, parrying Xu Ruoyan's Sword techniques and thrusting forward.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

The battle between them reached a fever pitch, blue and black light intertwining and constantly colliding, each dominating half the sky.

Xu Ruoyan's strength was clearly superior, but her movements were somewhat erratic. Although Lin Ya was weaker than Xu Ruoyan, her attacks were ruthless, each strike aimed at vital points. For a time, she managed to hold her own.

On the side, Shangguan Qiushui shook his head. "Xu Ruoyan seems to be in some danger." Lin Ya's combat intelligence is too high, and intelligence is a part of strength. As the ancients said, 'Military warfare is inferior; mental warfare is superior.' To subdue the enemy without fighting is, naturally, best.

"I feel like there's something strange," Ling Chen murmured, also watching the battle on the dueling platform. Xu Ruoyan's strength should be far beyond what she's currently displaying. He had a premonition that she was hiding something, that she had a plan.

"Shadowless Killing Sword!"

On the dueling platform, as Xu Ruoyan retreated, her defense seemed riddled with openings. Seizing the opportunity, Lin Ya tapped her toe on the ground, her body transforming into a phantom as she launched her killing blow.

"So what if you're Heaven's favored daughter? You'll still lose to this Young Master today!" A smile touched Lin Ya's lips; she thought she saw her chance of victory.

"You're too naive!"

At that moment, a mocking expression flashed across Xu Ruoyan's face. She abruptly halted her retreat. Then, the Cloud and Water Sword in her hand arced in an incredibly deceptive trajectory, spinning upward from below to strike Lin Ya's sword.

TING! Sparks flew. The Treasure Sword in Lin Ya's hand was sent flying, clattering to the ground below the platform.

The next moment, an icy sword tip was pressed against Lin Ya's pale neck.

"You were deliberately feigning weakness?" Lin Ya's expression turned grim. She had thought she could play Xu Ruoyan like a fiddle, but she never imagined she herself would be the one played.

"If I hadn't, how would you have become so eager for victory, allowing me to seize your fatal flaw?" Xu Ruoyan replied indifferently.

"You've won." Hearing this, Lin Ya sighed. This battle was a complete defeat for her.

This girl is not bad; she's qualified to be my companion, Fu Tian Jue thought as he gazed at the exceptional beauty on the dueling platform from the spectator area, a hint of fiery interest emerging in his eyes.

"Beauty is indeed good, but one must be able to handle it. Brother Fu, beware of being pricked by this thorny rose," Xue Wu Ya said, his expression nonchalant as he shook his head beside him.

"Haha, if I can't even tame this mere junior, wouldn't my title, 'Raging Fire Mad Saber,' be for nothing?" Fu Tian Jue laughed heartily, his gaze growing even more intense. "If the rose has thorns, I'll simply pluck them all out."

Fu Tian Jue was brimming with confidence. In his view, only two things in life were worth pursuing: fine wine and beautiful women.

From Ling Chen's side, Shangguan Qiushui, having seen this, teased, "Ling Chen, it seems you have a rival in love."

In response, Ling Chen simply shook his head, smiling but not speaking. Xu Ruoyan was not a woman who could be easily conquered.

Moreover, while Fu Tian Jue's Blade technique was undeniably of the Overbearing Style, if they truly fought, he wouldn't necessarily be Xu Ruoyan's match. Even he didn't know how much strength Xu Ruoyan was hiding.

「At this time, on the other dueling platform, Huo Yu and Nie Wu Xiang were engaged in an intense battle.」