Ling Tian Sword God

"Even my strongest killing move was useless against you. I admit defeat." Baili Xuance wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and chuckled, his face showing no sign of despair.

"You're the first one to force out my trump card in this Martial World Conference."

After absorbing the Yin Dragon Essence Blood, Ling Chen's physical strength was already comparable to a Third Grade Demonic Beast, yet he was only evenly matched with Baili Xuance. If he hadn't utilized the Ancient Saint King Battle Technique, Ling Chen probably wouldn't have won this battle.

"No need to console me. Your strength lies in Swordsmanship, not Body Technique. If you had gone all out, I would have lost long ago." Baili Xuance shook his head. He knew that if Ling Chen had unleashed his full power, he would have lost much earlier.

ROAR!

The dragon-shaped phantom emanating from Ling Chen lunged out, devouring the Dragon Vein Qi from Baili Xuance. Soon, Ling Chen's dragon-shaped phantom surpassed the five-zhang threshold, growing to five zhang and eight chi, ranking third behind only Young Master Ye and Xue Wu Ya. The Dragon Vein Qi, now five zhang and eight chi strong, surged in mid-air as if displaying its might to the younger generation.

"This Ling Chen is formidable. I'm afraid Senior Brother Xue is in for a tough fight!" a female disciple of the Cyan Robe Association said, her expression solemn.

"Perfection Sword Intent is enough to overwhelm anything." Xue Wu Ya shook his head, feeling no pressure.

Nearby, Wei Qingyi nodded in agreement. Ling Chen's Sword Intent was at the peak of minor accomplishment, while Xue Wu Ya possessed Perfection Sword Intent, enough to overwhelm Ling Chen. In other aspects, Xue Wu Ya was not inferior to Ling Chen; victory was practically guaranteed for him. Although Ling Chen's Swordsmanship was exceptionally refined, against Perfection Sword Intent, he could only face bitter defeat.

「At this moment, on another dueling platform, two figures faced each other.」

One was the captivating Qi Hongyan, the Heartless Young Master of the Black Market. The other was Young Master Ye, who was even more handsome than a woman. Qi Hongyan stared at Young Master Ye opposite her, her expression solemn. His strength was terrifying. Since the Martial World Conference began, he had barely fought seriously, as most opponents couldn't last three moves against him.

"Earth Demon Assassination!" Qi Hongyan spun, her dark-colored True Qi swirling wildly and transforming into black spirals that shot outwards.

"Extinguish!" Young Master Ye extended his left hand, fingers spread wide, and snatched at the black spirals in mid-air.

Then, Qi Hongyan's follow-up moves arrived, each more ferocious and faster than the last. She moved like a wisp of shadow in the dark night, entangling Young Master Ye, and it seemed as if her shadows filled the entire area.

"A bit interesting. Suspended Palm!" Young Master Ye gently struck out with a palm, and immense palm pressure erupted, instantly clearing the entire space. A vast swathe of shadows disintegrated into nothingness, unable to advance an inch. Qi Hongyan's carefully planned offensive was instantly shattered.

In the VIP seats, the Sect Leaders of the Martial World's major sects' eyes narrowed slightly. This Young Master Ye's mastery of martial arts had evidently reached a level of consummate skill, the peak of perfection. The Suspended Palm was merely a Lower-grade Heaven Level martial art, yet its profound subtleties were fully displayed in Young Master Ye's hands.

"Essence of Shadow, Shadow Assault!" Her offensive neutralized, Qi Hongyan took a deep breath, channeling all her True Qi into her twin blades. In that instant, her shadow vanished from where she stood as she attacked with an indomitable aura. The younger generation nearby, affected by the technique's atmosphere, felt as if they were in a world of shadows where Qi Hongyan's figure appeared everywhere, attacking from all directions, omnipresent.

His right hand still clasped behind his back, Young Master Ye's expression turned slightly serious. His left hand changed from a palm to a fist, clenched tightly, and punched out.

"Night King Fist!"

As he threw this punch, the surrounding heavens and earth seemed to merge into his fist's momentum, carrying a terrifying kingly will as it thundered towards Qi Hongyan—supreme and unparalleled. The air before him distorted and blurred, space itself vibrated. The crowd below the platform couldn't see Qi Hongyan clearly at all; they could only see Young Master Ye standing there calmly, like the king of the platform.

BOOM!

Cracks appeared on the sturdy dueling platform. Qi Hongyan's delicate body trembled violently, and she spat out a mouthful of blood as she was blasted backwards. The martial atmosphere she had painstakingly cultivated was completely destroyed.

"As expected of the Night King's successor. Coupled with Young Master Ye's status as the king of the younger generation, he is truly unparalleled."

"If all the geniuses here were likened to the myriad stars in the sky, then Young Master Ye would be the most dazzling among them. His brilliance is so intense it eclipses all other geniuses."

"For Qi Hongyan to force Young Master Ye to use his Night King Fist means her loss wasn't too humiliating. One can only say that Young Master Ye is too powerful; the gap between him and others is simply too vast."

Everyone was awed by Young Master Ye's might. Even a supreme genius like Qi Hongyan seemed to have little power to retaliate against him.

"This Young Master Ye... his strength has increased severalfold compared to the last Martial World Conference." Huo Yu shook his head, somewhat dejected. He had originally intended to challenge Young Master Ye to a decisive battle, to wash away the shame of his defeat at the previous Martial World Conference. But now, he realized the vast gap between them; he was probably far from being Young Master Ye's match.

On the dueling platform, just when everyone thought Qi Hongyan had been defeated, she suddenly flipped her delicate hand. Eight hidden weapons of different shapes appeared between her fingers. Even as her body was still flying backward, the hidden weapons in her hand fiercely shot out. Young Master Ye looked somewhat surprised. Facing the eight hidden weapons hurtling towards him, he merely retreated three steps. Then, his sleeve billowed and waved, and all the hidden weapons shot into it, vanishing without a trace.

DING DING DING DING!

The sound of metal clattering to the ground rang out as the eight hidden weapons Qi Hongyan had launched fell one by one. SWISH! Young Master Ye appeared before Qi Hongyan, a flying dagger in his hand pressed against her snow-white neck. The flying dagger pierced her skin, and a trickle of blood seeped out.

Young Master Ye's lips curled up slightly. "Victory and defeat are decided. Do you still wish to continue?"

"Hmph!" A flash of resentment flickered in Qi Hongyan's beautiful eyes. For her, the process was unimportant; the result was paramount. Losing to him vexed her greatly. But Qi Hongyan also felt utterly helpless. Young Master Ye was too strong; even if she were to play her trump card, she feared her chances of victory would still be slim.

With Qi Hongyan defeated, only Young Master Ye and Xu Ruoyan remained in Group Two with perfect records. It was highly probable that these two would be the ones to advance from Group Two. Similarly, in Group One, Ling Chen and Xue Wu Ya had the highest chances of advancing.

Of course, there were still some uncertainties, and moreover, the fight for the top spot in each group would undoubtedly be fierce. After all, only those who finished first in their group were eligible to compete for first place overall in the Martial World Conference. Those finishing second in their group could only compete for third place overall. Although both outcomes would allow them to have their names inscribed on the monument, the distinction was still vast.

「Amidst the clamorous atmosphere, two figures had already taken their places on the dueling platform for Group One.」