NOVEL NEXT Chapter 171: An All-Out Showdown
Chapter 171: An All-Out Showdown
The atmosphere on the battlefield was tense. Xue Wuyi flipped his palm, revealing a square object that resembled both a seal and a dice. Each side of the object was engraved with an intricate rune, and each rune radiated a crimson glow as bright as a blood moon. The moment this object appeared, it unleashed an overwhelming pressure.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The protective barrier around the dueling platform began to shatter like transparent glass, riddled with countless cracks. It was on the verge of collapsing.
If the barrier were to break, the energy from the square object would spill out and instantly crush everyone around the platform into a bloody pulp. The results would be catastrophic.
From the audience, a prince suddenly stood up. With a swift motion of his hands, he formed a series of hand seals and released a surge of energy to reinforce the barrier.
The square object floated upwards, hovering three inches above Xue Wuyi’s head. A crimson light enveloped him, and with every movement, he exuded an immense aura of power. His power had increased exponentially.
It was clear that with the enhancement of the square object, Xue Wuyi’s power had far surpassed the ninth level of the Grandmaster realm, reaching at least the Great Grandmaster level.
“This is a spiritual treasure unique to the Blood Sea – the Life Stone!
Legend has it that deep within the Blood Sea, the essence of the entire sea has been condensed into Life Stones. These stones can improve a cultivator’s destiny and enhance his cultivation.
Over the course of countless years, the Life Stones at the bottom of the Blood Sea have gained sentience. It is said that only those with great fortune can earn the recognition of a Life Stone.
Xue Wuyi, as the second-ranked genius of the Blood Sea, has indeed received the recognition of a Life Stone. Moreover, this Life Stone is extraordinary, with natural runes from the depths of the Blood Sea engraved on all four sides. It is an extremely rare treasure.”
“With the enhancement of this rune-inscribed Life Stone, his cultivation has risen by an entire major realm, reaching the ninth level of the Great Grandmaster stage!”
The gathered geniuses and guests from various factions were well informed. They immediately recognized the origin of Xue Wuyi’s treasure and even understood its function.
However, the spectators were worried about Xu Lian.
“This is bad. If Xu Lian doesn’t have a treasure of comparable power, how can he fight?”
“Xu Lian is a genius who rose from the bottom. He comes from a humble background. What kind of treasure could he possibly have?”
The other geniuses and guests didn’t share this opinion. Judging from Xu Lian’s astonishing combat techniques, it was clear that he wasn’t as simple as he appeared on the surface. Perhaps he did possess a treasure of equal power?
Xu Lian didn’t dare to be careless. A war sword appeared in his hand, and in one swift motion, he drew it from its sheath.
In an instant, the entire capital turned from day to night. Dark clouds swirled in the sky, and massive crimson lightning bolts streaked across the sky.
What… is happening?
Everyone’s pupils contracted sharply as they stared in horror at the sword in Xu Lian’s hand. They could feel an overwhelming sword intent and a shadow of death emanating from it. Without a doubt, this was an incomparable weapon of destruction!
“The Sword of Destruction?”
“The ancestral weapon of the Jiang family, one of the thirteen ancient clans that once stood at the pinnacle of the cultivation world?”
Some sharp-eyed people noticed the three characters engraved on the blade of the sword: “Sword of Destruction”. Others recalled ancient myths and legends.
Xue Wuyi’s expression changed. Although his rune-inscribed Life Stone was a precious treasure, the Sword of Destruction was a legendary weapon that had once dominated an entire era. The two were not on the same level.
“Are you ready? I’m about to strike.”
Xu Lian raised the Sword of Destruction, pointing it toward the sky.
In truth, his cultivation level wasn’t high enough to unleash the true power of the Sword of Destruction. Under the influence of the Sword’s Dark Night and Crimson Lightning domains, his strength was only comparable to that of an ordinary great grandmaster. He was far inferior to Xue Wuyi, whose power had skyrocketed to the ninth stage of the Great Grandmaster Rank thanks to the Life Stone.
It was like two children wielding weapons. One held an ordinary knife, while the other held a forty-meter long greatsword. Which would be more effective?
The ordinary knife, of course!
Because the child lacked the strength to wield the greatsword properly, they couldn’t unleash its true power.
Likewise, Xu Lian’s current impressive aura was just an illusion. In reality, his combat power was no match for Xue Wuyi’s. Of course, the only one who knew this was Xu Lian himself. No one else present, including Xue Wuyi, was aware of it.
“Wait!”
Xue Wuyi’s expression turned grave, and he quickly raised his hand to stop Xu Lian. He didn’t dare to face the Sword of Destruction directly. This was no trivial matter.
“Our strengths are evenly matched. The first round ended in a tie.
Now, in this second round, the comparison of treasures and weapons, I admit defeat. You win.
However, there is still the final round – the comparison of reinforcements. If the expert who supports you can defeat the expert from the Blood Sea, I will completely surrender.”
He suggested, “What do you think?”
Xu Lian was secretly pleased. As expected, the imposing aura of the Sword of Destruction was enough to intimidate everyone. No one wanted to face a strike from the Sword of Destruction.
Outwardly, however, Xu Lian remained calm. He slowly sheathed the Sword of Destruction, and the dark night returned to daylight. “Alright, best two out of three. That’s fair.”
Blood Wuyi said, “Then summon the expert to assist you.”
“…”Xu Lian wasn’t sure how to do that. According to his agreement with the Sword Pavilion, the powerful protector from the Huo Clan would only intervene if his life was in danger.
Xu Lian steeled himself and said indifferently, “Just have the expert behind you attack me directly.”
Seeing Xu Lian’s audacity, Xue Wuyi frowned but didn’t comment. Instead, he turned his gaze toward the void.
Boom!
Suddenly, the void turned blood red, and a huge pool of white bones and blood materialized.
A pale, skeletal hand emerged from the pool and pressed down on Xu Lian!
Before the hand even reached him, Xu Lian felt his body freeze, as if locked in place. An intense pain coursed through him, as though his body was on the verge of shattering.
His scalp tingled, and every hair on his body stood on end. He could feel the threat of imminent death. With a loud shout, he cried, “If you don’t act now, when will you?”
Flames suddenly erupted from the void on his side, and a fiery hand appeared, instantly intercepting the skeletal hand.
Boom!
The collision of the two hands sent shockwaves rippling outward, shattering the barrier and reducing the entire dueling platform to rubble.
Xu Lian and Xue Wuyi quickly retreated from the ruins of the platform, leaving the battle to the experts.
The people on the streets were terrified and retreated like a receding tide.
The nobles in the audience turned pale. They quickly rose from their seats and unleashed a series of secret techniques to contain the shockwaves from the experts’ clash.
Only the emperor, seated on his dragon throne, remained calm, as if he had long been aware of the experts hidden in the void.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The Skeletal Hand of the bone pool and the fiery hand clashed repeatedly, like two giants slapping each other.
To Xu Lian, the battle between these powerful experts seemed… unremarkable. Of course, this was mainly because his cultivation level and understanding were insufficient to grasp the intricacies of the fight. Nevertheless, he could sense the danger. If he were even grazed by either hand, he would be reduced to a pulp – or worse, obliterated without even being touched.
A cold laugh echoed from the bone pool. “A great expert from the Huo Clan? I thought the Sword Pavilion prided itself on remaining neutral. Why did you get involved in this conflict?”
A calm voice emerged from the fiery void. “The Huo Clan has no intention of interfering in conflicts. However, Xu Lian is an honorary student of the Sword Pavilion. As his protector appointed by the Sword Pavilion, I cannot allow him to face mortal danger.”