Chapter 28

Clang—

With their first clash, the golden tyrant blade struck Cang Ku, sending Xu Xiaoshou tumbling backward with a violent fall. His spiritual energy surged within him, nearly making him cough up blood.

"Satisfying!" Zhou Tianshen roared with laughter. "Come on, let's do it again!"

Xu Xiaoshou's face wore a strange expression. For the first time, his Xiantian physical body had been outmatched in terms of raw power, and even his lines had been stolen.

Damn it!

"I can't go head-to-head with him..."

Xu Xiaoshou pondered. His opponent's Houtian Dao Yi was clearly geared for direct, brutal force. Playing to his weaknesses against the other's strengths would only leave him beaten and bloody.

He considered using his Xiantian-level "sharpness" to test it but feared being cleaved in two with a single strike, so he abandoned the idea.

Instead, he would use the other's blade techniques to hone his own Houtian Jian Yi.

As Zhou Tianshen charged again with a devastating overhead slash that seemed to split the heavens, Xu Xiaoshou gripped Cang Ku tightly. In his mind, he recalled the countless sword techniques he had gained in the Baiyun Illusion Realm that day.

The long-concealed art of killing!

At the peak of the golden blade's arc, Xu Xiaoshou angled his sword to block. As the tyrant blade grazed past with a series of clangs, he flicked his sword, channeling a gentle intent that followed the principle of four ounces deflecting a thousand pounds, forcefully knocking the blade away.

Whoosh!

His sword thrust toward the throat in a sealing strike. Zhou Tianshen jerked back just in time, a few strands of his long hair fluttering to the ground.

Seizing the momentum, Zhou Tianshen flipped and spun his tyrant blade in a full circle, unleashing a surge of spiritual energy that slashed fiercely toward Xu Xiaoshou's knees.

Clang!

Xu Xiaoshou's strike missed, so he flipped Cang Ku upside down and thrust it into the ground, precisely lodging it at the junction of the blade's edge and guard. A deafening buzz echoed through the air.

Their eyes met, and the atmosphere crackled with tension, each seeing the fiery determination in the other's gaze.

With a sudden burst of arm strength, Xu Xiaoshou shoved them apart.

The first round ended in a flash, and the audience erupted in excited chatter, their blood pumping from the thrill.

"Here it is—Houtian Dao Yi versus Houtian Jian Yi!"

"Oh my god, that was close! One misstep, and either Zhou Tianshen gets his throat sealed or Xu Xiaoshou loses his legs. This fight is going to be epic."

"Absolutely, and their reactions are so quick. This is the level we expect from the promotion matches—I can't stand those one-sided stomps anymore."

"Exactly! In just a few breaths, they've had several near-fatal moments."

The crowd's excitement hadn't faded when Zhou Tianshen steadied himself with his blade, not attacking but laughing boldly instead: "Xu Xiaoshou, take my move—Jiu Chao Xi!"

Jiu Chao Xi was a relentless blade technique, with waves building higher and higher. Once fully unleashed, combined with his fluid Houtian Dao Yi, who could withstand it?

He raised his blade slowly, and as it inched upward, his aura climbed higher still.

The sword-wielding youth across from him said nothing, immediately closing his eyes. The arena grew eerie and unpredictable, even the flying sand seeming to slow down.

Contrasting intents intertwined, the grudge between blade and sword holding firm.

Crack, crack!

The arena stage beneath them groaned under the strain, its barrier trembling violently.

The audience sat up straight, fingers laced in anticipation, even Xiao Qixiu narrowing his eyes and focusing intently.

It was as if a soaring intent exploded, shaking the very sky.

In the next second, Zhou Tianshen brought his blade down, his Dao Yi transforming into crashing waves that surged forward with ferocity. Xu Xiaoshou's eyes snapped open, and with a leisurely sword strike, like white clouds enveloping the sun, he enveloped and neutralized the waves entirely.

Clang, clang, clang!

The audience held their breath, stunned to see the intents between the two, separated by several yards, materialize visibly.

Where the waves met the clouds, blade lights and sword shadows crisscrossed in a frenzy, the sounds of weapons clashing unending.

"Holy crap, that's intense?"

Someone blurted out, only to be quickly scolded: "Shut up! Don't talk!"

Xu Xiaoshou's clothes rustled in the wind, his hand a blur. Though his movements appeared as gentle as drifting clouds, they were actually dancing at blinding speed.

Endless sword lights erupted from Cang Ku. This ninth-grade spiritual sword was unleashing its full power for the first time, vibrating with excitement.

Still, he had to dodge occasionally to avoid the blade lights he couldn't block, and despite that, bloodstains began to appear on his clothes.

"Attacked, passive value +1."

"Attacked, passive value +1."

"..."

The status bar kept updating. Zhou Tianshen's Dao Yi was overwhelmingly dominant; even a glancing blow that barely scratched the skin brought excruciating pain, leaving a lingering force of unyielding vajra energy in the wound that made it hard to heal.

But that's where the terrifying regenerative power of Sheng Sheng Bu Xi shone through.

Every time a wound opened, this passive skill activated, mending what would normally be irreparable damage in mere moments.

Xu Xiaoshou was thrilled, thinking to himself that this "basic passive skill" was truly top-notch—its healing ability was off the charts.

Zhou Tianshen, on the other hand, was the epitome of a stationary powerhouse, not budging an inch. With just a few strikes, he had Xu Xiaoshou retreating step by step.

"Hahaha, Xu Xiaoshou, you're out of options now!"

"Once Jiu Chao Xi gains momentum, even a Xiantian expert would fall to my blade, Zhou Tianshen—let alone your mere Houtian Jian Yi?"

Indeed, the battlefield's intent was overwhelmingly in Zhou Tianshen's favor, with Xu Xiaoshou on the verge of being pushed off the arena.

"Xu Xiaoshou, hold on!"

"Get up and fight back! Don't let him knock you off like this!"

"Waaah, you're covered in blood, Xu Xiaoshou! It breaks my heart!"

"Xiaoshou, don't push yourself anymore—come to big sister's arms! How can there be so much blood?"

Xu Xiaoshou was indeed drenched in blood, but it was mostly superficial. He was minimizing damage to survive the blade lights, so none of the wounds were life-threatening or impairing his movement.

Under the frenzied operation of Sheng Sheng Bu Xi, his condition remained nearly full.

Strike after strike, Xu Xiaoshou transformed into a sponge, absorbing knowledge through Zhou Tianshen's attacks and rapidly integrating the sword techniques stored in his mind.

As he teetered on the edge of the arena, he didn't hesitate—he exchanged for two skill points and directly upgraded Jian Shu Jing Tong.

"Jian Shu Jing Tong (Houtian Lv.2)."

"Jian Shu Jing Tong (Houtian Lv.3)."

In an instant, a flood of knowledge surged into his mind. Xu Xiaoshou let out a roar and, amid the roaming blade lights, swept away all the intent with a single sword strike before forcefully repelling it.

Boom!

The void shattered, the barrier hummed, and Zhou Tianshen was sent stumbling back, his face full of shock.

The audience was equally baffled, exchanging puzzled glances.

"Did Xu Xiaoshou just break through?"

"It seems so—under that intense pressure, he turned the tables. That final sword retraction looked a lot like the second form of Baiyun Jianfa, 'Clouds Gathering and Dispersing'!"

"But what about the follow-up counterstrike? That's not how the third form of Baiyun Jianfa goes."

"This... how should I know?"

"..."

Xu Xiaoshou had indeed made a breakthrough, and that strike was inspired by Di Xin'er.

He had never fully mastered the second form before, but in the heat of the moment, he improvised, forcefully altering the sword technique and steering Baiyun Jianfa in a new direction.

In other words, while he had entered the path with "Baiyun Youyou," his sword style was no longer purely Baiyun Jianfa.

Xiao Qixiu's eyes reflected his astonishment. Xu Xiaoshou had actually modified his sword technique mid-battle based on Jian Yi alone?

That was something even sword sect masters wouldn't dare attempt. Relying solely on Jian Yi to achieve this? His talent was utterly unparalleled!

Drenched in blood, with his already red body now in tattered clothes and hair matted with gore, Xu Xiaoshou still managed a smirk. He raised his sword in invitation: "Zhou Shidi, can you go any faster? Don't stop now!"

Having his Jiu Chao Xi broken left Zhou Tianshen in a state of shock and rage. Hearing this, he snarled fiercely: "Just what I wanted!"