A chilling aura of slaughter spread through the air. The defeat in the first round had cast a pall over the morale of the Six Domains' cultivators.
In contrast, the Ancient Clan's faction sneered derisively. "Tsk-tsk. Is this the Great Xia Sword Sect everyone had such high hopes for? Hahaha, doesn't look like much to me."
"A mere sword sect. How could they possibly compare to the cultivators of our Lu clan?"
Others gazed calmly at the young man on the stage and chuckled. "The one up there is Lu Tao, the strongest of the younger generation among the Lu clan's eight branch families, isn't he?"
"Indeed. He alone was enough to suppress the youth of the other seven branches. Who would have thought he'd be sent out for the second round already?"
"It seems the Eldest Young Master of the Lu clan intends to carry his momentum through and claim two victories in a row!"
An elder in the Void Refining Realm could not help curling his lips in a smirk as he watched the two figures in the ring, muttering, "If they lose two rounds in a row, I can only imagine how wretched the faces of the Six Domains' cultivators will look."
Before his voice had faded, someone chimed in with a laugh. "Hahaha, if you ask me, this Great Xia Sword Sect is just a bunch of clowns. Who knows what we even came here to watch?"
"Even that Li Guanqi will never be able to defeat the Eldest Young Master of the Lu clan."
Listening to these taunts, Li Guanqi showed not the slightest shift in expression, nor was there any ripple in his eyes.
To him, so much empty chatter was entirely meaningless.
Li Guanqi fixed his gaze on the platform. The moment Nangong Xuandu's words fell, the two figures on the stage vanished from their spots simultaneously!
Lu Kangnian continued to beat the war drum with both fists. Seeing Li Guanqi return, he knew Cao Yan was out of danger.
At a time like this, he could not afford to show the slightest hint of cowardice!
He barked in a deep, furious roar, "All of you, pull yourselves together! It's just one lost round! What's with all these long faces?!"
"Strike those drums with everything you've got!"
*Thump! Thump-thump!!*
Lu Kangnian's expression was conflicted. Heavy though the pressure weighed on his heart, he refused to let any of it show.
After all, this was the Great Xia Sword Sect's ten-thousand-year foundation at stake...
*Boom! Boom!!*
Two violent explosions rang out, and the green flagstones within dozens of paces beneath Xiao Chen and Lu Tao abruptly shattered.
Before the onlookers could even make out their movements, the unrelenting clang of clashing metal erupted!
Xiao Chen's gaze was sharp as a blade. The She Shen Spear in his hands whipped up and down, moving like a coiling dragon!
The spearhead gleamed with chilling sharpness, his footwork swift and ethereal.
For a moment, Lu Tao felt an inexplicable sense of pressure!
He thrust out his longsword in rapid succession with fierce, swift momentum, his form flickering unpredictably like a wraith.
To outsiders, the two might have appeared evenly matched, locked in a stalemate.
Yet only the two combatants in the ring knew how perilous the situation truly was.
Lu Tao was completely unable to breach Xiao Chen's defense. Spun by Xiao Chen, the supple spear formed an impenetrable wall.
He wielded the spear's reach to its absolute limit, keeping Lu Tao from ever stepping within three feet of him!
*Boom! Boom!!*
*Clang!!*
*Whoosh, whoosh!! Bang!!*
The spear descended from above like a mountain-cleaving greataxe. Without a second thought, Lu Tao flashed backward in retreat, choosing not to take the blow head-on.
Xiao Chen, who already possessed formidable physical strength, imbued this strike with crushing weight, causing the entire Dao platform to tremble violently under the impact.
A fissure over a hundred paces long cracked open in front of the spear. Yet the instant Lu Tao retreated, a glint of cold light flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes.
He raised his spear, thrusting it forward as he shot straight toward Lu Tao!
At the same time, the Great Sky Rosy Flame wrapped around the spear shaft. The weapon spun, crimson tassels dancing around it.
The searing fiery might swelled furiously against the wind, and blood-red patterns surfaced along the She Shen Spear, eerie and dazzling!
"Raging Fire Piercing the Sun!!"
*Boom!!!*
The corners of Li Guanqi's mouth curved slightly. He had not expected Xiao Chen to grasp the Raging Flame Spear Art in such a short time!
Seeing the spear light draw closer and closer, Lu Tao's pupils shrank to pinpricks.
He had not imagined that Xiao Chen would possess a spear art of such high caliber!
Yet how could the venerable Ancient Clan's Lu clan lack high-grade arts of their own?
"Secret Technique: Profound Void!"
*Buzz!!!*
Instantly, a layer of golden light enveloped Lu Tao from head to toe. The shimmering glow coalesced into a suit of golden armor encasing his entire body.
Lu Tao halted his retreating figure abruptly, and with a wave of his hand, a raging sword intent surged into the sky!
Sword intent of the Sword Heart Realm rose from the ground. Sword light flickered ceaselessly along his blade as he traced profound arcs through the air, slashing toward Xiao Chen!
"Phantasm Extinction Sword Formation!"
*Boom!!!*
Countless streaks of sword qi crisscrossed through the void, their razor-sharp edges tearing through heaven and earth. In the blink of an eye, they formed a massive sword formation spanning a hundred paces, trapping Xiao Chen within!
Lu Tao's figure faded into the sword formation as well.
Li Guanqi shot to his feet, eyes filled with concern as he looked toward the platform.
He was not the only one; in that instant, virtually every gaze focused on the arena.
Li Guanqi muttered with a solemn expression, "An ancient sword formation?"
"And... he unleashed it all on his own? Just how vast an amount of primal energy does that require?!"
Xiao Chen's expression hardened as well. Seeing the terrifying sword formation about to envelop him, he pushed his strength to the absolute limit without hesitation!
"Ahhh! Break for me!!"
Spear light flashed; raging flames scorched the sky!
The swift spear tore through the air with a piercing screech, puncturing the void along its path.
*Boom!!!*
A terrifying explosion resounded, and flagstones spanning several hundred paces shattered and flew into the air.
Golden sword qi danced wildly across the sky. But right then...
*Rumble!!!*
A fearsome spear light blasted a gap dozens of paces wide straight through the sword formation!
Drenched in blood, Xiao Chen forced his way out. His face was grim and resolute; without pausing for even a breath, he spun around and charged toward the empty air behind him!
Immediately after, the massive golden sword formation collapsed, and a sullen-faced Lu Tao shot out.
The golden armor on Lu Tao's body had been utterly shattered. On his left shoulder was a fist-sized piercing wound.
The flesh around the wound was charred black, bearing the unmistakable marks of fire.
If not for the golden armor absorbing most of the blow's power, his entire left shoulder would have been blown to pieces!
The two stood suspended in midair a hundred paces apart, their gazes filled with greater solemnity and caution.
Lu Tao licked the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes gradually burning with intensity.
He had assumed his strength was second only to Li Guanqi's. Never had he expected that an unknown nobody would manage to wound him so severely!
The surrounding cultivators erupted into an uproar at the sight!
The Six Domains' cultivators raised their arms and cheered, while the Ancient Clan's cultivators wore grim expressions.
Only Lu Kangnian continued to strike the war drum before him without pause, as though he had never once doubted that Xiao Chen could fight his opponent to a standstill!
Xiao Chen circulated the primal energy within his body, sealing his meridians to staunch the bleeding. His eyes were more focused and composed than ever before.
Without a single wasted word, their gazes locked, and the two charged at each other once more!
Only this time, a trace of murderous intent laced Lu Tao's eyes. He had already sensed the threat Xiao Chen posed to him.
A person like this... was best eliminated as soon as possible!
Chapter 793