Chapter 154: Chapter 153: Inner Qi Transformation
Li Feng sheathed his saber, his breathing steady, as if he had just done something trivial.
The smile on Elder Mo Hai of Tingyu Building finally vanished, and his brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
He glanced at a female disciple beside him. She was dressed in an aqua-colored martial uniform and had a cold, beautiful face. He said in a low voice,
"Wang Yun, you go and test his saber."
Wang Yun nodded. Her weapons were a pair of Water-Splitting Needles. With an agile movement, she leaped onto the arena stage.
"The match begins."
Wang Yun did not clash head-on with Li Feng. Instead, she relied on her exquisite Body Technique and the dexterity of her Water-Splitting Needles, trying to fight evasively and find an opening in Li Feng’s Saber Technique.
Her strength was clearly greater than Cao Jun’s. Her Water-Splitting Needle techniques were cunning and ruthless, aimed exclusively at joints and vital points.
However, Li Feng’s defense was watertight. No matter how Wang Yun attacked, she could not break through it.
On the contrary, Wang Yun found herself in perilous situations under Li Feng’s occasional counterattacks.
After dozens of moves, Li Feng’s Saber Momentum abruptly changed as he switched from defense to offense.
He fiercely unleashed a "Thousand-Mile Ice Seal." The light from his saber was like a collapsing glacier, carrying a chill that could freeze everything, sealing off all of Wang Yun’s escape routes.
Wang Yun’s face turned pale as she struggled to parry with her Water-Splitting Needles.
CLANG!
With a loud crash, Wang Yun felt a frigid energy invade her meridians through her weapons. Her entire arm went numb instantly, and the Water-Splitting Needles flew from her grasp.
Li Feng’s saber tip had already stopped three inches from her throat. The icy killing intent made her skin crawl with goosebumps.
"Li Feng of the Qingxuan Sect wins," Xuanyuan Jing announced again.
Li Feng sheathed his saber without a second glance at the distraught Wang Yun.
Having defeated two opponents in a row, Li Feng’s breathing remained steady. It was clear the last two battles had not consumed much of his energy.
Elder Mo Hai of Tingyu Building’s expression finally turned grave. He slowly said, "You Quan."
Standing behind him, You Quan, who had been resting with his eyes closed, slowly opened them. They were a pair of eyes like deep pools—cold, empty, and devoid of emotion.
He gave a slight nod and took a step. His figure flickered like a phantom and, in an instant, he was standing silently on the arena stage, facing Li Feng from a distance.
Both had Mid-Stage Eighth Grade Cultivation. Their auras were profound—one was as chilling as ice, the other as inscrutable as an abyss.
Their formless momentums clashed in the air, seeming to lower the temperature around the arena stage by several degrees.
The entire audience held their breath. Everyone knew this would be a battle between titans.
"The match begins!"
The instant Xuanyuan Jing’s voice fell, the two figures moved at the same time!
Li Feng’s long saber flashed out again. The blade’s light was like cold lightning splitting the sky, carrying an unstoppable resolve as it slashed toward You Quan.
A pair of Short Blades had appeared in You Quan’s hands at some unknown moment. Their blades were pitch-black, as if they could absorb light.
His figure blurred. Instead of dodging, his Short Blades transformed into two bizarre, ink-black trajectories, striking faster than Li Feng’s attack to aim directly at his wrist.
Li Feng’s Saber Technique changed to meet the Short Blades aimed at his wrist.
DING DING DING DING...
The sound of metal clashing became a dense, rapid flurry. The two figures flickered and crossed paths at high speed on the stage, the flashing lights of saber and blade dazzling to the eye.
Li Feng’s Saber Technique was grand and sweeping, powerful and heavy. Every slash carried a chill that could freeze the blood.
You Quan’s Blade Technique, however, was treacherous and sinister. His Body Technique was like smoke, and his Short Blades always took an unorthodox path, their attack angles cunning and utterly ruthless.
Both of their Martial Techniques had reached the Mastery Level, bordering on the Great Success Realm. Their understanding and application of their own "Momentum" had also reached a profound level.
In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged over a hundred moves, yet they were evenly matched, with no clear winner!
Li Feng’s Saber Momentum grew increasingly sharp as he tried to suppress You Quan with absolute power.
But You Quan was like a venomous snake in the dark, always able to neutralize the danger at critical moments with his exquisite Body Technique and bizarre Blade Technique, while looking for a chance to counterattack.
Two hundred moves, three hundred moves... Their Inner Strength was being rapidly consumed, and sweat was beading on their foreheads, but the fighting spirit in their eyes only grew stronger.
Li Feng’s Saber Momentum became even fiercer as he tried to break the stalemate by using offense as his defense.
You Quan, however, remained steady and firm. He relied on his sinister Blade Technique and strange Body Technique to continually wear down Li Feng, searching for an opportunity to win with a single strike.
The situation was a deadlock. The crowd watched, mesmerized. Everyone understood that the outcome of this duel could be decided in a single instant.
Finally, around the four-hundredth move, Li Feng executed a Powerful Slash of Huashan, his Saber Momentum climbing to its peak.
A cold light flashed in You Quan’s eyes. He didn’t dodge. Both of his blades shot out, the two dark weapons like venomous dragons emerging from a cave, meeting the saber’s edge head-on.
This was the ultimate collision of Inner Strength and Martial Technique!
BOOM!!!
A world-shaking explosion erupted on the arena stage!
A violent Qi Force swept out with the two of them at its center, kicking up dust at the edge of the stage.
Both figures stumbled backward at the same time!
Li Feng leaned on his saber to support himself. His face was pale, the web between his thumb and index finger had split open, and fresh blood stained the hilt of his saber. His chest heaved violently.
You Quan had also retreated several steps. A trickle of dark red blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, and his arms trembled slightly. It was clear he had also suffered significant internal injuries.
They stared death-stares at each other, both wanting to fight on, but their physical conditions no longer permitted it.
Xuanyuan Jing’s figure instantly appeared between them. With a flick of his sleeve, a gentle Power pushed them apart.
"This battle is a draw!"
As the voice spread, surprised gasps arose!
A draw!
Li Feng of the Qingxuan Sect and You Quan of Tingyu Building, two masters at the Middle Stage of Eighth Grade, had actually fought to a draw!
Li Feng took a deep breath, suppressed his churning qi and blood, glanced at You Quan opposite him, sheathed his saber, gave a slight nod, and turned to leave the stage.
Although he hadn’t won, the formidable strength he displayed had earned him countless looks of awe.
You Quan also put away his Short Blades. He glanced expressionlessly at Li Feng’s back and silently retreated from the stage.
At this point, the Qingxuan Sect had sent out three fighters, leaving Fang Han and Yun Qianyue.
Tingyu Building had sent out four, with only Mo Chen remaining.
Inside the Martial Arts Arena, the noise gradually subsided. Everyone’s gaze was fixed on the stage, or more precisely, on the two who were about to enter.
The draw between Li Feng and You Quan had shifted all the final pressure onto the shoulders of the two who had yet to fight.
On the Qingxuan Sect’s side, Elder Chen Xuan’s gaze was calm as he looked at Fang Han and said solemnly,
"Fang Han, you’re up for this battle."
"Yes, Elder."
Fang Han replied, his face showing no fear, only a sharp glint that flashed for an instant deep in his eyes.
He straightened his robes, gripped the hilt of his Cyan Blade Sword, and stepped onto the arena stage with a steady gait.
Almost as soon as he took his position, that figure in the Tingyu Building camp who had been standing as still as an abyss finally moved.
Mo Chen’s steps weren’t fast, but they carried a strange rhythm, as if he were merging with the surrounding light and shadows.
He silently ascended the stage and stood ten zhang away from Fang Han.
Only now did many people get a clear look at him.
His face was plain and unremarkable, the kind of person you’d forget right after seeing them.
But his eyes were as deep as an old well, without the slightest ripple. His gaze toward Fang Han was like looking at a lifeless object.
The aura around his body was suppressed to the extreme. If not for seeing him with their own eyes, one could hardly perceive his presence.
However, it was this extreme suppression that gave Fang Han an unprecedented sense of pressure.
’This person is more dangerous than anyone I’ve faced before!’
"The match begins!"
Xuanyuan Jing’s voice fell like a pebble dropped into a calm lake.
The very instant his voice sounded, Mo Chen moved!
He didn’t rush forward or even assume any obvious starting stance. He simply raised his right hand casually, brought his index and middle fingers together, and pointed them vaguely at Fang Han.
SHHIIING—!
An extremely condensed, nearly transparent stream of Qi Force, accompanied by a sharp sound like tearing silk, shot out from his fingertips.
After leaving his body, the Qi Force swelled in the wind, instantly transforming into a three-inch-long Flying Saber formed entirely from condensed, pure Inner Qi.
The Flying Saber’s form was solid, its edge glinting with a dark luster. Its speed surpassed the limits of visual perception as it shot straight for Fang Han’s face, carrying a piercing intent that seemed capable of penetrating anything.
Before the Flying Saber even arrived, its incomparably sharp intent, which felt as if it could pierce through anything, rushed toward him, making his skin crawl with a cold chill.
Fang Han’s pupils constricted. He didn’t dare to be the least bit careless.
The Middle Stage of Eighth Grade Inner Qi within his body surged, pouring into his Cyan Blade Sword. He instantly executed his Mastery Level Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship, and the Cyan Blade Sword transformed into a streak of cyan lightning, slashing toward the Inner Qi Flying Saber.
THUD—!
It wasn’t the clang of metal on metal, but a strange, muffled explosion.
The moment the sword edge and Flying Saber collided, Fang Han felt an extremely condensed Power with strong piercing and corrosive properties surge ferociously up his blade!
The Cyan Blade Sword vibrated violently, letting out a hum as if it were on the verge of breaking.
Fang Han’s arm went numb, his qi and blood roiled, and his body was uncontrollably forced back. STOMP, STOMP, STOMP. He took three consecutive steps back before he could barely disperse the immense force.
Each step left a clear footprint on the hard stone surface of the stage.
And that Inner Qi Flying Saber, under the force of his sword, exploded violently, dissipating into wisps of pure Inner Qi in the air.
In a single move, the difference in their strength seemed to have been decided!
Although Fang Han had blocked the attack, he had been forced back, placing him at a clear disadvantage.
"A Middle Grade Hidden Weapon Martial Technique at the Great Success Level?!"
A wave of irrepressible gasps instantly rippled through the viewing stands.
Inner Qi Transformation!
Compressing and condensing one’s externalized Inner Qi to give it a tangible, offensive form. As long as one’s Inner Qi doesn’t run out, their supply of Hidden Weapons is endless, eliminating the reliance on physical projectiles.
This was a profound skill that could only be mastered by cultivating a Middle Grade Hidden Weapon-type Martial Technique to the Great Success Realm!
Without a doubt, Mo Chen must have cultivated a Middle Grade Hidden Weapon Martial Technique to Great Success.
"This Mo Chen... he’s actually cultivated a Middle Grade Martial Technique to Great Success? He’s the first disciple to display a Great Success-level Middle Grade Martial Technique since the Seven Sects competition began!"
The Zhang Family Patriarch shot upright, his eyes filled with shock.
The Tiejiang Gang Leader sucked in a sharp breath of cold air.
Even the official from the Governor’s Mansion, who had been sitting as still as a mountain, was now visibly moved.
Elder Chen Xuan’s pupils also constricted slightly, and for the first time, a grave expression appeared on his face.
He originally had high hopes for Fang Han, but the Martial Arts Realm that Mo Chen displayed with that single opening move had already exceeded his expectations.
He turned his head slightly and whispered to Yun Qianyue beside him, "Yun Qianyue, observe Mo Chen carefully. This boy... is even more troublesome than expected. Be ready to go on stage at any moment."
Yun Qianyue’s face beneath her purple veil couldn’t be seen clearly, but her cold, clear eyes sharpened instantly. She nodded lightly, her gaze locked firmly on the arena stage.
