Chapter 1186: Chapter 184 The Face of the East Victory Continent_1
"An instant kill?"
Ding Yufang blinked her eyes.
Shi Xiaole’s opponent had reached the late stage of the Supreme Martial Arts, equivalent to the late stage of twelve levels of top-tier martial arts, but the power was certainly much greater. Moreover, both martial arts and the power of the heart had reached perfection, almost every aspect hitting the limits of a martial artist.
To be instantly killed still proved that Shi Xiaole’s aptitude was a grade higher than the other’s.
Of course, Shi Xiaole had made the first move just now, and his sword speed was extremely fast, which probably also gave him the advantage of surprise. Otherwise, the Azure Cloud Martial Emperor wouldn’t have been instantly killed.
The outsiders thought the Azure Cloud Martial Emperor was too careless, but the Azure Cloud Martial Emperor had his own difficulties to express. I wasn’t careless at all; just as I was about to make a move, his sword arrived, what could I do?
"This lad’s strength is probably even above some of the Ten Proud Ones. I’ll wait and see, hoping he shows an even stronger performance."
Having glanced at the expressions of some people around, The Azure Cloud Martial Emperor sneered to himself and flew back to the outer ring.
The competition included not only instant kills and overwhelming victories but also evenly matched battles, which actually accounted for a large part. About a 2-hour period later, the first round ended.
The second round started immediately.
The third round.
The fourth round.
The fifth round.
...
Each round of the competition was more or less the same, and after eight rounds, everyone had a general idea of the combatants’ power levels.
Nine masters plus the peerless twin prides belonged to the first group.
The White Cloud Emperor and other top ten ranked individuals from the previous cycle of the Fate Battle, along with several old monsters who had emerged, belonged to the second group.
The third group was more complicated, consisting of hidden experts reappearing in the Martial World, mighty warriors who were famous in all directions, and young talents represented by Liu Ruofei, Shi Xiaole, and Ding Yufang.
Most people were in the fourth group and were basically reduced to minor roles.
"It seems that the master of this Fate battle will emerge between the nine great masters and the peerless twin prides."
"These eleven people are too strong; unless they encounter each other, it’s difficult to gauge their exact level through others. I really look forward to their confrontation."
"Don’t worry, you’ll be able to see it soon."
By the ninth round.
A highly anticipated decisive battle took place, between Liu Ruofei from the Ten Proud Ones and the Sun and Moon Emperor from the Water and Fire Dao Manor.
The former was a leading figure among the youth, while the latter ranked sixth in the last Fate Battle, a master of the second group.
Many believed it was beyond doubt that the Sun and Moon Emperor would win.
"Liu Ruofei, admit defeat, you are no match for me."
The Sun and Moon Emperor’s weapons were a pair of sun and moon scimitars, with the left hand red flame and the right hand blue ice. Between the interaction of fire and water, the void on the Fate platform became hazed, not with a mist that obstructs the line of sight, but a fog that shattered the spirit.
In such an environment, even a highly skilled warrior would become blind, only to be manipulated at will.
Both scimitars suddenly appeared, slashing at Liu Ruofei’s neck and abdomen.
Clang!
Liu Ruofei swept away the sun and moon scimitars with a single stroke of his sword and said indifferently, "It’s not necessarily going to be me who loses."
His body faded into the haze, was taken by the sword, and with Sword Qi tracing a long light trail, once again, it collided with the sun and moon scimitars, focusing power at one point, and directly sent the Sun and Moon Emperor flying out.
"Unable to sense with the spirit, then let the sword be my eyes and ears. Unexpectedly, Liu Ruofei, you have already advanced to the stage of Divine Sword Control. You’re truly worthy of the reputation as South Sea’s number one sword prodigy."
The unity of man and sword is the initial realm for swordsmen. At this stage, a person can utilize a sword to bring out its full potential.
Sword Heart is the second realm, signifying that even with no sword in hand, there is still a sword in the heart. The sword moves transcend forms, escaping the restraints of the physical.
A further step is to have neither sword in hand nor heart, reaching the Heavenly Sword realm, where any form of being can morph into a sword and be wielded by the swordsman.
The fourth stage is Heart Sword, where the strength of the heart determines the strength of the sword. It can be said that any swordsman who has perfected Heart Sword cultivation is a rare sword prodigy in both ancient and modern times.
As for Divine Sword Control, this is known as the supreme realm, a legendary level that, since ancient times, has seen very few swordsmen even in South Sea who have touched upon this plane!
And yet, Liu Ruofei, who has not yet reached the age of eighty, has already touched the rudimentary form of Divine Sword Control, how surprising this is.
In the eyes of the Sun and Moon Emperor, Liu Ruofei was not only the number one sword prodigy of the South Sea but probably also of the entire world. Yet even so, it was the other party who would be defeated this time.
"Sun and Moon Tactics, kill!"
The Sun and Moon Emperor’s body erupted with red and blue lights, like a sea of fire and a mountain of ice, fundamentally opposed, each flowing into the scimitars in his hands.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Two incredibly brilliant red and blue sword glows appeared in the sky, crossing over the center where Liu Ruofei was located, and a deep purple mushroom-shaped light orb exploded, turning the world pale.
If it weren’t for the Array System around the Fate platform, many masters of the Nineteen Peaks would have been affected.
"Limitless Killing Sword!"
Liu Ruofei did not retreat.
Murderous intent, Sword Qi, and his spirit all fused into this one sword stroke, concentrated at the tip, making the sword piercingly sharp, thrusting forward like gliding, swift as lightning and unstoppable.
The purple light from the explosion parted to either side due to the sword’s thrust, emitting a sound like glass scraping an iron plate, making many hearts feel as if they were shattering.
Yet Liu Ruofei’s sword became faster and faster as if it had no limit.
Pfft!
Liu Ruofei sheathed his sword, leaving a spot of blood on the chest of Sun and Moon Emperor. Had it been a battle to the death, Sun and Moon Emperor would’ve already been dead.
This battle, Liu Ruofei won.
"Indeed, when he crossed swords with me back then, he held back!"
Atop the Divine Martial Peak, Ageless Mountain Man let out a deep breath, feeling a sudden chill and relief that he hadn’t angered Liu Ruofei. Otherwise, he was almost certain he would’ve been dead.
Such a terrifying young man—if he were of comparable age, he might not fall short against Xuanyuan Di or Qi Muchu.
"Liu Ruofei!"
Luo Zijiao couldn’t remain calm; his master, the Sun and Moon Emperor, was defeated by a peer, a complex feeling that words couldn’t describe.
Following this battle, everyone’s assessment of Liu Ruofei raised a notch. His sword skills were now proclaimed to be within the top five in the South Sea. Contending for the top ten might be out of reach, but breaking into the top twenty was not impossible.
That was only because this assembly of competitors was too powerful and formidable. In other years, even the top five may not have been out of the question, and he was not even eighty years old. That thought was truly frightening.
The same ninth round.
In the penultimate match, White Cloud Emperor from the previous tournament, who placed second, faced Tianya Martial Emperor.
Although in the first round Tianya Martial Emperor was instantaneously defeated by Heavenly Sword Emperor, no one thought he was weak. How could someone who was ranked ninth in the previous tournament be weak?
White Cloud Emperor was even more formidable, having been ranked second in the last tournament, and if not for some mishap, he would’ve been a favorite to contend for the title of Fate’s Master.
Twenty moves.
In a clash of finishing moves, it ultimately ended with White Cloud Emperor’s victory, but this further illustrated the power of Thousand Swords Emperor to the spectators.
The final battle of the ninth round.
Seeing the opponents engendered slight murmurs of surprise at Nineteen Peaks, this was the first encounter of the younger generation’s finest, also viewed as the first clash among the Ten Proud Youths.
Fan Shengnan against Shi Xiaole.
Both had won all eight previous rounds by completely overwhelming their opponents—one with fierce blade arts, the other with sharp swordplay. It was truly uncertain who would have the last laugh.
"Shi Xiaole’s Wind Sword Way is only at an eleventh-grade mid-realm level, while Fan Shengnan’s Blade Martial Way has reached the peak of ten completions. Given their similar talents, Fan Shengnan has an eighty percent chance of winning."
"That’s true, but anything can happen during a match. We’ll just have to watch and see," someone else remarked.
Many acquaintances exchanged thoughts in hushed tones. Overall, most believed Fan Shengnan to be stronger, thinking it would be a matter of only a few moves at most.
The higher the level of a martial artist, the more significant the importance of their martial way. There’s a fundamental difference between a half-Supreme Martial Arts and Supreme Martial Arts. For Shi Xiaole to catch up to Fan Shengnan in other aspects and gain an overall advantage was very, very difficult.
The owner of Illusion Orchid Tower watched intently, her beautiful eyes not blinking.
The experts of the Ling Family, whether from Ling Wenlong’s line or Ling Wenyu’s line, were paying extra attention, each with different emotions.
"I hear you’re from overseas, East Victory Continent?" Fan Shengnan, a tall man of one meter ninety, dressed in black warrior attire, quirked an eyebrow as he scrutinized the young man across from him for the first time.
"Correct."
Shi Xiaole nodded.
"Are there many like you in East Victory Continent?"
The young man opposite, undoubtedly possessing an exceptional aura, even comparable to Qi Muchu in Fan Shengnan’s eyes, and not lacking in appearance either. Such individuals were rarities irrespective of the region, yet she wouldn’t show mercy because of it.
"I don’t know."
Shi Xiaole replied.
Fan Shengnan made a sound of acknowledgment.
’I don’t know’ could mean two things: Either he genuinely didn’t know, which was impossible, as Shi Xiaole was neither deaf nor blind. The other meaning was an implied admission that no one could stand shoulder to shoulder with him. It was because there was no one openly like him that he would say he didn’t know.
With the corner of her mouth upticked, Fan Shengnan reached behind her back and slowly drew out the long blade, saying word by word, "I hear the level of martial arts in East Victory Continent is quite low. I hope you’ll entertain me fully and not disgrace the face of East Victory Continent overseas."
"I believe I will," Shi Xiaole said, his demeanor unchanging throughout.
"Heh heh," a chuckle came from the outer ring, where Ding Yufang was.
If Shi Xiaole’s strength was sufficient, his indifferent stance could be seen as a master’s demeanor. But if he ended up beaten badly later, his current attitude would merely be deemed pretentious.
"Soul Slash!"
Without any intention of probing, Fan Shengnan began with a strike that had crushed her previous opponents.
A single blade stroke, and myriad slashes from various directions aimed at Shi Xiaole, not only to immobilize his body but the stray blade Qi also seeped into Shi Xiaole’s spirit sea.
Clang, clang, clang...
Without a sideward glance, Shi Xiaole’s sword flashed out of its sheath. His counterstrike was faster, and before the myriad slashes could reach him, his sword had already pierced through the layers of blade confinement, heading straight for Fan Shengnan’s throat.
It was the "Lightning Startling Swan."
"So fast!"
Many were taken aback; this sword strike was faster than Shi Xiaole’s previous ones.
In the face of danger, Fan Shengnan slightly shifted her elbow, her blade tracing a circle in front of her. When the sword tip was three feet from her body, the overwhelming blade pressure arrived first, filling the space around Shi Xiaole.
