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The only fortunate thing was that Grandmaster An couldn’t utilize the power of the Heaven and Earth Law. Without a body nurtured by the Heaven and Earth Law, even the most profound martial arts battle techniques couldn’t be fully executed.
Generally speaking, those who could pass the third round of life and death battles were often the first in the previous inner hall assessments.
Sometimes, there might not even be one.
This year’s standard was indeed very high.
"The third round begins."
With the announcement, the black-robed swordsman Sha Jiu was the first to take the stage.
This time, it was obviously not so easy.
Previously, he stood still, relying solely on the swift and secret sword skills to destroy the Heavenly Soldier Puppets. This time, he even used movement techniques, continuously moving and dodging while striking with his sword.
He destroyed the Heavenly Soldier Puppet only after launching over a hundred sword strikes.
However, judging by his demeanor, there was not the slightest ripple, as if everything was under control.
Then it was Qi Tianxing’s turn.
"My turn."
Qi Tianxing took a deep breath and drew his sword to step onto the stage.
He wasn’t very confident either.
After all, he wasn’t practicing the ultimate killing skill, and the Daoist’s Body to Saint Cultivation Method had only reached a minor achievement, still far from being perfect.
In terms of realm, he wasn’t as good as the Heavenly Soldier Puppet; only the basis of the Body to Saint Cultivation Method surpassed it.
"This is my advantage. Since my realm is inferior, then I’ll overpower it with strength!"
On the stage, sword light crisscrossed, sharp edges emerged everywhere as Qi Tianxing relentlessly pressured the Heavenly Soldier Puppet with his strikes.
Finally, just before the allotted time ran out, a sword light barely managed to break through the core of the Heavenly Soldier Puppet, causing it to dissipate.
"Passed, phew... finally..."
Qi Tianxing let out a long breath, somewhat exhausted, as he sheathed his sword and left the stage.
If he couldn’t even pass the third round, he would have disappointed the Sword Saint Yu’s meticulous guidance over the past half a year.
However, on the long-tiered stand, the Twelfth Prince’s face didn’t show much joy.
"Among the four on the field, Baili Fengzhi is the strongest. Qi Tianxing and the Seventeenth Prince are of similar strength. Sha Jiu still has reserves."
The Hall Master of Tianguang casually commented, "The Seventeenth Prince, although weaker than Qi Tianxing in the basics, practices the ultimate killing skill. Together with the Mind Forbidden Technique, his strength is slightly higher than Qi Tianxing’s. But the Mind Forbidden Technique and the ultimate killing skill consume too much, making it unsustainable."
"In the coming fourth round, only Baili Fengzhi might pass."
Prince An Qing nodded nonchalantly, "Let’s see who among the other three can hold out the longest. But... the Seventeenth Prince’s Thirteen Flames is clearly not suitable for sustained combat."
Duke Heng frowned slightly, showing some concern.
The Mind Forbidden Technique and ultimate killing skill were both life-risking methods, let alone using them together.
Using both techniques simultaneously under high-intensity combat would undoubtedly result in extraordinary consumption. How long could he hold out then?
Moreover, the Thirteen Flames was inherently a high-speed killing technique, meant for an all-out burst. Once it erupted, it was over, indeed not suitable for prolonged battle, whereas Qi Tianxing was obviously more comprehensive.
The Twelfth Prince looked gently below and suddenly used divine thought to transmit a message to Qi Tianxing:
"Qi Tianxing, I do not demand that you perform exceptionally well in the life and death battle, but in the next round, you must endure as long as possible, at least longer than the Seventeenth Prince, to enter the inner hall, do you understand?"
Qi Tianxing took a deep breath and immediately transmitted a reply through divine thought: "Yes, Your Highness, Tianxing will give it his all."
At this moment, it was Lin Yue’s turn to take the stage.
"It’s time to use the Mind Forbidden Technique."
A thought stirred in Lin Yue’s mind, his eyes filled with surging Blood Sea. As his essence blood depleted, his whole body began to be surrounded by swirling blood-colored streams.
An astonishing power instantly filled his entire being.
Simply in terms of basics, he was now stronger than this top-grade Heavenly Soldier Puppet!
"Thirteen Flames!"
The wind passed silently, the fire ignited in an instant.
The Thirteen Flames Kill Skill at the perfect level had reached the point of casually erupting at the highest speed.
That terrifying speed was displayed vividly.
"Swish, swish, swish, swish—!"
At this moment, it seemed there were thirteen Lin Yue figures on the field simultaneously, all circling around the Heavenly Soldier Puppet, each striking a blow!
Among them, twelve sword lights were either dodged with the Heavenly Soldier Puppet’s incredibly skillful movement technique or blocked by its seamless spear technique.
But the last strike drew a bizarre arc and still found a gap, accurately hitting the core on the chest of the Heavenly Soldier Puppet, as the blade energy burst, instantly tearing the core apart.
"Won just like that?" Grandmaster An was also stunned.
He thought he could survive two to three rounds of Thirteen Flames’ explosive strikes before being defeated due to severe injuries, unable to recover in time.
Unexpectedly, it was beaten in just one round?
"Incredible control!"
On the long-tiered stand, Prince An Qing couldn’t help but softly exclaim, "To control the sword skill at such a nuanced level at such speed and forcefully break through Grandmaster An’s defense is truly remarkable."
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The Hall Master of Tianguang also nodded, "Indeed remarkable. This kind of incredible control must be some sort of martial arts secret skill. I wonder where Lin Yue learned it."
Those gathered around were also filled with admiration.
"This prince is only at the second level of Four Symbols, yet he can showcase such prowess. It’s truly terrifying."
"No wonder he is a prince, so formidable..."
"Having only cultivated for just over a year and passing the third round of the life and death battle, has there ever been anyone like this in history?"
"I heard that Prince An Qing got to the sixth level in the past. I think the Seventeenth Prince could achieve that too in the future."
On the field, Lin Yue sheathed his sword and finally walked down.
He didn’t feel much.
In the past year, the biggest improvement he had during cultivation and battles in the Illusion Realm was ’control.’
That special martial arts secret skill allowed him to have control over himself, his environment, and his enemies to an extremely high degree, especially in simulation and calculation, enabling him to precisely determine how to fight optimally.
This martial arts secret skill alone almost guaranteed his invincibility, as long as his strength wasn’t completely overwhelmed, he could at least try.
"It’s Baili Fengzhi’s turn."
"Will she be allowed to use weapons this round?"
"She should be able to..."
Amid various gazes, Baili Fengzhi, with her tall legs, walked opposite the regenerating Heavenly Soldier Puppet.
Yet, she still didn’t retrieve any weapon.
"Begin."
As the announcement rang, Baili Fengzhi turned into a streak of fire, traversing several dozen feet with astonishing speed, appearing in front of the Heavenly Soldier Puppet almost like instant teleportation.
"Boom!"
Once again, it was a straightforward palm strike!
In that moment, it seemed everyone on the field faintly heard a high-pitched, clear Phoenix Call.
The violent palm force slapped directly on the spear shaft the Heavenly Soldier Puppet used to block. The spear’s smooth energy redirection technique was utterly ineffective, striking it as it flew backward, crushing into the chest. With golden light shimmering incessantly, the entire Heavenly Soldier Puppet shattered into pieces.
The whole arena fell into silence.
Everyone stared in speechless shock at the tall and beautiful woman.
Baili Fengzhi calmly walked back to Lin Yue’s side, cupped her hands, and said, "Your Highness."
"Not bad." Lin Yue nodded slightly, and she stood quietly behind him as before, maintaining her bodyguard appearance.
On the long-tiered stand.
"Fire Phoenix Divine Body."
The Hall Master of Tianguang softly remarked, "Indeed the supreme secret technique of the Eternal Night Fire Phoenix Demon Clan, the Fire Phoenix Divine Body. It appears to be at least at the great achievement level, perhaps even perfect."
Duke Heng nodded, "No wonder her Fire Element Spirit is so astonishing."
"Even if she has the bloodline of the Fire Phoenix Demon Clan," Prince An Qing said, "how could she have trained the Fire Phoenix Divine Body to this level without the Fire Phoenix Soul and a large volume of Fire Phoenix Blood? The Fire Phoenix Demon Clan regards the Divine Beast Fire Phoenix as a totem, and there probably isn’t a second Fire Phoenix in Eternal Night. From where did she obtain the Fire Phoenix Blood and Soul?"
The Twelfth Prince suddenly smiled and said, "That’s not necessarily true. Sixty-seven years ago, the Divine Beast Fire Phoenix did appear in Great Yong."
"Oh?" Prince An Qing, absorbed in martial arts, was unaware of external affairs.
"Sixty-seven years ago, during a period of disturbance in our Great Yong’s National Guardian Array, the Eternal Night’s various demon clans amassed their forces to simultaneously attack the eight Heroic Passes of our Great Yong."
The Twelfth Prince faintly smiled, "With attacks from all directions, His Majesty couldn’t defend everywhere. The Fire Phoenix Demon Clan and its subordinate clans attacked the Northwest Heroic Pass. Even the Divine Beast Fire Phoenix accompanied them, but it perished under the siege of numerous cultivation powerhouses, and its body and soul disappeared together."
He glanced below at Baili Fengzhi and Lin Yue, "It was suspected at the time that the Fire Phoenix body and soul were seized by that evil Tantian Sect. Now it seems likely."
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