King of Ten Thousand Years

With a single slash, the very atmosphere seemed to shift.

The Nine Heavens Sword Technique’s Sixth Technique, Sword Wind Howl, was a single-target offensive swordsmanship of incomparably formidable power!

On the Martial Arts Arena, a tempest erupted.

A gale of piercingly cold Sword Qi, shimmering with an icy brilliance, unleashed a furious roar that struck terror into the heart!

In the blink of an eye, the sword was upon Qi Yuntian!

’What a powerful slash! It surpasses the Seven Kills Fifth Technique I just comprehended!’

Celestial Evil Sword’s eyes lit up.

However, this scene was strikingly similar to his own duel with Qi Yuntian just moments ago!

Forced into a corner, unleashing one’s strongest attack to settle the match!

’It’s just that Luo Tian’s final killing blow is stronger than my own was. I wonder if the outcome will change...’

”This sword technique isn’t bad!”

Qi Yuntian showed no fear; on the contrary, a hint of excitement appeared on his face.

”Wuji Battle Heaven!”

Without hesitation, he unleashed his full power, intending to utterly annihilate Luo Tian’s strongest attack and end this battle!

The aura erupting from his body shook the very clouds. A dazzling Aurora Palm Force, radiating a grand, boundless, and transcendent might, shot forward.

BOOM!

The Palm Technique and Sword Qi clashed. A wave of crystalline white light abruptly spread out, blasting in all directions.

The shockwave alone was enough to terrify an ordinary cultivator of the Earth Element Realm.

At this moment, the entire arena fell silent. No one dared to even blink as they stared intently at the Martial Arts Arena.

No one had expected Luo Tian, who had been on the defensive the whole time, to suddenly launch such a ferocious offensive and clash so spectacularly with Qi Yuntian.

For a moment, they were under the illusion that the outcome was still unpredictable!

’This must be an illusion. Qi Yuntian’s victory is certain!’

Then, from within the explosive blast, a massive Palm Light could be seen crushing its way forward—it was Qi Yuntian’s Palm Technique.

In this clash of ultimate moves, Qi Yuntian had the upper hand!

Luo Tian had lost!

WHOOSH!

The Palm Technique crushed its way through, but... Luo Tian was gone.

”Hm?”

Qi Yuntian’s brow furrowed slightly.

Suddenly, a chill washed over him. From within the storm ahead, a tempest of white brilliance and Sword Qi, a figure rapidly closed in.

Qi Yuntian’s face showed his shock. ’How did Luo Tian get over here?’

He understood in an instant.

Luo Tian’s apparent desperation, his all-or-nothing gamble, had been a deliberate act. It was all to force him to unleash his own full power.

The very instant their ultimate attacks collided, Luo Tian had charged forward.

As the blast radiated outward, shocking even experts of the Earth Element Realm, Luo Tian had endured the damage and charged straight through the explosive tempest!

Now, Luo Tian was covered in wounds. Several spots on his robes were stained red with blood.

The injuries he’d sustained from the explosion were even more severe than all the others he had received from Qi Yuntian thus far.

But Luo Tian’s eyes were incredibly bright, firm and sharp, piercing straight into Qi Yuntian!

”Now, you will take a sword from me!”

Luo Tian’s voice was quiet, yet it sent a tremor through Qi Yuntian’s heart!

PSSSH!

A piercingly cold Sword Qi, stirring up a dark and frigid tide, stabbed straight forward. Like a flash of lightning, it appeared before Qi Yuntian in an instant!

At that moment, Qi Yuntian was suffering from the backlash of his full-power burst. The True Essence in his body was incredibly turbulent, rendering him unable to counter.

He floated backward, but the sword Luo Tian had long since prepared was too fast. It plunged into his chest in an instant!

PSSSH!

A flower of blood blossomed on Qi Yuntian’s robes.

Luo Tian had gambled everything on this one strike, and he fully unleashed the power of his Nether Dragon Divine Vein, infusing it into the blow.

A tyrannical Yin Netherworld chill spread out, snuffing out life and freezing all in its path!

”What?”

”Qi Yuntian is injured!”

”Holy crap! I thought he couldn’t be injured at all!”

The crowd erupted, utterly shocked and incredulous!

The higher-ups of the Four Major Sects and the Ten Hidden Families were all visibly moved, unable to conceal their astonishment.

”This kid...”

The Grand Elder was inwardly shaken and grew excited.

Even when the entire crowd had no faith in him, Luo Tian had not given up. He had fought with all his might and had now actually wounded Qi Yuntian!

This was the first time Qi Yuntian had been truly wounded by anyone in the Celestial Pride Conference!

On the Martial Arts Arena.

Qi Yuntian felt the pain and looked down at his wound.

’I fell for his scheme!’

The Wuji Saint Qian Skill he cultivated was incomplete and possessed a flaw: a backlash would occur after he unleashed his full power.

It was equivalent to a period of weakness lasting a few breaths.

Everything Luo Tian had done before was to lure him into letting his guard down, unleashing his full power, and exposing this weakness for a heavy blow!

”That was a good strike, but a single slash is not enough to defeat me!”

Qi Yuntian acknowledged the quality of Luo Tian’s strike, and the fighting spirit in his eyes flared!

BOOM!

He took a deep breath and suddenly struck out, slamming a palm directly at Luo Tian!

Luo Tian could feel that Qi Yuntian’s True Essence was still turbulent and had not yet stabilized. This Palm Technique attack was not very stable!

”Fight!”

He let out a battle cry. His [Ice Trace Sword] glimmered with a crystalline white light as he charged forward again, meeting Qi Yuntian’s Palm Technique head-on.

BANG!

The Sword Qi and Palm Light collided and exploded, and the aftershocks rushed toward Luo Tian.

He acted as if he didn’t see it, enduring the blow as he moved even closer to Qi Yuntian!

”Activate!”

The vortex of Cold Power from his Nether Dragon Divine Vein erupted, blanketing a twenty-meter radius.

From within the Cold Mist vortex came an abyssal, icy suction and a low dragon’s roar, which instantly began to corrode Qi Yuntian!

From the previous sword strike, Cold Power had already invaded Qi Yuntian’s body.

Now, attacked from both inside and out, Qi Yuntian’s face turned pale. He was suffering.

”Get lost!”

Qi Yuntian threw another palm strike. The backlash had subsided, but he didn’t dare to use his full strength, holding back to sixty or seventy percent of his power.

Luo Tian immediately activated his [Spirit Wind Gourd], and a powerful cyan vortex spread out.

The cyan wind vortex nearly overlapped with the Cold Mist vortex from his Nether Dragon Divine Vein, erupting with an even more terrifying power!

Under the influence of the cyan vortex and the Cold Mist, the Palm Light from Qi Yuntian’s strike was eroded and frozen by the chill. The [Spirit Wind Gourd] siphoned off some of its True Essence, weakening the Palm Technique’s power.

With his sixty-to-seventy-percent-power strike further weakened, the pressure on Luo Tian lessened. He thrust his sword into the center of the white Palm Light, shattering it!

”Furious Sword Torrential Rain!”

Luo Tian seized the golden opportunity, unleashing a powerful killing move.

Thousands of sharp, ice-cold Sword Qis materialized in the air and were unleashed at close range. Their majestic, surging momentum made Qi Yuntian’s expression darken.

He was injured, eroded by Cold Power from both within and without; his condition was poor.

Moreover, Qi Yuntian did not dare unleash his full power again. He was psychologically scarred, afraid it was another of Luo Tian’s schemes.

’Even without using my full power, I can still defeat him.’

Qi Yuntian’s expression was resolute, his mind calm.

Neither arrogant nor rash, he maintained sixty to seventy percent of his power and clashed head-on with Luo Tian!

Even under these circumstances, Luo Tian was still unable to gain the slightest advantage. He was even suppressed by Qi Yuntian several times, a testament to his opponent’s strength.

The gap in their Cultivation was obvious. If this dragged on, Luo Tian’s defeat was certain!

But just then, Luo Tian activated his [Spirit Wind Gourd] again. Besides creating whirlwinds, the gourd could also store True Qi, which he could draw upon directly!

The battle had been taxing, so Luo Tian directly replenished his reserves.

And that wasn’t all. Luo Tian frantically absorbed the True Qi stored in the [Spirit Wind Gourd], and the Eighth-Layer Qi Sea within him gradually began to fill!

Immediately after, Luo Tian circulated the Luck Technique from the Guiyuan True Skill. His Nether Dragon Divine Vein absorbed Spiritual Qi from all directions, drawing in the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi from a nearly hundred-meter radius.

”Is he... trying to break through?”

The Extreme Ice Fairy was stunned.

’If I recall correctly, Luo Tian only just broke through to the Peak of the Eighth Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm a few days ago.’

’It might be possible to break through in such a short time, but Luo Tian is in the middle of a fierce battle with Qi Yuntian. It’ll be incredibly difficult to succeed. Qi Yuntian might even seize the opportunity to defeat him in one fell swoop!’

”A foolish move.”

Shangguan Su said faintly.

In truth, Luo Tian was more than a little ways off from breaking through to the Ninth Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm.

However, when he had been training with Ye Feng previously, he had held nothing back. He had borrowed Ye Feng’s True Essence to temper his own True Qi, consolidate his Cultivation, and take a great step forward.

During the earlier part of his battle with Qi Yuntian, Luo Tian had been doing the same thing.

Beyond that, he had the advantage of his Divine Vein!

A Martial Vein affects one’s talent for Cultivation. What Luo Tian possessed was a Divine Vein. His efficiency at absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi far surpassed that of ordinary people, making his Cultivation speed much faster!

”Wuji Palm!”

Qi Yuntian slightly increased his power, seizing the chance to cause trouble for Luo Tian and distract him.

But Qi Yuntian discovered that Luo Tian’s aura was rapidly climbing, growing ever more refined.

’So fast?’

His expression shifted slightly.

The answer was simple: a Divine Vein was just that fast!

Guiyuan Cloud-Dispelling Hand!

He circulated his True Qi and struck out with all his might, also channeling his True Palm Skill Intent.

BANG!

Luo Tian met Qi Yuntian’s palm head-on and was instantly knocked back several steps. His arm trembled and went numb, almost losing all feeling. His blood and qi roiled, and he tasted a sweet tang in his throat!

But right at that moment, under the pressure and refinement of the blow, the True Qi in his body completed its breakthrough!

The nascent form of the Ninth-Layer Spirit Sea Vortex was born.

’I’ve broken through to the Ninth Layer!’

Luo Tian’s heart leaped, and a joyful expression appeared on his face.

Normally, he wouldn’t be in such a rush to advance his Cultivation, but for this final battle, Luo Tian was holding nothing back.

FWOOM!

Luo Tian steadied himself. An even more turbulent and potent force erupted from his palm, shattering Qi Yuntian’s Palm Technique.

Then he closed in again, his sword thrusting forward!

With his Cultivation breakthrough, the gap between Luo Tian and Qi Yuntian had narrowed.

With one’s strength growing as the other’s waned, the accumulating advantages were enough to create a decisive edge!

SHLICK!

Luo Tian slashed out. The cold light of his blade was like lightning, swift and graceful, leaving a bloody gash on Qi Yuntian’s shoulder!

”He broke through again!”

”Qi Yuntian is admirably powerful, but Luo Tian’s progress is terrifyingly fast!”

”The tables are turning! What will the outcome be...?”

The surrounding buzz of discussion slowly died down, and everyone fell silent, their gazes fixed on the Martial Arts Arena.

Qi Yuntian’s expression was grave.

He had never imagined the battle would reach this stage.

He didn’t think he was invincible, but how could he possibly lose to someone at the Ninth Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm?

”Qi Yuntian, I know the flaw in your Cultivation Technique perfectly well. It’s your fatal weakness. You cannot defeat me!”

Luo Tian suddenly spoke.

Demon Thought Technique!

Luo Tian’s pupils emitted a strange, dark glow as he met Qi Yuntian’s gaze. Demonic words, meant to bewitch the mind, spilled from his lips.

He seemed to transform into an Evil Monarch of old, radiating an eerie and unfathomable spiritual aura.

”No! You cannot defeat me!”

Qi Yuntian’s gaze wavered, his face a mask of struggle.

He had a strong resistance to Luo Tian’s Demon Thought Technique!

”Heh, why don’t you unleash your full power? It’s because you’re worried. You’re afraid. You know your chances of winning aren’t that great!”

Luo Tian chuckled, like an Evil Monarch who had everything under control. His hair and robes billowed around him.

”I... ”

Qi Yuntian faltered. A tangle of complex emotions filled his eyes, and his mind was in turmoil.

’An opening!’

Luo Tian instantly poured everything he had into his fastest, most ferocious Sword Technique, carving another wound into Qi Yuntian!

”You’re wounded again. Soon, you will taste defeat!”

Luo Tian continued.

After his battle with Shangguan Su, his Creation Technique had made a breakthrough. His Spiritual Power had risen to a new level, and so, naturally, had the power of his Demon Thought Technique.

Qi Yuntian’s emotions grew turbulent. The power of his Palm Technique gradually increased, and his offensive became ferocious!

”Fall!”

Luo Tian seized a major opening and put all his strength into one final thrust. In exchange, he took a palm strike from Qi Yuntian!

SHLICK! BANG!

A Sword Light lanced toward Qi Yuntian, just as a palm strike hit Luo Tian.

Qi Yuntian stumbled back several steps, blood splashing onto the Martial Arts Arena.

Luo Tian was sent flying twenty meters by the palm strike. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, but he looked up and smiled faintly. ”I win!”

Across from him, Qi Yuntian’s body swayed. He fell backward to the ground and sighed weakly, ”I lose!”