System Possession, One Sword Shocks the Gods

32: Bewitching SoundsOn the arena, Ye Chen and Yun Ni stood facing each other.

One was upright and candid in his green robes, his Sword Intent restrained like a deep pool; the other was bright and beautiful in yellow, her Aura ethereal like misty clouds. Two completely different styles, yet equally eye-catching.

”Senior Brother Ye, be careful.” Yun Ni smiled sweetly, her fingertips lightly moving a jade hairpin, creating a string of ethereal and pleasant tinkling sounds, like a mountain spring dripping onto green stones.

At first, the sound seemed normal, but upon entering the ears, it felt as if it could directly pluck at one’s heartstrings. Ye Chen felt his mind sway slightly, and the scene before him seemed to distort for a moment; the arena, the audience, and even Yun Ni opposite him appeared as if through a layer of flowing ripples.

”Musical illusion?” Ye Chen’s eyes narrowed, and he immediately activated his ”Immovable Rock Guarding Heart” Sword Intent to guard his spiritual terrace. That feeling of his mind swaying instantly dissipated, and his vision cleared.

”Oh? You broke free so quickly?” A hint of surprise flashed in Yun Ni’s eyes, followed by a deeper smile. ”You truly are impressive!”

Her jade fingers flicked repeatedly, and the speed at which she moved the jade hairpin suddenly increased! The tinkling sounds were no longer scattered but converged into a strange melody—sometimes high-pitched like a crane’s cry in the Nine Heavens, sometimes low like an echo in a secluded valley, sometimes rapid like a torrential downpour, and sometimes gentle like clear wind brushing the willows.

This melody was pervasive, ignoring spiritual energy defenses and acting directly upon one’s Divine Soul and Sea of Consciousness!

The scene before Ye Chen’s eyes changed again! At times, he seemed to be in a flaming purgatory, unbearably hot; at times, he seemed to fall into an ice cave, the cold piercing his bones; he saw countless resentful souls wailing and lunging at him; and at other times, he saw his closest kin dying tragically before his eyes... Various illusions, bizarre and fantastic, aimed straight at the most vulnerable parts of the human heart!

Even more terrifying was that along with the illusions, the melody contained invisible impacts, like invisible needles constantly stabbing at his Divine Soul!

Even with the arena’s protective light shield in between, many in the audience turned pale and their eyes grew dazed upon hearing the faint melody; they were clearly affected. The Elders on the high platform took action one after another, strengthening the soundproofing of the light shield, which allowed everyone below to breathe a sigh of relief.

”Yun Ni’s ’Illusory Sound Art’ has become even more refined; this musical illusion is impossible to guard against.”

”Although Ye Chen’s Sword Intent is strong, facing this kind of direct attack on the Divine Soul, he might suffer a loss.”

The crowd discussed animatedly, all breaking into a cold sweat for Ye Chen.

Within the illusion, Ye Chen frowned slightly. This musical illusion technique of Yun Ni’s was indeed strange. If not for his Luminous Sword Heart, his Divine Soul having been tempered in the Myriad Worlds Sword Tomb, and his ”Immovable Rock Guarding Heart” Sword Intent standing guard, he might have already succumbed to the illusion and been at her mercy.

But he did not panic. Under the Luminous Sword Heart, he could clearly perceive that those illusions were merely delusions created after his Divine Soul was disturbed, and that invisible Divine Soul impact, though sharp, was not impossible to resist.

”Illusions are born from the heart; if the heart does not move, the illusions will shatter themselves.”

Ye Chen chanted inwardly, completely letting go of his reliance on the five senses and sinking his entire mind into that Luminous Sword Heart. Let the external illusions be thousands, my Sword Heart remains as one, clear as a mirror!

Simultaneously, he circulated the Qingyuan Sword Foundation, and his pure, enduring green spiritual energy flowed like a trickling stream, nourishing and protecting his Divine Soul, neutralizing the invisible musical impacts one by one.

He moved!

To others, Ye Chen still stood in place with his eyes slightly closed, as if trapped in an illusion and unable to extricate himself. However, Yun Ni’s expression changed slightly! She felt that her ever-successful Illusory Sound power, upon nearing three feet around Ye Chen, was like a clay ox entering the sea, being entirely blocked and eliminated by an invisible yet resilient Sword Intent barrier! His Sword Heart was like a bright moon, its clear light shining down, inviolable by any evil!

”How is this possible?!” Yun Ni was shocked; her Illusory Sound Art had never failed before a Cultivator of the same level!

She gritted her teeth, spiritual energy surging from her fingertips as she waved the jade hairpin at extreme speed! The ethereal melody suddenly became sharp and high-pitched, like ten thousand silver needles piercing at once! She intended to forcibly tear through Ye Chen’s Sword Heart defense!

”Illusory Sound Soul-Breaking Melody!”

The terrifying sound waves condensed into visible pale pink ripples, sweeping toward Ye Chen like a tide! Everywhere they passed, a layer of stone dust was scraped from the arena floor!

Facing this even stronger Divine Soul attack, Ye Chen finally opened his eyes! His eyes were clear, reflecting the surging sound wave ripples without the slightest disturbance.

He did not draw his sword to block, for the sound waves were formless and substanceless. He did not dodge, for the sound waves covered the entire field.

He simply raised his left hand slowly, pressing his fingers together like a sword, and lightly made a stroke toward the surging sound wave ripples.

This stroke seemed casual, yet it contained the Luminous Sword Heart’s understanding of the essence of power, and even carried a trace of the ”Flowing Wind Fleeting Shadow” Sword Intent’s characteristics—not pursuing extreme speed, but rather a Concept of ”cutting in” and ”guiding.”

Wherever his fingertips passed, the violent sound wave ripples were actually split apart as if by an invisible hand, sliding toward both sides of his body! It was as if the place where he stood had become an absolute ”Silence” Domain!

Using intent to counter the unintentional, using order to break disorder!

Yun Ni’s pupils shrank; she felt that the sound wave power she had condensed was easily ”guided” and deflected by the opponent in a way she could not understand!

”It’s my turn.”

Ye Chen spoke indifferently, and his right hand, which had been hanging at his side, finally gripped the hilt of the qingfeng sword.

He did not perform any complex sword moves, but simply thrust his sword out toward Yun Ni!

”Ssh!”

The sword speed was not fast, even much slower than when he fought Situ Nan earlier. But the moment this sword was thrust, Yun Ni felt as if the space around her had frozen! The sound waves that were originally everywhere and at her command became sluggish and chaotic under the coverage of this sword’s Sword Intent!

What horrified her even more was that she saw a sword light! No, not one, but countless! It was as if ten thousand sword shadows were piercing through from all directions, along every gap and node where her sound waves flowed! They blocked all her space to dodge and pointed directly at the jade hairpin in her hand, which served as the source of her power!

This was the sublimation of the Wind Shadow Sword Art under the Luminous Sword Heart Realm! It was no longer limited to the speed of the physical form, but the speed of thought—the Sword Intent’s extreme insight and utilization of the battlefield environment!

Yun Ni’s face paled; she wanted to change her move, wanted to retreat, but found herself trapped in an invisible sword net. No matter which direction she moved, she would actively collide with that sharp Sword Intent! Her famous movement technique seemed so clumsy before this sword net!

”Ding—!”

An extremely faint crisp sound.

The tip of the qingfeng sword accurately struck the jade hairpin in Yun Ni’s hand!

There was no massive collision of force, but Yun Ni felt a sharp, condensed Sword Intent that seemed capable of piercing through everything instantly pass through the jade hairpin into her arm, rushing straight toward her heart!

She let out a muffled groan, her delicate body trembling violently, and she could no longer hold the jade hairpin, which flew out of her hand! The strange melody that had permeated the field came to an abrupt halt!

All the illusions and all the sound wave impacts vanished without a trace.

Peace returned to the arena.

Ye Chen stood with his sword retracted, the qingfeng sword already back in its sheath. He looked at Yun Ni, whose face was pale and whose eyes still held a trace of alarm, and said calmly, ”Thank you for the match.”

Yun Ni stared blankly at the lusterless jade hairpin on the ground, then looked at Ye Chen, whose Aura was stable as if he had done nothing. After a long while, she smiled bitterly, picked up the jade hairpin, and gave Ye Chen a graceful bow. ”Senior Brother Ye’s sword path is divine; this Junior Sister admits defeat wholeheartedly.”

She knew very well that in that strike just now, Ye Chen had shown mercy. If the Sword Intent had advanced even a fraction more, it wouldn’t have been as simple as the jade hairpin being knocked from her hand.

The referee took a deep breath and announced loudly, ”The winner, Ye Chen!”

After a brief silence, the audience below erupted into thunderous cheers!

”He won! Ye Chen won again!”

”How exactly did he break Yun Ni’s Illusory Sound Art? I didn’t understand it at all!”

”Too strong! Even illusions are useless against him!”

Ye Chen’s performance repeatedly overturned everyone’s perceptions. From power to technique, from defense to now breaking bizarre illusions, he seemed to have no weaknesses!

On the high platform, Liu Qingfeng clapped and praised, ”Wonderful! Using the Sword Heart to reflect reality and illusion, and using Sword Intent to guide energy. This boy has already caught a glimpse of the threshold of ’Controlling Law with the Sword’!”

The Outer Court Steward of Tianfeng Academy was even more flushed with pride, sharing in the glory.

Ye Chen nodded slightly to Yun Ni and turned to walk down the arena. The first match of the semifinals was passed without danger, successfully advancing to the finals!

His gaze turned toward the other arena. There, the duel between Mad Blade Nie Feng and Iron Palm Han Li was also nearing its end.

Nie Feng’s saber technique was fierce and overbearing, each strike carrying a tragic Aura that seemed to tear everything apart. Meanwhile, Han Li was as steady as a mountain, his pair of Iron Palms flying, meeting force with force and defending impenetrably.

Both were at the Peak of the Fifth Level of the Kaiyuan Realm, their strengths evenly matched. The battle was exceptionally fierce, with saber Qi and palm shadows crisscrossing the arena amidst continuous booming sounds.

Ultimately, Nie Feng relied on a move called ”Bloody Battle in Eight Directions” to seek victory through danger. At the cost of a minor injury, he broke through Han Li’s defense, his blade stopping three inches before Han Li’s throat.

Han Li sighed deeply, withdrew his palms, and admitted defeat.

Nie Feng advanced to the finals!

With this, the final lineup for this year’s Outer Court Minor Competition was officially established!

Ye Chen versus Nie Feng!

The rising dark horse versus the veteran Mad Blade!

Everyone’s blood boiled with excitement, looking forward to tomorrow’s final battle for the throne!

Ye Chen looked at Nie Feng on the opposite arena, who stood with his saber retracted, exuding a fierce Aura. His eyes were calm, with only Battle Intent quietly rising.

Nie Feng seemed to sense it as well, his sharp gaze crossing the arena to meet Ye Chen’s from afar, his lips curling into a smile filled with Battle Intent.

The final is destined to be a fierce struggle between a dragon and a tiger!