With a slight dip of his wrist, Ye Tian still only used eighty percent of his strength. However, when he infused his Dragon Spiritual Power into the Black Glaze Sword, the weapon began to tremble once more.
It was as if it had a life of its own, trying to wrench itself from his grasp and fly toward the approaching Qin Lin.
If that happened, Qin Lin would almost certainly be killed by the blow. Ye Tian knew all too well how frighteningly fast and powerful that attack would be.
In a panic, he retracted his Dragon Spiritual Power. Though he was executing the Fourth Form, it was a half-hearted attempt, completely devoid of its true power.
As Qin Lin's powerful Sword Qi bore down on him, Ye Tian moved his feet. Since he couldn't meet it head-on, his only option was to dodge with everything he had. He had no desire to be cleaved in two.
'Even my regenerative abilities wouldn't be able to fix being split in half!' The Third Form of the Flowing Cloud Step specialized in rapid evasion. Wind gathered at Ye Tian's feet, and he left behind an afterimage as he narrowly, just barely, dodged Qin Lin's attack.
He didn't manage to evade it completely, however. While he avoided the brunt of the attack, the residual Sword Qi still struck him, instantly opening several gashes on his body.
Crimson blood immediately stained his clothes. The wounds weren't very deep and posed no serious threat, but the pain was inevitable.
Ye Tian's sword was deflected the moment it clashed with Qin Lin's. Qin Lin could clearly feel that Ye Tian's strike was all form and no substance; he hadn't used any Spiritual Power at all. 'What kind of trick is he playing?'
The fact that Ye Tian had parried his strongest attack without using Spiritual Power filled Qin Lin with utter humiliation. 'He's clearly looking down on me!' At this moment, his desire to kill Ye Tian intensified.
Seeing Ye Tian get injured, the color drained from Ye Feifei's face. She nearly rushed forward to check on him but was held back by Ye Weitian. "Fei'er, don't go up there. Ye Tian didn't use any Spiritual Power in that last exchange. I could tell because his attack caused no Sword Qi fluctuations."
"Father, why would Ye Tian do something like that? This is a life-or-death battle! Has he lost his mind?" Ye Feifei asked anxiously.
"I can't say for sure," Ye Weitian replied. "Perhaps he wanted to test his Body Technique Martial Skill. If that's the case, he's being far too reckless! But he must have his reasons. Try not to worry too much."
Hearing this, Ye Feifei could only relent, her heart now completely tied to Ye Tian's fate.
Qin Xiaowan was also worried when she saw Ye Tian get hurt, but she didn't dare go and check on him. If she did, her father would be furious.
Qin Xiaowan herself didn't understand why these feelings were surfacing. It was as if some unseen consciousness was guiding her, making her feel as if she'd known Ye Tian for a very long time—and that they had once been incredibly close.
For now, all she could do was wait. She hoped the match would end quickly, hoped for a chance to properly get to know Ye Tian... or rather, to unravel the mystery of why she felt this way about him.
The Dragon Pearl inside Ye Tian's body slowly released its Energy, beginning to heal his wounds. He knew Qin Lin wouldn't let this go. He could see it in his opponent's eyes—the man still wanted him dead.
"Ye Tian, did you really think I'd spare you for that? How naive!" Qin Lin roared. "Since you think you can fight me without using Spiritual Power, I'll grant your wish. Let's see if you can take this next attack!"
Hearing Qin Lin's words, a flash of anger ignited in Ye Tian's heart. 'He really thinks I'm afraid of him? I was just trying not to be too conspicuous. But since some things can't be avoided, I might as well face them head-on!'
With a single thought, his Dragon Spiritual Power began to circulate once more. This time, he wouldn't care how the Black Glaze Sword reacted. All he wanted was to teach his opponent a harsh lesson and make him understand the consequences of offending him.
Dragon Spiritual Power poured ceaselessly into the Black Glaze Sword. Before, the sword had become unruly when infused with his power, but now it was perfectly docile. This change puzzled Ye Tian.
But after a few breaths, the Black Glaze Sword was no longer black. It began to emit a dazzling light, its entire body turning transparent, like a bizarre, ethereal Cicada Wing Sword.
Ye Tian could clearly feel the transformation of the Black Glaze Sword. He was now a little afraid. He worried that if he unleashed this attack, he would kill Qin Lin, because the Energy emanating from the blade was incredibly, overwhelmingly powerful.
Though Qin Lin saw the change in Ye Tian's Black Glaze Sword, he paid it little mind. He was still supremely confident in his own strength.
"Ye Tian, let's see you die this time!" Qin Lin bellowed, dipping his longsword slightly before executing a flourish and slashing toward Ye Tian.
This strike felt even more powerful than the last, but Ye Tian wasn't concerned. At this moment, the Black Glaze Sword felt like an extension of his own body, and he could wield it with perfect flexibility.
Meanwhile, Qin Wushuang, who was watching the fight, had his expression change drastically. He and Ye Weitian were both top experts in Lisha City. They knew exactly how powerful the Energy radiating from the Black Glaze Sword in Ye Tian's hand was.
If that attack were unleashed, Qin Lin's life would be in grave danger. "Lin'er, be careful!" Qin Wushuang could no longer stand by. In a flash, he appeared before Qin Lin like a bolt of lightning.
He thrust a palm at Ye Tian. At that very moment, Ye Tian was also unleashing the Fourth Form of the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique. As he did, a hazy impression of the Fifth Form flickered in his mind.
'Nothing like this had ever happened before. Its appearance now could not be a coincidence. It must have something to do with the Black Glaze Sword,' Ye Tian thought, but he had no time to dwell on it.
This time, the Black Glaze Sword actually unleashed a visible beam of white Sword Qi. The Sword Qi shot directly toward the Palm Power of Qin Wushuang's attack.
BOOM! A tremendous roar erupted once more. A violent gale swept outwards. Dozens of floor tiles, made of some unknown material, were ripped from the ground and instantly pulverized by the immense Attack Power of the collision.
As the resulting gale of Energy spread out, a cloud of dust and smoke instantly filled the air, obscuring everyone from view.
That single strike had consumed nearly half of Ye Tian's Dragon Spiritual Power. He didn't have time to wonder why it had taken so much, because a hot surge of blood was rising in his throat, threatening to burst out at any moment.
Qin Wushuang was a master of the Three Vein Realm. How could Ye Tian possibly withstand a blow from him? Even though the attack was hasty, it still had the power to kill him.
Anyone else would have been killed instantly by that blow. However, the immense Energy from Ye Tian's Black Glaze Sword had blocked the majority of the attack, so the force that actually struck his body was greatly diminished.
Even so, Ye Tian's internal organs were violently shaken. His entire body was sent flying back several dozen meters like a kite with a snapped string. But just as he was about to hit the ground, he was caught by a middle-aged man.
The one who caught Ye Tian was none other than the Ye Family Patriarch, Ye Weitian.