"You let me win." Xu Wuyi retracted his spear.
Song Xingâan slowly lowered his hands, his face pale.
He looked down at his empty right hand, then back at Xu Wuyi, and finally gave a bitter smile. "I concede."
[VICTORY! ADVANCING TO THE NEXT ROUND!]
Xu Wuyiâs figure faded away.
Song Xingâan stood on the stage for a few seconds in silence before dissolving into specks of light.
After a moment of silence, the spectator channel erupted once more.
"One spear strike, again!"
"Song Xingâan is a bit stronger than Song Xingxian was in the preliminaries, but he still couldnât block that one strike."
"Xu Wuyi didnât even use any special Techniques. It was just a simple, straight thrust..."
"The gap between them is just despair-inducing."
"Those twins from Starry Sky Martial Arts Academy really have the worst luck."
...
Xu Wuyi returned to the preparation room to await his next match.
A few minutes later, the system notification chimed again.
[Second round of playoffs matchmaking beginning... Matchmaking complete.]
[Contestant Xu Wuyi (Star Martial University), please enter Arena 7 to face Su Yueling (Black Stone Academy).]
The moment he saw his opponentâs name, Xu Wuyi paused slightly.
Su Yueling.
The name was not unfamiliar to him.
The three-academy joint examination, on the arena stage... Shadow Sword Technique versus the True Intention of Martial Arts. That had been his first true battle against a top-tier genius of his generation.
He had eked out a narrow victory with his "Mountain" True Intention, but the spot in the special recruitment exam had been given to Su Yueling by the Lin Family because of her status as a Grandmasterâs Disciple.
Although the matter itself had nothing to do with Su Yuelingâit was the Lin Familyâs decisionâthe atmosphere was bound to be a little delicate now that they were meeting again.
Light and shadow swirled.
Arena 7.
Xu Wuyiâs figure coalesced. Opposite him, a cold and distant figure appeared at almost the same time.
Su Yueling looked the same as ever, dressed in a simple white training uniform with her black hair tied in a ponytail. Her features were as cold and elegant as a painting, as if she were untouched by the mortal world.
Compared to two years ago, however, her aura was more restrained. A faint, sharp presence lingered around herâa sign that her Shadow Sword Technique had reached a higher level.
[Opponent: Su Yueling]
[Affiliation: Black Stone Academy]
[Life Energy Level: 32.7]
Seeing this data, Xu Wuyi understood.
In the past two years, Su Yuelingâs Life Energy Level had risen from around 25 to 32.7. This speed was extremely fast for an ordinary genius, but in his eyes, it was not nearly enough.
Su Yuelingâs gaze fell upon Xu Wuyi. Her cold eyes wavered for a moment but quickly returned to a state of calm.
She gave a slight nod, a silent greeting.
Xu Wuyi nodded in return.
Neither of them spoke, yet the atmosphere in the arena was heavier than in any of his previous matches.
In the spectator stands, many people recognized Su Yueling.
"Itâs Su Yueling! Grandmaster Renâs closed-door disciple!"
"Her performance in last yearâs Youth Tournament was average, but I heard sheâs progressed at lightning speed since then. Her Spirit Level has even broken past 35."
"The Shadow Sword Technique is a Heart Image Martial Art. I wonder if sheâll be able to force out Xu Wuyiâs true strength this time."
"Hard to say... Xu Wuyiâs Level advantage is just too great."
Amid the discussions, Su Yueling made her move.
She didnât speak like Song Xingâan had, nor did she make any probing attacks.
She raised her right hand, her fingers held together like a sword.
"CHIIâ"
A faint gray sword shadow, about three feet long, materialized from her fingertips. Its edges were blurry, as if it might melt into the shadows at any moment.
The moment the sword shadow appeared, the light in the arena dimmed, and a cold, sharp aura spread out.
Shadow Sword Technique, a Heart Image Martial Art.
Even as just a prototype, it already possessed the ability to interfere with reality.
Su Yuelingâs eyes narrowed, and the sword shadow suddenly thrust forward!
There was no sound, no rush of air. The sword shadow seemed to traverse space itself, appearing instantly before Xu Wuyi and aiming straight for his heart.
Fast, strange, and deadly.
Compared to two years ago, this strike was more refined, more elusive. The spiritual cutting intent contained within the sword shadow was far beyond what it had been before.
Xu Wuyiâs expression remained unchanged.
He had already predicted the trajectory of this strike the moment Su Yueling raised her hand.
The Shadow Sword Technique was indeed strange, but under his Spiritual Perception, the fluctuations of the sword shadow were crystal clear.
He did not dodge.
He raised the longspear in his right hand. The tip quivered, and a dark golden flame flickered for an instant before vanishing.
âGolden Crow Sky Splitting,â he thought, and his spear shot out like a dragon!
The dark red spear tip collided with the faint gray sword shadow in mid-air.
There was no clang of metal, only a soft sonic boom.
"PFFTâ"
The sword shadow was like a moth drawn to a scorching sun. Burned by the dark golden flame, the faint gray blade trembled violently, its edges starting to blur and dissipate.
Su Yuelingâs expression changed slightly.
She could feel the spiritual cutting intent within her sword shadow melting away like snow in the sun the instant it touched the dark golden flame!
Even more terrifying was the will contained within that flameâthe will of a "blazing, majestic sun." It was tyrannical, scorching, and relentless. It was precisely the kind of frontal, overwhelming Mental Realm that her Shadow Sword Technique feared most.
"Break."
Xu Wuyi uttered a single word.
The dark golden flame on his spear tip suddenly flared!
"BOOM!"
The faint gray sword shadow completely shattered, dissolving into a shower of light specks.
Su Yueling let out a muffled grunt and stumbled back three steps, her fingertips trembling slightly.
She looked up, and for the first time, her eyes, fixed on Xu Wuyi, showed unconcealed shock.
That last spear strike wasnât just a simple suppression of power; it was a complete domination on the level of their Mental Realms.
Faced with his Flame Realm, her Shadow Sword Technique was like an animal facing its natural predator. She couldnât even bring out thirty percent of its power.
Moreover, she could sense that Xu Wuyiâs Flame Realm was no longer just simple "flame." It was infused with something deeperâa quality that only a Heart Image Prototype would possess.
"You... youâve already formed a Heart Image Prototype?" Su Yueling asked softly. Her voice was cold, but laced with a complex mix of emotions.
Xu Wuyi didnât answer, merely standing there with his spear.
The answer was self-evident.
Su Yueling took a deep breath, suppressing the turmoil in her heart.
She knew her chances of winning this battle were slim. But as a Grandmasterâs Disciple, she had her pride.
"The second sword."
As her voice fell, Su Yueling raised both hands at once.
Her ten fingers spread open, and from the tip of each one, a faint gray sword shadow appeared!
Ten sword shadows hovered before her, slowly rotating and creating a subtle resonance with one another. The light in the arena grew even dimmer, and the very air seemed to be sliced by fine cracks.
This was a high-tier application of the Shadow Sword TechniqueâTen Shadow Chain Kill.
Each sword shadow contained a spiritual cutting intent. Unleashed all at once, the ten strikes were enough to overwhelm any Martial Artist of the same level.
Su Yuelingâs eyes narrowed, and she pointed all ten fingers forward!
"Go!"
The ten sword shadows shot out simultaneously, their trajectories bizarre and unpredictable as they attacked Xu Wuyiâs vital points from all different angles.
Before the sword shadows even arrived, their sharp, cold spiritual intent had already locked onto Xu Wuyi completely.
In the spectator stands, many peopleâs hearts tightened.
"Ten Shadow Chain Kill! Su Yueling is getting serious!"
"Even a Level 34 or 35 Martial Artist wouldnât dare to take that attack head-on, right?"
"Letâs see how Xu Wuyi handles this..."