Chapter 1096: Chapter 1096

Lu Caiwei moved with ghostly swiftness, as fast as a thunderbolt!

One moment she was speaking, the next she launched a sudden sneak attack—such underhanded tactics immediately provoked outrage. The surrounding disciples erupted in a chorus of curses!

"Shameless!"

"Senior Sister Zhongli, be careful!"

"How could someone like her ever be ranked alongside Senior Sister Zhongli as one of the Three Talents of the Southern Region? She has strength but no integrity, tarnishing the reputation of the Three Talents!"

"What a vicious woman!"

Shock rippled through the crowd, even the elders present paled in dismay.

As Lu Caiwei closed in for the strike, everyone’s hearts leapt to their throats.

Zhong Limeng remained composed as ever, her toes lightly tapping the ground.

In an instant, she drifted backward like a feather, her graceful and ethereal movement leaving the onlookers in awe.

Lu Caiwei’s eyes flashed with surprise before her assault turned even more ruthless!

Unfazed, Zhong Limeng drew her sword with a flick of her wrist, sending several sword beams crisscrossing between them, forming an impenetrable barrier.

Her flawless counters to the lethal strikes ignited excitement among the elders and disciples.

"Cloud-Treading Steps?"

"Is that the Azure Cloud Sword Art?!"

"Chief Zhongli truly is a once-in-a-millennium genius! To master two of our Azure Cloud Heavenly Palace’s secret techniques in just a few days!"

"These two techniques complement offense and defense perfectly. Even if her cultivation is lacking, with these skills, she’s practically invincible below the Heaven Tier. She could even hold her own against a Heaven Tier expert for a few exchanges!"

"Senior Sister Zhongli is incredible!"

"Long live the Chief!"

A cacophony of cheers erupted.

Lu Caiwei’s momentum faltered.

The praise was like poison to her ears, fueling her jealousy.

What infuriated her most was that every word was true!

Despite her relentless attacks, she couldn’t gain the upper hand—instead, Zhong Limeng stole the spotlight. How could she endure this?

Suddenly!

A sinister aura erupted from Lu Caiwei’s body, dark mist swirling around her!

In the span of a breath, her cultivation surged to the Heaven Tier!

Black fog dispersed from her hand as a slender sword materialized, its chilling gleam barely visible through the dense miasma.

Instantly, a bone-piercing cold swept through the training grounds.

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Every gaze locked onto that unearthly willow-leaf sword, a sense of impending doom silencing the cheers.

Elders and thousands of disciples cursed in fury.

"Treacherous!"

"She promised to suppress her cultivation, yet she went back on her word!"

But no matter how they raged, Lu Caiwei paid no heed. Cold-faced, she lunged forward with her sword!

The sword’s radiance was terrifying. Zhong Limeng’s heart pounded.

She retreated several steps, but the sinister black sword closed in relentlessly. The ominous energy shattered her Dao power effortlessly—death loomed inches away.

Against a Heaven Tier expert, the gap was undeniable.

A dire sense of crisis surged within her. Without hesitation, Zhong Limeng swung her own sword to block.

The moment the blades clashed—

Snap!

Her Saint Grade high-tier sword shattered like rotten wood!

The crisp sound drained the color from Zhong Limeng’s face and stunned the entire arena.

Yet the black sword didn’t slow—it thrust straight for her face!

If struck, her beauty would be ruined, and she might perish on the spot!

At the critical moment—

Zhong Limeng arched backward, the black sword grazing her forehead. A chilling cold brushed past her hair as the two figures flashed past each other.

Swish!

A soft sound echoed as a lock of black hair drifted to the ground.

The two stood facing each other, east and west.

Though seemingly evenly matched, their expressions told a different story.

Zhong Limeng stared at her broken sword, her face pale with disbelief. Even her slightly disheveled hair went unnoticed.

Her sword was a Saint Grade treasure!

How could it be destroyed in a single clash?

That black sword in Lu Caiwei’s hand…

Was it a Heaven Tier weapon?!

The elders and disciples trembled in horror.

The earlier excitement had been replaced by sheer terror. Thousands stood frozen, faces drained of blood as they stared at the center of the arena.

No one dared to speak—no more curses, no more cheers for Zhong Limeng.

The sight of that black sword instilled fear in every heart.

A Heaven Tier sword…

That was a legendary weapon, revered as a supreme treasure by any sect!

Lu Caiwei was already a Heaven Tier expert, yet she also wielded such a divine weapon.

What kind of fortune had she encountered?!

Lu Caiwei was despicable, but her strength was undeniable.

With Heaven Tier cultivation and a Heaven Tier weapon, she was practically invincible in today’s Azure Cloud Heavenly Palace!

No matter how talented Zhong Limeng was, victory was impossible now.

A deathly silence fell.

Elders and disciples alike clenched their fists in helpless frustration.

Lu Caiwei reveled in their fear. Her gaze swept across the crowd, and not a single person dared to meet her eyes. Even with thousands present, they were nothing but ants before her.

This was the feeling of supremacy.

This was the glory she had longed for!

At last, Lu Caiwei tasted the power she craved. In her eyes, no one here mattered—not even the elders. She was confident she could take them all on.

Tilting her head back, she laughed—a cold, beautiful sound.

"Keh… hahahaha!!!"

"So this is the Azure Cloud Heavenly Palace’s Chief Disciple? Pathetic! From today onward, the name Zhong Limeng will be erased from the Two Talents of the Southern Region!"

Her maniacal laughter filled the air, drawing furious glares from the elders and disciples.

If the Palace Master or the senior elders were here, how could a junior like Lu Caiwei dare act so arrogantly?!

But the sect leader and the strongest elders had departed for the grand gathering in the Central Continent. Those left behind were mostly elderly caretakers, handling daily affairs.

The strongest remaining was Zhong Limeng.

Now, even she was being forced into retreat. No matter how much they wanted to help, they were powerless.

A sense of despair spread across every face.

After several breaths of her triumphant laughter, no one challenged her.

Having cowed the entire arena, Lu Caiwei’s cruelty deepened.

Zhong Limeng’s sword was broken—by all rights, the duel was over.

But Lu Caiwei couldn’t tolerate that flawless face. A minor victory wasn’t enough to erase her humiliation.

She wanted Zhong Limeng gone.

She wanted the entire Southern Li Heavenly Domain to tremble at her name!

Gripping her sword, she charged again—this time, her killing intent fully unleashed.

In an instant—

A black streak of light flashed across the arena, freezing the air with its murderous aura.

This strike would decide life and death.

With only a broken sword, how could Zhong Limeng defend herself? She was moments from annihilation.

The elders and a few disciples cried out in desperation, hurling their own swords toward her!

"Chief, catch!"

"Senior Sister, take mine!"

But every Saint Grade sword was effortlessly batted aside by Lu Caiwei’s black blade. With a single swing, the ground was littered with broken fragments—as if she were slicing through melons and vegetables!

Crack!

The sound of shattering metal echoed as blade fragments scattered like rubble.

"This—!"

"How is this possible?!"

"Chief Zhongli, dodge!!!"

The crowd watched in horror, shouting warnings through gritted teeth.

As the black sword closed in on Zhong Limeng, the entire sect burned with helpless rage. Their hearts pounded in their throats.

The blade was upon her—

In the space between life and death…

Zhong Limeng hastily retreated when suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her mind!

She still had a sword—inside her storage ring!

That sword originally belonged to Yi Feng. Though it couldn’t compare to the Sky Palace’s divine blade, it should still be Saint Grade. With no other weapon at hand, she had no choice but to use it now.

At the very least, having a sword was better than nothing.

It might help block some of the terrifying sword energy from that black blade.

After experiencing the devastating strike earlier, Zhong Limeng didn’t dare underestimate her opponent for even a second. Without hesitation, she drew the sword to parry!

At the same time, she channeled all her Great Dao power!

The moment the two blades clashed, a crisp, unmistakable snap echoed!

Crack!

The sound was expected—but the result was not.

The black sword was the one that shattered!

In a single exchange, the supposedly fearsome black blade had proven utterly fragile?!

Both women froze in shock, unable to process what had just happened. One clutched a broken sword, the other held an ordinary-looking blade—both utterly dumbfounded!

Before they could even blink—

Lu Caiwei, her face twisted in disbelief, was instantly engulfed by the sword’s radiance. Even as she instinctively raised the broken weapon to block, the relentless storm of sword energy tore through her defenses.

In the span of a breath, her body was lacerated as if caught in a net of blades.

The once cold and ruthless beauty now stood in tattered robes, her hair disheveled, gasping for air like a ragged beggar.

Huff… Huff…

She barely managed to stay upright for three seconds before—

Gush!

A torrent of blood erupted from her mouth!

The black sword had been bound to her soul, capable of unleashing immense power and channeling the demonic race’s malevolent energy. It was a weapon surpassing even divine artifacts of the same rank—one that could grow infinitely stronger!

Yet today…

Not only had this divine weapon been destroyed, but she herself was grievously wounded.

To cleave through a demonic sword so effortlessly… That blade in Zhong Limeng’s hand had to be beyond Heavenly Tier Grade One. How could she possess something so terrifying?!

Staggering unsteadily, Lu Caiwei’s eyes burned with disbelief.

Her trembling gaze locked onto the broken sword in her hand, pupils dilating in shock.

“How… is this possible?!”

Never in her wildest dreams had she imagined the black sword could break!

Her reflexive attempt to block with the shattered weapon had only worsened her injuries, leaving her nearly incapacitated.

Even as silence enveloped the scene—thousands of disciples standing dumbstruck, their stares burning into her—she barely registered the humiliation.

With a sudden jerk, she snapped her head up, glaring at the sword in Zhong Limeng’s grip.

It looked utterly ordinary.

Yet now, it filled her with bone-deep dread.

In that single instant, she had experienced the most terrifying sword intent of her life. Even now, though the blade appeared plain, it made her very soul quake.

Trembling…

Shivering.

Terror!

A fear unlike anything she’d ever known festered in her heart. The once-arrogant woman who stood above the clouds now felt plunged into an icy abyss, her lips turning deathly pale.

The longer she stared, the more her terror grew—twisted with seething envy. A crimson hue tinged Lu Caiwei’s eyes as bitterness and resentment surged within her.

Why…?

Why couldn’t even the demonic legacy compare to this sword?

Why did this wretched woman have such a treasure?!

Weren’t they supposed to be dealing with a weakling? Since when did Zhong Limeng have such overpowered protection?!

The demonic shadow had assured her—she’d believed it without question.

Now, fury boiled in Lu Caiwei’s chest as she realized she’d been deceived and manipulated. She wanted nothing more than to drag that shadow out and demand answers—then curse the demon race’s ancestors eighteen generations back!

But faced with that sword, her mind was in chaos. All confidence had evaporated, replaced by the icy grip of death itself.

An instinct screamed in her mind—

If another strike came, she would die without question!

Whoosh…

A cold breeze swept past, sending a paralyzing chill down her spine.

Lu Caiwei’s heart lurched. Gritting her teeth, she turned and fled in panic.

SWOOSH!!!

The sea of clouds split apart as her explosive speed kicked up a howling gale.

The thousands of disciples stood gaping as the tables turned yet again. By the time they snapped out of their daze, all that remained was a rift through the clouds and the roaring wind in its wake.

Even the elders stood frozen, their beards fluttering wildly in the storm.