Chapter 73: Fierce Exchange

"VMMMM—!"

The blood-red long saber in Xiao Chen’s hand trembled, letting out a low hum. A streak of bloody light seemed to flash and disappear across its blade.

The will to fight in his eyes burned like fire as he took the initiative and attacked!

His body moved like a tiger bursting from its cage. He took a single step, and the green stone slabs of the arena stage faintly cracked.

The long saber in his hand transformed into a bolt of blood-red silk tearing through the sky, carrying a ferocious, tyrannical, and vicious aura as it cleaved straight for Fang Han’s face.

Before the saber even arrived, its murderous aura, so dense it felt tangible, rushed forward, stifling the breath of those who felt it.

Down below the stage, the expressions of spectators like Lin Ao and Yue Lingtian changed slightly. They had personally experienced the terror of this strike—its power, speed, and momentum had all reached the absolute peak of the Bone Refining Realm, making it nearly impossible to block head-on.

However, facing this earth-shattering strike, Fang Han’s eyes were as calm as still water.

The Cyan Blade Sword in his hand let out a clear, ringing hum. The tip of the sword vibrated, transforming into several illusory cyan afterimages that were difficult to distinguish from the real blade as they thrust forward.

"CLANG—!"

Saber and sword clashed, erupting with a deafening roar. Qi Force radiated outward, causing the hems of their clothes to flap violently in the wind.

Fang Han felt a vast, powerful force travel up the blade of his sword. His arm went slightly numb, and his body slid back half a step before he stabilized himself.

’This young man from Celestial Wind City is truly something else,’ he thought. ’In just this probing exchange, the strength he’s displayed has already surpassed Lin Ao’s.’

Xiao Chen’s wrist also trembled, his forward momentum halted. A flash of astonishment crossed his eyes.

Although that strike wasn’t his full power, he had used seventy percent of his strength. Even a Martial Artist at the Late Stage Bone Refining Limit would have found it difficult to block so easily.

But his opponent had blocked it steadily. What’s more, he could clearly sense from the other’s aura that he wasn’t even at the Late Stage Bone Refining Limit.

"Saving you for last was definitely the right decision!"

Instead of being alarmed, Xiao Chen was delighted. He let out a long laugh as his saber’s momentum surged toward Fang Han like a tempest.

The saber light was wild, its blood-red afterimages stacking one upon another, seeming to form a raging sea of blood that threatened to swallow Fang Han whole.

Fang Han focused his spirit to counter. The vigorous qi and blood of his Late Stage of Bone Refining cultivation surged, and he unleashed his Grade-Entering Xunfeng Swordsmanship.

His sword light was like a sudden squall—swift and fierce. He didn’t meet Xiao Chen’s power head-on, but instead used skill to overcome force, matching speed with speed.

The tip of his sword always found a way to slip through the gaps, striking at the transitions in the saber’s momentum or at points where its power had yet to fully manifest.

"CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG—!"

The sound of metal on metal was like a sudden downpour, continuous and unending, sending sparks flying everywhere.

The two figures weaved and dodged across the stage at high speed. The lights of saber and sword crisscrossed, and the muffled thuds of colliding Qi Force were relentless.

Xiao Chen’s Saber Technique was tyrannical and ferocious, his strength superior. Every strike was heavy and powerful, as if it could split mountains and shatter stone.

Fang Han’s Swordsmanship, on the other hand, was agile and swift, its transformations unpredictable. He could always evade a fatal attack at the most dangerous moment and deliver a sharp counterattack.

In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged more than ten moves, yet they were evenly matched. Neither could gain a clear advantage.

"Good! Good! Now this is more like it!"

A sharp light glinted in Xiao Chen’s eyes. Far from growing frustrated by his inability to break through, he was becoming more and more excited.

He could feel the solid bottleneck within his body beginning to loosen slightly under the pressure of this intense clash.

"Fang Han, you really haven’t disappointed me!"

Xiao Chen let out a wild roar, and his Saber Technique suddenly changed, switching to a different style.

The originally ferocious and tyrannical blood-red saber light instantly gained an indescribable sense of density and weight.

The saber’s momentum seemed to stir the surrounding air, letting out a low whistle as its power suddenly surged by a large margin.

"It’s a Grade-Entering Saber Technique! Xiao Chen wasn’t even using his full strength before!"

Below the stage, Lin Ao cried out involuntarily, his expression turning extremely ugly.

Only now did he understand that when he had fought Xiao Chen the day before, his opponent hadn’t used his full power at all.

For him, the former number one of Liangshui City’s younger generation, this was nothing short of a humiliation.

"The gap is actually this huge!"

Yue Lingtian, He Qingyan, and the others also looked horrified, a bitter feeling welling up in their hearts.

As the most outstanding young Martial Artists of Liangshui City, they were proud. But Xiao Chen, an outsider who was even younger than them, had just crushed that pride to dust.

"A Grade-Entering Saber Technique, and his level of comprehension isn’t low!"

Elder Fang Yuan exchanged a look with the elders from the other families, his expression becoming incomparably grave, as did theirs.

This Xiao Chen was so young, yet not only had his Cultivation reached the Bone Refining Limit, he had also cultivated a Grade-Entering Saber Technique to such a profound level. His true strength far exceeded their previous estimations.

’He truly is worthy of coming from a mid-sized city like Celestial Wind City.’

’He actually has a Grade-Entering Martial Technique, too!’

Facing the explosive increase in the power of the blood-red Saber Aura, the pressure on Fang Han surged, and his gaze couldn’t help but turn solemn.

Fortunately, thanks to his recent period of arduous cultivation, while his Realm had not yet reached the Late Stage Bone Refining Limit, it was not far off.

Furthermore, he had cultivated the Grade-Entering Swordsmanship, Xunfeng Swordsmanship, to the Great Success Realm.

"VMMMM—!"

The Cyan Blade Sword let out an unprecedentedly high-pitched cry. Cyan light flowed across the blade, as if it had come alive.

The Great Success Level of his Xunfeng Swordsmanship erupted with its full power!

Its speed, power, and ferocity instantly climbed to a new peak.

The sword light was no longer merely swift; it now carried an ultimate sharpness that could tear through anything, an unstoppable edge.

"Xunfeng Sky Splitter!"

The explosively powerful Sword Technique once again collided fiercely with Xiao Chen’s blood-red Saber Aura.

"BOOM!!"

The sound and fury of this collision far surpassed the previous ones.

A violent shockwave exploded outward with the two of them at its center. The ground of the arena stage beneath their feet cracked inch by inch, sending rubble flying.

Both of their figures swayed, and each retreated three steps. Once again, they were evenly matched!

"What?! You also... weren’t using your full strength!"

The excitement on Xiao Chen’s face abruptly froze, replaced by astonishment.

He had thought that by unleashing his Grade-Entering Saber Technique, he could suppress Fang Han with absolute power. He never expected his opponent’s Swordsmanship to suddenly surge in power, matching him once again.

"Good! Good! This is great! Hahaha!"

After his astonishment faded, an even more fervent and crazed battle lust erupted in Xiao Chen’s eyes. He wasn’t angry; he was overjoyed, and he burst into wild laughter.

The pressure Fang Han was putting on him was even greater than he had anticipated.

Stimulated by this unprecedented pressure, the qi and blood in his body boiled like lava. The barrier to the Inner Qi Realm that had held him back for months trembled violently, as if it would shatter in the next moment.

"Again! Fight!"

Xiao Chen roared, his aura surging to its absolute peak.

He brandished his blood-red long saber, unleashing a continuous barrage of exquisite killing moves from his Grade-Entering Saber Technique. Each strike was faster and fiercer than the last.

Fang Han also pushed his own abilities to their limit. Wielding his Great Success Xunfeng Swordsmanship, his sword light flashed like a startled swan, meeting, neutralizing, and countering each of Xiao Chen’s frenzied attacks.

"CLANG CLANG CLANG... BOOM! BANG!"

On the stage, the two fought speed with speed and met strength with strength. Their figures had become a blur, leaving only the sight of blood-red Saber Aura and cyan sword light clashing, weaving, and exploding in a frenzy.

The sounds of air-blasts, the clang of metal, and the cracking of the ground were incessant!

Sand and stones flew across the entire courtyard as shockwaves rolled out. It was as if two humanoid beasts were locked in a fight to the death.