In the stone forest.
Nine Flying Swords circled and danced, the Zhankong Sword Intent pushed to its absolute limit. Fine spatial cracks continuously appeared in the Void Realm, traces left behind by the Sword Intent cutting through the void.
The white figure dodged and leaped, his movement technique also pushed to its limit, flashing left and right, forward and backward in the stone forest, leaving behind a trail of afterimages.
Every sword strike thrust out carried a bizarre trajectory of spatial folding, making it impossible to defend against.
Ling Cang had not gone all out like this in a very long time.
Meanwhile, Han Xuanji fought as he retreated. The Hanchi Sword in his hand seemed to parry passively, but in truth, it blocked the opponent's attacks with absolute precision every single time. Even if his skin was occasionally nicked, not a single drop of blood flowed, and it healed in an instant.
This terrifying recovery power left Ling Cang dumbfounded.
How was he even supposed to compete with this?
The opponent's completely unreasonable speed and power, combined with this terrifying recovery ability, made it feel as though no matter how high his swordplay skills were, he was merely acting in vain.
Unlike Ling Cang, Han Xuanji was in a good mood.
Ling Cang's Zhankong Sword Intent, built on the Foundation of spatial Dao principles, fused the Dao of the Sword and the Law of space into a single crucible, making its power far superior to ordinary true Sword Intents.
After fighting all this way, Han Xuanji had already comprehended about seventy to eighty percent of its essence.
Outside.
So fast, so perilous, so fierce.
This was the unanimous feeling of the spectators in the stands.
On the light screen, two figures shuttled and crossed paths in the stone forest, their sword light weaving into a dazzling display that left everyone spellbound.
Han Xuanji's sword was as steady as a mountain, each strike seemingly slow but actually incredibly fast.
Ling Cang's sword was as sharp and fierce as the wind, each strike carrying the bizarre nature of spatial cutting.
The aftershocks of their clashes sliced through the surrounding stone pillars one by one, sending shattered stones flying and dust filling the air.
"So intense! This is what a quarterfinal battle should look like!"
"Ling Cang is indeed formidable! Before this, Han Xuanji's opponents were all defeated with a single punch. Only he has held out for so long!"
"Han Xuanji is no slouch either. Look at his sword moves, handling heavy weights as if they were light. This is clearly a manifestation of Major Achievement in the Dao of the Sword. Who would have thought he also knew swordplay?"
"Now the question is, who of the two will win? They look evenly matched."
Meanwhile, on the high platform, Elder Meng's gaze remained calm, but deep in his eyes, a subtle expression was hidden.
With his vision as an Eternal Saint, he naturally saw things more clearly than anyone else.
The battle on the light screen seemed intense and anxious, but in truth, the victor had already been decided.
Han Xuanji's sword moves handled heavy weights as if they were light, advancing and retreating with measure, and he acted with ease and leeway in every strike.
On the other hand, although Ling Cang's offensive was fierce, he was already showing signs of fatigue.
His Sword Intent was not as sharp as at the beginning, his movement technique was not as fluid, and even the coordination of the nine Flying Swords showed a slight lag.
This was not an even match, but rather one party humoring the other by trading blows.
Elder Meng picked up his teacup, took a light sip, and pondered in his heart.
What is Han Xuanji doing?
With his strength, he could have completely decided the outcome with a single sword strike, just like in his previous matches.
Why drag it out with Ling Cang for so long?
Could it be for the sake of learning?
This thought flashed by, and Elder Meng's brow twitched slightly.
Indeed, actual combat is the best teacher.
Han Xuanji is using this opportunity of fighting Ling Cang to observe the opponent's true Sword Intent.
This boy's Heart-Nature is truly remarkable.
Calm and unhurried, neither arrogant nor discouraged, he possesses the demeanor of a great general.
In the stone forest, Ling Cang gradually sensed that something was amiss.
He had already exerted all his strength.
Pushing his Zhankong Sword Intent to the limit, every sword strike poured in everything he had ever learned, and every move carried a life-risking posture.
Yet, Han Xuanji always received his sword strikes in an unhurried manner, his face showing no change in expression from start to finish.
Calm and indifferent, even carrying a trace of... wanting more?
Ling Cang's heart sank.
A sense of defeat and loss like never before rose from the bottom of his heart.
Since Ling Cang embarked on the path of the Dao of the Sword, he had never felt this way.
He had encountered opponents stronger than him, opponents who gave him bitter struggles, but those people were either countless times older than him or had cultivation Realms far exceeding his.
He had never met anyone in the same Realm who gave him such immense pressure.
He didn't even know where Han Xuanji's limit of strength lay, because the other party seemed to have never taken it seriously.
This kind of disappointment was far more terrifying than simple defeat.
The Sword Intent had weakened.
Han Xuanji immediately sensed the change in Ling Cang's state of mind. Reflected in his swordplay, it was a sudden drop in the sharpness of his Sword Intent.
The sword light that originally sliced through the Void Realm now became hesitant and sluggish.
Han Xuanji sighed in his heart. He knew he couldn't let this go on. He had already comprehended Ling Cang's true Sword Intent. Relying on his extremely high Comprehension Ability and his previous Foundation in the Dao of the Sword, he had already thoroughly understood the essence of the Zhankong Sword Intent during this exchange.
The Fusion of space and the Dao of the Sword, the application of cutting and folding—those profound Dao Rhymes were dismantled, reorganized, and digested in his mind.
Although it wasn't his own path, its value was already sufficient. He couldn't squeeze the opponent any further. If they kept fighting, Ling Cang's Dao Heart might be damaged.
Han Xuanji withdrew his sword and backed away, putting some distance between them.
Ling Cang was slightly stunned. He also stopped his hands, looking at him while panting.
"Ling Cang."
Han Xuanji spoke, his tone calm:
"Your Dao of the Sword is very strong."
Ling Cang didn't speak, only staring at him.
He felt that Han Xuanji was mocking his swordplay for being weak and powerless!
"One last move to decide the victor."
Han Xuanji gripped the Hanchi Sword tightly, its tip pointing diagonally at the ground:
"Go all out, and I won't hold back either."
Ling Cang fell silent for a moment, then suddenly smiled.
There was no bitterness in that smile, no resentment, only a sense of relief.
He took a deep breath, cutting away the distracting thoughts in his mind, and his gaze became firm once more.
"Alright."
The nine Flying Swords aligned in a single-line snake formation before him, their blades bursting with brilliant light.
Ling Cang formed hand seals with both hands, pouring all of his spiritual energy, Dao principles, and Sword Intent into them.
In the Void Realm, countless fine spatial cracks spread around his body, as if even heaven and earth were making way for this single sword strike.
"Void-Cleaving: Nine Swords as One."
The nine Flying Swords fused into one, transforming into a massive silver-white sword light. Carrying a sharp intent that could slice through all things, it slashed down violently toward Han Xuanji.
Han Xuanji looked at that sword light and nodded gently.
Now this was more like it. Not only had his Sword Intent returned to its Peak, but it also seemed to have gone a step further.
He raised the Hanchi Sword in his hand. A pale golden light flowed across the blade, filled with Profound Heaven Power.
He did not execute any profound sword moves, but simply performed a single, basic style.
Starfall Sword Art, First Style: Falling Star.
Back in the Immortal Realm, a single strike of his sword was enough to slash down the stars in the sky.
On the Eternal Continent, he rarely used a sword, nor could he truly slash down stars.
But he still had confidence in the power of this move. The sword went out, like a meteor crashing to the earth.
Not it was not a crushing of technique, nor was it a restraint of Dao principles.
This was a power that could be described as domineering.
The Profound Heaven Power combined with his terrifying Physical Body strength brought the power of this sword strike to an unimaginable level.
Like a meteor falling from the heavens, it required no fancy trajectory; relying solely on mass and speed, it was enough to destroy everything.
Boom!
The sword lights collided, bursting with a blinding glare.
In front of the golden sword light, the silver-white sword light was like a snowflake meeting a scorching sun, rapidly annihilating.
Ling Cang's full-power sword strike did not even last for a single breath in front of Han Xuanji.
A white light enveloped Ling Cang.
Before being teleported out, he heard Han Xuanji's voice.
"You are very strong. You just happened to run into me."
Ling Cang closed his eyes, the corners of his mouth curving up slightly.
It was not an unfair defeat.