The Spirit Returning Ranking Tournament, adhering to the premise of ensuring fairness through its rules, allowed the ones who were drawn in the first round to draw lots first in the second round.
If in the second round, one of the martial artists drawn in the first round hasn’t started drawing lots and is selected by someone else, then their turn to draw will be postponed to the third round, and they will have priority in drawing lots.
As a result, the first person to draw lots in the second round turned out to be Yun Ce from Qingyun Castle, an opponent that everyone dreaded.
Of course, for those martial artists who aspired to rank in the top three of the Spirit Returning Tournament, a bloody battle with Yun Ce was inevitable.
However, if given the choice, most would prefer to postpone their fight with Yun Ce to the very last battle of the last day, or at the very least, to the last battle of each day.
That way, they could go all out and then have more time to recover.
But then again, postponing only gave everyone an equal opportunity.
It wasn’t so much that Yun Ce was lucky as it was that the martial artist who was drawn against him was unlucky, or rather, the martial artists of the Longevity Sect were particularly unlucky.
The second round began with a bad start.
Yun Ce drew number six, Mann He’an from the Longevity Sect, who had just been defeated in the first round by Zuo Xiong from the Sun and Moon Divine Sect.
Mann He’an, who had already lost a battle against Zuo Xiong, who had a similar level of cultivation, stood no chance against Yun Ce, who also possessed a terrifying mid-grade spirit artifact in his arsenal.
Indeed, even before the battle began, Mann He’an conceded the fight voluntarily.
This was necessary and a part of the Longevity Sect’s strategy.
Although Mann He’an had now lost two matches in a row, there were still chances for victory ahead, so it was important to conserve his strength.
The second match was martial artist number thirteen, Zhao Xiuming from the Longevity Sect, drawing lots to challenge someone else. Although a fellow sect member, Zhao Xiuming’s luck was much better than Mann He’an’s, to say the least.
He drew number five from Qingyun Castle, Yun Xin, who had been gravely injured by Yan Yijun from Stars Tower in the previous round and poisoned with a cold toxin. Even at this moment, Yun Xin had yet to regain consciousness.
It was improbable that he could participate in combat within the day, and even if he did, the outcome was predictable.
Without fighting, Zhao Xiuming won by default, putting a slight smile on the otherwise gloomy face of Yin Changsheng, the Longevity Sect Master, especially since Yun Xin, a strong contender with a low-grade spirit artifact, was granted a bye.
The third match had Xing Fei, who had been defeated by Ye Zhen in the previous round, drawing lots. His luck was as bad as always. This time, he drew number ten, Yan Yijun, also from Stars Tower.
Unsurprisingly, Xing Fei chose to concede, granting Yan Yijun an easy victory.
By this point in the second round of fights, Ye Zhen was already becoming disinterested. This martial competition had completely lost its original flavor.
It had turned into a contest of wits and strategy between the leaders of the Five Great Forces, and martial artists like Ye Zhen had become pawns in the hands of the Five Sect Leaders, their movements, offenses, and defenses no longer within their own control.
The only thing that attracted Ye Zhen now was the rewards of this Spirit Returning Assembly. Not to mention the others, just the Longevity Holy Water was very tempting. Ye Zhen was very much hoping that the martial artists of the Longevity Sect would lose again and again, because only then would he have a chance of obtaining the Longevity Holy Water.
Of course, one must advance into the top three to stand a chance of acquiring the Longevity Holy Water.
Did Ye Zhen have a chance to advance into the top three?
On that account, Ye Zhen was full of confidence. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be living up to the secret techniques granted to him by the Mirage Dragon Pearl!
Perhaps it was luck, or perhaps it was fate, but until the last match of the second round, there had been no clash between the top fighters of the major forces.
The only match worth mentioning was Nian Xinghe’s battle against Yun Feng from Qingyun Castle. As soon as the fight began, Yun Feng activated his low-grade spirit artifact, the Flowing Light Fan, and relentlessly attacked Nian Xinghe, who barely managed to cope and was even in danger of defeat.
But the moment Nian Xinghe drew the low-grade spirit artifact, the Blazing Flame Light-Sealing Sword bestowed by Sect Leader Jian Qianxiong, the tide of battle swiftly turned. The Blazing Flame Light-Sealing Sword was an excellent match for Nian Xinghe, who nearly unleashed its full potential.
With just six moves, Yun Feng from Qingyun Castle was defeated, spitting blood, which caused the crowd to gasp in surprise and also got approving glances from Yun Ce, Yan Yijun, Lio Kechu, and Shang Lingqi.
Holding a low-grade spirit artifact himself, Yun Feng had managed to force Nian Xinghe to reveal his trump card. That battle was considered more than worthwhile.
However, not much later, everyone’s gaze, whether it was from the Sect Leaders of the Five Great Forces, the senior members accompanying them, or the participating martial artists from the various forces, began to shift between Ye Zhen and the White Bone Young Master, Lio Kechu.
After a full round of drawing lots in the second round, only White Bone Young Master Lio Kechu and Ye Zhen hadn’t been chosen, which meant that White Bone Young Master Lio Kechu would face Ye Zhen in a pinnacle showdown.
The battle between these two could be less than spectacular, but it was surely going to be bloody and brutal, a belief held by everyone present.
Whether it was the everlasting feud between the Longevity Sect and the Sun and Moon Divine Sect or the grudge of a severed arm between Lio Kechu and Ye Zhen, the outcome was destined to be fierce.
On one hand, there was Lio Kechu, who had been the leading young martial artist in Qinglan Martial City and had since secluded himself for three years of intensive cultivation, emerging with terrifying power.
On the other hand, Ye Zhen, while only at the Fifth Stage of the Soul Sea Realm, had achievements that many martial artists at the Third and Fourth Stage of the Vein Forging Realm could not attain. He had even successfully severed one of White Bone Young Master Lio Kechu’s arms in the Trial Secret Realm.
Therefore, even before they took to the stage, discussions about the outcome of their battle were already in full swing.
"In my opinion, it’s definitely going to be White Bone Young Master Lio Kechu who will win!"
"Are you blind? Haven’t you heard that Ye Zhen cut off one of White Bone Young Master’s arms?"
"Wasn’t it said that White Bone Young Master fell prey to Ye Zhen’s trickery?"
"Intelligence is also a form of strength. Who knows, maybe White Bone Young Master will fall for the trick again?"
"Is that possible? How can someone trip over the same rock twice?"
"How about it, are you confident?" Sect Leader Jian Qianxiong asked Ye Zhen, lacking enough information about White Bone Young Master Lio Kechu after his return, he couldn’t make an effective judgment.
Of course, more importantly, he never had a clear grasp of Ye Zhen’s strength.
"In the Trial Secret Realm, I was nearly killed by Lio Kechu, but now?" A cold smile suddenly appeared on the corners of Ye Zhen’s mouth, and then, he strode onto the Martial Arena.
"Don’t be careless!"
Fengh Qingyue’s voice rang out in Ye Zhen’s mind. Ye Zhen turned around and nodded to Fengh Qingyue.
"Kechu, in this battle, I hope you can display the majesty of our Longevity Sect. You must defeat Ye Zhen, even if it means revealing all of your strength," said the solemn-faced Longevity Sect Master Yin Changsheng on the other side.
Lio Kechu remained silent, merely glancing at his empty sleeve. Though the injury from his severed arm had healed long ago thanks to the Longevity Holy Water, every time he saw his missing arm, sorrow filled his heart.
"Go, and if possible, twist off Ye Zhen’s head for me. I’ll toast with his blood right on the spot!" Yin Changsheng’s face twisted slightly.
Lio Kechu nodded solemnly and stepped onto the Martial Arena. The moment he did so, a bone whip silently appeared in his hand, and a cold white glow began to flicker.
As the bone whip appeared, Jian Qianxiong’s pupils contracted slightly. The bone whip itself wasn’t terrible; it was just a supreme spirit artifact, but the terrifying thing was the aura emanating from it.
"Ye Zhen, be careful. This is the White Bone Soul-scaring Whip, both the name of the whip and a Divine Power Martial Technique. This kind of matched artifact and Divine Power Martial Technique is very powerful..."
Jian Qianxiong’s words had only resounded halfway in Ye Zhen’s mind when they were suddenly cut off by the brightly shining spirit threads surrounding the arena.
Those spirit threads were not just the boundaries of the Martial Arena; they also disrupted the Divine Soul Waves inside and out, preventing the sect leaders from giving any last-minute advice during the battle!
"The second round, eighth match begins!"
Almost at the exact moment Wug Mengshan’s words fell, Lio Kechu’s wrist tightened sharply, and the White Bone Soul-scaring Whip in his hand drew a ghostly trail like lightning towards Ye Zhen.
"Ye Zhen, die!"
In an instant, countless whip shadows intertwined into a net, descending on Ye Zhen from above.
To make matters worse, each whip shadow emitted a piercing sound, similar to ghostly wails. The numerous ghostly whip shadows and their haunting wails were like the howls of myriad spirits, attacking the Divine Soul directly.
The martial artists watching below, including Nian Xinghe, went pale and hastily retreated several steps, moving behind Sect Leader Jian Qianxiong. Only when an invisible barrier blocked the haunting howls did they start to feel slightly better.
A Shattered Jade Seal flew out in front of Ye Zhen.
"Suppress, explode!"
Almost as if ejecting a syllable, a purple radiance filled the entire sky like a mini sun, shattering Lio Kechu’s ghostly whip net instantly.
"Is that all you’ve got?" Ye Zhen sneered, flicking his finger lightly, a Shattered Jade Seal blasted toward Lio Kechu.
"You’ll see—your time to cry will come!"
Lio Kechu scoffed and pounced down sharply. The ghostly whip shadows of the White Bone Whip covered the Shattered Jade Seal in a flash, bursting out with intense brilliance once more.
Almost simultaneously, a ghastly white bone claw shot out from behind Lio Kechu, soared high, and five skeletal fingers descended like pillars from the sky, instantly blocking all of Ye Zhen’s escape routes.
In that instant, a ghastly white light engulfed the entire Martial Arena. That light was even more intense than the brilliance emitted when Ye Zhen’s Shattered Jade Seal had exploded, and a rich scent of death permeated the air.
White Bone Divine Claw!
Heavenly Level Middle Grade Divine Power Martial Technique – White Bone Divine Claw!
"Die!"
Witnessing this scene, both Longevity Sect Master Yin Changsheng and Tower Master Yan Cong from Stars Tower became immensely expectant.
Yan Cong in particular, his eyes flashed with excitement. "Look, Ye Zhen is about to be defeated. I guarantee that White Bone Young Master will surely imprison Ye Zhen’s Divine Soul. Then, perhaps we can also take a crack at Ye Zhen’s Divine Soul!" With anticipation, Yan Cong even stood up to watch.
Sect Leader Jian Qianxiong’s expression also became extremely grave in that instant, while the martial artists from Sun and Moon Divine Sect watched unblinkingly.
But unexpectedly, they noticed something odd about Ye Zhen’s expression.
Sneer!
In such a situation, the corners of his mouth turned up in carefree ridicule, as if White Bone Young Master Lio Kechu’s attacking was like paper.
Indeed, in Ye Zhen’s eyes, White Bone Young Master Lio Kechu’s attacks were as if made of paper.
Because Ye Zhen had long seen through White Bone Young Master’s... weak point! (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to QiDian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)

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