On the arena stage, the two stared each other down. There were no words in their eyes, only a killing intent honed to its absolute peak.
"Fight!"
As if sharing a single thought, they both moved at once.
Their first move was a thunderous onslaught, unleashing their full arsenal!
The silver Flying Sword became a piercing streak of light, tearing through the air to arrive in an instant.
Chu Bai stood his ground. The Gold Acceptance Seal at his waist flared with brilliant light as he instantly activated the Divine Technique, Golden Nature Casting Weapon.
Countless streams of golden Spiritual Power flowed over his entire body, forming a majestic and sturdy suit of Golden Armor in the blink of an eye. He took the razor-sharp sword strike head-on.
Sparks flew.
An Upper Grade Dharma Artifact would typically be a decisive, match-ending weapon in any ordinary duel. But in the hands of these two, it seemed to be just a standard part of their arsenal.
BOOM!
The very instant the Flying Sword was blocked, the deafening toll of a bell reverberated through the arena.
Behind Ji Li, a great golden bell engraved with intricate cloud patterns materialized from thin air. As he pointed a single hand, the bell descended upon Chu Bai like a crashing mountain, carrying with it immense sound waves and a suppressive force.
This was the second Upper Grade Dharma Artifact he had won in the first round—the Thundercloud Bell!
He had held it in reserve, and now it was finally baring its fangs.
"A fine move!"
Chu Bai snorted. The Essence-Bearing Tripod behind him, long since poised and gathering power, roared out to meet the bell head-on.
DONG—!!
The Tripod Cauldron and the Bell clashed violently in mid-air.
A terrifying storm of sound waves and Spiritual Power swept out in an instant. The protective Restrictions around the arena trembled violently, groaning as if on the verge of collapse.
Logically, since Ji Li had not only broken through to the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer but also possessed Evil Qi on par with Chu Bai’s, the power he channeled into his Dharma Artifacts should have been greater.
But what was unfolding was a shocking stalemate!
The Five Elements Spiritual Power in Chu Bai’s body was self-renewing and inexhaustible. No matter which Dharma Artifact he wielded, he could instantly convert his power into the most compatible attribute spiritual power, squeezing out the artifact’s full potential.
This perfect technical synergy completely nullified the difference in their Cultivation levels.
"Suppress!"
Seeing the stalemate between their Dharma Artifacts, a cold glint flashed in Ji Li’s eyes. He made a grasping motion with one hand, and the Power of Primordial Magnetism gathered frantically, instantly condensing into a spear as black as ink.
Primordial Magnetization Spear!
This spear concentrated the vast Spiritual Power of his Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer and the destructive properties of Primordial Magnetism. Bristling with sharp intent, it shot straight for Chu Bai’s brow.
"Guardian Shield!"
Chu Bai’s expression remained unchanged as a pale golden Spirit Shield materialized before him.
An ear-splitting screech of friction rang out.
The power of the Primordial Magnetization Spear was terrifying. The moment it made contact, the Perfection Level Guardian Shield began to tremble violently. Its once-brilliant golden light dimmed at a rate visible to the naked eye, and it seemed on the verge of shattering.
But the spear’s tip could not advance another inch!
Moreover, as they remained locked in this struggle, fine cracks began to appear on the ink-black spear.
The dispersing Spiritual Power from the spear was silently absorbed by the Guardian Shield, vanishing without a trace as it replenished the shield’s own energy.
KRAK!
With a sharp crack, the shield shattered, and the spear dissipated.
It all happened in the blink of an eye. The two moved so quickly that many in the audience couldn’t even make out their afterimages.
Another exchange.
Ji Li remained motionless. With a sudden pull of his left hand, a terrifying Magnetic Attraction burst forth, attempting to forcibly drag Chu Bai into his attack rhythm and expose an opening.
However, the Fire Element Ring at Chu Bai’s feet burst with red light. Like a slippery loach, he twisted his body in a bizarre manner against the pull, managing to break free. He immediately retaliated with a Spirit Water Needle.
’This kid... his combat instincts are terrifying!’ Ji Li was inwardly stunned. ’For some reason, this boy’s combat experience is ridiculously seasoned. No matter what I throw at him, he always finds the perfect counter in the nick of time. His defense is utterly flawless.’
’His total Spiritual Power is less than mine, so he’s bound to lose a battle of attrition. But I can’t give him a single moment to breathe. I have to end this quickly!’
Meanwhile, Chu Bai’s mind was racing as well.
’He’s already at the Qi Cultivation Fourth Layer, and his Spiritual Power is as vast as an ocean. If I trade blow for blow or get dragged into a war of attrition, I’m certain to lose. Although my Guiyuan Technique provides fast recovery, that’s only relative. In a high-intensity clash like this, it’s inevitable that I’ll be using up more power than I can restore.’
’My only chance is a single, fleeting moment.’
He took a deep breath, and a mixture of golden light and blood-red glow intertwined in his eyes.
The combat intuition granted by his Seven Kills Fate—an instinct that felt as if it could see through anything—was pushed to its absolute limit.
’When it comes to pure killing intent, no one at the same level of power can beat me!’
’Seize an opening and end it in one strike!’
At that moment, both fighters arrived at the exact same conclusion: a swift and decisive victory!
BOOM!
The two figures clashed violently once more, and the intensity of the battle instantly escalated to a whole new level!
"What a terrifying exchange!"
Down below the stage, Lü Qing, who had just finished his battle in the losers’ bracket to secure fourth place, had no time for Breath Regulation. His eyes were glued to the two entangled figures on stage, a sense of shock rising unbidden within him.
"It’s hard to believe we’re even in the same assessment as them..."
Beside him, Wu Jianfei’s expression was also grave. He subconsciously touched the faintly aching scar on his chest, a reminder of the single blow from Chu Bai that had sent him flying.
He nodded, his voice somewhat hoarse as he added,
"Yeah... It’s like they’re fighting in a completely different dimension."
Both of them were among the top disciples of the Daoist School. Lü Qing was unrivaled in his ferocity, and Wu Jianfei was as explosive as fire. Both had achieved impressive rankings in this assessment.

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