Linzaki Sayoko no longer dared to underestimate Yan Zhen after he dodged Lin Qizhu’s three strikes in a row. Still, she didn’t believe Yan Zhen could possibly defeat her brother.
That was because Lin Qizhu’s greatest trump card—his Blade Intent—had yet to be unleashed.
Once his Blade Intent emerged, even Mystic Masters had to temporarily avoid its edge, let alone a mere Three-Star Mystic Scholar like Yan Zhen.
Meanwhile, the Second Shopkeeper and Third Shopkeeper were starting to panic.
In their expectations, Yan Zhen should have been instantly slain the moment he stepped onto the stage. After all, the Young Sect Master of the Divine Dream Palace had a record of doing just that to opponents of the same realm multiple times. So why couldn’t he even land a hit on Yan Zhen, who was at a lower cultivation level, after three full strikes?
“If only Young Master Lin Qi had emerged from seclusion sooner,” the Second Shopkeeper muttered. “Back then, that Yan kid was just a Nine-Star Mystic Practitioner. But after all these days with Ji Ya’s Cauldron Constitution boosting him, his cultivation has skyrocketed, making him far harder to deal with.”
“Could he slip away from us again this time?”
Remembering Han Feng’s fate from a few days prior soured their expressions even further.
Han Feng’s death had nearly caused a fallout with the academy dean, with whom they shared a deep friendship. In the end, they’d trotted out Yan Zhen’s excuse to calm the dean’s rage, but he’d warned them he would report the matter to the Holy Land Academy. When investigators arrived, the two of them would bear full responsibility.
They had no idea that the Extreme Flame had long since vanished from Han Feng’s body, rendering Yan Zhen’s story utterly false. Reporting it as-is would only provoke even greater fury from the Holy Land Academy.
Up on the stage, Lin Qizhu regarded Yan Zhen with utmost seriousness.
“This is the first time I’ve fallen into a disadvantage in a clash against someone of the same realm,” he said. “Lord Yan Zhen’s strength is truly beyond expectation. No wonder he has captured Miss Ji Ya’s heart.”
Yan Zhen felt a surge of irritation. The guy was all polite words on the surface, but he was brimming with malice underneath.
“Don’t you have any other moves?” Yan Zhen shot back. “The Divine Dream Palace is nothing special after all.”
Lin Qizhu narrowed his eyes.
“I still have my strongest strike left to unleash,” he replied. “If Lord Yan Zhen can take it head-on, I will concede defeat on the spot.”
Yan Zhen sneered inwardly. This little punk clearly saw how fast he was—too fast for the Draw Blade Slash to connect—so he was trying to goad him into taking the ultimate strike directly. Deep schemer, yet pretending to be all honorable and aboveboard.
In the script, the hot-blooded fool version of Yan Zhen had fallen for exactly this righteous facade. He’d assumed Lin Qizhu wanted a true man’s fair-and-square duel, so he’d given up the aerial advantage of Starry Sky Dance. Relying on Nine-Star Mystic Practitioner cultivation, he’d taken Lin Qizhu’s Six-Star Mystic Scholar kill shot infused with Blade Intent head-on—and nearly died for it.
The role-playing requirement demanded he take this strike barehanded. Yan Zhen felt a twinge of reluctance, but his current realm far surpassed the script’s version. Taking it directly wouldn’t be an issue.
“Fine, bring it,” Yan Zhen said, dismissing his Extreme Flame Greatsword. “Let’s see just how strong your ultimate strike really is.”
A glint of sharpness flashed in Lin Qizhu’s eyes. He calmly closed them, and Mystic Power began to radiate from his body with a keen, blade-like glow.
Down below, Yi Xian’er frowned and whispered, “Why did Yan Zhen put away his Extreme Flame Greatsword? Did he do the same in his previous life?”
Ji Ya shook her head.
“In his previous life, Little Brother Yan Zhen took Lin Qizhu’s strongest strike with the Extreme Flame Greatsword.”
“Heh.” Linzaki Sayoko sneered coldly from nearby. “He thinks he can catch Big Brother’s ‘Divine Wind Flash’ with bare hands? He’s courting death. Just wait—we’ll be collecting his corpse soon enough!”
The two women ignored her and kept watching the duel intently. One had already signaled Aunt Mu to stay vigilant, while the other stood ready to intervene at any moment.
Lin Qizhu’s Mystic Power grew ever sharper, a thread of Blade Intent coalescing around his Pei Dao Sword.
He hadn’t even drawn it yet, but it already gave the illusion of cleaving the arena floor beneath his feet.
Yan Zhen showed no carelessness. Golden-silver flames roared to life in his hands. The instant Lin Qizhu’s eyes snapped open and he drew his blade, Yan Zhen unleashed his maximum firepower.
Boom!
Blade qi infused with Blade Intent swept forward on a gale of wind. Yan Zhen didn’t dodge. Clutching his surging golden-silver flames, he met it head-on, blocking the strike powerful enough to cleave a house in two.
Bolstered by Blade Intent, the blade qi not only whipped up a fierce wind but slashed with even greater sharpness. It relentlessly carved at the golden-silver flames in Yan Zhen’s grasp, sending sparks flying everywhere. The embers scorched black pits into the ground.
The Blade Intent pierced through the golden-silver flames, lacerating Yan Zhen’s hands. Cracks spiderwebbed across his palms and the base of his thumbs, blood streaming freely.
If this kept up, his hands would be sliced apart, and the blade qi would carve straight into his chest.
—I might’ve overestimated myself a bit. Blade Intent really packs a punch.
With that thought, Yan Zhen remained utterly calm. Gritting his teeth against the searing pain, he channeled the yin-yang force of Tai Chi Shock. He smoothly drew the raging blade qi into his grasp and flung it skyward.
Whoosh!
The blade qi shot straight up, then exploded with a bang, dissipating into nothing.
Lin Qizhu’s eyes bulged in disbelief.
The spectators around the arena—including Linzaki Sayoko—were all stunned.
A Three-Star Mystic Scholar had actually caught a Six-Star Mystic Scholar’s strongest Blade Intent-infused strike with his bare hands?!
“This… this is impossible,” Linzaki Sayoko muttered, refusing to accept it.
In her mind, her big brother was the most outstanding prodigy of their generation, unrivaled throughout the entire Sunward Kingdom. How could he lose to some no-name fifteen- or sixteen-year-old brat?
Ji Ya and Yi Xian’er breathed sighs of relief. They’d known the outcome in advance, but the tension of that moment had still gotten to them.
Inside the chamber of commerce building, the Second Shopkeeper and Third Shopkeeper smacked their foreheads in unison. More than shock, they burned with humiliated fury.
“Damn that brat! Even this couldn’t kill him?”
“When did the Garo Kingdom produce a freak like this?”
Lin Qizhu’s face twisted unpleasantly. Yan Zhen catching his strongest strike barehanded didn’t just humiliate him publicly and tarnish the Divine Dream Palace’s reputation—it meant he had to forfeit his Pei Dao Sword as per their agreement.
This Great Karma Item-grade tachi was a birthday gift from his father and had been his constant companion for years. He’d nurtured his Divine Wind Blade Intent from this very blade.
Losing it would cripple his Blade Intent, maybe even render it unusable.
Yan Zhen dispersed his golden-silver flames. His hands bore cuts and burns alike, but he didn’t treat them right away. Instead, he retrieved the blade-shaped Mystic Artifact Embryo from his storage ring, gripped it, and channeled golden-silver flames into it, transforming it into a greatsword.
“Courtesy demands reciprocity,” Yan Zhen said slowly. “Young Master Lin Qi, why don’t you try taking one of my sword strikes? If you can, we’ll call this duel a draw, and you can keep your Pei Dao Sword.”
Lin Qizhu’s spirits lifted at the words, as if fearing Yan Zhen might change his mind. He swiftly drew the tachi he’d just sheathed, gripping it two-handed in a standard Sword Dao stance.
“If Lord Yan Zhen wishes to exchange pointers, I gladly accept—please, instruct me!”
A cold smirk tugged at Yan Zhen’s lips. He poured Mystic Power into his Extreme Flame Greatsword, causing the blade to swell several feet longer.
Then, with a kick of his feet, he rocketed forward. Gripping the Extreme Flame Giant Sword—like some siege weapon—he brought it crashing down toward Lin Qizhu.
