"Next?!"
BOOM—
In an instant, the entire venue erupted, and exclamations of shock filled the air.
"Does he still have the strength to fight?"
"Could he truly intend to challenge all those Peak Refining Void experts off the platform?!"
The voices echoed across the mountains.
Key Smoke, sitting on the high platform, stared blankly at the ravine hundreds of zhang long and deep. She watched his blood-stained robe flutter in the wind, and in a trance, it was as if she saw the Sword Sect of old.
An old Sword Immortal stood, sword in hand, laughing heartily, gazing at the eternally flowing Cang River, gazing at the tens of thousands of practitioners of Wilderness Cultivation who had yet to cross it.
To the north of the Cang River lay countless dilapidated ruins; to the south lay all the sects of the world.
"The world, eh..." Ji Nanjue suddenly chuckled, recalling the day beneath Unrepentant Cliff when he had spoken of giving Su Bei a fortuitous opportunity...
He must have been laughing inwardly back then, Ji Nanjue thought, already having honed the Sovereign Sword to such perfection.
"Su Bei, Su Bei, just how many surprises can you bring me?"
Everyone stared blankly at the scene before them. After an unknown amount of time, someone finally spoke in a low voice, "Can Elder Su truly continue, fighting consecutively like this?"
Their eyes were filled with shock. The terrifying Spiritual Energy from moments before had seemed immense, as if it could obscure heaven and earth!
An old Refining Void Cultivator, looking at Su Bei on the platform, lamented, "The Sovereign Sword... it's been centuries since I've seen this sword technique, hasn't it?"
"I never expected the Sword Sect to still possess this sword technique..."
The Sword Sect Disciples gazed at Su Bei with fervent eyes, swallowing hard.
"Elder Su always brings surprises!!"
"So strong!! But are Elder Su's injuries really alright?!"
"Let Elder Su come down! No more fighting!"
"Those are the rules of the arena battles; unless someone challenges Elder Su off the platform, he must continue."
Wenren Pingxin looked at Li Ziyu and Dan Wuque, who were wounded and being supported by other disciples. Li Ziyu sighed and said, "I've let Senior Sister down."
Dan Wuque's characteristic tuft of hair wasn't fluttering in the wind as usual; it lay limply on his forehead. His face was pale, but the corners of his mouth held a smile.
At least my younger sister won't be injured this badly, he thought.
"You've already done very well."
Wenren Pingxin's eyes curved into a gentle smile. Then, her gaze shifted to the blood-soaked figure in the distance, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her skirt, her teeth biting her lower lip.
Light shone upon her, revealing tears welling at the corners of her eyes as she murmured to herself, "He's becoming more and more like Master..."
On the platform, Su Bei stood with his hands clasped behind his back, paying no heed to the overwhelming discussions around him. He casually retrieved a Qi Blood Pill from his storage ring and closed his eyes, focusing on recovering his already ravaged meridians.
Ordinary cultivators in his condition would have long been a spent force. Even if they could still fight, they could only manage a few symbolic swings of their weapons.
But Su Bei was different. Empowered by the system, his every sword strike was at its peak. In other words, he lacked the self-preservation limits his body would normally impose to protect itself.
—It was like disabling a computer's overheat protection; performance would be smooth, but burning out the components would be a very real risk.
Boundless agony coursed through him, each wave piercing his every nerve.
Finally, a man with slightly disheveled hair stepped forward. He seemed to have already expended considerable Spiritual Energy and looked at Su Bei with a gaze full of respect as he said, "In the Twenty-One Provinces, there are few whom I, Wang Chuan, respect as much as you!"
"Elder Su, I, Wang Chuan, salute you!"
"It's just a pity that this is the Ascension Platform, witnessed by cultivators from all over the world, and I, Wang, will not hold back..."
As he spoke, his Blade Qi erupted!
Su Bei's eyes snapped open. Looking at the man before him, he then gave a relaxed smile and said, "Elder Wang, please!"
A resolute sword strike!
BOOM!
A gust of wind suddenly swept through, bringing a slight chill to the desolate land. The sky resonated with the overwhelming clang of clashing sabers and swords!
The gazes of all the spectators were fixed on the platform, their expressions filled with respect, no words spoken.
Golden lotuses bloomed across the sky. It was still the same relentless barrage from the Da Dao, still that same Mountain and River Divide strike!
Blood continuously seeped from the corners of Su Bei's mouth. The Great Dao Qi within his Dantian surged wildly into his sword. The Qingping Sword seemed more joyful than it had ever been, trembling fiercely as radiant streaks of light blossomed across the sky!
BOOM—
BOOM—
Although Wang Chuan's blade intent was not as terrifying as Shi Zhen's, each slash still brought intense pressure to bear on Su Bei.
The sounds of sabers and the ringing of swords filled his ears!
The sound of striking metal reverberated over every inch of Azure Cloud Mountain. It was as if with every wisp of Sovereign Sword Energy Su Bei unleashed, an indescribable enlightenment dawned in the hearts of the onlookers.
Feeling such terrifying sword strikes, one after another!
Wang Chuan's eyes widened, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth. His clothes were nearly shredded by the terrifying Sword Qi. He roared,