The setting sun was as red as blood, and a gentle breeze suddenly stirred.
In Piaoxue Palace, a white-robed young man with the Demon-Suppressing Blade hanging at his waist, standing as straight as a Celestial Spear, slowly walked into Piaoxue Palace’s Martial Arts Arena under the crimson sunset.
The Martial Arts Arena was brightly lit. The faint red firelight carried a tense and oppressive atmosphere.
Although there were over a thousand people inside, it was rather quiet; only the sound of heavy breathing could be heard. Pairs of eyes fixed intensely on the arena ring in the center, as if waiting for something.
On both sides of the ring, two young men stood quietly with their eyes closed.
The young man on the left wore a blue round-collar long robe. The robe had faded slightly white from washing, yet it was very clean. The young man had a standard square face with thick eyebrows, giving him a resolute and awe-inspiring look that perfectly matched the Ancient Spear in his hand.
In contrast, the young man on the right side of the martial arts ring was much more outstanding. His rustling purple clothes fluttered, complementing the flying black hair at his temples and his handsome face, exuding an air of superiority that made him stand head and shoulders above the rest. His slightly raised eyebrows seemed somewhat frivolous, yet they also revealed a powerful inner confidence.
Lin Huang looked at the two standing face-to-face. He raised his eyebrows slightly, feeling somewhat curious.
Then, an aged voice echoed in the Martial Arts Arena. Its strong penetrating power allowed the words to fall clearly into everyone’s ears, causing their eyes to light up.
"The battle for the Outer Sect champion begins! Earth Institute’s Lu Panshi versus Celestial Institute’s Luo Hefeng!"
As the voice faded, waves of excitement rippled through the Martial Arts Arena. The crowd fixed their gazes tightly on the two combatants, unable to help but whisper among themselves.
"I really misjudged this time. To think the Earth Institute produced such a dark horse! I genuinely had never heard of Lu Panshi’s name before."
"Hehe, of course! Although Senior Brother Lu usually doesn’t show off, his Cultivation is extremely diligent. Even if Luo Hefeng has high talent, he might not necessarily be able to defeat Senior Brother Lu," a disciple from the Earth Institute said proudly.
"Stop joking. Senior Brother Luo is the cream of the crop in our Celestial Institute. His strength has long since reached the Earth Element Fifth Heaven Realm, and he will probably break through to the Earth Element Sixth Heaven in just a few days. Although Lu Panshi has astonishing strength, his talent and capabilities are ultimately limited. Both his Martial Soul and the Martial Technique he practices are inferior to Luo Hefeng’s. Wanting to win is simply a fantasy!" a disciple from the Celestial Institute sneered in retort. The Earth Institute disciple flushed red in the face but could find no words to reply. He could only clench his fists tightly, resting a heavy gaze upon Lu Panshi, hoping the latter would win every battle just as he had before.
"That makes sense. After all, Lu Panshi is inferior to Luo Hefeng in every aspect. Furthermore, Luo Hefeng had already reached the Fifth Heaven a year ago. Now that a year has passed, I’m afraid he is only a step away from the Sixth Heaven," another disciple remarked, considering himself an impartial judge. However, his sidelong glance poorly concealed his disdain for Lu Panshi’s attire.
In the crowd, Lin Huang, his body wrapped in a snow-white cloak, was also watching Lu Panshi and Luo Hefeng. A faint smile graced his face. If he had to pick a side, he naturally leaned toward Lu Panshi.
The feeling Lu Panshi gave Lin Huang was very similar to Lu Han: a sharp edge hidden beneath an ordinary exterior, something that could not be underestimated.
Besides, although Lin Huang had always stayed at the bottom of the Celestial Waterfall Cliff for his Cultivation, he was nominally a disciple of the Earth Institute. Could he possibly act like a traitor and support Luo Hefeng instead?
On the ring, following Arbitration Elder Nan Yunlie’s exit, Lu Panshi and Luo Hefeng stepped up. The blue-robed Lu Panshi walked with heavy, steady steps, every footfall echoing with a resounding thud.
Luo Hefeng, on the other hand, was much more agile. He leaped onto the ring with a single bound. With a flick of his arm, a pale blue Longsword appeared in his grip, and sharp Sword Qi swept out in its wake.
The two locked eyes in the ring without making a move, yet a highly volatile atmosphere blanketed the entire Martial Arts Arena.
"To encounter you in the champion’s battle completely exceeded my expectations. However, this is where it ends. Even if a dark horse is eye-catching, they are ultimately not the number one in the Outer Sect!" Luo Hefeng said, looking at the resolute Lu Panshi with a breezy smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"Let’s fight!"
Lu Panshi didn’t waste words, simply spitting out these two flat words. The Ancient Spear in his hand immediately exuded a sharp aura, matching evenly against the Sword Qi from Luo Hefeng’s hand.
Looking at Lu Panshi’s unmoved expression, an inexplicable surge of fury flared in Luo Hefeng’s heart.
A hick from a small village who was nearly twenty years old and had only reached the Earth Element Fourth Heaven dared to give him such an indifferent attitude. It was truly laughable!
"Since you’ve chosen these words as your dying breath, this Crown Prince can only oblige you!"
A cold smile surfaced on Luo Hefeng’s face. Then, Sword Qi suddenly erupted, and he shot toward Lu Panshi like an Immortal Crane...
In an instant, the entire Martial Arts Arena was brimming with Sword Qi, all of it bearing down on Lu Panshi.
Watching the sharp Longsword slicing toward him, a glimmer of light finally flickered in Lu Panshi’s originally calm eyes. He shook his Ancient Spear, piercing fiercely through the space around him, aiming straight for his opponent’s head.
Watching the two clash in the arena, the thousands of people below the ring couldn’t help but hold their breath again. They quietly watched the two fighting back and forth on the stage, their nerves stretched to the absolute limit, as if they themselves were in the ring.
Lin Huang narrowed his eyes slightly. The Ancient Spear in Lu Panshi’s hands already had the feel of Lu Han, but its true essence was still far inferior.
By comparison, Luo Hefeng’s figure in the ring was like a pleasing sight to behold. With every twist and leap, he resembled a soaring Immortal Crane, combining elegance with ferocity.
Watching the two engaged in a fierce battle, Lin Huang sighed faintly.
For someone who had experienced countless slaughters and battles, seeing the outcome of this match wasn’t difficult. Lu Panshi’s Martial Technique was sharp and direct, without the slightest hint of flashiness.
While Luo Hefeng’s Sword Qi possessed a bit of flair, it concealed a terrifying killing intent. Luo Hefeng was clearly suppressing Lu Panshi slowly, even showing a somewhat playful mindset.
Comparing the two’s Martial Techniques, it was an obvious one-sided crush. Lin Huang guessed that Lu Panshi had probably figured out more than half of the Martial Technique he was using on his own. Furthermore, Lu Panshi’s Martial Soul was likely only Yellow Tier.
In contrast, aside from his terrifying combat experience and his life-risking fighting style, Lu Panshi truly couldn’t compare to Luo Hefeng in any other aspect—in fact, the gap was vast.
Moreover, although Luo Hefeng appeared frivolous, he had definitely studied Lu Panshi. He wasn’t impatient in the slightest. Instead, he slowly wore Lu Panshi down, ensuring the latter had absolutely no chance for a desperate counterattack.
As time passed, the reality of Lu Panshi falling into a disadvantage became increasingly obvious. After all, the realms of his Martial Technique and Martial Soul were both far behind Luo Hefeng’s.
"I thought he was truly a dark horse, but he turns out to be a good-for-nothing! He’s being so suppressed by Senior Brother Luo that he doesn’t have the slightest power to fight back!"
"Do you really think Luo Hefeng’s title as the Purple-Robed Spirit Sword was given for nothing?"
"Senior Brother Luo is a disciple of the Celestial Institute, after all. How could disciples from those other garbage institutes compare?" a Celestial Institute disciple boasted proudly, acting as if he were the one defeating Lu Panshi.
Just as his voice fell, a muffled groan suddenly rang out from the ring, instantly drawing everyone’s gaze back to the stage.
The groan naturally came from Lu Panshi. A deep sword gash appeared on his shoulder, revealing the stark white bone beneath.
However, Luo Hefeng wasn’t doing well either...
A half-foot-long laceration appeared on his chest, with flesh flayed open. Blood poured out, staining his luxurious purple clothes red. At this moment, he was glaring gloomily at Lu Panshi. His dark, cold smile exuded an extremely dense killing intent.
"It wasn’t easy for someone from a small village to make it this far. But you shouldn’t have become my opponent, let alone injure me. Now, prepare to face my wrath!"
As Luo Hefeng spoke, the aura around him surged violently, and a terrifying presence rose along with it. A longsword inscribed with dark purple patterns slowly materialized behind him, casting an archaic and fierce aura in all directions.
Purple Blood Sword Martial Soul!
Looking at the Martial Soul behind Luo Hefeng, Lu Panshi’s steady expression shifted. His callus-covered hands gripped the Ancient Spear tightly, his face filled with solemnity.
Luo Hefeng’s previous sword strike had wounded his right shoulder. How was he supposed to wield his spear?
Seeing Luo Hefeng unleash his Martial Soul, with the powerful Power of Martial Soul surging like a roaring, vicious wolf, the crowd couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. There would be no turning point in the upcoming situation.
Luo Hefeng’s Martial Soul was a rare Profound Tier High-Level Martial Soul. Even most Inner Sect Disciples would admit their inferiority.
Lin Huang looked at the two in the arena and shook his head. With a right hand that could no longer hold a spear, it was impossible to contend with Luo Hefeng.
The following scene did not exceed anyone’s expectations.
Yet, it also took everyone by surprise.
Under Luo Hefeng’s fierce attacks, Lu Panshi’s defense ultimately crumbled like a collapsing mountain. What the crowd hadn’t expected, however, was that Luo Hefeng chose to torture rather than kill. His sharp Longsword continuously pierced the latter’s skin, yet completely avoided his vitals.
In just half a quarter of an hour, Lu Panshi was stabbed thirty-six times. Not a single patch of intact skin could be found on his entire body. The flowing blood nearly dyed the entire ring red.
"Reaching the top ten in the Outer Sect battle is enough to enter the Inner Sect. Why did you insist on fighting me for the champion’s spot? Did you think you could become the center of attention? You thought too highly of yourself. A man must know his own limits!" Luo Hefeng said with a sinister smile. He directly kicked Lu Panshi out of the ring, then raised his sword to continue the brutal slaughter...
THUD! With a heavy slam, Lu Panshi’s body smashed violently onto the ground, landing right in front of Lin Huang.
And Luo Hefeng also lunged forward with his sword, the cold blade thrusting straight for Lu Panshi’s throat...