“Sea Soul Scale Armor!”
This inner armor was forged by blending the scales of a deep-sea Precious Beast with fine gold, and the materials used were quite extraordinary.
Screech!
The moment the sword-light struck, a blinding burst of white light erupted from the scale armor!
【Hanlin】 clashed with the scale armor, emitting a harsh, scraping sound. A deep groove was actually plowed into the surface of the armor, sending scales flying and revealing the fabric lining beneath.
A flash of killing intent flickered through Shen Xiuhan's eyes!
The sword blade trembled slightly!
That “sword-glow,” which had never been revealed until now, stirred at the tip of the sword, practically on the verge of bursting forth.
If released, it would surely pierce through both this inner armor and Luo Qiance's heart!
Luo Qiance's scalp went numb, and goosebumps erupted all over his skin like millet. The chill of death rushed over him, causing his pupils to dilate as he froze on the spot.
At the critical moment, the sharp light in Shen Xiuhan's eyes retracted, and he forcibly suppressed his killing intent.
This is enough... If I really kill him, it will be difficult to clean up the mess.
With a flick of his wrist, he changed his thrust into a push. Force surged into the long sword like a tide, thrusting it forward with great power!
A powerful surge of Mingjin penetrated the armor and slammed into Luo Qiance's chest.
“Ah!!”
Luo Qiance sprayed a mist of blood into the air, letting out a shrill scream as he was sent flying off the stage.
Bang!
Crash!
His body traced a parabola through the air, crashing squarely into the Luo family's seating area.
Benches, teacups, and fruits were scattered all over the ground, leaving a complete mess everywhere.
Enduring the agonizing pain, Luo Qiance gritted his teeth and rolled over onto his stomach, pushing hard with both hands in an attempt to struggle to his feet.
But having suffered severe internal injuries, his body was completely devoid of strength. His arms gave out, and he collapsed back into the splintered wooden debris.
“Blegh...”
Luo Qiance's body convulsed violently, and he coughed up several large mouthfuls of blood in succession!
Swoosh!
An Anjin expert of the Luo family appeared, his face dark.
He helped the pale-faced Luo Qiance up, quickly popped a large pill into his mouth, and pressed his palm against Luo Qiance's back to help dissolve the medicinal power.
At the same time, his fingers moved like lightning, tapping rapidly on acupoints all over Luo Qiance's body.
Only after a brief moment did his expression soften slightly.
Meeting the worried gazes of the Luo family members, he said coldly, “His life is not in danger, but his internal organs are displaced and his meridians are damaged. His internal injuries are extremely severe; he won't recover without half a year to a year of rest!”
With that, he hoisted Luo Qiance onto his back and disappeared from everyone's sight in a few leaps.
On the stage, Shen Xiuhan lightly flicked his wrist, and the tip of 【Hanlin】 pointed downward. A single drop of blood slid down the blade, dripping onto the ground beneath his feet.
The surroundings fell into a dead silence!
After a long while, the chatter exploded like a volcano, and the roaring voices of the crowd instantly swallowed the entire lakeside.
“He won! Senior Brother Shen won! Hahaha!”
“Well played, Junior Brother Shen!”
“That was brutal... It's one thing to be superb in hand-to-hand combat, but his swordplay is actually this terrifying! With this kind of talent, if he hadn't been disadvantaged by his age, he might have even been able to match Xiao Wu!”
“Indeed, indeed! This Shen Xiuhan is a full six or seven years younger than Xiao Wu and Wang Xuanyang. If they were of the same age, it would really be hard to say who the number one of the younger generation in Changyun County would be!”
The gazes of the commoners, martial artists, and wanderers all focused on the green-clad figure on the stage, filled with shock!
Meanwhile, Wang Youjun's loud shout echoed, “Mingjin Group, Shen Xiuhan of the Mei Courtyard, wins!”
After a brief pause, a hint of solemnity entered his voice. “With consecutive victories, Shen Xiuhan has secured a spot in the top three... He may enter the Dragon Blood Essence-Infusing Pool to cultivate for three days!”
As soon as these words were spoken, the cheers of the Mei Courtyard disciples rose to another level, nearly piercing the sky.
...
“Great! Brother Shen fought a brilliant battle!”
Not far away, Xiao Wu stood on a small mound, clapping and laughing heartily.
Standing beside him in turn were Xiao Wen, Luo Tangyin, and Song Huatang, as well as Han Li, who stood behind everyone in a green robe with his hands behind his back, looking entirely ordinary.
“Senior Brother Shen's swordplay is simply too overbearing!”
Xiao Wen's eyes shone with excitement. “Big Brother, I want to practice the sword too...”
“Practice my foot! You're aiming too high!”
Xiao Wu glared at him and scolded, “Temper your body first and break through the Bone Tempering stage before you talk!”
“Oh...” Xiao Wen mumbled aggrievedly.
To the side, Luo Tangyin's expression was grave, her gaze slightly dazed.
The scenes from just now were deeply branded into her mind, refusing to fade.
This kid's strength is actually so formidable... If it were a life-and-death struggle, even I might not be able to confidently claim that I could suppress him...
Beside her, Ding Qing wrung the corner of her clothes, her heart filled with excitement.
But fearing that Luo Tangyin might get angry, she could only desperately suppress the urge to smile.
After all...
The winner was her junior brother.
The one beaten like a dead dog, however, was Luo Tangyin's brother.
Thus, Ding Qing could only keep her eyes lowered, pretending to be completely unperturbed.
...
On the spectator stand, Ji Shuying's chest heaved, a slight flush rising on her beautiful face. Grabbing the fair hand of Mei Shuangfeng beside her, her voice trembled slightly.
“Shuangfeng, Xiao Liu won! Did you see that? In such a short time, he has already grown to this extent!”
Mei Shuangfeng let out a long breath. “I saw it...”
She gazed at the figure slowly walking down from the stage, her beautiful eyes filled with complex emotions.
The fisherman youth of the past, who had walked on thin ice and knelt on the ground holding up a Precious Fish, begging her to take him in, seemed like he was just there yesterday.
Yet in the blink of an eye, he had already grown into a towering tree, even cutting down a direct descendant of the Luo family from the Raging Sea Sect with his sword.
A hint of moisture welled up in Mei Shuangfeng's eyes as she murmured, “If Luoyun were still alive... today, he would probably have reached a cultivation level similar to Han'er's...”
Ji Shuying was startled upon hearing this.
Then, she silently tightened her grip on Mei Shuangfeng's hand.
The two fell into silence for a moment.
On the four grand armchairs in the front row, however, it was a completely different scene.
“Hahaha!”
Zhao Zheng laughed heartily and turned his head to look beside him. “County Magistrate Luo, it seems that in this second round, I, Zhao, have won another small victory.”
“The Colonel indeed has good luck...”
Luo Changming's face twitched slightly as he said in a flat tone, “Rest assured, since I have promised you, Colonel, I will naturally not go back on my word.”
“Splendid!”
Zhao Zheng slapped his thigh, laughing even more joyfully. “What I promised you earlier still stands. Once you have chosen your people, County Magistrate, just send them directly to my army.”
Upon hearing this, Luo Changming's expression softened slightly, and he gave a slight nod.
But soon, his gaze fell back onto Shen Xiuhan.
What a Shen Xiuhan!
He is so young, yet his cultivation is remarkably high. Not only is his hand-to-hand combat overbearing, and his movement techniques excellent, but he has even mastered that Flowing Cloud Swordplay... His talent and temperament are both top-tier!
Luo Changming praised him in his heart, but his eyes gradually grew cold.
What a pity that such a sharp blade happens to be in the hands of the Ji family...
The Ji family's firms and fleets are the biggest obstacles to my Luo family dominating Cloudwater Lake... If this boy cannot be used by me...
A trace of freezing killing intent flashed through the depths of Luo Changming's eyes.
Then he cannot be allowed to live!
Just at this moment!
A tsunami-like wave of exclamations erupted, echoing across the entire area!
“What is that?!”
“Heavens! That white light... could it be...”
Luo Changming's brow furrowed.
Beside him, the other three Huajin Grandmasters also had slight changes in their expressions.
The four of them turned their gazes in unison toward the source of the noise.
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