"First Senior Brother is too amazing! He even defeated an established expert at the mid nascent soul stage!" Duan Xianxing couldn't help but dance with joy.
Li Nanzhu also let out a breath of relief, but her eyes unconsciously drifted toward that ancient pine tree in the distance—Qi Yunze still stood alone on the treetop, his white robes fluttering lightly in the wind, his expression unreadable.
"Next is the match for Qi Yunze from the Sword Heart Sect," Feng Qingping reminded. "Do you want to watch?"
"Of course!" Duan Xianxing said excitedly. "That's a light spiritual root!"
Li Nanzhu's heart stirred.
In the original novel, the descriptions of Qi Yunze always emphasized his sword dao cultivation, but rarely described the characteristics of the light spiritual root in detail.
This was a good opportunity to observe. Perhaps she could spot his weaknesses during the match.
While she was deep in thought, Mu Wenyan had already returned to the Five Elements Dao Sect seats amidst the cheers of the crowd, his sleeves fluttering with residual sword qi.
Duan Xianxing was the first to rush up, incoherent with excitement. "First Senior Brother! That move, Rainbow Piercing the Sun, was absolutely brilliant! Even a mid nascent soul stage cultivator couldn't block it!"
The others' eyes were also full of pride. Feng Qingping handed the brewed spirit tea to Mu Wenyan.
"First Senior Brother's sword intent has improved again since last month."
"I've had some insights recently." Mu Wenyan smiled as he took the tea cup, but his gaze was fixed on the arena. "Qi Yunze is about to take the stage."
Li Nanzhu quietly observed her senior brother's expression. Mu Wenyan's fingertips lightly rubbed the edge of the tea cup, his knuckles still slightly pale from the fierce battle just now.
"Is First Senior Brother staying to watch the match?" she asked softly.
Mu Wenyan nodded. "A light spiritual root cultivator is a rare sight." He paused. "Especially Qi Yunze."
These words made Li Nanzhu's heart skip a beat.
In the original novel, Mu Wenyan and Qi Yunze were supposed to be mortal enemies, but at this moment, there was a hint of mutual respect between them.
If it weren't for Cang Dongqing, perhaps the two of them might have become friends.
At that moment, the bell rang, and Qi Yunze walked slowly onto the stage. He was tall and slender, his plain white sword robe fluttering in the wind. The ancient sword hanging at his waist, though not yet unsheathed, already exerted a sense of pressure.
"Such strong sword qi!" Duan Xianxing couldn't help but exclaim. "I can feel it even from this far away..."
Mu Wenyan's eyes narrowed slightly. "His sword is already nearing clarity."
Qi Yunze's opponent was a mid nascent soul stage cultivator from the Xuan Tian Sect, dressed in a dark green daoist robe with a string of bronze bells hanging at his waist. The two stood facing each other and bowed at the referee's signal.
"Qi Yunze of the Sword Heart Sect. Please advise."
"Liu Yuanming of the Xuan Tian Sect. Please!"
As the sound signaled the start of the match, the moment Qi Yunze's longsword left its scabbard, the entire arena suddenly became as bright as day.
Pure spiritual light erupted from his blade, not dazzling, yet impossible to look at directly.
"Is this... the light spiritual root?" Duan Xianxing narrowed his eyes.
Li Nanzhu raised her hand to shield her eyes.
That light was too pure, as if it could penetrate all shadows. Suisui squirmed restlessly in her arms, its soul fire dimming by several degrees.
Liu Yuanming was clearly affected as well. His movements became sluggish, and the bronze bells at his waist emitted a rapid hum. Seven streaks of green light circled his body like swimming dragons, but they were noticeably suppressed and dimmed.
Qi Yunze's sword moves became increasingly sharp, each strike carrying a brilliant radiance and leaving long-lasting afterimages in the air.
Seeing his opponent's dominance, Liu Yuanming flicked his wrist, and the seven bronze bells flew out, forming the Big Dipper pattern in the air. Each bell burst forth with piercing green light, with the faint sound of dragon roars.
"The Seven-Star Dragon-Locking Array of the Xuan Tian Sect!" someone in the spectator stands exclaimed.
Seeing someone recognize his sect's ultimate technique, a flash of pride crossed Liu Yuanming's eyes.
With both hands forming hand seals again, the seven bells suddenly transformed into seven green dragons, roaring as they pounced toward Qi Yunze. Each dragon carried a surge of spiritual energy, causing the arena floor to crack inch by inch under the vibrations.
Qi Yunze's figure was like lightning as his longsword drew a perfect arc of light in front of him.
White light and green light collided repeatedly, dividing the entire arena into two distinct halves of brilliance. The air waves caused the protection array to tremble violently, forcing Ling Xiao to step in once more to reinforce the barrier.
"It's already been an hour..." Duan Xianxing clenched his fists nervously. "And a winner hasn't been decided yet."
Mu Wenyan's gaze was focused. "Liu Yuanming's Seven-Star Dragon-Locking Array is not that easy to break."
Sure enough, Liu Yuanming suddenly changed his tactics.
The seven green dragons merged into one, transforming into a hundred-foot-long giant serpent that breathed out green flames. Wherever the flames passed, even the air made a sizzling sound as it burned.
Seeing this, Qi Yunze's expression also turned solemn. He swung his sword sharply. "Light Radiant Over the Nine Provinces!"
Countless points of light emerged out of nowhere like fireflies, surrounding the green flames.
The points of light and the flames touched, producing a bone-chilling sound. The two extreme powers eroded each other, creating a massive spiritual energy vortex in the center of the arena.
Another hour passed, and the two were still evenly matched.
Sweat appeared on Liu Yuanming's forehead, and Qi Yunze's white robes were also soaked, but their eyes remained sharp, and their moves showed no sign of disorder.
"This is a true nascent soul duel..." Duan Xianxing watched, completely enthralled.
Li Nanzhu noticed that Qi Yunze's sword moves began to undergo a subtle change.
Each of his strikes became simpler but carried a strange rhythm. The white light gradually solidified, no longer scattering but instead wrapping around the blade.
"The match is about to end," Mu Wenyan said suddenly.
Sure enough, Qi Yunze suddenly shifted his stance. He transformed into a streak of light, instantly piercing through the body of the green serpent. His sword was like a white rainbow piercing the sun, pointing directly at Liu Yuanming's throat—
"I concede." Liu Yuanming's lips trembled for a long time, seemingly unable to believe the fact that he had lost. But seeing the bronze bells fall to the ground with a clang, he could only concede with a bitter smile.
The entire venue was silent for a moment, and then a thunderous cheer erupted!
This fierce battle, which had lasted for four hours, finally came to an end.
"That was spectacular!" Duan Xianxing danced with excitement. "This is what a duel between top experts should be!"
Li Nanzhu let out a long breath but unconsciously looked at Mu Wenyan.
The current Qi Yunze only had a cultivation at the early nascent soul stage, but he didn't fall behind at all against a mid-stage cultivator and even won with relative ease.
Meanwhile, her senior brother was currently at the mid nascent soul stage, but the time it took him to defeat his opponent was about the same as Qi Yunze...
To her surprise, Mu Wenyan's expression was calm, but his eyes flickered with a burning battle intent.
Seeing Li Nanzhu's worried gaze, the corners of Mu Wenyan's lips curled slightly. "What, worried that your senior brother is being outshone?"
He flicked the scabbard with his finger, producing a clear sword hum. "Don't forget, I didn't use a single spell just now."
Li Nanzhu was startled, only then realizing that Mu Wenyan had indeed only used basic sword techniques throughout the match. That cup of spirit tea had not only masked his dark spiritual root but also allowed him to condense all his spiritual energy onto the edge of his blade.
"If I were to truly fight Qi Yunze..." Mu Wenyan's gaze turned toward the white figure in the distance who was sheathing his sword. "The outcome would still be uncertain."
These words made Li Nanzhu's heart tremble slightly. Mu Wenyan had always been humble; for him to say that the outcome was uncertain showed just how much weight Qi Yunze held in his mind!
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