“This guy is too arrogant. If I could beat him, I’d definitely give him a couple of punches.”

The audience below was stirred by Ling Ao’s action, with many in shock and anger. Lin Bei also spoke indignantly.

A follower frowned and said, “He probably just had some sort of fortuitous encounter. A petty person in power won’t be strong for long.”

Another follower chimed in, “He hasn’t met a truly powerful expert before. Otherwise, he would have been taught a lesson long ago.”

Shang Ziliang remained silent beside them, his face looking extremely ugly. His complexion fluctuated between red and white as he listened to their conversation, seemingly wanting to say something but also appearing somewhat ashamed.

Chu Liang stood in the center of the small group, a smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

He naturally supported Jiang Yuebai, but he wasn’t angry at Ling Ao’s retort because he knew that the outcome of the match would decide everything.

Being a bit arrogant wasn’t necessarily bad; it was just a matter of personality. If you win, you’re seen as proud and unrestrained; if you lose, you’re just a jumping clown. In the end, you have to bear the consequences yourself.

He looked towards Jiang Yuebai and saw her still dressed in that neat white outfit, untouched by dust from the previous matches. Facing Ling Ao’s response to the entire arena, Jiang Yuebai maintained her usual calm.

She made only one move.

Drawing her sword.

A three-foot green blade speaks louder than a thousand words.

The tip of the sword traced a semicircle in the air, like a crescent moon, emitting a dangerous aura.

The presiding elder in the center of the arena saw this and knew the atmosphere had reached its climax. With a clear understanding, he had no desire to steal the scene. After shouting loudly, he immediately exited the stage.

“The first match of the top four! Ling Ao of Solitary Peak versus Jiang Yuebai of Verdant Peak!”

“Begin!”

Boom—

Before all attacks commenced, the clash of their auras invisibly began, the advantage of a one-on-one duel being the ability to focus all attention on the enemy before you, with thoughts sharp as knives!

Jiang Yuebai’s starry eyes lit up, and this time, she was the one to make the first move, which was rare in her previous battles!

But her initial move wasn’t an attack; instead, her flying sword soared into the sky, transforming into thousands of sword lights, forming a shield of swords in front of her!

The next second, a dark shadow crashed into the sword shield!

Bang—

From the audience’s perspective, it was clear that Jiang Yuebai first used the Thousand Swords Art to form a sword shield, and then Ling Ao collided with it.

But in reality, within Jiang Yuebai’s perception of aura, she had already sensed Ling Ao’s sharp energy swooping down from the sky and felt his attack, which prompted her to set up her defense.

Thousand Swords Shield!

Ling Ao still charged forward and threw a punch!

Crackling—

It was as if lightning struck in clear skies, countless sword glimmers flickering and shattering, the sword shield completely collapsing under this strike. However, Ling Ao’s figure also landed, his momentum thoroughly blocked.

This was just a probing attack. If Jiang Yuebai’s reputation exceeded her strength, merely a vase in appearance, then she would have been instantly defeated by him. After she blocked this strike, Ling Ao finally became cautious.

Because this was the first time since the Shu Mountain Summit that he felt an inability to break through!

Her defense was solid, but what was key was that she had deployed her sword shield even before his attack, completely predicting his offensive path!

Was it a guess?

Ling Ao’s eyes were sharp as knives, his figure flickered left and right, suddenly splitting into two afterimages, one on each side of the arena, both rushing towards Jiang Yuebai!

Let’s see which one you defend against!

……

The battle had just begun, and it was already intensely fierce, with the audience watching with bated breath.

In his previous battles, Ling Ao had always defeated his opponents with a single strike, without displaying any special techniques. But now, he had used a new move right from the start, indicating that he wasn’t a one-trick pony; he simply hadn’t needed to use anything else before.

“An external incarnation?” someone exclaimed.

“No, it’s the Martial Shadow Battle Method from my Heavenly Strength Sect.” A petite girl corrected, this young lady was Tang Shi, standing beside her was Yun Zhaoxian, they naturally wouldn’t miss the top four matches.

“These two afterimages of the Shadow Battle Method are somewhat shabby, it’s evident he must have cultivated it hastily after his physical strength increased,” Yun Zhaoxian analyzed with a glint of wisdom in his eyes, “But as long as the speed is fast, it’s sufficient.”

The attack range of martial cultivators is always a weakness. Often in combat, if a martial cultivator can close the distance with the enemy, then the martial cultivator wins; if not, then the opponent wins.

Under such circumstances, martial cultivators have developed many methods to close in on their opponents, and this Shadow Battle Method is one of them. It was created by a predecessor of the Heavenly Strength Sect, allowing one to create thousands of afterimages while rushing forward, with only one being real, making it difficult for the enemy to defend.

Although Ling Ao’s Shadow Battle Method only had two afterimages, his charging speed was incredibly fast! The small arena seemed too short for him, as he could traverse it in an instant, and Jiang Yuebai, even if she wanted to launch an attack, could only eliminate one of the afterimages.

If she chose wrong, she would be approached!

If she had to defend against both, her power would be divided, and whether she could truly block this charge was uncertain.

What would she choose?

Jiang Yuebai quickly responded.

She raised her hand and turned it, and her flying sword immediately traced a complex pattern in the air, which was the rune of ice.

Jiang Yuebai had always taught Chu Liang the art of rune swords, so her own proficiency was naturally not low. Her move was the Thirteen Rune Sword!

Crackling—

The flying sword, bearing the power of thirteen ice runes, slowed down slightly in its path. Wherever it passed, frost spread, the ground was covered with ice crystals, and droplets condensed in the air. The temperature within dozens of yards plummeted in a breath!

Ling Ao’s forward momentum was blocked again, and he could only twist his body to narrowly avoid the incoming sword edge. When the sword edge swept towards him again, he fiercely punched down, striking the spine of the flying sword!

Boom—

The flying sword was smashed down, its tip piercing into the arena, but it didn’t lose its spirit. The next second, more than a dozen ice walls rose from the ground, surrounding Ling Ao!

After this round of collision, the afterimage of Ling Ao on the other side of the arena had already disappeared, and Jiang Yuebai had chosen the real Ling Ao’s body at a glance.

Ling Ao, surrounded by ice walls, temporarily disappeared from sight, only a vague dark shadow visible through the hazy ice. The surrounding walls were not just trapping him but were continuously closing in, seemingly intending to crush him inside.

Jiang Yuebai’s sword art was powerful, but her other techniques were also extremely proficient. The affinity of her spirit body with spiritual energy allowed her to manipulate any spiritual energy more deftly than others.

But how could Ling Ao be trapped by a few thick walls?

Suddenly, the dark shadow behind the ice wall erupted, and in an instant, a golden-red light flared!

Boom—

The thick ice walls shattered completely from all sides! And from within, four figures of Ling Ao charged out! Each one burning with golden-red blood energy, steaming like soaring flames!

Four of them!

Choose again!

……

“It’s useless, he can have as many afterimages as he wants, but he won’t get within ten yards of Jiang Yuebai,” Master Sun shook his head.

“The Sword Realm of Emptiness,” Master Huang also smiled, “It’s surprising that someone so young can master it, but when I think of Jiang Yuebai, it seems normal.”

“The spirit body is coveted by countless demons for a reason. The benefits of affinity with heaven and earth might not be very obvious, but they are all-encompassing,” Master Sun also said, “She finds it much easier to cultivate any divine power.”

The so-called affinity with heaven and earth includes affinity with spirit beasts, spiritual energy, the Dao… In short, it means being favored by the heavens throughout one’s life.

And the Sword Realm of Emptiness is the secret art of Master Yan.

Strictly speaking, this is not a divine power or technique, but a state of swordsmanship.

When the opponent’s sword stabs at you, and you see and defend against it, it’s a reactive defense; when his sword hasn’t yet stabbed at you, but you deduce from his aura, gaze, divine intent, and even causality and other mysteries where he will attack you, and you know in the void where the sword will come from.

This state is called the “Sword Realm of Emptiness.”

Jiang Yuebai, in this mysterious state, could clearly sense which Ling Ao would attack her, so no matter how many illusions he created, it was meaningless.

“Just now I was a bit worried about Jiang Yuebai, but now I’m relieved,” Master Huang said, “Not only is her talent exceptional, but it seems she has also been diligent in her cultivation. Her strength can definitely rank among the top talents of the Nine Provinces.”

As Master Huang’s words fell, the situation on the stage suddenly changed.

Ling Ao’s four afterimages charged towards Jiang Yuebai from four different paths, seemingly about to close in. Jiang Yuebai’s gaze shifted, and with a flick of her finger.

The fallen flying sword soared back into the air, blocking the path of one of the Ling Aos, while the air’s icy spiritual energy continued to increase rapidly, and the temperature of the arena was already like an ice cave.

Even the audience area, far from the arena, began to be invaded by the cold.

The one blocked by the flying sword was naturally Ling Ao’s true body, but he neither dodged nor avoided, allowing the flying sword to stab at him, seemingly about to pierce through!

He suddenly made a move, grabbing the sword!

With his flesh and blood, he grasped the indestructible sharpness!

Hiss—

The outcome was predictable, golden-red blood immediately flowed out, staining the sword.

Jiang Yuebai didn’t hesitate, intending to control the flying sword to thrust forward again, but suddenly her divine intent went blank, losing response.

The flying sword, stained with golden-red blood, suddenly lost all its spirit, and its radiance dimmed.

To the audience, although Ling Ao was holding the sword with blood flowing, there was no trace of pain in his eyes, but rather a sense of exhilaration.

His blood contained powerful and aggressive spiritual power! Once it stained the sword, it immediately submerged the flying sword’s spirit. The blood on the sword boiled violently, burning like a poisonous fire!

Chu Liang’s pupils tightened upon seeing this.

No one knew better than him what this was; it was the scent of dragon blood!

After cultivating the Dragon Blood Secret Technique, countless dragon breaths had merged, and his own blood was also transforming in this direction.

This Ling Ao was indeed related to the true dragon of Solitary Peak.

But he had no time to think further, as Ling Ao flipped Jiang Yuebai’s flying sword in his hand, and with a swift step, he was already in front of Jiang Yuebai.

She seemed to be still immersed in shock and hadn’t reacted in time when Ling Ao had already pierced her body with a sword, without hesitation or mercy!

Pfft.

The sword blade entered the flesh, seemingly making a muffled sound!