Gao Han's face clouded with quiet indignation. Was this their idea of a lucky exemption? He and Gu Ye might as well have been counted among the eliminated; only the winner would earn the right to proceed to the next round.
"Lucky? This is what you call lucky?" Gao Han sneered inwardly, then shot a glance at Gu Manxing in the upper stands. "It seems I shall have to give you quite the surprise."
He understood perfectly well that this extra match was nothing but a pretext devised by those above. Gu Ye, too, felt wronged, yet bound by his ancestor's order, he had no choice but to comply.
"This Gao Han must be the biggest dark horse of the tournament!"
"Indeed. He has fought his way here at merely the first layer of True Essence—one can only marvel at his cultivation speed."
"What's more, he hasn't unsheathed the swords at his waist this entire time. No one knows if that is his full power."
"Who do you think will win this fight?"
"Gu Ye is at the peak of the third layer of True Essence. From his earlier bouts, he defeated a fellow third-layer expert with just one kick—he is no weakling."
"Which of the two is stronger? Will Gao Han keep his dark-horse streak alive, or will Gu Ye put an end to his astonishing run?"
The crowd below was in a frenzy. This tournament boasted the strongest lineup in its history, yet never before had a first-layer True Essence warrior advanced this far. His very presence defied common sense and shattered all preconceived limits.
"Very well. The duel between Gao Han and Gu Ye begins now."
Gao Han and Gu Ye stepped onto the arena together. Gu Ye wore a cyan martial robe, his hair tied back with a cyan sash, and the robe was embroidered with a fourth-grade demonic beast, the Water-Dividing Python, its long body coiled across his back.
"So you are Gao Han. I know not how you've come this far, but you would do well to withdraw now and spare yourself further embarrassment." Gu Ye spoke without blatant contempt, yet neither did he regard Gao Han as a genuine threat.
Many formidable warriors had fallen to Gao Han in previous matches; this was no mere luck. Yet in his eyes, no matter how strong Gao Han was, a first-layer True Essence cultivator could never stand against him.
"Oh? I should like to see just how embarrassed you intend to make me." Gao Han's lips curled into a faint smirk.
WHOOSH!
A violent gale erupted around Gu Ye, sharp as blades, lashing out in all directions and scoring deep cracks into the arena stone.
"Gale-Severing Seven Kicks!"
He lashed out seven kicks in quick succession, each forging a swirling cyclone that tore toward Gao Han from different angles.
The wind blades churned up thick dust from the tattered arena, sending chips of stone whirling through the air like tiny blades, cutting viciously toward Gao Han.
High upon the witness platform:
"The Gu clan truly hoards rare treasures—this is a Mystic-Rank art!"
"I heard this leg technique was only passed to disciples of the sixth layer of True Essence and above. Why has Gu Ye been granted an exception?"
"Fascinating. Yet the Gale-Severing Legs alone will not be enough to defeat Gao Han."
"True. Wei Ying of the Misty Sect wielded the top-tier Mortal-Rank Sky-Sundering Nine Swords, which stood but a hair's breadth from Mystic-Rank. What's more, he had mastered it to the seventh form, lifting his power to an entirely new level."
"Hmph! You old fools shall bear witness! The Gu clan is not to be trifled with!" Gu Manxing declared at last.
The raging winds closed in on Gao Han from all sides.
"Thousand Searches!"
Gao Han's body weaved left and right, executing the tenth form of the Long River Sunset Art.
In an instant, he stood beyond the reach of the gales, ready to strike at Gu Ye. But before he could move, his body darted sharply sideways.
The seven cyclones had pursued him. One tore through the spot where he had stood moments before, leaving deep gouges in the stone. Had he lingered, he would have been grievously wounded, if not killed.
"Hahaha! How does it feel? I have mastered the Gale-Severing Seven Kicks to their ultimate seventh form—far beyond Wei Ying's half-baked skill!" Gu Ye laughed wildly. "To make your defeat all the more convincing, I shall show you my trump card! Surrender!"
"Blazing Sun Conflagration!"
Countless streams of fire erupted from Gu Ye's legs, each searing hot enough to ignite stone. Smoke curled from every surface the flames touched, filling the air with a sharp, acrid stench.
The fire merged seamlessly with the seven cyclones, forging seven blazing tornadoes. The intense heat split the stone beneath them, and the flames lent the whirlwinds blistering speed.
"Essence manifestation again!"
"This tournament is filled with prodigies beyond measure!"
"I fear Gao Han's streak ends here. Gu Ye will crush this dark horse!"
"Indeed. Gu Ye's aura places him clearly above Wei Ying!"
None in the crowd believed Gao Han could prevail. Gu Ye's power was overwhelming; this strike rivaled the might of a fourth-layer True Essence expert. Even if Gao Han could defeat third-layer warriors, how could he stand against one of the fourth?
Gao Han stared at the onrushing fire tornadoes, his gaze sharp and focused. This strike was no longer one he could shatter casually. He would have to unleash his full strength.
He grasped his sword and drew it in a flash, yet he did not thrust it at the flames. Instead, he drove it deep into the ground, unleashing his soul power in a violent surge.
Waves of frigid cold erupted from Gao Han's body and his sword, wrapping around him in an impenetrable barrier and spreading outward in all directions.
The chill was so bitter that it froze the arena stone in thick layers of ice, sealing every crack and crevice.
When the fire tornadoes met the frost, they were frozen solid, sculpted into vivid statues of flame and wind, motionless as if time itself had halted.
Every spectator gaped in disbelief, unable to comprehend what they had just witnessed.
Gu Ye scanned the arena wildly, but Gao Han was nowhere to be seen—the center of the stage stood empty, as if he had never been there at all.
Suddenly, a brilliant sword light flashed behind him, streaking toward his neck like a shooting star.
The blade halted inches from Gu Ye's throat. He now saw clearly that its wielder was Gao Han.
"What was that?!"
"Essence manifestation! A first-layer True Essence cultivator wielding essence manifestation? Is this some kind of jest?!"
"The world has gone mad."
The crowd below was stunned, and even the elders atop the platform watched with grave expressions.
"Essence manifestation at the first layer of True Essence—this has never been recorded in history!"
"Every warrior must train relentlessly to achieve this. Even the most gifted prodigies do not attain it until the third layer. Yet…"
"Hmph! A mere first-layer cultivator is hardly worth such astonishment!"
"His talent means nothing next to his shallow cultivation base!"
On the arena, Gao Han spoke coldly to Gu Ye. "Well? Can you still humiliate me now? Will you concede?"
"Cheap trick. Though I must admit, I cannot fathom how you accomplished it." Gu Ye spoke calmly, but his left hand, hidden within his sleeve, slowly drew a dagger.
The blade glowed with a faint cyan light, razor-sharp, concealed from Gao Han's view. As he spoke, he stabbed the dagger toward Gao Han with sudden viciousness.
Gao Han had not seen the dagger, but he detected the killing intent in Gu Ye's eyes. Before the blade could strike, Gao Han channeled his full power, sending frost surging along his sword. A thin layer of ice encased Gu Ye's body, freezing him stiff and motionless.
Gao Han sheathed his sword, kicked Gu Ye off the arena, and turned to leave. He had also left a subtle mark on Gu Ye's body: the vital energy in his right palm had been frozen beyond repair. Not even a Spirit Fusion expert could heal it. Only by breaking through to the Undying Realm himself, or by the hand of an Undying sovereign, could his arm be restored.
But an Undying expert would never waste their power on a mere True Essence cultivator, and Gu Ye reaching that exalted realm was nothing more than a fantasy. Countless warriors walked the Tianwu Continent, yet few ever ascended to such heights.
Gao Han desperately needed to rest. The soul power he had expended had pushed him far beyond his limits, and his vision swam faintly.
"The victor of this round is Gao Han!" You Canghai announced loudly. The crowd stood stunned by his overwhelming power, until one voice rang out.
"Did you see? Ice accompanies every one of Gao Han's strikes!"
"Indeed. This is a technique unseen in the Southern Cang Region! Essence manifestation takes the form of fire, earth, wood, and rarely swords, blades, or spears—but never ice."
"He is a true prodigy! The greatest surprise of this tournament!"
The duel between Gao Han and Gu Ye had ended, leaving the crowd with countless questions. Yet the tournament pressed on.
"Senior Gu! I have defeated the finest young warrior of your Gu clan. Will you now honor your promise of one million taels?" Gao Han's voice rang out calmly, a faint smile in his eyes.
To be publicly dunned by a junior left Gu Manxing crimson with rage. "Patience! I shall hand over the silver once the tournament concludes!"
"I would prefer you pay me now," Gao Han said, glancing at Hu Ziyan. "Our agreement was that if no Gu clan disciple could defeat me in this tournament, you would compensate me one million taels. Surely you do not intend to renege?"
Hu Ziyan's face darkened, his eyes narrowing as he let out a dry laugh. "Clan Leader Gu, you would not make me a liar, would you?"
"What if another Gu clan disciple defeats him?" Gu Manxing attempted to argue, but Zheng Mufeng cut in. "Old Gu, you grow more shameless with age—and your eyes grow weaker too. Look closely: are there any Gu clan disciples left in the tournament?"
Gu Manxing scanned the arena, only to realize that all other Gu clan warriors had already been eliminated. Gu Ye had been the last. Had he not been forced to duel Gao Han, his strength would have easily secured him a place in the top twelve, perhaps even the top ten.
Alas, all chance was now lost.
"Take it!" Gu Manxing's pride lay in tatters. He hurled a banknote toward Gao Han with vicious force. The paper flew not like a scrap of cloth, but like a lethal blade, its power so great it seemed capable of splitting the arena in two—far beyond anything Gao Han could withstand.
Its speed was inconceivable; Gao Han could not evade in time.
BOOM!
A palm glowing with dark light stepped in front of Gao Han, deflecting the force effortlessly and catching the banknote. It was You Canghai. He shot a contemptuous smile at Gu Manxing, then turned to Gao Han with a warm grin. "Your silver."
You Canghai, the Iron-Armed Wanderer, lived up to his title. His palm techniques were divine, and his arms glowed with the unyielding sheen of forged metal, a mountainous aura pressing down so heavily that Gao Han struggled to breathe.
Gao Han nodded slightly and murmured, "Thank you." He then glanced mockingly at Gu Manxing. "And thank you, Senior Gu, for the silver."
The crowd erupted in murmurs.
"So that is why they arranged an extra match!"
"The Gu clan has gained nothing but humiliation for their troubles!"
"Indeed! They even sacrificed an ancient pill just to set Gu Ye against Gao Han! What a farce!"
Hmph! Gu Manxing sat in his seat, his expression thunderous. Not only had he lost face, but he had wasted an ancient Condensing Solid Pill. The silver was trivial; as one of the Spirit Kingdom's ten great powers, the Gu clan cared nothing for a few million taels.
The true loss was the ancient pill, obtained at great cost from a forbidden ruin a decade prior. Each great clan had claimed different treasures, and this pill had been the Gu clan's greatest prize, unknown to the other three aristocratic families.
The ruin had been seized by five other powers ten years ago, only opening once every five years. The Gu clan had left empty-handed on the last visit; this pill was one of their few valuable relics.
Gu Manxing took a deep breath and resolved to warn his clan's disciples to scour the ruin for treasures in this year's expedition.
The ruin held countless treasures, yet it was lethally dangerous. Even Spirit Fusion experts could perish instantly if they triggered a deadly trap.
A clan without a Spirit Fusion guardian would be annihilated within a day by rival powers. Thus, the great factions had agreed that only young prodigies could enter. Though few returned alive, those who did emerged vastly strengthened, and some treasures were valuable even to Spirit Fusion experts.
As the saying went, danger walked hand in hand with opportunity. True prodigies leapt at the chance to grow stronger.
The tournament continued, with twenty-four warriors remaining.
For every victor who advanced to the top twelve, there was a defeated warrior who left the arena in dejection. The duels raged on, each clash more spectacular than the last.
Next came Jian Qingtian's match, his opponent a wandering swordsman.
"I have long heard the Jian clan's swordsmanship is unrivaled in the Spirit Kingdom. Today, I shall see if it lives up to the legend." The wanderer was Lin Xiaoya, whose sword talent had shone brightly in prior rounds.
He had defeated every foe with a single strike, never needing a second. His mastery of the sword was rarely seen.
"A mere wandering swordsman dares to challenge the Jian clan's swordsmanship? Arrogance!" Jian Qingtian drew his sword from his back but left it sheathed, channeling true essence until a earth-shaking sword qi erupted from his body. "Today, I shall teach you the true meaning of the Jian clan's sword, so you may never speak so rashly again."
Jian Qingtian moved like a gust of wind, charging straight at Lin Xiaoya, sheathed sword held forward. Even within its scabbard, the swirling sword qi shredded the air.
Lin Xiaoya's gaze turned solemn. He drew his sword, stamped his foot so hard the stone shattered beneath him, and launched himself into the air. He slashed downward with all his might, sending a massive wave of sword qi hurtling toward Jian Qingtian.
The sword qi stretched more than ten feet long, cutting through the air with a shrill whine, splitting the atmosphere itself and leaving a vacuum in its wake.
"Sword qi manifestation!"
Gao Han's eyes lit up. Among all forms of essence manifestation, sword and blade qi were the most difficult to master. For a wandering swordsman to achieve this was a feat rare even within the Jian clan—no wonder he had dared challenge the Western Sword clan's prodigy.
Gao Han thought to himself: This sword qi is overwhelmingly powerful. Even I would have to fight with everything I had to counter it. Though I could shatter it and claim victory, I would be forced to reveal one of my trump cards.
If Jian Qingtian could defeat Lin Xiaoya without unsheathing his sword, then he was far beyond Gao Han's reach—and the championship would be all but lost.