Firmament Sword

"Something like that happened?" Xu Luo was surprised. 'Those hailed as peerless prodigies are truly something else,' he thought. 'Their talents clearly go far beyond cultivation!'

"The most incredible part is that, right up to the end, Senior Brother Jin Ming just thought An Yu got lucky and dodged his scheme. He never once suspected that An Yu had known his intentions from the start!"

Qi Yue sighed. "So from that day on, I swore to stay far away from those chosen ones. They're too brilliant. Get too close, and you'll be sold down the river without ever knowing what happened."

Xu Luo chuckled. 'You saw through Jin Ming's petty moves and figured out An Yu's intentions, all without either of them noticing,' he thought. 'You're no simple character yourself!'

Still, there was no need to say that out loud. After all, they were all in the same camp.

In the grand scheme of things, all of Celestial Brilliance was one entity. When faced with an outside invasion, the feuds and grievances within the sect—things that seemed so important now—would suddenly become trivial.

That's why Xu Luo had always maintained a good mindset. He operated on the principle of "I won't attack unless attacked," but he never showed weakness in the face of provocation.

"Also, I've heard that Elder Ge Datong absolutely dotes on An Yu. He couldn't be better to his Direct Disciple, even giving him many of his most prized treasures. So, when you go up against him, you must be careful!" Qi Yue said earnestly, her gaze fixed on Xu Luo.

Xu Luo nodded, taking Qi Yue's words to heart.

The first match of the round of 250, which would narrow the field to 125, featured none other than Senior Brother Tianhuang, Jin Ming!

His opponent, also a Direct Disciple of a Celestial Brilliance Elder, was quite powerful. But before Jin Ming, he couldn't even withstand ten moves before he directly conceded defeat.

Jin Ming had an impeccable style. Every single move was effortless, free of any hint of worldly struggle. He exuded a saintly aura, and even his victory felt graceful and pleasant to the spectators.

Xu Luo had watched the match as well. Since he was bound to face Jin Ming eventually, gathering more information could only be beneficial.

At the same time, Xu Luo couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for Jin Ming's power.

'He really is strong!'

'And that grace... I could never replicate that.'

Xu Luo rose to his feet. He gave Jin Ming, who was basking in the cheers on the stage, one last, deep look. Then, he activated the token in his hand and vanished in a flash of light.

Jin Ming stood on the stage, smiling, waving to the sea of people in the stands.

In the most exclusive box with the best view, many of Celestial Brilliance's high-ranking Elders were visibly pleased with this most outstanding prodigy of the younger generation.

"As expected of Jin Ming! The Sect Leader's prized disciple indeed. Just look at his grace and bearing—he's simply on another level!"

"Jin Ming's cultivation has grown even more profound these past few years. His power now... I fear many from the older generation are no longer his match!"

"That fellow from the Medicine Garden who's been all the rage lately... Luo Tian, was it? Heh, compared to Jin Ming, he simply pales in comparison. The difference isn't just a little bit, either!"

"Yes, in terms of both character and martial prowess, Jin Ming is a true paragon of the younger generation!"

"In my opinion, he's the most likely candidate for the next Sect Leader!"

"I'm betting on him as well!"

Standing on the stage, Jin Ming watched as the disciples in the stands departed one by one. Inwardly, however, he was sneering. 'Luo Tian, I don't know where you are or if you watched my match, but I hope you did! Because only then will you realize... the gap between us is the difference between heaven and earth!'

Just then, in the stands, An Yu, clad in a black robe and cloak, slowly rose. He stared at the debonair Jin Ming on the stage, a disdainful sneer forming on his face, hidden beneath his hood.

'Keep up the act!' An Yu thought. 'Let's see how long you can maintain this facade. The day will come when you slip up and show your true colors. I'm keeping track of everything you've done. When the time is right, I'll expose it all, piece by piece. I'm sure it will elevate your reputation... to a whole new level. I trust... you'll just love that!'

'Luo Tian... I may have no personal grudge against you, but I have no choice. I must defeat you first. Your reputation is too high right now. Only by putting you in your place can my own prestige rise! And only then can I... keep from falling behind in my rivalry with Jin Ming!'

An Yu mused to himself, then activated the token in his hand and teleported. His match was next.

An Yu versus Luo Tian!

The stands were a sea of people, the crowd just as massive as it had been for the previous match.

Jin Ming was also there, wearing a similar disguise to conceal his identity.

He didn't want anyone to know just how much Luo Tian was on his mind.

Glancing at the fervent crowd around him, Jin Ming's expression turned cold. His deep gaze fixed upon the two figures on the stage.

'If An Yu wins this match, he'll gain a massive amount of prestige,' Jin Ming thought. 'That's... not an outcome I wish to see.'

'If Luo Tian wins, he'll also reap unimaginable rewards. Both the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden and he himself, the Senior Brother Medicine Garden, will become the talk of Celestial Brilliance for the year!'

'However... comparatively speaking, I'd rather see Luo Tian win. He has no backing! An Yu's backing, on the other hand... is not to be underestimated. Besides, defeating An Yu wouldn't grant me much more prestige. Most people would see that as a foregone conclusion.'

'Luo Tian's foundation is too shallow. Most of his current supporters are just caught up in the hype. When the time comes, all I have to do is defeat him, and... all this prestige he's built up will become mine!'

'So... go on, Luo Tian!'

Jin Ming looked at Luo Tian on the stage and muttered, "Don't disappoint me!"

"The Celestial Brilliance Annual Competition elimination round to advance from 250 to 125 competitors! From the Celestial Brilliance Medicine Garden, Senior Brother Luo Tian, versus the prized disciple of Elder Ge Datong, An Yu!"

The Referee announced loudly, "This match is primarily for sparring! Do not let it damage your camaraderie! Now... begin!"

BOOM!

The Referee's voice had barely faded when An Yu lunged like a tiger pouncing on its prey. He thrust out a palm, and the resulting sonic boom, like a clap of thunder, completely drowned out the referee's final word.

The Referee's expression stiffened, but he said nothing. Although he wasn't weak, he had cultivated for centuries; his talent was leagues below that of a peerless prodigy like An Yu.

Therefore, even though he was currently much stronger than An Yu, he still had to greet him with a smile.

The young man's future was boundless, after all.

Facing An Yu, Xu Luo used the Shaking Light Step, but instead of retreating, he stood his ground. He channeled his Yin Yang Power, activated the Tyrant Technique, and a sky-shattering force surged into his fists.

He threw a punch straight at An Yu's incoming palm strike!

BANG!

A deafening bang echoed through the air. A shockwave slammed into the restrictive barrier surrounding the stage. On the barrier that not even a Great Saint could break, waves of Lianyi suddenly appeared, visible to the naked eye.

The spectators sitting closest to the stage couldn't help but cry out in alarm, many of their faces turning pale with fright.

The fluctuations on the barrier gave them a terrifyingly clear sense of the power contained in that single exchange!

SWOOSH!

Four Flying Swords shot out from An Yu's body. Each sword was no bigger than a finger, crystalline and translucent, and pulsed with a demonic red glow. Trailing long streamers of light, they shot straight toward Xu Luo!

"That's the Four Demon-Slaying Swords! My god... the rumors were true. Elder Ge really does cherish this Direct Disciple to the bone!"

"Aren't those Elder Ge's famous artifacts... the Four Demon-Slaying Swords? Why would he give them to An Yu?"

"It is said that if wielded by a Great Saint, even a Supreme Being wouldn't dare face the Four Demon-Slaying Swords. For An Yu to use such a major treasure... is he trying to kill Luo Tian?"

"This is an internal competition. It's not like they have some deep-seated blood feud. He wouldn't be that vicious, would he?"

"Luo Tian's done for... With the Four Demon-Slaying Swords in play, there's no way he can resist!"

In the stands, with the appearance of these four Flying Swords, a heated discussion immediately broke out.

In the private boxes, many of the Celestial Brilliance Elders were momentarily stunned by the sight of the four swords. They marveled at how much Ge Datong doted on this disciple, to even give away his most precious treasure.

Xu Luo saw the four Flying Swords and tried to evade them, but he immediately realized there was a problem. He felt like a frog being targeted by a venomous snake.

And... there were four of them.

The four Flying Swords seemed to have lives of their own. They locked onto Xu Luo's spiritual energy from four different directions, poised but not yet striking. It felt as though they could riddle his body with holes at any second!

"Luo Tian, concede! You're no match for me!" An Yu bellowed. "Surrender and you won't be harmed. Otherwise, swords have no eyes. If you get hurt, don't you dare say I was being malicious!"

"Then bring it on," Xu Luo said flatly.

"You asked for this!" An Yu roared. The four Flying Swords transformed into four blood-red streaks of light, shooting directly for Xu Luo's shoulders and thighs.

Clearly, he didn't want to kill Xu Luo, only injure him.

Of course, whether this was a calculated display of mercy for the crowd, no one could say.

Xu Luo also let out a mighty roar. The surging qi and blood in his body seemed on the verge of igniting. His incomparably powerful physical form soared into the air as he raised a fist and, to everyone's shock, punched directly at one of the Flying Swords!

VWOOM!

The surrounding stands instantly erupted in an uproar. Everyone was completely stunned.

"My god... has he gone mad?"

"That's one of the Four Demon-Slaying Swords! That's no common iron!"

"Trying to block one of the Four Demon-Slaying Swords with his bare hands... he's got a death wish!"

"Luo Tian's hand is as good as gone!"

RUMBLE!

An earth-shattering explosion ripped through the air. A blinding light, as brilliant as the midday sun, erupted at the point of impact between Xu Luo and the Demon-Slaying Sword, forcing everyone to shut their eyes.

Then, a sorrowful wail echoed through the air as a drastically dimmed red light was sent flying backward!

BOOM!

BOOM!

BOOM!

Three more deafening booms followed!

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