Cultivation starts from simplifying the exercises

Chapter 2180 Heavenly Blade Chapter 9

Countless gazes swept back and forth between Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu, filled with complex emotions.

There are analyses and exclamations about the deeper meaning behind Chen Fei's move. Taking the initiative to admit defeat may seem like giving up a victory, but it is actually based on absolute confidence in his own strength.

Considering Chen Fei's terrifying strength in defeating Ji Siqi with a single punch, which frightened Wu Nianjiao into fear before the battle even began, everyone felt that his confidence was not arrogance, but rather a matter of course based on his strength.

There was envy for Cao Feiyu, who had unexpectedly won a victory, gaining an advantage in points and greatly increasing her chances of obtaining high-ranking spiritual materials. More importantly, Chen Fei's protectiveness under the spotlight was something many female cultivators dreamed of but could not obtain. Cao Feiyu's radiant smile and peerless charm were also deeply imprinted in many people's hearts.

The path to enlightenment is long and lonely. To find a companion who supports you, trusts you, understands you, and even in a crucial competition, can be so open and considerate of each other is a great fortune and blessing.

For a moment, those who arrived at the summit of the mountain felt not only anticipation for the upcoming competition, but also a deep sense of admiration and emotion for this divine couple.

"Chen Fei is indeed a man of character and quite confident," an elder with a kind face said with a smile, stroking his beard, his eyes full of admiration.

"Hmph, this is opportunistic and unfair." Another elder with a stern face snorted coldly, seemingly dissatisfied with Chen Fei's initiative to admit defeat.

“Senior Brother Qingxu, this…” an elder looked at Elder Qingxu.

Elder Qingxu remained calm and slowly said, "The rules do not prohibit conceding defeat. Chen Fei's decision to forfeit a match was his own choice. As for Cao Feiyu, her victory was due to her own good fortune, and it is a matter between the two of them. There is no need to say more; let the competition continue."

Upon hearing this, the elders nodded and said no more.

Mutual support between Daoist partners is perfectly normal. As long as it doesn't violate the rules, there's nothing wrong with it. Moreover, Chen Fei's demonstrated strength certainly gives him the confidence to act in this way.

In the waiting area, Xu Ziqian, Li Jue, and Qing He also witnessed the scene just now, and their reactions varied.

Qinghe covered her mouth and chuckled softly, her beautiful eyes sweeping over Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu.

"Junior Brother Chen knows how to care for people; Junior Sister Cao is so lucky." She chuckled inwardly, her impression of Chen Fei improving somewhat. He was powerful, yet not cold-hearted; he knew how to consider his partner—such a man was rare indeed.

However, she was also secretly wary; Chen Fei dared to do this because he probably had more confidence than she had anticipated. She needed to be even more careful in the upcoming confrontation.

Chen Fei seemed oblivious to the various gazes and murmurs coming from all directions.

Cao Feiyu also returned to her aloof demeanor, but when she occasionally glanced at Chen Fei, the soft light deep in her eyes could not be concealed.

The aftershocks of Chen Fei and Cao Feiyu's unexpected yet tender duel had not yet completely subsided when the atmosphere at the summit of Wendao Peak became heavy again due to the upcoming duel.

On the void battle map, light swirled, and the names of the two sides in the second duel were clearly displayed:

Li Jue will definitely defeat Xu Ziqian!

One blade flashed, its sharpness unmatched; the other was as solid as a mountain, as steady as a rock. This was a clash between the ultimate offense and the ultimate defense. "Senior Brother Li Jue versus Senior Brother Xu Ziqian."

"A deadly blade versus a divine general, this is going to be a good show."

"Senior Brother Li's Heavenly Blade Technique is said to have reached the ninth level, possessing unparalleled killing power. Senior Brother Xu's divine body is mysterious and unpredictable, with invincible defense. I wonder which one is stronger?"

"I have high hopes for Senior Brother Li. In the art of offense, speed is the only way to break through defenses, and profit is the only way to achieve victory. No matter how strong Senior Brother Xu's defense is, can he really withstand Senior Brother Li's Heavenly Blade head-on?"

"Not necessarily! Senior Brother Xu's divine body is no ordinary body-refining technique. He has probably obtained some of the true meaning of the ancient divine path. No matter how sharp Senior Brother Li's blade is, it may not be able to break through his defense."

"Look, they're entering."

Amidst the excited chatter of the crowd, two figures, one after the other, stepped into the vast and magnificent central training ground.

Li Jue was slender and walked silently. Each step he took carried a peculiar rhythm, harmonizing with a certain sharpness in the world.

His face was expressionless, but his eyes shone with a terrifying light, like unsheathed swords. With each sweep of his gaze, subtle blade energy seemed to emanate from the surrounding space.

The unsheathed ancient sword at his waist was humming with a deep, joyful sound, sensing the presence of a powerful enemy and eager to drink blood.

Xu Ziqian, on the other hand, walked with steady steps, each step carefully considered, landing firmly on his feet, carrying an indescribable sense of weight. His face was resolute, his eyes calm, showing no sign of wavering despite his opponent being the infamous Li Jue.

He simply walked calmly to the center of the arena, facing Li Jue from a distance, and bowed with his fists clasped: "Senior Brother Li, please."

"Junior Brother Xu, please." Li Jue's voice was somewhat hoarse, yet sharp as a blade. He also clasped his hands in a fist salute, his movements concise and decisive.

The two stood still, thirty miles apart, their invisible auras clashing and rubbing against each other in the air, producing soft hissing sounds. The clamor outside the arena subsided involuntarily, everyone holding their breath, anticipating the start of this ultimate battle of offense and defense.

"start!"

Elder Qingxu's voice broke the chilling standoff.

"Clang!"

Almost as soon as he finished speaking, a sword's cry that severed a soul suddenly resounded throughout the entire Dao Asking Peak. Li Jue moved; he did not draw his sword, but in an instant, his entire being transformed into an unsheathed, peerless heavenly blade.

A terrifying, domineering sword intent erupted from Li Jue's thin body. Within three feet of him, the space was cleaved and shattered by an invisible force.

Heavenly Blade Body!

When the Ninth Heaven Blade Technique is pushed to its limit, the body becomes the blade, and the person is the blade, and the blade is the person.

Li Jue's already sharp eyes now flashed with an even more dazzling light. He did not pounce immediately, but slowly raised his right hand, his fingers forming a knife-like shape, and made a slash in the air towards Xu Ziqian, who was thirty miles away.

"laugh!"

A pale blue blade of energy appeared out of thin air, as if traversing the distance of space, and appeared in front of Xu Ziqian.

Wherever the blade's energy passed, it left a long, thin, and pitch-black spatial rift that failed to heal for a long time. Its speed and sharpness were terrifying.

This seemingly casual chop strike contained Li Jue's ultimate understanding of the Dao of the Blade. An ordinary cultivator at the Tai Cang Realm would probably not even have time to react before being cleaved in two by this invisible blade energy.

Faced with this sudden chop to the neck, Xu Ziqian's eyes narrowed, but he did not dodge or even make any defensive move.

A god will descend upon the world and pacify all directions!

A desolate and solemn aura, suppressing all things, erupted from Xu Ziqian's body. Dark golden patterns containing profound truths of the Dao appeared and intertwined on his body, eventually forming a naturally formed divine armor-like tattoo that covered his entire body.

Divine Body!

"clang!"

A deafening roar, like the sound of a great bell, reverberated throughout the surrounding area. Li Jue's pale blue blade energy, capable of tearing through space, struck Xu Ziqian squarely in the chest.

There was no bloodshed as everyone had expected, nor did the protective aura shatter as anticipated. The indestructible blade energy struck as if it had struck an ancient and indestructible divine iron.

The blade energy trembled violently, and the sharp blade intent contained within it frantically eroded and cut, yet it only left a shallow white mark on Xu Ziqian's skin.

Xu Ziqian's figure remained rooted to the spot, without moving an inch.

"what?"

"So this blocked Senior Brother Li's Heavenly Blade Qi?"

"This divine body's defense... it's insane!"

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd as everyone was stunned by Xu Ziqian's terrifying defensive prowess.

Li Jue's eyes flashed with a sharp light; far from being discouraged, his fighting spirit only intensified.

"Alright! Try taking a few more of my cuts!"

Before he finished speaking, Li Jue's figure suddenly blurred. In the next instant, he appeared beside Xu Ziqian, his right hand pointing like a knife, transforming into a sky full of knife shadows, like a storm, enveloping all of Xu Ziqian's vital points.

Tianya Mingyue Dao: Chaotic Cloak!

The sword energy crisscrossed, tearing through the sky, and the entire training ground was instantly filled with sharp sword intent, the space itself being shattered into fragments.

Faced with this terrifying net of blades, Xu Ziqian remained unmoved. He didn't even blink, but slowly raised his arms, crossing them in front of him to protect himself, the dark golden divine runes flashing slightly.

"Jingle bells, jingle bells!"

The dense clanging of metal against metal was like the popping of beans.

Xu Ziqian's dark golden skin was like it was forged from the hardest divine iron. No matter how the sword energy cut and slashed, it was left with more shallow white marks but remained completely unharmed.

Even the dark golden divine patterns did not dim in the slightest.

He stood there, enduring Li Jue's terrifying blade energy with his bare body. Li Jue's storm-like attacks were like a gentle breeze to him.

"How is this possible!" Li Jue's heart was finally filled with shock.

He knew better than anyone the destructive power of the Ninth Heaven Blade Technique; even a defensive divine weapon of the same level might not be able to completely block it. Yet Xu Ziqian before him had withstood it with his bare body, without even taking a single step back.

The defense of this divine body is simply unbelievable.

"I do not believe!"

Li Jue let out a fierce shout, his eyes flashing with bloodlust as he unleashed his ferocity.

Every part of his body transformed into the sharpest blade, attacking Xu Ziqian frantically from all directions. The blade energy crisscrossed and shattered the space within ten feet of Xu Ziqian.

However, Xu Ziqian remained as steadfast as a rock in a storm. Dark golden divine runes flowed across his body, emanating an aura of timelessness and invulnerability.

"Senior Brother Li's attacks...cannot break through Senior Brother Xu's defenses at all."

"This is terrifying. It's practically a humanoid divine weapon, no, it's even harder than a divine weapon."

"Does Senior Brother Xu intend to continue defending like this indefinitely?"

The disciples watching were captivated and buzzed with discussion. Li Jue's attacks were fierce and unparalleled, dazzling and terrifying. Xu Ziqian's defense, on the other hand, was like an impregnable fortress, standing firm against all odds.

The clash of two extreme styles made this duel visually stunning.

However, as time went on, some discerning individuals gradually noticed something amiss.

Although Li Jue's attacks were still fierce and violent, his unstoppable sword intent seemed to be weakening.

No, it's not weakened, but rather worn down and consumed invisibly.

Each of his attacks, landing on Xu Ziqian's divine body, not only failed to break through his defenses, but the rebounding force, along with the all-suppressing Daoist aura naturally emanating from his divine body, continuously eroded Li Jue's sword intent.

In contrast, Xu Ziqian maintained a steady and long aura throughout, like a bottomless sea. The dark golden divine runes not only did not dim, but instead appeared even more solid and profound under the fierce and torrential attacks.

Li Jue's attacks were not weakening him, but rather seemed to be helping him temper his divine body.

"This is bad. Senior Brother Li is exhausted, while Senior Brother Xu seems to be getting more and more stable as the fight goes on." A disciple noticed something was wrong.

"The Heavenly Blade Body emphasizes relentless advance, using offense as defense, and decisive killing. If it fails to break through after a prolonged attack, its momentum will inevitably weaken. However, Xu Ziqian's Divine Body follows the path of using stillness to control movement. If Li Jue cannot break through its defense, he has already lost three points."

In the arena, Li Jue was clearly aware of this problem as well.

"This can't go on." A fierce glint flashed in Li Jue's eyes, and he suddenly retreated, putting distance between himself and Xu Ziqian. He stopped his blind attack and took a deep breath, slowly gripping the hilt of the ancient longsword at his waist with his right hand.

The blade was dark and devoid of luster, but the instant it was drawn, a surge of sword intent soared into the sky. Li Jue's entire aura suddenly changed, merging with the longsword in his hand, transforming into an unparalleled, ferocious blade intent on slaying gods and demons.

The Ninth Skill of Heavenly Blade: Severing Heaven and Earth!

A hoarse voice rang out as he gripped the sword with both hands and slowly raised it above his head. The movement was slow, but with each step he raised it, the sword intent emanating from him became more concentrated, and the surrounding space distorted and trembled.

When he raised his longsword to its highest point, the space within a ten-mile radius around him resembled a shattered mirror, covered with fine black cracks. An aura of destruction, capable of freezing even the soul, spread out.

"cut!"

Li Jue roared furiously, his arm muscles bulging, and the long sword in his hand, carrying a terrifying will to cleave the heavens and earth, slashed down fiercely at Xu Ziqian, who was still standing still.

There was no earth-shattering flash of light, only a thin, jet-black line that seemed to cleave the heavens and earth in two, extending from the blade, silent yet faster than thought, slashing toward Xu Ziqian.

This strike was Li Jue's pinnacle, embodying his lifelong understanding of the way of the sword, a perfect unity of essence, energy, and spirit, with earth-shattering power.

Faced with this attack, Xu Ziqian finally stopped merely defending and, for the first time, took a step forward.

Xu Ziqian's body was covered in dark golden divine runes that shone brightly, as if an ancient deity had awakened within him. He clenched his right fist, his arm muscles bulging, and the dark golden divine runes seemed to come alive as they flowed and converged, ultimately all condensing on his right fist.

Xu Ziqian twisted his waist, extended his shoulder, and threw a punch. The movements were simple and unadorned, yet they carried an unparalleled will to suppress all laws.

"Boom!"

An indescribable, terrifying roar, like thousands of thunderbolts exploding in one's ears, or like the sky collapsing and the earth sinking.

Centered on the point of impact between the fist and the blade, a chaotic energy sphere with a diameter of over ten miles instantly expanded and then exploded.

The devastating shockwave spread wildly in a ring, crashing violently against the reinforced energy barrier around them, producing a deafening roar. Although it couldn't break through the barrier, the terrifying sight still made everyone's hearts pound.

Inside the training ground, chaos reigned.

Several breaths passed before the smoke and dust slowly dissipated.

Everyone stared intently, and saw that Xu Ziqian was still in the punching stance. The dark golden divine patterns on his right fist had dimmed slightly, and a deep, bone-revealing knife mark had appeared on the surface of his fist, from which dark golden blood slowly seeped out.

But his body remained as straight as a pine tree, and although his breathing was somewhat disordered, it was still deep and profound.

Meanwhile, several miles away from Xu Ziqian, Li Jue knelt on one knee, using his knife as a support to barely keep his body upright.

His robes were torn at the chest, revealing a clear, deep fist-shaped mark. Blood kept oozing from the corner of his mouth, and his face was as pale as paper.

The ancient longsword in his hand was now dim, and several fine cracks had appeared on its blade. The once fierce and incomparable sword intent around him was now like a candle flickering in the wind, swaying uncertainly and almost dissipating.

The difference in quality has been determined!

Xu Ziqian slowly withdrew his fist, and the dark golden divine patterns on his body gradually faded away. He looked at Li Jue, who was kneeling on one knee, and said in a deep voice, "Senior Brother Li, you are too kind!"

Li Jue coughed up another mouthful of blood. He looked down at the cracked longsword in his hand, then looked up at Xu Ziqian. Finally, a bitter and relieved expression appeared on his cold face.

His voice was hoarse as he struggled to say, "I lost!"

"The winner of the second match is Xu Ziqian!" Elder Qingxu's voice rang out at the right time, bringing this extremely fierce battle to a close.

The entire audience gasped in shock. Xu Ziqian's divine power once again stunned everyone. Even Li Jue's extraordinary and unparalleled Heavenly Blade Body, with its unparalleled killing prowess, could not break through his defenses and was ultimately defeated by his fist.

Xu Ziqian's abilities are beyond doubt.

The competition did not pause in the slightest despite the excitement of any duel. Elder Qingxu's calm and unwavering voice brought everyone's attention back to reality.

"In the third match, Chen Fei will face Qing He."

As the words fell, the atmosphere, which had been boiling over from the previous duel, suddenly changed. If the previous match between Xu Ziqian and Li Jue was an extreme clash of spear and shield, then the upcoming match was filled with even more unknowns and mysteries.

Chen Fei's strength goes without saying, while Qing He, the direct descendant of Lingzhi Peak, is known for her gentle and agile nature and her ability to heal and control situations. Along the way, she has not had any earth-shattering bursts of power, but she has always been able to take control of the situation without anyone noticing.

More importantly, to this day, no one has been able to see through all of her cards.

What will this duel be like? Will Chen Fei continue to use brute force to overcome skill and decide the outcome with a single punch? Or will Qing He be able to use unconventional tactics to defeat Chen Fei and trap him?

Countless gazes once again focused on the two figures about to enter.

Chen Fei nodded slightly to Cao Feiyu beside him, then strode towards the central martial arts arena. His steps were composed, his blue robe fluttering slightly, exuding an air of profound composure.

On the other side, Qinghe gently tucked the strands of hair that had been ruffled by the mountain wind behind her ears, her gentle and beautiful face still bearing a smile that was as warm as a spring breeze.

However, upon closer inspection, one can see that deep within her bright eyes, there is less of her usual easygoing nature and more of a solemn and focused expression, as if facing a formidable enemy.

She took a deep breath, her light green dress swaying like a lotus in the wind, and gracefully entered the scene, standing dozens of miles away from Chen Fei.

"Junior Brother Chen, please show mercy." Qinghe said gently, with a smile in her voice, as she bowed.

"Senior Sister Qinghe, please!" Chen Fei returned the greeting, her voice calm.

After a brief greeting, the warm atmosphere between the two vanished instantly, replaced by a somber aura.

Qinghe's usual gentle smile faded slightly, her eyes becoming sharp and focused. A rich, vibrant life force began to emanate from her, yet within this life force lay a hint of desolation, even a touch of wildness. (End of Chapter)