Chapter 226: Liulixin, Linglongti

Before the swords could even meet, the sword winds and ice lotus had already collided. With a sharp clang, the ice lotus was shredded by the furious sword winds, but instead of dissipating, it transformed into countless solid ice fragments that surged towards Xiao Kuanglei with the storm. For a moment, the storm, carrying the shattered ice lotus, spun and danced around the two, like a raging tornado of ice and snow.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Amidst a series of collisions and shattering sounds, Xiao Kuanglei managed to deflect all the scattered ice shards. However, the intensity of the cold they carried surpassed his expectations. By the time he had cleared them all, his hands were red with frostbite, and it took him two full breaths to recover completely. He took half a step back and smiled faintly. "I've long heard that the Ice Cloud Secret Art of Ice Cloud Immortal Palace is unparalleled in the world, and it truly lives up to its reputation. From now on, I'll be taking this more seriously, so please be careful, Maiden."

Xiao Kuanglei's proud, "well-intentioned" warning elicited no response from Xia Qingyue. Her clear, cold eyes remained as unruffled as still water, yet as beautifully radiant as the bright moon. After glancing at them twice, Xiao Kuanglei felt his heart quicken uncontrollably. He immediately drew a sharp breath, his profound energy surged throughout his body, the swirling storm around him grew even more rapid, and the image of the majestic eagle behind him became increasingly clear and solid, as if transforming into a tangible entity.

"Wind Extreme Sword!" Xiao Kuanglei's eyes flashed as a storm of energy surged around him, and he abruptly lunged towards Xia Qingyue. His speed was truly like a whirlwind; profound practitioners below the Earth Profound Realm could only perceive a faint afterimage, flashing past like lightning. Among the Four Major Sects, the Xiao Sect was renowned for its unparalleled speed!

"Haha, it looks like Third Brother is getting serious. He’s already unleashed his top speed," Xiao Kuangyu said with a leisurely smile. "It seems this battle won't last much longer."

Xiao Juetian also nodded slowly. "It seems Lei'er hasn't disregarded our advice. He hasn't underestimated his opponent, nor has he held back—excellent. After winning this match, he will face Ling Yun, a battle he cannot possibly win. So, in this fight, he should fully demonstrate the true might of our Xiao Sect!"

"Hmph!" Xiao Zhen, standing beside Xiao Boyun, watched the match on the platform with cold eyes, letting out a faint snort.

Moving at a tempestuous speed, Xiao Kuanglei's longsword swept out swiftly. A storm swirled around the blade, and as the sword light danced elegantly, four streaks of sword qi, each powerful enough to pierce mountains and shatter rocks, simultaneously shot towards Xia Qingyue.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Four ice lotuses bloomed before Xia Qingyue, shattering to deflect all four sword auras. At the same moment, Xiao Kuanglei successfully closed the distance to Xia Qingyue, unleashing a rapid succession of sword moves like a torrential downpour. Xia Qingyue retreated with steady, composed steps, and with each step she took, a beautiful ice lotus blossomed beneath her feet...

"Truly astonishing! This Xia Qingyue is only at Spirit Profound Realm Level 8, yet her Ice Cloud Secret Art has already reached the fourth stage, the Ice Lotus Realm, and she executes it with such ease. Mu Lingxue, who was at Spirit Profound Realm Level 10 in the previous tournament, had only just begun to grasp the Ice Lotus Realm. It appears Xia Qingyue is undoubtedly the most talented disciple the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace has seen in decades."

"However, Xia Qingyue clearly seems to be on the defensive, with all her moves focused on guarding and parrying, showing no signs of being able to counterattack. This is understandable, given the disparity in age and profound energy levels."

The majestic eagle image behind Xiao Kuanglei spread its wings high. He unleashed a barrage of sword moves, transforming his longsword into a swirling storm of shadows. Combined with his incredible speed, his figure and sword shadows became a blurry, overlapping illusion that was dazzling and overwhelming to behold. The clashing of swords and the collision of the storm with the ice lotus generated a series of deafening sonic booms that made eardrums thrum.

Azure sword qi and fragments of ice lotus constantly flew out from the profound energy storm that enveloped them. Despite Xiao Kuanglei's astonishing speed, Xia Qingyue's movements were as ethereal as smoke, elegant and graceful like a celestial maiden treading upon dust. She remained completely unhindered by Xiao Kuanglei's speed advantage. With every shift of their feet, several new sword marks and craters from profound energy impacts appeared on the ground.

The entire arena was utterly silent, save for the jarring sonic booms and ripping sounds. Every eye was fixed on the two figures on the Sword Discourse Platform. Everyone had expected this to be a quick, even overwhelming, victory for one side, and no one had anticipated such an intense battle. Despite a three-year age gap and a one-level profound energy difference, the two combatants were clearly evenly matched in the current situation.

The expressions of the Xiao Sect members gradually began to darken. Xiao Juetian's brow furrowed slightly as he murmured, "It seems we underestimated Xia Qingyue. Her true strength might not be inferior to Shui Wushuang or Wu Xuexin at all."

"It's alright. Even if she can hold her own against Third Brother, what then?" Xiao Kuangyu said, unconcerned. "As soon as Third Brother draws the Shocking Dust Sword, the victor will be immediately clear."

"Using the Shocking Dust Sword would be a bit of an unfair win. Right now, the two appear evenly matched, but if the battle continues like this, the advantage will still be with Lei'er. After all, Lei'er's profound energy reserves are surely superior to that seventeen-year-old girl's," Xiao Juetian stated.

"Go, big sister! Go, big sister!" Xia Yuanba cried out continuously, his hands clenched tightly and his eyes wide with anxiety. He couldn't clearly discern the situation on the platform, only that Xia Qingyue seemed to be constantly retreating, making his heart grow increasingly uneasy.

"Don't worry, your sister won't be defeated so easily," Yun Che casually reassured him.

"Not so easily defeated?" Jasmine's scoffing voice echoed in Yun Che's mind. "This woman simply cannot be defeated. If she were to use her full power, her opponent wouldn't even last five exchanges. The current situation is merely her deliberate act to conceal her true strength."

"Oh?" A wave of astonishment swept through Yun Che's mind. "Not even five exchanges? That's impossible, isn't it?"

"Hmph! Your ability to challenge across major realms is partly due to your talent and comprehension, and partly due to your Divine Profound Veins, Divine Bloodline, and Divine Profound Arts. However, in the realm of talent, comprehension, and physique, I have finally witnessed someone who completely surpasses you. That is this woman. Not only does she possess the 'Heavenly Spirit Divine Veins,' with all fifty-four profound openings unblocked, but she also has the 'Ice Snow Glazed Heart,' which is tens of thousands of times rarer than the Heavenly Spirit Divine Veins. Her physique is the 'Nine Profound Exquisite Body'—a type that only appears once every ten thousand years, even among the gods... in the place where I was born... After tomorrow, it truly remains to be seen whether your opponent will be Ling Yun."

Yun Che: "!!!!"

The names "Ice Snow Exquisite Heart" and "Nine Profound Exquisite Body" were completely new to Yun Che, who, in both his previous and current lives, was well-versed in the world's medical principles and physiques. Thus, he couldn't fully comprehend their true meaning. However, from Jasmine's words, he discerned a distinct undertone of profound shock. Anything capable of astonishing Jasmine was clearly far from ordinary.

And Jasmine's final remark utterly stunned Yun Che, as it clearly implied that Xia Qingyue might even have the potential to defeat Ling Yun!

The battle on the Sword Discourse Platform had reached a fever pitch. The majestic eagle image behind Xiao Kuanglei once again spread its wings. With a soft whistle, he leaped high into the air, and the profound energy storm around him surged violently, like boiling water. Ripples of pale azure profound energy slowly spread outwards, forcefully pushing away all the surrounding air. Following this, Xiao Kuanglei angled his longsword downwards, concentrating all his profound energy onto its tip. Instantly, the sword tip blazed with a vibrant green light, and a storm began to howl around it, spinning at an incredibly terrifying speed.

An oppressive aura enveloped the entire Sword Discourse Platform at that moment. Spectators on the edges of the platform felt an intense sense of suffocation just by gazing at the green-glowing sword tip.

Unable to secure a quick victory, Xiao Kuanglei finally lost his patience. However, he did not draw the Shocking Dust Sword because, as Xiao Juetian had said, using the Xiao Sect's most powerful divine sword against someone younger and weaker than himself would not only be an unfair victory but also invite ridicule. Instead, he decisively unleashed his strongest ultimate move.

"Startling Swan Sword!!" Xiao Kuanglei roared, and with a surging tempest around him, he plummeted downwards. He appeared like a sword god descending, his utterly formidable sword momentum overwhelming Xia Qingyue.

"Oh! I didn't expect Third Brother could cultivate 'Startling Swan Sword' to such an extent... Has he reached about forty percent mastery?" Xiao Kuangyu exclaimed in surprise.

"This is a recent breakthrough for him. It seems the match will be over very soon," Xiao Juetian said, a victorious smile already gracing his face.

As Xiao Kuanglei's sword momentum rapidly descended, a crack spread wildly across the ground. Facing this terrifying mid-air strike, Xia Qingyue remained remarkably composed. She gently raised her fair hand, slowly pointing her ice sword skyward. On its tip, an ice lotus silently blossomed, but this time, it was no longer crystal clear; it glowed with a pale blue hue, like the sky itself.

Boom!! Xiao Kuanglei's Startling Swan Sword collided with Xia Qingyue's ice lotus in mid-air. A thunderous roar reverberated throughout the arena. A tempest of azure profound energy completely enveloped the surrounding space, and the ice lotus exploded into countless ice crystals and mist, scattering everywhere. For a moment, both figures were completely shrouded in an explosion of azure and pale blue profound energy, making them impossible to see. Only the sounds of two surging profound energies clashing wildly could be heard...

After a full ten breaths, the azure and blue lights finally dispersed completely. Their swords had just completed their final collision, and both combatants were then sent reeling backward by the force of the impact.

Xia Qingyue's expression remained utterly unruffled, her beautiful eyes still clear and tranquil as water. Not only was there no sign of injury on her, but even her white gown was spotless, and the ice spirits floating around her were perfectly orderly.

Xiao Kuanglei, standing opposite her, appeared much the same; apart from slightly disheveled hair, there was no sign of a single wound on his body. After such an intense clash of ultimate moves, it was a miracle that neither of them had sustained even the slightest injury.

However, judging by his expression, Xiao Kuanglei was clearly not as composed as Xia Qingyue. He had completely failed to anticipate this outcome. He had unleashed his ultimate technique, one he had recently made significant progress on, yet in the preceding clash, all his sword momentum and sword qi had been completely blocked by his opponent, without even a single strand of her hair being harmed. This left him secretly astonished and deeply humiliated.

Under these circumstances, he knew that to win, he would have to use the Shocking Dust Sword.

"Truly worthy of being an Immortal Maiden of the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace; you are indeed not to be underestimated. At your age, I was certainly no match for you. However, I must win this match. If I happen to offend you in any way during this competition, I will personally apologize to you afterwards."

As he spoke, Xiao Kuanglei retracted his sword and placed his right hand on his spatial ring, ready to retrieve the Shocking Dust Sword. But just as his right hand touched his left, his face suddenly stiffened, and his movements halted. Following this, his complexion rapidly grew paler and paler... until his entire body stiffened like an ice sculpture, and he fell straight onto his back on the ground.

As he collapsed, not a single tremor appeared in Xia Qingyue's eyes; there was no surprise whatsoever.

At that very moment, dozens of wounds of varying sizes suddenly burst open across Xiao Kuanglei's body, and streams of blood gushed out. All these wounds were inflicted by Xia Qingyue's ice sword, but due to the extreme cold profound energy of the Ice Cloud Secret Art, they had been instantly frozen the moment they were opened, preventing bleeding or even pain. Completely unaware of his condition, Xiao Kuanglei had continued to battle fiercely with Xia Qingyue, oblivious that within the ten breaths under the azure light, his body had sustained over thirty cuts from Xia Qingyue. Each of these wounds, had it been even slightly off, could have struck a vital point. In other words, if Xia Qingyue had not held back, he would have died more than thirty times within those ten breaths.