Chapter 37: This Sword Is Too Strong

In the arena. After using "Snow Walker" to shift positions, Chao Qingteng didn't stop for a moment. While Xu Xiaoshou was speaking, he crossed his hands and instantly formed dozens of hand seals.

Xu Xiaoshou immediately felt a surge of unease. This was definitely a powerful move; Chao Qingteng had exploited his momentary distraction. "Liu Zhen, I'm sorry, I made the grave mistake of underestimating my opponent!" he thought.

He instantly flew forward, but the distance was too great for him to close in quickly. Xu Xiaoshou absorbed a spirit crystal, barely recovering some spiritual energy, and then slowly unleashed a sword strike: "Net Sword Style!"

Facing the instantly attacking sword net, Chao Qingteng ignored it, imprinting a blood-stained palm on the void. "Great Cold, No Weapons!" Only after completing this did he pick up his Ice River Sword to barely defend against the sword net.

Amidst sizzling sounds, Chao Qingteng's flesh was mangled. Xu Xiaoshou found it hard to imagine how terrifying this move, which Chao Qingteng fought desperately to complete, would be. Just a moment later, the ankle-deep snow, perceptible through his "Discernment," was stirred up by the spiritual imprint in the void, slowly rising into the air.

The spectators rubbed their eyes. The snow had already accumulated a thick layer on the ground, and as it was summoned, the barrier instantly filled with a blinding white haze, blurring even human figures.

"By my command!" Chao Qingteng sharply intoned, and sword intent pierced the void across the sky. In that instant, every snowflake erupted with chilling sword intent, like thousands of tiny swords soaring into the air.

Xu Xiaoshou was stunned. Chao Qingteng was truly cunning! It turned out that the initial snowfall wasn't just for "Snow Walker"; it was primarily for "Great Cold, No Weapons" at this very moment.

With a command from Chao Qingteng, the sky-full of sword-intent snowflakes instantly crisscrossed, carving out endless sword light within the barrier. They not only destroyed Xu Xiaoshou's sword net in an instant but also pierced through his innate physical body.

Xiao Qixiu's expression was grave. This terrifying innate spiritual technique, though called "Great Cold, No Weapons," transformed every snowflake into a sword imbued with deadly intent! Could Xu Xiaoshou truly withstand it?

To the spectators, a point within the vast white barrier suddenly erupted with spurts of blood, scattering in all directions. This was Xu Xiaoshou's location!

Xu Xiaoshou gritted his teeth, his eyes squeezed shut, for fear that if he didn't, his eyeballs would be pierced by the sword-intent snowflakes.

Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! Each snowflake was a small, incomparably sharp sword. Even his innate physical body couldn't withstand them; his body was pierced with countless bloody holes in the blink of an eye.

Xiao Qixiu stood ready. The moment Xu Xiaoshou showed any sign of giving up, he would intervene immediately.

Chao Qingteng panted heavily. He had used all his trump cards, and this move had cost him nearly half of his spiritual energy. Yet, Xu Xiaoshou was still holding on? Was his innate physical body truly this formidable?

Gritting his teeth, he flew forward and struck a palm towards Xu Xiaoshou.

"Has he gone mad?!" The spectators were astonished. Even with such a favorable situation, why would Chao Qingteng choose close-quarters combat? Wasn't he afraid of Xu Xiaoshou turning the tables once they were close?

"No, that's wrong!" Someone suddenly slapped their thigh and stood up. "It's 'Profound Ice Stele Sealing Hand'! That's a peak innate spiritual technique! Xu Xiaoshou is finished!"

"'Profound Ice Stele Sealing Hand'?" Even Elder Qiao was shocked now. He knew this spiritual technique could rank among the best, even within the inner courtyard. He clutched his robes tightly, realizing Xu Xiaoshou was in grave danger!

Still unable to discern direction, Xu Xiaoshou struggled against the sword-intent snowflakes, his "Endless Life" circulating wildly within him. Penetration, repair... repair, penetration...

The pain Xu Xiaoshou was enduring now was even worse than when he refined the "Cinder Blaze Seed."

"Under attack, passive value +1." "Under attack, passive value +1." Thousands of messages flashed through his mind's information bar in an instant, indicating that the attack density of these sword-intent snowflakes was simply insane!

Xu Xiaoshou was truly holding on by sheer willpower. He "perceived" Chao Qingteng's incoming palm strike and finally couldn't hold out any longer, allocating skill points.

"Swordsmanship Mastery (Postnatal Lv.7)." "Swordsmanship Mastery (Postnatal Lv.8)." A vast amount of knowledge flooded his mind instantly, and Xu Xiaoshou seemed to have found a way to break free.

Enduring the severe pain in his body, he suddenly raised "Hidden Bitterness," channeling surging sword intent into its blade, making a desperate last stand!

Whoosh! "Hidden Bitterness" cut through the air at high speed, its blade even catching fire. However, Chao Qingteng was prepared; he tilted his head, and the spirit sword only pierced his shoulder!

Its remaining momentum undiminished, it astonishingly shot through the barrier and flew towards the horizon, under the shocked gazes of everyone.

The crowd no longer paid attention to the spirit sword, because even with a pierced shoulder, Chao Qingteng still struck out with a fierce palm. As for Xu Xiaoshou... there was nothing he could do to avert it!

"Profound Ice Stele Sealing Hand!" Boom! As the cry fell, the rapidly piercing sword-intent snowflakes abruptly halted.

With the half of the arena where Chao Qingteng stood as a boundary, all the space around Xu Xiaoshou and behind him, under this terrifying palm strike, transformed into a colossal block of ice. Half the arena was frozen solid!

The entire venue fell silent. This block of ice, larger than a house, was utterly astonishing. The scene was frozen in time.

Then the spectators discovered, to their horror, that it wasn't over! Chao Qingteng finally let out a breath, covered in blood, and clasped his hands together: "Seal!"

Shrink! With a faint sound, and under the incredulous gazes of the crowd, the ice block, which occupied half the arena, instantly shrank, tightly constricting around Xu Xiaoshou. Only his final, frozen pose, with hands raised high, remained.

"Holy cow!" Everyone's eyes nearly popped out! Such a massive ice block had instantly become so minuscule. Wouldn't the concentrated density within it turn a person into an instant ice fossil?

Was there any hope of survival left? This attack was utterly insane! Had Xu Xiaoshou died?

Xiao Qixiu took a deep breath, sensing that something serious had happened. As the saying goes, what a referee feared most was such a decisive, all-or-nothing move.

If he intervened, it would be equivalent to conceding defeat for Xu Xiaoshou prematurely, and Xu Xiaoshou likely wouldn't appreciate it. If he stood by, he would be watching a contestant die. What was he to do?

He could only slowly raise his hand: "The match is o—" Whoosh!

Just then, a sound of tearing through the void echoed, interrupting Xiao Qixiu's words.

Everyone looked towards the horizon with confusion. They saw "Hidden Bitterness," which had previously pierced Chao Qingteng's shoulder and vanished with its momentum into the sky, now shooting back at an incredibly fast speed.

Chao Qingteng spun around in terror, only to see the black speck instantly enlarge. The sword pierced through his chest and slammed hard into the ice sculpture that encased Xu Xiaoshou.

"Pfft!" Chao Qingteng's body hunched over, and he violently spat out a mouthful of blood, which contained fragments of his internal organs.

Xiao Qixiu's lunge to stop the sword was too slow. This heaven-defying return strike was something he hadn't even conceived of.

"Hidden Bitterness" was impaled on the ice sculpture, humming excitedly, full of spiritual vitality. Xiao Qixiu's eyes were wide with shock. This was... a sentient sword?

Xu Xiaoshou had actually comprehended the threshold of innate sword intent! Outside the arena, Zhou Tianshen excitedly stood up. As he watched the trembling "Hidden Bitterness," he felt his own battle spirit ignited.

This sword strike was too strong! Simply too strong! It was more than ten times stronger than Xu Xiaoshou was just a day ago!

Elder Qiao was astonished. He had never imagined that after merely emerging from secluded cultivation, Xu Xiaoshou could make such immense progress in just a few days! This was truly inconceivable!

In a certain waiting area, staff members helped Muzi Xi, who had fallen, back onto her chair. The little girl in green had her mouth agape in an "O" shape, and her two long ponytails were almost pulled off.

Crack! Crack! Under the sword's vibration, the ice sculpture cracked open.

All of Xu Xiaoshou's wounds were frozen, and he felt even his soul trembling. The only reason he could maintain a sliver of consciousness was the immense power of "Endless Life"!

Stepping out of the ice sculpture, his lips quivered, and his body went limp, collapsing onto the ground. "What kind of sword technique was that?!" Chao Qingteng exclaimed, his face filled with unwillingness.

Xu Xiaoshou shivered twice, then slowly exhaled a cold breath. "White Cloud Sword Art."

"Suspicion received, passive value +1."

...

Please vote for recommendations!!