Chapter 124: Ice Blade

As Yan Feng’s second sword struck down, Chen Mobai felt an intense pressure unlike anything from the previous six rounds of combat. The air above the arena seemed to be cleaved open by this single sword.

He couldn't take this strike head-on! His powerful spiritual sense allowed him to make this judgment instantly. However, before each of Yan Feng's strikes, he first locked onto Chen Mobai with his Qi flow, forcing him into a direct confrontation.

"I need to find a way to break this Qi lock first," Chen Mobai thought. As his mind raced, he threw out the two remaining low-grade Tier 1 talismans he had. Simultaneously, under the control of his spiritual sense, the black water coalesced into seven translucent, cicada-wing-thin ripples.

He concentrated the full defensive power of the Water Elemental Shield onto the trajectory of Yan Feng's penetrating sword strike. *Bang! Bang! Bang!* The first three ripples of black water couldn't even offer a momentary obstruction; the instant they touched the hazy sword energy emanating from Yan Feng's finger-sword, they disintegrated into a spray of water droplets.

Just then, Chen Mobai's Ice Breath was fully charged. He opened his mouth and exhaled. With a "crunching" sound, the remaining four water ripple defenses froze into ice shields.

However, with the powerful impact of Yan Feng's sword, two more ice shields were pierced and shattered into fragments. Fortunately, the third ice shield finally held for a breath, followed by the last ice shield, which lasted for two seconds.

Yan Feng finally broke through Chen Mobai's strongest seven-layered defense, formed by the full power of his Water Elemental Shield and Ice Art. The hazy sword energy emanating from his fingertip had diminished by half, now only about three centimeters wide and twenty centimeters long.

Nevertheless, he had overcome all obstacles and reached Chen Mobai. With his right hand extending two fingers, he was about to strike his opponent off the arena. "Disperse!" Just then, Chen Mobai roared, activating a very simple talisman: the Quicksand Talisman!

This low-grade Tier 1 talisman, typically used by the Immortal Sect for carving out mountains and paths by turning rock into fine sand, produced a miraculous effect when Chen Mobai used it here. Yan Feng felt his feet go soft as the arena's rock surface beneath him suddenly transformed into a sand pit, causing him to begin sinking.

However, his eyes sharpened, and he ignored the sinking, instead unleashing all the power of his finger-sword into a thrust aimed directly at Chen Mobai's chest. "This guy is indeed not on the same level as my previous opponents," Chen Mobai sighed inwardly, compelled to activate the Wood Armor Talisman.

This mid-grade Tier 1 defensive talisman transformed into a green glow that enveloped his entire body, barely managing to block Yan Feng's finger-sword, which, after being weakened seven times, was already at the end of its power. *Boom!*

Even so, Chen Mobai was still forced to retreat by the powerful impact of the finger-sword, his feet dragging two distinct marks across the arena floor. By the time he regained his balance, he was only one step away from the edge of the platform.

"This second sword alone has exhausted all my defensive means. Won't his third and fourth swords be even more terrifying?" Chen Mobai's thoughts raced as he considered the cultivation technique information Yan Feng had deliberately revealed earlier.

If what he said was true, Chen Mobai certainly wouldn't be able to withstand the fourth sword. He might even be struck off the arena by the third sword. Yet, there was no fear in Chen Mobai's heart.

The Thirteen Swords of Sky Sea, which can be cultivated starting from Qi Refinement Layer 7, should only allow for the condensation of three sword qi by Qi Refinement Layer 9. Yan Feng likely mentioned condensing four sword qi to intimidate his opponent without a fight, hoping to make him fear this potentially Foundation Establishment-level fourth sword and thus fight cautiously and hesitantly during their battle.

Of course, it's also possible that Yan Feng is a true prodigy, having condensed four sword qi at the Qi Refinement stage. But whether he has it or not, Chen Mobai had to proceed as if he didn't.

He couldn't fall into Yan Feng's rhythm and allow him to strike freely. He needed to force Yan Feng to use his Sky Sea Sword Qi and observe any potential weaknesses. Chen Mobai finalized his strategy, his eyes narrowing, and opened his mouth to exhale, maximizing the power of his Ice Art.

Among the hundreds of students watching around the arena, some of those with lower cultivation levels suddenly shivered involuntarily. "Strange, it's the middle of summer, how did it suddenly get cold?" Lu Hongsheng scratched his head, circulating his spiritual power to dispel the chill from his body.

Yan Bingxuan, whom Mo Simin had pulled over to stand with them after Chen Mobai entered the arena, now had her beautiful eyes light up. *My Profound Ice Transformation couldn't block his Sky Sea Sword Qi, can your Ice Art do it?*

Yan Bingxuan had previously believed that her strength and Chen Mobai's were comparable. However, now that the battle had progressed, she knew that despite both being at Qi Refinement Layer 7, their abilities were vastly different. What she couldn't achieve, Chen Mobai might be able to. Using this Ice Art, which she had helped him comprehend and master!

A long, chilling breath suddenly burst from Chen Mobai's mouth, and the surrounding air temperature dropped instantly once more. Lu Hongsheng's hairs stood on end, and he couldn't help but sneeze. Yet, everyone watched with unwavering focus, staring directly at the rainbow that had suddenly appeared on the arena.

The black water, previously shattered into countless droplets and ice fragments by Yan Feng, now, under the dual enhancement of Chen Mobai's Water Control Art and Ice Art, transformed into a massive, translucent ice blade. Bathed in sunlight, it shimmered with brilliant rainbow colors, dazzling and beautiful.

Chen Mobai, expending seventy percent of his spiritual energy, unleashed his strongest spells to form this three-meter-long rainbow ice blade. He brought it down with immense force upon Yan Feng, who was still stuck in the quicksand due to the powerful impact of his sword qi.

Seeing such a magnificent ice blade, Yan Feng didn't hesitate. He activated another sword talisman, and a crisp sword hum echoed across the peak. With a flick of his finger-sword, amid the roaring sword qi, Yan Feng's eyes flashed with sharp light as he, still trapped in the quicksand, surged upwards like a keen blade. As he broke free from the quicksand's restraint, he sought to evade the clearly slower and somewhat cumbersome rainbow ice blade.

At that moment, another talisman, which had been set up alongside the Quicksand Talisman, activated. Yan Feng, who had just burst out of the quicksand, suddenly had his expression change. All around him, wooden pillars rumbled up from the sand below, forming a two-meter-high wooden cage that tightly trapped him, preventing him from changing direction.

With a rapid slash of his finger-sword, Yan Feng easily broke the Wood Cage Talisman. But at the same time, the massive ice blade was already descending upon his head. There was no time to dodge; he had to take it head-on!

Yan Feng hesitated for a moment but had no better option. Reluctantly, he activated his third sword qi. From his right fingertip, a massive burst of sword qi, nearly two meters long and two fists wide, erupted and slashed horizontally towards the ice blade descending from above.

With a grinding sound, the massive ice blade developed hairline cracks under the impact of Yan Feng's third sword qi, then shattered completely. "Time to decide this!" Chen Mobai thought to himself. Without hesitation, he decided he no longer wanted to face the third sword head-on, much less consider a fourth sword that might or might not exist. He took out his very last talisman!