Chapter 365: Two Sword Fiends

"Sister Wenren, since my opponents for the next two days have already conceded and there won't be much audience interest, why don't we just finish the remaining two sparring matches today? It'll save me the trip every day."

Chen Mobai considered for a moment. To avoid giving Fang Cunshu two more days to discover weaknesses in his sword essence, he decided to settle both matches against Xiahou Weihuan and Pei Qingshuang today.

"I don't have the confidence to suppress you now. Do whatever you wish," Wenren Xuewei said with a smile, her words surprising everyone. Considering the initial confidence expressed by the Jiumang Daoist Academy's Foundation Establishment representative, it could only be said that Chen Mobai's prowess had exceeded everyone's imagination.

"However, you just went through an intense duel. Why not rest a bit and recover your spiritual power and vitality?" Wenren Xuewei suggested. Although Chen Mobai was confident he could defeat Xiahou Weihuan, he knew that any detail could change the outcome, so he nodded in agreement.

At that moment, Pei Qingshuang suddenly spoke. "My fight with you should still be saved for the last day."

"I need two days to awaken my sword."

As Pei Qingshuang spoke, she lifted the Green Frost Sword from her waist. It was a long sword with an antique and elegant design; from its appearance, one couldn't tell it was a fourth-tier sword artifact.

"Alright."

Chen Mobai nodded. The name of the Green Frost Sword was widely known to him, and he looked forward to experiencing its power.

The Sword Tower of the Shanhai Academy housed over half of the Immortal Sect's top-tier flying swords. Besides the fifth-tier "Sea-Stabilizing Sword," the most famous were the "Purple Lightning and Green Frost," a matched pair of fourth-tier flying swords. The Immortal Sect even produced a television series recounting the story of these flying swords' owners. These were the natal sword artifacts left behind by two Nascent Soul sword cultivators. When combined, their power was so immense that they were considered invincible among Nascent Soul cultivators.

Upon hearing Chen Mobai's agreement, Pei Qingshuang nodded to him, then greeted Wenren Xuewei before unexpectedly leaving the arena early.

After Chen Mobai returned to the Weapon Crafting Academy's platform, Bian Jingchun, her face filled with worry, said, "President, after today, maybe I should give you the True Dragon Cauldron first." The fame of the Green Frost Sword was simply too great. If Pei Qingshuang could truly wield the power of this fourth-tier flying sword, Chen Mobai might not be able to match her, even with his sword essence.

"I haven't mastered the Can Tong Qi, so even if you give me the True Dragon Cauldron, I wouldn't be able to use it," Chen Mobai replied, shaking his head. He already found it somewhat strenuous to control his own Six-Yang Divine Fire Mirror. If Pei Qingshuang could truly wield the Green Frost Sword, she would likely, like Bian Jingchun, only be able to unleash a single strike. Moreover, that single strike would certainly not reach fourth-tier power; at most, it would be peak third-tier. If that were the case, it would actually be good. However, Pei Qingshuang had such a great reputation in the Immortal Sect for so many years; it surely wouldn't be that simple. Among all his opponents in these offline sparring matches, only she gave Chen Mobai a sense of uncertainty. He only hoped that on the last day, he would have an evenly matched sword duel.

Putting Pei Qingshuang out of his mind, Chen Mobai sat upright on the platform, closing his eyes to meditate and recover the spiritual power and divine sense he had expended in his fight with Lou Fengcheng.

"Are your injuries alright?" Tao Mingqing asked. On the Butian Daoist Academy's platform, Tao Mingqing approached Lou Fengcheng and channeled his extremely pure Five-Element Water spiritual power into him, helping him recover from the severe injuries caused by the burning blood from the Azure Flame Sword Essence.

"Your decision was wise." Though Lou Fengcheng looked weak, with the help of the Taiyi Medical Academy and Tao Mingqing, he could already speak in a hoarse voice.

"I'll be fighting him this afternoon. Did your Fang Cunshu reveal any weaknesses?" Xiahou Weihuan's spiritual transmission reached Lou Fengcheng. The latter's expression shifted slightly, seemingly possessing genuine insights into countering sword essence. However, after a moment's thought, Lou Fengcheng shook his head. Since his injuries were too severe for him to use spiritual transmission, he gestured for Tao Mingqing to lean closer and whispered something into his ear for him to relay. Tao Mingqing's eyes showed a hint of surprise after hearing it, but he still nodded. He then conveyed the message to Xiahou Weihuan as Lou Fengcheng had instructed.

"The Four Great Daoist Academies are closely connected; we would never act against each other."

"What do you mean?" Xiahou Weihuan asked.

Xiahou Weihuan was utterly confused by this statement.

"Our cooperation ends here. It's best you keep the alliance a secret and don't mention it to anyone." Tao Mingqing relayed the message again. At this point, Xiahou Weihuan finally understood that Lou Fengcheng was backing down. He glared angrily but then let out a cold snort, silently cursing him as a "coward."

"This matter probably can't be hidden from that person," Tao Mingqing asked, still treating Lou Fengcheng's injuries.

"For thousands of years, the Four Great Daoist Academies have maintained the overall stability of the Immortal Sect through a balance of mutual targeting and compromise. This time, I lost a round; conceding is enough, and the Weapon Crafting Academy won't pursue it. But if I continue to meddle with the Pure Yang side, it would be seen as disrespectful. I might even be expelled from the academy by the old folks at Butian once I return, as an excuse to ease relations with the Weapon Crafting Academy. It's just a pity that after this year, for the next sixty years, until that person forms his golden core, the Weapon Crafting Academy will occupy the position of the Immortal Sect's top academy." As he spoke, Lou Fengcheng sighed.

Lan Haitan had dominated the Immortal Sect for sixty years at the Foundation Establishment stage, allowing the Kunpeng Daoist Academy to hold the reputation of being number one to this day. But now Lan Haitan had gone to form his golden core, and suddenly, Chen Mobai emerged! They had originally thought that their Butian side might have a chance. Now, it seemed they would likely be at the bottom for some time. At the very least, Lou Fengcheng wasn't confident he could defeat Wenren Xuewei, who had mastered the Everlasting Spring Art; a draw would be the most he could hope for. As for the Kunpeng Daoist Academy, even though Lan Haitan had gone to form his golden core, there was still Qi Huanzhi, another opponent Lou Fengcheng felt uncertain about. Counting through all four great daoist academies, their Butian Academy was actually at the bottom.

"Why think so much about this?" Tao Mingqing said with a smile, seeing Lou Fengcheng's disheartened expression. "We should both focus all our energy on forming our golden cores."

"You're right," Lou Fengcheng said. "Let's leave the rest to the next generation." Lou Fengcheng, a prodigy who had led the Butian Daoist Academy for an era, quickly shook off the mindset brought on by his crushing defeat. Since he had no hope of winning, he might as well try to take a step forward in his cultivation and yield his position. Thinking this way, Master Ling still had hope, but unfortunately, he was of the same generation as Chen Mobai, so he could at most contend for second place.

"It's starting," Tao Mingqing said excitedly. Lou Fengcheng opened his tired eyes and saw that both Chen Mobai and Xiahou Weihuan had already entered the arena.

"My sword is named 'Dancing Sun.' I personally forged it from red copper ore." Xiahou Weihuan raised the red copper sword artifact in his hand. Its hilt was rounded and engraved with flame patterns. The blade was only half a meter long, yet it exuded a sense of solemnity and dignity. Duels between sword cultivators in the Immortal Sect were always highly ceremonial. Even though Xiahou Weihuan harbored intense hatred for Chen Mobai, he still adhered to this ancient sword-naming ritual.

"My sword is named 'Flying Sparrow,' bestowed by an elder!" Chen Mobai held the Flying Sparrow sword before him. Everyone assumed this flying sword came from the Myriad Treasures Cave, where every artifact sealed within the artifact-containing orbs was left behind by Weapon Crafting Academy graduates before their peaceful demise. Stating it was "bestowed by an elder" was perfectly fine. But they didn't know that this elder wasn't from the Immortal Sect side.

"Let me show you the true use of sword essence!" Xiahou Weihuan declared with cold eyes after the sword-naming, then drew his sword with a clang. In an instant, the red copper blade was infused with an orange-red glow, as if coated in a layer of pure oil. Under the sunlight, it emitted a dazzling brilliance that was impossible to look at directly.

With a loud boom! Facing the Primal Yang Sword Essence, Chen Mobai first probed with his Yi Wood Divine Thunder. Both being third-tier powers, the dazzling azure lightning blasted from his palm, forming a pillar of light that Xiahou Weihuan simply cleaved in two with a single strike. The lightning split, arced around Xiahou Weihuan's body, and evaporated the lake surface into wisps of hazy mist. The sound of the sword tearing through the air rang out, and Xiahou Weihuan, sword in hand, had already charged in front of Chen Mobai. His expression was icy as he raised his sword and cleaved directly once more. The red copper sword artifact, imbued with Primal Yang Sword Essence, was unstoppable. The Red Cloud-Mist Robe, Fire Chain Art, and Five-Element Sword Light were all cut through. No defensive power seemed capable of blocking it for even a moment.

Chen Mobai, who was already well aware of the cutting properties of the Primal Yang Sword Essence, unleashed his natal artifact. An ancient bronze mirror shimmered with a scarlet light, meeting the Dancing Sun Sword. The sword artifact, which had been cutting through everything like bamboo, suddenly halted.

"He really does have a third-tier artifact!""He is the chief disciple of the Weapon Crafting Academy, after all. This is perfectly normal. It's just that his previous opponents weren't strong enough to force the 'Duel Victor' to use an artifact.""Forget a third-tier artifact; with his talent, I wouldn't find it strange even if the Weapon Crafting Academy had prepared a fourth-tier artifact for him."The Foundation Establishment cultivators watching the duel all showed an expression of understanding when Chen Mobai revealed his Six-Yang Divine Fire Mirror. Hearing the discussions, Bian Jingchun couldn't help but fiddle with her fingers. Her True Dragon Cauldron, within her body, had no use here. But then, their Weapon Crafting Academy's chief disciple this year was simply too powerful.

"A sword artifact reinforced with sword essence has power no less than a third-tier flying sword," Chi Shicheng commented, having seen much and immediately recognizing Xiahou Weihuan's fighting style. "This means every strike Xiahou Weihuan unleashes possesses third-tier power, and with the sword artifact's connection, the consumption of sword essence is greatly reduced."

"Under a prolonged assault, even if this Six-Yang Divine Fire Mirror can block it, its source power will likely be damaged. Furthermore, for a Foundation Establishment cultivator to activate a third-tier artifact, the spiritual power consumption is immense. Although Junior Brother Chen is formidable in combat, his cultivation level is lower, and his spiritual power might not be enough. He'll probably need to find another method." Sun Daoji also showed a worried expression. With his peak Foundation Establishment spiritual power, he could at most activate a third-tier artifact for half an hour.

Xiahou Weihuan clearly understood this. He continuously swung his long sword, clashing head-on with the mirror's light barrier. Amidst the incessant "clinking" sounds, Chen Mobai felt the eternal spiritual power he had stored in his Six-Yang Divine Fire Mirror using the Reversion Secret Art being rapidly consumed. Although it could sustain him for half an hour, he was, after all, currently showing only the third layer of Foundation Establishment, and he couldn't afford to be too extravagant.

"That's enough," Chen Mobai thought. So, after estimating the time, Chen Mobai opened his mouth and unleashed his Azure Flame Sword Essence. An azure-green brilliant light burst forth like thunder, shooting directly towards Xiahou Weihuan's face.

But Xiahou Weihuan had already been guarding against this move. He swung his sword horizontally to block, and the broad blade stopped the Azure Flame Sword Essence by a hair's breadth. Simultaneously, his orange-red Primal Yang Sword Essence erupted. At this instant, the two powerful fire-attribute sword essences, each containing different properties, began their most direct and unreserved clash.

It was a clash between sword essences! Without elemental counters, it became a test of which sword essence was of a higher tier and contained a greater breadth of power. Although the Divine Wood Sect's Scarlet Flame Sword Art was a powerful technique perfected through hundreds of battles, compared to the Primal Yang Sword Art, a top-tier sword art derived from a Soul Transformation cultivation method, it still seemed somewhat inferior. Under everyone's wide-eyed gaze, the azure-green brilliance clashed with the orange-red glow. Then, the Primal Yang Sword Essence gradually gained the upper hand, even starting to devour and transform the power of the Azure Flame Sword Essence.

"Hahahaha! The Primal Yang Sword Essence is the supreme fire!" Xiahou Weihuan burst out laughing, "How can your mere Azure Flame Sword Essence contend with me?!"

Xiahou Weihuan, seeing this, couldn't help but burst into laughter. Just as he gripped his sword with both hands, preparing to exert more force to absorb Chen Mobai's "Azure Flame Sword Essence" and deliver a crushing defeat to this annoying opponent, he saw Chen Mobai suddenly smile.

"How can you still be smiling?!"

"The Primal Yang Sword Essence is more powerful than the Azure Flame Sword Essence. You don't need to tell me; I know that better than you." Chen Mobai said something that utterly bewildered Xiahou Weihuan. At the same time, Chen Mobai made a strange movement. His right hand dropped, pulling open the lid of the yellow-skinned gourd tied at his waist. An orange-red brilliant light rose up and lightly sliced across Xiahou Weihuan's hands.

In a flash of blood, Xiahou Weihuan's two arms, still clutching the Dancing Sun Sword, flew into the air.

Chen Mobai's left hand, with two fingers like a sword, expertly controlled the orange-red glow that had severed his opponent's arms, sealing it back into the yellow-skinned gourd. Then, his right hand replaced the lid. At the same time, he opened his mouth, re-condensed the Azure Flame Sword Essence into a sword pellet, and swallowed it.

"Because I, too, have mastered the Primal Yang Sword Essence." Finally, Chen Mobai uttered words that made Xiahou Weihuan's eyes widen in disbelief.

Two sword essences!

What kind of monster am I fighting?!