Chapter 2665: Loss of Control

Zu An raised his hand. Soon, a faint golden film appeared around several peaks. He announced loudly, "You two can spar within this area; stop when you feel it's enough."

Among the spectators from the academy, many masters were present. Feeling the strength of the golden film, they were all astonished. The academy frequently held various martial arts competitions, usually setting up similar magical formations on the arena to prevent the aftermath of battles from damaging academy buildings or harming innocent spectators.

However, those formations typically covered an area no larger than a plaza and required several days of preparation.

Yet, the Principal had now effortlessly cast such a vast barrier in the blink of an eye, one strong enough to withstand attacks from peak experts like Abbot Yan and Hierarch Yun.

The morning sunlight enveloped the serene valley, casting a faint golden hue upon the verdant peaks.

Two unparalleled figures hovered in the air, facing each other. Their brief initial exchange had secretly startled both of them. Each had believed their cultivation had progressed by leaps and bounds recently, especially after encountering the power of a true god, and that they should easily win. However, the other's strength had improved far beyond their expectations.

Their gazes intertwined, making the surrounding air seem to solidify. The birds in the mountains, sensing the intertwined killing intent, vanished without a trace.

Yan Xuehen lightly raised her delicate hand, and her Flying Snow Sword was already unsheathed. The blade resembled a slender ice crystal, gleaming brilliantly under the sunlight.

Against ordinary foes, the light scattered by the blade alone would be enough to affect an opponent, but she knew this wouldn't bother Yun Jianyue.

As expected, an ancient Changxin Palace Lamp suddenly rose behind Yun Jianyue. Although the lamp contained only a tiny, flickering flame that seemed ready to dissipate at any moment, its soft light instantly enveloped all the surrounding peaks. Even the sun in the sky was overshadowed, as if day had turned into night, and the Changxin Palace Lamp had transformed into a full moon.

The dazzling Flying Snow Sword in Yan Xuehen's hand naturally no longer shone as brightly as before. Sensing the surrounding space being influenced by the Changxin Palace Lamp, she remained unhurried. Her Flying Snow Sword trembled slightly, and where its tip pointed, the gentle mountain breeze transformed into a biting cold wind. Fine, dense snowflakes fell from the sky, and many peaks previously covered by the Changxin Palace Lamp were quickly coated in a layer of white frost.

She stepped through the air, advancing steadily towards Yun Jianyue.

With each step, a beautiful pattern of ice crystals and snowflakes formed beneath her feet.

Though her steps appeared elegant and deliberate, her speed was astonishing.

The air between her and Yun Jianyue visibly froze, and in the blink of an eye, sharp ice crystals materialized out of thin air, launching themselves towards Yun Jianyue.

Even before Yan Xuehen's sword force arrived, the extreme cold was like a cage, capable of freezing the blood and bodies of the world's top experts.

"Your Divine Snow Sword has reached a new level," Yun Jianyue chuckled softly. Tapping her toe lightly on an ice crystal, her figure instantly blurred, like flowing moonlight.

The omnipresent ice cage could trap all tangible things, but how could it trap moonlight?

Her waist was incredibly supple, allowing her to evade numerous ice crystals with an exquisitely beautiful arch of her body.

The entire academy erupted in exclamations of awe, and some younger disciples even found themselves swallowing.

"So beautiful..."

Zu An's expression was peculiar. Yun Jianyue, already a master of the Heavenly Demonic Enchantment, captivated souls with every gesture and smile. Now, having acquired the power of the God of Desire, even without intentionally using charm, how could ordinary people possibly resist her?

Yun Jianyue transformed into several beautiful afterimages in the air, reappearing beside Yan Xuehen.

The New Moon Wheel, with a blade as thin as a cicada's wing, flowed with a liquid silver luster, seemingly drawing in the moonlight from above. It traced a perfect silver arc, and in the blink of an eye, another crescent moon appeared in the sky.

However, the top experts in the field immediately sensed the danger hidden beneath the beautiful moonlight. That streak of moonlight was actually condensed and compressed by potent blade force, silently cutting towards Yan Xuehen's waist.

Yan Xuehen was enveloped by a protective blizzard, but in that instant, the biting storm was sliced through by the ethereal moonlight.

At this moment, her Flying Snow Sword also moved. She chose not to defend, but to proactively strike.

The sword tip precisely struck the central point of the crescent arc.

Those with slightly lower cultivation might instinctively attack the crescent itself, unaware that its weakest point lay outside the curve.

With a soft crackle of ice crystals, the crescent moon shattered into countless shimmering fragments.

Outside the valley, a chorus of praise erupted. They admitted to themselves that they could not have found such a perfectly precise solution as Yan Xuehen did.

Qiu Honglei grew nervous. "Master won't be in danger, will she?"

Yun Yuqing, standing nearby, patted her hand. "Don't worry, my sister won't lose that easily."

No sooner had she spoken than Yun Jianyue's figure burst forth from the myriad of shattered light fragments, approaching Yan Xuehen like a phantom.

She moved as if she had no physical form, leaving behind only beautiful dark afterimages with each step. At that moment, only a handful of people in the entire academy could clearly discern her true body.

The previous crescent moon had been a deliberate feint. While Yan Xuehen was breaking it, the countless moonlit fragments took the opportunity to infiltrate her body, causing a momentary stagnation in her vital energy flow.

And that slight delay was all that was needed.

The New Moon Wheel in her hand transformed into a densely woven net of moonlight, enveloping like a lover's caress.

Each arc of the blade guided the power of the moonlight emanating from the Changxin Palace Lamp. It was not only physically sharp but also carried a force of law, affecting the opponent's movements and spirit.

The entire valley transformed into a domain of moonlight dominated by her. At this point, no one in the entire area, except Zu An, could clearly see Yun Jianyue's figure, because every streak of moonlight was her!

Yan Xuehen's expression turned solemn. She held her Flying Snow Sword upright before her, and simultaneously, phantoms of long ice crystal swords appeared in the void behind her.

A clear sword cry resonated through the heavens and earth. Her robes fluttered, her black hair danced, and ice and snow swirled around her, forming a gigantic Dharma manifestation.

She cleaved forward with her sword, and all the ice crystal phantoms behind her merged with her Flying Snow Sword. An ice-blue sword qi sliced through the entire expanse of sky and earth.

The pure moonlight that had enveloped the surroundings was directly cleaved in two by this single strike. The ice-blue sword mark even extended to the sea of clouds on the horizon.

Everyone present involuntarily stood up, craning their necks to gaze at the distant blue mark. They were utterly terrified. The might of that single sword strike was such that, had it not been for the Regent's barrier, the entire capital city might have been severed in half.

Even Zu An was secretly alarmed. That sword strike had almost shattered his barrier, and he was fortunate to react in time and quickly reinforce it.

It was important to note that he was now akin to a god in this world, and what he had created was essentially a small world.

Yet, this sword strike could cleave open a world!

Yan Xuehen's increase in strength during this period had truly far exceeded his expectations.

"Master!" Qiu Honglei clutched at her clothes, even Yun Yuqing no longer as confident as before.

"Don't worry, she's fine," Zu An said. No sooner had he spoken than the pure moonlight in the valley suddenly turned red, and the bright moon in the sky transformed into a blood moon.

A charming laugh echoed from within the blood moon. "Ice Maiden, I didn't expect your swordsmanship to reach such a level. I truly underestimated you just now."

Everyone looked towards the sound, discovering a graceful figure seated within the blood moon. Yun Jianyue's sleeves were now gone, seemingly due to the previous sword strike.

However, her jade-like arms, coupled with her proud figure, exuded an extreme allure at that moment. Everyone present found their breathing quickening, and many had fervent gazes.

Zu An felt a headache coming on. This woman had unconsciously unleashed the power of the "God of Desire," affecting everyone in the academy.