73: Chapter 73 The Battle Between Sword Immortals

She didn't dare to gamble; who knew if Li Yuan was a madman? Judging by his past behavior, he wasn't exactly normal.

Li Yuan watched Chen Yao's lingering fear and almost laughed out loud.

Yimoku's handicraft class project worked really well; the energy fluctuation simulation was almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

"Referee, is Senior Student Chen Yao's proposal supported by the rules?"

"Supported, supported," the referee replied immediately, eager to please.

Thus, Li Yuan put on an expression of "I am a very reasonable person" and signaled for the Light Guardian to take back the grenade.

"It should have been like this from the start, Student Chen Yao," Li Yuan said with a smile. "Always flying around, it really harms the friendly atmosphere."

Seeing this, the referee secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but still sternly warned Li Yuan: "Student Li Yuan, the use of overly dangerous training weapons is prohibited!"

"Understood, understood, Teacher Referee. This is just a model, meant to scare people." Li Yuan complied readily, smiling on the outside, while thinking about whether he should ask Yimoku to make a larger one next time.

...

Since a 1v1 duel would decide the winner...

She looked at Elia with burning eyes: "Junior Student Elia, dare you fight me?"

Elia took a step forward, the aura around her seemingly lowering the surrounding temperature by a few degrees. Her voice was crisp and firm: "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Seeing this, the referee nodded slightly; this was, after all, a way to resolve the current deadlock.

He announced the rules in a deep voice: "With the agreement of both team captains, the final format has been changed to a one-on-one duel. Chen Yao will face Elia until one side loses the ability to fight, falls off the arena, or voluntarily concedes. The remaining team members must retreat to the edge of the arena to watch and must not interfere!"

Li Yuan patted Elia on the shoulder, gave her a "it's up to you" look, and then retreated to one side of the arena with Sai Wei, Laya, and Yimoku.

Lin Feng also took a deep look at Chen Yao before retreating to the other side with his other three team members. The center of the huge arena instantly became empty, leaving only two equally peerless young women.

The air seemed to solidify, and an invisible aura collided between the two.

Without any warning, the moment the referee announced "Start," Chen Yao moved!

She knew the importance of the first strike, especially when facing an opponent like Elia. Her jade-like hand struck the sword case behind her back as fast as lightning.

"Clang—!"

A clear sword hum, like a dragon's roar, resounded through the sky! A streak of cyan light shot out from the sword case and hovered in front of Chen Yao.

It was an ancient and slender precious sword. The blade was like a pool of autumn water, flowing with clear and agile brilliance. A mysterious cyan gemstone was embedded in the hilt, emitting a rich aura of wind elements.

The sword's name—jing hong sword!

"A point of cold light arrives first!"

Chen Yao pointed her fingers like a sword and gestured towards Elia from afar!

"Swish—!"

The jing hong sword instantly transformed into a streak of cyan cold light, its speed so fast it seemed to pierce through space, stabbing straight at Elia's glabella!

Before the sword arrived, the sharp and unparalleled sword intent already made one's skin ache.

"Then the sword strikes like a dragon!"

At the same time, Chen Yao changed her gesture, opening her five fingers. The sixty-five flying swords in the sky, as if hearing the command of a monarch, all let out an excited hum!

Following Chen Yao's gesture, they transformed into a metal mad dragon composed of countless blades, following the trajectory of the jing hong sword, roaring and pouncing towards Elia!

As graceful as a startled swan, as agile as a swimming dragon! At this moment, Chen Yao displayed the essence of Heavenly Control to the fullest; one person could set up an inescapable net!

Elia, however, was not flustered in the slightest. She had long been prepared!

"Moonlight · Ice Storm!"

Elia gave a clear shout, and the vast and immense Moonlight Power centered on her, like a glacier suppressed for millions of years suddenly bursting its banks, erupted with a roar!

"Boom—!"

A visible ice-white shockwave spread rapidly! Wherever it passed, the moisture in the air was instantly frozen into countless tiny ice crystals, like a sudden blizzard!

This Ice Storm shockwave collided directly with the surging dragon of swords!

"Ding ding dang dang—!"

The jing hong sword, bearing the brunt, forcibly tore through the Ice Storm. Although its speed decreased, its momentum did not stop!

The large number of flying swords that followed were hit head-on by this violent icy shockwave. The energy brilliance on the blades flickered violently, their flight trajectories were forcibly disrupted, and they even collided with each other, emitting chaotic metallic clanging sounds, their momentum forcibly curbed!

However, the threat of the jing hong sword remained!

At the same moment the Ice Storm bloomed, Elia's right hand had already grasped the air! Rich Moonlight Power and the water elements of heaven and earth gathered crazily in her palm!

"Condense!"

A long crystal sword, as if carved from ten-thousand-year-old ice, took shape in her hand! The blade flowed with cold moonlight, and the chilling aura made the surrounding air seem to freeze.

At this moment, the jing hong sword had already arrived before her!

Elia's eyes sharpened, her wrist flipped, and the crystal longsword moved from bottom to top, carving out a perfect lunar arc. She did not dodge or evade, meeting it head-on!

"Clang—!!!"

A sound of metal clashing that could pierce the soul erupted violently! An energy shockwave mixed with cyan sword light and icy blue moonlight spread rapidly in a spherical shape, hitting the energy shield at the edge of the arena and stirring up intense ripples!

The special alloy ground beneath the two, centered on the point where the two swords met, cracked inch by inch, forming a spiderweb-shaped crater with a radius of several meters!

Chen Yao's eyes narrowed slightly, her wrist shook slightly, and the jing hong sword used the recoil of the collision to carve out a strange arc. The blade turned, changing from a thrust to a slash, aiming straight for Elia's right wrist holding the sword!

Elia seemed to have expected this long ago; her toes tapped the ground lightly, and her figure drifted back half a step like a willow catkin in the wind. At the same time, the crystal longsword pressed down, her movements flowing like water.

As the blades crossed, the extreme chill emanating from the crystal longsword even caused a thin layer of white frost to condense on the body of the jing hong sword.

"Such fast reactions!" Chen Yao praised inwardly, but her offensive became increasingly fierce.

Her sword moves were like a great river, endless! Sometimes like a storm, the sword light was so dense it left one breathless; sometimes like a poisonous snake emerging from its hole, the angles were tricky and vicious, attacking vital points such as the throat, heart, and joints.

Her swordsmanship was honed through countless real battles and brushes with life and death; it was simple, efficient, and lethal, without any unnecessary flair. Every sword strike contained vast power and sharp sword qi, forcing Elia to respond with all her might.

Elia, on the other hand, displayed a completely different style of swordsmanship. Her sword technique was agile and ethereal, like a fairy dancing alone under the moon, carrying a cold and aloof artistic conception.

The crystal longsword in her hand sometimes flowed like moonlight, gentle yet pervasive; sometimes it descended like an ice peak, heavy and unstoppable. She perfectly integrated Moonlight Power into her sword moves, and every strike carried a chill that could freeze blood.

She could always resolve Chen Yao's fierce attacks from exquisite angles at the most critical moments. The ice sword and the jing hong sword collided constantly, emitting a series of rapid and crisp ringing sounds, with sparks and ice chips splashing everywhere; the scene was thrilling to the extreme.

However, the gap in strength and experience eventually began to show. Chen Yao's offensive grew increasingly fierce, and the power behind the jing hong sword became heavier and heavier, with sword qi rampaging, plowing deep trenches into the ground.

Elia's defensive circle was constantly being compressed, and her parrying movements appeared increasingly strained.

In the continuous hard clashes with the artifact, the crystal longsword began to show more and deeper cracks, as if it would shatter at any moment.

She was being forced step by step toward the edge of the arena. Not far behind her was that invisible energy barrier; there was no way to retreat!

Chen Yao seized the opportunity, her eyes flashing with brilliance. She poured her spiritual power into the jing hong sword without reservation, the blade glowing with intense cyan light, emitting a joyful hum! She gripped the air with both hands, as if holding an invisible sword, and thrust forward violently!

"A Glimpse of the Jing Hong!"