897: Chapter 898 Swordplay Showdown

Three Disciples clad in the exclusive blue-and-green Daoist robes of Tianjian Peak flew in on swords.

The leader had proud and arrogant brows, and a powerful aura; his name was Yan Chen.

His cultivation had surprisingly reached the sixth level of the Heaven-Reaching Realm, and he was indeed a core Prodigy of Tianjian Peak.

He looked down from above at Fang Hanyu, who was only at the first level of the Heaven-Reaching Realm, his eyes filled with contempt and disdain.

As one of the four main peaks of the Tianyuan Sect, Tianjian Peak's heritage in the Sword Dao was unmatched in the Sect.

In his eyes, with Fang Hanyu's mere first-level cultivation, being able to land in the Ancient Sword Ruins was already a stroke of luck and Opportunity, and he was completely unworthy of coveting the core broken sword.

“Opportunities in the Secret Realm belong to those who are worthy.”

Fang Hanyu's expression was indifferent, without the slightest sign of backing down. The Sword Intent in his hand quietly condensed, and a freezing, sharp edge slowly overflowed.

“Ignorant brat,”

Yan Chen's gaze was cold and proud. With a light flick of his wrist, his Green Peak Sword suddenly unsheathed.

A condensed, straight white Sword Qi pierced through the air, tearing through the atmosphere as it shot straight toward Fang Hanyu's face.

This strike held back most of its power. Though it seemed fierce, he actually only wanted to heavily injure the other party and seize his Opportunity, rather than deliver a fatal blow.

The two Tianjian Peak Disciples beside him watched with folded arms, playful smiles on their faces, having already decided on the outcome.

“Senior Brother Yan can suppress him with a single strike. This newcomer will probably kneel and beg for mercy on the spot.”

“Who told him to not know his place? Daring to covet the Opportunity our Tianjian Peak has set its eyes on is purely asking for trouble.”

Amidst their discussion, the white Sword Qi had already arrived before him.

Fang Hanyu neither retreated nor dodged. The Sword Intent in his eyes suddenly grew bright and clear, and the airflow around him instantly froze.

A beam of sword light, containing an utterly pure essence, shot out rapidly.

“Zheng—!”

The ear-piercing clash of metal suddenly erupted.

The seemingly weak but clear and bright sword force actually managed to forcefully block the condensed Sword Qi of the sixth level of the Heaven-Reaching Realm.

The moment the two forces collided, Yan Chen's Sword Qi shattered with a bang, turning into a sky full of tiny fragments of spiritual light that dissipated in the wind.

The clifftop instantly fell into a dead silence.

The playful smile on Yan Chen's face suddenly froze, his pupils contracting slightly, his face filled with disbelief:

“How is this possible? A mere first level of the Heaven-Reaching Realm blocked my strike?”

He prided himself on his swordsmanship attainments being far beyond his peers, and had never seen anyone at such a low Realm catch his strike with such apparent ease.

Fang Hanyu's eyes were cold. Taking a step forward with the momentum, his figure moved like a sword and the wind, suddenly closing the distance.

“Being able to take one strike means you have some skill.”

Yan Chen snapped back to his senses, his face darkening completely.

“But with just this meager bit of skill, it is not enough to snatch my Opportunity!”

As his voice fell, his wrist danced, unleashing a succession of sword moves that formed layers of a sword net, locking down the entire clifftop.

Sword Qi crisscrossed, blocking all of Fang Hanyu's paths of retreat and advance.

His cultivation Foundation of the sixth level of the Heaven-Reaching Realm was fully unleashed. The pressure swept in all directions, causing the surrounding broken swords to vibrate even more violently, and the Sword Intent was bone-chillingly sharp.

Facing the airtight sword net, Fang Hanyu's expression remained indifferent.

His figure shifted and dodged, every step landing precisely in the gaps of the sword momentum. His movements were elegant, advancing and retreating with measured poise.

Countless sharp Sword Qi grazed past the hem of his robes, yet they failed to harm him in the slightest.

As he dodged, the Sword Intent at Fang Hanyu's fingertips condensed once more. This time, the sword force was no longer restrained.

Carrying the momentum of Delusion Shattering and cutting through the void, it erupted with a bang.

As the sword struck, all sounds fell silent.

The dense sword net was instantly torn apart from the middle, collapsing like dead wood.

The fierce sword momentum shot straight toward Yan Chen's chest, moving so fast that the other party had no time to react.

Yan Chen's face changed drastically. In his haste, he could only block with his sword horizontally, pouring all the spiritual energy in his body into the blade.

“Bang!”

A massive force struck violently. Yan Chen's arm went numb, and the web of his thumb split open, oozing blood.

His entire body retreated several steps uncontrollably, and even the mountain rocks beneath his feet were cracked with fine fissures from the impact.

The spiritual light of the Green Peak Sword in his hand grew dim, and his grip was already unstable.

With just one move, the difference in their abilities was instantly clear.

The two spectating Tianjian Peak Disciples were completely silenced, their faces filled with shock. How could someone at the first level of the Heaven-Reaching Realm actually defeat the sixth level?

How was this possible?

Fang Hanyu did not press his advantage to finish them off. At the beginning of the Secret Realm, there was no need to needlessly make a deadly enemy.

He stepped forward and reached out to lightly grasp that green broken sword.

It felt slightly cool to the touch, and a heavy, ancient sword charm flowed along his palm into his body, nourishing his own Sword Dao Foundation.

“Opportunities depend on one's own ability.”

Leaving behind these faint words, Fang Hanyu sheathed his sword, turned around, and drifted away.

Leaving only the three of Yan Chen on the clifftop, their faces livid and their hearts filled with humiliation.

Yan Chen stared fixedly at the receding back, his knuckles whitening from his tight clench, his eyes full of resentment and wariness:

“A newly admitted Disciple... is actually such a Prodigy?”

In the northwest of the Secret Realm, the Wild Beast Forest.

Ancient trees towered into the sky, the dense forest blotting out the sun. Hordes of Yao Beasts roamed in groups, and a fierce, brutal aura permeated the entire mountain forest.

As Wang Xiaopang walked into the depths of the dense forest, three Disciples dressed in Xuanwu Peak attire suddenly appeared.

Their gazes were sinister, staring fixedly at Wang Xiaopang.

All three were peripheral vassal Disciples of the Zhao Family, with cultivations at the fourth level of the Heaven-Reaching Realm.

After landing, they had been searching the forest, ordered to track down the movements of the five and wait for an Opportunity to launch a sneak attack.

“Found him! One of the newcomers!”

“As expected, they landed scattered. It's easiest to strike when they are alone! Killing him will count as completing Senior Brother Zhao's orders!”

The three of them exchanged glances and instantly closed in, their spiritual energy surging, their killing intent chilling.

Seeing this, Wang Xiaopang was not only unafraid but instead grinned, his Battle Intent rising.

Since entering the Sect, the Zhao Family had repeatedly provoked them. Meeting in the Secret Realm today, it was the perfect time to settle a small grudge first!

“Want to kill this young master? Then try it!”

The mountains stretched continuously, with piled rocks scattered about. A deep cave was hidden within the steep mountain wall.

...

Dong Li stood quietly inside the cave, his aura completely concealed.

A 'Steel-Armored Earth Bear', as large as a hill and covered in black steel-like fur, was lying flat on its back, sleeping soundly on the ground.

Scattered beside it was a pile of Heaven And Earth Treasures emitting rich Spiritual Qi, among which a blood-red ginseng, looking as if cast from fresh blood and known as the Blood Jade Ginseng, was particularly eye-catching.

Dong Li's gaze narrowed slightly. His invisible Mental Energy surged out like a tide, silently invading the depths of the Steel-Armored Earth Bear's Divine Sense.

The massive beast felt nothing at all, still sleeping soundly on its back, even wearing a silly grin on its face.

Dong Li stepped forward calmly, pocketing the Blood Jade Ginseng and all the Heaven And Earth Treasures scattered across the ground.

“Done.”

Dong Li clapped his hands, looked around the cave he had completely plundered, and nodded in satisfaction.

With a sway of his body, he turned into a gentle breeze, silently escaping from the cave.

Leaving only the Steel-Armored Earth Bear still dreaming sweet dreams deep inside the cave.

...

Over the next few days, the Wanxiang Secret Realm was like a giant chessboard,

casting tens of thousands of Disciples into it, each fighting their own battles in a world of survival of the fittest.

Throughout the Secret Realm, opportunities appeared frequently.