172: Ninth-tier essence obtained

Meng Shuangling's eyes darkened; she held nothing back.

The Xuanming Ice Body surged around her, instantly freezing the lake surface into a thick layer of ice, with countless ice spikes standing like a forest.

A chilling Sword Intent, far surpassing what she had shown before, erupted into the sky as if it intended to freeze the very heavens and earth.

"Xuanming Descends!"

Before the words had even faded, she transformed into a beam of ice-blue sword light, lunging directly at Lin Yan.

Before the sword even arrived, that chilling cold, which seemed to freeze the Soul, made the blood of the surrounding Prodigies stagnate.

Lin Yan, however, did not retreat. With a shift of his mind, he circulated the Azure Emperor Longevity Art with all his might, and his Qi and blood surged like a rushing river.

He let out a low shout: "Flowing Cloud Style!"

The qinggang sword left its sheath; the sword light drifted unpredictably like flowing clouds, the sword momentum continuous and unending.

Wind Intent formed invisible air vortices behind him, while Cloud Realm made the sword shadows layer upon layer, making it difficult to distinguish the real from the illusory.

The sword light and the ice sword collided violently in mid-air. There was no earth-shattering roar, only the piercing sound of friction and explosions.

"What powerful Sword Intent!"

"What brilliant sword techniques!"

"Integrating three Concepts, Junior Brother Lin's Comprehension Ability is absolutely at the level of a Prodigy!"

The spectating Disciples were shaken to their core.

Meng Shuangling had pushed her Xuanming Ice Body to its limit, yet she still could not defeat Lin Yan!

This was truly Heaven-Defying.

Jin Chiye and Chu Yaozhi also watched with focused attention, asking themselves if they could face Lin Yan in the same realm and remain as composed as Meng Shuangling.

Someone couldn't help but whisper: "Could it be... does Lin Yan actually have a chance to win?"

Meng Shuangling felt a shiver in her heart, knowing that ordinary means could no longer suppress her opponent.

She pinched a hand seal, and her whole body emitted a faint white light.

Behind her, a crystal-clear ice mirror appeared out of thin air, and within the mirror seemed to be a bright Xuanming moon, emitting a Concept that could freeze all things.

"Dao Foundation Manifestation, Xuanming Ice Mirror, Suppress!"

Everyone present was stunned.

Whether a Prodigy or a top-tier genius, a Dao Foundation Manifestation was their ultimate trump card.

Of course, not all Prodigies had mastered a Dao Foundation Manifestation.

To unleash a Dao Foundation Manifestation meant that Meng Shuangling had been pushed to her limit and was using her Peak combat power.

The ice mirror rotated, and wherever its light touched, the space seemed to dim slightly.

Lin Yan felt the pressure multiply instantly, as if even his thoughts were about to be frozen.

"Is this the Dao Foundation Manifestation of a Prodigy Disciple..." He felt a sense of awe, unable to help but recall the battle in the True Dragon Secret Realm a few years ago.

Back then, watching the Prodigies dominate, he had stood there like a mere underling.

Today, he had forced a Prodigy to unleash their Dao Foundation Manifestation.

A look of excitement couldn't help but appear on Lin Yan's face.

Then his eyes narrowed, and he shouted: "A Dao Foundation Manifestation, I have one too!"

In his Dantian, the Spirit Willow Dao Foundation vibrated.

In an instant, a vast phantom of mountains and rivers appeared behind Lin Yan.

The earth was heavy, mountains rose and fell, rivers surged, and the tall Spirit Willow swayed in the wind, as if it were a real world.

"Spiritual Willow Suppressing Mountains and Rivers!"

Lin Yan took a step forward, clashing head-on with Meng Shuangling.

"Boom!!!"

The ice mirror and the mountain-and-river phantom collided violently, with terrifying shockwaves sweeping in all directions, forcibly pressing a huge vortex into the lake surface.

Their figures were visible and then hidden within the light, and every collision made the space tremble.

"Crack!"

A crisp cracking sound rang out, and Meng Shuangling's expression changed drastically.

Her indestructible Xuanming Ice Mirror had actually developed cracks under the suppression of the "Spiritual Willow Suppressing Mountains and Rivers."

"Impossible!" she exclaimed, desperately pushing her Xuanming Ice Body in an attempt to stabilize the ice mirror.

However, Lin Yan did not give her any chance.

With a ruthless gaze, he held the qinggang sword high. Within the mountain-and-river phantom, the gigantic phantom of the Spirit Willow, which connected heaven and earth, seemed to come alive; thousands of willow branches, like green chains, coiled upward and lashed fiercely against the ice mirror.

"Bang!"

The ice mirror shattered upon impact, turning into crystals that filled the sky and dissipated into nothingness.

Meng Shuangling was struck as if by a heavy blow, spitting out a mist of ice-blue blood, staggering backward, her aura wilting.

She looked at Lin Yan in disbelief, her eyes filled with shock: "You... you actually..."

Lin Yan stood with his sword, his aura steady, and said calmly: "I accept the concession."

As the words fell, his figure swayed, his face slightly pale, clearly having also consumed a great deal.

But he still stood straight, his gaze firm.

At this moment, the entire Sword Washing Pool was silent.

Everyone was shaken beyond measure by this scene.

"He actually won!"

"Junior Brother Lin actually won!"

"What a terrifying Dao Foundation Manifestation, Spiritual Willow Suppressing Mountains and Rivers!"

"Junior Brother Lin's Dao Foundation Manifestation is actually stronger than Senior Sister Meng's!"

Jin Chiye and Chu Yaozhi exchanged glances, both seeing deep apprehension in each other's eyes.

"This person... must absolutely not be underestimated!"

Meng Shuangling forced herself to stand up, took a deep look at Lin Yan, and finally, without a word, turned into a beam of ice light and disappeared from the lake surface.

After a long while, Jin Chiye slowly spoke, his voice carrying a hint of imperceptible approval: "Junior Brother Lin's attainments in the sword path are astonishing; possessing a Flawless Sword Spirit and the Dao Foundation Manifestation 'Spiritual Willow Suppressing Mountains and Rivers,' your strength is unfathomable. This portion of Ninth-Grade Pool Water Essence should rightfully belong to you."

After saying this, he flicked his finger, and a mass of Ninth-Grade Pool Water Essence landed steadily in Lin Yan's hand.

The light orb felt warm and smooth in his hand, with sword patterns circulating inside, resonating with his Sword Intent as if it were alive; even the qinggang sword emitted a joyful low hum.

"Many thanks, Senior Brother Jin." Lin Yan cupped his hands in thanks.

His Divine Sense swept over the essence in his hand, and he could clearly feel the majestic sword charm contained within; if used to nourish the Azure Blade Willow, it would surely have miraculous effects.

"Junior Brother Lin is mighty!"

"So we can also defeat Prodigy Disciples!"

Not far away, Xiao Suian, Zhou Muchuan, and other Prodigy Disciples felt their blood boiling and clenched their fists.

They had always thought that Prodigy Disciples were insurmountable Peaks.

Seeing Lin Yan suppress the Xuanming Ice Body, their confidence soared, and the disappointment of having just been defeated was swept away.

An unprecedented fighting spirit ignited in their hearts.

"What are you waiting for! Get down there quickly, there might be other Opportunities!"

Someone shouted, and the ten Prodigy Disciples did not hesitate any longer, each activating their protective spiritual light and rushing into the lake, throwing themselves back into the search for the Pool Water Essence.

Lin Yan took a deep breath and carefully stored the Ninth-Grade Essence into his Storage Pouch.

"One can never have too much Pool Water Essence," he thought to himself.

With a light tap of his toes, Lin Yan's figure slipped into the water like a swimming fish.

On a distant mountain Peak, several Sword Pavilion experts had faces woven with surprise and delight.

"Not bad, not bad!"

"A Five Elements Spiritual Root defeating a special Physique; this child's future is promising, truly promising!"

"Congratulations, Bai He, this Disciple of yours has truly surpassed his master!"

"You Seniors are too kind," Bai He said, suppressing a smile: "This guy doesn't know any better, actually snatching the Opportunity prepared for the Prodigy Disciples."

"It doesn't matter, there is still some Ninth-Grade Pool Water Essence left," the team leader Elder said: "Besides, this is a good thing, otherwise these guys in the Pavilion would have their tails curled up to the sky!"

"Indeed, losing to one of our own is better than going out and embarrassing ourselves."

"Hehe, this time we must properly knock some sense into the Prodigy Disciples in the Pavilion; they always think that having a special Physique makes them superior, and they've all become slack!"

"These little guys have really been slapped in the face this time!"