182: Borrow your sword! (Second update)

In the center of the Martial Arts Training Ground, on the newly repaired colossal arena, all was silent.

Lin Xiao and Lu Miaomiao stood facing each other from east and west, respectively.

One, dressed in snow-white, was aloof and ethereal.

The other, petite in stature, was as silent as a mountain.

Neither moved, their breathing so faint it was barely perceptible.

Yet, an invisible aura surged from both, pressing and colliding, making the air around the arena thick and suffocating.

The previously boisterous Martial Arts Training Ground was now so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Whether it was the students in the audience, their parents, or the hundreds of millions of viewers in the global live broadcast, everyone held their breath.

"Oh my god, this atmosphere... I feel like I'm suffocating even through the screen."

"Is this what a clash of top-tier powerhouses feels like? They haven't even started fighting, but just standing there gives me goosebumps!"

"Don't speak, feel it with your heart! This is a duel between a Sword Immortal and a Martial God!"

The live broadcast's bullet comments scrolled frantically, but no one dared utter a word at the scene.

Time passed, minute by minute.

Just as everyone thought this standoff would last forever, and their nerves slightly relaxed—

They moved!

Both moved simultaneously!

Lin Xiao drew his sword.

There was no fancy opening move, no unnecessary charging; just a simple sword-drawing action.

A flash of Sword Light, too fast for the limits of human vision, tore through the air, aiming directly for Lu Miaomiao's vital throat.

Facing this deadly strike, Lu Miaomiao neither dodged nor retreated.

"Good timing!"

She let out a low cry, and deep within her dark pupils, a brilliant golden glow suddenly ignited.

Instead of retreating, she advanced, meeting the Sword Light with an equally decisive punch.

A small, fair fist, precisely and directly, smashed onto the tip of that incredibly fast sword.

"Clang!"

A crisp sound.

The collision of fist and sword produced no earth-shattering explosion, only a visible shockwave that rapidly expanded from their center!

Lu Miaomiao stood her ground, unmoving.

Lin Xiao's sword, however, was forcibly knocked off its trajectory by that punch.

With his first strike unsuccessful, Lin Xiao's face showed no change.

He lightly tapped his foot on the arena floor, and his entire body floated backward dozens of meters, instantly creating distance.

At the same time, he flipped his wrist, and his left hand formed an abstruse hand seal.

"Go!"

Several streams of light shot out from his wide sleeves, transforming into seven ancient Flying Swords, three inches long, in mid-air. Arranged in the Big Dipper formation, they carried a terrifying power capable of tearing space, and once again shot towards Lu Miaomiao.

The energy fluctuations carried by these seven Flying Swords made all the Foundation Establishment Stage students present feel a tremor originating from their Souls.

"Holy crap!"

In the Sword Cultivation Department's preparation area, Liu Lian leaped from his seat, his face filled with disbelief.

He stared intently at the seven Flying Swords, his mouth agape enough to fit an egg.

"What a joke! The power of each of these Flying Swords is comparable to a full-force attack from an Early Golden Core Stage Cultivator, isn't it?!"

He remembered his "Five Finger Fist Heart Sword," which he was so proud of.

He could only barely achieve the power of an Early Golden Core Stage Sword Qi by risking side effects and releasing his fifth finger.

Yet Lin Xiao, with a casual wave, unleashed seven attacks of the same Rank!

Although his Five Finger Fist Heart Sword had astonishing Sword Qi,

It took a long time to cast!

Unlike Lin Xiao.

With a casual hand seal, the Flying Swords he summoned had such power.

How the hell was anyone supposed to fight that?

Could the gap between people truly be this vast?

Liu Lian felt his Sword Heart utterly shattered by Lin Xiao at this moment.

It wasn't just him; Fang Yuan, Zhang Qiqi, and even Li Heng were surprised by the strength Lin Xiao displayed with this move.

"This guy... his control over spiritual Qi has reached an inconceivable Realm," Fang Yuan murmured.

Facing this Seven-Star Sword Art, which was capable of instantly killing any Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator, Lu Miaomiao's petite body for the first time showed a serious expression.

She dared not be careless in the slightest.

"Hmph!"

With a clear shout, the surging Qi and blood energy around her body suddenly erupted, and a golden phantom, more solid and brilliant than any previous one, instantly enveloped her entire body.

Martial Dao True Body!

"Ding ding ding ding ding ding ding!"

A series of dense metallic clashes rang out.

The seven Flying Swords, capable of piercing mountains, slammed fiercely against Lu Miaomiao's Martial Dao True Body, yet only managed to spark a series of fires, unable to leave even a single crack. They were all eventually bounced away, floating powerlessly in mid-air.

She blocked them!

Thunderous cheers erupted throughout the venue.

However, Lin Xiao, in the arena, watching his attack being blocked, still showed no surprise on his face.

He seemed to have anticipated this outcome long ago.

The moment the seven Flying Swords were repelled, he had already completed the next hand seal.

He slowly raised his right hand, which held the longsword, its tip pointing diagonally at the sky.

The longsword emitted a clear, resonant sword hum, echoing the seven small swords.

Lin Xiao's lips moved slightly, uttering four words.

"May I borrow a sword?"

His words were soft, yet they clearly spread throughout the entire Martial Arts Training Ground and into every live broadcast room.

The instant his voice fell,

A sudden change occurred!

Buzz—

Buzz buzz buzz—

Below the Martial Arts Training Ground, all the swords of the Sword Cultivation Department students, whether in their scabbards or held by their owners, began to tremble violently at this moment!

They emitted a yearning and subservient hum, their blades constantly vibrating as if wanting to break free from all restraints and fly towards the arena!

"My sword!"

"Oh no! I can't control it!"

"What's happening?!"

The Sword Cultivation Department's spectator area instantly descended into chaos, as students were horrified to find that their swords seemed to have lost control at this moment!

Even Liu Lian was terrified to discover that his sword was frantically crashing inside his Storage Pouch, trying to break out!

Throughout the entire Martial Arts Training Ground, ten thousand swords hummed in unison!

This scene completely shocked everyone!