691: Chapter 691 Lu Xueqi and Biyao (70)

"No!" A scream rang out. The protective Star Power of those three Star Sea Realm Peak Cultivators was ignited like paper, instantly turning them into human torches; they screamed as they crushed their jade talismans and disappeared. The youth in black frantically waved his dagger, drawing layers of black light to resist, but the flaming Sword Qi was everywhere, instantly burning through his defense and swallowing him.

The flames dispersed, leaving behind only a few charred battle talismans and the unwilling roar of the youth in black before he disappeared. Su Han swept his sleeve, collecting the battle talismans. After a brief count, he had gained nearly thirty more battle talismans, bringing his total to nearly a hundred.

He did not linger, his figure turning into a wisp of light smoke as he quickly distanced himself from the area. The commotion from the battle just now was not small; it had likely attracted others' attention.

On the evening of the third day, a grand voice echoed through the Secret Realm's sky: "The three-day period has arrived. All Disciples, stop fighting and prepare for teleportation."

Su Han held the one hundred and thirteen battle talismans in his hand, his heart at ease. This amount was more than enough to advance.

A flash of light occurred, and Su Han, along with the other surviving Disciples, was teleported back to the Qingyun City square. As soon as he appeared, a wave of clamor hit him. Some Disciples cheered, some were dejected, and some familiar people hugged each other in relief. Above the square, a massive light screen emerged, displaying the names and battle talisman counts of the top one thousand advancing Disciples. Su Han's name was prominently ranked eighty-seventh.

Seeing Su Han unharmed and ranked so high, the tension on Venerable Ziyang's face relaxed into a slight smile. Ye Lingxiao had also successfully advanced, ranking in the four hundreds. Seeing Su Han, he excitedly squeezed through the crowd and gave him a punch: "Good lad, you were hiding your strength well! Eighty-seventh!"

Su Han returned the gesture with a smile, but his gaze drifted toward the Heart-Corroding Sword Sect's direction. There, Netherworld Master still had his eyes closed, but several Heart-Corroding Sword Sect Disciples behind him looked at Su Han with eyes full of cold killing intent. One of them, with a pale face and eyes as sinister as a venomous snake, had an aura that had actually reached the Star Palace Realm Middle Stage. His ranking on the light screen was nineteenth—Ruthless Trace.

Seemingly feeling Su Han's gaze, Ruthless Trace turned his head, his lips curling into a cruel arc. He silently made a throat-slitting gesture toward Su Han.

Su Han's eyes turned slightly cold as he looked away. The real challenge would likely be in the second round, the arena battles.

After a brief rest and tallying, the matchup list for the second round of arena ranking battles was determined by drawing lots and announced.

Su Han looked at his name. His opponent was—Heart-Corroding Sword Sect, Li Kui. Ranked five hundred and third, Star Sea Realm Peak.

A low murmur and several sympathetic glances came from the surroundings. Anyone could see that the Heart-Corroding Sword Sect had set their sights on Su Han. It wasn't easy to openly surround and kill him in the first round, but in the second round's draw, they "coincidentally" matched up immediately. Although this Li Kui was only at the Star Sea Realm Peak, the Heart-Corroding Sword Sect's Cultivation Techniques were insidious and strange, specializing in defeating the strong as the weak; furthermore, this person must have received instructions and would likely go for the kill.

Ye Lingxiao looked at Su Han with concern. Venerable Ziyang's face was ashen, but he could not interfere with the results of the draw. He could only say in a heavy voice, "Be careful. The Heart-Corroding Sword Sect's sword techniques are malicious, specifically attacking the mind and Meridians. Do not take their Sword Qi head-on; break them with hit-and-run tactics."

Su Han nodded: "This Disciple understands."

Soon, Su Han stepped onto Arena Number Thirty-seven. Opposite him, a youth with a gloomy face and sunken eyes stood holding a sword; it was Li Kui. The way he looked at Su Han was as if he were looking at a dead man.

"Su Han of the Ziyang Sect?" Li Kui's voice was raspy. "I heard you killed many of our people and took things you shouldn't have. Vice Sect Master Netherworld Master is very angry. So..." He slowly drew his longsword. The blade was narrow and long, glinting with a ghostly blue luster. A cold, mind-corroding Sword Intent spread out. "I will make you die very 'comfortably'."

Su Han remained silent, holding the "starfire sword" level, the tip pointing toward his opponent. As the referee gave the order, the match began!

Li Kui struck first. His figure blurred, splitting into three phantom images that were both real and illusory, lunging at Su Han from different directions. The ghostly blue longsword in his hand vibrated, emitting a Ghost Cry-like screech as it stabbed toward Su Han's brow, heart, and Dantian—three vital points! Before the sword arrived, that bone-chilling, soul-corroding Sword Intent had already invaded, attempting to shake Su Han's mind.

"Trivial tricks." Su Han's Divine Sense was stable. Within his Star Palace, the clear moonlight rippled slightly, dispersing the mind-disturbing Sword Intent. Without even looking at the phantom images on either side, he thrust the "starfire sword" forward seemingly at random, pointing at the tip of the sword in the central figure.

"Clang!"

The two swords collided, sparks flying everywhere. The phantom images on both sides dissipated, and Li Kui's true body appeared. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, as if he hadn't expected Su Han to so easily see through and block his "Heart-Corroding Three Phantom Swords" move. But he didn't stop. His sword stance suddenly became dense and feminine-soft, the ghostly blue Sword Qi like a snake's tongue, coiling upward and specifically targeting the gaps in Su Han's sword technique and his body's acupoints with tricky and ruthless angles.

The Heart-Corroding Sword Sect's sword techniques were indeed known for being devious and poisonous. Su Han unleashed the "Flowing Light" sword style. The sword light was like the Milky Way pouring down, protecting him so thoroughly that not even a drop of water could leak through, parrying the ghostly blue Sword Qi one by one. He was in no hurry to counterattack, instead carefully observing the opponent's sword path and adapting to this insidious and strange fighting style.

Below the arena, the crowd saw only a ghostly blue light shadow entangling a cluster of brilliant starfire, with the sound of clashing metal ringing incessantly. Li Kui's offensive was like mercury spilling on the ground, pervasive, while Su Han's defense was as solid as a golden fortress, leak-proof.

"This Su Han is quite steady, only defending and not attacking."

"The Heart-Corroding Sword Technique is malicious; it corrodes a person's Star Power and injures their heart Meridians. Defending for too long will surely lead to failure."

"I don't think so. Su Han's breath is long, and his sword technique is rigorous. It seems he hasn't used his full strength yet."

After dozens of moves, Li Kui grew increasingly frustrated at his inability to land a hit, and the ferocity in his eyes surged. He suddenly took a step back and bit the tip of his tongue, spraying a mouthful of essence blood onto the ghostly blue longsword. The longsword hummed, the ghostly blue light intensifying. A power of coldness, decay, and soul-corroding, several times stronger than before, erupted. Faint, distorted ghostly shadows even appeared around the blade.

"Soul-Corroding Soul-Snatching!" Li Kui shouted. Man and sword became one, turning into a massive ghostly blue shadow. With a piercing screech, he lunged at Su Han. This sword strike had already surpassed the scope of the Star Sea Realm, faintly touching the threshold of the Star Palace Realm. Moreover, it contained the Heart-Corroding Sword Intent he had stimulated with essence blood, possessing terrifying power.

Many spectators below the stage changed expression, and Venerable Ziyang clenched his fists tightly.

Facing this perilous sword strike, a cold glint finally flashed in Su Han's eyes. Passive defense was never his style; it was only to see through the opponent's reality. Now, it was no longer necessary.

Within his Star Palace, the Primal Star Power surged, pouring into the "starfire sword." On the blade, the crimson flames suddenly transformed into a deep dark red. In the center of the flames, a point of star light, pure to the extreme, lit up.

Without any earth-shattering commotion, Su Han simply and plainly thrust out a sword.

The sword speed was not fast, yet it seemed to lock time and space, piercing through the lunging ghostly blue shadow and precisely hitting the tip of the ghostly blue longsword.

"Break."

In a soft whisper. (End of chapter)