692: Chapter 692 Lu Xueqi and Biyao (71)

Ssh—!

It was like a hot knife cutting through butter. That terrifying ghostly blue shadow and that sinister, soul-corroding Sword Intent instantly dissipated like melting snow the moment they touched the point of Su Han's sword, which was condensed into an extreme spark of starlight! Dark red flames spread along the blade, and the ghostly blue longsword in Li Kui's hand let out a wail as cracks appeared on its surface.

"No!!!" Li Kui cried out in terror. He felt a scorching, violent Sword Intent that carried an aura of annihilation rampaging through his sword and arm, charging brutally into his body. Wherever it passed, his Meridians throbbed with pain and his Star Power fell into chaos. His hard-cultivated Heart-Corroding Sword Qi met its natural enemy, retreating and dissolving at every turn.

He wanted to let go and discard the sword, but it was already too late.

With a flick of Su Han's wrist, a dark red sword light flickered outward.

Bang!

Li Kui flew backward like a tattered sack, slamming hard against the protective light shield at the edge of the arena before sliding to the ground. He spat out a mouthful of fresh blood as his longsword shattered inch by inch. His aura instantly withered. With his Meridians severely damaged by that strange Sword Intent, it would likely take months of recuperation to recover.

The entire venue fell silent.

No one expected that the imposing Li Kui would be defeated so crushingly by Su Han's seemingly nonchalant strike, and that his defeat would be so miserable.

The referee stepped forward to check, and after confirming that Li Kui no longer had the strength to fight, he announced loudly, "Arena Number 37, the winner: Su Han of the Ziyang Sect!"

The clamor below the arena paused briefly at the referee's announcement before erupting into even noisier discussions.

"What kind of sword technique was that? Li Kui's Soul-Seizing Strike was broken in a single Move?"

"It looks like a fire-attribute Sword Intent, but ordinary fire Sword Intent could never suppress Heart-Corroding Sword Qi like that..."

"When did the Ziyang Sect produce such a monster? To have such strength at the Middle Stage of the Star Sea Realm?"

Many gazes focused on Su Han, including Elders and Prodigies from various major Sects. Su Han's expression remained calm. He ignored Ye Lingxiao's excitement and the surrounding stares, merely nodding slightly to Venerable Ziyang before walking toward the area where the Ziyang Sect Disciples were gathered.

A flash of gratification crossed Venerable Ziyang's eyes, but it was immediately replaced by solemnity. He sent a Divine Sense transmission: "Han'er, that strike just now has drawn attention. Your future opponents will likely no longer underestimate you."

"This Disciple understands," Su Han replied. He had no intention of hiding his strength—at a Hundred Sects Grand Assembly where Prodigies gathered, feigning weakness would only invite others to walk all over him. Showing his edge appropriately would instead make some petty people wary.

On the distant viewing platform, several gazes landed on Su Han.

A middle-aged beauty dressed in water-blue robes with a gentle temperament let out a soft "Eh?" and said to her companion, "This Ziyang Sect Disciple has condensed Sword Intent and a solid Foundation. That strike just now seemed simple, but his control over power has reached the Micro-realm. For a Middle Stage Star Sea Realm to have such attainment is rare."

Beside her sat an old man with white hair and a youthful face, holding a whisk. Hearing this, he nodded slightly: "Fellow Daoist Shui Yue is correct. This boy's Sword Intent is upright and peaceful, yet hides a chance of annihilation. It seems different from the Ziyang Sect's orthodox Ziyang True Fire Sword Manual; it has a bit of the flavor of ancient methods."

On the other side, a majestic middle-aged man in golden robes snorted coldly, "It's just a trick. The Heart-Corroding Sword Sect's Cultivation Technique is sinister and fears most the Pure Yang Intense Fire. He just happened to encounter an attribute mismatch. If he met a Disciple of my Vajra Gate, that little fire Sword Qi would be nothing more than an itch."

Sect Leader Shui Yue smiled slightly and said no more. That golden-robed man was the Sect Leader of the Vajra Gate. Their Sect's Body Refining techniques were unrivaled in the region, so it was normal for him to look down on Sword Cultivators.

However, many more observant people saw deeper things within Su Han's seemingly simple strike.

In the direction of the Heart-Corroding Sword Sect, Ruthless Trace's face was as gloomy as water. A Disciple beside him whispered, "Senior Brother Ruthless, that kid..."

"Shut up," Ruthless Trace's voice was icy. "Li Kui is a piece of trash; the Sect wasted resources cultivating him. But—" He stared at Su Han's back, killing intent surging in his eyes, "this is fine. It would be boring if he were too weak. I will personally crush every single one of his bones on the arena to let everyone know the consequence of offending my Heart-Corroding Sword Sect."

Netherworld Master remained with his eyes closed, seemingly indifferent to everything. But if someone with sharp Divine Sense observed closely, they would find that the light within three feet of him seemed a bit darker than the surroundings, as if being slowly swallowed by something invisible.

Su Han returned to the Ziyang Sect Disciples and sat cross-legged to regulate his breathing and recover. He hadn't consumed much in the previous battle; he was mostly reflecting on the suppression effect of the Primal Star Power against the Heart-Corroding Sword Qi. Inside his star palace, starlight flowed over that hazy gray pedestal, the moonlight was cold, and sword shadows drifted. The sensation of the Heart-Corroding Sword Qi that had invaded his body being easily dissolved by the Primal Star Power remained—it wasn't a simple attribute counter, but more like the natural suppression of a high-tier power over a low-tier one.

"Primal Chaos Ancient Scripture..." Su Han muttered in his heart. The origins of this Cultivation Technique obtained from the mysterious gray bead likely far exceeded his imagination. He just wondered if it would have such a miraculous effect against techniques of other attributes.

While he was lost in thought, the light screen above the square flickered, and the matchup list for the second round of the arena battles began to be announced.

Ye Lingxiao leaned in and whispered, "Su Han, look over there."

Su Han followed his gaze and saw Ruthless Trace talking in a low voice with a black-robed Disciple in the Heart-Corroding Sword Sect's area. That black-robed Disciple had an ordinary face, but his eyes were a strange grayish-white, devoid of any luster, and his aura was quite obscure, making it difficult to accurately judge his cultivation.

"That person is called 'Yin Kui.' He's a rather mysterious Disciple of this generation in the Heart-Corroding Sword Sect. It's said he rarely fights in public, but in the Sect's internal competitions, no one has ever been able to force him to use his full strength." Ye Lingxiao had clearly done his homework, and his tone was worried. "He ranked 241st in the first round's Secret Realm battle. It seems low, but I've heard that he didn't seem to actively collect battle talismans at all. This ranking is likely just something he did on a whim."

Su Han's gaze narrowed slightly. His Divine Sense far surpassed those of the same rank, and he could vaguely sense an extremely uncomfortable aura of death on this "Yin Kui," which was different from the sinister craftiness of typical Heart-Corroding Sword Sect Disciples.

"If we meet, I'll just be careful," Su Han said calmly. Soldiers will be blocked by generals, and water will be covered by earth. The Hundred Sects Grand Assembly was meant for competing with all kinds of Prodigies; worrying in advance was useless.

Soon, Su Han's second opponent was determined—a Disciple of the Divine Dream Pavilion, Meng Qingsi. Ranked 182nd, Late Stage Star Sea Realm.

"Divine Dream Pavilion?" Ye Lingxiao's expression was a bit strange. "That Sect specializes in Divine Soul illusions, which are hard to guard against. Moreover, most of their Disciples are female. Meng Qingsi is said to be extremely beautiful, but she doesn't hold back at all when fighting. She has caused many opponents who underestimated her to sink into illusions and lose without a fight."

Su Han nodded. Divine Soul attacks were indeed harder to deal with than simple Sword Qi Moves. However, with the moonlight and clear glow sitting in his star palace, the thing he feared least was Divine Soul interference. He just wondered what was unique about the illusions of this Divine Dream Pavilion. (End of Chapter)