708: Chapter 708 Lu Xueqi and Biyao (87)

Before the sword light even arrived, a wave of heat surged toward him.

Su Han's robes flapped violently in the scorching air, and the tips of his hair even began to curl slightly. But his gaze did not waver in the slightest; just as the crimson sword light was about to strike, he took a half-step forward with his right foot and flicked his longsword, which had unsheathed at some unknown moment, upward at an angle.

There was no earth-shattering sound of collision.

Only a soft "hiss" was heard, like a piece of red-hot iron falling into water.

Under Su Han's seemingly effortless strike, that violent and blazing sword light actually dissolved by more than half, like snow meeting the sun. The residual heat wave grazed past his side, leaving a charred trail on the jade surface of the arena.

"Oh?" Lu Ming raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes, which then transformed into an even more intense Battle Intent. "No wonder you could make it this far; you have some skill."

Su Han said nothing, only slowly adjusting his breathing.

At his chest, the Star Seal of Demon Suppression grew slightly warm, reminding him of the Seal's existence and its time limit. But this temporary peace was enough for him to devote himself entirely to this battle.

"Second strike!"

Lu Ming no longer held back, gripping his sword with both hands as raging flames ignited on the crimson blade. Those flames were no ordinary fire, but a golden-red color, with Dao patterns faintly visible deep within—this was the "Heaven-Burning True Fire" cultivated from the Xuantian Sect's foundation Cultivation Technique, the "Heaven-Burning Manual," capable of melting gold and iron with infinite power.

"Burning Heaven Sword Art, Second Form—Fire Phoenix Scorching the Heavens!"

Lu Ming raised his sword high and slashed down fiercely.

"Skree—!"

A clear Phoenix cry resounded across the square, and the golden-red flames transformed into a thirty-foot-tall flame Phoenix, flapping its wings as it lunged at Su Han. Everywhere it passed, the air distorted and heat waves rolled, causing even the protective light screen at the edge of the arena to ripple.

"What powerful strength!"

"Is this the strength of the Xuantian Sect's top youth?"

"Su Han is in danger!"

Exclamations rose from the crowd below.

In the Qingyun Sect area, Ye Qingxue clenched her hands, her nails sinking deep into her palms. Lin Xuan, Wang Meng, and the others also looked solemn. They could feel that the power of this strike had already far exceeded the full-force attack of an ordinary Late Stage Star Sea Realm Cultivator.

Faced with this strike that could boil the seas and burn the heavens, Su Han closed his eyes.

It wasn't surrender; rather, as the flame Phoenix lunged within thirty feet of him, a passage from the "Nameless Sword Scripture" suddenly flashed through his mind:

"The Dao of the sword is not bound by form, nor fixed by law. With the softness of water, one can overcome the intensity of fire; with the violence of fire, one can break the hardness of metal. Yet the highest Realm is to win without Moves, and to break all laws with no law..."

"Water can overcome fire... but if the fire is overwhelming, what use is a mere cup of water?"

"Only..."

Su Han snapped his eyes open, a flash of realization in them.

He did not retreat, but instead took a step forward.

He thrust his sword straight out; the tip had no dazzling brilliance or overwhelming Aura, only a single point of starlight condensed to the extreme.

That starlight was as tiny as a bean, almost negligible in the face of the massive flame Phoenix.

However—

"Hiss!"

The moment the starlight collided with the flame Phoenix, there was no earth-shattering explosion.

The flame Phoenix's forward momentum abruptly halted, and then, centered around the starlight, the flames on the Phoenix's body began to rapidly dim and dissipate, as if being dismantled from within by some invisible force.

In just three breaths, the impressively powerful flame Phoenix turned into a shower of sparks, scattering into the air.

"This... how is this possible?!" Lu Ming's pupils constricted, and for the first time, a look of gravity appeared on his face.

Below the stage, the crowd was in an uproar.

"What did he do?"

"I didn't see it clearly! He just thrust his sword once, and the flame Phoenix was gone?"

"What kind of sword technique is this?"

On the high platform, the Elders and Sect Masters of various sects were also moved.

Qingyun Sect Master Sect Master Yun Lan's eyes glinted as she whispered, "Good boy, to have condensed his Sword Intent to such a degree... breaking a surface with a point, breaking the coarse with the refined—this is a manifestation of sword Dao attainment reaching the Transcendent Realm!"

From the Xuantian Sect's direction, a red-haired old man snorted coldly, "It's just a trick. Before absolute strength, these gimmicks are meaningless."

On the arena, Lu Ming took a deep breath, casting aside all contempt.

"Su Han, I admit I underestimated you," he said slowly, the flames on his crimson sword beginning to withdraw inward, yet the blade became increasingly red, as if just taken from a furnace. "But for this next strike, I will use my full strength. If you can withstand it, I, Lu Ming... will admit defeat!"

As his words fell, Lu Ming's Aura suddenly surged.

His Late Stage Star Sea Realm cultivation was released without reservation, and violent fire-attribute spiritual energy swept across the entire arena. The air even emitted crackling sounds—the sound of moisture being instantly evaporated.

"Burning Heaven Sword Art—Final Form!"

Lu Ming spoke each word deliberately, his Aura climbing with every syllable.

"Burn! The! Heavens! Boil! The! Seas!"

As the final word "Seas" fell, Lu Ming himself turned into a crimson stream of light. Man and sword became one, sword and intent became one, transforming into a flaming sword rainbow that pierced through heaven and earth, striking straight at Su Han!

This strike had transcended the scope of mere Moves.

This was the condensation of Lu Ming's lifelong sword Dao cultivation, the sublimation of all his insights into the "Heaven-Burning Manual."

When the sword was drawn, it would burn the heavens and boil the seas; all things would be set ablaze!

Facing this earth-shattering strike, Su Han finally got serious.

He no longer held back, and the remaining Primal Star Power in his Dantian circulated frantically, surging into his limbs and bones. The Star Seal of Demon Suppression on his chest vibrated slightly, as if warning him not to use too much power to avoid impacting the Seal.

But at this moment, Su Han couldn't care about that anymore.

"Come!"

Su Han gave a long whistle and, instead of retreating, he advanced, thrusting his sword out to meet the heaven-burning, sea-boiling sword rainbow.

This strike was simple and unadorned.

But the moment the sword was thrust, the space within thirty feet of Su Han suddenly darkened.

No, it wasn't dark; rather, countless tiny specks of starlight lit up around him, as if a miniature starry sky had been brought to the mortal world.

Primordial Star Arts—Starlight Reflecting the World!

"Ding—!"

The tips of the two swords collided with absolute precision.

There was no expected explosion, no earth-shattering roar.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.

Crimson and starlight, fire and sparks, clashed, intertwined, and annihilated each other intensely at the tips of the two swords.

Lu Ming's sword was blazing, violent, and unstoppable, seeking to burn everything in the world.

Su Han's sword was condensed, profound, and all-encompassing, as if an endless starry sky were hidden within it.

"Break for me!" Lu Ming roared, his spiritual energy pouring out without reservation.

The flaming sword rainbow suddenly expanded, seeking to completely swallow that speck of starlight.

However, the speck of starlight at the tip of Su Han's sword, though tiny, was incredibly resilient. No matter how the fire lashed against it, it remained unbroken, and instead, it began to spread backward during the confrontation.

A thread of starlight quietly seeped into the interior of the crimson sword rainbow along the point where the two swords met.(End of Chapter)