231: Chapter 231 Showdown with Wang Yidao

Senior Brother Wang Yidao made his move. Without any superfluous words, his wrist flicked, and a frigid blade light tore through the air, slashing down directly at Shen Haoran.

This strike was astonishingly fast; wherever the blade light passed, a sharp hiss erupted in the air.

Shen Haoran's pupils constricted. Daring not to be the least bit careless, his long sword instantly left its sheath, and he unleashed the full power of the Thunderclap Sword Technique, meeting the strike with his own sword.

Clang!

Blade and sword collided, and an overwhelming, mountain-toppling force surged from the blade's edge. Shen Haoran felt a sharp pain in the web between his thumb and index finger, and his entire arm went numb. His body was sent reeling backward uncontrollably, his feet stamping deep footprints into the bluestone ground before he could barely steady himself.

His Qi and blood churned in his chest, and he tasted sweetness in his throat, which he forcefully swallowed back down. One strike. With just one strike, he had been shaken to the point of churning blood. Is this the strength of the 5th Grade Peak?

Senior Brother Wang Yidao did not give him a chance to catch his breath. A second strike followed closely. This strike was heavier and faster than the first; the blade cut through the air as if it were about to cleave the Void Realm itself in two.

Shen Haoran gritted his teeth and raised his sword to block. With another deafening clash of metal, he was forced back again, his feet carving two long white marks into the arena floor as he retreated to the center of the ring.

Then came the third strike.

Shen Haoran resisted with all his might, but that blade momentum was like Mount Tai pressing down upon him. He was sent flying sideways by the impact, nearly falling off the arena entirely.

He grabbed the bluestone edge of the arena with one hand, his knuckles digging into the stone crevices, and forcefully hauled himself back up.

He knelt halfway at the edge of the arena, gasping for air. The web of his sword-wielding hand had split open, and fresh blood dripped down the hilt onto the bluestone ground.

He knew he could not retreat any further.

Behind him was the edge of the arena; one more step back would mean defeat. He could not wait any longer.

Shen Haoran looked up, a look of determination appearing in his eyes. He took a deep breath, pushing the Thunderclap Sword Technique to an extreme he had never reached in his life. The Internal Energy in his Dantian surged into the sword like a flood, and tiny flashes of lightning instantly burst forth from the blade's edge.

One Sword, Five Thunders! Five peals of thunder exploded on the arena simultaneously. The five sounds merged into one, vibrating the eardrums of everyone watching below.

All the lightning gathered into a single strike, transforming into a dazzling bolt of lightning sword light that slashed forward with an unstoppable Aura.

This strike already exceeded the limits of a 5th Grade Late Stage Martial Artist. Even many of the Elders watching below nodded in secret approval. Forced by the life-or-death situation, Shen Haoran had pushed out his potential; the power of this sword strike was infinitely close to the 5th Grade Peak.

However, Senior Brother Wang Yidao merely snorted coldly.

"Golden Light Blade Technique—Blade Slashes Mountains and Rivers!"

He gripped his blade with both hands and took a step forward. Endless golden light erupted from the blade, dyeing half the arena in a blinding gold. Within that golden light, a massive blade shadow soared into the sky, descending forcefully upon Shen Haoran with a terrifying Aura that seemed capable of annihilating everything.

Boom!

The blade light and lightning light collided with a roar.

The entire arena shook violently; cracks burst open across the bluestone ground, and stone fragments scattered everywhere. A violent wave of air swept out from the center of the collision, causing the robes of the Disciples standing nearby to flap wildly and forcing them to squint their eyes.

After a loud bang, the lightning light was extinguished.

Shen Haoran's Thunderclap sword light shattered inch by inch before that golden blade shadow, turning into specks of light that scattered everywhere.

The golden blade shadow, its momentum undiminished, slammed heavily into Shen Haoran.

Shen Haoran spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward like a kite with a broken string. His long sword flew from his hand, spinning a few times in the air before landing with a clang on the ground outside the arena.

He fell heavily beneath the arena, rolling twice on the ground before coming to a stop. He struggled to climb up, but his arms went limp halfway through, and he ultimately lay on the ground, gasping for air.

The entire arena was deathly silent.

Four strikes. From start to finish, he had only blocked four strikes. Shen Haoran had previously said he wanted to "see how strong Senior Brother Wang Yidao's blade technique is," and now he had seen it, at the cost of a crushing defeat.

Zixia Peak was silent. Several young Disciples stepped forward to help Shen Haoran up; his complexion was as pale as paper, blood foam hung at the corner of his mouth, and his chest heaved violently.

Although he was not lightly injured, fortunately, there was no danger to his life—Senior Brother Wang Yidao had clearly held back.

"Sigh." An Elder let out a heavy sigh, his tone full of helplessness, "He only blocked four strikes. The gap is too large."

The other Elders were also silent. Although they had long known that Shen Haoran was no match for Senior Brother Wang Yidao, losing in four strikes still made their hearts feel heavy.

The chasm between the 5th Grade Peak and the 5th Grade Late Stage was even deeper than they had imagined.

Peak Master Su Hanyan looked at the Shen Haoran being helped back and sighed softly. Her gaze passed over Shen Haoran and landed on the figure sitting quietly not far away. It seemed she could only rely on Lin Tian now.

Lin Tian sat cross-legged in the resting area, narrowing his eyes. He looked at the indifferent figure standing with hands behind his back on the arena and had to admit that Senior Brother Wang Yidao's strength was indeed formidable.

That "Blade Slashes Mountains and Rivers" strike just now had reached a truly terrifying level in both force and Saber Intent. Within the same Realm, the number of people who could withstand that strike was likely countable on one hand. But so what?

His sword technique was stronger. His sword technique had already reached Perfection. Previously, he had only used movement techniques because he had not yet encountered an opponent worthy of him drawing his sword.

The competition continued. Battle after battle erupted on the arena, and the numbers on the scoreboard changed constantly. But everyone's thoughts were not on the matches at hand; they were waiting. Waiting for the battle between Lin Tian and Senior Brother Wang Yidao.

Neither of these two had lost yet; one was a blade technique Genius at the 5th Grade Peak, and the other was an astonishing dark horse. Everyone knew that these two would inevitably cross paths sooner or later.

Two hours later, that moment finally arrived.

The Referee Elder looked down at the match list in his hand, a flash of surprise in his eyes, and then announced loudly: "Zixia Peak's Lin Tian, versus Jinxia Peak's Senior Brother Wang Yidao."

The entire Martial Arts Arena instantly boiled over.

"It's here, it's here! Lin Tian versus Senior Brother Wang Yidao!"

"The good show is finally here! This match is the one most worth watching today!"

Disciples from all peaks were energized. Senior Brother Wang Yidao was at the 5th Grade Peak, his Golden Light Blade Technique possessed unparalleled power, and he currently had no defeats. As for Lin Tian, he was a dark horse; previously unknown, yet he had powerfully defeated Xu Ying and displayed movement techniques at the level of Perfection. Now that these two were meeting head-on, who would win?

Everyone on Zixia Peak's side grew nervous. The Elders looked solemn, the Disciples clenched their fists, and even the injured Shen Haoran forced himself to sit up straight, staring intently at the direction of the arena.

On Jinxia Peak's side, they were full of confidence. Several Jinxia Peak Disciples shouted aloud: "What use is fast movement? If your attack power isn't up to par, you'll just be dodging around and won't be able to win in the end! Just watch, the one who wins in the end will definitely be our Senior Brother Wang Yidao!"

Amidst the discussions, Senior Brother Wang Yidao was the first to ascend the arena. He carried his long blade on his back, expressionless, his gaze falling on the direction of Zixia Peak as he said coldly: "Kid, you cannot beat me with just movement techniques."

Lin Tian stood up from the crowd, flexed his wrists, and walked onto the arena with a calm expression. Hearing Senior Brother Wang Yidao's words, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, revealing a meaningful smile.

"Who told you I only have movement techniques?" His voice was not loud, but it clearly carried across half the Martial Arts Arena. "My other methods are not weak at all."

Senior Brother Wang Yidao snorted coldly, his disdain undisguised: "Not weak? How laughable. Compared to my blade technique, any martial art is weak."

Lin Tian smiled. There was no mockery or provocation in that smile, only a light, airy composure: "That may not be the case."

Senior Brother Wang Yidao's pupils constricted slightly.

He was angry. A kid at the 5th Grade Late Stage dared to talk big in front of him? His right hand slowly gripped the hilt of the blade on his back, the long blade emitted a low hum in its sheath, and an extremely sharp Saber Intent began to permeate from him.

"Is that so? Then I'd like to see just how good your martial arts are!"

As the words fell, Senior Brother Wang Yidao took a step, his blade unsheathed fiercely, and a golden blade light slashed across the arena like lightning, hacking down directly at Lin Tian.

This strike was faster and more ruthless than the first strike against Shen Haoran; clearly, Senior Brother Wang Yidao had been moved to genuine anger right from the start.