76: Chapter 76 First Place in the Grand Competition

Xie Guangkun clutched the Talisman, a hint of madness flashing in his eyes: "Baili Yunche, for you to force me to use this Talisman, you can be proud of yourself!"

With that, his magical power frantically poured into the Talisman!

The Talisman instantly burned, transforming into golden light spots filling the sky.

The light spots converged, condensing into a golden sword image over a zhang long, suspended above Xie Guangkun's head.

That sword image was so solid it seemed physical, runes circulating on the sword body, and a foot-long Sword Qi spitting out from the sword tip, exuding an aura that could destroy heaven and earth!

The air around the stage seemed to freeze, and everyone felt a tightness in their chests and difficulty breathing.

"Go!"

Xie Guangkun let out a furious roar, pointing at Baili Yunche.

The golden sword image hummed, instantly piercing through the void.

That speed was extreme to the limit, leaving a golden afterimage trajectory in the air; wherever the sword body passed, the Void Realm rippled with visible waves to the naked eye.

The Disciples off the stage only felt a flash of golden light before their eyes, unable to see the trajectory of the sword image at all, with only a suffocating pressure pressing down overwhelmingly.

Seeing that the golden sword image was about to pierce Baili Yunche, his eyes narrowed, and instead of retreating, he advanced.

Baili Yunche gripped the Void Realm with his right hand, and a long saber as black as ink appeared out of thin air in his hand.

The saber body was slender, with faint dark red patterns flowing along the back of the saber, like magma surging deep underground.

Black light spat out from the saber blade, exuding a violent, scorching aura that seemed capable of burning everything to ashes!

Tier 3 Magic Treasure — flame prison void-breaking saber!

"Break!"

Baili Yunche gave a low shout, gripping the saber with both hands and fiercely slashing down.

The pitch-black saber body swept across the Void Realm, and a dark red saber radiance roared out.

That saber radiance was like a torrential flow of magma gushing out from Hell, so scorching that the air even burned, dragging a long tail flame of dark red light in the air to meet that golden sword image!

Rumble!

An earth-shaking explosion rang out.

The two forces of gold and dark red collided violently, erupting with blinding light; the entire stage was enveloped by the strong light, and the crowd under the stage closed their eyes one after another.

The violent shockwave spread in all directions, and the Formation light shield of the stage trembled violently, making a buzzing sound as if it would shatter at any moment.

The shockwave dissipated.

The light vanished.

Everyone opened their eyes and looked toward the stage.

They saw Baili Yunche kneeling on one knee, a trace of fresh blood overflowing from the corner of his mouth, his entire body sliding back seven or eight zhang, his feet plowing two deep gullies on the stage floor.

The flame prison void-breaking saber in his hand was still trembling slightly, and the dark red patterns on the saber body had dimmed by a fraction.

But he stood up steadily.

The entire audience was dead silent.

Everyone widened their eyes, their mouths wide enough to stuff an egg.

"He… he caught it?"

"A Tier 3 attack Talisman containing the full-strength blow of a Golden Core 3rd Layer… he took it head-on?!"

"He only retreated seven or eight zhang? Only bled a little from the corner of his mouth? Is he fucking still human?!"

"Even with a Tier 3 Magic Treasure, one still needs the strength to activate it! How could a mere Foundation Establishment 7th Layer withstand an attack of the Golden Core 3rd Layer level?!"

"Monster… this is definitely a monster!"

Sun Huo froze in place with his mouth open, not even noticing when his ledger dropped to the ground.

A moment later, he suddenly jumped up, his chubby face blushing red: "He caught it! Senior Brother Baili Yunche caught it! Hahahaha! I knew it! I knew Senior Brother Baili Yunche is invincible under heaven!"

On the stage.

Xie Guangkun's face was ashen, and the look he gave Baili Yunche was full of disbelief.

"Impossible… this is impossible…"

He muttered to himself, his voice trembling.

"The taixu sword qi talisman… a Talisman equivalent to the full-strength blow of a Golden Core 3rd Layer… how could you take it head-on? How could you only suffer this little injury?!"

He stared fixedly at the flame prison void-breaking saber in Baili Yunche's hand, then stared at the bloodstain at the corner of Baili Yunche's mouth, his face filled with unwillingness and anger.

"Even with a Tier 3 Magic Treasure… with your Foundation Establishment 7th Layer magical power, how could you activate it to this extent? Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

Xie Guangkun gritted his teeth, the veins on his forehead bulging.

He refused to accept this.

As the dignified number one person of the Inner Sect, a half-step Golden Core with Major Achievement in the Golden Spear Fire-Breaking Art, who even brought out his trump-card Tier 3 attack Talisman, how could he still fail to defeat a Foundation Establishment 7th Layer Utility Disciple?

How could this make him accept defeat?

Baili Yunche slowly straightened his body, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, looked at Xie Guangkun, and said indifferently: "The Talisman is not bad; unfortunately, you yourself are still not strong enough."

Xie Guangkun's face flushed red, and he raged: "You… you push people too far!"

But Baili Yunche did not give him another chance to speak.

His eyes grew stern, and his feet suddenly exerted force!

Activating the Startled Swan Swimming Dragon Step to its full limit, his figure transformed into a golden afterimage, instantly disappearing from where he stood.

Xie Guangkun's pupils shrank abruptly, subconsciously tightening his grip on the golden flame spear.

But Baili Yunche's speed was simply too fast!

Fast to the point where he had no time to react at all!

"You've finished your move; now, it's my turn."

Baili Yunche's voice rang in Xie Guangkun's ear, icy and calm.

The next instant, the flame prison void-breaking saber slashed out once more.

The dark red saber radiance surged like raging waves, carrying a heaven-covering scorching aura that enveloped Xie Guangkun entirely.

Xie Guangkun's expression changed drastically, holding the golden flame spear horizontally across his chest while frantically activating his golden flame protection.

Boom!

One strike!

Xie Guangkun was shaken back three steps, the web between his thumb and forefinger going numb.

Boom!

The second strike!

Xie Guangkun retreated seven or eight steps, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, and the flames on the golden flame spear dimmed by several fractions.

Boom!

The third strike!

Xie Guangkun let out a muffled groan, his entire body blasted flying and crashing heavily onto the ground, sliding out several zhang away.

Struggling to stand up, he found that his hands were trembling violently, and he could barely hold the golden flame spear.

Baili Yunche stood before him, the tip of the flame prison void-breaking saber pointing at his throat, looking down at him from above.

"Still not conceding?" Baili Yunche asked.

Xie Guangkun gritted his teeth, his eyes bloodshot, staring fixedly at Baili Yunche.

He refused to accept this.

He truly refused to accept it.

On what grounds? On what grounds could a Foundation Establishment 7th Layer brat grow to such a terrifying extent?

But…

The blade tip was suspended just three inches before his throat, the scorching aura emanating from the saber body burning his skin, and that terrifying power made him clearly realize—he was truly no match.

Xie Guangkun took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and then opened them again.

The unwillingness and anger in his eyes slowly faded, replaced by an emotion too complex to put into words.

"I…"

He opened his mouth, his voice hoarse, "I concede."

Moments later—

"My god!!!"

"Breaking the taixu sword qi talisman with a single saber strike! What kind of Heaven-Defying strength is this?!"

"Baili Yunche won! He won first place in the Inner Sect Grand Competition!"

"A dark horse! A true dark horse! Going from a Utility Disciple to Inner Sect number one in just half a year!"

"Too strong! This person is simply a Prodigy!"

Cheers like mountain-toppling tsunami resounded through the clouds.

Down below, Sun Huo was so excited he jumped up, his chubby face filled with ecstatic joy: "Won! Won! Senior Brother Baili Yunche won! My Spirit Stones! My Spirit Stones have doubled! Hahahaha!"

…

With a calm expression, Baili Yunche withdrew the flame prison void-breaking saber and extended his hand.

Xie Guangkun looked at his extended hand, stunned for a moment, then gave a bitter smile, grasped that hand, and was pulled up.

"You are indeed very strong," Xie Guangkun said softly, "I admit defeat wholeheartedly."

Baili Yunche smiled slightly: "You are not weak either."

Off the stage, Steward Wang Ganju gave Baili Yunche a deep look, a flash of appreciation sweeping through his eyes.

Then he walked onto the stage, took a deep breath, and announced in a clear voice:

"The final result of this Inner Sect Grand Competition—First place, Baili Yunche! Second place, Xie Guangkun! Third place, Ye Hongyu!"