84: Chapter 84 The Ultimate Showdown at the Gate of Mystery

The two were each enveloped by golden light, landing steadily upon the white jade Martial Arts Arena.

As soon as they stood firm, the terrifying aura belonging to the Xuanguan Peak collided with the force of a physical object.

The air within the entire arena seemed to become viscous.

Unlike the previous students, the two did not immediately start shouting and brandishing weapons upon arrival.

Instead, they stood ten zhang apart and exchanged a cupped-fist salute.

Xing Zhige had a burly build, his skin a bronze color from years of exposure to the elements.

He held a pitch-black, massive Xuanhua axe, nearly the size of a door, in his hands.

Cold light rippled across the axe blade, exuding a fierce air forged in a sea of blood and corpses.

"Brother Lu."

Xing Zhige's voice was like a booming bell as he laughed openly, "You and I have been in the Heaven Class for three years. You come from a prestigious family, pampered since childhood with resources piled like mountains. As for me, Xing Zhige, I am but a rough man from a northern border town who clawed his way up."

"For these past three years, my axe has always been suppressed by that broken sword of yours, leaving me stuck at sixth place on the hidden dragon ranking."

Saying this, Xing Zhige slammed his massive axe onto the ground. With a loud "Boom," the white jade floor cracked with fine fissures.

His eyes erupted with intense Battle Intent, "However, I have been in secluded cultivation during this time and have gained some insights! I shall use this opportunity of the school's opening martial arts tournament to defeat you fair and square, and take that fifth spot on the hidden dragon ranking for myself!"

Facing Xing Zhige's undisguised declaration of a challenge, Lu Yuchen merely smiled faintly.

He wore a pristine white moon-patterned robe, his posture as straight as a pine, holding a sheathed cyan longsword in his hand.

Standing there, he looked like a peerless blade about to be drawn, exuding the calm and pride characteristic of a Young Master from a noble family.

"Brother Xing, you speak too seriously."

Lu Yuchen's lips curled slightly, and his right hand gripping the hilt gave a slight tremor, drawing the longsword half an inch and emitting a clear Dragon roar.

"In this world's Dao of Martial Arts, the capable come first. Since Brother Xing is so confident in your axe techniques today..."

Lu Yuchen placed his left hand behind his back, held his sword pointing diagonally at the ground with his right, and made a graceful "Please" gesture, "Then, please enlighten me!"

"Boom!"

The moment the word "enlighten" left his lips, Xing Zhige stomped, shattering the ground, and shot forward like a raging bull!

The True Essence of the Twelve Mysterious Apertures erupted!

"Mountain Opener!"

Xing Zhige roared, gripping the Xuanhua axe with both hands. He swung it in an exaggerated arc in mid-air, hacking down fiercely at Lu Yuchen's head!

On the blade of the axe, a layer of thick, earthy-yellow Protective Aura surged like a physical substance, stretching a zhang long!

Facing this axe blow that felt like Mount Tai pressing down, Lu Yuchen remained composed.

"Clang!"

The cyan longsword was fully drawn, carving a dazzling streak of Sword Qi in mid-air.

"Break!"

Lu Yuchen tapped his feet, advancing instead of retreating. The longsword in his hand, like a viper flicking its tongue, struck with extreme precision at the weakest point of the massive axe's violent Protective Aura.

"Bang!"

A deafening clang of metal hitting metal exploded. Two terrifying True Essences belonging to the Xuanguan Peak collided with a roar.

The resulting white shockwave of Qi even caused the surrounding protective barrier to ripple like water.

The audience in the stands felt their eyes blur as the two were already locked in combat!

"Satisfying!"

Xing Zhige laughed loudly, his massive axe swinging in wide, open arcs, each strike carrying the power to split mountains and crack stones.

Lu Yuchen, meanwhile, fully utilized the advantages of a deep foundation as a noble family disciple.

His movement was as graceful as the wind, and every swing of his longsword carried a piercing whistle, parrying Xing Zhige's onslaught like a storm while seeking opportunities to counterattack.

The two exchanged dozens of moves, leaving the audience below dazzled and cheering in delight.

Just then, the situation on the field suddenly changed!

"Brother Lu, the warm-up is over! Try taking this move!"

Xing Zhige forced Lu Yuchen back with a swing of his axe, then gripped it with both hands as the True Essence within him surged wildly like a volcanic eruption.

Once a Martial Artist breaks through to the Xuan Guan Ten Apertures, their True Essence can manifest outside the body.

And upon reaching the Peak Realm of the Twelve Mysterious Apertures, their Galaxy Protectors Astral Qi can even detach and manifest into forms for long-range slaughter!

"Shattering Sand Blade!"

With a roar from Xing Zhige, the earthy-yellow Galaxy Protectors Astral Qi on his pitch-black giant axe instantly boiled to the extreme.

Immediately following, that layer of Galaxy Protectors Astral Qi peeled directly off the axe blade, transforming mid-air into sharp, crescent-shaped astral blades!

"Swish, swish, swish!"

Dozens of earthy-yellow astral blades, like a rain of knives whipped up by a gale, surged toward Lu Yuchen in an overwhelming assault!

Wherever they passed, even the air was sliced through, emitting piercing, shrill whistles!

Seeing this, the students in the stands all widened their eyes.

"Is this the method of the Xuanguan Peak? Manifesting astral forms to kill from a hundred paces away!"

Facing this unavoidable, wide-range astral slaughter, a trace of seriousness finally flashed in Lu Yuchen's eyes.

"Well fought!"

Lu Yuchen did not dodge or evade, instead holding his longsword vertically before his chest.

"Taixuan Light-Splitting Sword!"

"Swish!"

The True Essence within him also gushed out without reservation, transforming into a layer of extremely sharp cyan Sword Qi that coated the blade.

As his wrist flicked rapidly, that cyan Sword Qi instantly split into two, then four, then eight...

In the blink of an eye, dozens of tangible, cyan Sword Qi phantoms appeared before Lu Yuchen!

"Go!"

Lu Yuchen swung his sword, and those dozens of cyan Sword Qi phantoms instantly shot out like arrows released from a bow, meeting the sky-filling earthy-yellow axe blades!

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Dense explosions connected into one in mid-air. The cyan Sword Qi and the earthy-yellow axe blades collided crazily!

The rampaging aftermath of the Protective Aura was like a level-twelve hurricane.

Within the entire Martial Arts Arena, sand and stones flew, and the white jade floor was carved with countless crisscrossing, terrifying sword marks and axe fissures.

In this violent clash of Protective Aura, neither of the two retreated even half a step!

Just when everyone thought this clash would end in a draw, a sharp, piercing gleam suddenly flashed in Lu Yuchen's eyes.

"Brother Xing, I accept your concession!"

Amidst the sky-filling storm of Protective Aura that had not yet fully dissipated, Lu Yuchen's figure weirdly blurred, instantly splitting into three!

Three afterimages, from three different directions, simultaneously unleashed a streak of cyan sword light so fast it was extreme, aiming straight for Xing Zhige's face, throat, and chest!

"Not good!"

Xing Zhige's expression changed; he had just released a large amount of detached Protective Aura. He was currently in that moment where the old strength had just faded and new strength had not yet been born.

He could only barely pull back his giant axe to block horizontally in front of him.

"Clang!"

A crisp sound rang out. Two of the afterimages were blocked by the giant axe and dissipated into True Essence.

But the third afterimage, which was Lu Yuchen's true body, had already appeared like a ghost to Xing Zhige's right side.

The tip of that cyan longsword stopped steadily less than half an inch from Xing Zhige's throat.

The Sword Qi flickered, severing a strand of beard on Xing Zhige's chin.

"Hiss——"

The entire audience gasped. The winner had been decided!