41: This is... sword intent?!

Zhang Wanyi stepped forward.

She scanned the field with a majestic gaze. "Silence!"

Quickly, everyone stopped their discussions and quieted down.

Her gaze swept over Xiao Ce, who was clumsily picking himself up below the stage, then looked at Wang Ming, who was already prepared to step down, and spoke slowly:

"The original intention of this match was to examine true combat power. Falling off the stage is not the criterion for losing. The true outcome can only be determined after both sides have exhausted their efforts to defeat the opponent."

"Xiao Ce, return to the stage now. The match continues."

As she spoke, her gaze flickered toward Xiao Ce below the stage as if inadvertently.

Xiao Ce immediately understood her meaning.

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing his churning blood and Qi, and leaped back onto the Martial Arts Stage.

The moment he landed and stood firm, he used a special technique to quietly activate the long-dormant medicinal power of the blood-burning pill within his body!

Boom—!!!

A surge of spiritual energy, even more violent than before, suddenly shot up from Xiao Ce's body toward the sky!

At this moment, his aura climbed step by step at a speed visible to the naked eye!

Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer Peak... Broken!

A tyrannical pressure belonging to the Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer descended boldly, enveloping the entire Martial Arts Stage!

The air around him distorted slightly due to this sudden explosion of power, emitting bursts of humming.

"Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer?!"

"Senior Brother Xiao made a Breakthrough in the middle of the battle?!"

"Now there's a good show to watch! Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer against Foundation Establishment Fifth Layer, the advantage is definitely with Senior Brother Xiao Ce!"

The Qingxin Palace Disciples below the stage were first stunned, then erupted in an even greater uproar.

Breaking through in battle—this was a plot point that only existed in novels!

Senior Brother Xiao Ce is indeed destined by fate!

In the viewing seats, a trace of surprise also flickered in the Palace Master's beautiful eyes, which then turned into appreciation.

She nodded slightly. "Not bad. This little fellow Xiao Ce has a solid Foundation. It seems this setback actually stimulated his potential, helping him break through that barrier."

"This Wang Ming can be considered to have given him a helping hand."

The reason a single blood-burning pill could sell for several thousand Spirit Stones...

...was that its characteristic of being extremely difficult to detect accounted for at least ninety percent of the price!

Even the Palace Master did not notice anything amiss.

Zhang Wanyi smiled slightly. "The Palace Master overpraises him. Ceer still needs more tempering."

Ouyang Yaoxi's heart suddenly jumped into her throat!

Foundation Establishment Sixth Layer?!

Xiao Ce actually broke through suddenly at this time?

She subconsciously clenched her fists.

Beside her, Gu Qingyi's eyes, which were like cold stars, narrowed slightly as she stared at Xiao Ce on the stage, a sneer curling at the corner of her mouth.

"Heh."

She gave a light snort. "Junior Sister Yao Xi, you were right to have always looked down on Xiao Ce."

Ouyang Yaoxi turned to look at her in astonishment.

Gu Qingyi's gaze was ice-cold. "In a fair fight, to use external force to forcibly raise one's cultivation—such dirty tricks... He's a piece of trash!"

"External force?" Ouyang Yaoxi was startled.

"In that instant just now, a restless spiritual energy appeared in his body."

Gu Qingyi said indifferently, "Although it was hidden well, it couldn't escape my Exquisite Heart. He must have taken some kind of Medicinal Pill to stimulate his potential."

"He actually took drugs?!"

Ouyang Yaoxi's face immediately became incredibly ugly.

Almost instantly, she guessed that this was one hundred percent Zhang Wanyi's handiwork!

To be able to prevent even the Palace Master from noticing, a Medicinal Pill like this definitely couldn't be produced by Xiao Ce alone!

To win, they actually used such unscrupulous means!

"I'm going to report this to the Palace Master right now!" She said, about to stand up.

A jade-like hand pressed down on her shoulder.

It was Gu Qingyi.

"No need." Gu Qingyi shook her head, her gaze falling on Wang Ming as she laughed softly. "That little Dao Companion of yours... can handle it."

Ouyang Yaoxi's movement froze. "Senior Sister Qingyi, are you serious?"

Gu Qingyi looked at her sideways, a meaningful slight smile suddenly blooming on her exquisite face. "Hmm? So worried?"

"Didn't you say he was just... a friend?"

Ouyang Yaoxi: "!!!"

She had been played!

Her cheeks flushed red instantly, and even the tips of her ears were stained with crimson.

She stammered for a moment, then simply lowered her head and stopped explaining.

In this situation, things would only get messier the more she tried to explain!

However, she no longer insisted on going to the Palace Master.

Since Senior Sister Qingyi said so... that guy should... really be able to do it, right?

On the Martial Arts Stage.

Feeling the power surging through his body, Xiao Ce's confidence instantly exploded!

He looked at Wang Ming and gave a sinister laugh. "Wang Ming! Feel properly the... gap between us!"

Before his voice had even faded, his figure turned into an afterimage, crashing toward Wang Ming!

Speed, power—it was more than twice as strong as before!

He wanted to use the most direct and brutal method to reclaim the face he had just lost, with interest!

Facing Xiao Ce's strike.

Wang Ming once again raised his right arm.

The movement was exactly the same as before.

Take a step back, twist the body, gather power.

But this time, it was different.

Crack—!

Even denser black electric arcs than before instantly wrapped around his entire right arm!

Those electric arcs were no longer flowing quietly, but were like small black snakes that had come to life, violently bursting out in all directions!

A heart-palpitating aura of destruction spread through the air.

What was even more eerie—

Below the Martial Arts Stage, those Qingxin Palace Disciples near the front row, especially those with swords at their waists, suddenly felt their longswords begin to vibrate violently out of control!

Clang, clang, clang—!

A series of sword cries rang out!

Dozens of longswords, as if worshipping a monarch, all emitted low hums toward Wang Ming's direction on the stage!

The tips of the swords trembled slightly, as if they wanted to leap out of their scabbards!

"My sword?!"

"What's going on?!"

A commotion immediately broke out below the stage, as many people hurriedly held down their swords, their faces full of horror.

And in the viewing seats, the Palace Master, who had been watching the battle calmly, suddenly stood up from her seat at this moment!

Her beautiful eyes stared fixedly at the black electric arcs on Wang Ming's right arm, and a flush rose to her face!

Her breathing became slightly rapid.

"Is this... Sword Intent?!" Her voice trembled slightly. "Sword Intent with a destruction attribute?! He actually... comprehended such pure Destruction Sword Intent at the Foundation Establishment Stage!"

She saw clearly that those black electric arcs were not simple lightning-attribute spiritual energy, but the physical manifestation of Sword Intent!

That Concept of destroying everything and cutting through all things was incredibly clear!

Moreover, he could actually integrate Sword Intent so exquisitely into his fist techniques, using the fist instead of a sword, with a momentum that added three parts of overbearing power!

What kind of astonishing talent is this?!

What kind of terrifying Comprehension Ability?!

The Palace Master's desire to nurture talent instantly rose to its Peak, even overshadowing her concern for the outcome of this match.

"Good! Excellent!"

She couldn't help but mutter to herself, her eyes sparkling with brilliance. "If this child is well-cultivated in the future, he will surely become the key to the rise of our Qingxin Palace!"

She had already made up her mind that regardless of the outcome of this battle, and regardless of what character issues Wang Ming had before, she must take him as her personal Disciple!

Exhaust all resources and cultivate him with all her might!

Such a peerless unpolished jade must not be missed!