Xu Wuyi stood tall, a dark red spear in hand, his aura as heavy and unmoving as a mountain.

Qin Rui held his sword in one hand, its tip angled toward the ground. His gaze was as sharp as an eagle’s, and his entire being emanated an oppressive, cutting edge.

The two had yet to make a move, but their invisible auras were already clashing in the air, striking unseen sparks.

"I’ve finally waited for this moment," Qin Rui said, his battle lust undisguised. "Let’s see which of us is truly number one."

Xu Wuyi’s gaze was calm. He raised his spear slightly. "Please."

There was no more needless talk. The instant the referee’s voice called "Begin!" Qin Rui moved.

His initial burst of speed was astonishing, like a bolt of lightning tearing through space. Man and sword had practically merged into one as he thrust straight for Xu Wuyi’s core!

Light-Splitting Shadow-Stealing Sword—Shadow-Stealing Form!

This sword strike wasn’t the same kind of "speed" as Zhao Qingwei’s, which acted purely on the Spirit. Instead, it was a "speed" that blended physical velocity, an eruption of Qi and Blood, and an exquisite Sword Technique to its absolute peak. Its killing power was far more direct and terrifying.

Before the blade even arrived, a fierce wind from the sword assailed him, making Xu Wuyi’s skin tighten.

Xu Wuyi’s pupils contracted. He didn’t dare to be the least bit careless.

’Against Qin Rui, I have to use everything I have!’

BUZZ!

The Soul Suppressing Domain unfurled in an instant. A formless, heavy field of force emanated from him, and the very air seemed to turn viscous.

However, Qin Rui’s sword only faltered for a fraction of a second before it forcibly tore through the Domain’s Mental Suppression. The blade’s light remained blinding as it continued straight for Xu Wuyi’s throat!

His Spiritual Will was far more resilient than Li Hao’s!

More importantly, he was using a sword, concentrating his Martial Arts Will into a single point on the blade. The effect on him was unquestionably diminished.

Xu Wuyi’s footwork shifted. He executed Instant Shadow Step, sidestepping half a foot in the nick of time while simultaneously aiming a precise strike with his spear at the flat of the sword.

CLANG!

The first collision of spear and sword produced a crisp ring, sending sparks flying.

Xu Wuyi felt a sharp, immense power travel up the spear’s shaft, making his arm tingle with numbness.

Qin Rui’s sword was not only fast, but also incredibly heavy and ferocious. Nearly every strike was comparable to the explosive power of an ordinary Martial Artist’s Secret Technique!

His first strike having missed, Qin Rui’s Sword Momentum unfurled. In that instant, the air filled with a dizzying array of sword afterimages, making it impossible to tell real from fake. They enveloped Xu Wuyi like a sudden, violent squall.

Light-Splitting Form!

Every afterimage carried lethal killing power, sealing off all of Xu Wuyi’s paths of escape.

Xu Wuyi took a deep breath, his concentration absolute. The spear in his hands danced, executing the defensive forms of the Eight-direction Soul Suppressing Spear to their utmost limit.

A curtain of spear-shadows, dense as a boulder, shielded his entire body.

CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG—!

The dense, percussive collisions blurred into a single sound, like a torrential downpour on lotus leaves. Sparks erupted from the constant clash of spear and sword as the two fighters moved and crisscrossed the stage at high speed, the roar of their surging Qi and Blood faintly audible.

Xu Wuyi pushed his Martial Arts to their peak. Only by relying on the constant interference of his Soul Suppressing Domain and his own minutely precise control over his Spear Technique was he able to barely withstand the storm-like assault.

But Qin Rui’s sword was too powerful. The few afterimages that occasionally slipped through his defense still left fine cuts on his body. His training uniform was slashed, and blood slowly began to seep out.

At the same time, the trace of the Heart Fire attribute contained within Xu Wuyi’s Qi and Blood was continuously invading Qin Rui’s body through the clash of their weapons, wisp by wisp. It brought a persistent burning sensation that interfered with the circulation of his own Qi and Blood.

Qin Rui could clearly feel a faint, searing pain spreading through the meridians in his arm, subtly affecting the fluidity of his sword strikes.

He frowned slightly. ’I didn’t expect Xu Wuyi’s Qi and Blood to be so bizarre.’

’I can’t let this drag on!’

The thought flashed through Qin Rui’s mind. His Sword Momentum shifted again, becoming even more savage and violent as he attempted to suppress Xu Wuyi with absolute power and speed.

The pressure on Xu Wuyi increased dramatically. He knew he couldn’t hold back any longer.

’Melting Furnace Boiling Blood!’

With a silent roar in his heart, the wisp of crimson-gold Heart Fire in his Dantian suddenly flared. The Qi and Blood throughout his body instantly began to boil, as if a furnace within him had just been lit.

His Qi and Blood Strength and circulation speed surged. His spear, which had been struggling to keep up with his opponent’s sword, abruptly quickened, its strikes becoming heavier and more ferocious!

BOOM!

A powerful, heavy sweep actually managed to blast away Qin Rui’s unending barrage of sword afterimages!

A flash of surprise crossed Qin Rui’s eyes. He hadn’t expected Xu Wuyi to possess a Secret Technique capable of boosting his explosive power like this.

But his combat experience was immense. Though surprised, he was not panicked. His Sword Technique shifted with the momentum, changing from a wild assault to more cunning and unpredictable thrusts that kept Xu Wuyi thoroughly entangled.

The two were once again locked in a brutal exchange.

Relying on the burst of power from Melting Furnace Boiling Blood, the interference from his Soul Suppressing Domain, and his own incredibly solid foundation in the Martial Arts, Xu Wuyi barely managed to keep pace with Qin Rui.

But he lacked Li Hao’s extreme speed and Body Technique, making it impossible for him to completely evade Qin Rui’s ubiquitous sword flashes. He had no choice but to block many of the attacks head-on.

As for Qin Rui, his offensive power was unmatched among his peers, but his defense was a relative weakness.

Under Xu Wuyi’s equally sharp counterattacks, he too began to accumulate wounds. The wind from the spear grazed his left shoulder, then his right leg, staining his clothes red with blood.

This was a brutal contest of will and endurance.

The two fought like a pair of tireless machines, trading frantic blows on the stage. Their Qi and Blood was being consumed at an alarming rate, and their injuries were steadily mounting.

The spectator stands had long since fallen silent. Everyone held their breath, completely captivated and stunned by this brutal duel that far surpassed the level of first-year students.

"They’re too strong... Those two are monsters!"

"This is a top-tier fight, through and through!"

"It’s just a matter of who gives out first!"

The seconds ticked by, and the battle continued for nearly five minutes.

For Martial Artists locked in a high-intensity duel, this was an eternity.

Xu Wuyi was covered in sword wounds. The most severe was a gash on his side, deep enough to expose bone. Blood had stained nearly half of his body red.

The Melting Furnace Boiling Blood state could not be maintained for long, and his aura inevitably began to wane.

Qin Rui was in no better shape. He was wounded in several places, and the web of his sword hand had split open, dripping with blood.

More importantly, the continuous burning effect of the Heart Fire clung to him like a disease gnawing at his bones, constantly eroding his stamina and will. It sent waves of bone-deep exhaustion through him.

Both fighters’ movements began to slow. Their attacks were no longer as sharp or precise as they had been at the start.

The scales of victory hung by a single thread.

It had once again come down to a battle of wills.

Xu Wuyi’s eyes remained as tranquil as a deep pool. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

The intense pain and the depletion of his Qi and Blood hadn’t shaken him in the slightest.

’I have to win!’ There was only one thought in his mind. ’The path of Martial Arts only moves forward. How can I possibly stop here?’

His spear remained steady, filled with an unyielding, forward-pressing resolve.

Qin Rui, on the other hand, looked at Xu Wuyi. Even under such a ferocious assault, his opponent’s gaze remained firm; he even seemed to be fighting with greater vigor as the battle wore on. Deep within his heart, a flicker of doubt ignited.

’Why? He’s clearly from a common background, with far fewer resources than me. How can he possess such an indomitable will? How can he keep erupting with greater strength in such a desperate situation?’

’I have my family’s best resources, the best legacy... If I lose to a "commoner" Genius like him...’

The thought was like a viper, silently sinking its fangs into his confidence.

It was this momentary hesitation, this flicker of doubt, that caused a minuscule pause in his otherwise flawless Sword Momentum.

For a Martial Artist of Xu Wuyi’s caliber, that was more than enough!

In the split second where Qin Rui’s Sword Momentum was about to change but had not yet, Xu Wuyi seized the fleeting opening!

He abandoned all defense, pouring every last remnant of his Qi and Blood and his Spiritual Will into this one final spear thrust!

The spear shot forward like a dragon, carrying a desperate, all-or-nothing ferocity as it plunged straight ahead!