Sovereign of Stars

On the training grounds, numerous eliminated geniuses, including top experts from various factions and sects, were all intently watching the final mirrored image suspended in the void.

In the image, a young man in black was skillfully wielding his sword, continuously fending off attacks from surrounding opponents.

"Su Xin is still pushing forward?"

"Among the thousand geniuses participating in the second phase of the hunt, Xia Mang, the strongest, has already passed the fourteenth round of attacks and was defeated in the fifteenth. Yet, Su Xin is still leisurely making his way through the twelfth round."

Many geniuses had peculiar expressions.

In the Heart of Heaven Realm... it's not about how long you last or how many rounds you pass.

After all, while facing rounds of opponents in the Heart of Heaven Realm, one could choose to eliminate them quickly and move on.

Alternatively, one could be 'cautious,' finding ways to stall for time until the attack limit is reached and the opponents dissipate on their own.

Su Xin clearly belonged to the latter category.

From the sixth round of attacks, after understanding the true rules of the second phase of the hunt, Su Xin no longer actively attacked to eliminate his opponents.

Instead, he maximized his spiritual energy conservation, only using defensive sword techniques to block the attacks.

Using the Mountain-Sea Volume, he focused solely on defense, consuming very little spiritual energy. Each time, he waited until the opponents' attack time limit was reached, and they dissipated on their own.

Thus, when everyone else had finished and been eliminated, even Xia Mang had been defeated in the fifteenth round, Su Xin had only reached the end of the twelfth round.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

With a few more collisions, the twelfth round of opponent attacks ended and dissipated.

Su Xin smoothly entered the thirteenth round.

"He's really taking it easy."

"By only defending, he consumes very little spiritual energy, so of course, it's easy."

"He's using the Northern Azure Sword Art, right? It's recognized as the number one sword art in the Heavenflame Dynasty."

Many geniuses on the training grounds were discussing.

Although Su Xin was only defending, no one thought he was doing anything wrong.

After all, in the Heart of Heaven Realm, as long as you can withstand the rounds of attacks, it doesn't matter what method you use.

In the thirteenth round, Su Xin encountered ten black-armored soldiers wielding spears.

The ten black-armored soldiers attacked fiercely together, making it less easy for Su Xin than before, but it was only a slight pressure.

The Northern Azure Sword Art, recognized as the number one sword art in the Heavenflame Dynasty.

With Su Xin's comprehension of concepts, he wielded the Mountain-Sea Volume, and the sword art created waves that could still block all attacks from the ten black-armored soldiers.

Soon, Su Xin passed the thirteenth round of attacks and reached the fourteenth round.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Spears flew like flood dragons.

Their speed and power were astonishing.

Su Xin felt an immense increase in pressure.

"The same ten soldiers, but the silver-armored soldiers in the fourteenth round are much stronger than the black-armored soldiers in the thirteenth round." A hint of excitement flashed in Su Xin's eyes.

In the next moment, hum~~~

A surge of immense bloodline power erupted.

From the moment he entered this trial space, from the first opponent he encountered to the thirteenth round, he had only unleashed fifty percent of his bloodline power.

But now, his bloodline power surged to seventy percent.

Seventy percent of his bloodline power instantly boosted his strength.

"Come on!"

Su Xin uttered in a low voice, and his sword art fully erupted.

The endless waves rolled, stirring layers of sword intent, making the ten silver-armored soldiers seem like they were in a vast ocean.

And Su Xin was like a stubborn rock in the middle of the sea.

Facing the spears that kept attacking, Su Xin continuously swung his long sword, its movements mysterious, sometimes sweeping, sometimes slashing fiercely, sometimes stabbing sharply... The sword light moved continuously, each time perfectly deflecting or blocking the surrounding spear shadows.

Clang clang clang clang~~~

In the trial space, a series of dense metallic clashes echoed.

"Incredible!"

"This sword art..."

Many geniuses watching on the training grounds were astonished.

They all saw that Su Xin's defensive sword art was exceptional, with a high level of concept comprehension, clearly reaching the first level of concept.

In this hunt, among nearly a hundred thousand geniuses, only Xia Mang, Tu San, and Duan Yunfeng had truly stepped into the first level of concept comprehension and demonstrated it.

As for Wu Chao, his staff technique was incredibly powerful, and his concept comprehension was also high, possibly reaching the first level, but he hadn't truly shown it yet.

In terms of concept comprehension alone, Su Xin could definitely rank in the top five in this hunt.

"First-level concept comprehension, combined with the Mountain-Sea Volume of the Northern Azure Sword Art... The sword art is like mountains and seas, and the most important thing is the method of layering and unloading force. Even if the opponent's attack power far exceeds his, he can still withstand it head-on."

"His cultivation is still a bit low. Even with special techniques and bloodline power, he barely reaches the threshold of the Void Shattering Realm. In this hunt, there are some whose power can match or even surpass his, but apart from Xia Mang, none have passed the fourteenth round of attacks."

"And Su Xin can definitely pass the fourteenth round!"

Elder Mo from the Tianye Sect said in a deep voice.

The fourteenth round...

So far, only Xia Mang had passed it in this hunt.

But it was clear to anyone with eyes that although the ten silver-armored soldiers put immense pressure on him, Su Xin could still block them with his sword art. As long as he could block and not be immediately defeated, once the time limit was reached, he could pass the fourteenth round of attacks.

Sure enough, it wasn't long before the ten silver-armored soldiers dissipated on their own.

And Su Xin successfully stepped into the fifteenth round.

In the fifteenth round, he faced ten golden-armored soldiers.

Earlier, Xia Mang had also reached this fifteenth round and fought against these ten golden-armored soldiers, but he barely managed to hold on for a while before being directly defeated.

Now, these ten golden-armored soldiers were facing off against Su Xin.

Boom!

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The spear thrust out swiftly, carrying a strange spiral force, causing the void to ripple with piercing sounds.

Su Xin continued to use his Mountain-Sea Sword Art to block.

Clang!

A collision, and the terrifying force was transmitted instantly.

Although he blocked the spear, Su Xin felt a numbness in his arm.

"What terrifying power!"

"This power is probably no weaker than that of the monk Wu Chao's staff."

A hint of shock flashed in Su Xin's eyes.

Earlier in the hunting grounds, when he faced the monk Wu Chao, the latter's casually swung stone staff left a lasting impression on Su Xin with its power.

One strike had left Duan Yunfeng stunned on the spot.

Now, Su Xin could feel that the power contained in the golden-armored soldier's spear was no less than Wu Chao's staff.

The key difference was that while Wu Chao's power was strong, he was just one person. But in this fifteenth round of attacks, there were ten golden-armored soldiers.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

Ten golden-armored soldiers attacked simultaneously, their spears either smashing down or thrusting straight, piercing through the void with astonishing sounds.

Su Xin, still only unleashing seventy percent of his bloodline power, could only rely on the Mountain-Sea Sword Art to fend off these terrifying attacks.

"This is the end."

Everyone on the training grounds sighed.

They could all see that under the siege of the ten golden-armored soldiers, Su Xin was already pushed to his limits from the start.

Barring any surprises, he could at most hold on for a while longer before being completely overwhelmed and defeated.

"The Heart of Heaven Realm gets harder the further you go. A Sea Transformation Realm cultivator passing the fourteenth round is already the limit. As for the fifteenth round... it's simply not something a Sea Transformation Realm cultivator can pass. Moreover, Su Xin is only at the Sea Transformation level. If he were at the peak of Sea Transformation or the pinnacle, he might have a chance." Elder Mo smiled.

The fifteenth round of the Heart of Heaven Realm is indeed challenging.

In the Heavenflame Dynasty's Imperial Capital Hunt, held every five years, many geniuses participate each time. Yet, over so many hunts, those who have passed the fourteenth round are few and far between. As for the fifteenth round... in the last twenty hunts, spanning a century, not a single person has passed it.

"He's going to lose."

Elder Mo smiled as he watched the mirrored image above. Many geniuses and experts from various factions and sects also thought Su Xin was about to be defeated.

But suddenly...

"Hmm?" Elder Mo's expression changed.

In the trial space, under the siege of the ten golden-armored soldiers, Su Xin was indeed at his limit. Yet, this extreme pressure gave him a new understanding of swordsmanship, and he naturally gained some insights in his mind.

"Mountain-Sea Volume, with the mountain as the foundation, what is a mountain?"

Under the siege of the ten golden-armored soldiers, Su Xin pondered continuously.

The terrifying might assaulted him again and again, each collision causing his body to tremble. To stabilize himself, his feet sank heavily into the ground below.

It seemed like he was just trying to stand firm, but the moment his feet sank into the earth, he suddenly had an epiphany.

"The ground, the earth?"

"I understand!"

"Mountains are steadfast because they are rooted in the earth, connected to the ground beneath them!"

"Even in the vast ocean, a rock stands firm because it is connected to the seabed."

"The earth is the foundation of mountains, trees, rocks, and all things in the world!"

Su Xin continued to wield his sword, but he naturally merged with the earth.

It was as if he were a nail, firmly embedded in the ground.

The spear techniques of the ten golden-armored soldiers remained terrifying, each strike carrying immense power. Yet, when Su Xin swung his sword to block, it was naturally more fluid and cohesive than before. Although each strike from the golden-armored soldiers was enough to make his arm tremble and go numb.

But now, when he blocked, Su Xin felt it was much easier.

"What's happening?"

"This sword art..."

The many geniuses watching on the training grounds, including the experts from various sects and factions, were all astonished.

They could all sense that Su Xin's sword art had completely transformed.

"He broke through!!"

Elder Mo from the Tianye Sect stared incredulously at Su Xin in the image.

"Integrating with the earth, becoming one with nature, this is the Mountain-Sea Volume at the Great Accomplishment stage!!"

Recognized as the number one sword art in the Heavenflame Dynasty.

Reaching the Great Accomplishment stage of the Mountain-Sea Volume requires not only a high level of concept comprehension but also a profound understanding of swordsmanship and unparalleled talent.

Even among those at the peak of the Void Shattering Realm, many who practiced the Northern Azure Sword Art hadn't mastered the Mountain-Sea Volume to the Great Accomplishment stage.

But Su Xin had achieved it.

"A genius!!"

"A true peerless genius in the way of the sword!"

Elder Mo's eyes burned with intensity, looking at Su Xin as if he were a priceless treasure.

In the trial space, with the Mountain-Sea Volume sword art breaking through to the Great Accomplishment stage, Su Xin found it significantly easier to handle the ten golden-armored soldiers.

He soon endured the attack time limit of these ten golden-armored soldiers and passed the fifteenth round.

In the sixteenth round, the opponents were also ten soldiers, but they wore blood-red armor and wielded blood-red spears.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The same ten soldiers attacked together, but their power and might were significantly stronger.

Su Xin, like a nail firmly embedded in the ground, wielded the Mountain-Sea Volume sword art at the Great Accomplishment stage to its fullest, fiercely resisting the attacks of these ten soldiers.

Each collision filled Su Xin with excitement.

"Exhilarating, exhilarating!!"

"This is the pressure my sword art desires to withstand!"

Su Xin was filled with passion.

Even though these ten blood-red armored soldiers were incredibly strong, he could still barely block them for a short time with the Mountain-Sea Volume sword art.

With only seventy percent of his bloodline power unleashed, he pushed himself to the limit.

Ultimately, just before his spiritual energy was completely exhausted and his sword art collapsed, he narrowly endured until the attack time limit of these ten blood-armored soldiers.

The sixteenth round of attacks, passed!!

Su Xin, this young man with only Sea Transformation level cultivation, considered by many to be immature and young, had previously been questioned by the Crimson Dragon Tower for having potential top ten strength. But today, he shocked everyone.

He remained silent, but when he finally acted, he was astonishing!

...