Xuanwu War Sovereign

An hour later, on Arena One, Empress Ziying was on one knee. An occasional bolt of purple lightning flashed across her body.

Trickles of blood spilled from the corner of her mouth.

Her aura had dropped to an all-time low.

Shenxiu was clad in Silver-White Battle Armor, a faint golden glow wreathed around him. Though his body was covered in scorched-black wounds, his aura was still several times stronger than Empress Ziying’s.

The outcome of the battle was already decided.

"Concede. I do not wish to kill you," Shenxiu said, lowering his gaze and pressing his palms together. His expression held a tranquil quality.

Empress Ziying was not particularly beautiful. In fact, she looked quite plain. With her thick eyebrows and the sharp, cold lines of her mouth, she looked more like a man than a woman.

"To walk is emptiness, to sit is emptiness, like a sharp sword cutting the spring wind... What an incredible *Empty Profound White Elephant Scripture*," she muttered. "Shenxiu, I will repay you for today’s defeat in the future!"

Empress Ziying stood up. As she passed by Shenxiu, her steps faltered for a moment. Then, in a flash, she was off the arena, her figure quickly vanishing from sight.

An Elder flew onto the arena and announced, "Arena One, Shenxiu is the victor!"

"Next match! Qin Feng and Ling Shuanghua, please enter the arena!"

Hearing this, Qin Feng opened his eyes, his gaze sweeping over Arena One.

Just then, on the other side of the stage, a streak of light arced through the air and landed silently on the arena.

From within the blue light emerged a woman in blue robes, holding a longsword.

The woman in blue was fair-skinned, with a tall, graceful figure and delicate features. While not devastatingly beautiful, her gentle, water-like temperament was captivating and unforgettable.

In the academy district, many gazes fell upon her, burning with fervent admiration.

Although Ling Shuanghua wasn’t as popular as Yue Ji, her unique aura had still attracted many budding geniuses.

She truly had a group of die-hard followers.

With a light tap of his foot, Qin Feng shot forward like a rainbow and landed on the arena with a SWOOSH.

"Qin Feng!" Ling Shuanghua’s gaze was peculiar. A complex mix of regret and amazement flashed in her clear, bright eyes before settling into a cold glare.

’Actually, Ling Shuanghua had heard about Qin Feng right after he joined the All Stars Academy. Du Pingxia had even recommended him to her.’

’But Ling Shuanghua hadn’t paid him much mind. Of the top four freshmen, she valued Ji Huang’Er the most, followed by Sikong, who possessed the Illusionary Divine Bloodline.’

’As for Qin Feng, she had only made a token gesture, sending a few disciples from the Heaven’s Edge Sea Pavilion to contact him, and the offer they made was mediocre at best.’

’Her impression of him soured even further when she later heard he had rejected the Heaven’s Edge Sea Pavilion’s invitation.’

’Just another arrogant freshman who didn’t know what was good for him!’

’When she heard that Qin Feng had offended Ao Shen of the Five Elements Team, she even used him as a cautionary tale for her confidants.’

’But then Qin Feng’s rise had been meteoric. First, he obtained a High-level Spirit Sword at Spirit Sword Peak under the watchful eyes of all, and then he took first place in the Hidden Dragon Points Competition.’

’What embarrassed Ling Shuanghua even more was that in this grand competition, Qin Feng—a mere Condensing Vein Realm cultivator—had actually fought his way into the top ten finalists.’

’It was a blatant slap in her face.’

’Many experts in the Heaven’s Edge Sea Pavilion were secretly saying she was shortsighted and had no eye for talent!’

’The Heaven’s Edge Sea Pavilion was one of the Top Ten Teams in the All Stars Academy, with a thousand-year history and significant power within the Star Sect. If she carried this reputation with her upon entering the main sect, the impact on her future would be immense.’

Qin Feng was no stranger to Ling Shuanghua either.

Qin Feng had seen her fight before. Ling Shuanghua cultivated Water Attribute True Power, and her comprehension of the Water Element Realm was astonishing.

When she unleashed her Vast Sea True Power, it was like a torrential flood with giant waves that blotted out the sky.

She cultivated the *Ten Thousand Layers of Asura Slash*, one of the three great True Inheritance techniques of the Star Sect’s Outer Sect, alongside the *Void Meteor Sword Technique* and the *Nine Heavens Star River True Method*.

The Sword Technique contained a terrifying Sea-cutting Power.

That wasn’t all. Qin Feng suspected this woman had other trump cards up her sleeve.

Ling Shuanghua appeared gentle and sweet, but judging by the way she exploited the members of her Heaven’s Edge Sea Pavilion, Qin Feng knew she was anything but kind.

In the previous rounds, many had thought she was at a disadvantage, yet she had defeated her opponent every single time.

In short, she was an extremely strong opponent, and Qin Feng didn’t dare to underestimate her.

The referee glanced at the two on the arena and announced, "Begin!"

BOOM!

The moment the referee’s voice fell, Ling Shuanghua made her move, immediately unleashing her famous Ultimate Skill: the *Ten Thousand Layers of Asura Slash*!

While in mid-air, phantoms of three or four oceans swirled around Ling Shuanghua, and the faint sound of countless crashing waves echoed.

The phantoms of the four oceans represented the power of four seas. This four-fold Sea Power converged with a deafening roar into a single, devastating sword strike.

The sea-blue sword light was impossibly fast, tearing through the Void with irresistible force and appearing above Qin Feng’s head in the blink of an eye.

’What a treacherous woman!’

Qin Feng could feel that the Sea Power contained within the sword light was enough to shatter the Void itself. If he let that strike land, even with the powerful regenerative abilities of his Eight Desolates Undying Body, he would be instantly blasted to smithereens.

Ling Shuanghua was treacherous, unleashing such a powerful attack right from the start. If Qin Feng had relaxed for even a split second, he would have been unable to dodge it.

He would have been utterly slain by that one blow.

The instant the roaring sword light reached the space above his head, Qin Feng’s figure vanished. The terrifying attack slammed into the spot where he had just stood.

RUMBLE!

A huge section of the arena, dozens of zhang wide, completely collapsed. A massive crater several zhang across appeared where Qin Feng had been standing.

The moment she saw Qin Feng disappear, Ling Shuanghua reacted instantly. Her form split into a hundred phantoms as she silently vanished from her spot.

BANG!

An incomparably sharp glint of cold light slashed down where Ling Shuanghua had just been. In the next moment, a huge chasm tore open the ground.

Qin Feng’s figure appeared above the chasm, and suddenly, his expression changed.

"Qin Feng, I knew you would try a sneak attack! You’re still too green," she taunted. "Those brats only lost because they weren’t prepared for your Fire Element Divine Abilities. But you’re facing me now, and you won’t even get the chance to use them!"

In mid-air, Ling Shuanghua, who had just dodged, suddenly reversed course. Spinning like a gyroscope, she swept forward with a roar, unleashing a Fist Technique—another one of the Great Divine Abilities.

A single punch carried the force of ten thousand stampeding horses. Her movements were wide and sweeping yet incredibly sharp, like giant, roiling waves surging forward.

This was an Ancient Great Divine Power, the ’Ancient Sea Divine Palm’. To master it, Ling Shuanghua had once entered the Endless Ocean alone and trained bitterly for several years.

"I don’t need my Fire Element Divine Abilities to deal with you!" Qin Feng’s cold laughter echoed across the arena. His figure moved like a phantom as he counterattacked. A heavy power gathered in his hands as he directly unleashed the Xuanwu Yin Yang Dao Fist Technique. His Infinite True Power surged, and his palms conjured the massive True Spirit of a Xuanwu from the ancient seas. It was an existence that could suppress the very oceans; no Palm Force could hope to shake it.

Every one of Ling Shuanghua’s palm strikes contained Tidal Power, wave after wave of infinite force strong enough to shatter rivers. But against the Xuanwu True Spirit, a being that could suppress the ancient seas, she had met her perfect counter. The Xuanwu True Spirit radiated a strange, formless power that suppressed all the tides. Whenever her attacks neared it, they became as calm as a windless sea.