Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

"Heh. Ling Fei the Pill Master is victorious in this battle." On the high platform, Steward Huang said with a smile, "Next up, Zhou Jian, it's your turn."

"Alright!" Down below, a glint flashed in Zhou Jian's eyes as he nodded.

"Heh. Ling Fei the Pill Master, although Zhou Jian hasn't formed a Sword Intent Seed, he comprehended the Sword Heart before you did. The True Sword Dao Intent he has grasped is also exceptionally powerful, so you must be careful." Steward Huang advised from the high platform. His gaze was markedly different whenever he mentioned Zhou Jian.

Clearly, this was a genius even stronger than Cheng Xianwu.

'Zhou Jian has already comprehended the Sword Heart?' Ling Fei's gaze flickered as he couldn't help but look toward the young man below the stage in front of him.

Zhou Jian was dressed in a green robe. He was only seventeen, yet he had already comprehended the Sword Heart. Such talent was considered exceptional, even within the entire Lingyun Sect.

Furthermore, the Sword Dao Mystical he had comprehended was an exceptionally powerful one.

Just as Ling Fei was looking at Zhou Jian, the latter made his move, leaping toward the stage.

Zhou Jian's body moved like a meteor streaking across the Void, leaving a graceful arc in its wake. But before one could even admire it, he had already appeared right before their eyes.

"Zhou Jian is on the stage!"

"Zhou Jian is known as the Meteor Sword! His talent for the Sword Dao is among the very best of our Lingyun Sect's younger generation."

As Zhou Jian flew onto the tournament stage, the crowd below immediately erupted in an uproar.

This was a true genius. Although he wasn't as famous as Lian Shuang and the others, few dared to underestimate him.

In fact, many believed that with more time, he was certain to become a Sword Dao King of his generation.

His appearance on the stage naturally drew the eager anticipation of countless people.

"Senior Brother Zhou Jian is a true genius. With him in the ring, can Ling Fei even put up a fight?" Many people were skeptical.

Even though Ling Fei had defeated Cheng Xianwu and earned the crowd's recognition, very few people believed he could truly contend with Zhou Jian.

After all, these were two geniuses on completely different levels.

"I have long heard of Ling the Pill Master's fame, and seeing you in person today, I'm deeply impressed. However, if the strength you just showed is all you have, it won't be so easy to defeat me." Zhou Jian's eyes were bright, the light within them flashing like a sharp sword, giving off a keen feeling. His words, too, carried a certain edge.

"Heh. As a Cultivator, one should be constantly pursuing Martial Arts. As for victory and defeat, why be concerned with it? All that matters is that I do my best." Ling Fei gave a relaxed smile.

He wasn't concerned with so-called victory or defeat. What mattered to him was whether this sparring match would lead to his own improvement.

That was the entire point of sparring.

If he couldn't improve, then even a victory would be pointless.

"It seems I've underestimated Ling the Pill Master," Zhou Jian said, startled for a moment, before breaking into a smile.

Now, as he looked at Ling Fei, there was a clear trace of respect in his eyes.

After all, young geniuses were, one and all, fiercely competitive, eager to sweep aside all opposition and steal the show.

As a Pill Master, one would expect Ling Fei to be incredibly arrogant, looking down on all others.

Such a person would be obsessed with face and naturally unwilling to lose.

And yet, Ling Fei didn't seem to care about success or failure in the slightest. How many could compare to such a state of mind?

With this mentality alone, given time, he was bound to achieve great things.

"This Ling Fei is indeed a talent worth nurturing!" On the high platform, Peak Master Cheng couldn't help but nod in praise.

"Indeed. On the path of cultivation, talent is important, but a good mindset is even rarer. If one possesses both extraordinary talent and mindset, then they are sure to become a great figure." Grand Alchemist Yuan Chun also smiled in satisfaction. "Even if Ling Fei loses this battle, it's of no importance." He placed far more value on Ling Fei's state of mind.

"That's right. Cultivators have long lives, and many are late bloomers. It's their superior mindset that allows for this." Yuan Lang the Pill Master nodded repeatedly in agreement.

"Alright! Today, I'll fight you to my heart's content," Zhou Jian declared from the stage.

"By all means." Ling Fei's gaze sharpened, his eyes fixed on Zhou Jian as a powerful Sword Intent began to gather around him.

After comprehending the Sword Heart, his Sword Intent followed his will, making Ling Fei himself seem like a drawn sword.

"The sword I have mastered is the Meteor Sword. Watch closely!" Across the stage, a glint flashed in Zhou Jian's eyes, and with those words, he attacked.

SWOOSH!

He thrust his sword straight forward.

Zhou Jian's body became like a meteor, a streak of sword light shooting straight for Ling Fei.

It was as if Ling Fei was the only one in his sight. His sharp Sword Qi condensed into a single point, piercing the very Void, and his terrifying Sword Intent permeated one's Heart Soul.

This single strike was terrifying.

Even the spectators below the stage could feel the astonishing power contained within that terrifying strike.

"Senior Brother Zhou Jian's Meteor Sword is like a falling star—incredibly fast! And its condensed Sword Qi is unstoppable. There are few in my Martial Vein who could withstand it!" a Cultivator in the crowd exclaimed, staring intently at the streak of sword light, because this strike was truly too powerful.

Even Cheng Xianwu's face was grim.

At the same time, he clenched his fists, looking slightly tense.

He had been defeated by Zhou Jian before and knew all too well how formidable his opponent's Swordsmanship was.

SWOOSH!

A sword thrust toward Ling Fei's eyes. It was incredibly fast, similar to Lian Shuang's "One Sword, Flying Immortal."

It was just that Lian Shuang's "One Sword, Flying Immortal" was more ethereal and transcendent, clearly on a level that the Meteor Sword could not compare to.

Even so, Ling Fei felt his breath catch in his throat.

That gleam of sword light was like a Star Arrow streaking across the Void, threatening to pierce his very soul. That Sword Intent was terrifying; the blade had yet to arrive, but its presence alone was heart-stopping.

'What a Meteor Sword.' A glint flashed in Ling Fei's eyes.

This sword technique of Zhou Jian's was indeed more profound than Cheng Xianwu's Thunder Sword.

Not only was the sword fast, but its Sword Intent was also incomparably sharp, able to seep into a person's soul and shake them to their core.

This was clearly the result of him comprehending a profound Sword Intent.

'A sword itself isn't superior or inferior. The reason a Sword Intent is strong or weak is entirely due to the strength of one's Sword Heart. If the heart holds fear, how can the sword possibly be strong?' Ling Fei's gaze sharpened, and with a flick of his Long Sword, he moved to meet the incoming, meteor-like blade. 'My Sword Heart... what is it?'

At the same time, Ling Fei's own heart moved with his sword.

Previously, he had comprehended the Sword Heart by embracing an unstoppable, forward-charging momentum. This was his Sword Heart.

But that was far from enough; it was only a vague concept.

How could the Sword Heart be so simple?

'The sword moves with intent, and intent follows the heart. Since I've comprehended the True Dragon Mystical Technique, that is also a part of my Sword Intent and should move according to my will.'

As this thought flashed through his mind, Ling Fei's understanding of the Sword Dao became increasingly clear.

SWOOSH!

At the command of his Willpower, Ling Fei's Long Sword moved. Pill Essence erupted from it, transforming into a True Dragon that charged toward the incoming Meteor Sword.

There was a distinct pause in the movement.

But once his Willpower took hold and the True Dragon Momentum was unleashed, his Sword Momentum became distinctly more powerful than before.

From a distance, the Sword Qi appeared to coalesce into a True Dragon lunging at Zhou Jian.

'His Sword Intent follows his will... It seems his Realm has improved again.' As the attack came at him, a glint flashed in Zhou Jian's eyes. The domineering Sword Qi before him made him feel an overwhelming might. That power began to neutralize the momentum of his Meteor Sword, bit by bit, until finally, the two streams of Sword Qi violently clashed in the Void.

BOOM!

The Sword Qi clashed, like a meteor colliding with a True Dragon.

That patch of the Void immediately rippled with successive Sword Waves!

As the Sword Waves surged, there was a flash of light. The True Dragon dissipated, and the meteor-like sword gleam shattered, showering the tournament stage in endless motes of light.

Then, the crowd saw the two Treasure Swords collide violently.

CLANG!

The crisp sound rang out as a tremendous force surged forward. Zhou Jian felt a jolt in his wrist, and the Long Sword was nearly knocked from his grasp.