Divine Wilderness Dragon Emperor

Lian Shuang strolled away, as ethereal as a Divine Maiden, seemingly transcendent and aloof.

A Sword Lotus bloomed with every step—such an incredible Step Technique left everyone in awe.

"It seems Lian Shuang has already reached the Celestial Pill Perfect Realm!" On the high platform, the Elders couldn't help but look surprised.

To think, just six months ago, Lian Shuang hadn't even entered the Celestial Pill Realm!

And in such a short time, she had already reached this level after breaking through.

A Sword Lotus with every step—this was not just a display of her Step Technique, but also proof that her control over the Mystical Technique Pattern had reached Perfection.

'So this is what the Celestial Pill Perfect Realm looks like,' Ling Fei mused, watching her.

His recent failure to become a Second Grade Alchemist was precisely due to his insufficient control over the Mystical Technique Pattern.

It was clear now that a considerable gap still existed between his and Lian Shuang's control over the Mystical.

'I have to observe this battle carefully,' Ling Fei thought.

At that moment, Lian Shuang strolled forward with graceful steps and landed on the tournament stage.

Lian Shuang landed on the stage. She was calm and impassive, simply gazing at He Tianming before her. Her eyes betrayed no hint of emotion.

Yet, her very indifference exerted a wave of pressure on He Tianming.

This was true even though his strength had recently increased.

And even though he had just defeated several geniuses in a row, he still had no confidence in a sure victory.

"Show me what you've got. Come at me with everything you have." He Tianming remained silent, but Lian Shuang spoke. Her voice was as impassive as her expression. With a flip of her slender hand, a Long Sword glowing with a faint blue Light Pattern appeared. She then fixed her gaze coolly on He Tianming.

The sword was merely a top-tier Spirit Sword, not a Profound Spirit Treasure. This was a spar, after all, not a contest of who had the better treasures.

That was why, in such competitions, the use of powerful treasures was generally restricted.

Otherwise, it wouldn't be a spar, but a contest of wealth.

That would make it impossible to see a person's true strength, defeating the entire purpose of the tournament.

"Fine!" He Tianming's eyes flashed. Without another moment's hesitation, an astonishing Saber Intent erupted from him.

His long hair whipped about and his robes billowed. Wild, tyrannical Saber Qi surged around him like a frenzied dragon, carrying with it the power to sunder the heavens.

This aura was a notch stronger than when he had fought Zhao Fan earlier.

Clearly, He Tianming didn't dare to hold anything back against Lian Shuang.

Long saber in hand, his aura was overwhelming, yet Lian Shuang remained perfectly composed, apparently disdaining to make the first move.

She stood her ground, her long blue hair fluttering, her face a blank mask. But on closer inspection, a glint that occasionally flashed in her eyes revealed a sharpness that pierced straight to the soul. It was enough to make many of the Celestial Pill Realm Cultivators below the stage shudder, and even Ling Fei found himself taking a sharp breath.

'Lian Shuang's Sword Intent has reached an incredibly high Realm,' Ling Fei mused.

It wasn't just him; even the Elders on the high platform were staring intently, their expressions solemn. They clearly placed great importance on this battle.

After all, Lian Shuang was the most outstanding genius of her generation in the Lingyun Sect. Her growth was directly tied to the sect's future.

Seeing her reaction, He Tianming's gaze hardened. The light in his eyes grew sharper and sharper, until they seemed like blades themselves.

"My saber exists for one purpose: one slash to break the enemy, one slash to destroy them!" The low voice rumbled from He Tianming's lips. In that instant, all hesitation vanished, replaced by a wild, tyrannical Saber Intent. He strode forward, and with a flick of his wrist, his long saber slashed toward Lian Shuang.

SWOOSH!

The long saber tore through the air, unleashing a river of Saber Qi that surged directly toward Lian Shuang.

The torrent of Saber Qi was a hundred meters long. Within it, crisscrossing streams of Saber Aura rained down from above, completely cutting off Lian Shuang's retreat.

Feeling the sheer power radiating from the long saber, the Cultivators in the audience held their breath.

'A slash like that... even I, a Cultivator at the Celestial Pill Perfect Realm, might not be able to execute it!' one of the older disciples thought.

"Junior Sister Lian Shuang should be able to block it, right?"

"I wonder what level her Swordsmanship has reached now." As their shock wore on, the crowd began to worry for Lian Shuang.

After all, no one wanted to see even a single scratch on this heaven-gifted prodigy.

And yet, Lian Shuang remained as serene as ever. She tilted her head up slightly, long eyelashes fluttering, and glanced at the tyrannical slash descending upon her.

But her eyes showed not a single trace of fear, not even the slightest ripple of concern.

It seemed that this slash, a move that would make even a Celestial Pill Perfect Realm Cultivator wary, was simply beneath her notice.

This composure made the Lian Shuang on the stage all the more captivating, drawing in everyone's gaze.

WHOOSH!

And then, Lian Shuang moved. With a wave of her slender hand, she guided her Long Sword. Sword Qi howled, coalescing in the Void to form a Sword Lotus.

The Sword Lotus was massive, its petals formed entirely from condensed Sword Qi. As the Sword Qi whistled, it created a giant vortex above the lotus.

Lian Shuang guided her Long Sword, and the Sword Lotus shot forward through the Void, meeting the massive, oncoming Saber River head-on.

As the Sword Lotus flew out, the Void itself trembled, and the two powers collided with astonishing force.

The Saber Aura fell, slashing directly at the Sword Lotus.

But the Sword Lotus whirled and spun. Sword Qi bloomed from it like lotus petals, piercing through the Void to meet the tyrannical Saber Aura.

At the same time, the rotating Sword Lotus acted like a vortex, shredding any Saber Aura that came near.

BANG! BANG!

Loud bangs echoed through the Void as streams of Saber Aura were shredded, completely unable to gain the upper hand.

Finally, the long saber itself descended, striking the Sword Lotus squarely. But the Saber Qi coating the blade was shredded, and the long saber's power plummeted.

As the long saber's momentum waned, Lian Shuang guided her Long Sword with her slender hand. The Sword Lotus transformed, unleashing an endless torrent of Sword Qi that surged forward.

BANG!

Instantly, the long saber trembled and was shattered by the fierce Sword Aura.

A massive force shot up He Tianming's arm, and his expression changed drastically.

Before He Tianming could react, the immense Sword Aura broke apart into countless lotus petals, streaking through the Void and sweeping toward him.

Some of the Sword Auras flew like lotus petals, others like Star Arrows. Each one was incomparably sharp, too fearsome to be faced head-on.

Seeing this, He Tianming spun like a whirlwind, drifting sideways to narrowly and perilously avoid the attack.

BANG!

Just as He Tianming dodged the endless Sword Aura, the afterimage he left behind was pierced through completely, distorting that patch of the Void.

A terrifying ripple spread out, threatening to annihilate everything in its path.

It was easy to imagine that if He Tianming had hesitated for even an instant, he would have been struck by that Sword Momentum, and the battle would have been over.

"Lian Shuang's control over the Sword Dao Mystical is terrifyingly strong." The scene made the Cultivators below tense up, their backs breaking out in a cold sweat.

Just a moment ago, Lian Shuang had clearly been on the defensive.

Yet, the instant He Tianming's Saber Aura was weakened, she had immediately switched from defense to offense. Such incredible Control Power left many feeling utterly inadequate in comparison.

'Switching from defense to attack in a single instant... Is that what they mean by when the Heartbeat, the Mystical moves?' On the viewing platform, Ling Fei's pupils constricted as he seemed to grasp something profound.

In that exchange, Lian Shuang had seemed almost effortless, but the level of Control Power she demonstrated was something no ordinary person could possess.

At the very least, Ling Fei's own control over the Mystical of Martial Arts had not yet reached that Realm.

The realization sent waves crashing through his heart.