The moment the talisman left his hand, a circular rune flared with dazzling light. Countless beams solidified into tangible force, surging toward Song Wanníng.
Below the stage, the disciples had already been struck speechless. That move Song Wanníng had pulled earlier to seize the lightning had left them stunned.
The once lively arena fell into a silence so sharp one could hear a pin drop. Every gaze was fixed on the battle platform.
Song Wanníng was blasted back by the force of the rune. She fought to steady herself in midair, then leveled her sword directly at Xu Mingyu.
The rune stood like a wall at the very center, shielding Xu Mingyu from harm.
Clutching his shoulder, he hastily swallowed a pill. The bleeding stopped quickly, but the pain in his shoulder was still sharp and biting. His face had gone pale, a faint black miasma seeping from him. Rage churned in his chest. His own trump card had ended up working in her favor. The humiliation was suffocating.
"I underestimated you!"
Whatever thought he'd had of showing mercy had long vanished. All he could feel now was the sting of his own pride being crushed.
The reaction from the watching disciples said it all. Win or lose, his face had already been lost today. He was a late-stage Void Refinement cultivator, and yet Song Wanníng had driven her sword into him in front of everyone…
Sensing his hostility, Song Wanníng's expression remained calm. Suspended in midair, she seemed like an immortal out of reach, shrouded in mystery.
"You're just as I imagined."
The simple words hid a sharp edge.
Arrogant beyond measure.
Xu Mingyu's complexion turned ashen. His fists clenched so tightly they cracked. "Don't think that just because you won one exchange you're invincible. Watch how I deal with you!"
He slammed his fist into the battle platform. From underfoot, lightning exploded upward, forming a whirling circle that enclosed him like a fortress. With a flick of his wrist, his flexible sword reappeared, now wreathed in lightning. It lashed out toward Song Wanníng.
That earlier moment when she seized his lightning—surely it had been a fluke. She was a fire attribute cultivator. How could she possibly control thunder?
But as his mind spun through the possibilities, Song Wanníng gave a soft, amused laugh. Sending her lightning to her again?
This level of thunder was nothing before the Godly Lightning Seed she carried.
She swung her sword once more, siphoning the lightning into her own attack and sending it straight back at him.
History repeated itself. Xu Mingyu was driven back yet again, cursing furiously. He barely dodged the fierce sword light this time. Even so, his ear went numb—the sword had passed so close it nearly sliced it off.
The mere wind from the strike had scraped the skin raw, leaving a stinging burn. With the rune still blocking her path, Song Wanníng's strike hadn't landed. She studied it closely.
Breaking that rune would be key to defeating Xu Mingyu.
Though she was only in early-stage Void Refinement, her strength had long surpassed the late stage after awakening the dragon vein, creating her internal world, seizing chaotic qi, and enduring multiple heavenly tribulations.
Even peak Void Refinement cultivators were not beyond her reach.
Few could claim to have undergone such trials.
She was confident she could defeat Xu Mingyu—it was only a matter of time.
But now, the rune intrigued her.
It would make excellent sword practice.
A glint of cold light flashed in her eyes. She struck once more, channeling only the path of the sword combined with her own sword intent. No other techniques.
For a sword cultivator, countless moves eventually merged into the way of the sword itself. Reaching true fusion, however, was exceedingly difficult. Still, there were endless truths to grasp—any attribute, any technique, could be drawn into the sword if one had the insight.
Song Wanníng had never lacked comprehension. What she lacked was time.
Her burdens were too great to devote herself entirely to cultivation. She sighed inwardly as her sword intent clashed with the rune. A ring of light burst outward, the air splitting with explosive cracks.
She leapt clear of the wave and struck again.
The sudden shift in her focus left the crowd stunned.
Xu Mingyu, the very one who had challenged her, now seemed forgotten in the corner.
A chorus of low whistles and mutters rose from below.
Too much. This was too much.
Xu Mingyu's face flushed crimson. Rage boiled up, his eyes bloodshot.
"Insufferable! Absolutely insufferable!"
She was mocking him.
Never in his life had he suffered such humiliation.
Unable to contain his fury, he swung his lightning-covered sword at her. The sword light tore forward, packed with killing intent, as though to rip space apart.
Everyone knew he was truly enraged now.
But Song Wanníng only gave him a passing glance before swinging her sword again. Unlike the strikes aimed at the rune, this one carried the oppressive might of the dragon vein. Neither her internal world nor her dragon vein's power was something ordinary people could resist.
Boom.
Her sword strike curved past the rune and locked directly onto Xu Mingyu. The clash shattered the lightning around his flexible sword, scattering it like falling starlight. He tried to block, but the blow hurled him across the platform. Even his prized flexible sword now bore deep scars.
Bang.
He crashed to the ground, rolling and coughing blood. The entire stage trembled with the impact.
Gasps erupted from the audience. Eyes widened as though they had seen a ghost. What they were witnessing shattered their understanding again and again.
"Is Song Wanníng… playing the pig to eat the tiger? Has she been hiding her cultivation?"
"She must be. How else could she completely overpower Xu Mingyu? He's ranked in the top fifty."
"But she just ascended—there's no way her cultivation could have risen so fast."
"Could she be… one of those legendary geniuses among geniuses?"
"No wonder the sect master gave her a true disciple position so quickly. He must have known all along."
"Then what about Lin Hao and the others the other day?"
"What about them? Fools, the lot of them. Didn't even realize they were being used."
The disciples' eyes shifted, some wary, some filled with admiration and respect.
If Song Wanníng truly defeated Xu Mingyu with only early-stage Void Refinement, she would be recognized as a prodigy among prodigies within Guhan Sect, her future limitless. No one would dare provoke her.
But disciples from the other two sects were far from pleased. If this were true, they had just gained another formidable rival—one they would need to report about immediately.
Pffft.
Xu Mingyu spat another mouthful of black blood, this time from sheer rage, not injury.
Song Wanníng had once more turned her back on him to continue attacking the rune.
He was left standing there like a clown, neither advancing nor retreating…