Chapter 182: Admit Defeat
The space inside the barrier shook violently. The four-colored sword lights and purple thunder intertwined and collided, letting out deafening rumbles.
The surface of the barrier Chen Chang'an had set up rippled, as if it could shatter at any moment.
Ji Lingxiu's fair hand formed a seal, a flash of determination in her cold eyes: "Four Symbols, become one!"
The four spiritual swords suspended around her suddenly trembled violently. The phantoms of the Azure Dragon, Vermilion Bird, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise simultaneously roared toward the heavens.
The green sword light transformed into a dragon shape, the red sword energy condensed into a phoenix shadow, the white sword radiance gathered into a tiger form, and the black sword intent converged into the state of a turtle and snake.
The four sword lights intertwined and entwined in mid-air, finally forming a great sword of flowing four colors. On the sword's body, the patterns of the four divine beasts were lifelike.
"Go!"
The great sword broke through the air. Wherever it passed, space twisted, letting out a piercing tearing sound.
The power of this sword had already surpassed the limits of an ordinary Longevity Realm cultivator.
Xiao Chen's pupils contracted slightly. The purple lightning sword in his hand let out a hum.
He took a deep breath, and a heart-palpitating aura suddenly emerged from around him.
"Nine Heavens Thunder Move: Heavenly Tribulation: Summon!"
Above the nine heavens, dark clouds suddenly gathered. A bolt of purple tribulation lightning, as thick as a water bucket, pierced through the barrier and landed directly on the tip of Xiao Chen's sword.
And that was not all. The second and third bolts of tribulation lightning fell one after another, each thicker than the last.
When the ninth bolt of tribulation lightning descended, the entire barrier had already turned into a sea of thunder.
"Ninefold Heavenly Tribulation, condense!"
The nine bolts of tribulation lightning converged at the tip of Xiao Chen's sword, finally forming a great sword that was purple-gold all over and wreathed in lightning.
The sword's body was densely covered with lightning patterns, and the faint circulation of Heavenly Dao runes could be seen.
"Boom—"
The Four Symbols great sword and the Heavenly Tribulation thunder sword collided in mid-air, erupting with a blinding light.
The violent energy impact caused fine cracks to appear on the barrier's surface, forcing Chen Chang'an to raise his hand to reinforce it.
As the light dissipated, the two figures each retreated several steps.
Ji Lingxiu's snow-white sleeves had several charred holes burned into them by the lightning. A strand of black hair had been severed by sword energy and slowly drifted down.
She raised a hand to wipe away the trace of blood at the corner of her mouth, the fighting spirit in her eyes growing even more intense: "Senior Brother's Nine Heavens Thunder Move Sword Art is truly worthy of its reputation."
Xiao Chen's condition was not much better. The sleeve of his right arm had been torn open by sword energy, faintly revealing a long, thin bloodstain.
The robe on his chest had been shredded by the Four Symbols sword energy, revealing the soft body armor underneath that shimmered with lightning.
"Junior Sister's Four Symbols, become one, almost made me unable to hold on." Xiao Chen smiled wryly as he moved his somewhat numb arm, "However..."
A brilliant light suddenly burst forth in his eyes: "Now this is interesting!"
Before the words had fully left his mouth, the two moved at the same time.
Ji Lingxiu formed a seal with both hands. The Four Symbols great sword split apart again, transforming into four streams of light that circled her body.
She stepped on the Seven Stars, and with every step, a sword light sank into the ground. In the blink of an eye, a complex sword formation took shape on the ground.
"Four Symbols Sword Domain: Open!"
With her at the center, the space within a radius of several hundred feet suddenly twisted and transformed.
The Azure Dragon occupied the east, the Vermilion Bird soared in the south, the White Tiger guarded the west, and the Black Tortoise lay dormant in the north.
The phantom shadows of the Four Symbols divine beasts were several times more substantial than before, as if true divine beasts had descended.
Seeing this, Xiao Chen did not dare to be negligent. He gripped his sword with both hands, its tip pointing directly at the firmament: "Heavenly Tribulation: Nine Heavens Thunder Prison!"
The nine heavens' thunder clouds gathered again. This time, it was no longer just tribulation lightning, but had condensed into a prison of thunder.
Countless bolts of purple-gold lightning interwove into a net, enveloping the entire sword domain. What was more terrifying was that these lightning bolts contained the unique destructive aura of a heavenly tribulation, even burning small black holes into space.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The divine beast phantoms and the thunder prison constantly collided. Every clash made the barrier shake violently.
The Azure Dragon's breath collided with the thunder, erupting in a dazzling green light; the Vermilion Bird flapped its wings, its fiery feathers intertwining with thunder serpents; the White Tiger roared, its soundwaves shattering large swaths of lightning; the Black Tortoise raised its head, its heavy carapace forcefully resisting the bombardment of the heavenly tribulation.
Fine beads of sweat seeped from Ji Lingxiu's forehead. Maintaining a sword domain of this scale was an immense burden for her.
But she gritted her teeth, and the sword art in her hands changed again: "Four Symbols Rotation: Endless Life!"
The Four Symbols divine beasts suddenly changed positions, and the power between them began to circulate.
The Azure Dragon's life force was injected into the Vermilion Bird, the Vermilion Bird's flames nourished the White Tiger, the White Tiger's sharpness empowered the Black Tortoise, and the Black Tortoise's thickness fed back into the Azure Dragon.
The power of the Four Symbols formed a perfect cycle, and the sword domain's might increased by another third.
Xiao Chen felt the pressure increase sharply, a vicious glint flashing in his eyes: "In that case... Heavenly Tribulation: Shape-shifting!"
The sky full of thunder suddenly contracted and condensed, finally forming four thunder dragons.
These thunder dragons were different from ordinary thunder methods; their dragon horns, scales, and claws were all clearly visible, and their eyes even burned with the unique destructive fire of a heavenly tribulation.
"Go!"
The four thunder dragons roared as they charged toward the Four Symbols divine beasts, engaging in a tragic slaughter.
Azure Dragon against thunder dragon, Vermilion Bird fought thunder dragon, White Tiger battled thunder dragon, Black Tortoise resisted thunder dragon.
The battle of these eight massive creatures turned the entire barrier upside down, as energy storms raged without end.
"Pfft—"
Ji Lingxiu suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, her face paling a few shades. The Four Symbols Sword Domain, while exquisite, consumed an immense amount of mental energy. She struggled to stay upright, but the sword domain's operation had already grown sluggish.
Xiao Chen was not much better; forcefully controlling four Heavenly Tribulation Thunder Dragons made his meridians ache faintly. A trace of blood seeped from between his thumb and index finger, dripping down the sword hilt to the ground.
The two gazed at each other from afar, both seeing the unyielding will to fight in the other's eyes. "Do you want to continue?" Xiao Chen asked, panting heavily.
Ji Lingxiu wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, revealing a stubborn smile: "Of course, unless Senior Brother admits defeat."
"Hahaha..." Xiao Chen laughed loudly, "In that case... let the final move decide the winner!"
"That suits me perfectly!"
The two simultaneously condensed their final spiritual energy. The Four Symbols Sword Domain began to contract inward, finally merging completely into the spiritual sword in Ji Lingxiu's hand. Meanwhile, the four thunder dragons also returned to Xiao Chen's sword, causing the purple lightning sword to bloom with unprecedented radiance.
"Four Symbols Return to One: Heaven-Shattering Style!"
"Nine Heavens Thunder Move: Heavenly Tribulation Final Form: Wrathful Thunder God!"
The two figures transformed into streams of light, colliding violently in mid-air...
"Boom——————!"
Dazzling white light filled the entire barrier. The terrifying energy impact caused the barrier Chen Chang'an had set up to flash violently, and even a few cracks appeared.
When the light dissipated, a giant pit with a diameter of several tens of feet appeared in the center of the training ground. At the bottom of the pit, two figures stood facing each other, the swords in their hands pressed against each other's throats, three inches away. It was actually a tie.
"A tie?" Han Yu's eyes widened.
Jiang Ze clicked his tongue: "These two monsters..."
A gratified look flashed in Chen Chang'an's eyes. He slowly stepped forward: "Enough, let's stop here."
But just at this moment—
"I admit defeat."
The clear, cold voice was exceptionally clear in the silent training ground. Han Yu and Jiang Ze, who were watching, simultaneously widened their eyes, while a smile appeared on the corner of Chen Chang'an's lips.
Xiao Chen's brow furrowed slightly: "Junior Sister, we clearly..."
Ji Lingxiu put away her sword and raised a hand to gather her disheveled hair behind her ear. "That last sword, you could have directly struck my vital point, but at the critical moment, you held back three-tenths of your power. Am I not mistaken?"
Xiao Chen fell silent. A hint of the embarrassment of being seen through flashed in his eyes.
Ji Lingxiu continued: "Furthermore, when the barrier shattered, Senior Brother also distracted yourself to protect me with lightning." She raised her hand, a wisp of yet-to-dissipate purple lightning coiled around her slender wrist. "This lightning carries the intent of protection. If not for that, I fear I would have been heavily injured by the residual energy."
Ji Lingxiu gave Xiao Chen a solemn bow: "Thank you for your mercy, Senior Brother. This battle, I have lost."
Xiao Chen quickly returned the bow: "Junior Sister, you are too kind. The Four Symbols Sword Formation is truly exquisite. If Master had not bestowed the tribulation lightning upon me, allowing me to grasp the power of heavenly tribulation in advance, the outcome is still uncertain."
"Senior Brother, you need not say more." Ji Lingxiu's lips curved slightly, revealing a shallow dimple that appeared exceptionally moving in the morning light. She raised her hand to tuck the loose black hair behind her ear, a simple action that exuded an indescribable elegance and composure.
"I am convinced of my defeat, Senior Brother." Her voice was still cool and clear, yet it held a bit more warmth. "However—" Her voice paused as she lifted her gaze to look directly at Xiao Chen, a burning fighting spirit igniting in her clear, autumn-water-like eyes.
The sunlight sprinkled on her delicate profile, plating her jade-like skin with a faint golden halo. Even though her clothes were torn and her hair bun slightly messy at this moment, it could not hide her innate, peerless elegance.
"I hope Senior Brother will not grow complacent." Her red lips parted lightly, her tone carrying the unique pride of a genius. "The next time we cross hands, I will surely go all out and let Senior Brother also have a taste of defeat."
As she said this, her slender fingertips gently brushed across the sword's body, the Four Symbols sword energy flowing between her fingers, reflecting her picturesque features. That confident expression seemed as if she had already seen the scene of future victory.
Xiao Chen laughed heartily, the fighting spirit and gratification in his eyes intertwined: "Since Junior Sister has such ambition, I, as your brother, shall certainly accompany you to the end."
...
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