In the blink of an eye, the Grand Luo Heaven Sacrifice had entered its fever pitch.
After the chaotic selection on the first day and the Round of Sixteen on the second, the competition finally arrived at the third day: the Quarterfinals. The spectator stands were packed to capacity, as outcasts looked forward to today's even more intense duels.
During the Round of Sixteen on the second day, Ian faced Jia Zhengliang.
Unlike his casual attitude in the preliminaries, Jia Zhengliang had already realized Ian's strength. He walked onto the field with a solemn expression. Before the match, Jia Zhengliang's phone suddenly rang.
"Is that my mom calling?"
Jia Zhengliang glanced at the screen but pressed the mute button directly. Normally, he would never miss a call from his mother, but right now, he didn't dare to be careless.
This detail did not escape the eyes of his brother, Jia Zhengyu, standing by the field.
"My little brother didn't even pick up mom's call? It looks like he's really taking this seriously!"
"But it's no wonder. After all, the opponent... is a monster."
Jia Zhengliang stood in the center of the arena and took a deep breath, locking his gaze on Ian. He knew that even if he gave it his all and focused on every detail, his chances of winning were slim.
The referee raised a hand, signaling the start of the match.
Jia Zhengliang did not waste time with probing; he went all out from the start. With a wave of his hands, twelve Immortal-Slaying Flying Daggers flew from his waist, rotating around him at high speed, their blades flashing with a cold light.
"Twelve Immortal-Slaying Flying Daggers! The full set right from the start!" someone in the crowd who knew their stuff exclaimed.
"This kid can actually use twelve of them?!"
"These flying daggers are so strong! The Jia family's inheritance really lives up to its reputation."
The daggers carved silver arcs through the air, their blade energy crisscrossing with extraordinary momentum. Even the experienced referee nodded slightly in approval of Jia Zhengliang's strength.
However, faced with such a display, Ian remained calm.
As the daggers swept toward him, he raised his hand slightly, and a golden spatial gate expanded in front of him. He reached into the portal and pulled out a sword shimmering with rainbow light—the Terraprisma.
Ian drew the blade and gave it a light swing, trailing a brilliant shadow. Then, with a flash of light, the shadows solidified, turning into countless light swords surrounding him.
The spectator stands erupted in an uproar.
"My god, what kind of ability is this?"
"He can use flying swords too?"
"This is way cooler than Jia Zhengliang's! Now this is what you call flying swords!"
Ian waved his hand casually, sending twelve light swords to intercept Jia Zhengliang's Immortal-Slaying Flying Daggers.
Jia Zhengliang looked at the opponent's light swords and then at his own flying daggers; his face turned grim. In terms of quantity, momentum, and appearance, he was being utterly crushed by Ian.
'Number of flying swords: total defeat...'
'Level of elegance: total defeat...'
'Coolness of special effects: still a total defeat...'
Daggers and light swords collided in mid-air, the sound of clashing metal interweaving with energy explosions. Every time Jia Zhengliang's daggers touched the light swords, they were bounced away, and faint cracks began to appear on their surfaces. The light swords, meanwhile, remained unscathed.
Sweat poured down Jia Zhengliang's forehead as he struggled to control his daggers, but the offensive of the light swords became increasingly fierce.
"I can't keep this up..."
Finally, Jia Zhengliang's twelve daggers were struck to the ground, letting out crisp clinking sounds. Jia Zhengliang knelt on the ground, panting, and looked up at Ian, who was still composed and surrounded by a vast array of flying swords.
"I... surrender."
The venue fell silent for a moment before erupting in thunderous applause and discussion.
Jia Zhengliang walked off the field, shaking his head with a bitter smile. He had done his best, but the gap in strength was simply too large. Even using his house's signature skills, he was insignificant before Ian.
On the other side, Zhang Chulan's opponent was Feng Shayan. Although Feng Shayan's abilities had been enhanced by Ian and had reached a qualitative level of improvement, she still couldn't rival the current Zhang Chulan.
Zhang Chulan was wrapped in electric currents. That violent power made Feng Shayan's heart skip a beat. She knew there was no suspense in this match, but she was still unwilling to give up easily.
"People of the Feng family never surrender!" Feng Shayan grit her teeth.
Zhang Chulan gave a faint smile. As the current flowed through his body, he appeared in front of Feng Shayan as if teleporting.
Feng Shayan's eyes widened as she instantly felt a powerful pressure. She tried to use her spatial abilities to dodge, only to find that the electricity around Zhang Chulan had formed a field, restricting her powers.
"Just surrender. Don't get hurt," Zhang Chulan advised.
Feng Shayan bit her lip and finally nodded.
"I surrender."
By the field, a flash of complexity crossed Feng Zhenghao's eyes. Although his daughter's strength was now very high, she still couldn't keep up with the likes of Zhang Chulan. It seemed the destiny between the Feng family and Ian was unlikely to go any further.
At the same time, in another arena, the match between Feng Xingtong and Wang Bing had begun.
Feng Xingtong wanted to show his skills and have a showdown with Wang Bing. However, just as he was preparing himself, he saw his father, Feng Zhenghao, make a gesture to him.
"Surrender," Feng Zhenghao gestured.
Feng Xingtong froze, not understanding why his father wanted him to give up. He looked at the arrogantly standing Wang Bing, feeling indignant. However, he ultimately chose to respect his father's decision.
"I surrender," Feng Xingtong said calmly.
Wang Bing was stunned for a moment before breaking into a smug smile.
"Ha! The Feng family brat is nothing special after all!"
Feng Xingtong clenched his fists and left the arena. He didn't understand his father's intention, but he believed his father had his reasons.
After the match, Feng Xingtong couldn't wait to find his father.
"Father, why did you make me surrender? I clearly had a chance!"
Feng Zhenghao patted his son's shoulder and said earnestly, "You will understand in the future. Now is not the time for a head-on conflict with the Wang family."
It turned out that on that day, Ian had not only transmitted the complete version of Spirit Dispatching into Feng Zhenghao's mind but also the complex truth of the grudge between the Wang and Feng families.
Although Feng Zhenghao had taught the complete Spirit Dispatching to Feng Xingtong after learning all this, the time had been too short, and Feng Xingtong had not fully mastered it.
Just now, Feng Zhenghao had sensed a sinister aura on Wang Bing. He could feel that, at this moment, Feng Xingtong was likely not Wang Bing's match. Feng Zhenghao didn't want his son to take risks and decided to endure for now.
"I will slowly settle the grudge between the Wang and Feng families," Feng Zhenghao whispered, a cold light flashing in his eyes.
And so, the Grand Luo Heaven Sacrifice officially determined the top eight. The atmosphere of the competition grew increasingly tense, as the eyes of the outcast world focused on these young experts who had stood out.
The third day's matches were about to begin, and the first was the highly anticipated showdown: Ian versus Wang Bing.
Below the stage, Ian and Wang Bing were already walking toward the arena. One was composed, the other arrogant and conceited.
The curtain for the third day of the Grand Luo Heaven Sacrifice was about to rise.