The barrier hummed again as Liu Xin stepped back onto the platform.
Across from him, Han Yuwei slowly rose into the air, his feet leaving the ground as Nascent Soul qi surged around his body like a raging tide. The once-concealed arrogance was gone, replaced by something darker, heavier.
Malice.
Resentment.
Killing intent so dense it made weaker cultivators feel their hearts seize.
The sky above the arena dimmed.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the stone platform beneath Han Yuwei's feet, unable to endure the pressure of his aura.
He looked down at Liu Xin as if gazing upon an insect.
"Now," Han Yuwei said slowly, his voice layered with spiritual resonance, "you will understand the difference between heaven and earth."
Liu Xin did not answer.
Instead, he drew his sword.
Shiiiing
The blade emerged inch by inch, its steel humming softly, as if greeting an old enemy. The moment it cleared the sheath, Liu Xin's aura changed.
Sharp.
Focused.
Like a blade honed for a single purpose.
Elder Zhen's eyes narrowed.
"That sword intent…" he murmured.
Han Yuwei scoffed. "Intent?" He raised his hand, Nascent Soul qi condensing into a massive spectral palm above him. "I'll crush you before you even swing."
The palm descended.
BOOOOM!
The arena shook violently as the gigantic hand slammed down, pulverizing stone into dust. Shockwaves slammed against the barrier, rippling across its surface like storm-tossed waves.
The crowd cried out.
"Is he dead?!"
"Nothing can survive that!"
Dust swallowed the platform whole.
Han Yuwei sneered. "Pathetic. Even ants—"
Clang.
A clear, ringing sound cut through the dust.
A sword hum.
The dust parted.
Liu Xin stood there.
Unmoved.
Above his head shimmered a translucent golden barrier, layers upon layers of interlocking sword-shaped sigils rotating slowly, firmly.
Eternal Aegis Barrier.
The spectral palm shattered upon contact, dispersing like smoke struck by a gale.
The arena fell deathly silent.
Han Yuwei's pupils shrank. "Impossible!"
Liu Xin looked up, eyes calm, voice steady.
"You should've killed me when you had the chance."
He stepped forward.
Just one step.
And the pressure changed.
Liu Xin's sword intent erupted.
Not explosive.
Not violent.
But absolute.
The sword in his hand trembled, then sang as lines of light traced across the blade, ancient runes igniting one after another.
Han Yuwei suddenly felt it.
Danger.
Real danger.
"Die!" Han Yuwei roared.
His hands moved in rapid succession, seals overlapping as Nascent Soul qi erupted without restraint. Spiritual flames twisted violently, coiling upon themselves before taking the shape of a serpentine dragon. It shrieked as it surged forward, its blazing body tearing through the air toward Liu Xin, scorching the platform in its wake.
The pressure was suffocating.
The crowd's faces drained of color.
Liu Xin's gaze sharpened.
He raised his sword, no flourish, no wasted movement.
The world seemed to still.
"Heaven Piercing Void Slash."
He swung.
There was no explosion.
No blinding light.
Just a thin, silent arc that cut forward as if slicing through empty space itself.
The slash met the incoming dragon.
For a single breath, nothing happened.
Then.
Sssshhk
The serpentine dragon was cleaved cleanly in half.
Its roar was cut short as the spiritual flames split apart, collapsing into scattered embers that dissipated into nothingness.
Han Yuwei's expression froze.
Before he could react, the slash did not stop.
It passed through the severed technique and reached him in the same instant.
Slash!
Blood sprayed into the air.
Han Yuwei was sent staggering backward, a deep gash carved across his shoulder, flesh torn open as Nascent Soul qi erupted chaotically from the wound. His arm went numb, nearly losing strength as pain finally registered.
He let out a hoarse grunt, barely stabilizing himself midair.
Below them.
Crack.
A sharp, unmistakable sound echoed.
The platform protective barrier flickered violently as a long fracture spread across its surface, the formation groaning under the residual force of the strike.
Gasps erupted throughout the arena.
"Th-that, he cut through a Nascent Soul technique?!"
"And damaged the platform barrier?!"
Han Yuwei clutched his bleeding shoulder, disbelief and rage twisting his features as he stared at Liu Xin.
Liu Xin lowered his sword, its edge still humming faintly.
Calm.
Unhurried.
The arena fell into stunned silence.
Spectators' mouths hung open, eyes wide in disbelief.
A Foundation Establishment cultivator, a mere fledgling in the grand hierarchy, had just overpowered a Nascent Soul Realm expert. Not one, but two masters of a major realm in a single exchange.
Whispers spread like wildfire.
"Did… did that just happen?"
"No… that's impossible!"
"Foundation Establishment against Nascent Soul?! How could a mere young master—"
Even the Han Family, seated prominently in the distinguished stands, wore expressions of pure shock. Eyebrows arched, lips parted, some clenching fists as if trying to will the scene away.
"This… this is impossible," one elder muttered, voice trembling with disbelief.
Across the arena, the Liu Family was a picture of exhilaration. Faces brightened, eyes sparkling with pride, a few members even letting out joyous laughter.
Their genius young master… had just made history.
Among the spectators, a chattering broke out, rising above the stunned whispers.
"Look at him! Liu Xin… he's incredible!"
"Who is this boy? That technique, what is it?!"
Another added, excitement tinged with awe, "Heaven Piercing Void Slash…? I've never seen a technique capable of cutting through Nascent Soul Cultivator like that!"
Eyes turned back to Liu Xin. Calm. Unshaken. The sword in his hand still hummed faintly, as if promising there was much more to come.
...
In the distinguished viewing platform.
The elders of the Azure Spirit Sword Sect were no longer composed.
Shock flickered across their faces, followed swiftly by undisguised joy and excitement.
"A Foundation Establishment cultivator."
"Injuring a Nascent Soul Realm expert."
"This kind of talent, no this is monstrous!"
One elder clenched his fist, laughter barely contained. "A heaven‑sent genius! If he enters our sect, the sect will have another genius!"
Another nodded vigorously. "With proper guidance, he would dominate an entire generation."
At the center of them all, Sect Master Xingjin sat quietly.
A faint smile curved his lips.
His sharp eyes never left Liu Xin.
I've decided, he thought calmly. This Liu Xin… will be my direct disciple.
But then—
His gaze shifted.
Han Yuwei was clutching his shoulder, blood dripping freely, Nascent Soul qi churning chaotically around the wound. Xingjin's pupils constricted.
Something was wrong.
Far too wrong.
"That injury…" Xingjin muttered, his expression hardening. He rose from his seat slightly, voice sharpening with authority. "What is he doing? s-stop him!"
Before the words could fully leave his mouth.
The air changed.
A vast surge of negative spiritual qi erupted from Han Yuwei's body, expanding outward like a black storm. The temperature plummeted. The sky darkened further, clouds spiraling violently above the arena as if drawn by an unseen vortex.
The barrier trembled.
Even the elders stiffened.
"This qi… it's polluted!"
"That's not normal Nascent Soul energy!"
Below, Han Yuwei slowly lifted his head.
His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulging across his face as a twisted, insane grin split his features. His aura warped unnaturally, filled with hatred, resentment, and madness, as if something else had awakened within him.
Possession.
Or something far worse.
"No matter what happens…" Han Yuwei snarled, his voice distorted, layered with something inhuman. "I'll kill you…"
His gaze locked onto Liu Xin with obsessive hatred.
"And I'll drag you with me, Liu Xin!"
He threw his head back and shouted, the sound echoing like a curse across the arena.
The crowd recoiled in terror.
Sect Master Xingjin's smile vanished entirely.
This was no longer a simple duel.
Sect Master Xingjin's calm demeanor vanished.
The aura emanating from Han Yuwei was unnatural, suffocating, and unmistakably malicious. Without hesitation, Xingjin rose from his seat and moved forward, spiritual energy flaring like a roaring tempest around him.
"I'll put an end to this!" he declared, voice slicing through the chaos.
In an instant, he launched an attack toward Han Yuwei, his sword qi blazing like a comet. The air itself seemed to split as his attack tore through space.
But as he neared, his eyes widened in disbelief.
Clang—clang—clang!
A barrier of black, corrupted energy erupted around Han Yuwei, forming with impossible speed. Every strike Xingjin launched was repelled, meeting resistance that made even a master of his caliber stagger back.
"What!? I… I can't break in?!" Xingjin's voice was sharp, laced with shock and urgency.
Han Yuwei's twisted grin widened. He raised his arms as if invoking the heavens themselves.
"I, Han Yuwei, sacrifice my life… and the lives of my clan!" he intoned, each word resonating with unnatural power. "To descend upon your arrival… and let all bear witness to true terror!"
The negative spiritual qi swirling around him erupted violently, sucking at the very life forces of everything near him.
The elders of the Han Family, including the ten strongest elders in Nascent Soul Realm, faltered. Their faces drained of color. Energy that had sustained their bodies for decades was ripped away as if invisible hands were pulling at their souls.
"Ahh, my qi… my life force…" they groaned in shock and horror until they become skeleton.
The younger disciples of the Han Family screamed in terror. Some clutched their heads, others were thrown backward by the invisible force. Panic overtook reason. They scattered like leaves in a storm, fleeing in every direction, abandoning their positions entirely.
And then, the shockwave reached the spectators.
The crowd froze, hearts pounding. The aura radiating from Han Yuwei crushed the spirit, and the pure terror of the moment sent people scrambling.
Elder Zhen's voice boomed over the chaos.
"Evacuate all the mortals! Immediately!"
Shouts echoed as the crowd surged toward every exit. Dust and debris flew into the air as panic erupted in a living tide, the arena becoming a storm of fear and confusion.
Even from the distinguished platform, the elders and disciples of Azure Spirit Sword Sects leaned back in alarm, some gripping their seats for balance.
Xingjin's expression was grim, his sword qi flaring, but even he felt the pressure of the negative energy pressing down like a mountain.
The negative spiritual qi around Han Yuwei erupted violently, shooting upward into the sky like countless black arrows of pure malice.
The clouds twisted and convulsed under the immense pressure, forming a vortex that churned with violent, chaotic energy. The arena below seemed insignificant against the storm above.
Then… the impossible happened.
The sky itself split open. A jagged tear appeared, and sharp like shattered glass, stretching across the heavens. Light from the world below spilled into the void, but the rift was filled with impenetrable darkness, absorbing everything around it.
From the tear, something began to descend.
Slowly descending.
At first, it was just a shadow against the black void, but as it drew closer, the figure became horrifyingly clear.
A tall figure, cloaked entirely in a black robe, floated down with an unnatural grace. Long, black hair streamed behind them like liquid night.
Their face… obscured.
A dragon mask gleamed faintly in the darkness, scales etched in menacing detail, eyes hollow but somehow alive, radiating primal terror.
The air grew colder, the shadows stretching unnaturally, drawn to the descending figure. Even the barrier protecting the arena trembled under the pressure, struggling to contain the malevolent aura.
The crowd, still fleeing in panic, froze again.
Some fell to their knees, unable to look directly at the sight, hearts pounding with paralyzing fear.
Sect Master Xingjin's eyes narrowed, sword qi flaring even brighter and said.
"So… this is what he's summoning."
Liu Xin's grip on his sword tightened, calm and focused, though his mind raced.
This… was no longer just a duel. This was something far beyond human reckoning, descending from the shattered sky itself.
The arena became deathly silent, the only sound the howling storm of negative spiritual qi, as the dragon-masked figure slowly lowered itself into the world.
The jagged rift in the sky seemed to widen as the masked figure descended, but he did not land on the platform. Instead, he stepped midair, as though gravity itself obeyed his will. Each movement exuded effortless dominance, the air warping subtly with his presence.
The arena below fell completely silent. Even the fleeing spectators seemed frozen in place, as if time itself feared to move.
Liu Xin's eyes narrowed, sword in hand, his gaze locked on the dark figure high above.
"Wh-who are you?!" he shouted, voice steady despite the aura pressing down on him like a mountain.
A deep, cold laughter echoed from the rift, rolling through the arena and rattling the very hearts of the cultivators below.
"How rude of me," the figure said, his voice low and dripping with menace, carrying an almost tangible weight.
He paused, the air around him thickening, black spiritual qi swirling like ink in water.
"You may call me…" He let the words hang, the pause stretching unnervingly. Then, deliberately, he continued.
"False God."
The instant he spoke the name, negative spiritual qi radiated outward from him like a spreading plague.
It filled the arena, curling and twisting into every corner, pushing against barriers, shaking the stone platforms, and pressing down on the hearts of every living being present.
Even Sect Master Xingjin's expression darkened. His sword qi flared instinctively, defensive and restrained.
The aura was not just power, it was intimidation made manifest, suffocating yet precise, a threat that whispered.
I am beyond you. I am beyond your world.
Spectators screamed and stumbled back, some fainting outright from the overwhelming oppression.
Liu Xin stood firm, sword in hand, jaw set. His aura flared subtly, a quiet counter against the storm. He did not move forward, nor did he flinch.
This… was no ordinary enemy.
This was something entirely different.