Inside the classroom, the air seemed to turn dry and sharp as Ji Juechen's voice fell.
Almost at the exact moment Ji Juechen's voice, as firm as a rock, subsided, a crisp electronic sound exploded without warning in Liu Yuan's Sea of Consciousness:
[Ding! Intense Battle Intent detected. Congratulations to the Host for triggering a limited-time mission: Defeat the "Sword Maniac" Ji Juechen!]
[Mission Description: Engage in a head-on trial during a spar and completely subdue this generation's sword dao prodigy.]
[Mission Reward: Random Pokémon Item ×1!]
Liu Yuan was slightly surprised, his eyebrows twitching upward.
"Even this can trigger a mission?" he grumbled inwardly.
"It seems the System is afraid I'll be too idle in my daily life, not even letting a spar between classmates slide."
However, since a reward had been delivered to his door, the significance of this spar had completely changed.
If Liu Yuan hadn't had much of a desire to fight the Ji Juechen before him earlier...
Then now, after the System mission appeared, this battle had become one he must win.
After all, the System's rewards were always very generous; they couldn't be allowed to go to waste.
"Fine, I accept."
Liu Yuan slowly stood up, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
With his word of agreement, the previously quiet high-level class classroom instantly became like a powder keg hit by a spark, completely boiling over!
"Holy crap! His Grace the Duke agreed!"
"Quick, quick, quick! To the trial grounds! His Grace is going to fight that madman Ji Juechen!"
The news seemed to grow wings, spreading through the entire teaching building in just a few minutes.
Although Liu Yuan leading the team to win the championship had long been recorded in the academy's history, because the finals were far away in Star Luo City, most teachers and students in the academy only knew of Liu Yuan's combat power through battle reports and rumors.
Divine Rank Spirit, one-vs-seven, trampling Shrek... these terms piled together were certainly shocking, but how could they compare to the shock of witnessing a duel with one's own eyes?
Along the way, the crowd heading to the trial grounds was massive, with people flowing like a tide.
Even many teachers who were working put down their tasks, pretending to just be passing by as they squeezed toward the trial grounds.
"Liu Yuan... just how strong has he become now?" Tang Ya followed closely behind Liu Yuan, her eyes full of curiosity and inquiry.
Although she had witnessed Liu Yuan instantly killing an Evil Soul Master, that had happened too quickly, after all.
So at this moment, she actually really wanted to use this battle to verify once again exactly what Liu Yuan's strength was like.
"Go, go, go..."
"Let's go take a look too."
"Let's see what level that guy Liu Yuan is at now."
Ju Zi and Ke Ke, the two of them, also put down their experimental equipment at this moment, whispering among themselves as they squeezed into the crowd.
"Ke Ke, how many moves do you think Ji Juechen can take from Liu Yuan?" Ju Zi adjusted her black-rimmed glasses, her beautiful eyes flashing slightly.
"I don't know. That madman Ji Juechen recently comprehended Sword Intent; I heard that ordinary Six-Ring Soul Emperors can't even last ten rounds against him." Ke Ke looked at the field with a hint of worry.
Sitting nearby, Xiao Hongchen and Meng Hongchen glanced at each other, both simultaneously revealing a playful smile.
"Just watch, Ju Zi, Ke Ke," Xiao Hongchen said with his arms crossed, looking like he was there for a good show. "And this new student Tang Ya, you all better keep your eyes wide open and watch closely. In a moment, your jaws are guaranteed to drop."
...
Center of the trial grounds.
This specially-made arena, capable of withstanding impacts at the Spirit Douluo level, appeared exceptionally empty at this moment.
Liu Yuan stood with his hands behind his back, his dark blue school uniform fluttering loudly in the wind.
He didn't activate his Spirit immediately; his whole being seemed as calm as water, as if the person about to participate in the spar wasn't him at all.
Opposite him, Ji Juechen had already drawn the Meteoric Iron Sword from his back.
That was the weapon he nourished with his life; the blade was pitch black, without any extra decoration, yet it exuded a deathly stillness that chilled one to the bone.
"Liu Yuan, this strike, I have nurtured for half a year." Ji Juechen's voice was still dry, but those dead-fish eyes were now bursting with unprecedented brilliance.
Liu Yuan raised his hand slightly and spoke casually: "Since you've waited so long, then don't be polite. I'll give you the chance for the first move; whatever trump cards you have, feel free to use them."
"Good!"
Ji Juechen did not decline; as a swordsman, he had no need for hypocritical pleasantries.
"Boom—!"
In the next instant, the ground beneath Ji Juechen's feet violently shattered!
Two yellow, two purple, two black—six spirit rings of the optimal ratio spiraled up from beneath his feet. Although Ji Juechen's spirit power was not thick, that Sword Qi, pure to the extreme, actually triggered a resonance with heaven and earth at that moment.
"Sword, named Meteoric Iron!"
"First Soul Skill, Sharpness!"
"Second Soul Skill, Extinction!"
Ji Juechen's Aura climbed to its peak in an instant.
Behind him, a massive sword shadow vaguely emerged, a precursor to the manifestation of Sword Intent. Without any fancy probing, his entire person turned into a gray afterimage, the black sword in his hand tracing a profound and mysterious black arc in the air.
That strike was too pure!
No complex elemental fluctuations, no gorgeous visual effects—only extreme speed and that indomitable determination!
Wherever the Sword Qi passed, the surface of the specially-made arena was actually sliced open by the escaping Sharpness, creating a bottomless crack. The air seemed to be completely sucked dry by this strike, forming a vacuum killing zone.
"Coming along nicely."
Facing this strike that was enough to make Spirit Emperors of the same level feel despair, Liu Yuan not only didn't retreat but instead, his eyes brightened slightly.
He finally moved.
He still directly activated the Mega Rayquaza Martial Soul Possession. In just a short moment, Liu Yuan's entire body transformed into a half-human, half-dragon form.
Then, at the moment Ji Juechen's powerfully destructive strike came straight for him...
Liu Yuan directly used his signature skill—Extreme Speed.
A "swish" sound rang out instantly.
Then, in just the blink of an eye, Liu Yuan's body vanished from everyone's sight.
By the time he reappeared, he was already behind Ji Juechen's body.
Ji Juechen's powerful sword strike hit nothing but air.
Meanwhile, Liu Yuan patted Ji Juechen's shoulder from behind with his hand, and a faint chuckle followed.
"I'm over here..."
Ji Juechen was filled with shock. He swung his long sword and spun around, hacking toward the Liu Yuan behind him.
But his attack missed again. Instead, Liu Yuan's claws had already pressed against his heart from another direction.
Liu Yuan's voice rang out again, speaking to the Ji Juechen in front of him: "I think there's no need for this spar to continue..."
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