Yuan Che, entering the 'Burning Sword' state, was completely consumed by the vicious sword, with anything blocking his path destined for destruction.
Ren Yuan Hao felt the might of the vicious sword, his internal Zhen Qi seemingly surging with it. Fortunately, his Pure Heart Art had reached its final stage; his heart was as clear as ice, unfazed by the collapse of heaven!
"Sect Master, Yuan Che has gone berserk. If you don't intervene now, and he is infected by the vicious sword for too long, I fear..."
The Second Elder's greatest worry materialized within mere seconds.
Mo Xing He said, "This is a tribulation he must overcome. If I were to intervene, firstly, this Dragon Pool seat would be lost, and secondly, Yuan Che would surely lose the momentum to break through to the Enlightenment Realm. He would likely live in the shadow of the sword for the rest of his life, never to progress further."
The Second Elder sighed, "Sect Master, Yuan Che is the best talent in decades. If you force him, even if he breaks through to the Enlightenment Realm, his Zhen Qi and internal energy will be tainted by the vicious sword, turning him into a killing machine. How will you answer to the ancestors!"
"Are you declaring war on me?" Mo Xing He had long disliked this Second Elder. In fact, their Cang Long Sect had six elders. Besides the First Elder and himself, who were the radical faction, the other five were conservatives.
The First Elder had been severely injured by the furious Han Yan in the previous grand competition and was now merely a figurehead. The Second Elder frequently argued with Mo Xing He over trivial matters.
Despite their disputes, the elders' strength was far inferior to Mo Xing He's. Their arguments yielded no results, only escalating their animosity.
Originally, the Second Elder shouldn't have attended this grand competition, but fearing Mo Xing He might take any drastic actions, he had insisted on attending, even if it meant losing face.
And what he feared most had indeed happened.
"Declaring war? Mo Xing He, how could I dare to challenge you given your influence in the Cang Long Sect? I merely cherish talent. Yuan Che is the pride of our Cang Long Sect. Look at him now, look at how everyone here is looking at him – they are clearly seeing a ferocious beast, a malevolent spirit, not the proud and independent Chief Senior Disciple of the Cang Long Sect."
The Second Elder lamented, but Yuan Che wouldn't hear his words. His mind was filled with surging killing intent and nothing else.
He drew his sword, leveraging the might of the 'Burning Sword'. His strength now rivaled that of an early Enlightenment Realm cultivator. His Zhen Qi was wild, and his sword's power sent ice shards flying. The ice bed beneath his heavy tread showed signs of cracking, a situation unseen in previous competitions.
Ren Yuan Hao did not draw his sword. Amidst the gasps of the crowd, he would sometimes dodge with the Drunken Moon Gaze Step, sometimes evade with the inscrutable 'Bewitching Immortal Lure,' and at other times employ the 'Soaring Dragon Body' for evasive maneuvers. Various movement techniques appeared in rapid succession, drawing exclamations from the onlookers!
"Too, too terrifying! This man can actually execute four dual-attribute movement techniques, and there's even one mysterious movement technique that surpasses the Bewitching Immortal Lure and the Soaring Dragon Body!"
"What is this kid's background? Has the Zhao Yang Sect actually recruited someone even more monstrous than a monster?"
"Yuan Che's pressure seems no less than that of the Enlightenment Realm, yet this fellow can still manage so effortlessly. It's simply inconceivable."
Han Ling Shuang, Tang Feng, Bai Zhan Chen, and others looked solemn, as if gazing at their idols. The Saintess of the Mu Yun Sect, however, appeared lovesick, her brows furrowing intermittently, her hands clenching. Such a man, dominating heaven and earth, unfazed by the collapse of Mount Tai before him, was the pinnacle of courage – that was true valor! dazhe.com
"I didn't expect the Zhao Yang Sect to have such a prodigy. After this battle, the name of Zhao Yang Sect will surely resound throughout the Western Barrens!"
For some reason, Yao Yue Sheng seemed not to worry about the man who appeared to be in grave danger, but rather about Yuan Che.
Although Yuan Che's demeanor was very similar to the Sect Master, his strength was indeed extraordinary. If they were to join forces to resist the grey wolves, or even those powerful Mandara living bodies, Yuan Che would undoubtedly be a formidable fighting force. If he went berserk in this battle and was consumed by the vicious sword, the consequences would be something no one desired.
Just then, Yuan Che's Zhen Qi surged again, his sword intent soaring. A casual display of the Three Talents Sword Art carried a pressure akin to a qi wall, directly striking towards the Mu Yun Sect's area!
Yao Yue Sheng drew her sword to meet it, but her cultivation was merely at the Foundation Establishment Realm. As her sword energy surged past, it shattered the sword in her hand, engulfing her in torrents of sword qi, and the shadow of death instantly descended upon her.
"Saintess!"
The more than two hundred people instantly turned pale, all drawing their swords, preparing to fight Yuan Che to the death. However, as the dust settled, everyone discovered that Ren Yuan Hao was holding their Saintess and had landed steadily. Ren Yuan Hao had only been grazed on his left shoulder by the opponent's sword qi, and blood flowed continuously.
The vicious sword, having drunk human blood, became even more ferocious. Ren Yuan Hao glanced at his wound, then at the terrified men and women, his expression changing. He finally reached for the hilt of the intricately carved knife.
"Junior Disciple of Zhao Yang Sect, please do not take his life."
Yao Yue Sheng bowed slightly, but as soon as she spoke, the bloodshot Yuan Che leaped out with a roar, "Trash! A weakling that cannot even protect himself, how can he harm me!"
The prodigy in everyone's eyes had transformed into a ferocious beast. Ren Yuan Hao, instead of being angered, laughed and effortlessly drew the vicious sword in his hand. The moment the Tai Yi Sword was unsheathed, all the weapons present seemed to emit a mournful cry!
"How is this possible!"
"Vicious Sword - Tai Yi!"
Those who recognized the sword felt their legs go weak. Even Mo Xing He needed to steady himself on the stone stool to remain standing. Yuan Che, who a moment ago was ferocious and enraged, suddenly seemed to lose all strength, like the vicious sword he held, the Soaring Dragon, plunged vertically into the ground, emitting a mournful cry of submission!
Ren Yuan Hao pointed his sword, his aura even stronger than Mo Xing He's, "Yuan Che, do you still want to fight?"
As soon as he spoke, the Soaring Dragon Sword instantly flew back into Mo Xing He's hand. Mo Xing He said in a chilling tone, "Kid, you left the ice bed first. According to the rules, you lost."
Ren Yuan Hao did not reply. Instead, the Mu Yun Sect disciples who had been rescued became indignant.
"If it weren't for this brother risking his life to save us, our Mu Yun Sect would have faced disaster. Are you saying, Senior Uncle Mo, that you wish to see such a situation?"
Yao Yue Sheng was incredibly astute. She knew that simply pressuring him with these two hundred-plus people would be futile with Mo Xing He's temperament. However, if she pressured him in the name of their sect, he might hesitate.
After all, even within the Cang Long Sect lineage, it would be unlikely to contend against the Zhao Yang Sect and the Mu Yun Sect.