The tip of Ziyangchun's spear pointed directly at Xie Lianhua's throat, forming a tiny vortex at the spearhead, accompanied by a faint dragon's roar.
"Seeking death!"
Xie Lianhua's eyes turned icy, and the Huá Líng sword in her hand directly split the fiery circle before her into two halves.
This time, because her strength had increased, the cleaved flames showed no signs of closing.
She leaped out of the fiery encirclement, her sword tip flicking upwards to block the tip of the Fire Dragon Spear.
Two powerful forces collided, the roar deafening.
On the arena, dust flew, and various spiritual energy elements became chaotic.
This blow was an even match.
Ziyangchun secretly thought, "As expected, strength boosted by pills is unstable."
But even so, he dared not be careless, for Xie Lianhua was two minor realms higher than him.
The gap between two minor realms in the Saint King realm was not like the difference between the Body Tempering realm and the Qi Leading realm, which could be bridged by powerful spiritual techniques.
It was like a bucket with no water; a few basins would suffice to refill it. But if a river dried up, basins would be useless.
Therefore, in the Saint King realm, the gap between minor realms was almost an insurmountable chasm.
The reason Ziyangchun could fight Xie Lianhua to a standstill was twofold: firstly, Xie Lianhua was injured, and secondly, her realm had been forcibly elevated by pills without the necessary comprehension, making her control over her power less than perfect.
Of course, once Xie Lianhua fully mastered the power within her body, Ziyangchun would be in grave danger.
Thus, Ziyangchun's only course of action was to gravely injure or kill her before she could gain complete control.
Ziyangchun understood this principle and thus gave Xie Lianhua no chance to recuperate.
The tip of the Fire Dragon Spear slid down along the Huá Líng sword, aiming for Xie Lianhua's lower body.
How could Xie Lianhua not see his intention?
She clung her Huá Líng sword to the tip of the Fire Dragon Spear and slid down with it, blocking the incoming attack.
Her entire body then executed a horizontal split, landing on the ground.
Ziyangchun, having experienced countless battles, naturally knew how to seize opportunities.
He used this chance to abruptly raise the tip of the Fire Dragon Spear and thrust it towards Xie Lianhua's throat once more.
Xie Lianhua cried out, her neck arching backward as she lay on the ground, evading Ziyangchun's strike.
Ziyangchun retracted his spear tip and plunged it towards Xie Lianhua's Dantian.
Xie Lianhua half-rose, using her heels for leverage, sliding backward along the ground.
In a back-and-forth exchange, over a hundred moves passed in mere moments.
Xie Lianhua also used this opportunity to fully control the power of the late Saint King realm, while a third of the effect of the Spirit Burst Pill was wasted.
"Now, it's my turn!"
She gathered spiritual energy at her feet and leaped upwards, retreating out of the Fire Dragon Spear's attack range.
Then, with a thought, she manipulated the surrounding spiritual energy to hold the Huá Líng sword, freeing her hands.
Immediately after, she formed hand seals and shouted, "Huá Líng Sword Art! Flower not flower, mist not mist!"
As her voice fell, the Huá Líng sword shot forward.
It didn't fly towards Ziyangchun but ascended into the air, spinning rapidly.
Instantly, the arena filled with the fragrance of flowers and a hazy mist.
A gleam flashed in Zilinling's eyes, and she murmured, "An illusion hidden within the sword? Interesting!"
Indeed, Ziyangchun, who was preparing to attack, suddenly had his eyes become distant, his anxiety slowly dissipating.
He wielded the Fire Dragon Spear slower and slower, finally planting its tip on the ground.
Ziyangchun stood motionlessly on the arena, holding his spear, lost in an illusion.
Xie Lianhua sneered, recalled the Huá Líng sword, and gripped it, swiftly thrusting it towards Ziyangchun's heart.
Zilinling's gaze turned cold, and she bellowed, "Seeking death!"
That's right!
She was not swayed by the illusion.
This was thanks to the Hell mode challenge at the Ghostly Altar.
Compared to the illusions at the Ghostly Altar, Xie Lianhua's created illusion was like a child's play.
And Zilinling, after deciphering the Nightmare Beast's four dreams at the Ghostly Altar, had become almost immune to illusions.
For all illusions stemmed from inner demons, and Zilinling, through the Nightmare Beast's dreams, had slain her inner demons.
Therefore, her heart was exceptionally resolute, and it was not something a mere illusion created by the Huá Líng sword could easily deceive.
As she uttered the words "Seeking death," Zilinling prepared to activate her Phantom Dragon Step.
The moment Ziyangchun stood in front of her, she had automatically classified him as one of her own.
Since he was one of her own, how could she stand by and watch him perish?
But at the very moment she was about to act, a figure blocked Ziyangchun's path.
Along with this figure came a person and a saber.
The person was Zi Jitian!
The saber was the Moon Slasher!
Zi Jitian had appeared when Xie Lianhua forcibly boosted her realm.
After all, he was also in the mid-Saint King realm.
When a Saint King realm expert appeared in the Zi family's martial arts field, how could he not come?
But by the time he arrived, he saw Xie Lianhua forcefully elevating herself to the late Saint King realm.
And standing opposite Xie Lianhua was his granddaughter, to whom he owed a debt for over a decade.
With his eyesight, how could he not discern that the feud between Xie Lianhua and Zilinling had reached a point of no return?
Zi Jitian felt both guilt and anger.
Guilt, because regardless of whether his intentions were for indirect protection, he had indeed made Zilinling suffer for twelve years.
And anger, naturally directed at Xie Lianhua.
His granddaughter, whom he tried to compensate, was not someone anyone could bully.
Thus, Zi Jitian was about to step onto the arena, but Ziyangchun beat him to it.
However, upon seeing Ziyangchun's peak Yuan Transformation realm cultivation, he couldn't help but frown.
A peak Yuan Transformation realm cultivator facing a late Saint King realm opponent was a sure death.
Even so, Ziyangchun still protected Zilinling behind him.
How could Zi Jitian not be moved?
He stepped forward again, preparing to ascend the arena.
Because he could not bear to watch his brother, his sworn brother, die in vain for his granddaughter.
But just as he lifted his foot, Ziyangchun had a breakthrough.
Furthermore, Ziyangchun's method of breakthrough was exceptionally unique, achieving a state of unity between man and spear.
Zi Jitian, being a seasoned Saint King realm expert, knew that Ziyangchun at this moment needed a battle to consolidate his cultivation.
And the opponent naturally became Xie Lianhua, who had just directly advanced to the late Saint King realm.
Zi Jitian understood that Xie Lianhua's forced advancement meant her realm was unstable, making her a perfect sparring partner for Ziyangchun.
Therefore, he suppressed his anger and allowed Ziyangchun to fight.
However, Zi Jitian had not expected that Xie Lianhua had completely refined the Hundred Flowers Palace's treasured artifact, the Huá Líng sword, and could activate the illusion within it.
And Ziyangchun, caught off guard, had fallen into an illusion, putting his life in danger.