163: Chapter 163 Five Elements Breaking Shadow

After a night of rest, the atmosphere of the Martial Arts Arena reached an unprecedented peak.

Today, the two candidates for the finals will be decided!

The number of spectators was even greater than yesterday. Even some Inner Sect Disciples and deacons, who usually lived in seclusion, were drawn here, wanting to witness the elegance of the Outer Sect Prodigies.

Upon the high platform, all twelve Elders were present.

Elder Zhao Wuji's gaze swept over the four young figures below, each with a different Aura, his eyes filled with admiration: "The battle of the final four begins now!"

The light screen flickered, and two names slowly emerged.

The first match: Shi Gandang versus Lei Zhen!

Third on the Heavenly Ranking versus first on the Heavenly Ranking!

This result was both within reason and left many feeling a hint of regret.

Because it meant that one of these two top experts would inevitably be stopped outside the finals.

"Hahaha! Good! I'm up against Boss Lei in the first match! How satisfying!"

Instead of being dejected, Shi Gandang rubbed his hands in excitement, his eyes burning with Battle Intent!

He had a burly build and a voice like a resonant bell. Facing the unfathomable Lei Zhen, he showed no fear, only the excitement of meeting a powerful foe.

Lei Zhen remained calm. His purple robes stirred slightly as he slowly stepped onto the stage.

He looked at Shi Gandang with a hint of faint appreciation and said, "Junior Brother Shi, please."

"Boss Lei, excuse my offense!"

Shi Gandang let out a low growl. Without standing on ceremony, he directly activated the Immovable Wisdom King Body!

His bronze skin instantly took on a metallic luster, and an Aura as heavy as a mountain spread out!

He clenched his fists, the air exploding as he launched the first attack!

His giant fists, carrying the power to shake mountains and Move peaks, smashed straight toward Lei Zhen!

Simple and crude, yet containing extreme power!

Lei Zhen nodded slightly. Facing this punch that could shatter a small hill, he did not draw his blade. He simply raised his right hand, fingers slightly spread, and pressed forward gently.

"Buzz!"

As fist and palm met, an invisible wave of Qi spread out, and the ground of the arena cracked inch by inch!

Shi Gandang felt as if his fist had struck a divine mountain. The counter-shock force caused his blood and Qi to churn, forcing him back three steps!

Meanwhile, Lei Zhen's figure remained motionless, his robes fluttering.

"What powerful strength!"

Shi Gandang was shocked, but his nature was brave and fierce. He grew more courageous as he fought, roaring once more as he charged forward. Fists, elbows, knees, and legs—his entire body became a weapon.

He launched a storm-like barrage of attacks!

Every strike was heavy and powerful, enough to split stone tablets!

Lei Zhen still responded with a single palm, swatting, leading, or pressing. His movements were calm and unhurried, neutralizing all of Shi Gandang's attacks one by one.

His Moves seemed simple, but he always acted after the opponent yet reached first, precisely cutting off Shi Gandang's points of power, preventing him from exerting even seventy percent of his full strength.

Ye Tian watched from below the stage, his expression grave.

He could see that Lei Zhen still hadn't used his full power—he might have only used fifty percent!

This Realm of handling heavy weights as if they were light and controlling the overall situation made Ye Tian's heart turn cold.

Half-step True Martial, first on the Outer Sect Heavenly Ranking—he truly lived up to his reputation!

The battle lasted for over twenty rounds. Shi Gandang had pushed the Immovable Wisdom King Body and the Mountain Shaking Fist to their limits, yet he still couldn't force Lei Zhen back a single step. Instead, his own Five Elements True Essence consumption was massive.

"Boss Lei, take my final Move! Wisdom King's Wrath!"

Knowing he would lose in a prolonged fight, Shi Gandang condensed all his Five Elements True Essence, brought his fists together, and charged at Lei Zhen with an Aura of mutual destruction!

This was his strongest strike!

A sharp light flashed in Lei Zhen's eyes, and he finally stopped responding with only one palm.

He held his right hand with fingers together like a blade, a hint of purple-gold light appearing at the tips, and lightly slashed toward the center of Shi Gandang's punch!

"Rip!"

Shi Gandang's punch, which had condensed all his strength, was actually sliced open from the middle by this hand blade!

The violent power was instantly vented away!

Lei Zhen's finger tapped Shi Gandang's chest, and a force sent him flying off the arena.

Shi Gandang landed, staggering a few steps before steadying himself. There was no dejection on his face; instead, he laughed loudly: "Satisfying! Boss Lei, you're still the better one! I'm convinced!"

He was thoroughly defeated.

Lei Zhen nodded slightly: "Junior Brother Shi's Wisdom King Body has improved again."

First match, Lei Zhen wins!

Thunderous cheers erupted below the stage, shocked by Lei Zhen's power and applauding Shi Gandang's magnanimity.

Although they already knew Shi Gandang couldn't be Lei Zhen's opponent, it was still a brilliant battle that made people's blood boil.

After a brief rest, the second match began!

Ye Tian versus Luo Qiushui!

The biggest dark horse of this session against the second on the Heavenly Ranking, the shadow sword!

At this moment, everyone's hearts were in their throats!

Their gazes were locked onto the arena!

The anticipation for this battle was far greater than the previous one!

Ye Tian took a deep breath and calmly walked onto the arena.

Luo Qiushui was still dressed in white, as cold and elegant as an immortal. She appeared silently opposite him, her icy eyes looking at him directly for the first time.

"Junior Brother Ye, please."

Luo Qiushui's voice was ethereal and pleasant, yet lacked any warmth.

"Senior Sister Luo, please guide me."

Ye Tian cupped his fists, his expression solemn.

Although Luo Qiushui didn't release any Aura, she made him feel even more pressure than Liu Jingtao did!

The battle began!

Without warning, Luo Qiushui's figure suddenly blurred!

In the next moment, countless illusory sword shadows stabbed toward Ye Tian from all directions simultaneously!

Each sword shadow seemed both real and illusory, making it hard to distinguish truth from falsehood!

Thousand Illusion Kill!

The audience below felt dazzled, unable to tell which sword shadow was real and which was fake!

Even some Disciples in the Ningyuan Late Stage felt dizzy!

"What a bizarre sword technique!"

"I can't see it at all! How do you block that?"

Ye Tian's pupils constricted. Luo Qiushui's sword technique truly lived up to its reputation!

If it were before he had taken the soul sculpting pill, he might have been in a state of panic.

But now, his Divine Sense was incredibly powerful, and he had even preliminarily forged the Five Elements Sword Body, making him exceptionally sensitive to the flow of the Sword Dao!

He closed his eyes, slowly activating his Divine Sense and Five Elements perception!

In his "Mind's Eye," the sky full of illusions gradually faded, leaving only three real sword lights containing icy killing intent, stabbing toward his throat, heart, and the back of his head respectively!

"Found you!"

Ye Tian suddenly opened his eyes. Executing the Taixu Star-Shift Steps, he dodged two of the real sword lights while simultaneously pointing a Starfall Finger, which contained the Concept of Five Elements Rotation, toward the side of the third sword light!

"Clang!"

As finger and sword met, Luo Qiushui's figure emerged from the Void Realm, a hint of surprise flashing in her beautiful eyes.

She hadn't expected Ye Tian to see through the reality of her Thousand Illusion Kill so easily!

"Interesting!"

Luo Qiushui's Battle Intent rose slightly, and her sword technique changed again!

Her figure once again turned into countless afterimages. The sword light was continuous, silent, yet ubiquitous, enveloping the space around Ye Tian!

The Sword Intent even carried a chill that could freeze the Soul!

Hidden Kill!

Ye Tian's expression was grave as he pushed his movement technique to the limit, weaving through the rain of swords.

Luo Qiushui's sword was not only fast but also carried a viscous binding force, making his movements sluggish.

The Five Elements Sword Body operated automatically, five-colored radiance flowing within his body, constantly neutralizing the invading yin-cold Sword Intent, but the pressure remained immense!

"Rip!"

A sword light flashed past, tearing the fabric on Ye Tian's shoulder and leaving a shallow bloodstain!

If not for his powerful Physical Body, this sword strike would have been enough to disable one of his arms!

Exclamations rose from the crowd!

Liu Ruyan and Leng Feng's hearts tightened!

"Is Junior Brother Ye unable to hold on?"

"Senior Sister Luo's sword technique is too terrifying! It's simply impossible to guard against!"

However, Ye Tian's eyes became increasingly calm.

He was adapting to the opponent's sword.

"Five Elements Rotation, endless growth! Your sword cannot extinguish my vitality!"

The five-colored Stellar True Essence within Ye Tian surged incessantly, and a vigorous force of vitality erupted, dispelling that Sword Intent!

He no longer blindly dodged and defended; he began to counterattack!

His Moves followed the cycle of the Five Elements. Although he was still suppressed by Luo Qiushui, he could now occasionally interrupt the rhythm of her sword Moves!

The two engaged in an extremely dangerous duel on the arena!

Sword lights and finger shadows interlaced, their figures like illusions, leaving the onlookers mesmerized!

The more Luo Qiushui fought, the more alarmed she became!

She discovered that Ye Tian seemed to be constantly improving during the battle, and his responses to her sword technique were becoming more and more natural!

What puzzled her even more was what kind of Cultivation Technique produced that strange vitality contained within his Five Elements True Essence!

"I can't drag this out!"

A cold light flashed in Luo Qiushui's eyes as she decided to use her killing Move!

Her figures suddenly merged into one, her long sword held vertically before her chest, her Sword Qi restrained to the extreme!

A terrifying Sword Intent locked onto Ye Tian!

Shadowless Kill!

This was her strongest sword strike, integrating speed, concealment, and lethality. Once the sword was out, it followed like a shadow, a shadowless execution!

Ye Tian suddenly felt a sense of grim foreboding!

He knew the time to decide the winner had come!

He no longer held back, and the five-colored Stellar True Essence within his body erupted!

His cultivation Aura at the Late Stage of the Ninth Stage of Condensing Essence was instantly revealed!

That majestic power caused everyone who sensed it to change their expressions drastically!

"What?! He's not at the Ningyuan Fifth Stage?! This Aura... Ninth Stage of Condensing Essence?!"

"He's been hiding his cultivation all along?"

"Heavens! Is this guy really a newly entered Disciple?"

The crowd below instantly exploded!

Even the Elders on the high platform were moved!

Although they had guessed earlier, seeing it confirmed with their own eyes was still shocking!

Facing Luo Qiushui's shadowless execution, Ye Tian did not retreat but advanced!

He held his hands as if embracing a void, the Five Elements True Essence within his body rotating wildly, condensing into a slowly spinning five-colored vortex in front of him!

"Five Elements Rotation, Devouring Heaven and Earth!"

Luo Qiushui's lightning-fast sword, the moment it stabbed into the five-colored vortex, seemed to fall into a quagmire, its speed slowing abruptly!

The terrifying Sword Intent contained on the sword was frantically devoured by the power of the Five Elements!

"What!"

Luo Qiushui's face paled; she felt her Sword Intent rapidly draining away!

Taking this opportunity, Ye Tian dodged the sword tip and delivered a hand blade strike, lightly hitting Luo Qiushui's wrist that held the sword!

"Clang!"

The long sword slipped from her hand and hit the ground!

Luo Qiushui groaned, staggering back, her beautiful eyes filled with daze!

She lost... Her strongest Shadowless Kill was actually broken by the opponent in such a bizarre way!

Everyone in the audience stared at the scene on the stage in stunned silence!

The second on the Heavenly Ranking, Luo Qiushui at the Late Stage of the Ningyuan Tenth Stage, had lost to a Disciple who had entered the sect less than a year ago!

If defeating Liu Jingtao before had some people questioning if it was a trick, then defeating Luo Qiushui head-on now was enough to prove everything!

Ye Tian's strength had already firmly stood at the top level of the Outer Sect!

He was the well-deserved super dark horse!

Luo Qiushui stared at Ye Tian for a moment, her gaze complex. Finally, she gave a soft sigh, picked up her sword, and bowed slightly to Ye Tian: "Junior Brother Ye's strength is unfathomable. I am impressed."

Having said that, she floated off the stage, her back still cold and elegant, yet with an added hint of loneliness.

Ye Tian panted slightly and cupped his hands in return toward Luo Qiushui's back.

This battle was not an easy win; he had used almost all his trump cards except for the chaos bead and Martial Dao Will.

After the silence came mountain-shaking cheers and boiling excitement!

"Ye Tian defeated Senior Sister Luo!"

"Ninth Stage of Condensing Essence, am I dreaming?"

"Monster! This is the true monster!"

"The finals! He's going to compete for the top spot with Senior Brother Lei Zhen!"

All doubts and contempt completely vanished at this moment!

On the high platform, the Elders looked at each other in silence, their eyes filled with wonder.

The Outer Sect had produced another extraordinary figure!

Elder Zhao Wuji took a deep breath, suppressing the waves in his heart, and announced loudly: "The battle of the final four is over! Those advancing to the finals are Lei Zhen and Ye Tian!"

"In three days, the final match will take place to decide the champion of this year's Outer Sect Grand Competition!"

Everyone's gazes were fervently cast upon the two figures on the stage.

Lei Zhen in his purple robes, as deep as an abyss, and Ye Tian in his green robes, open and upright.