220: Chapter 219 Powerful Mana Absorption

This trait was exceptionally domineering; at the moment of blade contact or spiritual energy collision, it could silently erode the opponent's spiritual energy without leaving a trace. Even though Shen Bing was of the Yao Race, she would find it difficult to notice anything unusual in a short period of time.

On the arena, Hu Nan understood perfectly. The Moves of the Dragon Abyss Sword in his hand were steady, balanced in offense and defense. It appeared he was locked in an inseparable struggle with Shen Bing, but in reality, every clash of swords and every exchange of spiritual energy utilized the power of the trait to extract the fire-attribute spiritual energy from Shen Bing's body bit by bit.

He maintained control over the rhythm throughout, neither winning quickly nor letting Shen Bing gain the slightest advantage. He allowed Shen Bing to frantically drive her Lifebound Treasure into a fierce assault, but in truth, it was like a cat playing with a mouse, slowly wearing down her confidence.

Time ticked by, and the two had already exchanged a full forty rounds.

At first, Shen Bing's offensive was sharp, with surging flames and ruthless sword Moves. But by now, her face had gradually turned incredibly pale, the blood drained from her originally rosy lips, and the fire-attribute spiritual energy surging around her had dimmed significantly.

The more she drove the Scarlet Flame Sword into a forced attack, the more she felt the spiritual energy in her body draining away rapidly. With every swing of her sword and every spell cast, she clearly felt a lack of stamina. Her originally fluid sword Moves began to stutter, and even her breathing became hurried.

In the blink of an eye, they reached fifty rounds, and Shen Bing's situation became increasingly difficult as she fell completely into a disadvantage.

She no longer had her previous storm-like offensive; she could only passively wave the Scarlet Flame Sword to block Hu Nan's orderly Sword Qi attacks. She was entirely without the power to strike back and could only struggle to hold on.

The Sword Qi of the Dragon Abyss Sword pressed closer step by step. Her figure retreated constantly, her footsteps stumbling. The light of her Lifebound Treasure, the Scarlet Flame Sword, grew dimmer. Most of the spiritual energy in her body had been eroded, and even her Divine Soul was slightly unstable. The apprehension and horror in her eyes grew thicker as she finally realized Hu Nan's methods were far more bizarre than she had imagined.

By the sixtieth round, Shen Bing was at the end of her rope and could no longer hold out.

Her footsteps were weak and swaying, and she was almost unable to stand. The Scarlet Flame Sword in her hand nearly slipped away. The spiritual energy around her was in total disarray, her defense was riddled with openings, and she was on the verge of collapsing, her face full of exhaustion and disbelief.

She exhausted all her strength to block, yet she could hardly withstand even a single strand of Hu Nan's Sword Qi. The spiritual energy advantage brought by her Yao Race talent had long been completely eroded by 'Mana Absorption,' and she had utterly lost the power to resist.

In an instant, the two had exchanged sixty-five rounds. Shen Bing's footsteps were weak and her figure swayed; she was holding on entirely by a stubborn obsession not to lose, while the light of her Lifebound Scarlet Flame Sword was dim to the extreme.

The fire-attribute spiritual energy around her was nearly exhausted. Even raising her hand to swing her sword had become incredibly difficult, and every part of her body was permeated with exhaustion and weakness.

The mana in her body had long been eroded away by Hu Nan's Golden Trait 'Mana Absorption.' More than half of her mana had vanished into thin air, yet she still couldn't understand why. She only felt her whole body was limp and weak, with waves of stinging pain in her Divine Soul. Her originally sharp Aura had vanished, and her defensive circle was full of holes; she was simply unable to withstand Hu Nan's offensive any longer.

Meanwhile, Hu Nan's breathing remained steady. He held the Dragon Abyss Sword with ease, and the spiritual energy around him was full and abundant. He consistently maintained firm control over the battle, calmly staring at the exhausted Shen Bing before him, quietly waiting for the moment to claim victory.

At that moment, as Shen Bing forced her remaining spiritual energy to swing her sword in a block, her feet suddenly stumbled, revealing a glaringly obvious opening.

This was a mistake she would never have made under normal circumstances, but now, with her mana exhausted and her Physical Body fatigued, she could no longer ensure the completeness of her Moves.

Hu Nan's eyes narrowed slightly. He didn't miss this opportunity in the slightest. His wrist suddenly exerted force, and the blade of the Dragon Abyss Sword, shrouded in thick spiritual energy, did not stab at a vital point; instead, he used the spine of the sword to strike Shen Bing's shoulder heavily.

Shen Bing was already unstable, and receiving this blow, she was instantly sent flying like a kite with a broken string. Her figure plummeted straight toward the bottom of the arena, slamming heavily onto the ground of the Martial Arts Arena with a dull thud.

Having fallen below the arena, Shen Bing lay on the cold ground, her whole body aching and weak. She tried several times to get up but didn't even have the strength to lift her hand. She could only lie paralyzed on the spot, unable to climb up for a long time.

She looked up, her face as pale as paper, her eyes hollow and bewildered. She stared fixedly at the tall and straight figure of Hu Nan on the arena, her heart filled with confusion and resentment.

She racked her brain but couldn't understand. As a member of the Yao Race with talent far exceeding ordinary people and holding her Lifebound Treasure, the Scarlet Flame Sword, why had she lost so miserably? Not only was she unable to fight back, but more than half of the mana in her body had been mysteriously exhausted, leaving her without even a shred of room for resistance.

She had originally thought that by relying on her Lifebound Treasure and her special Yao Race Physique, she could easily defeat Hu Nan.

But she hadn't expected that she would lose again this time.

To the side, in the Flowing Fire Sect camp, all the Prodigies stood frozen in place, looking at Hu Nan on the arena with utter confusion. Each of them had a dull expression, their eyes filled with disbelief.

Before Shen Bing had taken the stage, they were all certain that as the number one Prodigy of the Flowing Fire Sect holding her Lifebound Treasure, she would surely be able to easily defeat Hu Nan and restore the Flowing Fire Sect's reputation.

But the result before them was a heavy blow. They never imagined in their wildest dreams that Shen Bing would be beaten by Hu Nan until she had no power to strike back, and finally be knocked directly off the arena. Losing so completely, the entire face of the Flowing Fire Sect was lost at this moment.

On the high platform, Elder Huoyun's face was so gloomy it looked like it could drip water.

He had originally thought that this time's Exchange Conference would be won by their Flowing Fire Sect.

But he hadn't expected they would be defeated so easily by Hu Nan.

In contrast, on the Heavenly Sword Sect's side, the entire venue instantly erupted in deafening cheers. Everyone stood up in excitement, waving their arms.

“Senior Brother Hu is truly amazing!”

“The Heavenly Sword Sect has won!”

“What number one Prodigy of the Flowing Fire Sect? She's nothing in front of our Senior Brother Hu!”

“I say don't call them Prodigies, just call them bears!”

“The Flowing Fire Sect really has no one left, actually letting a woman be their top Prodigy!”

Sect Leader Xuanyangzi, sitting in the main seat on the high platform, also revealed a smile.

In the Exchange Conferences over the past few decades, this was the first time their Heavenly Sword Sect had defeated the Flowing Fire Sect.

Hu Nan glanced at Shen Bing lying on the ground before turning his gaze toward the Flowing Fire Sect camp.

“Do any of you dare to come up and fight me?” Hu Nan shouted.

Although Hu Nan's voice wasn't very loud, it fell upon the ears of the Flowing Fire Sect Prodigies like a heavy hammer, slamming into their hearts.

At this moment, all the Prodigies lowered their heads in unison, their eyes dodging. Their cheeks flushed red as they shrunk back, not daring to meet Hu Nan's gaze on the arena, and no one dared to step forward in response.

They knew better than anyone that they simply didn't have the qualifications to accept the challenge.

Shen Bing was the recognized number one Prodigy of the Flowing Fire Sect and possessed the Lifebound Treasure Scarlet Flame Sword. Her talent and strength were among the best in the entire younger generation of the Southern Region.

But even so, she was completely crushed by Hu Nan within sixty rounds. Her mana exhausted and her defeat pathetic, she hadn't even had the power to strike back before being knocked directly off the arena.

Since even the strongest Prodigy of the Sect had lost so miserably, for these Disciples whose cultivation was inferior to Shen Bing's and who lacked Lifebound Treasures, stepping onto the stage would be like striking a stone with an egg. Not only would they fail to restore the Sect's reputation, but they would also be easily defeated by Hu Nan again, becoming a laughingstock and bringing humiliation upon themselves.

Moreover, the Dragon Abyss Sword in Hu Nan's hand was originally a famous sword passed down by Sword Villa. In just over a year, he had refined it into a Lifebound Treasure. The two were connected in mind and spirit, possessing infinite power. Coupled with Hu Nan's unfathomable strength and the bizarre methods he had shown in the battle just now, it filled their hearts with fear.

Their previous arrogance and insolence had long vanished with Shen Bing's miserable defeat, leaving only a heart full of panic and cowardice. They wished they could find a hole to crawl into, let alone have the slightest thought of accepting the challenge.

Seeing his Disciples all lowering their heads in silence, none daring to accept the challenge, Elder Huoyun's face on the high platform turned completely black.

He wanted to open his mouth to scold the Disciples for their cowardice, but the words died in his throat. After all, the facts were before him; indeed, no one was a match for Hu Nan. Even if he forced a Disciple onto the stage, it would only be to suffer humiliation for nothing, causing the Flowing Fire Sect to lose even more face.

On the high platform, Heavenly Sword Sect Leader Xuanyangzi sat in the main seat. He couldn't hide the smile on his face, yet he maintained the steady bearing of a Sect Head.

He slowly turned sideways and looked at the ashen-faced Elder Huoyun opposite him: “Fellow Daoist Huoyun, now that the Flowing Fire Sect has no more Disciples who dare to take the stage, in your view, has my Heavenly Sword Sect won this two-Sect Exchange Conference?”

Xuanyangzi's words were polite and courteous, not overbearing, yet every word poked at Elder Huoyun's sore spot.

Elder Huoyun sat in his chair, his eyes full of resentment and frustration.

He had originally guessed that their Flowing Fire Sect would win easily, continuing the winning streak of previous years.

But in the end, his Prodigies had suffered consecutive miserable defeats. Even the Sect's number one Prodigy, Shen Bing, had been beaten by Hu Nan until her mana was exhausted and she lost pathetically. The entire Flowing Fire Sect had lost face, and there was no longer any possibility of a comeback.

He was unwilling in a thousand ways and wished he could lash out on the spot, but the victory and defeat on the arena were plain to see. It was a fact that no one from the Flowing Fire Sect dared to challenge any longer; no matter how unwilling he was, he couldn't deny it.

Elder Huoyun took a deep breath, suppressed the anger and humiliation in his heart, and slowly nodded.

Seeing Elder Huoyun nod in admission of defeat, Xuanyangzi was overjoyed. He stood up and announced: “In this Exchange Conference between the Heavenly Sword Sect and the Flowing Fire Sect, the Heavenly Sword Sect is the winner!”

“That's great!”

“Our Heavenly Sword Sect has finally won once!”

“Senior Brother Hu is truly too powerful!”

“In the Qingyun Ranking the year after next, Senior Brother Hu will definitely be number one!”

“Even those people from the Holy Lands couldn't possibly be Senior Brother Hu's match!”

Numerous Heavenly Sword Sect Disciples cheered one after another.

Their Heavenly Sword Sect had finally beaten the Flowing Fire Sect once.

At the same time, they also believed that in the competition for the Qingyun Ranking the year after next, Hu Nan would absolutely be able to rank first.

Elder Huoyun listened to the cheers in his ears and found them incredibly piercing; his expression was very unsightly.

He no longer wished to stay for another moment. He gave a heavy, cold snort—a snort filled with resentment, bitterness, and embarrassment—then he abruptly stood up. Without saying another word to Xuanyangzi, he strode toward the exit.

The many Prodigies of the Flowing Fire Sect also stood up and followed behind Elder Huoyun.

The group hurried along. Throughout the process, no one dared to lift their head. They no longer had the arrogance and sharpness they had when they first arrived; there was only the pathetic state and loneliness of the defeated.