Chapter 44

Second update, seeking support with red tickets!!

——

Swish!

As soon as the words were spoken, Li Huai's figure leaped several times, creating a series of afterimages. This was the visual illusion caused by reaching a certain speed.

Very fast!

In the arena, Li Huai was like a ghost, moving unpredictably. Faint sword lights covered his entire body, flickering like sharp arrows ready to be launched.

His form was like the wind, his body like lightning, clearly the Li family's ancestral secret technique—the Wind Sweeping Phantom Step!

In the cultivation world, although one can buy different levels of cultivation techniques on the market, there are still some precious techniques that are extremely difficult to obtain even with spirit stones.

Like the various cultivation techniques and secret skills passed down through the ages by major sects and large families, only core disciples can see them, let alone practice and study them. Moreover, these sects and families have extremely strict rules, and those who leak secret techniques will be punished by having their cultivation revoked or even their lives ended.

The reason is simple; for any sect or family, the inheritance of cultivation techniques is the foundation. Leaking these techniques is tantamount to destroying the foundation.

At this moment, Li Huai was using his family's ancestral secret technique, a high-level step technique that meticulously records the three realms of foundation, subtlety, and unity with heaven, which is extremely precious.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!...

Li Huai, stepping the Wind Sweeping Phantom Step, was enveloped in layers of sword shadows, like a hedgehog bristling with sharp spines. Sword lights, shimmering with cold light, shot out in all directions.

Due to his extremely fast movement and circling around Chen Xi's body, the sword lights traced intricate and vicious paths, as if coming from all directions, locking onto Chen Xi's throat, eyes, heart, abdomen, back of the head, and back, treating him like a target.

Are you trying to suppress me with your movement?

A hint of sharpness appeared in Chen Xi's cold, empty eyes. He lightly tapped his toes and shot forward, his limbs swaying and twisting like willows in the wind, moving in a strange posture toward Li Huai.

"Facing this overwhelming and relentless sword light attack, this guy doesn't defend but charges forward. Is he not afraid for his life?"

Someone couldn't help but scream, but as soon as the words were out, they realized that although Chen Xi's posture was strange and ugly, he always managed to precisely evade the sword lights, moving like a slippery loach, dodging and leaping in a small space. Although his clothes were torn into strips, his body remained unharmed, not a single hair damaged!

"Is this... the Eight Steps of the Heavenly Dragon?"

Duanmu Ze exclaimed in surprise. As soon as the words were out, he felt a wave of shame. What was wrong with him today, losing his composure like a naive fool...

If Chen Xi had used a rare technique, Duanmu Ze wouldn't have been so surprised. After all, in the vast territory of the Great Chu Dynasty, with nearly a billion cultivators and millions of sects and academies, the cultivation techniques are as numerous as the stars, and even the great powers might not recognize all of them.

Duanmu Ze's surprise stemmed from the fact that the chaotic wind sword technique and the Eight Steps of the Heavenly Dragon, which Chen Xi was using, were ordinary techniques available on the market. However, after Chen Xi's execution, their essence and power had completely transformed, becoming much more powerful, rivaling some precious high-level martial techniques. In this situation, Duanmu Ze almost couldn't believe his eyes, and losing his composure was inevitable.

Du Qingxi shared Duanmu Ze's doubts but remained calm, knowing that Song Lin would certainly give her a satisfactory answer.

Sure enough, upon seeing Chen Xi's distorted version of the Eight Steps of the Heavenly Dragon, Song Lin's eyes brightened, and he excitedly muttered, "This kid must have a transcendent expert behind him, to be able to elevate the Eight Steps of the Heavenly Dragon to a higher level, it's too impressive..."

Rip!

Chen Xi's clothes were torn again, but his expression remained unchanged. The Eight Steps of the Heavenly Dragon at the subtlety realm were executed to perfection, surpassing even Li Huai's Wind Sweeping Phantom Step.

Is this guy's movement also so powerful?

Li Huai was startled again, then gritted his teeth, and the sword lights from the Pine Pattern Sword became even denser, like a torrential downpour, enveloping the approaching Chen Xi.

Bang! Bang! Bang!...

Faced with Li Huai's nearly疯狂的剑光攻击，Chen Xi's pressure suddenly increased. For the sword lights he couldn't avoid, his right hand, holding the Green Thrust Sword, moved like it had eyes, thrusting, slicing, wiping, picking, and slashing, accurately shattering each approaching sword light.

Thirty steps!

Twenty steps!

Ten steps!

...

With each step Chen Xi took toward Li Huai, the onlookers' hearts tightened, and their shock grew. The respect and admiration in their eyes for Chen Xi increased.

Knowing that the sword lights ahead were like rain, yet still moving forward, was indeed foolish and stupid. There were too many ways to resolve this situation without placing oneself in such a dire predicament. However, as this seemingly foolish action got closer to the target, the fearless and resolute momentum was something no one could fail to admire.

"Li Huai is in danger. Should I help him?" Cang Bin frowned and asked.

"No need, it's not the final moment yet," Su Jiao said softly, her lips trembling. Despite her words, her gaze toward Li Huai was filled with deep disappointment and coldness.

Chen Xi's posture in evading the sword lights was ugly, but his steps were firm. Surrounded by a storm of sword lights, he moved like a monk enduring a storm, his expression calm, his eyes indifferent.

How is this possible? He is just a waste from a fallen family, a mere symbol craftsman, how could his strength become so powerful?

Watching Chen Xi's relentless approach, Li Huai's anxiety grew. Although the battle had not yet determined a winner, the situation was far beyond his expectations.

A waste is actually fighting me to a standstill?

How will Miss Su view me? How will everyone here view me?

Damn the Southern Barbarian Nether Region, why does it restrict cultivation? If not for this, I would have killed this waste long ago!!

A surge of violent emotions rose in his chest, and Li Huai was almost driven mad.

However, at this moment, an extreme sense of danger overwhelmed him, making his hair stand on end. Li Huai suddenly snapped out of his rage and saw a sharp, cold sword tip rapidly expanding in his pupils, the fierce sword wind carrying the scent of death, rushing toward him!

No!

Li Huai let out a desperate roar, his figure suddenly retreating.

However... it was still too late.

Chen Xi's Green Thrust Sword, like a parasitic worm, pierced straight into the center of Li Huai's chest the moment he retreated.

Bang!

The sword tip touched Li Huai's chest and seemed to hit a steel plate, producing a clear metallic sound.

Inner armor artifact?

Chen Xi was slightly taken aback.

At this moment, Li Huai swung his Pine Pattern Sword fiercely, instantly cutting Chen Xi's Green Thrust Sword into two pieces.

However, although Chen Xi's sword did not injure him, the terrifying impact force sent him flying dozens of feet away, landing in a wretched manner, barely managing to steady himself without falling.

This series of events happened in the blink of an eye.

Although the process was brief, the intense and heart-stirring changes still made the onlookers' hearts race, almost forgetting to breathe.

Clang!

The broken sword fell to the ground with a crisp sound, and the onlookers, as if waking from a dream, let out a long sigh, their expressions filled with shock.

If Li Huai had not been wearing an inner armor artifact, wouldn't he have died under Chen Xi's sword just now?

"Amazing!"

"Chen Xi... is actually so powerful, his sword technique and movement seem to surpass Li Huai. This level of combat power is simply unimaginable!"

"Crossing realms in battle? No, this is the Southern Barbarian Nether Region, where Li Huai is at most at the peak of the innate realm. Even so, for Chen Xi to defeat him is almost unbelievable."

...

The scene was like a pot boiling over, and everyone was chattering, expressing their feelings. In their words, they all looked at Chen Xi with new respect, and the cultivators from Songyan City had quietly changed their way of addressing him.

"Pity... that sword was just a high-quality ordinary weapon. If it had been a rank-entering artifact, Li Huai would have been severely injured even if he didn't die," Duanmu Ze sighed, shaking his head.

"Chen Xi has already exceeded my expectations. I originally only saw him as a spirit chef, but he has reached the subtlety realm in both sword technique and movement with innate cultivation. This level of insight is among the best in the young generation of Longyuan City."

Du Qingxi praised, then frowned slightly, saying, "However, if Chen Xi only has this one sword, his situation will become precarious..."

Song Lin did not speak, his messy, bird's nest-like hair standing up, his bright eyes filled with a hint of anticipation as he stared at Chen Xi in the arena.

"Your strength indeed surprised me, but if we were outside, do you think you could get close to me?" Li Huai said coldly.

Indeed, outside, Li Huai could use the techniques of the Purple Mansion realm to fly in the air, and Chen Xi, unless he also advanced to the Purple Mansion realm, would not even be able to touch the hem of Li Huai's clothes.

"Even here, you are still no match for me, because... I have more abundant true essence and more powerful artifacts, while you..."

Li Huai looked at the broken sword in Chen Xi's hand, his eyes full of disdain, "This sword is probably your only weapon, right? Now that it's destroyed, how will you use your sword technique?"

Upon hearing this, the chattering crowd fell silent.

Indeed, a battle is a battle, not only requiring a comparison of cultivation, but also testing martial techniques, weapons, courage, strategy, and other factors.

Chen Xi, who grew up in poverty, might not be inferior to Li Huai in cultivation, but what about in terms of weapons? Li Huai, as the eldest son of the Li family, had weapons of superior quality and complete equipment, which Chen Xi could not compare to.

Clang!

Chen Xi casually discarded the broken sword, looked at Li Huai, who was dozens of feet away, and said indifferently, "To kill you, a pair of fists is enough!"