Chapter 27

At the Izumo stage, the main arena.

"Xiao Xiaoshou!"

"Zhou Tiancan!"

Under the setting sun, two tall figures stepped into the arena. Zhou Tiancan's waiting area was not far from Xiao Xiaoshou's, and as soon as they stepped out, their eyes met.

Xiao Xiaoshou, seeing the massive sword on Zhou Tiancan's back and the burning fighting spirit in his eyes, nodded in satisfaction.

It seemed that Zhou Tiancan was not going to back down.

Indeed, this was the round of thirty-two advancing to sixteen. How could anyone give up such an opportunity?

Zhou Tiancan was born with a handsome face, and his graceful demeanor combined with his rigorous training in the Overlord Blade technique added a fierce edge to his youth, eliciting a chorus of screams from the female disciples in the audience.

On the stage, he lightly planted the golden Overlord Blade, which was as wide as his waist and as tall as a person, into the ground. He crossed his arms on the guard and lifted his chin slightly.

"Postnatal Sword Intent, Innate Physical Body..."

"Xiao Xiaoshou, I, Zhou Tiancan, admit that you are strong!"

"In this Outer Academy, you rank just below me, at number five on the Wind and Cloud List!"

The audience was in an uproar, many of them impressed by his overwhelming aura.

Zhou Tiancan's words carried an air of authority, and combined with his fourth place on the Wind and Cloud List, he indeed exuded a powerful presence.

Xiao Xiaoshou smiled lightly.

For the first time, he was being provoked on the stage, rather than having to provoke others. This feeling was particularly fresh.

Before he could speak, Zhou Tiancan continued, "However, my goal this time is to be the top of the list."

"So, you can only submit to my blade!"

With that, he drew the golden Overlord Blade, pointing it at Xiao Xiaoshou, and a surging wave of blade intent erupted.

Crack! Crack!

The blade intent was so fierce that the nearby stage was shattered.

"Postnatal Blade Intent?!"

The audience was instantly stunned, their eyes filled with disbelief.

"When did Zhou Tiancan master Postnatal Blade Intent? Oh my God!"

"From the way he controls it so freely, it must have taken more than a year. Xiao Xiaoshou is in danger."

"With this blade intent, he can challenge the innate realm. I thought his claim to the top was just talk, but now it seems he might really do it..."

Xiao Qixiu was also shocked. This young man had hidden his true strength so deeply that no one had forced him to reveal it during the group matches or the breakout matches.

If his opponent wasn't Xiao Xiaoshou, he might have kept his Postnatal Blade Intent hidden until the final match.

Xiao Xiaoshou's light smile froze. What the hell was going on?

Postnatal Blade Intent?

And he could control it so freely?

He thought about his own sword intent, which drained his spiritual energy with just one move, "White Cloud Drifting," and then looked at Zhou Tiancan...

There was no comparison at all!

However, he couldn't lose the battle of words. Xiao Xiaoshou's lips curled into a smile. "Junior Zhou, don't let the wind blow your tongue away."

Zhou Tiancan's fierce blade intent faltered, and the audience burst into laughter.

"Ha ha ha, isn't Xiao Xiaoshou one of the oldest in the Outer Academy?"

"What do you mean 'one of'? He's basically the only one left. Those with more seniority have entered the Inner Academy, and those with lower skills can't even make it to the advancement matches!"

"Right, so isn't Xiao Xiaoshou the senior brother for sure?"

"In theory, yes, but he was in the Outer Academy for three years and didn't show much before. He almost got kicked out of the Spirit Palace..."

"Now, he suddenly burst out, like a black horse. It feels like he's been possessed by someone else!"

"Ha ha, you're so funny, possessed!"

"Thinking about it, even strong figures like Mo Mo and Chao Qingting are like younger siblings to him... Ha ha, I can't take it, look at Zhou Tiancan, his face is so black!"

Zhou Tiancan's face was indeed black, but his blade intent grew even stronger. Seeing the tension reach its peak, Xiao Qixiu waved his hand.

"The match begins!"

"Wait!" Zhou Tiancan held his blade horizontally and spoke calmly, stifling Xiao Qixiu's rising excitement.

What kind of contestant is this? Has he been influenced by Xiao Xiaoshou? Each one is so peculiar.

The audience was also curious. What was he going to say instead of fighting?

"There is one thing I must clarify before we start."

Zhou Tiancan said, "Yesterday, Wen Chong's sneak attack on you was indeed despicable, but you, Xiao Xiaoshou, should not have taken his life. A minor punishment would have been enough, but you went for the kill!"

He pointed his blade at Xiao Xiaoshou, his eyes filled with righteousness. "In my view, you are a despicable and shameless person who will never achieve great things!"

Xiao Xiaoshou wanted to give him a cloak and said with disdain, "So this is why you want to mock me before the fight, to strike at my heart before you strike me?"

Zhou Tiancan was taken aback, as if he had been choked. "I didn't strike at your heart, I'm just stating the facts!"

"Ha ha, have you been close to the stage? Did you see clearly?"

Xiao Xiaoshou's words came in rapid succession. "You know nothing, yet you come here spouting nonsense and spreading lies. If I say I did it on purpose now, would you have a legitimate reason to attack me?"

"No, that's not it, that's not it!"

Zhou Tiancan was flustered, waving his sword hand, his face turning red. He seemed to want to say something but couldn't.

"Stop talking!" Xiao Xiaoshou's words were like a mountain pressing down. "I know your next words will be about my sharp tongue!"

"No, I didn't!"

"Ha ha, you people always stand on the moral high ground to criticize others, but you never think that these so-called righteous words are the true blades that strike at the heart!"

Zhou Tiancan took a few steps back, his gaze scattered, his blade intent already suppressed by Xiao Xiaoshou. He suddenly raised his blade to steady himself, deciding not to say more.

"What?" Xiao Xiaoshou changed his tone. "When you don't talk, you have to talk, and when you talk, you can't talk, and when you can't talk, you attack?"

Zhou Tiancan held his sword, unsure whether to strike or not, feeling extremely awkward.

Xiao Xiaoshou appeared calm, but inside, he was already laughing hysterically. He had figured out that Zhou Tiancan was the kind of person who only had one thought in his head.

His sense of justice was overwhelming, and he was very passionate, often only seeing the surface of things or being misled and used as a tool, endearingly naive.

The audience was stunned. Xiao Xiaoshou's words not only provided the best response to yesterday's incident but also left many with ulterior motives speechless.

"Ugh, Xiao Xiaoshou is so pitiful, I wronged him!"

"Despicable Zhou Tiancan, trash! Shameless! Striking at the heart!"

"Damn, are you guys crazy? Shouldn't the one striking at the heart be Xiao Xiaoshou?"

"Goodness, this guy is so talkative, I almost believed him. Zhou Tiancan, cheer up, don't be fooled by him, pick up your sword and cut him!"

In the arena, Xiao Xiaoshou saw his opponent's hesitant and almost defeated look and realized he had gone too far. He quickly spoke up.

"Junior Zhou, although we shouldn't judge things by their surface, as a qualified Spirit Refiner, once you step onto the stage, you must never mention surrender."

"Remember: to be afraid before the battle is a great taboo; to flee without a fight is a disgrace to a Spirit Refiner; to surrender is a stain on one's life!"

He flicked his sleeve, looking ethereal, and spoke with authority.

Zhou Tiancan's heart steadied. He held the golden Overlord Blade, his fighting spirit reigniting, and bowed. "Senior Xiao, I have learned!"

Xiao Xiaoshou nodded slightly, looking like a teacher who had successfully taught a student.

Xiao Qixiu: "..."