Chapter 29

The overwhelming blade intent that had swept across the field suddenly converged entirely into the golden dominant blade at his words. Zhou Tiancan held the blade with both hands, and it trembled, emitting a brilliant light.

Xu Xiaoshou's pupils constricted. This guy, does he still have a trump card?

He picked up "Cangku," the originally unruly Ninth Rank Spirit Sword, which let out a mournful cry, as if it were deeply aggrieved.

Xu Xiaoshou's face darkened. He also knew that with his current level of sword intent, he probably couldn't withstand this move.

Without hesitation, he exchanged three more skill points and continued to invest them in "Sword Mastery."

"Sword Mastery (Acquired Level 6)."

In an instant, a large amount of knowledge surged into his mind. Looking at the golden dominant blade that Zhou Tiancan was holding, he seemed to have learned something.

In the next second, the vast sword intent in the sky converged. Xu Xiaoshou held "Cangku" and, surprisingly, also gathered all the boundless sword intent into it.

Zhou Tiancan: ???

The audience, seeing the two of them start with the same gesture, were all stunned.

"What's going on? Does Xu Xiaoshou also know Zhou Tiancan's blade technique?"

"How is that possible? Isn't that the starting move of the innate spirit technique 'Immortal Pulling Mountain Style'? How does Xu Xiaoshou know it?"

"Is this guy learning on the spot? My goodness, this is too outrageous."

"Learning an innate spirit technique on the spot, are you kidding me?"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't know what Zhou Tiancan's blade technique was, nor could he emit that golden light, but this move was indeed the latest one he had just comprehended...

"White Clouds Drift, Two!"

"Immortal Pulling Mountain Style!"

The two almost simultaneously drew their weapons. As Zhou Tiancan's dominant blade rose, a golden blade aura several feet high surged towards the ground, filled with killing intent, tearing through the arena and slashing towards Xu Xiaoshou, leaving no room for evasion.

Strangely, when Xu Xiaoshou drew his sword, nothing happened, as if he were just waving it in the air.

The audience's jaws dropped, and Xiao Qiuxiu felt his heart skip a beat.

You've been faking it all this time, and you really just drew your sword?

You're going to get killed!

He instinctively wanted to rush forward but saw Xu Xiaoshou, facing the golden blade aura, slightly flick his sword, slowly pulling "Cangku" back.

A powerful suction force appeared, the void turning into a cloud vortex. Xu Xiaoshou's sword effortlessly deflected the golden light to the side.

It didn't end there. He spun his body and sent the golden light back.

Zhou Tiancan was dumbfounded. What the hell is this? He actually deflected his innate spirit technique "Immortal Pulling Mountain Style" back!

This move had almost drained his spirit energy, and now he had to force another strike to completely neutralize the terrifying attack of "Immortal Pulling Mountain Style" with the collision force.

The two golden lights intersected, and with a loud boom, they shattered into countless golden scales. Amidst the beautiful golden rain, a figure wielded a sword and gracefully approached.

Zhou Tiancan, however, was preoccupied. Xu Xiaoshou's sword technique was like a hanging antelope horn, leaving no trace.

Such a divine sword move gave him a shock no less than when his grandfather led him into the path of blades as a child.

"Can a sword be used like this?"

"What about a blade?"

He fell into deep thought, completely forgetting that he was in the middle of a battle.

Xu Xiaoshou had no choice but to forcibly stop his sword move. The black sword touched Zhou Tiancan's forehead, and even though he couldn't fully control his sword intent, it still pierced his forehead, drawing a bright red blood.

Zhou Tiancan was still in a daze!

Xu Xiaoshou was shocked. This is a battle, please, show some respect for your opponent!

Just as he was about to withdraw his sword, a powerful surge of spirit energy erupted from Zhou Tiancan's body, pushing Xu Xiaoshou away.

Everyone looked up in surprise. Endless spirit energy poured into Zhou Tiancan's body, and a faint, melodic voice echoed in their ears, as if an immortal was whispering, making them feel enlightened.

"Roar!"

Zhou Tiancan's eyes snapped open, his aura advancing from the tenth realm of spirit refinement to the innate realm. With a loud shout, blade intent surged, and he completely shattered the barrier.

Xu Xiaoshou, lying on the ground, was dumbfounded. What the hell is going on? He broke through to the innate realm during the fight?

Are you cheating?

He didn't have time to think much and immediately got up. If Zhou Tiancan, who was already terrifying at the tenth realm of spirit refinement, advanced to the innate realm, it would be even worse.

Unexpectedly, Zhou Tiancan sheathed his blade and respectfully said:

"Thank you, Senior Xu, for showing mercy. I was too rash. Just from that one move, I know you are truly a gentleman!"

Xiao Qiuxiu, regaining his senses, immediately waved his hand: "The match is over, Xu Xiaoshou wins!"

He naturally knew that if Xu Xiaoshou hadn't stopped his sword, Zhou Tiancan wouldn't have just broken through; he would have lost his life.

Of course, with him watching, the latter wouldn't have happened.

However, victory is victory. In a life-or-death battle, there's no chance for the enemy to break through. The moment Xu Xiaoshou stopped his sword, the match was over.

Xu Xiaoshou held the black sword and smiled, not commenting on Zhou Tiancan's evaluation.

Zhou Tiancan, however, blushed. Before the match, he had boasted that his opponent was ruthless, but now he had been saved by the "ruthless" Xu Xiaoshou, which was a huge irony.

"Great!" His eyes sparkled, and he nodded heavily at Xu Xiaoshou, "I've decided, I, Zhou Tiancan, will definitely be your friend!"

Xu Xiaoshou waved and left the arena, not wanting to talk much with this stubborn person.

This match could be considered the most difficult one he had faced so far. The match with Liu Zhen was also tough, but the difference was that he had gained a lot from Zhou Tiancan.

Especially the final move, "White Clouds Drift, Two," which Xu Xiaoshou hadn't even had time to name.

A flash of inspiration, and it appeared. Xu Xiaoshou used it, and this state of being one with the sword, the move, and the intent, was incredibly magical.

It felt as if everything was perfectly natural and smooth.

When he used the sword, even Xu Xiaoshou himself was startled. He needed to go back and ponder it.

Zhou Tiancan's breakthrough to the innate realm and the destruction of the barrier caused a surge of information in the information panel, but Xu Xiaoshou didn't care. He just wanted to go back and sort out his sword techniques.

The audience's applause was thunderous, some in admiration, some in surprise, but more in regret.

Almost everyone in the arena was thinking the same thing: if Zhou Tiancan had woken up earlier, the match might have had a different outcome.

Only one person was an exception, the chief referee, Xiao Qiuxiu. He stared at Xu Xiaoshou's departing back, speechless.

The "match over" he had called a moment late wasn't because he was waiting for Zhou Tiancan to admit defeat, but because he was truly stunned by Xu Xiaoshou's sword move.

A hanging antelope horn, a divine sword move!

Completely discarding spirit techniques and forgetting sword techniques, purely using sword intent to fight and reacting to moves, wasn't this the strongest state of the strongest sword cultivator, as the Eighth Sword Immortal once said?

His eyes were full of shock. Perhaps even Xu Xiaoshou himself hadn't realized how terrifying it was to purely use sword intent to fight.

But he saw it, the shadow of a rising strongest sword cultivator!

He waved to calm the crowd and restarted the lottery screen.

"The match continues!"