Just as the tension of the arena battle was building, a deafening whooshing sound suddenly came from the horizon. Everyone looked up and saw a dragon-patterned flying boat, even larger than the previous Xuan Tian Sect flying boat, cutting through the clouds. Its hull was shimmering with light, and the dragon patterns were lifelike. It exuded a pressure far beyond that of ordinary forces and slowly sailed towards the martial arts arena.
"That's... the main ship of the Xuantian Sect!" a knowledgeable cultivator exclaimed in surprise. "It's said that only when an elder of the Xuantian Sect personally arrives will this 'Xuantian Main Ship' be used!"
"Why is the Xuantian Sect here again? Don't they already have Young Sect Master Zhao Feng with them?"
"Are you stupid? This is the Four Regions Martial Arts Tournament. As a top power in the Northern Region, the Xuantian Sect will definitely send a big shot to oversee the event!"
"I've heard that the Xuantian Sect wields immense power in the Northern Region, even the royal family gives them face, and no one dares to provoke them easily..."
Amidst the murmurs, the flying boat landed steadily at the edge of the training ground. The cabin door opened, revealing a middle-aged cultivator in a black brocade robe, his aura unfathomable—none other than Xuan Yangzi, the Nascent Soul elder of the Xuan Tian Sect. Behind him followed several people, two of whom stood out particularly—
One was Zhao Feng, who wore an arrogant smile as his gaze swept across the room before finally settling on Xiao Chen with undisguised resentment; the other was a woman in white, with a beautiful face and a slender figure, who was none other than Xiao Chen's childhood sweetheart, Su Wanqing.
Su Wanqing's gaze also fell on Xiao Chen, her eyes filled with complex emotions, including guilt and struggle, but ultimately replaced by a resolute determination. She turned and stood beside Zhao Feng—her posture clearly indicating that she was now a member of the Xuan Tian Sect.
Xiao Chen's hand gripping the rusty iron spear tightened suddenly, his knuckles turning white.
He saw the jade pendant hanging around Su Wanqing's neck—it was the birthday gift he had given her years ago, but now it was tainted with the aura of the Xuantian Sect. He recalled the rumors that the Su family had been coerced by the Xuantian Sect and that Su Wanqing had been forced to join the sect, and her parting words, "Xiao Chen, wait for me"... Now it all seemed like a mirage.
A chilling killing intent surged from the depths of his heart, almost bursting through his chest. He suppressed it again and again, managing not to let the killing intent leak out—this was the martial arts arena, where cultivators from all four regions had gathered, and he couldn't act impulsively.
"The elders of the Xuantian Sect have all arrived. It seems they are determined to win this martial arts tournament."
"Who is the woman beside Zhao Feng? She's really beautiful, and her aura is quite strong. She's probably in the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, right?"
"She seems to be a young lady from the Su family in the Southern Region. Later, she was noticed by the Xuantian Sect and taken in as a disciple..."
Once Su Wanqing's identity was revealed, many people looked at Xiao Chen with more scrutiny—one was an outcast from the Southern Region, and the other was a rising star of the Xuantian Sect. This childhood sweetheart tale was even more captivating than the arena battle.
Xiao Chen didn't look at Su Wanqing again, his gaze returning to the arena.
At this moment, a person stepped out from the Western Regions group. The person was dressed in a crimson outfit and held a red longsword that was half a person's height. The blade was flowing with scorching flames. He was Chi Feng, a core disciple of Burning Heaven Valley.
"You trash from the Southern Region, get up here and face your death!" Chi Feng leaped onto the arena, his long sword slamming into the ground, sparks flying. His voice was arrogant, "I heard that only 5 or 6 people from your Southern Region advanced? Tsk tsk, is there no one else? Send any Tom, Dick, or Harry, and I can chop them down with one stroke!"
"You're asking for it!"
From the Southern Region team, a figure roared as he leaped onto the arena. The newcomer was a disciple of the Blazing Fire Valley named Shi Yan, dressed in brown robes and wielding a fire-tipped spear. His aura was steady at the mid-Nascent Soul stage—he was one of the five Southern Region members who had advanced, and he was known for his fiery temper.
"Oh? Finally, someone dares to come up." Chifeng sneered. "Too bad, from Blazing Fire Valley? Playing with fire in front of our Burning Heaven Valley, you think you're worthy?"
"Enough with the nonsense, let's see who's the real deal!" Shi Yan stood with his spear held horizontally, a pale red flame igniting around him. "Today I'll show you that cultivators from the Southern Region are not to be insulted!"
"You're courting death!" Chi Feng swung his longsword, the crimson blade light carrying the momentum to scorch mountains and boil seas, aiming straight for Shi Yan's face, "Burning Heaven Blade Technique - Wildfire!"
Where the blade's edge passed, the air was scorched and distorted, clearly indicating that the Burning Heaven Valley's signature technique had been used.
"Well done!" Shi Yan advanced instead of retreating, his Fire-Tipped Spear drawing an arc, the tip of the spear gathering even more concentrated flames, "Blazing Fire Spear Technique - Breaking Fire!"
Guns and knives clashed, and two bursts of flame exploded, the heatwave sweeping across the arena and forcing the cultivators below to retreat repeatedly.
"The Crimson Wind's blade strike is incredibly fierce! Shi Yan might be in trouble..."
"Who said there were fewer people advancing from the Southern Region? Looks like the prediction was right, there's no one left..."
The mocking voices of the Western Region cultivators rang out again, and even the people from the Southern Region secretly broke out in a cold sweat.
Xiao Chen calmly watched the two on the arena. Although Chi Feng's sword technique was fierce, it was too flamboyant, and the flames were weak; while Shi Yan's spear technique seemed simple, but the flames were solid and did not dissipate, which was obviously the orthodox inheritance of the Blazing Fire Valley, and his foundation was much more solid than Chi Feng's.
"Shi Yan will win in less than twenty rounds," Xiao Chen silently judged in his mind.
On the arena, the two had already exchanged blows for ten rounds. Chi Feng's swordplay was becoming increasingly rapid, but he was still unable to break through Shi Yan's spear circle; Shi Yan, on the other hand, was steady and methodical, his spear stance as solid as a rock, and every counterattack accurately struck Chi Feng's weak points.
"How is this possible? How could your marksmanship be so good..." Chi Feng became more and more alarmed as the fight progressed. He thought he could win easily, but he was forced to retreat step by step by Shi Yan.
"Because you're too weak!" Shi Yan roared, his spear thrusts suddenly accelerating, "Blazing Spear Technique - Heaven Burning!"
The Fire-Tipped Spear transformed into a crimson fire dragon, breaking through the defense of the blade shadows, with its tip pointing directly at Chi Feng's heart!
Chi Feng hurriedly parried with his sword, but the power contained in the fire dragon caused him to drop his sword. He flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily off the stage, spitting out a mouthful of blood, and fainting.
From start to finish, it lasted exactly twenty rounds.
quiet--
The entire hall fell silent once again.
The Western Region cultivators, who had just been mocking the Southern Region cultivators, felt a burning sensation on their faces, as if they had been slapped hard. The Southern Region cultivators, on the other hand, erupted in a deafening cheer:
"Well done, Shi Yan!"
"You got slapped in the face, didn't you? You trash from the Western Regions!"
"Who says we in the Southern Region have no one? This is just the beginning!"
Shi Yan stood on the arena, panting heavily. He clasped his hands in a fist salute to the Southern Region team, his gaze sweeping over Xiao Chen below the stage with a hint of gratitude—if it weren't for Xiao Chen's calm gaze that gave him confidence, he might not have been able to calm himself down so quickly.
Xiao Chen nodded slightly in response.
He looked in the direction of the Xuan Tian Sect's flying boat. Zhao Feng's face was already ashen, while Su Wanqing's eyes were even more complicated.
In the first arena battle, the Southern Region emerged victorious.
This is just the beginning.
Xiao Chen gripped the rusty iron spear tightly, his knuckles turning white from the force. Xuan Tian Sect, Su Wanqing, and those who mocked the Southern Region… he would use his spear to avenge them all.
The wind on the arena, carrying the lingering warmth of the extinguished flames, stirred Shi Yan's robes and also stirred the undercurrents of the four-domain power struggle. This martial arts tournament had clearly only just begun to reveal its true power.
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