Ling Yun's face twisted with fury. "Bastard!!! That's it… Playtime is over!"
With a burst of profound energy, he vanished, reappearing in an instant right behind Yun Che. His sword whistled through the air, descending with the force of a mountain. He needed to defeat Yun Che fast before he could use any of his techniques.
In other words, overwhelmed him.
Yun Che sidestepped effortlessly. The moment Ling Yun's blade struck the ground, a deafening boom erupted. The arena trembled violently before splitting apart, a jagged fissure tearing its way across the stone battlefield. Dust and debris shot into the air, blinding the onlookers momentarily.
But Yun Che remained untouched.
Ling Yun's eyes burned with obsession. "Those three will be mine!!" he roared, his desperation fueling his attacks.
Summoning every ounce of power within him, he unleashed Heavenly Star Frenzy—a technique that conjured hundreds of sword auras, each one slicing through the air like a celestial storm. The sky darkened with the sheer number of ethereal blades, all locking onto Yun Che like homing missiles.
A collective gasp rippled through the audience. There was no escape.
Or so they thought.
Yun Che didn't even flinch.
With a single, fluid motion, he vanished.
The moment the sword auras rained down, Yun Che had already danced through them, weaving between the deadly projectiles as if he were a specter untouchable by mortal hands. Each step was precise, each movement effortless. To the untrained eye, it looked as if he hadn't moved at all—merely existed outside of Ling Yun's wrath.
The difference between them was clear.
Ling Yun, panting, his eyes wide with disbelief, could only watch as Yun Che reappeared a few paces away, completely unscathed.
Ling Yun gritted his teeth, his frustration boiling over. His pride refused to accept Yun Che's superiority. With a burst of profound energy, he launched himself forward, moving with such blinding speed that the air itself seemed to distort around him. His sword flashed in a flurry of strikes, each one aiming to overwhelm Yun Che, leaving no room to evade.
"Heaven Might Absolute Sword! Sword Twister!"
A storm of sword light erupted from Ling Yun's blade, coalescing into a massive, swirling tornado of razor-sharp energy. The howling winds carried countless blades of light, slashing through the air with devastating force. The sheer pressure alone sent cracks splintering across the already broken arena.
Ling Yun smirked, his eyes gleaming with triumph. "Let's see if you can avoid this, Yun Che!"
The audience collectively held their breath. Even those who had doubted Ling Yun's strength before couldn't deny the terrifying power of his attack. This was not a simple technique—it was meant to obliterate, to consume everything in its path.
Dust and debris swirled violently, reducing visibility to nothing.
"Die! Yun Che!" Ling Yun lunged forward, his dual swords gleaming with a fierce radiance as he closed the distance between him and Yun Che. His frustration had turned into raw desperation—he refused to believe he was losing. With a furious roar, he swung both the Celestial Yuan and Celestial Yang Swords directly at Yun Che's chest, pouring every ounce of his profound energy into the attack.
The impact landed, but instead of cutting through, an unexpected force erupted from Yun Che's body.
BOOM!
A fiery explosion burst outward, engulfing both combatants in a blinding inferno. The sheer intensity of the blast shook the entire arena, forcing spectators to shield their eyes. The swirling tornado of sword energy that Ling Yun had conjured was instantly shattered, its remnants dissolving into harmless streaks of light.
Ling Yun was sent hurtling backward, his body spinning through the air before crashing hard into the ruined ground. He groaned in pain, his robes scorched, his breathing ragged.
As the flames dissipated, Yun Che emerged from the inferno, completely unharmed. His aura burned brighter than ever, his stance unwavering. He stared down at Ling Yun, his eyes carrying no trace of anger—only a quiet, overwhelming dominance.
The entire arena fell into a stunned silence.
Yun Che hadn't just endured the attack.
He had stopped it.
"You forget one thing, mate," Yun Che smirked, raising his hand as flames coiled around his fingers. "I don't just use fire on my legs for my techniques… I can do this too."
With a flick of his wrist, a torrent of fire erupted from his palm, surging toward Ling Yun like a roaring dragon. Before the flames even reached their target, Yun Che followed up, summoning two blazing arrows in each hand—formed entirely of condensed fire—before releasing them at blistering speed. A hailstorm of fireballs followed, painting the battlefield in an inferno of destruction.
"He—he can shoot flames with his hands?!"
The entire arena erupted in shock. Gasps, shouts, and exclamations blended into a chaotic roar as the audience struggled to comprehend what they had just witnessed. They had always known Yun Che to use flames—but only through his legs, enhancing his Black Leg Style into the devastating Devil's Leg. That alone had been a fearsome, almost mythical ability.
But this? This was something else entirely.
"I thought he only used it to strengthen his kicks or surrounds himself with flames! How is he controlling it so freely?!"
The realization hit them all at once. It wasn't just about Yun Che coating his limbs in flames for raw power. He was wielding fire as if it were an extension of his very being.
Just as Unohana Retsu had astounded the arena with her unparalleled mastery over water, bending it to her will without the need for incantations or rigid techniques, Yun Che now revealed his own dominion over fire—pure, unrestrained, and terrifyingly precise.
This was no ordinary cultivation technique. This was elemental manipulation at its peak. It was one thing to wield powerful fire-based arts or water-based skills—but to shape and command the very essence of an element itself? That was something else entirely.
It was unnatural. It was divine.
The Blue Wind Imperial Family had, by sheer fortune or fate, become the home to two supreme elemental wielders—one governing the fluid grace of water, the other commanding the destructive force of fire. Yin and Yang. Opposites in perfect balance, each a force of nature on their own.
Whispers slithered through the stands like a rising storm.
"This is beyond mere talent… this is a blessing of the heavens themselves."
"They are monsters. Heavenly geniuses. If they continue to grow unchecked… they will surpass everyone in this empire."
Among the sect masters and powerful cultivators present, greedy eyes gleamed with dangerous intent. To have such prodigies within their ranks would mean absolute dominance—an unshakable power that could change the balance of the entire Blue Wind Empire.
Gasps and murmurs rippled through the stands as Yun Che unleashed a barrage of fiery attacks from his hands. The sheer audacity of the technique—flames fired like arrows, fireballs erupting from his palms—was unheard of!
The spectacle unfolding before the audience was nothing short of breathtaking. Yun Che didn't just wield fire—he commanded it. The flames obeyed his every whim, bending and twisting to his will like living extensions of his body.
Any missed attack didn't simply fade into the air—it was recalled, redirected, and seamlessly woven into his next assault. Streams of fire coiled around him like a raging inferno, striking again and again with relentless precision. The heat in the arena intensified, making it difficult to even breathe as waves of scorching energy pulsed outward.
Ling Yun gritted his teeth, his swords flashing as he deflected the incoming flames. Each strike sent sparks flying in every direction, but it was clear he was struggling. For every fireball he blocked, two more took its place. His form became a blur of silver light, trying to carve a path through the endless blaze. Every spark flying recalled back and used in another attack.
The audience was left in stunned silence before the murmurs of disbelief turned into full-blown exclamations.
"Remember that Unohana Retsu from before? She recycled the water around her as well."
"First water and now, fire? They both even on the same team. Heavens, how is the Blue Wind Imperial Family blessed with such geniuses!?"
Even the elders of the Heavenly Sword Villa, seated in the exclusive VIP section, leaned forward, their once-calm expressions hardening into intense scrutiny. Their sharp gazes dissected Yun Che's movements, trying to pierce the mystery behind his technique.
Yet, no matter how they focused, they couldn't sense any fluctuation of profound energy, no structured incantation, nor any recognizable profound art at play. It wasn't a technique cultivated through traditional means—there was no buildup, no chant, no visible circulation of energy before his attacks.
How was he doing this?
How was Yun Che able to manipulate flames so effortlessly, shaping them into deadly projectiles, recalling missed attacks to continuously strike, and forging new ones with seamless fluidity?
Meanwhile, Ling Yun felt himself being pushed back. His Celestial Yuan and Celestial Yang Swords flared with power as he swung wildly, but for every attack he made, Yun Che's flames adapted. They would slip through the gaps in his defense, coil around his strikes, and lash at him from unexpected angles.
He could only watch, stunned, as the fiery onslaught bore down upon him.
Ling Yun's eyes widened, but he gritted his teeth and retaliated. Swinging his swords in rapid succession, he unleashed a barrage of sword-light waves, each strike colliding with the incoming flames in bursts of golden sparks. But Yun Che wasn't done.
Raising both hands, he twisted his fingers, manipulating the very flames that had been scattered by Ling Yun's counterattack. The fire swirled around him like a raging sea before solidifying into a massive, undulating fire wave shield that absorbed the remaining attacks.
From the Frozen Cloud Asgard section, a hushed voice broke the stunned silence.
"This… Retsu has waterbending… Then this must be… Firebending?" Little Fairy murmured, her voice laced with awe.
The words sent a ripple of shock through the seating section.
"Firebending… Yun Che can manipulate flames just like Retsu manipulates water?!" Chu Yueli gasped, her usually composed expression betraying her astonishment.
Retsu's waterbending had already been considered an anomaly—someone who had mastered the very Laws of Water itself. But now, before their very eyes, stood another phenomenon—
Someone who had mastered Fire Laws with the same absolute control.
And yet, Yun Che stood amidst the rising flames, completely at ease, as if commanding fire itself was the most natural thing in the world.
Xia Qingyue widened her eyes in shock. Watching Yun Che wield fire so effortlessly sent a shiver down her spine. She had always prided herself on her mastery of the Frozen Cloud Arts, her unparalleled affinity with ice. Yet now, she had to admit—she was envious.
She had already struggled to accept Retsu's terrifying command over the Laws of Water, bending it with a finesse that far surpassed anything the Frozen Cloud Asgard had ever achieved when she revealed she can manipulate Ice. Now, her so-called husband had done the same with Fire. Not just mastering it—but reshaping the very nature of how it was used in battle.
Her fingers tightened into fists, a storm of emotions raging inside her. She was falling behind—rapidly.
How could this be? How could both Yun Che and Retsu have unlocked such overwhelming control over two opposing elements, and she, a prodigy in her own right, was still shackled by the limits of the Frozen Cloud Arts?
Was this fate? Were the Heavens conspiring against her?
Her icy composure cracked for the briefest moment as she clenched her teeth. If she didn't push forward, if she didn't break through the walls of her own understanding—would she forever be left in their shadows?
Ling Yun's roar echoed across the shattered battlefield, his voice filled with unshaken conviction. Yun Che's firebending techniques started to annoy him.
"Heaven's Might Absolute Sword——Universe!!"
A surge of cyan-colored sword energy erupted from the Celestial Yuan Sword, extending outward in a terrifying arc. The sheer pressure from the technique caused the air to distort, sending shockwaves rippling through the broken arena. Sixty meters long, one and a half meters wide—the colossal sword of judgment loomed like an executioner's blade, ready to bring down its verdict upon Yun Che.
The entire arena fell into a stunned silence. No one had ever seen Ling Yun unleash such overwhelming power. Even the most seasoned cultivators watching from the stands felt their hearts pound.
"Yun Che! I am sure you will die if this technique hits you!" Ling Yun snarled, his voice reverberating with lethal intent.
Yun Che, standing amidst the swirling inferno of his own creation, simply let out a bored sigh. Then, with a smirk, he pulled out a small, silver metallic ball and held it up for all to see.
"Mind if I use this?" He asked, his tone casual—almost amused.
Ling Yun's brows furrowed in irritation. "What tricks are you up to this time!?" He refused to believe Yun Che had nothing left in his arsenal.
Yun Che chuckled. "Oh, nothing much… just something I find amusing."
Without further explanation, he pressed a tiny button on the sphere and let it drop onto the ruined arena floor. The audience watched in confusion—what was Yun Che doing, standing still in the face of certain death?
Then—
A high-pitched girl's voice suddenly echoed through the air, as if played through an open mic.
The voice was shrill, commanding, and strangely dramatic.
A voice only Yun Che, Retsu, Mio, and Nemu could understand.
A recording that Yun Che had somehow prepared in advance.
A voice, modded to perfection— from Megumin of Konosuba.
"Behold, this is the true power of mine!"
The high-pitched voice echoed across the arena, its words completely foreign to the audience. To most, it was nothing but strange, unintelligible gibberish, yet the sheer conviction in its tone sent a ripple of unease through the crowd.
Little Fairy, Chu Yueli, Xia Qingyue sort of recognized the gibberish way of talking. It was the language Yun Che used with Kon. They could only wish they understood what it was saying.
Ling Yun's brows twitched in frustration. "Yun Che! What nonsense are you pulling now!?"
Yun Che simply shrugged, his expression unreadable. Then, the voice continued—
"Oh, blackness shrouded in light,
Frenzied blaze clad in night,
In the name of the crimson demons,
Let the collapse of thine origin manifest.
Summon before me the root of thy power hidden within the lands of the kingdom of demise!"
The words resonated ominously through the arena, carrying an eerie power despite their meaning being lost on most. Yun Che smirked, raised a hand, and casually waved at Ling Yun, as if bidding him farewell.
Then, without hesitation, he covered his ears and activated his Maximum Armor despite a few seconds left after his last Maximum Power attack.
A flicker of realization struck Ling Yun, but it was too late.
"Explosion!!"
BOOOOOOOOM!!!
The world shattered.
A blinding, fiery explosion erupted from the very center of the arena, a devastating detonation unlike anything ever witnessed before. The shockwave tore through the air, violently shaking the protective barriers that barely held up against the sheer force of the blast.
Had it not been for the outer formation, the audience would have been deafened on the spot, their bodies flung into the air like ragdolls.
When the flames and smoke finally began to clear, the full extent of the destruction became terrifyingly clear.
A gargantuan chasm, over three hundred meters long and five meters wide, had been violently carved into the heart of the Sword Discourse Arena. The once grand battlefield was now nothing more than a smoldering ruin, split in half by an abyss that seemed bottomless.
But Yun Che?
He was nowhere near the blast zone.
Somehow, in the middle of the devastation, he had already appeared high above in midair, looking down at the chaos with a casual, almost amused expression.
As if he had never been in danger at all.
"Ara..." Retsu sweatdropped, her usually calm demeanor faltering as she took in the sheer destruction left behind.
Cang Yue stared, wide-eyed, her lips slightly parted in disbelief.
Mio, on the other hand, burst into laughter, clapping her hands in pure amusement. "Fufufu~ Danna-sama, you really don't hold back, do you? That was overkill!"
Meanwhile, Nemu stood off to the side, her pen scratching furiously against a parchment, jotting down notes with keen interest, as if this absurd battle tactic was worth studying.
Yuanba? The poor guy was gaping like a fish out of water, unable to form coherent words.
Mai, still in shock, simply blinked rapidly, trying to process what had just happened.
Mei, overwhelmed, quickly hid behind Nezuko, peeking out cautiously while the later laugh in amusement seeing a big explosion. Xue Ling and Lin Yueru exchanged glances, their faces mirroring the same stunned disbelief. The arena was gone. Completely obliterated.
And yet, Ling Yun still stood.
The once-pristine figure of the esteemed swordsman had been reduced to a charred mess. His flowing robes? Gone—disrobed, tattered, and barely clinging to his frame. His hair? Singed. His entire form was covered in soot, his once-majestic aura now replaced with a mix of rage, humiliation, and raw frustration.
He gritted his teeth, his entire body trembling with anger.
Yun Che, now hovering in the air, watched with a self-satisfied smirk.
The idea had been simple—a compact version of a Fuel-Air Explosive Bomb, derived from his Firebending techniques. By infusing a massive amount of highly flammable fuel into a small, silver bomb and compressing it, he had effectively created an improved version of the C-5 Heaven Decimating Orb, the same weapon he had once used to annihilate the Yin Devourer Sect.
This one?
He called it, C-6.
But, of course, Yun Che couldn't just stop at making it deadlier—he had to make it more entertaining. Instead of the usual beeping countdown, he had modded the detonation sequence.
Instead of a timer, he had set it to Megumin's famous, overly dramatic chant.
A full ten seconds of theatrical nonsense… before the final word—
"Explosion!"
—unleashed absolute devastation.
"Yun Che!!!"
Ling Yun's voice roared across the ruins of the arena, his fury erupting into a frenzied storm of sword lights. He lashed out wildly, sending countless radiant blades slicing through the air, trying to flush out his opponent.
Yet, despite his reckless assault, he remained blissfully unaware—the very target of his wrath was right above him, watching his desperate struggle with nothing but amusement and contempt.
"I'm up here."
Yun Che's voice was calm, even mocking as he hovered in the sky, arms crossed. The moment Ling Yun's furious eyes snapped upward, Yun Che smirked, already knowing what was coming next.
"Huaargghhh!!"
Ling Yun unleashed a Radiant Sword, a gleaming arc of divine energy cleaving toward Yun Che. It was meant to be decisive, overwhelming, final.
But Yun Che?
He simply smirked.
With a flick of his wrist, twin swords blazed into existence, made up from surrounding flames—not just any swords, but weapons that radiated pure fire, their serrated silver edges glowing with molten orange and red accents. The moment they appeared, the air itself trembled, as if recognizing the presence of a force too powerful to ignore.
Then, in an instant—
BANG!!!
Yun Che kicked the Radiant Sword mid-air, shattering it as though it were made of fragile glass. Ling Yun's technique—one of his strongest—had been obliterated in a single motion.
Before Ling Yun could even process what had happened, Yun Che was already upon him, twin swords blazing with intense, fiery energy. With a single fluid strike, he unleashed two devastating fire sword waves, their crimson arcs colliding against Ling Yun's chest.
The impact was brutal.
Ling Yun was sent flying backward, his body slamming into the wreckage of the already-destroyed arena. Smoke and embers trailed in his wake, his once-mighty form reduced to a struggling heap amidst the rubble.
Meanwhile, Yun Che hovered effortlessly, his grip tightening around his twin swords.
These weren't ordinary weapons.
Each blade was a masterpiece of destruction, its long, slender form shimmering with silver and fiery accents, the serrated edges burning as though the metal itself were alive. The golden hilt, shaped like a stylized eye, housed a deep blue gem at its center—an ominous contrast to the dark red grip, tightly wrapped in either leather or enchanted cloth.
The design was a perfect fusion of grace and devastation, its curves and angles combining to create a weapon of unparalleled beauty and raw destructive force.
Gong Yuxian's eyes widened in astonishment. The formation of the weapon was instant, its very existence forged entirely from flames. It wasn't merely an illusion or a temporary construct—this was a weapon brought to life through pure elemental mastery.
It was just like Unohana Retsu.
The realization hit like a thunderclap. She had seen Retsu conjure a striking ice-wate0r sword in the heat of battle, shaping it instantaneously from the very elements around her. And now, before their eyes, Yun Che had done the same—but with fire.
The audience was bewildered, their shock rippling through the ruins of the arena like an invisible force. To shape elemental energy into tangible, fully functional weapons was a feat that surpassed normal cultivation—it was something only the most gifted and attuned could achieve.
Retsu had summoned a sword of ice and water, a blade that carried the cold embrace of winter itself. Now, Yun Che stood before them, wielding twin swords of flame, their silver edges glowing with a molten radiance that threatened to consume everything in their path.
The moment Ling Yun coughed up blood, a sharp gasp rippled through the arena. He had tumbled midair over ten times before finally crashing onto one knee, his Celestial Yuan Sword barely keeping him from collapsing entirely. His breath came in ragged, uneven gasps—his once unshakable confidence now fractured.
And then, Yun Che spoke.
"Well, Ling Yun. You call your swords Celestial Yuan and Celestial Yang…" He raised his own twin blades, the flames along their edges flaring violently. "I call mine—Divine Rapiers!"
Yun Che held his twin swords aloft, their blades shimmering with raw, untamed power. Unlike ordinary weapons, these were not forged through mundane means. They were manifestations of his elemental mastery of Firebending, created through the fusion of fire laws and his indomitable Spirit Force, reinforced further by Haki—the essence of sheer, unbreakable dominance.
Their design was reminiscent of an Immortal Treasure from Dota 2—the legendary Rapiers of the Burning God. However, Yun Che decided to name them based on the in-game overpowered game changing Item.
The fusion of the items called the Sacred Relic and the Demon Edge. He named them—Divine Rapiers.
The moment Yun Che uttered the name "Divine Rapiers," a wave of stunned silence swept across the arena. Then, as the fiery twin blades gleamed under the sky, the entire audience erupted into chaos.
"What—what are those swords?!" A sect elder from the Heavenly Sword Villa shot to his feet, his eyes widening in sheer disbelief.
"They're… not ordinary weapons!" another powerful cultivator gasped. "Those aren't forged blades! He… he created them from flames!"
Gasps, murmurs, and exclamations filled the stands. Cultivators, nobles, and warriors alike strained their eyes, trying to comprehend what they were witnessing. This was no simple profound flame technique—Yun Che had manifested swords purely from elemental energy and crafted it to perfection!
"It's just like… Sister Retsu's water sword…" Shui Wushuang whispered, her voice tinged with both admiration and fear. "She could shape a sword out of ice and water, and now… Yun Che has done the same, but with fire itself."
Even Gong Yuxian, the Frozen Cloud Asgard Mistress, found herself unable to mask her astonishment. "Two elemental conjurers of this caliber… in the same generation? This is unprecedented."
The implications were terrifying.
"That level of mastery over the elements… he's practically turning fire into solid matter!" a sect master from the audience muttered. "Just like that mysterious woman, Unohana Retsu's Ice Sword."
Some of the greedy sect leaders exchanged knowing glances. A talent like Yun Che's couldn't be left unchecked. If he continued to grow, he would surpass every sect in the empire! Some were already scheming—should they try to recruit him? Or if not… should they eliminate him before it was too late?
A hushed silence fell over the Sword Discourse Arena. The spectators, cultivators, elders, and disciples alike, had been expecting boos, jeers—something to deny Yun Che's dominance. But none came.
Because they all understood the weight of this battle.
If Heavenly Sword Villa lost, the consequences would be devastating. Their standing as the number one force in Blue Wind Empire would be shattered. Their prestige, their influence, their supremacy—all of it would crumble.
First, Xia Yuanba had already knocked Ling Jie out of the top four. Now, Yun Che was on the verge of doing the same to Ling Yun. If he succeeded, Heavenly Sword Villa would be kicked from the elite ranks, forced down to fifth place or lower.
Ling Yun knew this.
And so, despite the sting to his pride, despite the blow to his dignity, he had no choice but to fight with everything he had left.
He had to win.
Not just for himself, but for his sect, his honor… and the three beauties he refused to let slip away.
Slowly, Ling Yun stood, his body trembling from exhaustion, yet his will burning stronger than ever. In his left hand, Celestial Yuan radiated with a golden aura. In his right, Celestial Yang shimmered with ethereal light.
Then, something strange happened.
His fingers unclenched from the Celestial Yang Sword—but the sword did not fall.
It floated.
The audience's breath hitched.
Ling Yun's aura surged, the space around him trembling under the sheer force of his power. His eyes gleamed with an otherworldly sharpness, as though he had ascended beyond the limits of mortal swordsmanship.
A burst of light-gray profound energy spiraled around him, distorting the air itself.
Then—his voice, calm but laced with deadly intent—
"Sword… Spirit… Doppelgänger!"
A sudden, piercing flash of light erupted from Ling Yun's body—his form splitting in two!
Yun Che smirked, his eyes glinting with amusement.
"So, this is your trump card?" he mused, watching as Ling Yun's form split in two, each half wielding one of the Celestial Twin Swords.
But this wasn't the first time he had seen Sword Spirit Doppelgänger. Yoruko/Nezuko had already copied this technique, forming two identical versions of herself in their previous battles. She even used it to play with Xue Ling and Chu Yueli. The real Ling Yun held Celestial Yuan, while the spiritual doppelgänger brandished Celestial Yang.
A perfect synchronization.
An overwhelming pressure.
But Yun Che? He simply raised his Divine Rapiers, their flaming silver blades casting an ominous glow in the air. The fire along the edges flared wildly, crackling like a beast eager to be unleashed.
Then, in a single motion, he pointed one sword directly at Ling Yun.
A surge of dominating heat exploded outward, rippling through the arena like a shockwave. The very air around his swords distorted, bending under the sheer intensity of his flames.
"Come." Yun Che's voice was calm, yet carried an undeniable weight.
Celestial Yuan and Celestial Yang…
Yun Che's Divine Rapiers…
Which swords would reign supreme?
======================
"Is Yun Che using Firebending? Just like your Waterbending?" Chu Yueli suddenly asked, her gaze locked onto the flames dancing around Yun Che's twin swords.
Retsu, sitting beside her, smiled sweetly. "Yes… for now, Yuu-kun can only master fire."
"For now?" Chu Yueli repeated, a flicker of curiosity sparking in her eyes. The way Retsu phrased it—it was as if she was implying Yun Che could learn more.
Retsu giggled, tilting her head. "He's not yet mastered anything beyond fire."
Chu Yueli nodded slowly, her thoughts racing. If someone could truly master more than one elemental force… wouldn't that mean they were either a deity or a monster in human form?
After a brief pause, she hesitated before asking something that had been on her mind for a while. "Sister Retsu, if I may ask… how did you create a sword with Waterbending?"
Retsu gave a knowing smile. "Like this?"
With a graceful flick of her wrist, she summoned a magnificent ice sword—its blade shimmering like frozen moonlight, delicate snowflakes swirling around it. The weapon radiated an ethereal beauty, as if it had been sculpted by the heavens themselves.
Chu Yueli's breath caught in her throat. Even Xue Ling and Lin Yueru, who had been silently observing, couldn't hide their astonishment.
"Hmmm," Retsu mused, twirling the sword effortlessly before letting it dissolve into mist. "Weapon creation with elemental bending isn't as easy as it sounds. You need complete control over your willpower, energy, and concentration. But more importantly…" She lifted a finger and, with a small flick, formed an intricate ice spoon in her palm. "You need imagination."
"Imagination?" Chu Yueli echoed, watching as Retsu casually shaped a fork, then a ladle—all sculpted flawlessly from ice.
Retsu nodded. "Yes. If you lack focus in imagination, your blade will be dull, fragile, or even incomplete. You must visualize the sword's strength, its sharpness, its cutting power. And once you've mastered that…" She smirked, twirling a newly-formed ornate dagger between her fingers. "You can shape it however you like."
Chu Yueli's mind reeled at the implications. Elemental weapon creation wasn't just about skill—it was about creativity, vision, and mastery beyond what she had ever imagined.
"It's true, Sister Yueli. My imagination is a bit lacking, according to Yun Che," Cang Yue admitted sheepishly. She extended her hand, and a mirage-like sword materialized—a shimmering illusion with a bright aqua blade, its edges wreathed in a thin veil of smoke. It lacked intricate detail or refinement, appearing more like a crude approximation of a sword rather than a finished weapon.
Made entirely out of energy.
She smiled awkwardly. "I know it's bad."
Chu Yueli widened her eyes. To form a weapon with willpower alone… even if imperfect, it was an astonishing feat.
Retsu nodded in agreement. "Yes. Without proper concentration or energy control, a conjured blade can be as fragile as glass or as dull as a worn-out dagger."
Cang Yue demonstrated, attempting to slice a fruit in half. Instead of cutting cleanly, the mirage sword merely pressed against the fruit before vanishing in a soft puff of smoke. Frowning, she swung it against the table. CRACK! The weapon shattered instantly, dispersing into glowing fragments. But before Chu Yueli could even react, the pieces shimmered and reassembled themselves in Cang Yue's hand, good as new.
"Conjured weapons can't be stolen because they require the user's power to maintain," Cang Yue explained. "If I completely withdraw my energy…" She handed the sword to Chu Yueli. The moment the other woman touched it, the blade collapsed into energy sparks, scattering weightlessly through the air.
Retsu smirked and took over. "The strength of a conjured weapon depends entirely on the user's power, cultivation, and focus. It takes an immense amount of concentration to maintain its durability, sharpness, and appearance for an extended period of time. That's why I don't recommend relying on conjured weapons in prolonged battles—unless you have the energy reserves and mental endurance to sustain them."
She deliberately left out a crucial detail: for her, Yun Che, Mio, and Nemu, maintaining a conjured weapon was effortless—The System ensured a constant flow of power, allowing them to wield such weapons as naturally as breathing. Even if their focus wavered, the weapons wouldn't dissipate.
But for others? Mastering such a skill required unwavering focus and relentless training.
Chu Yueli exhaled slowly, absorbing every word. "I see…" she murmured.
The path of elemental mastery was far deeper than she had imagined.
Little Fairy, who had been silently listening nearby, couldn't help but agree. She had long recognized the limitations of her own conjured weapons—they lacked durability and raw power, making them unreliable in prolonged battles. That was why she rarely relied on them, instead opting to secretly train them in the shadows, refining her technique bit by bit.
Her gaze drifted toward Yun Che, standing firm in the battlefield, his twin Divine Rapiers blazing with fiery brilliance. Each blade exuded raw elemental dominance, their edges serrated with molten light, pulsing with the very essence of his power.
On the other side, Ling Yun had steadied himself, his breathing ragged but his resolve unshaken. His doppelganger stood beside him, mirroring his stance, each wielding one of the Celestial Swords. Together, they radiated a formidable pressure, their sword auras intertwining like twin dragons poised to strike.
-------------------------
The entire arena fell into a stunned silence. Two Ling Yuns stood side by side, both radiating the same formidable sword intent, their presence nearly indistinguishable. The doppelganger's Celestial Yang Sword pulsed with power, exuding the same devastating sharpness and profound energy as the original.
For the audience, it was utterly unbelievable.
"An illusion? No… it's too real!"
"A shadow remnant? Impossible! That sword energy is completely identical to Ling Yun's!"
Even the elders of Heavenly Sword Villa were momentarily shaken. This wasn't a simple clone or afterimage—this was a perfect duplication of Ling Yun himself! It was a technique that defied all logic, something only those at the pinnacle of sword mastery could achieve.
Meanwhile, Yun Che simply smirked, casually juggling his twin Divine Rapiers, unfazed by the sudden escalation. The flames surrounding his swords flared wildly, as if sensing his growing excitement.
He had seen this technique before.
It was the exact same move that Nezuko had copied from the elder she fought that night, a skill that allowed the user to duplicate their sword prowess through sheer mastery of energy control. The fact that Ling Yun could use it meant he was truly worthy of his rank, but…
The realization hit Chu Yueli like a thunderbolt.
What Ling Yun had painstakingly mastered, what only those at the pinnacle of sword intent comprehension could achieve—Nezuko had already surpassed effortlessly. According to Xue Ling, she copied it by seeing it once.
Her gaze lingered on the Nezuko clone, still sitting calmly on Xue Ling's lap, its presence just as stable as the real one playing with Mei. Not a single flicker, not a single crack in the illusion—it was a perfect duplicate.
"Ling Yun can only maintain his clone for an eighth of an hour… but Nezuko? She's had hers for over an hour… without breaking a sweat."
Chu Yueli's fingers curled slightly as her mind raced.
"This means… she isn't just mimicking techniques. She truly understands them—perhaps even more deeply than Ling Yun himself."
Her eyes flickered to Yoru, the mysterious swordswoman calmly sipping tea as if this entire tournament was nothing more than background noise.
"She said she can use Sword Spirit Doppelganger too…"
A shiver ran down Chu Yueli's spine.
"Is this because she was trained by Mihawk? And if Nezuko is his daughter, then…"
She stole another glance at Nezuko, who was still blissfully unaware of the weight of her own talent.
"These two… are absolute monsters and no one outside knows about them."
And yet, they sat there, completely uninterested in the tournament, as if this entire spectacle was beneath them. While Ling Yun pushed himself to his very limits, they were playing, drinking tea, and slurping snacks like this was just another lazy afternoon.
The contrast was almost absurd.
"The world is unfair." Chu Yueli exhaled deeply.
The moment Yun Che spun his Divine Rapiers, an intense scarlet radiance burst forth, engulfing the entire arena in a blazing inferno.
The air itself distorted under the sheer heat, and then— BOOM!
From the swirling flames, a crimson demon lotus bloomed, its petals formed entirely from raging fire. The arena floor cracked beneath its power, sending waves of heat washing over the barrier that protected the spectators.
Ling Yun and his clone immediately leaped back, their expressions shifting as they tried to avoid the overwhelming explosion of fire.
But Yun Che wasn't finished.
"Let's see how long you two can last!" He smirked, thrusting one rapier forward.
The blazing lotus exploded, sending out waves of fire-infused sword energy in every direction. The impact was instantaneous—Ling Yun's clone wavered for the first time, its sword intent flickering as it was forcefully pushed back.
Meanwhile, the real Ling Yun gritted his teeth and crossed his twin swords, forming a defensive stance as the firestorm assaulted him head-on.
"Tch… This power…!" Ling Yun barely managed to hold his ground. His swords trembled under the force, and for the first time, doubt flickered in his eyes.
With one move, he had disrupted Ling Yun's advantage, forcing him onto the defensive.
And Yun Che wasn't even breaking a sweat.
The fire lotus detonated, sending a shockwave of searing heat across the arena. But before the embers could even settle, both Ling Yuns surged forward like shadows, their movements synchronized in eerie perfection.
Two Sky Profound Swords—one cyan, the other orange—slashed through the air, weaving together an intricate web of sword light, trapping Yun Che within its grasp.
The sheer harmony between Ling Yun and his doppelgänger amplified their combined strength beyond simple addition—their blades resonated, their profound energy intertwined, and in that moment, two swords became one unstoppable force.
The sword web tightened like an inescapable snare.
Yet Yun Che didn't flinch.
Instead, he thrust his Divine Rapiers into the flames of the crimson lotus, drawing forth its remaining embers. Phoenix flames surged, licking up the silver blades, turning them into twin fangs of pure destruction.
With a flick of his wrists, he unleashed a blazing arc, sending a torrent of fire surging through the sword web. Crack! The cyan and orange strands of profound energy shattered like fragile glass, incinerated before they could fully close in.
The shockwave forced both Ling Yuns backward, their synchronized assault broken in an instant.
And Yun Che—still standing, twin blades wreathed in divine fire—hadn't even lost his smirk.
Ling Yun's speed surged again, his sword waves multiplying, forming a tempest of razor-sharp light intent on drowning Yun Che's flames. His clone mirrored his every movement, encircling Yun Che like a tightening noose, bombarding him with a relentless storm of slashes.
Yet, Yun Che stood firm.
A slow smirk crept onto his lips as he twirled his Divine Rapiers, the air around him igniting in swirling flames.
"Ever since I gained this move, I never actually used it... Now might be the time."
His thoughts wandered back—back to the moment he had gained the Overlord Sword.
He remembered the memory of the clash beneath the moonlit sky, between the chilling presence of the the Overlord, and the fierce battle against Huan Xuyi.
A fusion of his Overlord Slash and the devastating Getsuga Tenshou.
"Celestial Storm."
A single slash erupted into a whirlwind of sheer destruction.
As Yun Che murmured "Celestial Storm", the entire arena seemed to freeze for an instant—like the world itself was holding its breath.
Then—BOOM!
A howling vortex of pure destruction erupted from his Divine Rapiers. The air around him ignited, twisting into a blazing typhoon of sword energy and phoenix flames. The moment his rapiers slashed forward, the entire battlefield was swallowed in a swirling inferno of razor-sharp waves.
The sky darkened as the force of the storm sucked in surrounding energy, twisting it into a cyclone of fiery death. The sheer pressure of the attack shattered the very ground beneath him, sending cracks splintering across the battlefield like a spiderweb of devastation.
Sword lights shattered. Profound formations trembled. The air itself vibrated under the weight of its power.
The moment the Celestial Storm detonated, an earsplitting roar ripped through the arena—a monstrous explosion of fire and sword waves colliding in a chaotic dance of annihilation.
From the stands, the audience gasped in horror and awe. Those with weaker cultivation were forced to shield their eyes, their skin tingling from the sheer heat radiating from the attack. Even the strongest sect elders leaned forward, their expressions hardening in disbelief.
The arena trembled as the storm of sword waves unfurled—devastating arcs of energy carved through the air, spiraling outward in an expanding vortex of blazing annihilation.
The countless sword waves surrounding him? Obliterated.
The arena fell into stunned silence as Yun Che emerged, unscathed, his body glowing with the residual embers of his attack.
And then—before Ling Yun could react—Yun Che's rapiers left his hands, soaring into the sky, their blades still wreathed in furious phoenix flames. The entire arena burned in his wake, the once-pristine battleground now a wasteland of scorching embers and molten stone.
The audience watched in stunned silence, their eyes locked onto the figure standing amidst the inferno. At this moment, Yun Che wasn't just a competitor—he was a fiery overlord, an unstoppable force of destruction who had just shattered Ling Yun's perfect sword technique like it was nothing.
Ling Yun's sword waves—so precise, so refined—had been utterly dismantled. Every elegant arc of light, every sharp-edged technique had been devoured by the raging Celestial Storm, leaving nothing behind but flickering remnants of power.
Then, with a burst of unimaginable speed, Yun Che appeared before Ling Yun and his clone. He ignored their swords, dodging past them like a phantom before his hands shot out like iron clamps.
Grab!
He seized both Ling Yun and his doppelgänger by the face, his fingers sinking into their skin with overwhelming force. Their bodies tensed, struggling, but Yun Che's grip was absolute—as if the weight of the entire storm had crashed down upon them.
With a smirk, Yun Che swung his arms together, slamming their skulls into each other with a sickening CRACK! The impact sent shockwaves rippling outward, and before they could even process the pain—
BOOM!
With a mighty heave, Yun Che hurled them across the battlefield, their bodies crashing through the shattered remains of the stage, sending debris flying in all directions. Ling Yun's doppelganger dissipates due to Ling Yun losing focus after he slammed on the destroyed arena. Leaving behind his Celestial Yang sword.
The entire arena fell into stunned silence.
It was as if time itself had frozen. No one spoke. No one cheered. No one even breathed. They had just witnessed something impossible.
The great Ling Yun, known for his mastery of the Sword Spirit Doppelgänger and the grand champion of the last tournament had been handled like a mere novice. His graceful, untouchable sword waves had been torn apart, his perfect clone crushed, and his body thrown like a broken doll.
The elders of Heavenly Sword Villa shot to their feet, their eyes wide with disbelief. Their most talented disciple—the prodigy they had groomed for years—was now lying in a heap of rubble, utterly defeated.
"This… this can't be real…" one elder muttered, gripping the railing so hard his knuckles turned white.
"He destroyed the Sword Spirit Doppelgänger…" another gasped. "No one is supposed to be able to counter it this easily!"
In the audience, the young disciples who had once idolized Ling Yun felt their knees go weak. Some clutched their swords tightly, suddenly realizing how insignificant their own skills were compared to what they had just witnessed.
"Unbelievable… Ling Yun had two bodies fighting in perfect harmony, and yet… Yun Che toyed with them both!"
The Sect Masters from the other factions exchanged uneasy glances. This wasn't just an upset… it was a warning. A terrifying declaration of power.
"Way to go, Aniki!" Xia Yuanba shouted.
His words sent shockwaves through the crowd, and in that moment—
The arena erupted into chaos.
Some people cheered, some cried out in disbelief, and others simply sat frozen, unable to process what they had just seen. The once-mighty Ling Yun, tossed aside like nothing—and in his place stood Yun Che, his Divine Rapiers still blazing, his smirk full of absolute confidence.
"Yun Che!!!"
Ling Yun staggered to his feet, his breathing ragged, yet his eyes still burned with determination. His once-pristine robes were now in tatters, his hair disheveled, and his face marked with exhaustion. And yet, despite everything, he still held his sword firm.
The crowd watched in silent awe. Some even began to feel a pang of sympathy—not for Yun Che, but for Ling Yun. Even in defeat, he refused to fall.
Yun Che, however, merely clicked his tongue, his annoyance evident. "Tch… this guy just doesn't know when to quit." Then, in a sudden burst of speed, his body blurred, vanishing from sight.
A boom echoed through the arena as Yun Che exploded forward, his Divine Rapiers blazing like twin stars, aiming to end this battle once and for all.
Ling Yun gritted his teeth, summoning his last gambit. "UNIVERSE!" The Celestial Yuan Sword erupted with a surge of pure power, forming the mighty Universe Slash—a technique capable of splitting mountains.
But Yun Che?
With an effortless motion, his rapiers glowed even brighter, leaving blazing trails of fire in their wake. As the massive sword wave descended, Yun Che slid his twin blades along its edge, redirecting its force rather than clashing head-on.
Then—BANG!—he kicked the towering sword attack straight into the sky.
The crowd erupted in gasps, their eyes wide with disbelief.
"D-Did he just…?!"
Ling Yun stood frozen, his greatest move—effortlessly countered.
Before he could react, Yun Che struck.
"Starburst Stream!"
Ling Yun barely had time to raise his swords before the storm began.
Yun Che's first strike—a horizontal slash from left to right—collided against the Celestial Yuan Yang Swords, sending sparks flying. The second—a rising uppercut slash—forced Ling Yun back as his arms trembled under the pressure.
Then Yun Che leaped into the air, his blades spinning like a whirlwind, and brought down a double-slash from left to right—twice—his strikes faster than the eye could follow.
Ling Yun gritted his teeth, his body struggling to keep up.
Then came the X-SLASH!
Yun Che landed, his Divine Rapiers tearing through the air, carving a massive X across Ling Yun's guard. The sheer shockwave from the attack cracked the arena floor beneath them.
But Yun Che wasn't done.
With fluid grace, he spun once more, reversing the X-slash from bottom to top, forcing Ling Yun further onto the defensive. His swords screamed under the pressure, their edges glowing from the repeated impact.
The crowd roared, unable to keep up with the sheer ferocity of the assault.
Yun Che launched forward, both blades glowing white-hot, and unleashed twin diagonal slashes, each cutting deeper than the last.
CRACK!
A deep fracture split across the Celestial Yuan and Celestial Yang Swords.
Yun Che's onslaught did not stop. His Divine Rapiers flashed like twin comets, each strike flowing into the next with flawless precision.
Reversing his grip, he crossed his blades, delivering another X-shaped slash—each cut sending shockwaves rippling through the air. Without pause, he spun mid-air, his body twisting like a corkscrew, the twin rapiers carving through the very fabric of space.
The arena shook as Yun Che's momentum built to an unstoppable storm. He slashed two more X's, the first from top to bottom, then another from bottom to top, each impact forcing Ling Yun further and further back.
The Celestial Yuan and Celestial Yang Swords screamed under the strain. Cracks had begun forming along their pristine edges, their once unbreakable glow flickering under Yun Che's relentless assault.
Then—a diagonal slash!
From top-right to bottom-left, his right-hand rapier tore through the air, followed by a horizontal sweep from the left. With every move, his speed only increased, his attacks a blur of light and fire.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Yun Che twisted, driving an uppercut slash with his right sword, then another with his left. Each strike forced Ling Yun's arms to tremble, his swords barely holding together.
Then—a downward slash!
Followed by a diagonal strike to the right!
Yun Che spun and repeated the sequence, each blow hammering down on Ling Yun's defenses like the wrath of the heavens itself. Sparks scattered across the battlefield, fragments of the once-mighty Celestial swords chipping away under the force.
Then came the final two strikes.
Yun Che's right rapier thrust forward, piercing through the very air with a force that sent shockwaves across the arena. And then—
BOOM!
With an explosive downward lunge, his left rapier crashed down like a judgment from god.
Crack! Crack! CRASH!
The Celestial Yuan and Celestial Yang Swords—weapons that had never failed Ling Yun—shattered into countless pieces.
With a thunderous explosion, the final strike from Yun Che's Divine Rapiers obliterated the Celestial Yuan and Celestial Yang Swords. Shards of divine steel scattered like falling stars, their radiant glow fading into oblivion.
For a brief moment, silence consumed the arena.
The instant Yun Che's final strike connected, the Celestial Yuan and Celestial Yang Swords—weapons of unparalleled prestige—began to tremble. A web of cracks slithered across their gleaming surfaces, spreading like creeping vines. The crowd watched, breathless, as an eerie, splitting noise filled the air.
And then—
CRASH!
Both swords exploded into countless fragments, their divine essence scattering like falling embers. The shockwave rippled across the arena, sending gusts of heat and energy surging outward. The sky itself seemed to quake, as though the heavens bore witness to the fall of something once thought indestructible.
The audience erupted into chaos.
"T-The Celestial Yuan Yang Swords… BROKE?!"
"Impossible! Those swords were legendary Sky Profound Realm artifacts!"
"Ling Yun's swords… shattered like glass!"
Ling Jie stood frozen, his eyes wide with disbelief. His Celestial Yuan Sword—the treasured weapon of his lineage—had been utterly destroyed, shattered alongside his brother's Celestial Yang Sword. He had always known Yun Che was strong, but this… this was something else entirely.
Back at the palace, when he had faced Yun Che in an arm wrestling match, the defeat had been humiliating, but in hindsight, it was nothing compared to what his brother had just endured. Ling Yun had gone all out, wielding his most powerful techniques, summoning his Sword Spirit Doppelganger, and yet, he still lost in a crushing defeat.
Ling Jie clenched his fists, his pride warring with the bitter reality before him. He was grateful that Xia Yuanba had defeated him earlier—because if he had to face Yun Che now, he wouldn't have lasted even a single second in that arena.
Yet, what stung the most wasn't just the defeat—it was the loss of the Celestial Yuan Sword. The blade he and his brother had worked so hard to subdue, a weapon of their Heavenly Sword Villa legacy, was now nothing more than shattered fragments.
Forget the fact that Ling Yun had once mastered both the Celestial Yuan and Celestial Yang swords. If they were destroyed, then what meaning did that mastery even hold anymore? All that effort, all that pride—reduced to nothing in a single moment.
Even the elders and sect masters stood in disbelief, their faces frozen in sheer horror. These were ancestral weapons, tempered through centuries of refinement—symbols of absolute power. For them to be destroyed in a single exchange was beyond comprehension.
Ling Yuefeng, the Villa Master of Heavenly Sword Villa, turned pale when he arrived on time despite his injuries. His knuckles turned white as he clenched the railing before him. His son's greatest swords—the pride of their lineage—had been utterly annihilated.
"This… This isn't possible…!" he muttered, his voice laced with disbelief.
BOOM!
Yun Che didn't stop. He slammed the throttle, unleashing a final shockwave of force that catapulted Ling Yun through the air. His body spun wildly, a helpless projectile flung across the battlefield.
He soared thirty meters, his broken form tearing through the wind, before crashing beyond the arena's protective barrier.
BANG!!
Ling Yun hit the ground hard, the impact echoing through the stunned silence of the arena. The moment he landed, his body convulsed, a tremor running through his limbs as pain racked every fiber of his being. His profound energy—depleted. His sword intent—shattered.
His soul—damaged beyond recognition.
The Sword Spirit Doppelganger's dissipation had inflicted a severe backlash, leaving his spiritual essence fractured. His vision blurred, the world around him warping into an indistinct sea of disorder. He gasped for breath, his body struggling to rise—yet his muscles refused to obey.
"Y…Young Villa Master!"
A panicked cry pierced the silence, and within moments, Ling Wugou had rushed to his side. His hands trembled as he reached for Ling Yun, only to flinch the moment he touched him.
"He's burning up!"
Ling Yun's body was hot to the touch, the residual force of Yun Che's phoenix flames still searing through his veins. His entire form quaked, his once-pristine robes tattered, his long hair disheveled and drenched in sweat.
And yet—despite the agony, despite the humiliation—Ling Yun's fingers curled weakly, still attempting to grasp at his shattered swords…
But they were gone.
His greatest weapons—his pride—reduced to nothing. The goddesses…. Lost?
The realization hit him harder than any blade ever could.
---------------------------
The arena erupted into chaos. Gasps, cheers, and disbelieving murmurs echoed like thunder through the coliseum.
Yun Che had done the unthinkable—he had shattered not one but two Sky Profound Realm swords, weapons revered as divine treasures, and in the same stroke, defeated Ling Yun. The sheer shockwave of this feat rippled through the crowd like an earthquake, leaving spectators and experts alike staggered.
Yuanba and Mai stood frozen, their mouths hanging open in utter disbelief.
Nezuko, unfazed by the stunned silence around her, broke into cheerful applause. "Yayy!!" she cheered excitedly, clapping her hands together.
Xue Ling and Lin Yueru, usually composed, were just as shocked as the rest, their eyes locked onto Yun Che as if trying to confirm whether what they had just witnessed was even real.
"Nice going! Danna-sama!" Mio's energetic voice cut through the tense atmosphere, her proud grin making it clear she had never doubted him for a second.
Nemu simply gave a small, approving nod, while Cang Yue let out a long sigh, shaking her head as if already expecting Yun Che's reckless brilliance.
But the true excitement lay in Retsu's eyes, gleaming with a mix of admiration and eagerness. "That technique…" she muttered to herself, her excitement barely contained. Starburst Stream… I have to ask Yuu-kun to teach it to me!
Yun Che ended Ling Yun with a devastating final assault—Starburst Stream sword skill, a relentless 16-hit combo inspired by the legendary dual-blade techniques from Sword Art Online of his old world. This technique could only be unleashed by those who wielded two swords in perfect harmony.
With blinding speed, Yun Che's Divine Rapiers became a storm of slashes, each strike hammering against Ling Yun's defenses like a tidal wave crashing upon a crumbling shore. The Celestial Yuan and Celestial Yang swords trembled under the relentless barrage, their once-unshakable power buckling against the sheer force of the assault.
Ling Yun, forced into desperate defense, could do nothing but brace himself. Yet, as the 16th strike fell, the combined pressure proved too much—cracks splintered through the swords' cores before, with a deafening shatter, they broke apart completely.
The arena gasped.
In that moment, Yun Che had not only defeated Ling Yun—he had crushed the pride of the Heavenly Sword Villa with sheer dominance. He stood on the arena as he puts one of the Divine Rapiers on his right shoulder while the other remained in this left hand.
On the opposite side, Gong Yuxian remained eerily silent, her usual poise shaken, while her Asgardian disciples exchanged uneasy glances.
Even Chu Yueli, usually calm and collected, found herself momentarily speechless.
Little Fairy let out a sigh, shaking her head. This rascal… always going overboard.
But perhaps the most shaken of them all was Xia Qingyue. She stared at Yun Che, her mind racing. Two Sky Profound Realm weapons… destroyed in an instant. And the opponent he just defeated? A Third Level Earth Profound Realm genius—the strongest beneath Nezuko, Cang Yue, and Unohana Retsu.
How was this possible?
What kind of monster had Yun Che become?
The entire arena was in stunned silence. What had started as an evenly matched battle had quickly spiraled into something beyond comprehension. Ling Yun, hailed as a near-invincible genius, had gained the upper hand with his Sword Spirit Doppelganger, his mastery of sword intent putting him a step above Yun Che.
But then came the Celestial Storm.
Then, the Starburst Stream.
And in the blink of an eye, everything had collapsed. Ling Yun's dominance shattered, his swords destroyed, his body sent flying out of the arena. This wasn't just a defeat—it was an obliteration.
Ling Yuefeng, the master of Heavenly Sword Villa, sat back in his seat, his face shadowed in disbelief. He took a long, deep breath, then closed his eyes in silence. His heart was heavy—he had come hoping for a victory, hoping that today would bring some redemption after the loss of his wife the night before. But the moment Yun Che summoned his Divine Rapiers, he had already known.
Ling Yun had lost.
Heavenly Sword Villa had lost.
There was not even the slimmest chance for a miracle.
"He is clearly only a True Profound Realm practitioner… How could he… How could he…" Ling Yuefeng muttered, his voice low and hollow, as if he were trying to convince himself that what he had just witnessed was impossible.
And yet, it had happened.
Just the night before, he had lost the Limitless Sword to Chu Yueli when she shattered it. The legendary sword his father had cherished, a blade of unknown origins and boundless potential, was also destroyed. Now, Yun Che had obliterated the Celestial Yuan and Celestial Yang Swords, weapons that once symbolized the pinnacle of his sect's power.
He had lost Xuanyuan Yufeng, his own wife, when she betrayed the villa and chose to end her own life. His elite forces had been utterly crushed at the hands of Dracule Mihawk. Many of the elders and high-level disciples—the foundation of Heavenly Sword Villa—had perished in a desperate attempt to capture Cang Yue.
And as if fate had not yet exhausted its cruelty, his father—Ling Tianni, the Grand Villa Master—had suffered a devastating blow, his once-Emperor-level cultivation shattered, leaving him reduced to the Peak Sky Profound Realm.
Now, both his sons lost in the quarterfinals means Heavenly Sword Villa lost its first level placing and they lost before even reached the top four. Against two dark horses, the Blue Wind Profound Palace and the The Blue Wind Imperial Family.
How much more did he have to swallow? How many more losses would he have to endure before there was nothing left?
A heavy silence hung in the air, until Ling Wugou finally stood, his voice strained with emotion as he forced himself to make the announcement.
"Ling Yun… has gone out of bounds… Blue Wind Imperial Family, Yun Che is the winner! He will enter the semi-final battle tomorrow!"
The declaration sent a shockwave through the audience. A moment of stunned disbelief… then a rising roar of excitement, whispers of awe, murmurs of confusion.
Ling Yun… had lost.
Ling Yun had lost.
It was unthinkable.
They could barely comprehend the battle that had just unfolded before them, much less the impact it would have on the entire empire. Once word of this defeat spread throughout Blue Wind… the entire world would be shaken.
-------------------------
Semi Finals Matches – Round of Four
First Match
Frozen Cloud Asgard, Xia Qingyue ------versus ------Blue Wind Imperial Family, Unohana Retsu
======
Second Match
Blue Wind Profound Palace, Xia Yuanba ------versus ----- Blue Wind Imperial Family, Yun Che
-------------------------