Boom!
The jarring sound of an explosion erupted, followed by a massive wave of true essence that unleashed a powerful shockwave, sweeping outward in ripples like those on a disturbed water surface.
In an instant, Liu Yuan found himself at a disadvantage; the ground beneath his feet trembled violently. Cracks resembling spider webs spread outward, and the tremendous force forced his legs deep into the earth.
"City Lord!"
Seeing Liu Yuan fall behind after just one strike, the generals nearby could not help but exclaim in alarm, while Liu Yiru among the crowd clenched her small fists and bit her lip, her face etched with worry.
"Without stepping into the Martial Spirit realm, you cannot fathom its might. How foolish to believe that detonating your acupoints could allow you to contend with me," Xue Li sneered, his cold eyes gleaming with a ferocious killing intent as he unleashed a relentless barrage of blows upon Liu Yuan.
Boom!
Liu Yuan resisted furiously, his entire body seemingly ablaze with true essence, waves of scorching heat radiating outward.
With a mighty roar, he finally broke free from Xue Li's unyielding assault, rising into the air and shifting the tide of battle. However, the recent exertion had left him feeling drained and his blood surging.
Clang, clang…
Having extricated himself from the defensive stance, Liu Yuan drew his saber, engaging in fierce combat with Xue Li, who also wielded a blade. Their swords clashed, emitting brilliant sparks in mid-air, as terrifying arcs of light fell around them, slicing deep fissures into the ground below.
The surrounding crowd watched in rapt attention, their excitement palpable; encounters of such caliber were rare in a lifetime.
"Liu Yuan, is this truly all the power you possess? Allow me to demonstrate the true strength of the Martial Spirit realm!" With a hearty laugh, as their figures entwined, an overwhelming surge of energy erupted.
Liu Yuan's expression suddenly changed; he felt his long saber quaking in his grip under an immense force, nearly slipping from his hands.
Clang!
In another fierce clash, Xue Li's blade shot forth a radiant beam of light, striking Liu Yuan's long saber with crushing force.
Boom!
Liu Yuan's saber could withstand no more; with a resounding crack, it shattered, drawing blood from his hand. The powerful energy slammed against his true essence shield, sending him hurtling backward.
Xue Li's gaze turned cold; seizing the opportunity, he unleashed another tremendous blade beam from his weapon, aimed at the retreating Liu Yuan.
In his already injured state, being struck would likely cost Liu Yuan his life, if not more.
A gasp rippled through the onlookers.
"Die!" Xue Li's eyes gleamed with a savage delight, his once sinister expression morphing into one of excitement; he was on the brink of claiming the title of city lord of Liu City, perhaps to be renamed Xue City.
However, just as Xue Li's blade was about to cleave Liu Yuan, a sharp sound of cutting air sliced through the tension. In the midst of a piercing wind, a youth in blood-stained garments struck forth with a palm, shattering Xue Li's blade beam.
"Who goes there?"
The sudden appearance of the blood-clad youth startled Xue Li, but his eyes quickly turned icy as he swung his long knife once more, the fiery blade engulfing both Liu Yuan and the youth.
"Celestial Hand!"
Accompanied by a low, resonant voice, Xue Li's features contorted in disbelief as he beheld the colossal hand of true essence surging toward him like a mountain, blocking out the sky and descending with formidable force.
"Xuan! Tier! Martial! Skill!" The overwhelming presence left Xue Li in shock; with no time to ponder, he desperately channeled his power, slashing toward the descending giant hand.
Boom!
A deafening explosion resonated as a brilliant blade beam shot skyward, piercing through the immense true essence hand. Yet, the residual shockwave from the descending hand sent Xue Li staggering back, his protective barrier trembling violently as he coughed, retreating several steps.
Chaos erupted in the martial arena, with all eyes fixed on the blood-clad youth who had suddenly appeared to rescue Liu Yuan.
Moments later, a familiar figure emerged from the crowd.
"Dad!" Liu Yiru rushed through the throng, embracing the injured Liu Yuan, her face streaked with tears.
"It's Miss Liu!"
"The city lord's daughter!"
"Who is that blood-clad youth? So young!"
"To stand against a Martial Spirit expert at such a young age and apparently gain the upper hand—truly a prodigious talent!"
Whispers of astonishment filled the crowd.
"You there, who are you?" Xue Li quelled the turmoil within him, casting a dark glare at Ye Tian, a flicker of wariness crossing his eyes.
No sooner had he spoken than a figure dashed out from the Xue family ranks.
"Brother, he is the one who killed Xiaotian!" It was Xue Xiong, pointing angrily at Ye Tian.
At this accusation, Xue Li's already grim expression darkened further as he fixed a murderous stare on Ye Tian, hissing, "You've chosen to walk into the gates of hell when there were paths to heaven; I will slay you to avenge my son!"
"Then we shall see if you possess the capability!" Ye Tian replied coolly, placing the Xuan Iron War Blade that he had been carrying beside Liu Yiru for safekeeping. He was well aware that he could not afford to underestimate a Martial Spirit expert, even one who had recently ascended.
Boom!
As the Xuan Iron Battle Blade descended, the earth trembled violently, causing the surrounding spectators to instinctively narrow their eyes, filled with curiosity about the nature of the immense iron box that bore such weight.
Of course, the fact that Ye Tian could bear such a burden and still contend with Xue Li filled the onlookers' hearts with a sense of admiration.
"Arrogance!" A fleeting glance at the imposing iron box intensified the wariness in Xue Li's eyes. He gripped his long knife tightly, an overwhelming surge of true essence erupting from his body and pouring into the blade.
In an instant, the long knife seemed to come alive, radiating a fierce glow that illuminated the heavens and the earth.
"Come forth!"
After setting down the Xuan Iron Battle Blade, Ye Tian felt as light as a feather, a refreshing sensation washing over him. He cast a cold glare at Xue Li, who had made the first move, launching a relentless series of Thunder Palm strikes.
"Since you are so eager to court death, I shall oblige; but rest assured, I won't allow you to die before I have dismembered you!" Xue Li's gaze hardened, and with a sudden eruption of power, he soared into the air, swinging his knife toward Ye Tian.
"Escaping to the skies, are we?" Observing Xue Li ascend, Ye Tian let out a chilling laugh, propelling himself skyward with a powerful push off the ground, reaching several dozen feet in height.
"To dare fight me in the air—what a foolhardy decision!" A savage smile crept across Xue Li's face as he witnessed Ye Tian rising into the sky, relishing the moment.
As a martial spirit master, Xue Li held a significant advantage in aerial combat; after all, he could fly.
In contrast, while Ye Tian could leap several dozen feet due to his explosive strength, he could not remain suspended in the air for long, exposing a flaw in his stance.
Suddenly, with a piercing sound that cut through the air, Xue Li swung his knife at Ye Tian, the icy blade igniting into a blazing brilliance as a ten-foot-long blade of light shot forth, tearing through the void.
Boom!
A colossal hand of true essence materialized from thin air, descending upon Xue Li. Startled, he had no choice but to counter with his blade, resulting in a dazzling display of light erupting across the sky.
"You believe the same trick will harm me again?" Xue Li bellowed, shattering the light of the Starry Hand, and then aimed a deadly strike at Ye Tian.
By this time, Ye Tian was gradually descending, unable to sustain his elevation.
Just as he was about to be struck, a cold smile played at the corners of his mouth, and in the next instant, a torrent of blade intent surged skyward.
Xue Li, plummeting downward, staggered in disbelief, a look of terror flashing in his constricted pupils.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
At that moment, every spectator wielding a bladed weapon felt their arms tremble uncontrollably.
"What's happening?" Confused glances were exchanged among the crowd, their faces reflecting shock.
"Ah…" One onlooker finally lost control, sending his weapon soaring into the sky.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Soon after, countless weapons slipped from the hands of the spectators, all shooting toward the heavens.
This was the combat arena of Liu City, and among the tens of thousands of onlookers, at least half were armed, resulting in over ten thousand weapons flying skyward simultaneously.
"This time, you are as good as dead!" Ye Tian remarked coldly, realizing that his blade intent was most potent amidst such numbers.
With over ten thousand weapons hurtling skyward, even a martial spirit master like Xue Li would struggle to withstand the onslaught.
Moreover, in that moment, Xue Li felt his body rendered immobile, ensnared by an overwhelming binding force, leaving him stunned.
"This is blade might… How can someone so young comprehend a fraction of blade intent?" Xue Li gaped at Ye Tian, astonishment etched across his face.
Whether it be blade intent, sword intent, or any other martial will, the journey begins with the first step of spiritual movement, merely a preliminary grasp of blade intent.
The second step involves solidifying a seed; it was the seed of blade intent that enabled Ye Tian to slay the village chief of Wangjia Village despite the disparity in their levels.
The third step, which Ye Tian had only recently attained, was blade might, which exerted pressure to create an overwhelming binding force.
The fusion of spiritual movement, seed, and might signifies a genuine comprehension of martial will. Of course, this only represents the first stage of martial will.