"What is happening?"
"Why is my sword trembling?"
"What a terrifying aura! Why is this? He is only at the third level of Martial Spirit!"
Gasps of astonishment filled the square, leaving even some inner disciples and elders of the Divine Star Sect dumbfounded. They felt their weapons quiver, as though they were about to leap from their sheaths and merge with the overwhelming momentum that was impossible to contain.
Some of the powerful inner disciples and elders of the Divine Star Sect managed to suppress the vibrations of their weapons, thanks to their formidable strength and profound true essence.
However, the outer disciples could not quell their weapons, resulting in an array of long swords, daggers, and spears soaring into the sky, converging towards the arena.
Ultimately, thousands of weapons swirled above the head of the Seventh Prince, spinning rapidly in the air and forming a colossal vortex.
"This is the intent of the spear!" Ye Tian's gaze sharpened, a look of astonishment crossing his face as he finally comprehended the source of the Seventh Prince's confidence. He had not anticipated that this individual, like himself, had grasped the will of martial arts.
"It is the will of martial arts!"
"It is the spear intent!"
The elders of the Divine Star Sect were visibly moved, some expressing admiration, others envy, and even a touch of jealousy. The disciples could not discern it, but these martial masters were certainly aware of the significance of the will of martial arts.
It is essential to understand that for them, the path to advancing from Martial Master to Martial Sovereign hinges critically on comprehending the will of martial arts. Only by grasping a fragment of this will can one break through the bottleneck and ascend to the rank of Martial Sovereign.
Otherwise, no matter how high one's cultivation might reach—be it the pinnacle of Martial Master at level nine or beyond—without understanding a shred of the will of martial arts, one would forever be barred from entering the realm of Martial Sovereign.
Among the elders of the Divine Star Sect present, none had grasped the will of martial arts, which only deepened their envy and resentment upon witnessing the spear intent of the Seventh Prince.
Simultaneously, they were astonished by his innate talent.
Thus far, within the entire Great Yan Kingdom, no one had manifested the will of martial arts while still at the Martial Spirit level. While there might be individuals who had comprehended it and chosen to conceal their abilities, such prodigies were exceedingly rare.
Now, no one could have anticipated that during a mere sparring match among outer disciples of the Divine Star Sect, an unparalleled prodigy who had grasped spear intent would emerge.
"King Nanlin, you have a worthy successor!" Although Old Zang had known this long ago, he could not help but exclaim, though a hint of regret flickered in his eyes unnoticed by anyone else.
"Why must it be spear intent? Does the heavens deny me even the slightest opportunity?" Old Zang sighed inwardly, feeling a twinge of unwillingness.
Unaware of Old Zang's thoughts, King Nanlin humbly shook his head and said, "Old Zang, you flatter him. This boy has merely condensed the seed of spear intent; he is still far from fully comprehending it."
The elders of the Divine Star Sect nearby exchanged knowing glances, for everyone understood that once one had condensed the seed of martial will, comprehending a fragment of it was merely a matter of time.
Boom!
As the crowd absorbed the spectacle, a tempest raged upon the arena, the atmosphere surging with intensity.
The Seventh Prince radiated an immense spear intent, which coursed through the spear in his grasp, pointing menacingly at the opposing Meng Shiyun. Instantly, the overwhelming aura caused Meng Shiyun's delicate face to pale, her body trembling slightly.
"Spear intent!"
Meng Shiyun's eyes were filled with gravity, yet she did not yield. Instead, she unleashed all the true essence within her, constructing formidable defenses around her.
"Refusing to concede?"
Onlookers below the arena were taken aback by Meng Shiyun's actions, some expressing admiration.
The Seventh Prince's gaze sharpened, followed by a cold smirk: "If you wish to experience the might of spear intent, then I shall oblige."
Boom!
As his words fell, the thousands of weapons swirling in the sky shot forth like a volley of arrows, a torrent of force cascading down upon Meng Shiyun.
Faced with such an overwhelming assault, Meng Shiyun understood that evasion was futile; she could only strive to unleash her true essence and erect layers of defense around herself.
It must be said that Meng Shiyun's cultivation was remarkably formidable; her true essence at the fifth level of Martial Spirit was astonishing, allowing her to withstand the onslaught of the incoming weapons.
Boom!
A series of collisions echoed as the crowd witnessed Meng Shiyun enveloped by countless weapons, her figure obscured from view.
"Ah…"
Numerous gasps erupted, many unable to bear the sight.
The elders of the Divine Star Sect watched with intense focus, their eyes ablaze, ready to intervene should Meng Shiyun face any peril.
The barrage of weapons raged on for a full five minutes before gradually subsiding.
At that moment, the arena lay in disarray, with Meng Shiyun half-kneeling at its center, her complexion ashen, her garments torn in several places, revealing her fair skin.
Surrounding Meng Shiyun were countless weapons strewn upon the ground, some even shattered.
Upon witnessing this, the entire square erupted into chaos, with many lamenting in despair.
Some were astounded by the prowess of the Seventh Prince!
Others admired Meng Shiyun for her resilience.
Yet, more lamented their own weapons, for nearly half had been destroyed in the recent onslaught.
In that moment, the crowd cursed the Seventh Prince's ancestors, only to find solace when King Nanlin stepped forward to announce that he would compensate for the broken weapons, which eased their expressions considerably.
"The Seventh Prince wins!" declared an elder draped in black robes.
Although Meng Shiyun had not sustained injuries, it was evident to all that her true essence was utterly depleted, leaving her devoid of any combat capability. In stark contrast, the Seventh Prince remained vigorous and formidable.
This prompted a collective awe at the terrifying nature of martial will!
Of course, the Seventh Prince had benefited greatly this time; had the match occurred elsewhere, away from the multitude of spectators, defeating Meng Shiyun would have required much more effort.
"Ye Tian, what say you? Do you dare to face me in battle? If so, step forth; I have no interest in competing with those worthless opponents."
As Meng Shiyun was assisted off the arena by Yun Shuiyao, the Seventh Prince cast a haughty glance toward Ye Tian in the crowd, hands clasped behind his back, and proclaimed loudly.
"Worthless?"
Upon hearing the Seventh Prince's words, many in the vicinity shot him disapproving glares, even some inner disciples furrowing their brows.
The Seventh Prince had thoroughly enraged the crowd!
"This fool…" King Nanlin could not help but smack his forehead from the stands. He had just intervened to mitigate the resentment over the damaged weapons, and now the Seventh Prince had managed to offend everyone.
Though he wasn't overly concerned for the Seventh Prince's safety, given his talent and King Nanlin's influence, it was easy to foresee that the Seventh Prince's time at the Divine Star Sect would be far from pleasant.
"What an idiot!" The Thirteenth Prince scoffed coldly; while his talent paled in comparison to the Seventh Prince's, he was far more adept in the ways of human relations. Given the current circumstances, unless the Seventh Prince's cultivation reached an extraordinary level, it was highly likely that the position of King Nanlin would eventually fall to him, the Thirteenth Prince.
"Ye Tian, do you have confidence?" Lin Fei asked, a bitter expression on his face, regretting his earlier wager with the Seventh Prince.
Initially, based on Ye Tian's displayed strength, Lin Fei had believed he would be no weaker than a third-level Martial Spirit, but he had not anticipated the Seventh Prince's comprehension of martial will.
Gazing at the expectant faces around him, Ye Tian remained composed and silent.
"You stand no chance against him!" A cool voice suddenly interjected, drawing the crowd's attention to Meng Shiyun, who was being supported by Yun Shuiyao.
At this moment, Meng Shiyun had donned a white robe, yet her complexion remained pale, clearly indicating her significant depletion of true essence.
"Is there truly not a glimmer of hope?" Lin Fei's face drained of color, as if struck by a blow. If Ye Tian could not defeat the Seventh Prince, he would be forced to follow him, and the thought of being tethered to that arrogant fool filled him with frustration.
Ye Tian continued to remain silent, his expression grave.
"If it were elsewhere, there might still be a chance, but here…" Meng Shiyun shook her head, her meaning clear to all.
The sheer number of spectators present meant that once the Seventh Prince unleashed his spear intent, all weapons would instinctively converge towards him. The resulting force of such an onslaught was insurmountable, even for Meng Shiyun, a fifth-level Martial Spirit, let alone Ye Tian, who was merely at the first level.
"Very well, I brought this upon myself; this is my own folly!" Lin Fei closed his eyes, then opened them again with a rueful smile.
The others regarded him with sympathy.
"Ha! I was merely jesting with you!" Ye Tian suddenly burst into laughter, slapping Lin Fei on the shoulder with vigor, and strode toward the arena.
Instantly, all eyes turned toward him, and the spectators shifted their focus to Ye Tian.
"He… he just said… he was joking with me?" Lin Fei stood in stunned silence, staring at Ye Tian's retreating figure, unable to process the moment.
The Thirteenth Prince, Yun Shuiyao, and others were momentarily taken aback, their eyes betraying a flicker of doubt.
"It's impossible; he cannot be a match for the Seventh Prince!" Meng Shiyun shook her head, steadfast in her belief that Ye Tian was inferior to her.
However, at this moment, no one paid her any heed; all eyes were fixed on Ye Tian.
Ascending the arena, Ye Tian gazed intently at the Seventh Prince, slowly lowering the large iron box from his back and unsheathing the blood-red blade in his hand, an aura of sharpness emanating fiercely.
"Can Ye Tian win?"
"Though I wish for him to defeat that arrogant fool, the odds seem slim!"
"He is the biggest dark horse of this tournament; perhaps he can surprise us yet!"
"Impossible! That arrogant fool has comprehended martial will and is two levels above Ye Tian; this is not a battle of equal standing."
As they observed the two figures on the arena, the crowd buzzed with speculation.