As the Mad Blade descended upon him with ferocity, Ye Tian's eyes gleamed like cold lightning, his expression resolute and unyielding.
"Hmph!"
A sharp snort escaped him as he raised his blade, propelled by the fury of a tempest, charging directly toward the Mad Blade. His profound true energy surged forth like a river that had burst its banks, engulfing everything in its path.
"Hmm?" The Mad Blade was taken aback by Ye Tian's audacious decision to confront him head-on. Yet, his surprise quickly turned to cold determination as he tightened his grip on his colossal blade, channeling his own formidable true energy, causing the blade's aura to swell once more.
"Ah…" Ye Tian's gaze turned icy, his piercing eyes akin to the edge of a knife. With a mighty roar, he unleashed ten blood orbs from within, their energy converging into his blood-red blade, radiating a brilliance reminiscent of a blazing sun.
The two blades clashed with overwhelming force!
Both combatants' eyes blazed with fervor, charged with the spirit of battle, akin to two meteors colliding in the vast expanse of the universe.
Boom!
A blinding light erupted, forcing onlookers to shield their eyes. Then came a thunderous roar that shook the very air around them.
It was as if two mountains had collided, unleashing a terrifying shockwave that generated visible currents of energy, spiraling into a fearsome storm. The winds howled downwards, tearing through the forests below, leaving the earth in disarray.
"Everyone, be cautious!"
"Defend yourselves!"
The inner disciples watching were struck with panic, their voices rising in alarm as they unleashed their true energy to counter the monstrous storm, desperate to avoid being swept away.
Yet, even with their collective efforts, they could not fully quell the raging tempest. As the storm continued its rampage, many inner disciples wore expressions of sheer terror.
Fortunately, at that moment, an elder in black robes intervened. As a Martial Sovereign, he effortlessly summoned his own realm, devouring the terrifying storm and averting disaster.
"Truly, a Martial Sovereign's prowess is on an entirely different level compared to that of a Martial Spirit," Lin Fei remarked, gazing in admiration at the elder's display of power.
Beside him, Prince Thirteen breathed a sigh of relief, retracting his true energy. "Then let us strive to cultivate diligently; with your talent, ascending to Martial Sovereign is merely a matter of time."
"While that may be true, I have no idea when I will reach the realm of Martial Sovereign," Lin Fei replied, shaking his head.
"What are you two chatting about? Look, Ye Tian is in trouble!" suddenly exclaimed Yun Shuiyao.
Both Prince Thirteen and Lin Fei quickly turned their gaze, only to witness a disheveled figure being hurled from the blazing light, eventually coming to a halt several hundred meters away.
It was Ye Tian, his garments tattered, revealing glimmers of golden skin beneath the rips, a golden aura emanating from his body.
Ye Tian appeared quite battered, a trace of blood at the corner of his mouth. He gazed intently at the Mad Blade in the distance, wiping away the blood while his eyes remained fiercely resolute.
"Truly impressive, reaching the pinnacle of seventh-level Martial Spirit… No, you must have already ascended to eighth-level Martial Spirit," Ye Tian said, his pupils narrowing as he spoke gravely.
The Mad Blade's strength exceeded Ye Tian's expectations. Had it not been for the timely manifestation of his Nine-Transformation Battle Body, he would have been defeated. Yet, even with that technique, Ye Tian had sustained significant injuries.
This outcome stemmed from Ye Tian underestimating the Mad Blade's capabilities; the latter had indeed ascended to eighth-level Martial Spirit. Although he had only recently achieved this rank, he was still far superior to a seventh-level Martial Spirit.
"Ah, Ye disciple, you flatter me. That last strike was only eight-tenths of my true strength, and I still could not defeat you. In comparison, with your mere third-level Martial Spirit cultivation, I am truly humbled!" As the blinding radiance dissipated, the Mad Blade emerged, gazing across at Ye Tian with a hearty laugh.
In truth, he was not being modest; he was genuinely astonished by Ye Tian's prowess. Had he not recently ascended to eighth-level Martial Spirit, he might have faced a true defeat today, or at best, a pyrrhic victory.
"This Ye disciple's talent is likely unparalleled among the inner disciples," the Mad Blade mused, feeling a wave of frustration rise within him as he considered Ye Tian's third-level Martial Spirit status. In comparison to such a prodigious talent, he felt utterly dwarfed.
"Never mind, I am but an ordinary person; I cannot compare myself to such a freak of nature."
Quickly adjusting his mindset, the Mad Blade called out to Ye Tian, "Ye disciple, I will unleash my full strength in the next exchange. Be prepared!"
Having previously utilized only eighty percent of his power, he now intended to unleash a full force, confident that he could defeat Ye Tian.
Though the difference was merely twenty percent, at the Mad Blade's level, that variance could drastically alter the course of battle.
"Let us begin; this fight must come to a conclusion," Ye Tian replied coolly, his gaze fixed on the Mad Blade, brimming with confidence.
The Mad Blade hesitated slightly, taken aback by Ye Tian's unwavering confidence at such a moment, and he wondered if the young man had some hidden card up his sleeve.
However, he quickly dismissed this thought, believing that such confidence was merely a trait common among geniuses.
With that, the Mad Blade steadied his breath, channeling his energy as a terrifying aura began to radiate from him. His true energy erupted like a long-dormant volcano, causing his body to appear as if it were engulfed in flames.
"Be careful, Ye disciple!" The Mad Blade raised his massive blade high, fixing his intense gaze upon Ye Tian.
Rumbling!
The sky erupted with thunder, an explosion reverberating through the air, sending shockwaves through the atmosphere.
"The Mad Blade is about to unleash his full strength," the onlookers, including Prince Thirteen, Lin Fei, and Yun Shuiyao, felt a surge of tension, their eyes locked onto the two figures in the sky.
…
High above, Ye Tian slowly raised his blood-red blade. As true energy coalesced around the blade, an elusive and invisible force began to emanate from it.
This mysterious force was the essence of the blade.
Ye Tian did not unleash the full extent of this blade intent; instead, he controlled it delicately, merging it with his true energy, using the blood-red blade as a vessel to unify their powers.
At that same moment, as the Mad Blade's voice fell, he surged forward with incredible speed.
Boom!
In the blink of an eye, the Mad Blade was upon Ye Tian, the sound of his explosive approach reminiscent of thunder, followed by an immense arc of light slicing toward Ye Tian.
This strike was extraordinarily fierce and overwhelmingly dominant, akin to an unparalleled edge.
"Hmph!" Ye Tian's expression remained indifferent. With a cold snort, he deftly maneuvered his blood-red blade along a mysterious trajectory. Though it appeared slow, it transcended the constraints of space, instantaneously meeting the Mad Blade's massive weapon.
"Hmm? Why is it so slow?"
"No, wait! It seems to be incredibly fast!
"How peculiar! Upon closer inspection, I find myself somewhat perturbed."
The inner disciples may not have perceived anything amiss, but several elders clad in black robes were visibly moved, their brows furrowing in astonishment.
At that moment, the Mad Blade's massive weapon had already swung fiercely toward Ye Tian, its blazing edge seemingly intent on tearing apart the very fabric of space.
Yet, in an instant, a blood-red blade gently met the oncoming strike.
"Burial Technique!" Ye Tian's expression remained unperturbed, his face devoid of any emotional fluctuation.
"Boom!"
An S-shaped pattern erupted from the tip of Ye Tian's blood blade, radiating a brilliant light akin to the sun, dazzlingly obstructing the void before him.
In reality, it was not an S-shaped pattern but rather a Taiji diagram constructed from true energy and blade intent, its essence intangible and invisible to the naked eye.
Rumbling!
The Taiji diagram spun rapidly, conjuring a terrifying storm, its immense force dissipating the oppressive weight transmitted from the Mad Blade's weapon.
"Hmm? What is this..." The Mad Blade's pupils constricted in shock, as his formidable strike could advance no further.
The searing and overwhelming light from his blade was ultimately redirected by the Taiji diagram, scattering harmlessly around Ye Tian without inflicting the slightest harm.
"How is this possible?" The Mad Blade's eyes widened, incredulous at the scene before him.
"Heavens!"
"What is happening?"
The inner disciples and several black-robed elders watching from below were all astonished, their faces reflecting sheer disbelief.
It was difficult to fathom that the full force of the Mad Blade's attack had been effortlessly neutralized by Ye Tian, seemingly with minimal exertion.
"That is the sword technique Ye Tian practiced during his moment of enlightenment!" Lin Fei exclaimed, his eyes wide with astonishment.
"What an incredible sword technique! Could it be of Earth rank? Yet, I have never heard of any Earth-ranked defensive sword techniques within the Divine Star Sect, and how could Ye Tian possess such a technique?" Prince Thirteen was equally astonished, though his emotions were tinged with confusion.
"It must be a personal fortuity of his!" Meng Shiyun's eyes sparkled, her cool voice carrying a hint of admiration. Even she, with her ethereal grace, was captivated by Ye Tian's extraordinary talent.
In the high skies!
The Mad Blade's eyes blazed with fierce intensity as he shouted, "I refuse to believe it! Try facing my blade once more!"
Before his words had fully left his lips, the Mad Blade swung again at Ye Tian, his unparalleled blade light stretching an astonishing two hundred feet long, even more breathtaking than before, cleaving through the air, threatening to pierce the heavens.
"Burial Technique!" Ye Tian called out coldly, employing the same move as before, positioning his blood blade in a mysterious trajectory before him.
The wondrous Taiji diagram reappeared, intercepting the oncoming blade light, its immense force redirecting the surging true energy outward.
The Mad Blade's pupils once again constricted; witnessing the same result compelled him to accept the reality.
Yet this only fueled his frenzy further, as he unleashed strike after strike upon Ye Tian, relentless and unyielding, revealing to all why he was known as the Mad Blade.
However, such fervent efforts remained futile; Ye Tian stood resolutely, effortlessly neutralizing all of the Mad Blade's assaults.
At last, the Mad Blade, exhausted, hovered in the sky, gasping for breath. He cast a deep glance at Ye Tian, his voice echoing throughout the expanse: "I concede! Brother Ye, you have triumphed."
With that, the Mad Blade turned and departed, his figure appearing somewhat desolate and forlorn.