A chilling sense of impending doom surged through Chen An as he noticed the faint blue radiance gathering once more on Yun Xiao's sword.
It was clear: Yun Xiao intended to unleash the Heaven-Splitting Sword Formation again, a technique of such overwhelming power that it could eradicate Chen An multiple times over.
From a distance, Elder Gu, Meng Wentian, and Yun Henqiu, along with the crowd, shared a consensus—this battle was nearing its conclusion. Chen An had no way of countering the sword formation. His fate seemed sealed.
Indeed, Chen An had no means of dismantling the Heaven-Splitting Sword Formation.
But why would he need to dismantle it?
If death was inevitable, why not fight to the bitter end? Why not gamble everything and seize a fleeting hope amidst despair?
"What's he doing now?"
"Charging directly into the Heaven-Splitting Sword Formation? Is he mad?!"
Amidst the startled cries of onlookers, Chen An's gaze burned with unyielding resolve. Once again, he charged toward Yun Xiao. Even though the sword formation loomed as a near-certain death trap, he pressed on, determined to stake his life in exchange for Yun Xiao's.
Below the stage, Li Muchen held his breath, utterly captivated by Chen An's actions.
As Chen An advanced, he retrieved several talismans from his storage pouch. These, however, were different from the earlier Fire Talismans—designed neither for attack nor defense. Instead, he affixed them onto himself.
Then, Chen An crushed the final ten spirit stones he had, releasing their stored essence in a vivid burst of energy.
This spectacle drew gasps from the audience.
"Has he gone mad? Crushing spirit stones like that only causes the spiritual energy to dissipate!"
"What a waste! Ten whole spirit stones for such a meaningless display?!"
The crowd buzzed with indignation and disbelief. Most disciples struggled to obtain even a few spirit stones per month, let alone squander them. To watch Chen An carelessly obliterate ten in one go was almost painful.
But the murmurs of disapproval were cut short.
Something miraculous was unfolding.
The energy from the shattered spirit stones, rather than dissipating, lingered around Chen An, slowly merging into his body.
"Impossible! He's absorbing spiritual energy during a fight?"
"How is he focusing on a battle and cultivation simultaneously?"
While most disciples were baffled, Meng Wentian's expression changed drastically. He leaped to his feet, eyes fixed on the talismans Chen An had affixed earlier.
"Gathering Spirit Talismans!"
Meng Wentian's whisper carried the weight of awe and disbelief.
Even Yun Henqiu and Elder Gu, who had little regard for Chen An's survival, were momentarily struck speechless.
The Gathering Spirit Talisman—a nearly second-tier talisman—was notoriously difficult to craft, requiring an extraordinary mastery of rune inscriptions. It could concentrate ambient spiritual energy into the user, effectively mimicking the absorption of shattered spirit stones.
Rumor had it that only one person in the Lingfu Sect had ever mastered the creation of Gathering Spirit Talismans: the sect's reclusive patriarch, Xu Jie, who had been in seclusion for decades.
Now, another had emerged—a seemingly insignificant outer disciple.
For a fleeting moment, Meng Wentian considered intervening to save Chen An.
The young man's talents were too rare to waste. But weighing the potential fallout from Yun Henqiu's wrath, Meng Wentian hesitated.
In the end, he chose silence.
Chen An's fate would be left to the heavens.
As Meng Wentian pondered, Chen An's purpose became clear. The gathered energy flowed into his body, breaking through his current limit.
"His cultivation... it's risen to the mid-stage Qi Condensation Realm!"
"In the middle of a battle?! What kind of monster is this?"
"With this breakthrough, he's now on equal footing with Yun Xiao! How will this fight end?"
Chen An's rapid cultivation leap stunned the audience. Yet he knew the boost was temporary. Soon, his cultivation would revert.
But all he needed was a moment.
With a surge of power, Chen An unleashed his signature move: **Mountain-Shattering Force**.
The mid-stage Qi Condensation enhancement amplified the technique's destructive potential, shaking the platform with the force of a collapsing mountain.
But Chen An wasn't done. From his sleeve, a thin crimson ring slipped out—a hidden trump card, unnoticed amidst the chaos.
Yun Xiao's full focus remained on Chen An. His Heaven-Splitting Sword Formation lashed out, its seven spectral blades screeching.
"Boom!"
The Mountain-Shattering Force collided with Yun Xiao, sending him staggering. Simultaneously, the sword formation struck Chen An, carving seven deep gashes into his body.
Chen An narrowly twisted away, avoiding lethal strikes but sustaining severe injuries. His spiritual energy was nearly depleted.
Victory seemed impossible. Yet Chen An placed all his remaining hopes on the tiny crimson ring, now hurtling toward Yun Xiao.