Chapter 12: Breaking the Chains of the Past
The air in the arena grew thick with tension. Xu Tian stood a few paces away, his golden aura now pulsating like a living thing, crackling with rage. His once-calm demeanor had shattered, replaced by the kind of fury that could only come from a prodigy who had just been wounded for the first time.
The spectators sensed the change in the atmosphere, their voices dying down as they held their breath.
Xu Tian's eyes blazed with a fiery hatred as he clenched his fists. His sword, glowing with divine energy, seemed to hum in resonance with his anger.
"You've made a fatal mistake, Jian Feng," Xu Tian snarled, his voice low and filled with venom. "You think this is your victory? No. This is just the beginning."
Jian Feng stood firm, his expression calm, his sword resting at his side. He watched Xu Tian closely, waiting for the next move. His body was already attuned to the rhythm of the fight. His muscles, though exhausted, were steadied by his will.
Xu Tian was desperate. And that desperation would be his downfall.
---
Suddenly, Xu Tian sprinted forward, his golden sword raised high, the very air vibrating with the intensity of his power. "I'll end this once and for all!"
Jian Feng's gaze sharpened.
In the blink of an eye, Xu Tian's sword descended with the force of a thunderstrike. His blade slashed through the air, creating a massive shockwave of Sword Qi that threatened to cut through the very fabric of the arena. The force was so immense that the ground beneath them shattered.
Jian Feng did not retreat.
Instead, he stepped forward.
He didn't need to dodge.
He didn't need to block.
With a calm movement, Jian Feng raised his sword.
BOOM!
Their blades met with a resounding clash, a force so powerful that it split the arena floor beneath them.
Xu Tian's body shook as his sword vibrated with the immense pressure from their clash. His teeth gritted together as he pressed harder, trying to force Jian Feng back.
But Jian Feng stood firm. His sword didn't waver. It was unyielding.
"You were always **too arrogant, Xu Tian," Jian Feng said coldly, his voice cutting through the fury of the fight. "You relied too much on your talent and your status. You thought that would protect you from reality."
Xu Tian's eyes widened. He pushed harder, channeling all of his energy into the strike. "You—you're nothing!"
But Jian Feng's blade, instead of retreating, pushed forward, making Xu Tian stagger back. His foot slipped, and for the first time, Xu Tian found himself on the defensive.
Jian Feng's strikes were precise, cutting through Xu Tian's defenses with perfect accuracy. Every move was calculated, every motion a step closer to victory.
Xu Tian, despite his rage and newfound power, was falling short.
Jian Feng's calm demeanor remained unshaken. He was not afraid of Xu Tian's raw power. He had faced far worse in his past life—this was nothing more than a test.
As Xu Tian stumbled, Jian Feng moved in. With a single fluid motion, he disarmed Xu Tian, sending his sword flying out of his grasp and skidding across the arena.
Xu Tian, now vulnerable, looked up in shock.
"How?" he gasped.
Jian Feng stood over him, his blade pointed directly at Xu Tian's throat. He didn't even need to speak—his sword said everything.
"You never understood," Jian Feng said softly. "It was never about talent. It was never about power. It was about understanding the true path of the sword."
The arena was silent.
Xu Tian's chest heaved as he realized the weight of his failure. The humiliation of defeat, the disgrace of being bested by a once-powerless disciple, it crushed him.
And Jian Feng—he remained standing, as unchanged as the mountains themselves.
---
"Get up," Jian Feng said, his voice firm. "You lost. Accept it."
Xu Tian remained kneeling, his swordless hand trembling. He couldn't even look Jian Feng in the eye. The pride that had once sustained him now felt like ashes in his mouth.
---
The elder overseeing the match raised his hand, signaling the end. "Jian Feng wins."
The entire sect stood in stunned silence, the gravity of the battle still weighing heavily in the air.
Jian Feng's name was called, but he didn't need the recognition.
The sect's future had just been rewritten.
---
Trivia:
Sword Energy Fusion (剑气合流): A technique where a swordsman harmonizes their Sword Qi with their own life force, allowing them to strike with greater precision and power.
The Humiliation of Overconfidence: Many powerful cultivators fail to understand that fate cannot be ignored. Overconfidence blinds a cultivator, leaving them vulnerable to those they underestimate. Xu Tian's arrogance led to his downfall.