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nTranslator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

nThud! Thud!

nThere was the sound of heavy footsteps as a young man approached the arena.

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nHe had a slender, well-proportioned body, and had thick brows and thin lips. He looked cunning and sinister.

nHe was the person ranked seventh on the Windcloud Scoreboard. The people of the outer yard called him Boss Wen. It was Wen Chong!

nXu Xiaoshou felt a powerful aura press against his fist. He knew that Wen Chong had a technique that required charging up. He might not be able to last one move against him if he allowed him to charge up his technique.

nHe took a whiff of the Spirit Crystal in his hand and chuckled slightly. “Hello, Junior!”

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nWen Chong staggered he was so furious, and the pressure from his aura dissipated without Xu Xiaoshou having to do anything.

nEven though his aura was powerful and extraordinary, he was still a junior who had entered the outer yard one year later than Xu Xiaoshou.

nThe crowd had been worried about how Xu Xiaoshou would be able to hold his own against Wen Chong’s powerful aura. They didn’t expect the lad to have an arsenal of devious techniques, each of them marvelously effective.

n“I’m going to die laughing. I have to hand it to Xu Xiaoshou!”

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n“My God, he dares to speak like this in front of Boss Wen. My legs would’ve given out from under me if I were in that situation.”

n“Haha, how do you think he’s managed to survive until now? Xu Xiaoshou is also rather powerful.”

nIn the arena, Wen Chong stared at Xu Xiaoshou with hawk-like eyes. “Xu Xiaoshou, you’re quite impressive. You dared to touch my person. You must be mentally prepared to die.”

nXu Xiaoshou knew who he was talking about. It was Liu Zhen. Everyone knew that!

nHe was secretly lamenting the situation. Why was he so unlucky? He just defeated the lackey, and now the boss had come without giving him time to recover first!

nHe couldn’t help himself from turning around and shooting daggers at the judge.

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nAngry, the judge waved his hand and said furiously, “Battle, start!”

nXu Xiaoshou immediately put distance between them. Wen Chong’s most powerful technique wasn’t his aura. Instead, it was a spiritual technique by the name of “Shadow-Splitting Spiritual Technique.”

nThe technique could conjure up to seven clones at once. This coupled with Wen Chong’s dagger techniques meant that Xu Xiaoshou wouldn’t be able to escape if he was caught in one of his attacks.

nEven though the Shadow-Splitting Spiritual Technique was an Acquired-stage technique, its practicality could rival Innate-stage techniques.

nA cold smile appeared on Wen Chong’s face when he saw Xu Xiaoshou retreat. That was exactly what he wanted him to do.

nThe longer he charged up the Shadow-Splitting Spiritual Technique, the more clones he could conjure at one time. Since Xu Xiaoshou wanted to put more distance between them, he could use this opportunity to stall for time.

nWen Chong laughed coldly after he made a forceful hand gesture. Xu Xiaoshou would definitely die when he summoned his seven clones!

nThe candidates in the arena had still been rather noisy before the battle started. However, now they were deathly silent. It was a different story for the spectators in the spectator seats. They’d never stopped being noisy.

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n“Has Xu Xiaoshou gone insane? Doesn’t he know that Boss Wen’s Shadow-Splitting Spiritual Technique can also be charged? Is he putting distance between them to stall his death?”

n“I heard that he only knows the White Cloud Sword Technique. Maybe he really doesn’t know about Boss Wen’s technique?”

n“It’s over, it’s over. That lad will be torn into shreds after Boss Wen and his seven clones charge forward at the same time.”

n“That’s right. He’s not the only one with a ninth-grade spiritual weapon. Other people have one too! Like Boss Wen’s pair of purple daggers. Tsk, tsk. Those are terrifying!”

n“Look, Xu Xiaoshou’s still holding the wooden sword. F***, he, he closed his eyes?”

nLiu Zhen had woken up after being cared for by the medical personnel. The moment he arrived at his spectator seats, he saw that the battle between the two candidates was about to break out.

nHis pupils dilated, not because of Wen Chong’s Shadow-Splitting Spiritual Technique, but because he saw the familiar sight of Xu Xiaoshou closing his eyes.

n“That is… the sword technique that he didn’t manage to use at the final moments of the last battle?” he thought to himself.

n“Both parties are going to reveal their trump cards at the start of the battle? Do they really need to be this restless?”

nXu Xiaoshou intended to do just that. His body was no longer capable of engaging in a drawn-out battle. Since both the Shadow-Splitting Spiritual Technique and the Fleeting White Cloud needed to be charged, then he was going to decide the battle with one attack!

nHowever, to not injure his opponent, Xu Xiaoshou was using the wooden sword!

nHe was a caring candidate, always thinking about his opponent.

nHe had tested the wooden sword out yesterday. It had decent offensive capabilities. At the least, it could slice through the bark of a tree.

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nIn reality, the strength of Fleeting White Cloud didn’t lie within the weapon but in the Sword Will!

nOn the other side, many illusory figures appeared around Wen Chong. No one dared to breathe. They knew that the battle would be decided in an instant.

nThe judge crouched down. Truth be told, people in this line of work feared these kinds of head-on battles the most.

nBut he wouldn’t be able to determine a winner if he didn’t allow the candidates to duke it out. However, someone might die if he allowed them to cross swords.

n“Whoosh!”

nThe judge looked at Xu Xiaoshou and became immensely flustered when he saw his wooden sword, closed eyes, and his gradually fading aura.

n“Try a little harder!” he thought.

n“Don’t you have a ninth-grade spiritual sword? Take it out and use it!”

n“I’ll be able to save you if you last against Wen Chong’s first charged attack!”

n“Buzz!”

nThe crisp hum of a sword rang. Everyone grew tense as they looked at Xu Xiaoshou’s sword.

nHm, a wooden sword?

nWere they hearing things?

nCould it be Wen Chong’s dagger that was trembling?

nEveryone looked back in unison and saw the glimmer in Wen Chong’s eyes as he charged forward, his body turning into a blur as he shifted and changed position, weaving between his clones to slice his dagger at Xu Xiaoshou.

nHe closed the distance…

nHalf the arena!

nOne meter!

nXu Xiaoshou… still had his eyes closed!

nEveryone was cursing internally. He was about to die, yet he still hadn’t opened his eyes. His eyes might stay shut forever if he didn’t do something!

nThe judge instantly darted forward. Xu Xiaoshou must’ve gone mad. He was heavily injured and must have given up on the competition!

nHowever, just as the two candidates were within inches of each other, Xu Xiaoshou suddenly opened his eyes. No one knew when he had moved the sword in his right hand!

nThis attack was extremely slow, like a fleeting white cloud, and instantly calmed down the restless spectators.

n“Buzz!”

nAnother hum of a sword was heard. This time, everyone saw what happened. It was Xu Xiaoshou’s wooden sword that was dancing with joy, not Wen Chong’s dagger.

n“A wooden sword?”

n“What’s happening?”

nEveryone in the spectator seats was waiting for a reaction. However, they didn’t expect themselves to be hit by the attack.

n“Clang…”

nThis sound caused everyone’s sword to tremble, as if the swords had been drawn by the Sword Will and connected as one.

nThis scene was incredibly familiar. All of the swordsman at the scene involuntarily thought back to the unknown hum of a sword that had spread throughout the outer yard two days ago.

nCould that have been caused by Xu Xiaoshou?

n“This… How is this possible?”

n“Am I seeing things?”

nIn the air, Xiao Qixiu’s eyes widened, and he grabbed onto his sword in shock.

nAcquired-stage Sword Will?!

nWas that really from Xu Xiaoshou?!

nIn the arena, after the buzzing sounded, Wen Chong immediately changed his plan of attack. He retreated while he was right under Xu Xiaoshou’s nose, then immediately got his seven clones to guard his front.

nClang, clang, clang…

nThe sword glow collided with the purple daggers, and the sound of metal against metal endlessly rang out.

nWen Chong was immensely shocked. That lad’s strike had created several hundred sword glows. It was a net of blades that looked extremely slow, but it blocked his opponent’s path of attack and forced him to retreat time after time.

n“How could it be?”

n“Didn’t that lad train his body? How could he have such a terrifying sword technique?”

nCreak, creak, creak!

nWen Chong’s clones got diced one after the other, and thin sword marks had appeared on Wen Chong’s body. Fresh blood oozed out of his wounds!

nOutside the arena, Liu Zhen was shocked. This sword technique…

nHe remembered that Xu Xiaoshou had been holding Hiding Pain during their battle. If he hadn’t activated the dark energy explosion to interrupt Xu Xiaoshou’s attack, he would’ve turned into mincemeat.

nSure enough, this lad was hiding his true strength, just like he’d expected!

nIn the arena, Wen Chong was forced back to his original position by the sword glows, and was close to being pushed out of the arena.

nHe put away his dagger and brought his arms in front of his chest. A barrier of spiritual energy shot out from within his body and instantly repelled all of the sword glows.

n“Spirit Surge Barrier!”

nThe spiritual energy scattered, and Wen Chong’s pupils dilated.

nXu Xiaoshou’s fringe was swept upward with his forward momentum, and his wooden sword landed on Wen Chong’s throat.

n“You lose.”

nGulp!

nWen Chong involuntarily swallowed. As his Adam’s Apple bobbed, a bit of blood oozed from the wound left behind by the sword energy of the wooden sword.

nHis face was covered in blood, but they were all superficial wounds. He was still in peak condition. But he had lost.

nOne sword. One sentence.

nThe person ranked seventh on the Windcloud Scoreboard had been defeated!

nThe wind swept past the arena. It was silent in the spectator seats. The judge turned his head around in a daze.

nXu Xiaoshou withdrew his sword and turned around. He had to head back and recover. That sword technique had exhausted all of his spiritual power.

nHis legs were trembling…

n“Tolerate it,” he told himself. “You cannot fall. So many people are watching. You have to finish the act!”

nWen Chong’s eyes were filled with indignance. Aside from the time they’d spent charging up their attacks, the battle only lasted a few seconds, yet he was defeated?

nThe person ranked seventh on the Windcloud Scoreboard, Boss Wen of the outer yard, had been defeated!

nHe didn’t look back. Even though he was in the barrier, he still felt like he could hear the crowd’s unfeeling laughter.

nEven Liu Zhen was able to beat up Xu Xiaoshou in his battle, yet Boss Wen had been defeated in one move!

nThis Xu Xiaoshou had dared to tease Di Xin’er with a wooden sword, yet Boss Wen hadn’t been able to do anything about it when he entered the field.

nA fierce expression passed over Wen Chong’s face!

nThe purple dagger that he’d tucked within his sleeves radiated a mysterious aura, and Wen Chong’s turned into a blur once again as he charged toward Xu Xiaoshou!

n“Careful!”

n“Stop it, Wen Chong!”

n“The battle has ended! It’s ended!” the judge roared as he pounced forward. He didn’t expect such an outcome to occur just because he’d been late in announcing the end of the match.

nAnyone could see that Xu Xiaoshou had won. To think that Wen Chong would take action and launch a surprise attack!

nHe wouldn’t be able to stop Wen Chong’s attack in time!

n“Got ambushed. Passive Points 1.”

nXu Xiaoshou was greedy for Passive Points and was thus always paying some attention to the notification panel. When he saw this notification, he abruptly turned around to retaliate.

nCreak!

nWen Chong’s ninth-grade spiritual dagger fiercely pierced Xu Xiaoshou’s shoulder, and blood sprayed everywhere.

nCreak!

nXu Xiaoshou’s right hand pierced through Wen Chong’s chest straight to his heart!

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