Free Web NovelChapter 328: Chapter 168: Battle of Immortals, Secretly Learning Sword Control
The first round of duels ended faster than expected, with nearly every match decided within minutes.
Soon, the massive light screen in the center of the Virtual Space reappeared, ready for the second-round drawing.
Dongfang Zhen stood in the spectator stands, his gaze calm as he watched the matchup list that was about to start shuffling.
He knew that in this drawing, Lin Ye’s matchup was being secretly manipulated.
Ultimately, preventing Lin Ye from facing the lower-ranked students too early was, first, to save time, and second, a form of protection for the other students.
Considering the overwhelming power Lin Ye had just shown by one-shotting Wei Shuying, putting him against anyone else would likely inflict psychological trauma, which might not be beneficial for their future martial arts paths.
The names on the light screen flickered rapidly before finally stopping.
Zhang Daoxuan’s expression faltered for a moment.
His name was now listed next to Lin Ye’s.
He slowly exhaled, his expression turning more serious than ever before as he looked at Lin Ye.
Before long, the others were teleported away, leaving just the two of them on the arena platform.
"Mr. Lin."
Zhang Daoxuan spoke, his voice as placid as still water, just as it always was.
"I must admit, back when we first entered the camp, you made me feel a sense of crisis."
"Before you, I always believed that Mr. Dongfang and I were the only real competitors in this camp."
"We were like two men on a mountaintop, needing only to watch each other as we continued our climb."
"But your sudden appearance has caused my Dao Heart, which I had long believed to be as steady as a rock, to waver."
He looked at Lin Ye, his former aloofness gone, replaced by an earnestness akin to that of a truth-seeker.
"Only now do I realize that my Dao Heart is still unstable."
"Today, I will use my full strength. I believe that only by facing you directly can I regain my former composure."
On the sidelines, Dongfang Zhen listened to these words, lost in thought.
’Just face him, not defeat him? Daoxuan, you must have realized it yourself. You’re the challenger now, aren’t you.’
The countdown reached zero.
The instant the battle began, Zhang Daoxuan acted without hesitation. With a point of his sword fingers, the ancient iron sword on his back unsheathed with a SHIING and hovered before him.
At the same time, from beneath his loose Daoist robe, a rustic Sword Box opened on its own, and three streaks of silver light shot out!
Three sub-swords, each as thin as a cicada’s wing, circled around Zhang Daoxuan, emitting a clear, sonorous hum.
His main sword was named "Zhenyue," while the three sub-swords circling his body were named "Liu Ying."
Lin Ye’s eyes narrowed slightly.
The moment Zhang Daoxuan drew his sword, an unprecedented sense of sharpness washed over Lin Ye, as if the very air were being sliced into countless tiny fragments.
The young man before him had cultivated his sword intent to an extremely profound level.
"Go!"
Zhang Daoxuan raised his sword fingers without any extraneous movement.
The three Flowing Firefly Sub-Swords instantly transformed into three streaks of silver lightning. Wreathed in sharp, silver Gang Sha, they split into high, middle, and low paths, stabbing straight for Lin Ye’s vital points: his throat, his heart, and his Dantian!
The Flying Swords were incredibly fast, their passage through the air a piercing shriek.
Lin Ye’s reflexes were more than fast enough to keep up, but he didn’t dodge.
After his Life Value had skyrocketed and he had mastered the new energy form known as Gang Sha, he was more inclined to use his own body to feel out an opponent’s attack strength in battle.
’Why bother dodging? Could this one attack really wipe out my Life Value of over one hundred thousand? Since it can’t, there’s no need to dodge.’
In the next instant, the three Flying Swords struck their mark with precision.
There was no expected clang of metal on metal. Instead, it was like three red-hot knives slicing into a block of cold butter.
Lin Ye’s heart jumped in surprise.
He clearly saw it: the moment the Flying Swords pierced his constantly flowing, golden Gang Sha, the layer of silver Gang Sha coating the blades acted like a living creature, forcefully tearing an opening for the blades to plunge straight through!
On the sidelines, Dongfang Zhen gently shook his head.
Zhang Daoxuan’s Martial Arts Spirituality was ’only’ Metal Control.
But in terms of the finesse of his Sword Control, Zhang Daoxuan was in no way inferior to those monsters who had awakened a Telekinesis-type Martial Arts Spirituality.
His Metal Attribute Gang Sha, in particular, had a characteristic that no other elemental Gang Sha possessed.
Gang-Breaking.
It could pierce and neutralize the Protective Gang Sha of other Martial Artists in an almost unreasonably brutish manner.
TING!
Realizing his Gang Sha would be pierced, Lin Ye didn’t get arrogant.
With a single thought, a layer of deep purple, hexagonal crystals instantly surfaced beneath his skin, forming a dense suit of armor.
The tips of the three Flying Swords, which had already pierced partway through, pressed against the crystal armor and let out a crisp ring, unable to advance another inch.
But in the next moment, the three Flying Swords shot back like three startled fish, recalled by Zhang Daoxuan.
The wind howled past Lin Ye’s ears.
Zhang Daoxuan himself had transformed into a silver streak of light. Wielding his Main Sword Zhenyue, he slashed horizontally at Lin Ye’s neck with terrifying, unstoppable momentum!
Sword and Man Unity!
SCHFF!
The blade, wreathed in silver Gang Sha, carved a deep white gash into the crystal armor on Lin Ye’s body, sending sparks flying.
Where the blade’s edge had passed, an extremely fine cut also appeared on the vital point of Lin Ye’s throat.
A trickle of fresh blood seeped out from the tiny wound.
His defense was broken.
Even Lin Ye himself was a little surprised.
It seemed Zhang Daoxuan’s strength was truly nothing to scoff at.
After all, ever since breaking through to the Gang Condensation Realm, he had never once been truly injured by anyone.
