Chapter 141: Shocking the Entire Arena

Without any announcement or prior indication, the three sword cultivators leaped into three corners of the drum formation. Immediately after, their sword intent surged upward. Their auras also erupted in full force and collided with each other.

As they quietly closed their eyes, the central screen simultaneously put them on display.

Shu Sword Sect Elder Fei Lianzi.

Wudang Sword Cultivator Gao Shixing.

Daoist Master Bu Yan's second disciple, Wang Fei Yu.

The pressure released by the two Illusory Core Realm experts could not fully cover the entire arena. Still, as Fei Lianzi and Gao Shixing clashed in aura and competed in sword intent, their momentum surged to the peak and then rose even higher.

Outside the drum formation, nine Special Warfare Unit members carried over three vertical drums. They positioned the drums behind the three performers, signaling the next stage of the performance.

Dong!

Two of the vertical drums thundered at once. Fei Lianzi and Gao Shixing opened their eyes at the same moment, the ground beneath them quaking violently. As they charged on the drums straight toward the center of the field, the deafening roars of the drums merged with the rhythm of those behind.

Two sharp sword cries rang out, and two longswords were drawn in quick succession.

Gao Shixing gripped his sword in his right hand while holding the scabbard in reverse grip with his left. Meanwhile, Fei Lianzi, who was also holding a sword in his right hand, formed a sword finger with his left hand. Two flying swords circled around him, following his form like shadows.

The two Daoists no longer had any visible external injuries. They locked eyes and, in the next instant, launched a fierce exchange of blows. They did not hold back; every strike targeted the other's vital points with deadly precision.

Sword radiance and phantasms flashed nonstop as the two darted and leaped across the drum surfaces.

Gao Shixing unleashed extraordinary might through Wudang's Devil-Dispelling True Martial Sword Art. However, the Shu Sword Sect's sword techniques were equally profound and boundless.

Several nearby drones quickly captured footage. The brief exchange of sword techniques between the two had already drawn the full attention of every cultivator in the area.

Fei Lianzi's two flying swords circled at high speed, slashing at Gao Shixing's shoulders and legs. He unleashed an exquisite sequence of sword techniques, using his three swords in unison to attack with fierce momentum.

Gao Shixing, relying on his one sword, maintained a flawless defense. The two flying swords were precisely deflected each time. No matter how varied Fei Lianzi's sword techniques became, Gao Shixing was able to find and strike their weaknesses with a counter.

The two had completely different paths in the Dao of the Sword. Fei Lianzi focused on the sword; Gao Shixing focused on the person. They were two of the three distinct sword paths that Wang Sheng had come to understand: The Shu Mountains' sword arts belonged to the Earth Dao of the Sword, while the Wudang Mountains' sword arts followed the Human Dao of the Sword.

Before seven thousand cultivators unfolded the ferocity of the Shu Mountains' Sword-Controlling Art and the intricacy of Wudang's sword arts. It was a display of the profound sword realms of the two Daoist masters.

To the observing Daoist elders and Daoist masters, the two no longer looked like men. They were more like treasured swords of different brilliance, colliding repeatedly in an attempt to overpower the other. They contended for sharpness, for the Dao, and for reputation!

In the blink of an eye, Fei Lianzi and Gao Shixing landed dozens of exchanges, turning their battle white hot. In the thick of the fight, their four longswords had already clashed more than a hundred times.

Although the two flying swords had not yet landed a decisive blow, they forced Gao Shixing to devote much of his focus. On the other hand, within his defense, Gao Shixing continued to prepare counterattacks. Every so often, he would unleash a stroke of brilliance, forcing Fei Lianzi to change tactics on the fly. In those fleeting moments, offense and defense would rapidly shift.

The drums grew increasingly urgent.

Their battle climbed to a new peak. They used killing moves with greater frequency, making them seem determined to wound one another. The rhythm of the drums became as fierce as a storm.

Dong!

A discordant drumbeat disrupted the rhythm, bringing the rapid pounding to an abrupt halt. The two surging waves of sword intent burst forth with new rhythms, each shifting slightly from its original course.

The third sword intent had finally moved!

Wang Sheng opened his eyes. He raised his left hand, forming a sword finger and pointing it forward. The flying sword in his hand shot forth like a brilliant meteor, aiming straight at the battlefield where the other two were clashing.

In pursuit of his sword, the young sword cultivator walked on the drums.

His celestial-grade sword struck aside one of Fei Lianzi's flying swords and then cleaved downward at Gao Shixing. In response, Gao Shixing raised his longsword and unleashed the Heavenward Drunken Finger Technique. Although the celestial-grade flying sword was of exceptional quality, Gao Shixing's deep cultivation had deflected it.

Wang Sheng had already crossed five drumheads. He initiated the Seven-Star Footwork, invoking the Big Dipper, and scattered starlight in all directions using his longsword, which hummed relentlessly.

The large screens showed a top-down view.

Wang Sheng swung his longsword so quickly that it appeared as a blur. He then charged in a straight line across the drumheads. It was as though a river of stars had emerged and crashed into the sky, which was full of sword phantasms.

The starlight scattered Fei Lianzi's flying swords. Meanwhile, Gao Shixing's sword shifted once more, striking the oncoming starlight head-on. His longsword instantly clashed with Wang Sheng's blade over a dozen times.

The Wudang Daoist master was like a towering fortress standing amid the starry sky. No matter how the stars surged forward, he remained immovable.

Fei Lianzi released the sword in his hand and let it whistle through the air. Three longswords now circled him, rapidly sweeping the area with sword radiance to block the incoming starlight storm.

In response, Wang Sheng pushed his Reversed Seven-Star Sword Formation to its full force. Rows of sword phantasms aligned like the Big Dipper burst forth, suppressing his opponents for a brief moment.

Fei Lianzi and Gao Shixing both shouted lowly. Gao Shixing unleashed techniques from the Taiyi Golden Immortal Sword Art, while Fei Lianzi grabbed one of his longswords once more. The instant Wang Sheng's momentum slightly abated, the two struck at him with full force.

However, Fei Lianzi's flying sword still slashed at Gao Shixing, forcing his advance to a stop.

Wang Sheng clashed with Fei Lianzi in two exchanges of sword momentum. Sword in hand, Gao Shixing flanked from the side, attacking Fei Lianzi fiercely. However, Wang Sheng's flying sword plummeted from the sky, forcing Gao Shixing to change tactics once more.

Wang Sheng unleashed the full potential of the Seven-Star Footwork to weave through the two figures with ghostly speed. Spinning around, he used his flying sword and his sword formation to launch another violent attack on the two.

Once again, Wang Sheng's sword techniques entangled Gao Shixing and Fei Lianzi. Unable to coordinate their assault, they were forced to split their offense.

The three constantly fought one against two, leaping and shifting across several drum surfaces at the center of the arena. The three strands of sword intent clashed with one another. Each had fully unleashed their own Sword Dao, making for a dazzling spectacle.

All around the field, countless spectators had already stood up, their eyes wide in awe. No one could tell how many were holding their breath.

The three flying swords were sometimes locked in direct combat, sometimes turned against their own wielders, and sometimes simultaneously targeted Gao Shixing. Nevertheless, although Gao Shixing lacked the Sword-Controlling Art, his cultivation surpassed Wang Sheng's, and his comprehension of the Dao of the Sword exceeded Fei Lianzi's. He was by no means at a disadvantage.

There had been no rehearsal or any agreement made beforehand. The three were able to engage in such a match purely because of their understanding of the Sword Dao and a certain unspoken bond that made them both rivals and comrades.

Though Wang Sheng's cultivation was a bit inferior, he had trained in the Shu Mountains' Sword-Controlling Art and mastered the Reversed Seven-Star Sword Formation. Moreover, he had tempered himself in the Seventy-Two Swords, comprehended dozens of sword techniques, and had been under the formation spirit's direct tutelage, even battling it countless times.

To top it all off, his comprehension of sword techniques even surpassed Fei Lianzi's and was on par with Gao Shixing's. He had even already set one foot into the Realm of Sword Momentum. If Wang Sheng were also at the Illusory Core Realm at that moment, he could have truly fought the two alone.

What followed was truly a sight to behold.

Fei Lianzi simultaneously controlled three swords, balancing offense and defense with ease; and Gao Shixing unleashed an endless stream of sword techniques, his one sword never faltering. Meanwhile, Wang Sheng utilized the Sword-Controlling Art and commanded the seven stars of the Big Dipper. His Dao of the Sword faintly suppressed the other two.

This was the first time on this blue planet that the swords of "Heaven," "Earth," and "Man" clashed on the same stage!

The three strands of sword intent continuously collided as their wielders changed positions. With each passing instant, countless bursts of dazzling and brilliant sword radiance lit up in the air.

On the main viewing platform, many Daoist elders and Daoist masters had risen to their feet. Moreover, awe had filled every pair of eyes in the audience seats. The younger cultivators with weaker cultivation and unsteady mindsets couldn't help but find it difficult to breathe.

Countless sword cultivators engraved the sight of the three sword intents, which seemed suspended above the arena, into the depths of their hearts. To their dismay, the fierce battle lasted only a moment before another change occurred.

Under the greatest pressure, Fei Lianzi was the first to release his sword momentum and unleash the Qing Feng Sun-Moon Transformation Sword Art. Although he could not use sword techniques to manifest mountains and rivers like the formation spirit, his techniques still unleashed a force that could swallow those bodies of nature. Additionally, they had a tranquil and unshakable presence.

Releasing his sword momentum immediately triggered a rebound from Wang Sheng and Gao Shixing.

With a resonant clang of sword cries, a fierce intent erupted out of Gao Shixing. The proud and aloof man stood amid the realm created by Fei Lianzi's sword momentum—unyielding, unbending, and silent. He simply sought to strike back against the firmament—to shatter the world before him. However, before Gao Shixing's sword momentum could lock onto Fei Lianzi, the two seemed to fall into a vast sea of stars. Threads of cold starlight pierced their very bones.

A third emerging force suppressed their sword momentums, making them simultaneously redirect their techniques to the source of the subtle oppression: Wang Sheng.

At that moment, Wang Sheng seemed like a white-robed, silver-haired sovereign who roamed the starry sky, commanded ten thousand swords, and ruled the stars.

This was the sword momentum of the Heavenly Ziwei Sword Art, the first sword momentum that Wang Sheng had comprehended in the year since leaving the Seventy-Two Swords!

Seven great stars plummeted, stopping Gao Shixing and Fei Lianzi in their tracks. A series of cracking noises followed, and several large drums under them shattered. The three were forced to retreat, and the three sword momentum dissipated with them.

As the drumming quieted down, the three formed a triangle and looked at one another. Wang Sheng's gaze was calm, Fei Lianzi's was filled with emotion, and Gao Shixing's held deep satisfaction.

The three cupped their hands while still gripping their longswords, while the three flying ones circled their respective wielders. After offering salutes to their surroundings, they leaped out of the drum formation and returned to their original corners.

The arena was rendered completely silent. It took a few seconds before several Daoist masters began to applaud. Sparse clapping then followed from various directions. A moment later, the applause surged like a tide, lasting for quite some time.

Near the front of the audience seats, a cultivator with spiky hair suddenly shouted, "That was so awesome! Brother Sheng is the be—"

Before he could finish his crude words, the Daoist master beside him had already slapped an Immobilization Talisman over his mouth. The disciples of the Longhu Mountains then resumed their refined applause.