Chapter 31: Fierce Battle (Part 1)

Outside the Tianhuo Cave, numerous disciples from the Heavenly Sword Academy had gathered, mostly from the Tianhuo Cave lineage. As this battle belonged to the Heavenly Sword Academy, these disciples were extremely excited, cheering and supporting their fellow disciples.

Observing the enthusiastic crowd, Lin Yunfeng chuckled, "If I win this battle, they might bury me under a pile of rocks, each thrown by one of them." He laughed and continued, "Hope they don't disappoint me after the victory." Both Master Jingyue and Zhang Aoxue showed a hint of curiosity. It seemed that Lin Yunfeng, even at this moment, could find humor, perhaps indicating his naturally carefree nature.

Lan Yun smiled, "Don't worry, if you can't withstand their rock attacks after the victory, I'll be there for you. Dealing with ordinary rocks, I still have a way. Give it your best, and I'll be ready to block their stone attacks for you." With these encouraging words, he patted Lin Yunfeng's shoulder.

Approaching the arena, the four members of Yiyuan watched their opponents from Heavenly Sword Academy gathering on the opposite side. Once again, the referee was Liu Xinghun, a disciple of Heavenly Sword Academy. And Zhan Yu, who they faced today, was said to be a disciple of Liu Xinghun. Since Yunfeng had competed against a disciple of Heavenly Sword Academy yesterday, today's match became a reunion of adversaries, adding an extra layer of tension. The disciples from Heavenly Sword Academy, bearing resentment from yesterday's match, had a hostile look in their eyes.

Looking at the sky, it was almost time. Lan Yun whispered, "Be careful; Zhan Yu is formidable. Stay on guard." Yunfeng responded with determination, "I understand. Don't worry; worst case, if I can't win, I'll just dodge." He suddenly smiled and walked into the arena.

On the side of the Heavenly Sword Academy, a young disciple walked forward, presumably Zhan Yu. On closer inspection, Zhan Yu was indeed handsome and full of charisma. However, a slight arrogance in the corner of his eyes gave off a feeling of disdain. Wearing a cyan robe and wielding a long sword, he calmly observed Yunfeng. Yunfeng, in turn, stared back at him, showing a trace of vigilance.

Zhan Yu looked at Yunfeng, a hint of coldness in his eyes, and said, "Zhan Yu from Heavenly Sword Academy. I heard you are the one who defeated our Heavenly Sword Academy's Mu Hua yesterday. Today, I'll get a chance to see your unique skills. I hope you won't disappoint me."

Yunfeng's expression became serious, "That's right, I am Lin Yunfeng. I heard you are the second-ranked expert among the disciples of Heavenly Sword Academy. I was just thinking of learning something from you. I hope you won't let me down." He spoke assertively, returning the challenge.

Zhan Yu's face turned cold, and he said with a sinister tone, "You'll know soon enough. Don't beg for mercy when the time comes. Come, the time is now." After speaking, he inserted his long sword diagonally into the ground. A sword, emanating a brilliant blue light, appeared above Zhan Yu with a dragon-like roar. The cyan sword, accompanied by a strong radiance, circled and revolved in mid-air, releasing a cyan glow that enveloped Zhan Yu. Around them, countless disciples from Heavenly Sword Academy cheered passionately for Zhan Yu.

Lin Yunfeng moved slightly to the side. While his body shifted three feet horizontally, the long sword in his hand burst forth with a silver flame, forming a strange flower shape in front of him. Successive layers of this peculiar silver flower appeared, continuously emerging in a scene where they intersected and overlapped. These layers formed a protective barrier, rapidly and imperceptibly engaging in hundreds of clashes with Zhan Yu's long sword. The cacophony of countless collisions was drowned out by the ear-piercing sound of the tearing air. The two figures were surrounded by numerous lights, flickering with a dazzling brilliance.

Lin Yunfeng, utilizing the force from the clash of swords, instantly flashed three zhang away, exchanging positions with Zhan Yu. Staring coldly at Zhan Yu, Yunfeng's face revealed a solemn expression. Though the first exchange ended in a draw, Yunfeng was distinctly surprised. Even with eight or more layers of strength displayed in that single strike, he could tell there was a considerable gap between his cultivation and Zhan Yu's. In this battle, Yunfeng realized that his chances were not promising.

Zhan Yu sneered, looking at Yunfeng with disdain. Seeing this, Yunfeng couldn't help feeling a tinge of anger. With a wave of his long sword, he lunged forward. In mid-air, Yunfeng's right hand swiftly moved seventy-nine times, with one hundred and forty-eight swords converging into a dense network. The network, shimmering with silver radiance, enclosed Zhan Yu. Zhan Yu sneered, tilting his long sword and rapidly flipping his right hand. Simultaneously, his long sword flew out of his hand, spinning in mid-air without falling. At the same moment, a powerful momentum emanated from his right hand, instantly permeating the entire arena.

As Yunfeng's sword shadows approached, Zhan Yu sneered, raising his right hand. The long sword in his hand gathered a wild and explosive force, rushing towards the sword net Yunfeng had unleashed. A loud bang followed, accompanied by flying dust and numerous rocks scattered with powerful force, startling the onlookers.

Amidst the rising dust, two figures shot out in opposite directions, each retreating two zhang, cautiously vigilant of the other. Zhan Yu remained calm, looking at the disheveled Yunfeng with a hint of meaningful expression in his eyes. Yunfeng's hair was somewhat messy, his clothes torn in places, and his face bore a serious expression as he coldly stared at Zhan Yu.

Zhan Yu coldly remarked, "I thought you were more formidable, turns out you're just like this." Yunfeng's gaze changed slightly, angered by Zhan Yu's sarcasm. He retorted with a cold smile, "Indeed, this is all I've got. But I did defeat a disciple from your Heavenly Sword Academy yesterday. I wonder, where are the exceptional skills of Heavenly Sword Academy's disciples?" Yunfeng countered defiantly.

Zhan Yu's expression changed slightly, coldly looking at him, "You'll know soon where our exceptional skills lie. Draw your sword." With a flicker, a stream of light suddenly elongated in the arena, creating an extremely strange scene. Zhan Yu's body seemed to stretch, instantly crossing a distance of four zhang. A residual shadow appeared in mid-air, surprising everyone as it materialized in front of Yunfeng.

Yunfeng's face changed drastically, not expecting Zhan Yu's speed to be so fast, leaving even a residual shadow in the air. In the face of danger, Yunfeng didn't have time to think much. His body suddenly rotated with full force. Simultaneously, the Zhan Yu Sword erupted with a powerful sword energy. With each rotation, he unleashed twenty-seven swords. Hundreds of sword shadows formed a rapidly rotating sword column, deflecting all attacks and firmly protecting himself.

The combination of speed and strength erupted into astonishing power in an instant. In the second clash, they collided once again with brute force. Another loud noise echoed as Yunfeng's body was suddenly pushed back one zhang. After landing, he retreated five steps in succession. Before he could stabilize, Zhan Yu appeared in front of him again. Cyan light burst forth, crisscrossing the sky with intertwining sword energy, accompanied by an ear-piercing howl and formidable power, engulfing Yunfeng in an instant. Zhan Yu's sword moves were swift as lightning, each strike sending sword energy in all directions, creating numerous deep pits in the ground, shrouding the surroundings in mist.

On the side, the three members of Yiyuan couldn't help but exclaim in shock, watching Yunfeng fall into a perilous situation. They were deeply concerned. Watching Zhan Yu's cold expression, Lao Yun understood that he must be resentful about yesterday's incident, intending to severely damage Yunfeng as a form of revenge. On the other side, the approving gaze from Liu Xinghun made Lao Yun slightly angry, as it hinted at a biased attitude.

What he didn't expect was that as the host, the Heavenly Sword Academy treated disciples from other sects with such hostility, almost wishing to kill them. Such hosts, if this were to be known, would be a disgrace to the cultivation world. In the cultivation world, why engage in battles? It was a reminder for everyone to not forget to cultivate diligently, contributing to the improvement of each other's cultivation. However, here, it had turned into a competition of who had more formidable cultivation and who had more ruthless methods.

Yunfeng's face turned pale with shock, secretly cursing Zhan Yu for his vicious methods. In the face of crisis, Yunfeng couldn't think too much. His hands quickly formed a seal in front of his chest, and he uttered, "Qiankun Wuj, Yinyang Jief, Yin." As he finished speaking, his body suddenly disappeared. In the next moment, Yunfeng's figure appeared behind Zhan Yu, his long sword sweeping towards Zhan Yu's back.

In the instant Yunfeng disappeared, Zhan Yu had already sensed it. When high-level experts fought, they often used true qi to lock onto each other's bodies. Once the opponent made any move, it could be instantly perceived. Zhan Yu, learning about Yunfeng's ability from his master, had been on guard against him. Sensing his appearance behind him, Zhan Yu couldn't help but reveal a cruel and mocking smile.

The three words "Zhen Tian Jue" suddenly burst out of Zhan Yu's mouth. Simultaneously, his body split into five, with five Zhan Yus simultaneously appearing in the arena. One above and four distributed in four directions, enveloping Yunfeng in a beautiful yet extremely dangerous aura. Zhan Yu's long sword roared, and countless sword shadows crisscrossed, displaying five different colors dominated by cyan, accompanied by other hues, creating a mysterious scene. From the periphery, it looked like five Zhan Yus simultaneously launching attacks, forming a closed space, trapping Yunfeng.

Yunfeng's face showed a slight surprise; he didn't expect Zhan Yu to be psychologically prepared, and his unexpected sneak attack seemed to have missed. As he observed the simultaneous attacks from five Zhan Yus, Yunfeng felt the surrounding airflow forming a closed space, firmly locking him in the middle. Faced with the fierce assault, Yunfeng made a decisive decision. The Zhanfeng Longsword radiated a dazzling silver light as he fully unleashed the Yiyuan Sect's ultimate technique, Slashing Demons and Extinguishing Evils. In an instant, hundreds of swords were swung, forming a brilliant silver sphere that shielded him.

Rotating sword lights clashed, and two different-colored glows engaged in a dense and thunderous confrontation. Countless glows scattered in all directions, creating a luminous ball that shimmered with captivating brilliance. Yunfeng's right hand moved at the fastest speed, continuously clashing with Zhan Yu's sword hundreds of times. The powerful force left his face pale, with traces of blood at the corners of his mouth. Yunfeng's eyes revealed a resolute expression as he bit down hard, fiercely blocking Zhan Yu's tyrannical attack.

As the silver light gradually weakened and the cyan light slowed, the round of attacks approached its end. A figure was seen flying backward. Zhan Yu sneered, standing still in mid-air, watching the disheveled Yunfeng, but he didn't continue the pursuit. In his eyes, dealing with Yunfeng was too simple, requiring minimal effort.

Yunfeng's body somersaulted several times in mid-air, blood scattered into the air, forming a faint blood-colored flower. After landing, Yunfeng retreated several steps in succession, swaying violently. The ground bore numerous bloodstains, flowing from various wounds on Yunfeng's body. Yunfeng, now pale-faced, clenched his teeth, looking at Zhan Yu with caution, prepared for another attack. Glancing at Lao Yun in the distance, Yunfeng's eyes revealed a hint of faint sadness, but his expression quickly returned to determination.

Zhan Yu uttered cold words, "Do you now understand where our brilliance lies in the Heavenly Sword Academy? Looking at you, I'm afraid you still haven't figured it out. Let me make it clearer for you." These words caused a slight change in the expressions of Zhang Aoxue and Lao Yun.

Yunfeng, with a cold and proud demeanor, said, "I'm still standing, and I don't think you're anything special. I will show you the strength of Yiyuan Sect. Come on." After speaking, his body swayed, directly charging at Zhan Yu. In mid-air, Yunfeng suddenly disappeared, losing his figure in an instant. At this moment, Yunfeng began to employ stealth attacks.

Zhan Yu's eyes changed slightly, and a purple light burst forth around him, forming a protective barrier. The long sword trembled, drawing strange trajectories around him, cautiously guarding against the unseen Yunfeng. A flash of silver, and Yunfeng appeared above Zhan Yu, a dazzling sword pillar fiercely striking down. It ruthlessly hit Zhan Yu's long sword, causing him to be shaken and fall to the ground. Yunfeng sneered, his body disappearing again, preparing for the next attack.