Zhu Xian: The way of heaven collapses, and I only have one sword!

Chapter 33 The magical power of golden light protecting the body!
The next day, all of Qingyun's disciples arrived at the square. They saw that of the original eight arenas, only four remained, arranged in the four directions of east, south, west, and north.

The largest arena in the north was packed with people, needless to say, because Lu Xueqi was competing there today. The arena to the south was Chen Qiye's, the one to the west was Zhang Xiaofan's, and the one to the east belonged to Zeng Shushu from Fenghui Peak.

It must be said that Zhang Xiaofan's luck was truly amazing. Even though Chen Qiye had received a bye in the first round, he still advanced to the quarterfinals. And today, his opponent was Chang Jian, who, like Chen Qiye, was from Changmen.

Today, Chen Qiye's opponent was Lin Jingyu, marking the first time these two fellow villagers had faced off within the Qingyun Sect. However, the outcome was clear to most spectators. After all, Lin Jingyu and Qi Hao both hailed from Longshou Peak, and even Qi Hao couldn't withstand more than a few blows from Chen Qiye. How many more could Lin Jingyu withstand?

Lin Jingyu's face was solemn as he stepped onto the stage, Dragon Slaying Sword in hand, his gaze fixed on Chen Qiye. He hadn't expected Chen Qiye's cultivation talent to be so high, reaching the ninth level of the Jade Purity Realm. Perhaps this was what people often call a cultivation prodigy.

Lin Jingyu took a deep breath, calmed his inner turmoil, and slowly said, "Qiye, I will not retreat from this battle today."

Chen Qiye nodded slightly with a gentle expression: "Jingyu, come on, we will decide the outcome with one move." After that, he gently shook the new wooden sword in his hand, and the sword body trembled slightly, as if accumulating strength.

Upon hearing this, Lin Jingyu's eyes instantly became as sharp as an eagle, the spiritual energy around him suddenly surged, and he tightly grasped the Dragon Slaying Sword with both hands, emitting a sharp cold light.

"It's begun!" With a low shout, Lin Jingyu rushed forward like an arrow from a bow. The Dragon-Slaying Sword was wrapped in a majestic sword energy, causing a whistling wind and slashing directly on Chen Qiye's head.

Chen Qiye remained calm and composed. Just as Lin Jingyu's attack was about to land, he tapped the ground with his toes and retreated several feet like a ghost, easily dodging the fierce blow.

Then, he shook his wrist, and the wooden sword in his hand drew a strange arc. It seemed to be stabbed out randomly, but it accurately pointed to the flaw in Lin Jingyu's sword move.

Lin Jingyu was startled. He hadn't expected Chen Qiye's seemingly simple counterattack to be so difficult to defend against. He quickly dodged to the side, while simultaneously mobilizing his spiritual energy to form a spiritual shield in front of him.

Chen Qiye's wooden sword pierced the shield, making a dull sound. The shield trembled slightly but did not break.

"What a move!" Lin Jingyu exclaimed in praise, and then resumed his attack, displaying Long Shoufeng's unique skills. His sword moves were wide open and close, and each sword move contained an overwhelming momentum.

For a moment, the arena was filled with sword energy and spiritual power. The audience below watched intently and exclaimed from time to time.

Chen Qiye remained calm and composed. The wooden sword in his hand seemed weak, but he always managed to block Lin Jingyu's attacks at critical moments and counterattack skillfully. The two of them exchanged blows for dozens of rounds, and it was difficult to tell who was stronger.

Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Chen Qiye was intentionally holding back. It wasn't that he couldn't make a quick decision, but rather that he wanted to use this competition to help Lin Jingyu push past his limits in actual combat.

However, knowing the true situation, Taoist Master Daoxuan felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. Chen Qiye, whose spiritual power had reached a critical point, didn't want to use sword moves, but he couldn't. If his spiritual power was excessively depleted, recovery would be very difficult.

As time passed, it became clear that Lin Jingyu could no longer hold on. After all, due to the huge gap between his realm and spiritual energy reserves, his spiritual power gradually dried up, and his sword moves became sluggish.

Chen Qiye watched, sighing inwardly. It seemed like it was time to end this competition. His gaze fixed, and the wooden sword in his hand suddenly erupted with unprecedented momentum. The seemingly ordinary wooden sword now glowed with a faint golden light.

"Jingyu, be careful!" Chen Qiye shouted softly, and rushed forward like lightning. The wooden sword stabbed out in a strange trajectory. The speed was so fast that Lin Jingyu had no time to react.

Lin Jingyu gritted his teeth, used up his last bit of spiritual power, and held the Dragon Slaying Sword across in front of him, trying to block the fatal blow.

"Boom!" With a loud noise, spiritual power overflowed, and Lin Jingyu flew backwards like a kite with a broken string, falling heavily on the edge of the ring, with a trace of blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.

"Jingyu!" The audience below the stage exclaimed in surprise, and many of them showed expressions of pity.

Chen Qiye put away his wooden sword, walked quickly to Lin Jingyu, helped him up, and asked with concern: "Jingyu, are you okay?"

Lin Jingyu wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, smiled bitterly and shook his head: "I lost, Qiye, you are really amazing."

Meanwhile, at the end of the day, the results of the competition came in. Zhang Xiaofan from Dazhu Peak had the "fortune" of being ranked in the top four alongside Chen Qiye, Lu Xueqi, and Zeng Shushu.

Chen Qiye was already the clear favorite to win, and Lu Xueqi had been on a tear in recent days, her popularity also skyrocketing. However, Zeng Shushu and Zhang Xiaofan's placement in the top four surprised most of the Qingyun Sect elders. Previously, Zeng Shushu was known as Zeng Shuchang's only son. While a recognized young talent within the Fenghui Peak lineage, he wasn't particularly well-known within the Qingyun Sect. This time, he overcame all obstacles and displayed his masterful Daoist techniques, impressing everyone. In contrast, Zhang Xiaofan, standing among the four, stood out as a significant eyesore.

On the stage, four people stood side by side, with the sect leader, Taoist Master Daoxuan, and Taoist Master Cangsong, the head of Longshou Peak, standing in front. Below the stage, nearly a thousand Qingyun Sect members gathered together, with the front row filled with the head elders of each lineage.

Su Ru looked at the stage and whispered to Tian Buyi, "Xiao Fan looks a little nervous!"

Tian Buyi snorted and said nothing. How could he not see it in front of everyone?

Of the four people on the stage, Chen Qiye remained calm and composed, Lu Xueqi was icy, and Zeng Shushu also stood smiling. Only Zhang Xiaofan stood still, staring at the ground, his hands seemingly unsure where to place, looking extremely awkward. Taoist Master Daoxuan glanced at the four of them, a hint of a smile crossing his lips. He turned to the audience and said, "As of today, the top four disciples of the Seven Clans Martial Competition have been decided. Tomorrow's competition will see Chen Qiye of Tongtian Peak face Zhang Xiaofan of Dazhu Peak, and Lu Xueqi of Xiaozhu Peak face Zeng Shushu of Fenghui Peak."

Night enveloped the entire Qingyun Sect, a deep and quiet hue. Chen Qiye returned to his residence, but instead of rushing to rest, he paced the courtyard, lost in thought. Moonlight shone upon him, outlining his slender figure.

Chen Qiye wasn't actually concerned about tomorrow's battle. He had a good idea of ​​Zhang Xiaofan's abilities. His biggest worry right now was probably the 36th-grade Three Flowers Tribulation.

"Condensing the three flowers on the top of the head, the flowers bloom into the thirty-sixth level, a heavenly tribulation..."

Standing on the stage, the sun shone unreservedly on Chen Qiye. Today, he didn't even bring his wooden sword, but simply stood on the stage with his hands behind his back.

Zhang Xiaofan looked at the calm Chen Qiye in front of him, feeling nervous and uneasy. He gripped the fire stick tightly, his knuckles turning white from the exertion, and beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.

Only two large arenas remained above the sea of ​​clouds. However, judging by the number of Qingyun disciples watching the match between Lu Xueqi and Zeng Shushu to the west, the number was probably less than 30% of the number present. Almost everyone was drawn to the spotlight, Chen Qiye, and the incredibly lucky Zhang Xiaofan, most wondering how long it would take for Zhang Xiaofan to be defeated.

"Boom!" The sound of bells and tripods rang out, echoing on Tongtian Peak, and the surroundings quickly became quiet.

Chen Qiye raised his eyes slightly, looked at Zhang Xiaofan and said softly: "Let me see how much progress you have made during this period of time, Tiandi Xuanzong..."

"Tian Di Xuan Zong..." Zhang Xiaofan said at the same time.

"The root of all myriad Qi, the light that cultivates all myriad calamities, proves my supernatural powers. Within and outside the Three Realms, only the Dao reigns supreme. My body is radiant with golden light, covering my entire being!"

As the two chanted the incantation in unison, the spiritual energy between heaven and earth surged wildly, as if drawn by some powerful force. A faint golden glow shone around Zhang Xiaofan. It was the "Golden Light Spell" he cast. While not as condensed and profound as Chen Qiye's, it also exuded a sense of tenacity.

Seeing the golden light on the two people, the Qingyun disciples were confused. They had never seen such Qingyun Taoism.

Golden light shone around them, like two blazing suns, their rays intertwining and colliding. While everyone was still puzzled by this unfamiliar Dao technique, Chen Qiye took the lead. He clenched his right fist, enveloping it with surging spiritual energy, and launched it towards Zhang Xiaofan like a cannonball. The wind from his fist whistled, causing the surrounding air to emit a sharp whistling sound.

Zhang Xiaofan didn't dare to be careless. He dodged sideways, deftly avoiding the fierce blow. Then, he spun, raised his left leg high, and thrust it straight into Chen Qiye's chest like a spear. Chen Qiye calmly raised his left arm to block. With a dull thud, they both retreated several steps.

Chen Qiye steadied himself, a flicker of admiration in his eyes. He hadn't expected Zhang Xiaofan to apply his training so flexibly in actual combat. Then, with a loud shout, he tapped the ground with his foot and lunged forward like a ghost. His fists danced, transforming into countless fist shadows that rained down upon Zhang Xiaofan.

Zhang Xiaofan gritted his teeth, the golden light around him growing ever more intense. He unleashed the boxing techniques he'd learned from Dazhu Peak, each strike steady and powerful, a stark contrast to Chen Qiye's swift attacks. The two exchanged blows, fists and kicks, each collision unleashing a powerful surge of spiritual energy that seemed to distort the very air around the ring.

The audience was mesmerized, exclaiming in amazement from time to time. Those who had originally predicted that Zhang Xiaofan would be defeated quickly were now forced to look at him with new eyes.

"Master Brother, what is this move?" Taoist Cangsong turned his head and said.

Except for Tian Buyi, the heads of the other clans also looked at Taoist Master Daoxuan with curiosity.

"This move is called the 'Golden Light Curse'. It was developed by Qiye when he went to Dazhu Peak and taught to the disciples of Dazhu Peak." Taoist Master Daoxuan looked at his disciple in the field and nodded slightly.

When Taoist Cangsong heard this, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He stroked his beard and murmured, "To be able to develop such a novel Taoist method, this boy is truly gifted."

The other leaders were also whispering to each other, their faces full of amazement.

Master Shuiyue, the head monk of Xiaozhu Peak, frowned slightly, but his eyes could not hide his admiration: "Qiye, not only is your own cultivation profound, but you can also create Taoism. Given time, your achievements will be limitless."

Shang Zhengliang, the head monk of Chaoyang Peak, nodded and said, "It seems that Tongtian Peak has produced a remarkable figure this time. This kind of talent is truly rare among all the disciples of Qingyun Sect throughout history."

Zeng Shuchang, the head monk of Fenghui Peak, had a smile on his face as he looked at Chen Qiye with admiration. "My dear nephew Qiye is extremely talented. The Golden Light Curse he developed is extremely exquisite. My Fenghui Peak's Shushu still needs more experience to compare with him."

Dazhu Peak's head, Tian Buyi, snorted coldly, but was secretly pleased. Although the Golden Light Curse was developed by Chen Qiye, it was spread in Dazhu Peak after all, which was a credit to the peak. He glanced at Zhang Xiaofan, who was fighting hard on the stage, and the corners of his mouth curled up slightly. "Xiaofan, this kid, didn't bring shame to Dazhu Peak. He was able to fight Qiye for so many moves."

At this moment, the battle on the stage intensified. The golden light surrounding Chen Qiye and Zhang Xiaofan shone brightly in the sunlight, and every collision of spiritual energy drew exclamations from the audience.

The leaders' eyes were fixed on the two of them. They were amazed at Chen Qiye's talent and strength, and were also surprised by Zhang Xiaofan's tenacious performance.

(End of this chapter)