King of Ten Thousand Years

Luo Tian was just about to attack and shatter Shangguan Su’s Palm Technique when he was suddenly fixed in place by the gaze of the Mist Ghost Eyes. A cold, immense Spiritual Power assaulted him!

His movements faltered for an instant.

”Incredible!”

Shangguan Su’s sudden counterattack shocked everyone, and an uproar erupted from the crowd.

Just a moment ago, many people thought Shangguan Su was on the verge of defeat.

But Shangguan Su immediately proved that as one of the five great Celestial Prides of the Dongchen Continent, he wouldn’t be so easily defeated by an upset.

”Excellent!”

The higher-ups of Purple Luo Hall smiled.

A moment ago, even they had been worried that Shangguan Su, one of the Celestial Prides, would be upset.

”What a terrifying counterattack!”

Song Luyao exclaimed in awe.

”It looks like Shangguan Su was holding back before, secretly recovering his mental stamina. It was all for this one explosive burst to decide the victor!”

Ye Feng sighed.

Luo Tian might have a way to resist a second attack from the Mist Ghost Eyes, but he would surely be defeated by Shangguan Su’s Palm Technique.

If he had chosen to shatter the Palm Technique attack first, the Spiritual Illusion Technique of the Mist Ghost Eyes would have certainly exploited the opening.

It was a no-win situation.

But as Shangguan Su had said, there would be honor for Luo Tian even in defeat.

’As expected of one of the five great Celestial Prides. I can’t afford to be careless for even a moment!’

Luo Tian closed his eyes and activated the Mysterious Blue Treasure Pearl once more, immersing his consciousness within it. The influence of the Mist Ghost Eyes was weakened by sixty to seventy percent.

VMMMM!

The Ice Trace Sword in his hand trembled slightly as his True Qi and Cold Power surged, resonating with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and unleashing the vast, imposing pressure of an icy sky.

All eyes turned to Luo Tian. He hadn’t given up. He was still persevering.

”Oh? You want to attack and settle this with me? But while you’re under the influence of my Mist Ghost Eyes, how much of your strength can you possibly muster?”

Shangguan Su’s expression was cold and serene.

The result was obvious. Since Luo Tian had to resist the Mist Ghost Eyes, he could exert fifty to sixty percent of his combat power at most.

At that point, on the physical level, his Palm Technique would injure Luo Tian. This would then affect their clash on the spiritual plane, causing Luo Tian to fall completely into the Illusion Realm and ending the battle.

But Shangguan Su’s expression suddenly changed.

SHING!

Luo Tian’s sword strike grew progressively stronger until it reached its peak power. Wreathed in a billowing Cold Mist, it slashed down with unparalleled ferocity.

”How is this possible?”

Shangguan Su couldn’t believe it. Despite the interference from his Mist Ghost Eyes, Luo Tian had actually managed to unleash his full power.

He stared intently and saw that Luo Tian’s eyes were closed. A tremor went through his heart!

’Closing his eyes so he can’t see my Mist Ghost Eyes would indeed reduce the effect of the Spiritual Illusion Technique.’

’But how can you fight with your eyes closed?’

SHLICK!

Luo Tian’s world-shaking sword strike shattered the sinister black claw charging at him and continued its path toward Shangguan Su.

While still maintaining his Mist Ghost Eyes, Shangguan Su barely managed to float aside and evade the strike.

”Sword Rolling Residual Clouds!”

Luo Tian’s aura was ferocious. A torrent of dark, cold Sword Qi surged forth, forming a massive Sword Qi Tornado that rushed toward the heavens with cold, violent power!

BOOM! FWOOSH!

The Sword Qi was sharp and freezing cold, and the countless tempests of Sword Light seemed capable of devouring everything.

Shangguan Su’s eyes went wide in utter disbelief.

Even with his eyes closed, the Sword Technique Luo Tian unleashed had locked onto him with perfect accuracy.

Shangguan Su felt that even though Luo Tian’s eyes were closed, it was no different from when he fought with them open.

WHOOSH!

Shangguan Su retreated frantically. Several gashes appeared on his purple robes, and a few cuts were left on his arm and chest.

The surrounding spectators were completely dumbfounded!

Shangguan Su had suddenly burst forth with a full-power counterattack, but so had Luo Tian, shifting the tide of battle once again.

Furious Sword Torrential Rain!

Luo Tian unleashed his strongest Sword Technique. Thousands of sharp, icy Sword Qi materialized in the air, stirring the very elements. The Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi resonated with the attack, releasing a magnificent and boundless pressure.

Shangguan Su was in a full-blown panic. He couldn’t dodge this strike, and in his current state, he had no way to counter it!

He had no choice. He could only deactivate his Mist Ghost Eyes, mobilize his True Essence, and launch a desperate counterattack!

But at this moment, Luo Tian’s entire body radiated an incomparably sharp Sword Intent. His aura was overwhelming, completely eclipsing Shangguan Su’s!

SHING! SHING!

Facing Luo Tian’s ultimate killing move, Shangguan Su found his strength failing. Bloody gashes continuously appeared on his body as his injuries rapidly worsened.

Furious Sword Torrential Rain was a desperate, all-or-nothing strike. The Sword Qi was relentless, like a torrential blizzard, continuous and without end!

Luo Tian’s True Qi was rapidly depleting.

Shangguan Su struggled to endure, the wounds on his body multiplying!

”Wait... I admit defeat!”

Shangguan Su’s face was filled with resentment and extreme reluctance, but he still spoke those three words.

At this point, he no longer had the power to turn the tide of battle.

Luo Tian’s assault was too ferocious. If this continued, he would suffer extremely severe injuries, which would put him at a disadvantage in the upcoming matches!

At the same time, Shangguan Su thought to himself that this was the first time he had ever encountered someone with such strong Spiritual Defense. The man was practically his kryptonite!

”Luo Tian is victorious!”

The referee immediately announced the result.

The battle ceased. From Shangguan Su’s Genius Order, one-third of its Celestial Fate Qi surged toward Luo Tian!

After a moment of silence, a thunderous uproar erupted from all sides.

”Shangguan Su lost!”

”One of the five great Celestial Prides was actually defeated by Luo Tian!”

”I can’t believe it! Shangguan Su clearly had a shot at defeating Qi Yuntian. How could he lose to Luo Tian?”

A storm of shock raged in everyone’s hearts, their astonishment pouring out in a torrent of words.

The impact of Luo Tian’s victory in this battle far surpassed that of his previous draw with the Extreme Ice Fairy!

For one, Shangguan Su was far stronger than the Extreme Ice Fairy, his methods strange and unpredictable.

For another, this was the first time one of the five great Celestial Prides had been defeated!

The audience had always assumed that the top five spots in this tournament were reserved for the five great Celestial Prides.

But Luo Tian had proven with his actions that the five great Celestial Prides were not invincible.

’Damn it! That brat must have more than just a Spiritual Secret Technique; he must also have some kind of Spiritual Armor! That’s the only reason the power of Shangguan Su’s Mist Ghost Eyes was so drastically reduced!’

The face of the woman in the Black Robe from Purple Luo Hall darkened as she gnashed her teeth.

The Celestial Pride of the Western Domain’s Purple Luo Hall had been defeated by a genius from the Eastern Domain’s Yunxiao Sect. It was a great blow to the Sect’s prestige!

”He actually won!”

The Grand Elder looked slightly dazed, as if he still couldn’t process what had happened.

The goal of the Yunxiao Sect’s leadership was to break into the top three of the Celestial Pride Conference. They had pinned this hope on Ye Feng, but they all knew the chances were slim.

But who would have expected Luo Tian to defeat Shangguan Su, giving them a sliver of hope to break into the top three of the Celestial Pride Conference!

”The Yunxiao Sect has really struck gold!”

This was the thought going through the minds of the leaders from the Ten Thousand Swords Sect and Bishui Palace as they re-evaluated Luo Tian.

”Luo Tian...”

Ye Feng was deeply shaken.

’This was the goal I tried everything to achieve, and now Luo Tian has done it instead.’

”How is this possible! How could one of the five great Celestial Prides lose to Luo Tian?”

After the initial shock, Qiao Hai was crestfallen, his confidence shaken to the core.

He had always believed himself to be stronger than Luo Tian. Before the finals began, he had even told Luo Tian to just surrender if they were matched up.

The Extreme Ice Fairy felt much the same as Qiao Hai.

’He won?’

She was filled with intense doubt. ’Did everyone overestimate Shangguan Su? Why would he lose to Luo Tian?’

The Celestial Evil Sword and Qi Yuntian both studied Luo Tian intently for a few moments.

No matter how much they had previously underestimated Luo Tian, anyone capable of defeating Shangguan Su was worthy of their serious attention.

”Interesting!”

The Celestial Evil Sword’s eyes glinted with a sinister, gray light as the corners of his mouth curled into a smirk.

As a Sword Cultivator, he was always more interested in opponents who wielded a blade.

Luo Tian walked down from the stage, glanced at Ye Feng, and said, ”Senior Brother Ye, that method you mentioned of not looking into Shangguan Su’s eyes really works.”

Ye Feng was at a loss for words.

’He had only mentioned it casually. Avoiding the gaze of the Mist Ghost Eyes was incredibly difficult. Closing one’s eyes was the most effective way, but how could anyone fight with their eyes closed?’

And yet, Luo Tian had done just that, defeating Shangguan Su with his eyes shut.

Luo Tian sat down cross-legged to rest and recover.

The battle with Shangguan Su had consumed a great deal of his mental stamina. He was exhausted, and his True Qi was nearly depleted.

Furthermore, Luo Tian discovered that his Spiritual Will seemed to have strengthened after this trial. His Creation Technique now had a chance of breaking through to Second-Layer Great Success.

Thus, Luo Tian decisively began to cultivate.

His Cultivation of the Creation Technique went smoothly. Faint, mystical spiritual fluctuations began to ripple from his body.

In his mind’s sea, a faint cyan, ethereal orb of light began to ripple at its edges, its color gradually deepening.

「Half a day later.」

Ten more matches had taken place on the Martial Arts Arena, and the faint cyan, ethereal orb in Luo Tian’s mind had deepened by a full shade.

Luo Tian’s Spiritual Power suddenly surged, and the aura around him grew even more profound.

’I did it! I’ve broken through to Second-Layer Great Success!’

Luo Tian opened his eyes, a cyan ripple spreading across his irises as a powerful, formless spiritual pressure emanated from him.

He instantly retracted it, as if nothing had happened.

But a few people still noticed.

Not far away, Ye Feng glanced at Luo Tian with a frown.

In the distance, Shangguan Su, who had been resting with his eyes closed, couldn’t help but stare over, his gaze turning serious. ’What was that powerful spiritual aura just now? Was I imagining it?’

The Celestial Evil Sword and Qi Yuntian also seemed to sense it, casting a fleeting glance in Luo Tian’s direction.

’That last fight with Shangguan Su was quite dangerous. If we were to fight again now, my chances of winning would be even higher.’

Luo Tian thought to himself, a faint smile on his face.

But he didn’t let it go to his head.

None of the five great Celestial Prides were pushovers. He had only been able to defeat Shangguan Su largely because of his Cultivation of the Creation Technique, his powerful Spiritual Will, and the Spiritual Defense Treasure he had obtained from the Mermaid corpse.

Simply put, Luo Tian was a natural counter to Shangguan Su’s area of expertise.

If his opponent had been Ye Feng, Luo Tian might have lost. Then again, Ye Feng might not have been a match for Shangguan Su, either.

”Luo Tian versus Yin Xiaofeng!”

The referee’s voice had barely faded when...

Yin Xiaofeng’s face sank.

He had been hoping to avenge his earlier humiliation in the final rounds.

But now, all he could think was, ’Why did I have to run into Luo Tian so soon?’

Although he knew he was no match, the man known as the Sword Madman didn’t surrender. He took the stage to cross swords with Luo Tian.

Luo Tian used the opportunity to practice and deepen his comprehension of the Celestial Sword Technique, furthering his understanding of Sword Intent.

The battle was similar to his previous match against Chai Yuxing. After some time, Luo Tian claimed victory.

’Almost there!’ Luo Tian thought as he walked off the stage.

The first level of his Celestial Sword Technique, the True Realm, had reached Perfection. His True Intent of the Sword Dao was drawing ever closer to the Sword Intent Prototype realm, and a breakthrough was near.

Just then, the referee announced the next match: ”Qi Yuntian versus the Extreme Ice Fairy!”