Nightqueen Yanqing stood up for the seventh match. It was her turn, and her opponent was Charon.

When the audience saw Nightqueen Yanqing and Charon appear on the plains, many of them were not paying attention to the two about to fight, but were instead focused on the final two: Lu Yin and Liu Shaoqiu. Theirs would be the final match of the top sixteen.

Feng Shang looked at Lu Yin sympathetically. “Brother, your seat hasn’t even been warmed up yet.”

Lu Yin smiled. “Don’t you have any confidence in me?”

Dao Bo sighed inwardly. Against Liu Shaoqiu, aside from the unfathomable Starsibyl and Han Chong, who else could they put their confidence in? Until now, Liu Shaoqiu hadn’t even used the Second Sword of the Thirteen Swords. He had relied solely on the First Sword to reach the round of the top sixteen, and he had even defeated Kuang Wang with that sword. His power was just too terrifying.

Liu Xiaoyun stood quietly outside the plains while staring at Lu Yin atop the high peak. They all believed that this would be Lu Yin’s limit and that he would go no further. No one understood the terror of the Thirteen Swords better than Liu Xiaoyun herself. Of the academy leaders, perhaps only Starsibyl, Han Chong, and Nightqueen Yanqing could possibly force Liu Shaoqiu to use the Second Sword. Well, Dao Bo and Feng Shang also stood a chance of doing so, but it was definitely impossible for the rest. Also, the Second Sword was not Liu Shaoqiu’s limit. Liu Xiaoyun knew something that others did not; Liu Shaoqiu had actually learned the Third Sword a year ago! He was the one with the highest chances of ultimately emerging victorious and winning the entire Astral Combat Tournament. Even Starsibyl may not be able to directly contest the Third Sword. This was the tyranny of the Thirteen Swords.

The Liu family of the Sword Sect was a clan with a primeval surname that had held their own against the universe. Their family had relied on the Thirteen Swords to tower over numerous others organizations in the universe for countless years. Also, because of their Thirteen Swords technique, countless swordmasters had sought out and joined the Liu family, which was widely seen as a holy mecca for sword users. This was the prestige of the Thirteen Swords technique.

Off in the distance, Xia Luo and the others also felt that Lu Yin’s matchup was a pity. Lu Yin definitely had the strength to reach the top four, but unfortunately, he had run into Liu Shaoqiu at this stage.

Many thought that the top eight was already decided: Dao Bo, Liu Xiaoyun, Han Chong, Grandini Mavis, Starsibyl, Feng Shang, Nightqueen Yanqing, and Liu Shaoqiu.

Within the Innerverse, at the Sword Sect, where sword qi pervaded the air, there were some people watching a screen. “Go and report to our superiors. The strongest eight in the Astral Combat Tournament has been decided. There’s the Erudite Flowzone, the Mavis family, the Lockbreaker Society, the Nightking clan, Starsibyl, and two from my Sword Sect.”

In a dusky land, beneath the large “Yōu” flag, the small girl raised her head, pointed to Lu Yin who was sitting on the high peak on the screen, and then naively asked, “Grandma Du, is he going to be Liu Shaoqiu’s opponent?”

Grandma Du smiled. “Yes, little princess, but you don’t need to pay much attention to this sort of ordinary person. He’s fated to be Young Master Qiu’s stepping stone. The others are the young master’s true opponents.”

The girl blinked in confusion. “Liu Shaoqiu will definitely beat him? What if he loses?”

Grandma Du as well as those kneeling in front of them all smiled. Their little princess was just too innocent. Grandma Du continued smiling as she explained, “Little princess, you’re being too kind. To ordinary mortals, that place is already the top. Not only are they inferior to Young Master Qiu in terms of position, but they are also inferior in terms of innate gifts as well. Those mortals can’t even begin to imagine how powerful the innate gifts that Young Master Qiu and yourself, who are destined to rule over all others, possess.”

“Oh,” the little girl answered simply. She then stared curiously at Lu Yin on the screen. Although she hoped that this person would win his match, it was impossible. It was such a shame; if someone defeated Liu Shaoqiu, then it would be a good thing for her as she would no longer have to marry into the Sword Sect.

But regardless of what the rest of the universe was discussing in terms of the final battle, the current battle taking place on the arena plains was between Nightqueen Yanqing and Charon.

This battle was very disadvantageous for Charon. The Nightking clan’s battle techniques used not only star energy, but also another, immeasurable power that seemed to tear through the soul itself. Even a genius Lockbreaker like Charon could not comprehend this energy, and he was injured by Nightqueen Yanqing just under a minute after their battle began.

Nightqueen Yanqing had cold eyes, and there was a trace of grey within her long, black and white hair. That grey streak represented her status of Nightking within the Daynight clan. There was also a faint purple color within the irises of her eyes, giving her a seductive yet still noble look. The outfit that she had on exposed her pair of snow-white thighs, and her skin was so white and unblemished that one could almost see the scarlet blood pumping through beneath it. Her entire body seemed to exude a lofty, commanding aura, as if she were a queen.

Everyone knew of the Nightking clan’s power; it was even above the Daynight clan’s, which was already one of the top clans in the universe. However, many people had no concept of exactly how powerful the Nightkings were, including Charon. This was because the strength that Nightqueen Yanqing had revealed so far seemed to be very average yet also unstoppable.

Atop the high peak, Dao Bo watched on begrudgingly. Although the rankings of the ten academies had changed throughout the academy’s history, the top three had always been monopolized by the same branches. This was because they controlled the three top realms of the trial zones.

Astral-1’s Starsibyl was unfathomable, and Astral-2’s Han Chong was her equal. Even though Astral-3’s Nightqueen Yanqing was not as mysterious as the other two, the strength that she displayed was completely overwhelming. Charon did not even qualify to make her display her true strength. The Nightqueen Yanqing that everyone saw during this battle was not even using a third of her whole strength.

On the plains, Nightqueen Yanqing looked at Charon coldly as she said, “Your use of your innate gift isn’t bad, but it’s wasted on just improving your power level. Join my Nightking clan, and I can request the ancestors to guide you in lockbreaking. You should know the prestige of my Nightking clan’s lockbreaking ability.”

Charon had a fervent gaze when he heard her words, as there was no clan more qualified than the Nightking clan when it came to lockbreaking. Since ancient times, the Nightking clan had never stopped researching the process of lockbreaking, and there were multiple ancestors of the Daynight clan within the Lockbreaker Society.

“Lockbreaking is indeed my dream, but unfortunately, I don’t like to be ordered around by others.” Charon’s eyes suddenly changed as a deep battle intent surged forth and he looked back at Nightqueen Yanqing with equally cold eyes. The current Nightqueen Yanqing’s aura was very similar to “that woman’s,” and his deepest desire was to break free of the influence that “she” held over him and completely walk away. The thought of it made his eyes quiver with emotion, and a fluctuation swept out from his body; Charon was about to unleash his full strength.

Nightqueen Yanqing frowned. “What a waste of time.” Her purple eyes flashed, and then she turned around. Charon’s body stiffened on the spot before his body gradually turned grey. He had been petrified.

Many were shocked, as they thought that Charon was just about to explode with power. But then, he had been instantly killed. What just happened?

Atop the high peak, Dao Bo and Feng Shang had solemn expressions, and even Starsibyl and Han Chong frowned. This was Nightqueen Yanqing’s innate gift. The question that they were all pondering was how they could avoid it.

Lu Yin was also horrified. He understood Charon’s power, who had been able to easily dissolve Yue Xianzi’s inherited battle technique. Compared to the other Area Master-level combatants, he had surpassed both Big Pao and Little Pao and was an absolute powerhouse; however, despite all of Charon’s accomplishments, he had been taken out in an instant. Was this Nightqueen Yanqing’s true power? It didn’t even seem like she used much if any of her strength.

This was clearly an innate gift, as any battle technique that used star energy would not be able to shake Charon, who could easily dissolve such attacks with his domain. However, an innate gift was different. Strength was strength, and weakness was weakness. The results meant that there was simply a crushing disparity between the two.

At this point, as everyone looked at Nightqueen Yanqing’s arrogant figure, it felt as if she had finally bared her fangs.

In the Astral Combat Tournament, Tiankong Daynight, Hui Daynight, and Chilian Daynight had all been defeated already. Nightqueen Yanqing’s lightning-like victory was not necessarily to redeem the prestige of the Daynight clan, as her goal was to be the ultimate champion of the tournament.

Outside the plains, Wu Da was continuously recording all the battles as well as the conversations and discussions all around him. This would become the base material for the upcoming edition of his tabloid, and it would help him compare the different matches and highlight the most captivating moments of the tournament.

“The list of the strongest eight is already determined. The last match will go to Liu Shaoqiu without a question. Haven’t you heard? He’s the most talented monster of the Sword Sect and a candidate to join the Ten Arbiters.”

“One of the Ten Arbiters is also from the Sword Sect and that person even inherited the same Thirteen Swords as Liu Shaoqiu. Since they share the same technique, Liu Shaoqiu is definitely suitable to be in the next Ten Arbiters.”

“Kuang Wang could not even force Liu Shaoqiu to reveal the Second Sword. Lu Yin may be strong, and his four-lined battle force may allow him to match up to Kuang Wang, but he can forget about forcing out the Second Sword. Only the leaders of the first three academies—Starsibyl, Han Chong, and Nightqueen Yanqing—have any hope of challenging him.”

…

Wu Da fervently gazed at the plains. Come on, it’s the final match of the round! Brother Lu, you must persevere even if you are defeated! If Liu Shaoqiu’s Second Sword could be forced out, then Wu Da’s newspaper would definitely sell like hotcakes. Best of luck to you, brother!

In the city in the sky, San Dios, someone walked behind Wendy Yushan. It was Member Puyu.

“Councilor Wendy, I’ve specially invited someone to bring some good astral beast meat from the Beast Tamers Flowzone. Shall we have a drink together?” Puyu gracefully asked with a smile.

Wendy calmly looked at the screen as she replied, “There’s still one battle left.”

Puyu could not control his laughter. “The result of this match has already been decided. Although, it has to be said that your Great Yu Empire has indeed produced many geniuses. For this King Zishan to reach this stage already is no mean feat. Unfortunately, compared to the other frontrunners of this tournament, neither divine providence nor hard work is enough to make up for the disparity between them.”

Wendy Yushan frowned. While she was allowed to look down on Lu Yin, others could not. After all, she was supposed to be Lu Yin’s fiancée, and even if that news was only limited to the Great Yu Empire, she still held some respect towards Lu Yin due to the fact that he had walked to his current point. If not for her destiny that had allowed her to join Myriad Swords Peak, then she would not have done any better than Lu Yin from just training in the Outerverse. She approved of this King Zishan and disliked others disparaging him.

However, Puyu was also right. Liu Shaoqiu was a famed genius whom even she needed to look up to. She was just a little older than Liu Shaoqiu, and once he broke through to become an Explorer, they would be on equal footing. The Thirteen Swords technique even enabled Liu Shaoqiu to be a Realmbreaker, and his title as a Ten Arbiters candidate was no joke. Lu Yin had done well so far, but he stood no chance against Liu Shaoqiu.

Wendy Yushan suddenly thought of the words that her father, Undying Yushan, had once spoken to her. Perhaps her father was right, and she should meet with Lu Yin at least once.

Under the gazes of countless viewers and spectators, Lu Yin’s figure appeared on the arena plains. At the same time, Liu Shaoqiu’s figure appeared opposite him. The two stood a hundred meters apart from each other, serenely looking at each other.

At this point, perhaps only those from Earth were still sincerely rooting for Lu Yin. This was only because they had not heard of Liu Shaoqiu before and had no idea what the Sword Sect’s Thirteen Swords signified. They only knew that Lu Yin represented Earth and that their planet had been named as his place of origin.

The two competitors did not speak at all, which the audience took as Liu Shaoqiu disregarding Lu Yin. Only Lu Yin knew that, from the first time they saw each other, Liu Shaoqiu had always been very focused on him. This focus was only now made obvious when Liu Shaoqiu met Lu Yin on the battlefield; he immediately used the First Sword of the Thirteen Swords.

Chilian Daynight and Kuang Wang had both died to the First Sword of the Thirteen Swords. The difference between those two was that Liu Shaoqiu had completely ignored Chilian Daynight while he had faced Kuang Wang head on. His attitude of using the First Sword immediately showed that he respected Lu Yin as his opponent.

Liu Shaoqiu’s star energy transformed into an iron sword that slanted downwards, mirroring the movement that had killed Chilian Daynight.

Many hearts were pounding as they stared at Lu Yin together. Had he already died?