This sudden and unexpected event caused Lin Xiuran to be slightly stunned, but he quickly recovered from his shock. After that, he twisted his wrist, and then numerous sword lights sprayed out from the black iron sword and instantly minced Hao Ming’s energy palms into powder. However, right at this moment, Hao Ming had suddenly and shockingly appeared at Lin Xiuran’s right. After that, a dagger that was suffused with a ghastly and cold glow whistled sharply through the air as it swiped towards Lin Xiuran’s neck!

Lin Xiuran frowned slightly. He suddenly swept the black iron sword towards Hao Ming, and it was even slightly swifter than Hao Ming’s dagger!

Because Lin Xiuran’s attack was much faster than his own, Hao Ming had no choice but to stop his attack and move the dagger downwards to block Lin Xiuran’s sword!

Clang!

A clear and melodious clang resounded from the collision between the dagger and sword while sparks shot towards the surroundings!

Right when Lin Xiuran intended to launch another attack, Hao Ming exerted slight force with his dagger and relied on the counterforce from the collision to flip backward. After he descended to the ground, he cupped his fists towards Lin Xiuran and smiled as he said, “Brother Xiuran’s strength is amazing. I admit defeat!”

When he heard Hao Ming, Lin Xiuran glanced deeply at Hao Ming. Lin Xiuran’s intuition told him that this smiling fellow before him, Hao Ming, hadn’t utilized his full strength. Of course, even if Hao Ming revealed his full strength, Lin Xiuran didn’t fear it at all. He was just filled with wonder about why Hao Ming had suddenly admitted defeat!

On the other hand, while Lin Xiuran was puzzled, Hao Ming had walked off the arena.

Hao Ming’s admission of defeat wasn’t like Wenren Yue’s, and it didn’t cause the crowd to discuss it animatedly while feeling puzzled. They’d never had any expectations of him, so when he admitted defeat now, they took it as him really being unable to rival Lin Xiuran. After all, Lin Xiuran had comprehended 2nd level Sword Intent!

Along with Hao Ming’s admission of defeat, the top 4 had been selected! They were the Origin School’s Yuan Tong, the Snow Palace’s Leng Xinran, the Sword Sect’s Yang Ye, and Lin Xiuran. At this point, the battles would grow more and more intense. Because not a single one of the top 4 were weaklings, and Yuan Tong’s legend of defeating his opponents with one hit would probably be stopped here!

As they gazed at Yang Ye and Lin Xiuran who stood on the arena, countless people sighed endlessly with emotion. When had anyone imagined that Yang Ye and this unknown fellow, Lin Xiuran, would actually be able to fight their way into the top 4 of the Ascension Ranking? Of course, it surprised them even more that both Yang Ye and Lin Xiuran had comprehended Sword Intent. Moreover, both of them weren’t just at the 1st level of Sword Intent!

At this moment, the more Yu Heng gazed at Yang Ye, the more pleasing to the eye he was. No matter what he thought of Yang Ye, Yang Ye was very pleasing to his eye at this moment! Why? Because Yang Ye had fought his way into the top 4. So long as Yang Ye survived, then the Sword Sect would be able to change the embarrassing state it was in right now, and it was exactly because of this that he felt Yang Ye was extremely pleasing to the eye right now.

Of course, as for the situation that Yang Ye would be in after the Ascension Rankings came to an end, he’d never thought of it….

Li Si appeared on the arena, and then he lightly nodded as he gazed at Yang Ye and the others. After that, he said, “Congratulations on entering the top 4. According to the rules of the Ascension Rankings, the profounder amongst the top 4 with the worst record during the competition can choose his or her opponent!”

When he spoke up to here, Li Si gazed at Lin Xiuran. Yang Ye, Yuan Tong, and Leng Xinran had never lost a battle while only Lin Xiuran had experienced a draw with Qin Youran. In other words, he had the worst record….

Lin Xiuran’s expression instantly became slightly unsightly. Of course, he didn’t dare to give Li Si a dirty look because he wasn’t audacious to such an extent!

Lin Xiuran grunted coldly, and then his gaze stopped on Yuan Tong for a moment before he glanced at Leng Xiuran. In the end, his gaze descended onto Yang Ye, and then it didn’t move away anymore.

When he saw this, Li Si nodded slightly, and with a wave of his right hand, Leng Xinran and Yuan Tong instantly vanished from the arena.

“Lin Xiuran against the Sword Sect’s Yang Ye!” Li Si’s voice resounded on the arena after he left.

When she saw Lin Xiuran choose Yang Ye, Su Qingshi’s beautiful brows had knit together while Yu Heng who stood by her side had frowned as well. No matter what, Yang Ye was representing the Sword Sect right now. So, if Lin Xiuran killed Yang Ye, then it would be bad news for the Sword Sect!

Of course, if Yang Ye killed Lin Xiuran, then it would be worst. Even though it was impossible….

In short, Lin Xiuran’s actions had caused Yu Heng who originally had a good impression of him to feel slightly displeased. Yu Heng said in his heart, This Lin Xiuran really fails to consider the interests of the Sword Sect!At this moment, Qing Yun’zi revealed a mocking expression. Since the very beginning, he’d guessed that Lin Xiuran was related to the Sword Sect. Now, when he noticed Yu Heng and Su Qingshi’s expressions, he was even more certain that Lin Xiuran was definitely a member of the Sword Sect. Yet now, a disciple of the Sword Sect was going against the Sword Sect. Moreover, based on Lin Xiuran’s appearance, it didn’t seem to be a normal battle as well….

On the arena, Lin Xiuran gazed at Yang Ye with a cold smile on his face. He said, “I never expected that we would be able to decide on a victor so quickly!”

Yang Ye shook his head and said, “Actually, this really isn’t necessary because I’ve never thought of fighting you for the chance to take responsibility for the Sword Sect’s future. I’ve told you this in the past, but it’s very obvious that you didn’t believe me. Since it’s like that, then let’s battle!”

Lin Xiuran laughed coldly and said, “Since you’ve comprehended Sword Intent, then I presume your attainments in the Sword Dao are not bad. It just so happens that I feel that I wouldn’t lose to anyone from the younger generation in terms of the Sword Dao. Today, let’s see who’s the true genius in the Sword Dao. I’ll allow the entire Sword Sect to realize that they weren’t mistaken to choose me!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Xiuran took a step forward, and then peak 2nd level Sword Intent surged towards Yang Ye. His Sword Intent was seemingly material. Everywhere it passed, the air was completely minced into pieces while explosions resounded incessantly in the surroundings.

Yang Ye took a step forward as well, and then he released his Sword intent. Two extremely sharp and fierce Sword Intents encountered each other in midair. The space there instantly started shaking while fine rifts started spreading like spiderwebs on the entire ground of the arena. Moreover, these rifts were spreading towards the surroundings at an extremely swift speed….

The crowd below the arena exclaimed with shock when they witnessed such a scene!

“Is this how terrifying Sword Intent is? If we ascend the arena, the two of them would probably have no need to attack because we wouldn’t even be able to resist their Sword Intent. It’s truly terrifying!

“Geniuses in the Sword Dao who have comprehended Sword Intent are truly extremely terrifying. If an extraordinarily monstrous genius like Yuan Tong hadn’t participated in the Ascension Rankings, then this year’s Ascension Rankings would probably be a stage that belonged to the two of them. Unfortunately, Yuan Tong is participating. So, they who have comprehended 2nd level Sword Intent can only serve as contrast for Yuan Tong. Needless to say, being from the same generation as Yuan Tong is their misfortune!”

“Forget about Yuan Tong. Which one of these geniuses of the Sword Dao will win?”

“Both of them possess 2nd level Sword Intent, so I think it’ll depend on the combat techniques they possess, and the one who possesses a combat technique of higher quality would have a higher chance at victory!”

“Then it’s probably Lin Xiuran. You should have seen the sword technique he utilized to heavily injure Qin Youran, right? If Qin Youran wasn’t wearing that mid-grade Earth Rank armor, then he would have been instantly annihilated!”

“I think we can’t underestimate Yang Ye as well. Even though Yang Ye hasn’t executed any shocking combat techniques until now, both Qin Youran and Li Xianjun perished at his hands!”

At this moment, the arena was filled with two extremely fierce and sharp Sword intents. The entire arena seemed like an invisible shredder that even ceaselessly shredded the air in the surroundings. It caused those profounders who were originally standing around the area to move far behind. It was because the terrifying pressure created by those two Sword Intents caused them to not dare approach the arena at all.

“Since the Ascension Rankings began, this is the most exciting battle!” On the wall of the Imperial Palace, Qing Yun’zi gazed at the two figures on the arena and said with a smile, “A battle between two geniuses of the Sword Dao who have comprehended Sword Intent is truly a feast for the eyes!” Qing Yun’zi seemed to have intentionally spoken slightly loudly this time, and it allowed all the members of the other powers to be able to hear him clearly.

“Of course!” Cai Feng glanced at Yu Heng, and then she smiled as she said, “Both Yang Ye and Lin Xiuran have comprehended 2nd level Sword Intent at such a young age. If they’re given time to rise to prominence, then they’ll definitely become extraordinary experts in the future. Unfortunately, there’s undisguised killing intent in both their eyes. Looks like one of them is bound to die on the arena!”

All the great figures here weren’t idiots. If they still hadn’t realized that there was some sort of relationship between Lin Xiuran and the Sword Sect, then they would have truly wasted their lives until now. It was exactly because they knew that Lin Xiuran was a member of the Sword Sect that they took such pleasure in the Sword Sect’s misfortune. They were two geniuses in the Sword Dao, and if both of them rose to prominence, then the Sword Sect would have two extraordinary experts in the future. Yet now, these two geniuses in the Sword Dao had actually become enemies and were about to kill each other. Needless to say, the higher-ups of the Sword Sect were really huge failures!

At this moment, Yu Heng’s expression was extremely unsightly, but there was even more helplessness on his face. Because he wasn’t able to give orders to any one of the two figures on the arena. Yang Ye wasn’t a disciple of the Sword Sect anymore while Lin Xiuran had Daoist Zui standing behind him. Even though Yu Heng was an expert at the Exalt Realm, what could he do? Because both of them wouldn’t listen to him at all….

On the arena, Lin Xiuran’s expression was slightly unsightly. Because he noticed that his Sword Intent was slightly inferior in sharpness to Yang Ye. In the eyes of the spectators, they seemed to be on par, but only he knew that his Sword Intent was slightly unable to resist Yang Ye’s Sword Intent, and his discovery caused Lin Xiuran to become slightly angry from the embarrassment he felt.

Because up until now, he’d always felt that even if Yang Ye had comprehended Sword Intent, Yang Ye’s Sword Intent would definitely be inferior in purity to his own. But now….

As for Yang Ye, his expression was extremely relaxed at this moment. What a joke! Mere 2nd level Sword Intent was truly like child’s play to him. If it wasn’t for the sake of retaining some strength and trump cards, he could instantly blast Lin Xiuran’s Sword Intent into pieces by utilizing 3rd level Sword Intent! However, there was truly no need for that as 2nd level Sword Intent was already sufficient to deal with Lin Xiuran.

Because he noticed that Lin Xiuran’s Sword Intent wasn’t pure!

Right at this moment, Lin Xiuran suddenly took a step forward. With a flick of his thumb, the black iron sword instantly flashed up before him while its tip was pointed directly at Yang Ye. He said, “Yang Ye, if you survive an attack of mine, then I, Lin Xiuran, will admit defeat!” His tone was filled with heroic sentiment!

When they heard Lin Xiuran, an uproar erupted in the surroundings. Why would Lin Xiuran suddenly become so confident when they both possess 2nd level Sword Intent? Could it be that he’s going to execute a Heaven Rank combat technique?