Clank…

Xu Xiaoshou was almost sent flying backward when the golden domineering blade and Hiding Pain collided for the first time. His spirit power surged in his body, and he almost vomited blood.

​​

"That felt great!" Zhou Tianshen laughed heartily. "Let's continue!"

Xu Xiaoshou looked confused. For the first time, he was at a disadvantage in terms of strength with his Innate-stage physical body, and his opponent had even stolen his lines.

How detestable!

"I can't take his attacks head-on…"

Xu Xiaoshou deliberated. His opponent's Acquired-stage Blade Will had to be a frontal-assault type technique, so with his weaknesses, he would definitely be defeated if faced with his opponent's strong suits.

He wanted to try fighting Zhou Tianshen with his Innate-stage Sharpen but was afraid he'd be cleaved in two with one strike, so he was forced to abandon the idea.

Since that was the case, he could only use his opponent's blade techniques to test out his Acquired-stage Sword Will.

Seeing the other party cleave toward him with brutal force, Xu Xiaoshou held onto Hiding Pain and thought about the countless techniques he'd gained while in the illusion of white clouds.

Those were killing techniques that he'd hidden deep inside his mind!

The golden blade was directly above Xu Xiaoshou's head. Xu Xiaoshou slanted his sword to defend against the attack but saw the golden domineering blade slice down along the body of his sword. He flicked his sword, and a fleeting yet weighty force fiercely pushed the golden domineering blade to the side.

Whoosh!

Xu Xiaoshou's sword sliced across the air in front of Zhou Tianshen's throat. Zhou Tianshen abruptly leaned backward, and the sword sliced off a few strands of his hair.

Zhou Tianshen followed through with the momentum and rolled on the ground. Then, he waved his domineering blade and caused a rich spiritual power to surge and slashed his blade down toward Xu Xiaoshou's knee.

Clang!

Xu Xiaoshou had stabbed Hiding Pain at the ground when he missed his opponent, and the sword accurately stabbed the area where the blade and guard of Zhou Tianshen's domineering blade connected and let out a loud buzz.

The two candidates looked at each other. They saw the passion in each other's eyes, and could almost see smoke in the air from how heated they were.

Xu Xiaoshou flexed his arms and instantly propelled the two of them apart.

The crowd cheered after the electrifying first bout, their blood racing with excitement as they observed the battle.

"It's here. Acquired-stage Blade Will vs Acquired-stage Sword Will!"

"My God, how harrowing. Zhou Tianshen would've had his throat sliced open, while Xu Xiaoshou would've had his knees severed if they'd been careless. This battle is going to get exciting."

"Definitely. Furthermore, they're both extremely quick to react. All advancement battles should be like this. I can't get used to those one-sided victories."

"That's right, that's right. These two have only been at it for a few seconds, but they've nearly died on several occasions."

The crowd was still talking excitedly when they saw that Zhou Tianshen was the first to steady his blade. However, he didn't attack. Instead, he laughed heartily and said, "Xu Xiaoshou, witness my Nine Tides!"

Nine Tides was a blade technique that unleashed a constant stream of cuts, each attack stronger than the last. If Zhou Tianshen managed to get a momentum going, there was no way Xu Xiaoshou would be able to defend against the attack if it was paired with the Acquired-stage Blade Aura that Zhou Tianshen could control at will.

He slowly raised his knife vertically, and the strength of his aura increased as he gradually brought the blade up.

On the other side, the young man wielding the sword was silent. He immediately closed his eyes, and a mysterious atmosphere seemed to engulf the arena. Even the debris in the air seemed to slow down.

This was a starkly different kind of battle. The blade and sword were keeping each other in check.

Crack, crack!

The arena under their feet gave way under the force of their techniques, and even the barrier started to violently tremble.

The spectators were sitting upright, their fingers laced. Even Xiao Qixiu was concentrating hard on the battle, his eyes squinted.

The rising tension reached a breaking point, and even the sky seemed to tremble.

The next second, Zhou Tianshen slashed down with his blade, and his Blade Will transformed into a wave and rose and fell as it advanced. On the other side, Xu Xiaoshou abruptly opened his eyes and slowly sliced his sword through the air. His attack was like a cloud in the sky, enveloping the entirety of Zhou Tianshen's wave.

Clang, clang, clang!

The crowd held its breath and saw the reality of the situation in the area between the two candidates.

Outline of sword and blade clashed wherever the wave and clouds crossed, and the sound of weaponry clashing was endless.

"My God, they're this powerful?" someone couldn't help but say.

A person to the side immediately scolded, "Stop talking. Shut your mouth!"

Xu Xiaoshou's robes rustled in the wind, and his hands became after-images. His attacks looked like they were slow as fleeting clouds, but in reality, his sword was dancing at a high speed.

Countless sword glows shot out from the body of Hiding Pain. This was Xu Xiaoshou's first time using the ninth-grade spiritual sword at full power, and his sword was buzzing excitedly with joy as it went all out to show off its strength.

However, Xu Xiaoshou still had to dodge from time to time to avoid the blade glows that his body couldn't handle, but even so, streaks of blood started appearing on his shirt.

"Got attacked. Passive Points +1."

"Got attacked. Passive Points +1."

"..."

His notification panel constantly updated. Zhou Tianshen's Blade Will was extremely powerful. Just a scrape from it caused Xu Xiaoshou immense pain, and it left a coursing power behind in the wound, which made it difficult for the average person to recover from the wounds it inflicted.

However, Xu Xiaoshou couldn't display the terrifying regenerative capabilities of Eternal Vitality.

The passive skill would immediately activate whenever a wound opened on his body, and the Blade Will that an average person couldn't easily get rid of would be healed on the spot.

Xu Xiaoshou was elated. He was in awe of the foundational passive skill. Its regenerative capabilities were top-notch.

It was different for Zhou Tianshen. He was practically an immobile weapon. He didn't move an inch, yet he was able to force Xu Xiaoshou back with just a few strokes.

"Hahaha, Xu Xiaoshou, you're out of moves, aren't you?!

"Once the Nine Tides gets going, I, Zhou Tianshen, will be able to defeat even an Innate-stage fighter, much less you and your mere Acquired-stage Sword Will!"

The Blade Will was completely overtaking Xu Xiaoshou, and he and his sword glows were about to be pushed out of the arena.

"Xu Xiaoshou, hang in there!"

"Stand your ground! Fight back! You can't let him push you out of the arena like that!"

"Hng hng hng, he's already covered in blood. Xu Xiaoshou, aaahhhh! I feel so bad for him!"

"Xiaoshou, stop trying to hang on. Come into my arms. I can't take it any longer. Why is there so much blood?"

Xu Xiaoshou was indeed covered in blood, but it only looked bad.

He was trying his best to survive with as little damage as possible under the barrage of blade glows. Thus, the injuries all over his body weren't fatal, and they didn't affect his mobility.

Furthermore, because Eternal Vitality was constantly activating, Xu Xiaoshou was practically in peak condition.

As he used his sword techniques, Xu Xiaoshou turned into a hungry sponge. He made use of the attacks that Zhou Tianshen was sending at him to practice the techniques in his mind, and nearly instantly understood the sword techniques that he'd never used in the past.

Seeing that he was about to be pushed out of the arena, Xu Xiaoshou no longer hesitated. He exchanged his Passive Points for two Skill Points and used them on Sword Technique Expertise.

"Sword Technique Expertise (Acquired Lv. 2)."

"Sword Technique Expertise (Acquired Lv. 3)."

In that instant, his mind was flooded with boundless knowledge. Xu Xiaoshou roared and moved around the flurry of blade glows. With one strike, he swiped away all of the Blade Will, then sprung his sword once again.

Boom!

An explosion sounded, and the barrier buzzed. Zhou Tianshen was shaken and sent staggering backward, his face filled with shock.

The crowd was confused. None of them understood what was going on.

"Xu Xiaoshou, he… achieved a breakthrough?"

"I think so. To think that he managed to retaliate while being beaten back by the powerful Blade Will. That last Sword Will looked like the second form of the White Cloud Sword Technique, Billowing Clouds!"

"But how do you explain the counterattack after he pulled his sword back? That wasn't the third stroke of the White Cloud Sword Technique."

"This… You're asking me, then who do I ask?"

"..."

Xu Xiaoshou had achieved a breakthrough. Di Xin'er had taught him this attack.

However, he'd never succeeded at using the second stroke of the White Cloud Sword Technique. Just now, in the middle of a tense situation, he'd managed to forcefully tweak the technique and push the White Cloud Sword Technique into a different direction.

Even though he'd been introduced to sword techniques with the Fleeting White Clouds, his current techniques were no longer that of the White Cloud Sword Technique.

Xiao Qixiu looked startled. That Xu Xiaoshou managed to modify a sword technique with his Sword Will during battle?

This wasn't even something that a master in the arts of the sword would dare to easily try, yet he'd managed to battle like that just with his Sword Will?

This was potential of unprecedented proportions!

Xu Xiaoshou looked as though he'd been bathed in blood. His clothes had been torn to shreds, revealing his already red body. Even his hair was covered in blood.

Even so, he cracked a smile and lifted his sword in invitation. "Junior Zhou, can you go faster? Don't stop!"

Zhou Tianshen was still angry and in shock from his Nine Tides being countered, and his expression turned fierce when he heard Xu Xiaoshou's words. He lifted his blade and laughed.

"I was thinking the same thing!"