Chapter 29: Antelope Hanging Its Horns

The pervasive saber intent that had filled the arena instantly retracted into the golden Majestic Saber as he spoke. Zhou Tiansan held the saber loosely in his hands; it trembled, emitting a dazzling golden light.

Xu Xiaoshou's pupils contracted. This guy still had a trick up his sleeve?

He picked up "Hidden Suffering." The usually untamed ninth-grade spiritual sword whimpered, seemingly feeling wronged.

Xu Xiaoshou's face darkened. He knew that with his current level of sword intent, he probably couldn't block this move.

Without hesitation, he redeemed three more skill points and allocated them to "Sword Mastery."

"Sword Mastery (Acquired Lv.6)."

In a flash, a vast surge of knowledge poured in. As he watched Zhou Tiansan loosely holding the golden Majestic Saber, he seemed to grasp something new.

The next second, the boundless sword intent scattered across the sky converged. Xu Xiaoshou loosely gripped "Hidden Suffering," drawing all the immense sword intent into it.

Zhou Tiansan: ???

The audience was bewildered, seeing the two combatants use identical starting stances.

"What's going on? Xu Xiaoshou knows Zhou Tiansan's saber techniques too?"

"How is that possible? Isn't Zhou Tiansan's move the starting stance for the Innate Spiritual Skill 'Immortal Drawing Mountain' Style? How does Xu Xiaoshou know it?"

"Is this guy learning on the spot? My god, he's too monstrous."

"Learning an Innate Spiritual Skill on the fly? Are you kidding me?"

Xu Xiaoshou didn't know what Zhou Tiansan's saber technique was, nor could he emit that dazzling golden light. However, this stance was indeed the latest one he had just comprehended...

"Drifting White Clouds, Two!"

"Immortal Drawing Mountain Style!"

The two almost simultaneously drew their saber and sword. As Zhou Tiansan's Majestic Saber rose, a golden saber aura several feet high rushed from the ground, surging with killing intent, tearing through the arena floor and striking directly at Xu Xiaoshou, leaving no room to dodge.

Strangely, when Xu Xiaoshou drew his sword, absolutely nothing happened. It was as if he was merely teasing the air.

The audience's jaws dropped, and Xiao Qixiu felt his heart skip a beat.

*You've been feinting for so long, and it turns out you were just drawing your sword? Someone's going to die!*

He instinctively wanted to rush forward, but then he saw Xu Xiaoshou lightly flourish his sword towards the golden saber aura, then slowly pulled "Hidden Suffering" backward.

A powerful suction force emerged, turning the void into a swirling cloud. Xu Xiaoshou's sword effortlessly swept aside the heaven-rending golden light.

That wasn't all. He spun his body around, directly sending the golden light back.

Zhou Tiansan was stunned. What kind of sorcery was this? It actually redirected his Innate Spiritual Skill, "Immortal Drawing Mountain Style"!

That particular move had already almost exhausted his spiritual energy, and now he was forced to forcibly execute another saber strike to completely counteract the terrifying return of "Immortal Drawing Mountain Style" with a collision.

The two golden lights intersected with a deafening crash, shattering into countless golden scales. Amidst this magnificent golden shower, a figure waltzed in, sword in hand.

Zhou Tiansan, however, paid no mind to any of this. Xu Xiaoshou's sword technique was as elusive as an antelope hanging by its horns, leaving no trace.

Such an ethereal sword strike shocked him no less than when his grandfather had introduced him to the way of the saber in his childhood.

"Can a sword be used like this?"

"What about a saber?"

He fell into deep thought, inadvertently forgetting that he was currently in a battle.

Xu Xiaoshou had no choice but to forcefully halt his sword technique, the black sword touching Zhou Tiansan's forehead. Even so, the sword intent, which he couldn't yet fully control, still pricked his forehead, drawing crimson blood.

Zhou Tiansan still hadn't woken up!

Xu Xiaoshou was shocked. "This is a battle, please, can you at least respect your opponent?"

Just as he was about to withdraw his sword, a surge of spiritual energy suddenly erupted from Zhou Tiansan's body, pushing Xu Xiaoshou away.

Everyone stared in astonishment at the void. Endless spiritual energy surged in, pouring into Zhou Tiansan's body. Ethereal daoist chants filled the air, as if immortals were whispering, granting enlightenment.

"Hah!"

Zhou Tiansan suddenly opened his eyes. His aura ascended from the Tenth Stage of Spirit Refining to the Innate Realm. With a loud shout, saber intent erupted in all directions, completely shattering the barrier.

Xu Xiaoshou, sprawled on the ground, was dumbfounded. "What the heck? He broke through to the Innate Realm in the middle of a fight? Are you cheating?!"

With no time to think, he immediately got up. Zhou Tiansan, already terrifying at the Tenth Acquired Stage, would be unstoppable if he entered the Innate Realm.

Unexpectedly, after his shout, Zhou Tiansan retracted his saber and spoke respectfully:

"Thank you, Senior Brother Xu, for showing mercy. I was reckless. Just by that single act of retracting your sword, I knew Senior Brother Xu is truly a dignified gentleman!"

Xiao Qixiu snapped back to attention and immediately waved his hand: "The match is over! Xu Xiaoshou wins!"

He naturally knew that if Xu Xiaoshou hadn't retracted his sword just now, Zhou Tiansan wouldn't have just failed to break through; he might have lost his life right there.

Of course, with him watching, the latter outcome was clearly impossible.

However, a win was a win, and a loss was a loss. In a life-or-death battle, an enemy would never give you a chance to break through. This fight had already ended the moment Xu Xiaoshou retracted his sword.

Xu Xiaoshou, holding his black sword point-down, smiled, neither confirming nor denying Zhou Tiansan's assessment.

Zhou Tiansan, however, was blushing. Before the match, he had boasted that his opponent was ruthless, yet he had surprisingly been spared by the "ruthless" Xu Xiaoshou. This was undoubtedly a massive irony.

"Alright!" His eyes swiveled, his thoughts rushing directly from his gut to his brain. He nodded emphatically at Xu Xiaoshou. "I've decided! I, Zhou Tiansan, am definitely going to be your friend!"

Xu Xiaoshou waved his hand and left the arena. He didn't want to say anything more to this single-minded individual.

This match was arguably his most challenging to date, the one against Liu Zhen included. The difference was that with Zhou Tiansan, he gained a lot.

Especially the final "Drifting White Clouds, Two," which was like a stroke of genius. Xu Xiaoshou hadn't even had time to name it.

It had appeared in a flash of inspiration, and Xu Xiaoshou had used it. This state of being one with the sword, the move, and the intent, indistinguishable from each other, was incredibly magical.

It felt as if everything was naturally formed, providing immense comfort.

After executing that sword strike, even Xu Xiaoshou himself was startled. He needed to go back and thoroughly study it.

Zhou Tiansan's breakthrough to the Innate Realm shattered the barrier, and the information panel was instantly flooded with messages. However, Xu Xiaoshou paid no attention; all he wanted was to go back and sort out his sword techniques.

The applause from the stands was thunderous. Some felt admiration, some surprise, but more felt regret.

Almost everyone in the arena was simultaneously contemplating one possibility: if Zhou Tiansan had woken up a little earlier, perhaps the match would have had a different outcome.

Only one person was an exception: Chief Referee Xiao Qixiu. He stared blankly at Xu Xiaoshou's retreating back, unable to speak.

The delayed "match over" call earlier wasn't because he was waiting for Zhou Tiansan to concede, but because he was genuinely astonished by Xu Xiaoshou's sword strike.

Elusive as an antelope's horn, an immortal's sword!

Completely abandoning spiritual skills, forgetting sword techniques, fighting purely with sword intent, responding instinctively to moves – wasn't this the ultimate state of the strongest sword cultivators, as the Eighth Sword Immortal once described?

His eyes were filled with shock. Perhaps even Xu Xiaoshou himself hadn't realized how terrifying it was to fight purely with sword intent.

But he had seen it: the shadow of a rising supreme sword cultivator!

He waved his hand, quieting the excited crowd, and reactivated the lottery screen.

"The matches continue!"