Chapter 617: Return to Storage Against Silver Radiance

The Sixth Martial’s strike was incredibly swift. It was only when the silver dragon manifested its true form—a silver spear—that its true nature was revealed. Explanations then slowly appeared in the viewing mirror:

"The spear strikes like a dragon, leaving nothing unpierced."

After piercing through Xu Guzhi’s body, the silver spear swiftly reversed, piercing through the countless sword shadows one by one. Only then did it leisurely return to the Sixth Martial’s hand. Meanwhile, the towering mountain-like swords unleashed by Xu Guzhi still hadn’t reached the Sixth Martial; they simply faded away amidst the dominating silver light.

Xu Guzhi suddenly coughed up a mouthful of blood, staring in disbelief at the “child” before him, whose expression showed not a hint of emotion. The tide of battle turned in an instant. In fact, most cultivators watching the battle had not clearly seen what had just occurred. It was only through repeated slow-motion replays on the viewing mirror that they grasped the details of the fight. They collectively gasped in awe.

"What incredible speed! What devastating spearplay!"

"Just who is this Sixth Martial? He’s incredibly powerful! I doubt even some Dao Integration Immortals could stand against him!"

"Which Daoist are you referring to? Do tell."

Yet, Xu Guzhi, impaled by the silver spear in the arena, did not immediately surrender. He took a deep breath, and his injuries completely healed. Xu Guzhi slightly opened his mouth, swallowing the straight sword he held. As the sword entered his body, he vanished. Xu Guzhi simply vanished in plain sight, right before everyone's eyes!

Again, it was the explanation that appeared in the viewing mirror that clarified what had happened for the cultivators:

"Sword concealed, striking from the void."

For the first time, a flicker of emotion crossed the Sixth Martial’s face, but it was merely a flicker. He stood still in the void, extending his right hand and making a beckoning, provocative gesture. Almost instantaneously, an invisible sword light suddenly appeared not far above the Sixth Martial’s head. It moved silently, aiming to sever the Sixth Martial’s head. A burst of silver light violently met the “Concealed Sword,” parrying the lethal strike.

The Sixth Martial’s gaze swept the surroundings, yet he still couldn’t find any trace of Xu Guzhi. Another invisible sword qi struck, undetectable by others, but it was still intercepted by his silver spear just moments before it could touch the Sixth Martial’s body.

"Though the sword is unseen, its intent moves without conscious thought."

"The Martial Spear, speed to the extreme, shatters all techniques."

The viewing mirror’s explanation reappeared. Li Fan stared at these two lines in the small mirror for a long time, then, recalling the fight between the Sixth Martial and the other, he seemed to gain an insight. Xu Guzhi’s Concealed Sword was indeed extraordinary; even the Sixth Martial genuinely couldn’t detect its presence. However, the Sixth Martial’s speed was simply too great; it was not just one level faster than Xu Guzhi. Moreover, the Sixth Martial had mastered the technique of acting with an unconscious intent, allowing him to instinctively deploy his silver spear and intercept each of the Concealed Swords the instant he was about to be attacked.

From this perspective, it was clear that Xu Guzhi defeating the Sixth Martial was an impossible task. But for the Sixth Martial to defeat Xu Guzhi… that also appeared very difficult.

The Sixth Martial, seemingly fed up with the taunting, furrowed his brow for the first time. Tyrannical silver light surged from him, sweeping outwards, vowing to destroy everything it touched. The viewing mirror’s display was instantly consumed by the silver light. After a momentary blindness, the scene in the mirror gradually returned to normal.

"Surely Xu Guzhi is dead now?"

Just as many cultivators thought this, another invisible sword light, like a persistent ghost, slashed towards the Sixth Martial. Xu Guzhi was still hidden somewhere in the arena! Seeing this, Li Fan's eyes lit up. "This method is truly excellent for self-preservation," he remarked.

The Sixth Martial was clearly enraged by Xu Guzhi’s elusive and ‘rogue’ tactics. Silver electric tendrils continuously swept through the surrounding space, even tearing open black void rifts. Yet, he still failed to locate Xu Guzhi. From the Myriad Immortal Alliance’s spectator stands, boos and curses erupted.

"What kind of match is this? Hiding when you can't win?"

"I say, don't call him Xu Guzhi; call him Xu the Turtle instead!"

Regardless of the criticisms, Xu Guzhi remained unfazed, continuing to hide within the void. He continued to launch attack after attack at the Sixth Martial, sword after sword. It became clear that the battle would likely continue indefinitely without a resolution. Consequently, after friendly negotiations between both parties, a dramatic outcome unfolded. The very first match of the competition’s first day ended in a draw! This result took everyone by surprise.

Only on the "Heavenly Profound Mirror: Law Derives the World" forum did a cultivator post the following message:

"Holy moly! It really was a draw! Three hundred times payout? I'm finally striking it rich!"

This post drew countless envious and resentful comments from other cultivators.

After Xu Guzhi and the Sixth Martial left the arena and rested briefly, the second match began. The cultivator representing the Myriad Immortal Alliance was someone Li Fan recognized: Shuofeng, also known by his moniker "Invincible Me." The representative from the Five Elders’ Council, however, was a limping, disabled man. Despite his unassuming appearance, the limping Daoist possessed formidable combat prowess. Every gesture seemed to unleash immense power, distorting even space itself, causing the viewing mirror’s live broadcast to blur.

But Shuofeng was no pushover; he stubbornly relied on his dazzling golden armor to block every one of the limping Daoist’s attacks. The two then engaged in a prolonged struggle. Ultimately, Shuofeng seized an opportunity, unleashing forty-nine flying swords to defeat the limping Daoist. The Myriad Immortal Alliance won the second match.

However, Shuofeng himself showed little sign of triumph. He merely cupped his hands towards the limping Daoist and departed without a word. He appeared to be somewhat dissatisfied with his own victory.

"Shuofeng's victory lies in the superiority of his artifacts, not in his martial courage."

Such a comment even appeared on the viewing mirror after the match. By all accounts, this sort of commentary, which praises an opponent while undermining one’s own side's prestige, should not have occurred. Yet, it did.

"Who is Shuofeng?"

"His magical artifacts are incredibly powerful! If I had that set of equipment, I imagine I wouldn't be much weaker, would I?"

"You? He has a powerful mother, what about you? You're just daydreaming!"

"Powerful mother? Do elaborate, fellow Daoist."

Cultivators across the land buzzed with discussion, and soon everyone knew that Shuofeng was the esteemed son of Immortal Venerable Scarlet Snow. Many speculated that his participation in the competition was directly linked to his mother. Regardless of Shuofeng's own thoughts, amidst this fervent discussion, the third match commenced. What was expected to be another fierce battle between formidable opponents, however, ended remarkably swiftly. With just a single punch, the Myriad Immortal Alliance's representative was defeated. The one who delivered this decisive blow was the seemingly unassuming peasant woman from the Five Elders' Council.