Chapter 613 - 609: Fang Han VS Zhen Feixuan
Chapter 613: Chapter 609: Fang Han VS Zhen Feixuan
Fang Han stepped onto the Battle Platform, the hem of his white robe fluttering with each step.
Opposite him, Zhen Feixuan stepped onto the platform.
Her white martial attire accentuated her tall, straight posture. Her jet-black hair was gathered behind her head with a plain silver clasp, and her clear, beautiful face was free of makeup.
The two of them took their positions on the platform, facing each other from a dozen yards apart.
Zhen Feixuan gazed at Fang Han, her limpid eyes filled with a complex emotion.
After a moment of silence, she spoke, her voice crisp and clear, yet tinged with a hint of lament.
"When I first met you at Linglong Pavilion, I had a feeling that you were no ordinary person. I thought you might become a formidable rival for me in this tournament."
She paused for a moment before continuing.
"I never expected that feeling to come true."
"It’s my honor to be considered your rival," Fang Han said.
He slowly raised his right hand and placed it on the hilt of the Cloud Splitting Sword at his waist, his gaze as tranquil as a deep pool.
He didn’t underestimate the woman before him in the slightest, despite having defeated Lie Yang the day before.
His Netherworld Guide could only sense that Zhen Feixuan was at the First Grade, but it couldn’t determine her precise level within it.
His intuition told him that Zhen Feixuan would likely be an even more difficult opponent than Lie Yang.
The red-robed elder glanced at the two before retreating to the edge of the platform. In a flat voice, he said:
"Begin."
The moment the word was spoken, Zhen Feixuan moved.
She took a single step, and the platform beneath her feet gave a violent shudder. It wasn’t a simple tremor; it was as if the entire Battle Platform had sunk slightly beneath her foot.
An immense aura, far surpassing the Early First Grade, erupted from her body with explosive force!
That aura had shockingly reached the Middle Stage of First Grade!
"What?!"
"Middle Stage of First Grade... Zhen Feixuan’s Cultivation has actually reached the Middle Stage of First Grade!"
"It’s not just Fang Han who was hiding his strength, she was too!"
"If her Cultivation is at the Middle Stage of First Grade, then what about her... combat prowess?"
In the audience, countless pairs of eyes were glued to Zhen Feixuan as she unleashed her power, shock written all over their faces.
SHING—
Zhen Feixuan’s right hand swept across her waist, and the Soft Sword shot out like a silver serpent from its lair, letting out a clear, humming vibration.
She thrust her sword.
The Soft Sword sliced through the air, its light streaking like a bolt of silver silk. It carried a piercing Momentum capable of tearing through anything as it shot straight toward Fang Han.
The power of this strike had shockingly reached a level comparable to a Third Breakthrough Martial Artist!
Where the blade passed, the air rippled like water, creating clearly visible, transparent waves.
An intense, oppressive pressure washed over him.
Gasps of shock erupted from the audience like a tidal wave.
"Th-that strike... Its power is definitely on the level of a Third Breakthrough Martial Artist!"
"Fang Han is in danger!"
"Who would’ve thought Zhen Feixuan was the one hiding the most strength!"
The Third Prince, Chu Yuanchen, raised an eyebrow in imperceptible surprise.
The Fifth Prince, Chu Yuanhao, paused his drumming on the armrest, a flicker of surprise flashing through his narrow eyes.
An imperceptible ripple disturbed the clear eyes of the Seventh Princess, Chu Qingyi.
On the platform, Fang Han’s pupils constricted.
He’d had a feeling Zhen Feixuan would be a difficult opponent, and now that premonition was coming true.
Zhen Feixuan’s Cultivation wasn’t at the Early First Grade, but the Middle Stage of First Grade.
The strongest combat prowess she could unleash wasn’t comparable to a Second Breakthrough Martial Artist, but a Third Breakthrough Martial Artist!
SHING—
The Cloud Splitting Sword left its sheath, its dark cyan blade suffused with a profound glow.
The Inner Qi from the Cyan Profound Technique surged through Fang Han’s body as he unreservedly unleashed the full, potent force of his Late Stage of Second Grade Cultivation.
Three hundred thousand jin of physical strength poured into the blade. The Cloud Splitting Sword let out a high-pitched cry, as if a slumbering beast had suddenly awoken.
He pushed his Perfection Realm Sky-Splitting Sword Technique to its limits, and a terrifying Wind Sword Intent coalesced around the blade like a storm.
He held nothing back.
The sword light flared like a rainbow.
With the unflinching intent to tear and sever all, it met the bolt of silver light head-on!
BOOM—!!!
The two swords clashed, unleashing an earth-shattering explosion of sound!
The impact was so violent that the entire arena seemed to tremble, leaving the eardrums of countless spectators ringing.
A shockwave visible to the naked eye blasted outward from the point of impact.
The tidal wave of qi swept out like a hurricane, potent enough to be felt even in the distant audience stands.
The teacups in front of the three Princes and Princesses trembled, and the tea within sloshed, creating a series of delicate ripples.
The blast wave dissipated.
On the platform, the two figures once again stood a dozen yards apart in a standoff.
Fang Han stood with his sword in hand, his white robe whipping in the gale, his expression serene.
Zhen Feixuan also stood with her sword, her white martial attire snapping in the wind. A look of shock had surfaced in her limpid eyes.
She spoke, her voice laced with unconcealable shock.
"Combat prowess on par with a Third Breakthrough Martial Artist... You really were hiding your strength?!"
"Weren’t you hiding yours as well?"
Fang Han took a deep breath, his Inner Qi surging ceaselessly. He held the Cloud Splitting Sword horizontally before him, a cyan-gold light flowing over the blade like mercury.
He had indeed held back during his fight with Lie Yang the previous day.
But this was it.
This level of combat prowess, comparable to a Third Breakthrough, was his absolute limit. He had played all his cards; there was nothing left in reserve.
A dead silence fell over the audience.
"Fang Han... Fang Han just unleashed the power of a Third Breakthrough Martial Artist!!!"
"Late Stage of Second Grade, yet he can unleash the combat prowess of a Third Breakthrough Martial Artist... That’s a leap of six Minor Realms, including three Great Realm barriers!"
"You’re telling me the Second Breakthrough-level prowess he showed before wasn’t his limit?!"
"A monster! He’s an absolute monster!"
After a brief silence, a thunderous uproar erupted. It was one reversal after another.
"Again."
Fang Han said, a hint of anticipation in his voice.
Ever since he had become number one on the Qingyang County Celestial Pride List, it had been a long time since he’d met anyone from the younger generation who could force him to use his full strength.
Today, he had finally found such a person.
"Fine."
Zhen Feixuan gazed at Fang Han, silent for a moment. Then, the corners of her lips curved into a very faint smile.
Her smile held no fear, only a newly kindled fighting spirit.
The instant the word left her lips, both figures moved at once!
CLANG—!!!
The Soft Sword and the Cloud Splitting Sword clashed again, erupting in a deafening shriek of metal on metal.
Zhen Feixuan’s Swordsmanship was cunning and fierce. Empowered by her Sword Intent of Softness, the Soft Sword moved like a living creature in her hands.
At times it struck like a silver serpent from its lair, at others it fell like a cascading waterfall. Layers of sword light enveloped Fang Han, targeting all his vital points.
Every strike carried the terrifying might of a Third Breakthrough Martial Artist, and wherever the blade passed, the air rippled like water.
Empowered by his Wind Sword Intent, Fang Han’s sword was unparalleled in sharpness, carrying a piercing will that could tear through anything.
Each swing of his blade left a lingering black fissure in the air.
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG—
The two fighters crisscrossed the platform at high speed, their silver and cyan-gold sword lights clashing, weaving, and annihilating each other in a frenzy.
Each collision produced a deafening roar as shockwaves pulsed outward, one after another.
The surface of the platform was scored repeatedly by the residual Sword Qi, leaving behind a dense, spiderweb-like pattern of crisscrossing white gashes.
Dozens of exchanges passed.
Neither had managed to gain the upper hand.
Zhen Feixuan pushed her Middle Stage of First Grade Cultivation to its absolute limit, her Soft Sword transforming into deadly bolts of silver lightning.
Fang Han, for his part, combined agility with sharpness.
Combining his Great Success Realm Wind God Step with his Perfection Realm Sky-Splitting Sword Technique, his movements were as elusive as the wind, and his sword strikes as fierce as lightning.
He always managed to dodge Zhen Feixuan’s attacks at the most critical moments, only to answer with a sharp counter of his own.
CLANG CLANG CLANG—
As the exchange wore on, both fighters began to slow, their breathing growing ragged.
The toll on one’s stamina and Inner Qi from such a high-intensity, all-out battle was terrifying.
Sweat beaded on Fang Han’s forehead, and the fingers gripping his Cloud Splitting Sword began to ache.
Sweat appeared on Zhen Feixuan’s brow, and her sword hand was growing numb. Her heart grew heavy.
She hadn’t expected Fang Han’s Swordsmanship to be so superb, nor his mastery of his Body Technique to be so high. Every time she thought she was about to succeed, he would drift away as if merging with the wind.
CLANG—!!!
After another violent clash, both fighters retreated.
It was then that—
—Zhen Feixuan took a deep breath, a look of pure resolve flashing in her eyes.
Her Inner Qi erupted to its absolute limit. The silver light of her Soft Sword flared, growing so dense it seemed solid. The blade itself hummed and trembled, as if unable to contain the power being channeled into it.
The next instant, she thrust her sword forward.
This single strike condensed all of her Essence, Qi, and Spirit. It was the most powerful attack she had launched since reaching the Middle Stage of First Grade.
The sword light became a silver thunderbolt tearing across the sky, carrying an unstoppable, all-or-nothing resolve as it shot straight for Fang Han!
SWOOSH!
Fang Han’s pupils constricted.
Sensing the terrifying power of the attack, he pushed his Wind God Step to its limits to evade.
His body became like a true wisp of wind, dodging the silver thunderbolt by a hair’s breadth.
The Sword Qi from the silver bolt silently tore open his robes, revealing the Soft Armor underneath.
SWISH!
The instant they passed each other, he counterattacked.
His Cloud Splitting Sword, wreathed in Sword Intent and radiating a terrifying aura, flicked upward, striking the flat of Zhen Feixuan’s Soft Sword.
DING—!
A crisp sound rang out, like two Jade Chimes striking one another.
Zhen Feixuan felt a jolt run through her blade. She staggered back half a step, leaving a slight opening in her guard.
And in that split second, Fang Han’s sword was already there.
With a flash of light, the tip of the Cloud Splitting Sword came to a stop, steady as a rock, three inches from Zhen Feixuan’s throat.
The chill flowing from the blade’s edge raised a fine layer of goosebumps on her skin.
She froze instantly. She glanced down at the sword tip at her throat, then raised her head to look at Fang Han.
After a moment of silence, she slowly sheathed her sword.
"I’ve lost."
Her voice was low and hoarse, laced with a complex mix of emotions—unwillingness, shock, and even a hint of relief.
"I never imagined your strength had reached the level of a Third Breakthrough Martial Artist, and a powerful one at that."
Fang Han sheathed his sword, gave Zhen Feixuan a slight nod, and said:
"I was surprised as well. I didn’t expect your Cultivation to have reached the First Grade, let alone the Middle Stage of First Grade."
A faint, wry smile touched Zhen Feixuan’s lips.
"And yet, I still lost."
She turned and strode off the Battle Platform.