Li Mingfeng finally could not hold back any longer, his heart filled with extreme fury.
He had originally intended to defeat Ye Chen using only Third Heaven Realm strength, but after actually exchanging blows, he discovered that he was being suppressed and beaten back by Ye Chen instead.
How could someone who had come specifically to teach Ye Chen a lesson possibly accept this?
In his rage, he no longer held back. His mid Fourth Heaven Realm cultivation suddenly erupted. Brilliant radiance burst forth from his sword as he chopped down with a fierce, heavy strike!
The freezing sword light shot out—swift as lightning, mighty as a rainbow!
Ye Chen had no time to react before that sword light slashed into his abdomen.
Psssh!
The razor-sharp killing intent tore through flesh and blood. Ye Chen's protective spiritual energy was shredded like paper.
Yet his forward-charging body did not slow in the slightest. Instead, the pain in his lower abdomen completely ignited his ferocity!
At the same time, the cultivation that had been slowly climbing within his body seemed to reach a critical threshold.
An acupoint silently opened. The total number of opened acupoints within Ye Chen reached 108, and in that very moment, his cultivation stepped into the peak of the Aperture-Opening Realm!
The change in Ye Chen's aura could not escape Li Mingfeng's eyes.
"You… you actually broke through?!" Li Mingfeng exclaimed in disbelief.
"Then I naturally have to thank you for it!" Ye Chen snarled with a savage grin as a faint crimson glow surged over his entire body.
He activated the power of the Hidden Dragon King Physique within him.
The wound on his lower abdomen that had still been bleeding just moments ago now healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.
At the same time, Ye Chen's momentum soared another level, faintly showing signs of rivaling Li Mingfeng.
Li Mingfeng's face turned extremely ugly at the sight. Ye Chen's breakthrough was like a merciless slap across his face.
But he had no time to dwell on it.
After the breakthrough, Ye Chen's offensive became even more vicious and ferocious. His longsword produced layer upon layer of afterimages, leaving no room to breathe.
From time to time, sword light howled through the air and cleaved into the arena floor, blasting out deep cracks!
The more Li Mingfeng fought, the more alarmed he became.
Aside from his life-threatening ultimate trump cards, he was already fighting with his full strength!
Yet even so, he not only failed to suppress Ye Chen—he was once again faintly being pushed onto the defensive!
"Don't push things too far!"
Li Mingfeng's face flushed crimson. His spiritual energy surged violently as he used all his strength to force Ye Chen back. His figure then rapidly retreated, widening the distance between them.
Only now did he realize that, in a moment of hot-headed anger, recklessly stepping onto the arena to fight Ye Chen had been extremely unwise.
Even if he defeated Ye Chen, it would not amount to much—after all, his cultivation was higher, and he was the personal disciple of a great expert, while Ye Chen was merely an inner sect disciple.
But if he were to be defeated by Ye Chen, the outcome would be utterly disgraceful.
Not only would he lose face before countless onlookers, he would also bring shame upon the Heavenly Sword Sacred Land behind him!
After all, both were Sacred Lands—yet a direct disciple of Heavenly Sword losing to an inner sect disciple of Taihuang… even saying it aloud would be humiliating!
At this moment, Li Mingfeng faintly began to regret his actions.
But with the situation as it was, regret was useless. Only by defeating Ye Chen could he avoid the most unbearable outcome!
Having made up his mind, Li Mingfeng raised his sword horizontally before his chest and bit down hard on the finger of his other hand. Blood instantly flowed out.
He did not stop—instead, he dragged the bleeding finger across the blade of the sword before his chest.
In the next instant, terrifying energy erupted from Li Mingfeng's body, and the sword in his hand emitted a horrifying blood-demonic aura!
Seeing this scene, everyone from the Heavenly Sword Sacred Land tightly furrowed their brows.
How could they not tell?
Li Mingfeng was about to fight with his life on the line!