"Ye Chen! Do you dare to take this sword of mine?!"
On the arena stage, Li Mingfeng was completely shrouded in dark-red killing aura, letting out a hoarse, savage roar.
The longsword in his hand buzzed violently, as if it could no longer wait to tear the enemy before it into pieces.
As razor-sharp sword qi intertwined with the blood-soaked killing aura on the blade, blood began to seep from Li Mingfeng's face, his features twisting into a ferocious grimace.
"Hmph! Why wouldn't I dare?!"
Ye Chen let out a low roar as well, casually plunging his longsword obliquely into the ground.
All the spiritual power of his peak Aperture-Opening Realm cultivation condensed in full, while he simultaneously unleashed the power of his Latent Flood Dragon King Body.
He stomped heavily on the ground, his feet rooting into the earth like dragon claws gripping a mountainside.
The muscles in his arms bulged visibly, swelling by an entire circle, veins coiling like writhing dragons across his skin.
His body sank slightly, gathering strength like a flood dragon drawing in its coils.
"Ascending Dragon!"
A violent shout burst from Ye Chen's throat as streams of dragon-like blood energy began swirling around his body!
In the next instant, Ye Chen hurled a punch with all his might. Terrifying power erupted in an instant, causing the very air to shriek!
The howling fist wind struck the ears like the roar of a furious dragon.
The fist surged with overwhelming force, the blazing fist transforming into an enraged flood dragon soaring toward the heavens as it charged straight at Li Mingfeng.
Wherever it passed, it swept up sand and shattered stones, accompanied by faint echoes of furious dragon roars!
At the same moment, Li Mingfeng slashed out with his sword with fearless resolve!
"Blood Sea Sword Surge!"
With his furious roar, surging blood-red sword light shot forth, dense and vast, as though he had truly unleashed a sea of blood formed from sword radiance!
Blood light and sword light cross-illuminated one another, surging like torrential waves with a momentum of tearing apart and annihilation as they rushed toward the majestic dragon-shaped fist!
The dragon-like fist light and the surging blood sea of sword light collided violently in the next instant—
A deafening explosion thundered across the arena!
Rings of energy ripples exploded outward from the point of impact at blinding speed.
Wherever they passed, the ground was crushed like tofu, massive boulders instantly reduced to dust and powder!
A violent gale howled into being, ravaging in all directions, the swirling dust and stones forming miniature tornadoes!
Both Ye Chen and Li Mingfeng were sent flying backward by the shockwave of the explosion!
Many spectators rose to their feet, craning their necks anxiously to see clearly what had happened in the arena.
"Who won?"
"These two attacks were truly domineering! Even a Fifth-Heaven cultivator would have to treat that seriously!"
At the Heavenly Sword Sacred Land, Zhao Qinghui slowly shook her head—she had already seen through the outcome.
Several breaths later, the residual shockwaves in the arena finally settled.
Ye Chen stood there, his clothes torn to shreds, his upper body completely bare and covered with countless fine sword cuts.
Though he looked utterly disheveled, he still stood proudly and unbending!
As for Li Mingfeng, there was a large, gaping bloody hole in his chest.
After the two attacks collided, Ye Chen's strike had ultimately prevailed—
Not only did it break through the blood-sea sword light, but the dragon-shaped fist still retained enough power to smash into Li Mingfeng directly!
Li Mingfeng lay collapsed on the ground, blood pouring continuously from his mouth, dyeing the ground red over a wide area.
His face was as pale as paper, his eyes wide open, still filled with disbelief.
Even so, though grievously wounded, he was not yet on the brink of death.
"I won!"
Ye Chen clenched both fists tightly and let out a suppressed roar. Defeating Li Mingfeng made him feel even more exhilarated than when he had previously swept through one opponent after another on the arena!
At this moment, though injured, his state felt better than ever before!
'Perhaps I took the wrong path from the very beginning…
Tempering myself through battle, continually clashing with powerful enemies to undergo transformation—that is the path I should walk!'
As if realizing something profound, Ye Chen slowly closed his eyes—and actually sat down cross-legged right there in the martial arena!