Dao Companion Crippled, Coveters Move

Chapter 112 - 111: Battle of Prodigies, the Outcome Is Decided

With the appearance of thirty-six Flying Swords, the scales of the stalemate began to tip.

Ji Xichan could tell at a glance that the Flying Swords surrounding and attacking her were not moving randomly. They were gradually arranging themselves into specific positions, forming some kind of Sword Dao Array!

Even before the Sword Array was complete, Qing Yueqiu's aura had already surged several levels. In the clash of their Spirit Swords, Ji Xichan found herself being suppressed!

"As expected… anyone that man would take as a disciple wouldn't be so simple. But that just makes me want to defeat you even more!

I'm going to make Pei Yuhang see who is truly the most outstanding one!"

The Dark Night Sword in Ji Xichan's hand sliced through the air, tearing a massive rift in the void that connected to her Shadow Space.

Within that pitch-black rift, countless specters roamed, and there were no fewer than five remnant souls of Great Demons! Unfortunately, Ji Xichan had sealed her realm to fight Qing Yueqiu at the Golden Core Peak level of Cultivation, meaning she couldn't release her strongest Demon Spirits.

Of course, with her pride, she believed she could win even without the Demon Spirits of Great Demons!

"Hundred Crows Technique!"

As Ji Xichan formed a hand seal, countless Black Ravens flew out from the rift torn open by her sword.

The Black Ravens shrieked as they swarmed toward the thirty-six Flying Swords that were forming the array, trying to break their formation. However, the Black Raven Demon Spirits were of low strength, and most were shredded into dust by the invisible Sword Qi before they could even get close.

But the sheer number of Black Ravens meant they would, sooner or later, affect the successful formation of the Thirty-Six Celestial Spirit Sword Array.

'I need the Sword Array to completely eliminate this disgusting, arrogant woman who covets Master,' Qing Yueqiu understood. She immediately prepared to raise her sword and sweep the flock of crows away.

But—

"Don't waste your breath hissing at crows, little white kitten. Your opponent is me!"

Ji Xichan stepped on the void, using her physical strength alone to tread on air. Within a few steps, she was once again in front of Qing Yueqiu, sword raised to block her.

White robes and black gauze clashed once more, and the sharp ring of swords echoed across the entire arena.

Qing Yueqiu stared at the bright red blood trickling from the web of her thumb, the chill in her eyes deepening.

'Even though Ji Xichan has sealed her realm, her Spiritual Qi reserves are ultimately on a different level than mine… If this drags on, I'll be the first one to run out of energy,' she thought.

'I have to end this quickly!'

'I must make this woman pay today!!'

VMMMM—

The surface of Luminous erupted with an unprecedentedly magnificent Moonlight glow. Its crystal-clear blade slowly traced a circle in the air.

Perhaps it was a trick of the eye, but within the outline traced by the sword, Ji Xichan thought she saw a moon.

'Danger!'

'Unprecedented danger!'

But Ji Xichan did not want to retreat.

'I know Pei Yuhang must be watching right now. How can I possibly dodge his disciple's sword while he's looking? If I run… how could I ever make that man regret not taking me, the more outstanding disciple, instead!'

'I, Ji Xichan, am the most talented of the younger generation! I am the treasure you, Pei Yuhang, have missed out on forever!'

"Come on, then! Let me see just how incredible the sword Pei Yuhang taught you really is!"

Ji Xichan frantically poured her Spiritual Qi into Pitch Dark Night, continuously refining Demon Spirits from her Shadow Space and absorbing them into the blade.

The shape of Pitch Dark Night began to swell and distort, struggling to maintain the form of a "sword." It grew wild and menacing like an overgrown tree, resembling a monster ready to devour its prey.

At that same moment, Qing Yueqiu opened her eyes. Her silver hair, haloed in white light, shone with a sacred glow, making her look like the Moon Saintess.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, the two peerless maidens, one in black and one in white, drew their swords and charged at the same time!

"Moon of Fading Blossoms's First Technique: Water Moon One-Line Heaven!"

"Devouring Demon Sword Technique - Celestial Devourer!"

The pitch-black Demon Sword and the white Sword Qi of Moonlight clashed, each dominating half the sky.

But the stalemate lasted only for an instant before both maidens, their Spiritual Qi depleted, became exhausted at the same time. The contest between the moon and the darkness shattered, and their Sword Qi dissipated.

They both fell from the clouds, scattering droplets of blood in the air.

"Heh heh, little white kitten, you've reached your limit, haven't you? I hate to admit it, but at the same realm, you are indeed the strongest Cultivator I have ever met.

But this is as far as you go."

In the face of Ji Xichan's mockery, Qing Yueqiu simply moved her fingertips silently, forming hand seals.

The next moment, the thirty-six Flying Swords swooped down from the clouds in unison, converging on Ji Xichan.

Only then did Ji Xichan realize she had fallen for Qing Yueqiu's ploy. She had deliberately lured her into clashing swords near the flock of Black Ravens, and the tide of Spiritual Qi generated by their exchange had completely dispersed the fragile Black Raven Demon Spirits!

Now freed from the entanglement of the Black Ravens, the thirty-six Flying Swords had nothing holding them back. They formed the Celestial Spirit Sword Array in mid-air and bore down to suppress her!

"Damn it!"

Ji Xichan wanted to wring out the last of her Spiritual Qi to forcibly break the array, but she discovered that she was momentarily too exhausted to even manage a second swing of her sword.

SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH—!!!

The vast Sword Qi surged toward her like a mighty river, the silvery light growing larger and larger in Ji Xichan's eyes until it filled her entire vision.

Seeing this, the audience and even the Elders observing in secret all cried out in alarm.

Ji Xichan had been too arrogant! If she continued to keep her Cultivation sealed, she would truly perish within this Celestial Spirit Sword Array!

In fact, an Elder was already preparing to intervene at any moment to rescue Ji Xichan from the Sword Array. Such a monstrously talented genius could not be allowed to die in a mere Sect competition because of a fit of pique.

In the air, the black dress on the young woman was no longer as exquisite and beautiful as before; large sections of it were now torn and shredded.

Though she was unwilling to accept it, she knew that in a battle at the Golden Core Stage, she had already lost.

Ji Xichan calmly accepted the reality that she was no longer invincible among those of the "same stage," and then—she released her seal.

BOOM—!!

As her Spiritual Qi skyrocketed, Ji Xichan flicked a delicate finger and, without the aid of the Dark Night Sword, tore open a spatial rift connected to her Shadow Space with her bare hands.

Within the gaping rift, a dark current surged… no, it wasn't a current, but the countless souls of departed Demon Spirits.

At this moment, those departed souls were agitated and panicked, as if… some terrifying existence was about to rise from the depths of the Shadow Space.

In an instant, a pitch-black demonic shadow, like a pillar holding up the heavens, burst through the spatial rift and shot toward the clouds with unstoppable force.

It was the arm of a hundred-meter-tall giant ape!

Without a doubt, the owner of this arm was the remnant soul of a primordial Great Demon, and one of the most powerful among them!

Its terrifying, monstrous strength, far exceeding that of an ordinary Nascent Soul, shattered the vast torrent of Sword Qi. Under the backlash of this immense force, the thirty-six Flying Swords that formed the Thirty-Six Celestial Spirit Sword Array exploded one after another.

The Sword Array was broken. The equally exhausted, silver-haired maiden fainted instantly from the backlash to her Divine Soul and fell helplessly from the clouds like a butterfly with a broken wing.

The situation reversed in an instant. The black-robed maiden, who just moments ago looked like a beaten dog, now stood in the heavens like the Night Goddess.

She pointed at the falling Qing Yueqiu.

The massive ape arm moved—not to attack, but to open its hand and gently catch her.

Ji Xichan returned to the ground with the silver-haired maiden, and the Cultivators in the audience erupted in cheers for the victor of the Sect's grand competition.

Amid the thunderous applause, an Elder walked onto the arena stage, preparing to announce the conclusion of the grand competition to the entire Dao Sect and place the Golden Crown of the champion on Ji Xichan's head.

But who would have expected that, under the gazes of the entire crowd, Ji Xichan would point to the unconscious, silver-haired maiden and declare, "I was outmatched in this duel. I lost. The winner is Qing Yueqiu of the Cold Palace Sword Mansion."