novelraw Chapter 105
Chapter 105
Chapter 105
While everyone watched with bated breath, Gu Yang remained remarkably calm.
“Why should I fight you?” he asked.
He knew Bai Tianhong’s reputation, but what did that have to do with him? Whether Bai Tianhong ranked first meant nothing to Gu Yang.
Bai Tianhong spoke coolly. “You have comprehended ninety‑percent Sword Intent. You are worth a fight. If we push sword intent to the limit, I might break through at the crucial moment and grasp ninety‑percent Sword Intent myself. You… are a fine whetstone.”
His tone made it clear he did not regard Gu Yang as an equal. From the start he had treated Gu Yang as a stepping stone. He cultivated an invincible heart and walked the path of invincibility. If he could defeat, or even slay, a prodigy of Gu Yang’s caliber, his invincible path would extend further. He could also use the clash to comprehend ninety‑percent Sword Intent.
Gu Yang sneered. “You treat me as a whetstone? You dare?”
Bai Tianhong paid the taunt no mind. He drew his white mid‑grade spirit sword from his waist. “You’ll find out soon enough,” he said calmly.
Terrifying true qi surged out of him and spread instantly. A heavy aura descended; the heads of those present seemed to be shrouded in a red flame. The aura’s ferocity made people blanch.
“Gah… the Earth‑grade supreme technique Red Flame Skill, Bai Tianhong has cultivated it to the eleventh layer!?” Kong Yu, ranked third, widened his eyes. He knew Bai Tianhong well and recognized the Red Flame Skill: it had twelve layers, and Bai Tianhong had already reached the eleventh, one step from perfection. No wonder his true qi was so terrifying.
Bai Tianhong gripped his spirit sword. Red true qi quietly clung to the blade, producing crackling sounds as if the sword burned.
hiss!
He raised the burning sword. Seventy‑percent Sword Intent erupted. He slashed. Fiery red sword qi, wrapped in seventy‑percent Sword Intent, swept horizontally toward Gu Yang. The sword qi even affected the ground as it moved, cracking the earth inch by inch and gouging a ten‑meter‑deep trench. The aftershock alone was terrifying, proof of the slash’s immense power.
Kong Yu and Mo Changan turned pale. “What a terrifying slash!” “Even a peak Baoyuan Realm master might not stop it!” “Not even a half‑step Yuanhai Realm could withstand it!” “This is a killing move, Gu Yang is in danger!”
The sword qi flew at incredible speed and reached Gu Yang in less than a breath. A scorching gale hit him, whipping his robes. Gu Yang’s eyes narrowed slightly. He raised his hand and gripped his mid‑grade spirit sword. Vast true qi erupted from his body, and peak ninety‑percent Sword Intent flared.
In the next instant, with a casual swing, terrifying power burst forth. A sharp, dark‑cyan sword qi shot skyward.
swish!
boom!
A blue and a red sword qi collided in midair. The impact unleashed such force it nearly tore the space apart. The thunderous shock echoed across the field. The ground shattered; rocks split. Even the air seemed to be sucked away. The residual sword pressure swept outward like a rampage.
The watching prodigies scrambled to defend themselves, unleashing true qi to resist. The lower‑level prodigies fared worse, their true qi could not withstand the pressure. One by one, they spat blood and collapsed; many fell lifeless on the spot.
The clash lasted over ten seconds. When it ended, a violent tremor rang out. The ground where the sword qi met had formed a crater hundreds of meters deep.
hiss!
The fiery red sword qi dissipated, but the cyan sword qi lingered for a moment longer. It surged on, unchanged in force, and aimed straight at Bai Tianhong. Bai Tianhong’s face changed; he hurriedly poured true qi into defense.
boom!
The remaining sword qi, razor‑sharp even as the last remnant, blasted Bai Tianhong backward hundreds of meters. He staggered, his face drained of color. He looked up at Gu Yang in stunned disbelief.
He had lost. How could this be? His seventy‑percent Sword Intent combined with the terrifying true qi of a seventh‑layer Baoyuan Realm and a perfected Earth‑grade supreme sword technique, yet he had failed to defeat Gu Yang. He clenched his sword, his expression ugly.
Everyone watched in shock. Bai Tianhong had been repelled, defeated in the sword‑qi exchange.
Inside the palace, the princes all inhaled sharply. “Bai Tianhong lost?” “I thought Bai Tianhong had reached peak eighty‑percent Sword Intent, why didn’t he go all out?” “Maybe Gu Yang is just too strong.” “Ninety‑percent peak Sword Intent… I’ve only read about that in ancient texts; it can probably shake space itself.” “Not only that, Gu Yang’s casual swing was at the level of an Earth‑grade supreme sword technique!”
The princes stared in horror. The Chu Emperor, seated at the front, also showed shock. “Not merely the level of an Earth‑grade supreme sword technique,” he said. “Gu Yang has mastered sword methods so thoroughly that even a casual strike equals a perfected Earth‑grade supreme sword technique.” The emperor’s gaze cut to the heart of Gu Yang’s true danger. At his words, the other princes grew even more stunned. A casual sword equaling a perfected Earth‑grade supreme technique, this bordered on the absurd.
On the field, Bai Tianhong calmed quickly despite his shock. His eyes still burned with fierce intent as he fixed his gaze on Gu Yang. “You… are impressive,” he said slowly, as if he had not minded being blasted back. He raised his sword again. From the exchange he had gained a sliver of insight; he felt a strange seed in his heart beginning to bloom. Although he had used only seventy‑percent Sword Intent…
Bai Tianhong had actually already mastered peak eighty‑percent Sword Intent. He had held back on purpose, for this very moment. He intended to use Gu Yang as a whetstone, to temper his own sword intent, so that he could suddenly comprehend ninety‑percent Sword Intent and reach the pinnacle.
At the thought, a sharp light flared in Bai Tianhong’s eyes. I can feel it, I’m about to grasp ninety‑percent Sword Intent and break through in battle! Joy surged through him. Indeed, to raise one’s sword intent one must seek out sword‑path geniuses and fight them, tempering oneself against them. That was the fastest way to advance. Challenging Gu Yang was clearly the right choice for Bai Tianhong.
Gu Yang’s sword foundation was terrifying. He saw Bai Tianhong’s state at a glance.
He really thinks of me as a whetstone? Gu Yang burned with anger. Use me as a whetstone? In your dreams!