Duan Tianya was already a renowned figure among the younger generation, a true dragon among men. Everyone knew of his immense strength; his nine flying swords were nearly invincible among his peers.
Tian Fan, on the other hand, had only recently gained attention. Everything he did was astonishing, as if he were destined to surpass all. No one present was unaware of his remarkable feats.
These two were unparalleled heroes of their era. Just how powerful would their three strongest moves be? The spectators watched intently, afraid to miss even the smallest detail.
“Begin!”
Both shouted simultaneously. Duan Tianya’s nine flying swords radiated brilliantly. Five of the swords returned to his side, revolving above his head, emitting a five-colored divine glow that formed a protective halo around him. The remaining four flying swords, each unique in shape, hovered in front of him. Like the other swords, they shared a common trait: each blade pulsed with the essence of nature.
The four swords pointed skyward, emitting beams of elemental light. The beams spiraled together, merging into a four-colored sword light that pierced the heavens. As it appeared, various phenomena emerged: violent winds, light rain, thunder, and flashing lightning. The intense aura felt like a volcanic eruption, shaking the entire Fist Emperor Sect.
“Heavens, is it an earthquake?”
“This is terrifying! Run!”
Everyone was alarmed; the power was overwhelming. In the distance, a golden-robed man who had always maintained a cool expression furrowed his brows for the first time. He hadn’t expected Duan Tianya to invoke the forces of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning—the true forces of nature, incomparably powerful.
The crowd grew uneasy, their voices full of tension. The ground beneath them shook as if an earthquake were occurring. Just then, the Fist Emperor Sect’s master stomped his foot, and a layer of hazy brilliance spread from underfoot, covering the entire sect. Instantly, the quaking stopped, and a gentle breeze swept by, as if nothing had happened.
Such was the power of those in the Primordial Unity Realm. In an era without Immortals, they held absolute authority.
“First move, Heaven’s Sword—be cautious!” Duan Tianya’s voice was calm as the four-colored sword light, embodying the elements of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, descended upon Tian Fan.
On the other side, Tian Fan’s expression grew serious. From the sword light, he sensed the energies of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, particularly the latter two. Having survived a heavenly tribulation, he was especially sensitive to these forces. Fortunately, the sword’s beam merely contained traces of these phenomena, far less formidable than the tribulation’s thunder and lightning.
Golden light flashed, and for the first time, the “swast!ka” symbol above Tian Fan’s head emerged, radiating brilliant light. It rotated gently before him, emanating an imperial majesty. Tian Fan’s entire body glowed gold, his hair dyed in its light. He formed an intricate hand seal and pressed it toward the “swast!ka” symbol.
Boom!
The elements of wind, rain, thunder, and lightning circled around, while the majestic “swast!ka” symbol clashed with a series of intense blasts. Each illusion that appeared vanished quickly. Tian Fan, as if struck by lightning, was forced back several meters, blood trickling from his mouth. Duan Tianya, though not bleeding, had a pale face, suffering a considerable internal injury.
“Brother Tian Fan, are you alright?” Duan Tianya forced a smile despite his pale face and asked.
“Heh, I’m not dead yet. Let’s continue!” Tian Fan replied, wiping the blood from his mouth. He clenched his fists, silver light flowing over them. His hands moved swiftly, forming seal after seal of the Five Elements. Countless silver ancient characters surrounded him, emitting a powerful sacred light. With a change of incantation, the Divine Celestial Heart Sutra began to circulate, and nine golden, hazy characters appeared in his left hand, forming a heavenly sword. Golden light flashed in his eyes, and a golden sun appeared at his brow, unleashing countless spiritual forces into a realm outside his body.
Boom!
Duan Tianya’s four flying swords returned to replace the five above his head, spinning rapidly to form a five-colored halo, targeting Tian Fan. Within, the essence of the Five Elements flowed, with the golden sword emerging.
At Duan Tianya’s mental command, it sent a golden beam forward. The sky turned a dazzling gold, colliding with Tian Fan’s nine golden characters, resulting in a massive explosion that pushed both back a step.
“Water Sword!” Duan Tianya shouted as the Water Sword appeared in the ring, like an exquisite ice sculpture, beautiful yet intimidating. At that moment, the entire space seemed to fill with water ripples. The Water Sword’s Qi materialized into visible waves, converging overhead like a vast ocean, pouring down upon Tian Fan.
“Suppress!” Tian Fan shouted, thrusting his hands forward. Countless silver ancient characters around him formed a silver “Suppress” symbol, countering the Water Sword’s Qi.
Facing such a formidable opponent for the first time, Tian Fan was forced to use the “Suppress” technique. Silver light surged from what seemed to be an ancient divine realm, calm yet imposing, charging through the vast sea like a silver dragon. Wherever it passed, everything yielded, and the endless Water Sword Qi vanished from the sky.
The battle continued fiercely. Duan Tianya, fully determined, wielded the Wood Sword, filling the world with green as if creating a forest. He swung the Fire Sword, filling the sky with flames, engulfing Tian Fan in a sea of fire. The Earth Sword spun, and a radiant mountain descended from above like Mount Tai pressing down on Tian Fan. Finally, he commanded all five swords at once—gold, wood, water, fire, and earth—attacking simultaneously. The Five Elements’ Qi flowed around, overwhelming Tian Fan with tremendous pressure.
“Ah! Break through!” Tian Fan shouted, propelling the “Suppress” symbol skyward. The nine golden characters, enshrouded in a faint chaotic aura, transformed into a divine arrow that shot forward. His Heart Desire technique spun wildly, disrupting the Five Elements Sword’s trajectory. In the sky, green wood broke, gray earth crumbled, and fierce flames extinguished. All attacks were repelled, but a more powerful divine light shattered the “Suppress” symbol, striking Tian Fan. The arrow formed by his nine ancient characters dimmed, but it pierced through all attacks, flying toward Duan Tianya.
Boom!
A massive energy surge erupted as both figures fell from the sky. Tian Fan spat out blood, his face pale as a sheet, while Duan Tianya wasn’t much better, with a bloodied hole through his chest, staining his white robe. Both were heavily injured, but Tian Fan’s condition was notably worse. He was barely able to stand, breathing heavily.
“Old rascal, this time I’ve won! Prepare the refined iron for me, hahaha…” The Flying Sword Sect master laughed proudly. He sensed that Tian Fan’s divine power fluctuations were now much weaker than Duan Tianya’s; this might be his first victory.
“Hmph, there’s still one more move. The outcome is uncertain. I’ll wager another thousand pieces of ground gold on Tian Fan’s victory!” Sun Shennan grumbled, increasing his bet on Tian Fan.
“Haha, not backing down, are you? Let’s make it interesting then!” The Flying Sword Sect master laughed, matching the wager. Nearby, the Fist Emperor Sect’s master moved aside, embarrassed to be seen with them.
“Hehe, Brother Tian Fan, two moves down. The final move will decide the outcome.” Duan Tianya pressed his hand to his chest, circulating his energy to stop the bleeding, and spoke weakly to Tian Fan.
“Alright, the final move. I won’t lose!” Tian Fan turned to look at Li Yunyang and the others, his expression resolute. Straightening his posture, a silver lotus platform appeared beneath him, lifting him gently. Countless lotus leaves danced around, merging into his body.
In an instant, an immense, holy aura emanated from Tian Fan, radiating across the entire Fist Emperor Sect…
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