Chapter 10: The Second Divine Martial Tournament, Section 12: A Sword to the Throat (Part II)

Yet, those on the pavilion knew the truth. Wei Wuquan clearly intended to participate, so how could it be "inappropriate" to fight? It was obvious he feared Li Yijian's martial arts and dared not step onto the stage.

A master from the Jianyue Sect immediately leaped onto the stage, glaring and barking, "You beggar, who put you up to slandering our sect's uncle? Watch me teach you a lesson!"

As he spoke, he moved to draw his sword.

In a flash of blinding light, as if reflecting the scorching sun, Li Yijian moved with the speed of a gale, his blade flashing like lightning. Before the Jianyue master had even drawn his sword halfway, his throat had already been severed by Li Yijian’s blade.

The crowd erupted in an uproar, becoming increasingly convinced by Li Yijian’s claims and suspecting that the Sword God of Northern Wei was truly too terrified to face him.

"You Jianyue Sect members are all cut from the same cloth! Today, I shall show no mercy! Wei Wuquan, you cowardly rat, too afraid to pay the price for your own deeds, you send your fellow disciples to their deaths instead. You are lower than pigs and dogs!"

Seven or eight more experts from the Jianyue Sect leaped onto the stage in succession, yet none lasted a single move against Li Yijian.

The name "Li Yijian" was no longer just intriguing; it was terrifying.

"Impressive. His sword is so fast that I fear he could wound me within three strikes," Chu Gaoge remarked, a surprisingly high evaluation. He then asked, "Brother, what do you think?"

Ling Luo replied candidly, "If I let him get within a yard, I wouldn't be able to block a single strike."

Ling Luo was not being humble, though whether Li Yijian could actually get within a yard of him was another matter.

What truly baffled Bu Jingxian and Ling Luo—both possessors of "God-10" talent—was how Li Yijian’s sword could be so impossibly fast. It clearly defied the definitions of human capability set by the Northern Spirit Elder. Was the Elder wrong, or had they, as his disciples, failed to fully explore the limits of their own potential?

As more Jianyue experts fell, Bu Jingxian and the others noticed a strange phenomenon. Every time Li Yijian struck, the purple shadow covering his body—which symbolized his Spirit count—would suddenly vanish, only reappearing in their "Spirit Eyes" once his attack ceased.

This anomaly gave them all a sudden realization. They surmised that the secret to Li Yijian’s freakish speed must be related to his martial arts, and the root of that mystery was a different, ingenious application of Spirit.

*Could it be a technique that converts Spirit into combat efficiency?* Bu Jingxian speculated inwardly.

With the Jianyue Sect suffering heavy losses, Wei Wuquan faced mounting pressure but remained determined not to step onto the stage. The others simply watched the spectacle, refusing to intervene.

The judge called out, "If no one challenges him within one quarter of an hour, Li Yijian will proceed to challenge the disciple of the Feixian Sect named by the Martial Venerable: Qiyue."

Bu Jingxian couldn't help but sweat for Qiyue. He pretended to walk to the railing to watch the battle, observing Qiyue below. He saw her staring at Li Yijian with a puzzled expression, lost in thought. Clearly, she too was baffled by his incredibly swift strikes.

Another half-hour passed, and the Sword God of Northern Wei still refused to take the stage. Even the many wandering martial artists refused to challenge him, seemingly intimidated by Li Yijian’s prowess.

This result accelerated the pace of the Divine Martial Arena. Some experts of the Feixian Sect were unsure whether to challenge him, glancing toward the pavilion for guidance. Zheng Linran could not make up her mind either; she saw that Li Yijian’s swordsmanship was truly alarmingly fast and his combat power exceptionally high. Attempting to wound him from a distance with brute internal energy was impossible.

If a Feixian Sect expert took the stage and lost, they would forfeit the right to challenge others. Those who coveted the title of Martial Venerable were hoping Li Yijian would exhaust Qiyue’s strength, while also providing a chance to gauge her true skill.

Zheng Linran felt that to defeat Li Yijian, a Feixian expert would have to rely on a Spirit energy burst, but given his speed, he would be gone before the burst could land.

She couldn't help but look at Qiu Ye, who was simply drinking without a care, not even looking at her. Zheng Linran was infuriated.

Bu Jingxian, originally having no intention of fighting, now felt compelled to step up—not for any other reason than to test Li Yijian’s martial arts himself. He felt that guessing from the sidelines was useless. Li Yijian’s skill had given him tremendous inspiration, providing a clear epiphany regarding the "No-Move" style of the Soul Technique. Furthermore, in his heart, Bu Jingxian didn't consider Qiyue to be particularly clever and feared she might be killed by Li Yijian if she couldn't respond effectively.

If Li Yijian possessed vast amounts of Spirit, Bu Jingxian knew he wouldn't be a match, but Li Yijian only had one Spirit; he was confident he had a way to win.

The Soul Technique’s "No-Move" was powerful and formidable, lacking only an edge in speed. If he could unlock the mystery of Li Yijian’s speed, the combat effectiveness of the Soul Technique would be greatly enhanced!

With a chuckle, he shed his royal robes.

"Such a fast sword—it makes my hands itch."

"Oh? The Northern Monarch actually intends to enter the fray?" Chu Gaoge was caught off guard, unable to fathom Bu Jingxian’s thoughts.

Qiu Ye glanced at him sideways and suddenly smiled lightly. "I knew the Northern Monarch would eventually step down."

Bu Jingxian didn't understand what she meant and felt bewildered. Without hesitation, he leaped from the pavilion and landed directly on the stage.

The judge quickly announced, "In this bout, the Northern Monarch challenges Li Yijian."

Hearing it was the Northern Monarch, the crowd looked on with curiosity, secretly wondering if this "Ten-Thousand-Enemy" of the Black Wolf Tribe, who had risen to prominence in recent years, could be a match for Li Yijian.

Li Yijian stopped cursing Wei Wuquan, folded his arms with his sword, and said, "I do not wish to kill or injure the innocent today."

"I have no intention of hindering Young Master Li’s revenge. However, the Sword God of Northern Wei clearly refuses to fight, and the competition today must not be stalled because of you. Furthermore, I greatly admire your martial arts; my curiosity was piqued, and I couldn't resist coming up to ask for a lesson."

Hearing this, Li Yijian replied, "In that case, Northern Monarch, be careful. My martial arts are vicious, and I may not be able to control them perfectly."

"Please, Young Master, draw your sword."

Qiyue, at the edge of the stage, was taken aback, unable to understand why he had stepped up. If he wanted to show off, he should have waited until after she had fought Li Yijian. Everyone wanted to see her exhaust her strength against him! The experts present knew Li Yijian’s strength but all had strategies to deal with him while minimizing damage.

Why was this Northern Monarch stealing the spotlight?

Zheng Linran, up on the pavilion, was equally confused but secretly delighted. It was best that the Northern Monarch went up; he would surely go up and never come down!

"Northern Monarch, are you not going to exert your full power?" Li Yijian asked, then added, "I understand. This must be a method of concealing one’s power, making it impossible to judge its threat by sight."

Physicality: 3300 (Soul Technique base 1100, multiplied by 200 for the Tenth Layer). Internal Energy: 100. Spirit: 10. Spirit: 7. Calculating the Soul Technique’s special abilities and the "Hundred-Battles" talent, his actual combat power was 11,000, with an absolute combat power of 77,000.

Chu Gaoge and Ling Luo could see the combat power of Bu Jingxian’s Tenth Layer Soul Technique clearly through their Spirit Eyes.

They were all secretly astonished, wondering what divine technique he practiced that was so tyrannical, explaining his shocking strength and his ability to lift the massive stone stele of the Martial Arena.

Zheng Linran, unaware of Bu Jingxian’s "Hundred-Battles" talent and the Soul Technique’s special ability to double damage and resistance, judged his actual combat power to be only 6,800. She thought it was decent, but laughed to herself, thinking that the Black Wolf Tribe truly had no real talent if someone with that level of power could be called a "Ten-Thousand-Enemy."

Li Yijian drew his sword and attacked.