Chapter 12: A Single Slash, A Single Sword
“Wield the Sword Decree? You’re not worthy!”
The sudden voice silenced the entire training ground. Every pair of eyes turned sharply toward the young swordsman near the center.
“Su Xin?”
“Young master?”
Most present wore expressions of shock.
Su Xin had also passed the first round’s ‘Raindrop’ trial and was one of the ten advancing to the second round; his presence had not gone unnoticed.
Yet Su Xin’s cultivation level was merely True Martial Realm, Ninth Layer. Although it was surprising that he made it to the second round, the Su family held no high hopes for him.
When Zhao Ling declared he would challenge everyone alone, Su Qinghong and his group teamed up as four, deliberately excluding Su Xin.
At mere True Martial Ninth Layer, he was normally of little help.
But now, with Zhao Ling having easily defeated Su Qinghong and the others who had joined forces, only Su Xin remained—and he dared to step forward?
“Is Su Xin courting death?”
At the edge of the training ground, Zhao Qing’s eyes glowed red as he watched.
He hoped Su Xin would overestimate himself and attack, so his elder brother could exact vengeance.
“Su Xin, you’re no match for him; step back,” Su Yuning called out, pale-faced at the edge.
As Su Xin’s cousin, once close though estranged after an incident three years prior, Su Yuning did not want him to push forward and make a useless show of strength.
Zhao Ling looked at Su Xin with disdain, shaking his head. “If this was three years ago, you might have barely qualified as my opponent. But now…”
Ignoring the gazes around him, Su Xin stepped forward without glancing at Zhao Ling, instead fixing his cold, fierce eyes on the four men gathered behind Zhao Ling.
These four were the retainers who had advanced to the second round but then withdrawn—each a True Martial Realm, Tenth Layer cultivator.
“What does Su Xin want?” The four exchanged puzzled looks.
“Facing four alone?” Su Xin murmured.
Then—
Clang!
The long sword was drawn.
Su Xin’s figure flashed like flowing light, instantly covering dozens of yards to stand before the four.
A dazzling sword light erupted, beautiful and blinding.
“He’s charging at the four of us?”
“Is he crazy?”
The four True Martial Tenth Layer cultivators were startled, stunned.
They had already withdrawn from the competition. Why would Su Xin attack them?
“That strike!”
One among them, stronger than the rest, suddenly changed expression and shouted, “Watch out!”
He roared sharply; the others, sensing the sword’s power, immediately moved to defend.
Shing! Shing! Shing! Shing!
The sound of blades piercing flesh rang out almost simultaneously as Su Xin’s silhouette appeared behind them.
Terrified, their eyes widened; some gasped. They felt a stabbing pain in their chests and saw fresh blood splatter from their bodies.
Whoosh!
All four were sent flying backward, their auras collapsing instantly.
One sword stroke—four True Martial Tenth Layers grievously wounded in an instant!
Su Xin turned, his icy gaze like the grim reaper’s, piercing Zhao Ling. His voice was cold and resolute.
“Zhao Ling, draw your blade!”
“Show me your swordsmanship!”
“Bring forth your full strength!”
“Use every skill, exhaust every tactic to fight me!”
“Because after this battle, you will die!”
...
Silence!
The once noisy martial arts arena, filled with over a thousand spectators, was utterly silent.
All eyes were wide with disbelief, fixed on the young figure at the center of the field.
---
One sword strike inflicted serious injury on four True Martial Tenth Layers simultaneously!
What kind of power was this?
Recall, Zhao Ling had just defeated Su Qinghong and his three companions—four men—in a one-on-four fight with a single blade.
Zhao Ling used one blade.
Now Su Xin also used only one sword strike?
And Su Xin’s stroke was even more precise and decisive.
Coupled with his words:
“Draw your blade!”
“Show your swordsmanship!”
“Bring all your might!”
“Use every trick...”
“This battle ends with your death!”
At that moment, the Su family’s hearts stirred profoundly.
The despair that had gripped them, born of shock at Zhao Ling’s strength, was reignited fiercely.
“Su Xin!”
All eyes on the field turned once more to Su Xin.
From the stands, Su Baichen, Elder Su Tietong, and even Yuan Qing of the Crimson Dragon Pavilion cast their gazes upon him.
He had become the undeniable center of attention in this grand contest.
“That sword strike just now...”
Zhao Ling’s brow furrowed slightly. He understood the strength of the four True Martial Tenth Layers from the retainer faction well. Though none quite reached the pinnacle like Su Qinghong, their combined might was formidable. To seriously wound all four with a single sword strike was no easy feat—even for him.
“Looks like I underestimated you,” Zhao Ling said, finally regarding Su Xin with genuine attention, his expression more solemn than before.
Su Xin’s sword stroke alone had proven his strength.
“This is more like it,” Zhao Ling smiled, slowly drawing his battle blade.
“He’s drawing his blade!”
“Coming out swinging right away?”
“Obviously. Su Xin’s sword strike showed power not far behind Zhao Ling’s. Of course he has to draw his blade!”
The crowd murmured, but soon fell silent.
All held their breath, watching intently.
At the center, Su Xin and Zhao Ling—one wielding a sword, the other a battle blade—stood dozens of yards apart, eyes locked fiercely.
A breeze swept through.
Then—
Swish! Swish!
Both figures moved simultaneously.
Two fleeting shadows vanished like meteors colliding.
Boom!
A tremendous crash sent shudders through those nearby.
In the center, Su Xin bent his waist swiftly while Zhao Ling arched his body like a bow. Their sword and battle blade clashed head-on, terrifying force erupting from their bodies, shaking the surrounding air with a piercing sonic boom.
The ground beneath them cracked, fissures spreading outward. The shockwaves lifted stones, which floated as if weightless.
In an instant, both were knocked backward.
Yet, as soon as they regained footing—Boom!
An even more ferocious blast erupted. Their blades collided again.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
A series of explosive clashes thundered forth.
No flashy moves, no intricate techniques—just raw, brutal force smashing against raw, brutal force.
Clash against clash!
Each collision compressed the earth beneath, shattering it and sending gusts of wind sweeping in all directions.
In the blink of an eye, a dozen such fierce clashes had erupted.
---
“Incredible speed!”
“Terrifying power!”
“This force... it’s beyond what a True Martial Realm cultivator should be capable of!”
The surrounding crowd was utterly electrified.
“Master!”
“Master!”
Su Xin’s attendant, dressed in red, cried out in joy and excitement, witnessing his lord’s overwhelming strength.
“Su Xin!”
“Su Xin!”
The younger generation of the Su family roared with renewed fervor.
They had long since forgotten the incident three years ago and the family’s decline it caused. Now, Su Xin embodied their pride and honor, fiercely battling Zhao Ling and displaying power that commanded their full respect.
In this world, might was all.
“So strong!”
“Just hearing the clash nearby, without even witnessing, you can tell it’s beyond the peak of True Martial Tenth Layer!”
Su Qinghong, Su Yuning, and the other three who had been defeated by Zhao Ling stood together, eyes fixed in awe on the two combatants exchanging furious blows.
Only now did they truly grasp the terrifying extent of Zhao Ling’s strength.
Previously, Zhao Ling had not shown his full power against them.
Zhao Ling’s strength was extraordinary, and they understood that.
But Su Xin?
“A True Martial Ninth Layer, holding his own in raw strength against Zhao Ling?” Su Qinghong’s mind reeled.
What he didn’t know was that although Su Xin was indeed only True Martial Ninth Layer, he was at its peak. After cultivating a legacy technique, his spiritual power rivaled that of an average True Martial Tenth Layer.
Most crucially, he possessed a supreme bloodline power.
When unleashed, Su Xin’s bloodline power dramatically amplified his strength, surpassing even the peak of the Tenth Layer.
Boom!
Another fearsome clash echoed, and the two finally paused.
Across the distance, they faced each other, still enveloped in terrifying spiritual energy.
“A True Martial Ninth Layer holding his own in dozens of direct clashes without faltering—Su Xin, you truly have some skill!”
Zhao Ling’s cold voice echoed across the training ground.
At first, Zhao Ling had completely disregarded Su Xin, a genius imprisoned in the Magic Suppression Prison for three years. But after Su Xin’s sword strike grievously wounded the four retainers, Zhao Ling was astonished and began to regard Su Xin seriously.
Now, he fully recognized Su Xin as a worthy opponent.
Simply holding one’s ground in direct collisions against Zhao Ling at full strength was enough to qualify as a rival.
“Su Xin!”
“Now, I will begin to wield my swordsmanship.”
“A True Martial Ninth Layer forcing me to use my techniques—just this alone is worthy of your pride.”
Zhao Ling’s voice continued.
Hearing this, the Su family’s strong warriors and disciples, excited by Su Xin’s strength, trembled inwardly.
They remembered that Zhao Ling had once cleared the eleventh floor of the True Martial Pavilion—his skills were already of the highest caliber.
How powerful would his swordsmanship be?
Could Su Xin still contend with him?
“Swordsmanship?”
“I’m eager to see.”
Su Xin smiled coldly, pointing his sword toward Zhao Ling.
Whoosh!
Zhao Ling drew his blade in an instant.
...