Chapter 14: Boom! Boom! Boom!

At the center of the battlefield, Zhao Ling, who had just broken through to the Transformation Sea Realm, radiated an overwhelming aura. His gaze fixed coldly and resentfully on Su Xin.

“Die!” With venom in his voice, Zhao Ling swung his battle blade fiercely. A terrifying blade light instantly materialized, cleaving toward Su Xin with unstoppable force.

Knowing he was no match for Su Xin in technique, Zhao Ling no longer relied on skillful swordplay but sought to crush his opponent purely through sheer power. Having ascended beyond the Transformation Sea Realm, the strength behind this strike was magnified severalfold compared to before.

“The power behind that strike...” The Su family disciples nearby shuddered involuntarily at the terrifying might contained within the blade.

“Master!” The man in the red robe held his breath, anxiety tightening in his chest. The Third Elder, Su Baihu, closest to the battlefield, wore a grave expression, prepared to intervene at once if Su Xin faltered—he would not allow Su Xin to fall to Zhao Ling.

Yet, despite the overwhelming power in Zhao Ling’s strike, no hint of panic showed on Su Xin’s face.

As the blade light approached, Su Xin suddenly stepped forward with a swift lunge, swinging his long sword to meet the attack head-on once more.

“Seeking death!” Zhao Ling sneered viciously.

Boom!

A deafening clash echoed through the air. This collision was far more intense than any before; the ground beneath shattered into dust under the force of their impact.

But the exchange lasted only moments before Su Xin staggered back three heavy steps, each footfall cracking the earth beneath him.

“What?” Zhao Ling looked up, disbelief etched across his face.

“Zhao Ling has broken through to the Transformation Sea Realm, amplifying his blade’s power several times over, yet after such a powerful strike, Su Xin only retreats three steps?” The onlookers were stunned.

To be pushed back only slightly in a direct clash meant their strength was not vastly different. But Zhao Ling had reached the Transformation Sea Realm!

“Is there still a gap?” Su Xin’s expression remained calm, unsurprised by the outcome.

Though Zhao Ling’s strength had surged upon his breakthrough, he had consistently relied on a unique advantage: the power of his bloodline. During the preliminary trials, when he first entered the eighth tier of True Martial Cultivation, he fought Hong Fang—already at the peak of the eighth tier—and matched him blow for blow. Yet with even a slight activation of his bloodline power, he utterly overwhelmed Hong Fang.

Today, facing Zhao Ling, Su Xin had already unleashed half of his bloodline power from the start.

With just fifty percent of that power, he held his ground evenly against Zhao Ling. Now, with Zhao Ling breaking through and unleashing seventy percent of his bloodline's strength during their clash, his power had increased dramatically.

That’s why Su Xin had only been forced back three steps.

If Su Xin were to unleash his full bloodline power, he was confident he could completely crush Zhao Ling, even at the Transformation Sea Realm.

“I’m a ninth-tier True Martial cultivator. For my raw power alone to match Zhao Ling, who’s just broken through to the Transformation Sea Realm, is already absurd. If I fully unleashed my power, crushing him outright, it would be earth-shattering. Most would immediately guess I’d awakened my bloodline—and a formidable one at that,” Su Xin murmured to himself.

Yet he had no desire to unleash his full power.

More importantly, seventy percent was already sufficient.

“Zhao Ling, you’ve shown all your blade techniques and tricks, haven’t you?” Su Xin’s gaze turned icy as he stared down Zhao Ling. “Now it’s time for you to witness my swordsmanship.”

Zhao Ling’s expression darkened.

The spectators suddenly recalled that since their fight began, aside from the initial exchanges, Su Xin hadn’t truly displayed his sword skills.

Indeed, he hadn’t.

Even when parrying Zhao Ling’s blade techniques, Su Xin’s swordplay seemed casual. But all could see his swordsmanship was far more terrifying than Zhao Ling’s blade.

“The First Sword Technique!”

On the stands, even Yuan Qing, who had reached the Void-Breaking Realm, watched intently.

Su Xin tightened his grip on the long sword in his right hand and moved.

Swirling sword lights swept out like a flurry of snowflakes drifting through the air.

But these “snowflakes” were actually cold, deadly sword lights.

“The Snowfall Sword Technique!”

Everyone immediately recognized the sword technique.

Not long ago, when Su Qinghong and others had jointly attacked Zhao Ling, Su Yuning had employed this very technique.

Yet Su Yuning’s use of it was entirely different from Su Xin’s.

Too fast.

The blinking snowflakes were too numerous and dense.

Ordinary tenth-tier True Martial cultivators would be pierced like a hornet’s nest within this deadly flurry.

Still, Zhao Ling had broken through to the Transformation Sea Realm, greatly enhancing his strength, speed, and most importantly, his awareness and perception. Even as the sword lights swirled like snowflakes, he swung his blade like lightning, scattering them away.

“Su Xin, you dare humiliate me!” Zhao Ling roared, “Use the Snow-Splitting Style!”

“As you wish!” Su Xin instantly changed his sword technique.

Whoosh!

A cold sword shadow flashed into view.

The Snow-Splitting Nine Forms was the strongest move within the Snowfall Sword Technique—nine consecutive strikes, each faster than the last.

Yet Su Xin’s first sword surpassed even the ninth strike Su Yuning had shown, moving far swifter.

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

Zhao Ling concentrated fully, swinging his battle blade to block each attack.

In the blink of an eye, he had blocked the ninth strike.

“Haha, Su Xin, your swordsmanship is nothing special!” Zhao Ling laughed mockingly, but his face suddenly changed.

“What?”

After blocking the ninth strike, an even faster, more ferocious tenth strike appeared!

“Tenth strike!”

The crowd gasped, some jaws dropping.

The Snow-Splitting Style’s manual recorded only nine strikes—yet Su Xin had produced a tenth?

Though startled and flustered, Zhao Ling reacted swiftly and barely managed to block the tenth strike.

But no sooner had he done so than the eleventh strike appeared.

Zhao Ling blocked it with great difficulty.

The twelfth strike made his scalp crawl; he barely held on at the limit of his strength.

The thirteenth strike forced him to raise his blade horizontally to defend, then knocked him heavily backward, nearly dislodging his weapon.

Then came the fourteenth strike.

This was currently Su Xin’s most perfected, strongest sword move.

Zhao Ling had no chance to block it.

Shing!

The icy sword edge sliced across Zhao Ling’s face, tearing flesh away.

He stood there dazed, feeling the cold on his cheek. A sticky smear told him blood flowed freely.

Clearly, a sword scar now marred his face, deeper than any of the previous thirteen. This wound would be permanent.

Zhao Ling lost all composure.

“Su Xin!!”

“I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!!”

Hysterical screams and roars echoed throughout the Martial Arts Arena.

His eyes bloodshot with madness, veins bulged wildly on his neck and forehead, and blood mist surged around him.

He was utterly insane.

“This is bad!”

“That’s the Mad Demon Blade!”

The nearby Transformation Sea Realm experts’ faces changed drastically.

The Mad Demon Blade was a special technique practiced by Zhao Ling’s father, Zhao Tianlei, which drove the user into a frenzy, greatly boosting their power temporarily.

But the side effects were terrifying. Zhao Tianlei, a Void-Breaking Realm master, could barely maintain a thread of reason during its use, avoiding total madness.

Zhao Ling had just barely broken through to the Transformation Sea Realm; his will was weak. Once unleashed, he would lose all reason and fight to the death.

Zhao Tianlei had taught Zhao Ling this technique as a last resort, a trump card to survive life-or-death situations.

Now, in his fury, Zhao Ling had unleashed it outright.

Once the Mad Demon Blade was activated, it meant no surrender, no retreat.

“Master!”

Su Baihu, the referee, saw Zhao Ling’s madness and immediately glanced toward the stands, wanting to ask Su Baichen whether to intervene.

Su Baichen frowned slightly, hesitated, then shook his head.

“Big brother!”

Zhao Qing, seeing Zhao Ling’s madness, became anxious. “Lord Longyuan, please act quickly—stop my brother!”

Longyuan was a top-tier expert of the Retainer Faction, having reached the peak of the Transformation Sea Realm. Since Zhao Tianlei left for Tianshui City, Longyuan effectively led the faction.

“Wait,” Longyuan waved a hand, his voice low. “Though the Mad Demon Blade’s side effects are severe—your brother will need to rest in bed for over half a month—it won’t endanger his life or future prospects.

“At this moment, only by unleashing the Mad Demon Blade can your brother contend with Su Xin and still have a chance to seize the Sword Token. If I intervene now, your brother will surely lose.”

Hearing this, Zhao Qing fell silent.

“Die! Die!”

“All must die!”

Zhao Ling, lost to madness, surged forward like a wild beast, radiating suffocating pressure as he lunged at Su Xin.

But Su Xin smiled faintly.

“Finally forced to this point, huh?”

“Then it’s time to end this!”

On the battlefield, Su Xin gripped his long sword tightly and suddenly closed his eyes.

In an instant, his eyes snapped open again, brimming with a terrifying murderous intent.

Whoosh!

Su Xin struck.

At first glance, it was an ordinary sword strike.

Yet the moment the sword light appeared—

Boom!

The entire world seemed to darken, leaving only this sword light shining brightly.

It was the sole beacon in the night.

“That strike!”

On the stands, Su Baichen—always calm and steady—suddenly revealed unprecedented brilliance in his eyes.

“That is...!”

Yuan Qing, the overseer of the Scarlet Dragon Tower and a man of great insight, stood up in shock upon seeing the sword light.

Both Void-Breaking Realm masters recognized the strike.

Even those who did not recognize it could sense the overwhelming terror contained within Su Xin’s sword.

“No good!”

Longyuan of the Retainer Faction had hoped Zhao Ling could match Su Xin with the Mad Demon Blade, but now his expression darkened. In an instant, he dashed onto the battlefield.

“Su Xin, stop!”

Su Baihu panicked as well. Feeling the murderous aura radiating from Su Xin, he rushed to intervene.

But it was too late.

Shing!

The icy blade sliced cleanly across Zhao Ling’s neck; his head was severed and flew through the air.

Zhao Ling’s eyes remained bloodshot with madness, his body still clutching the battle blade as he staggered forward a few steps.

Then his head fell, and his body collapsed heavily to the ground.

“A retainer who betrays his master!”

“Daring to seize the master’s authority!”

“Such a man deserves death!”

Su Xin’s cold voice resonated slowly throughout the arena.

Zhao Ling—the eldest son of Zhao Tianlei, the prodigious youth of the Retainer Faction, who had broken through to the Transformation Sea Realm and dared to covet the Su family’s Sword Token—was dead.