Devour

Chapter 443 The Mastermind

The Righteous Sword Qi is actually a sophisticated sword technique that resonates with the will of Heaven and governs killing with righteousness. Its brilliance lies not only in the display of martial arts techniques and sword moves, but also in the externalization of the spiritual temperament of cultivators, expressing a clear mind and fearless will to the fullest extent.

Lin Zhengyuan exuded a calm and collected aura, his sword pointing with composure as it suddenly cleaved through the sky.

The same starting move, "Lone Shadow Treading Frosty Steps," when used by him, was far more powerful than the two opponents in the previous match.

With a flash of sword light and a soft "hiss," Lin Zhengyuan shattered Huang Yunzi's dazzling display of light with a single move, turning it into tiny specks of light that vanished.

Using the orthodox to overcome the unorthodox, like shattering glass, the difference in quality is immediately apparent!

Mr. Xiao San, sitting on the referee's stand, nodded slightly, stroked his beard, and praised, "Excellent! The sword is untainted by dust, and the heart is in harmony with the will of Heaven. Exquisite! This is the true spirit of the righteous sword."

In a corner of the spectator stands, Cheng Bai's eyes gleamed as he calmly analyzed the development of the battle. He pondered, "Judging solely from swordsmanship and sword realm attainments, Lin Zhengyuan is clearly superior. He has perfectly embodied the essence of 'the sword that does not triumph over evil!' Unless Huang Yunzi has other hidden strengths to back him up, he has no hope of winning this sword duel."

The students around him all came from prestigious families and were skilled in cultivation. At this moment, with their extraordinary insight, they almost reached a consensus on the situation.

"Lin Zhengyuan is going to win."

"The mighty sword energy is awe-inspiring throughout the world; it truly lives up to its reputation!"

"Huang Yunzi is too arrogant. His Flowing Light Sword Technique is not of a high enough grade. How can it shake the sword of righteousness?"

Just as the final verdict was about to be reached, an unexpected change occurred!

A sinister smile appeared on Huang Yunzi's lips. His yellow robe billowed like a whirlwind, and streaks of crimson sword energy suddenly contracted and exploded outwards from him!

The space in the arena trembled violently, and a huge fire lotus with yellow and red petals suddenly bloomed! The layers of fiery lotus petals were pure white inside and bright red on the outside, radiating amazing light and heat, making the entire training ground glow red.

The air was distorted, and a wave of heat swept over us, turning the spacious and bright arena into a giant furnace.

"World-Burning Fiery Lotus!"

"That's a unique domain phenomenon of the Blazing Fire Spirit Body, its power is like a prison!"

"Luckily, we're on the outer perimeter. If there had been no restrictions inside, everything would probably have been burned!"

The students present witnessed the dramatic change and were deeply shocked, so much so that they couldn't help but gasp in surprise.

Through his spiritual eye, Cheng Bai saw that the dazzling fire lotus presented a different, eerie scene.

It was enveloped in red and yellow flames, but its core was eerily pale! Its core was not the pure origin of the fiery spirit, but rather concealed a sinister and desolate essence of death.

Cheng Bai weighed the situation and suddenly realized: "The core of the Fire Lotus is intricately connected to the Bone Emperor! Although the hidden space within Huang Yunzi is not as vast as that of the Thick Earth Spirit Body, it is enough to conceal the Bone Lotus Immortal Flower. The Bone Emperor used this to create the domain phenomenon of the Human Puppet."

His eyes flashed, revealing a secret he kept hidden in his heart, while remaining outwardly calm.

Deep within the Burning World Lotus, a bone lotus, radiating a chilling white light, floats, aloof and independent. The Bone Emperor has completely merged with the bone lotus, causing the original eleven-petaled bone lotus to bloom into twelve petals.

However, one of its petals appears slightly duller and incomplete compared to the others, lacking only a sword bone; the fairy flower is not yet complete.

On the bone lotus platform, the Bone Emperor's torso had long since vanished, leaving only a solitary skull standing in the center.

A cold, eerie light flickered in the deep-set eye sockets of the skull, peering out through the fire lotus. The malice and greed in the divine sense, like a venomous snake, locked onto a location: "Heh heh... Finally, a suitable sword bone has appeared... Hmph! That brat surnamed Cheng is here too? What a small world. I'll find a chance to take him down."

Inside the arena, Lin Zhengyuan felt an extremely terrifying pressure from his opponent's strange phenomenon. The surrounding air suddenly turned into a viscous swamp of flames, as if it would be burned to ashes if touched.

"Soldiers of the Star River, rise!" Lin Zhengyuan unleashed his domain phenomenon without hesitation, his body bursting with fierce sword energy, flowing like a silver river and sweeping across all directions.

Each brilliant ray of light was a condensed sword energy, which converged into a surging torrent that instantly submerged the arena, helping him resist the intense heat from the fire lotus.

Strangely, the Star River of War, filled with the intent of war and killing, seemed to hit an invisible barrier when it reached within three feet of the World-Burning Lotus. No matter how Lin Zhengyuan tried to activate it, the phenomenon could not advance any further.

The sharp, piercing sword light attempted to break through the barrier, but was instead incinerated by the fiery lotus. The sword energy then shifted to a flanking maneuver, advancing in a circling pattern.

Thus, the magnificent spectacle remained on the field, like a pool of shimmering, yet deadly, starlight supporting a blazing, dazzling lotus of fire, colliding and annihilating each other in silence.

Mr. Xiao San sat high on the referee's seat, unaware of the anomaly within the Fire Lotus Domain, and still praised, "Lin Zhengyuan's swordsmanship is highly accomplished, his foundation is solid, and he is as stable as a rock. Huang Yunzi's unusual phenomenon has triggered the laws of heaven and earth, using fire to overcome metal and obliterate the evil spirits, giving him an even greater advantage."

He pondered the situation, stroked his beard, and said, "These two geniuses are evenly matched. The outcome of this contest is unpredictable!"

Cheng Bai's mind was far sharper than others: "The Bone Emperor risked everything to infiltrate the Taotie Academy and hide among the puppet phenomena. His goal is obvious! He must want to use Huang Yunzi's identity as a cover to find the last sword bone to complete the Twelve-Petal Bone Lotus."

The entire training ground was filled with the turbulent winds and clouds. Lin Zhengyuan, unable to gain the upper hand after a long period of attack, changed his move with his sword, which was as fierce as the raging waves of the ocean.

"A storm is brewing!" With a single sword strike, he forced the surrounding winds and clouds to change color, his surging sword intent condensing into a giant wave crashing against the shore, unstoppable.

This move had a wide-ranging effect, and its overwhelming pressure caused all the students present to turn pale with fright; those with weaker cultivation even felt suffocated.

Under the protection of the World-Burning Fire Lotus, Huang Yunzi suddenly felt the overwhelming celestial phenomena pressing down on him. Although he barely managed to control the phenomena to hold on, he was only defending and not attacking, and had already fallen behind in the contest of power.

Cheng Bai, watching the battle, was also convinced that "Lin Zhengyuan's actual level is higher, and if it comes to endurance, he will definitely have an absolute advantage."

Huang Yunzi sensed something was wrong and hurriedly transmitted his voice to the mastermind behind the scenes: "Master Gu, I am powerless to break this person's series of ultimate moves. I am already showing signs of defeat. I hope you can help me."

"His imposing sword aura is nothing but a hypocrite's guise of strength without substance. I, the Bone Emperor, will teach you how to break it!" The Bone Emperor sneered, his eyes flashing with a ghostly light, and commanded his puppet to make its move. "Listen carefully. Use the 'Dawn Star' technique of the Flowing Light Swordplay, concentrating your power on a single point, seeking speed and accuracy, to break through the surface with a single point! Even if his total sword power is stronger than yours, he will definitely not be able to withstand this move!"

Upon hearing this, Huang Yunzi was overjoyed and immediately withdrew his crimson sword energy, then condensed a thin, needle-like, and star-like sword beam at his fingertips.

"A lone ray of dawn!" Though the sword light was slender, its piercing power was terrifyingly strong, directly meeting the opponent's overwhelming sword energy, which was like a raging torrent.

"Not good!" Lin Zhengyuan felt as if he had been pierced by a red-hot steel needle by the surging wave of sword energy. He immediately realized the key point: "Old Master Huang has concentrated his sword power into a tiny point, while my attack range is too large, causing the power to be dispersed. Naturally, I am no match for him."

"Autumn waters break through the long smoke!" Lin Zhengyuan made a decisive move, withdrawing his sword finger and abruptly changing his stance.

The surging sword intent then condensed into a sharp, cold light as clear as autumn water, breaking through the obstacles and pointing directly at the sharpness of Huang Yunzi's "Solitary Star at Dawn"! Its precision and sharpness were even better than Huang Yunzi's.

Seeing the overwhelming offensive, Huang Yunzi dared not confront it head-on and was starting to panic when he heard the Bone Emperor instruct him: "Use 'Fleeting Time'! The complete set of six moves of the Flowing Light Sword Technique contains the essence of the passage of time, which is enough to neutralize all the overwhelming sword energy."

This sword move unfolds like fleeting years, ethereal and lingering yet concealing a deadly intent. The opponent, captivated by the sword's dazzling brilliance, is left unaware that the sharp edge has already silently slid past.

Lin Zhengyuan suddenly felt that the sword energy he used was as if it were piercing into the long river of time without any force. Feeling frustrated, he secretly wondered: "Is this fake Taoist priest taking the wrong medicine today, or is he on steroids? His swordsmanship is exquisite and unpredictable. How come it has a bit of the momentum to restrain the Haoran sword energy?"

He prided himself on being a master swordsman, possessing an unyielding spirit. Unwilling to be suppressed by someone using a low-level sword technique in front of everyone, he immediately changed his sword stance and his momentum surged as he unleashed "One Breath Suppresses Mountains and Rivers".

This move abandons the pursuit of skill and complexity, and instead returns to the original meaning of "righteous spirit" - to unite the spirit and sword intent into simple and pure chopping, pressing and shaking.

Wherever the sword energy passes, it is like Mount Tai pressing down, causing rivers to stop flowing. Relying on its unparalleled majesty and power of order, it quells the chaos in the world and intimidates all directions!