Every cultivator on the deck was a proud genius, a chosen scion of their sect. How could they possibly stomach Long Yufeng’s biting sarcasm? Their expressions darkened collectively, the air heavy with suppressed hostility.

Li Qiwen was not an arrogant man, but he wasn’t a doormat either. His gaze settled on Su Xuan.

Su Xuan was at the early Golden Core stage. He was tactful, smooth in his dealings, and possessed considerable strength. Sending him out for Calamity Abyss Valley’s first match was the safest play to secure an early win.

“Su Xuan. You’re up.”

Su Xuan nodded with a polished smile. His figure blurred, reappearing instantly in the center of the plaza. He cupped his hands toward the bow of the ship, his demeanor impeccable.

“Calamity Abyss Valley, Li Family retainer Su Xuan. Early Golden Core stage. I seek your guidance.”

He held a jade-green flute in one hand, standing with the elegance of a scholar.

On the ship’s bow, Qing Yuanzi of the Jade Void Sect flicked his horsetail whisk, his expression serene.

“Fellow Daoist Su possesses exceptional grace. I have a Junior Brother whose cultivation mirrors yours—perfect for a friendly exchange. Qingfeng, go.”

On the plaza, a young man dressed in similar Daoist robes stepped forward. He held a simple green wooden sword.

“Yes, Senior Brother.”

The disciple named Qingfeng landed opposite Su Xuan, clasping his hands in a formal bow. “Jade Void Sect, Qingfeng. Early Golden Core. Please instruct me, Fellow Daoist Su.”

Su Xuan remained composed, nodding slightly as his opponent took his stance.

“Fellow Daoist Qingfeng is too polite. Please.”

In the next instant, a melodious flute note rose into the air. But this was no decadent, leisure tune. It carried the heavy, iron-blooded aura of clashing armies—a martial rhythm that stirred the blood.

The sound waves materialized into invisible, razor-sharp blades, stacking layer upon layer like a tidal wave crashing toward Qingfeng.

Qingfeng’s expression didn’t flicker. He shook his wooden sword, and a brilliant green light erupted. Solid, condensed wood-element Sword Qi shot through the air, colliding with the sonic blades.

Chi! Chi!

Muffled tearing sounds echoed as the attacks annihilated each other.

The two engaged in a fierce exchange. The flute’s melody shifted constantly—sometimes high and piercing, other times low and lingering. Sword Qi crisscrossed the air, agitating the ambient spiritual energy into a turbulent storm.

Su Xuan’s jade flute was a devious weapon; it didn’t just fire sonic blasts, it wove illusions to rattle the opponent’s mind.

Qingfeng, however, was a fortress. His wooden sword possessed an endless, regenerative vitality. His technique was ancient and heavy, his defense watertight. Yet, his occasional counterattacks were sharp enough to draw blood.

The cultivators in the plaza watched with bated breath. For the Foundation Establishment disciples in the crowd, witnessing a duel between Golden Core experts was a rare privilege.

Zhou Kai watched with narrowed eyes. He saw it clearly: Su Xuan’s attacks were more bizarre and varied, but Qingfeng’s foundation was rock-solid. Every strike from that wooden sword carried terrifying weight and exquisite control.

Ding!

A crisp, high-pitched ring pierced the air. Su Xuan’s jade flute and Qingfeng’s wooden sword slammed together violently.

Both men grunted, the impact forcing them to slide back several steps.

A trickle of blood leaked from the corner of Su Xuan’s mouth. A fine, spiderweb crack marred the surface of his jade flute.

Qingfeng’s face was pale, his sword hand trembling ever so slightly, but his eyes remained tranquil.

“Fellow Daoist Su, I concede,” Qingfeng said, sheathing his sword.

Su Xuan offered a bitter smile, stowing his damaged flute. “Fellow Daoist Qingfeng’s swordsmanship is superb. I, Su, admit defeat.”

He had lost by half a move. The opponent’s wooden sword looked ordinary, but it was incredibly tough. That final clash had transmitted a strange vibrational force that not only damaged his Dharma Treasure but shook his internal organs.

Li Qiwen frowned slightly, but his brow quickly smoothed. Su Xuan had lost, but he had displayed the strength expected of their faction. It wasn’t an embarrassing defeat.

Qing Yuanzi nodded, a faint smile touching his lips.

The atmosphere remained taut through the following matches.

Qin Jue was the second to represent Calamity Abyss Valley. At Bone Forging ninth layer, he faced a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Purple Star Sect.

The opponent was a slippery fighter, unleashing an endless stream of Dharma Treasures and utilizing superior movement techniques.

Qin Jue didn’t care. He relied entirely on his tyrannical physique to tank the damage. He fought like a madman, bathed in his own blood, refusing to take a step back.

Although he eventually collapsed from exhaustion, his brutal, head-on style won roared approval from the crowd. Even Wang Yan of the Purple Star Sect nodded, acknowledging the brute’s courage.

“Senior Brother Qin, well done!” Fish Baibai pumped her small fist, shouting at the top of her lungs. She loved a good brawl.

Zhou Kai nodded inwardly. This Qin Jue… he’s a real man.

The third to step up for Calamity Abyss Valley was Xie Zhifei.

His opponent was a female cultivator from Qionghua Palace at Foundation Establishment Grand Perfection.

She wielded a whip with terrifying proficiency—cunning, vicious, and unpredictable.

Xie Zhifei simply drew his blade.

One slash. Lightning fast.

The crowd saw only a flash of white light. The female cultivator grunted, staggering back. A shallow, bloody line appeared on her wrist, and her magical whip flew from her grasp.

“What a fast blade!”

“I didn’t even see him draw!”

Xie Zhifei sheathed his weapon, his expression as lazy and indifferent as ever.

A genuine smile finally graced Li Qiwen’s face.

After several rounds of grueling combat, the factions had traded wins and losses. The atmosphere in the plaza had reached a fever pitch.

Right then, Long Yufeng sneered.

“Wang Tai. You’ve swept your previous matches. Take this one.”

As the command fell, a tall, gaunt figure with narrow eyes levitated into the air. His aura surged violently—a genuine Foundation Establishment Grand Perfection cultivator.

This was one of Long Yufeng’s fiercest generals in the Foundation Establishment realm.

In his hand, he held a palm-sized, ancient bronze lamp.

“Heavenly Spring Sect, Wang Tai. Foundation Establishment Grand Perfection. I seek the guidance of all masters!”

Su Xuan tapped his jade flute against his palm, his eyes serious. “This man’s aura is steady, his mana pure. That lamp is no ordinary artifact. An average Grand Perfection cultivator wouldn’t stand a chance against him.”

“I’ll go.”

Shen Hanyi!

She wasted no words. Hand resting on her hilt, her delicate figure soared up to face Wang Tai.

The dim, ancient Heaven Queer Sword was already unsheathed, its tip pointed diagonally at the ground. The blade trembled, emitting a chilling sword intent that infused the surrounding air with a murderous frost.

“Calamity Abyss Valley, Sword Cultivator Shen Hanyi. Spirit Shaping fifth layer.”

The declaration struck the crowd like a thunderclap.

“What? Spirit Shaping fifth layer?!”

“Did I hear that right? Her opponent is at Grand Perfection! That’s a massive gap in cultivation!”

“Is this girl insane, or does she have a death wish?”

On the ship’s bow, Long Yufeng stared blankly for a moment before bursting into laughter.

“Oh? Hahahaha! Junior Brother Li, has Calamity Abyss Valley run out of men? Sending a little doll up here… are you trying to win by pity, or do you just want to add a beautiful corpse to the festivities?”

Li Qiwen replied coolly, “Fellow Daoist Long, patience. Today, I will let your Heavenly Spring Sect witness the true form of the Innate Stainless Sword Embryo after its transformation.”

“Hanyi…” Zhou Kai felt his chest tighten. Does she really think she can win this?

Li Youci’s hands, hidden within her sleeves, clenched into fists.

Fish Baibai grabbed Zhou Kai’s sleeve, her knuckles white and her face pale. “Junior Brother… Sister Hanyi, she…”

Wang Tai looked Shen Hanyi up and down, his eyes dripping with disdain. “Little girl, don’t think I’ll show mercy just because this isn’t a death match. I don’t know the meaning of ‘cherishing jade’!”

Before he finished speaking, the bronze lamp in his hand flared.

HOOOOM!

The wick exploded with light, and a column of crimson flame—fully ten feet high—erupted into the sky.

The fire was eerie, terrifyingly red, as if distilled from fresh blood.

“The Blood Flame Lamp! It’s Wang Tai’s life-bound Dharma Treasure!” disciples from the Heavenly Spring Sect shouted.

Wang Tai swept his arm forward. The crimson flame roared, transforming into a massive fire dragon that lunged at Shen Hanyi!

The heatwave hit her before the flames did, scorching the air. Yet, Shen Hanyi’s expression remained as tranquil as a still lake.

The moment the fire dragon was about to swallow her, she moved.

No flashy techniques. No wasted motion. Only extreme speed. Extreme sharpness.

Keng!

The Heaven Queer Sword sang a clear, piercing note. A ribbon of dim yellow sword light slashed upward against the current, fearless and unstoppable, cleaving straight toward the dragon’s head!

Sword light and fire dragon collided.

BOOOM!

Violent spiritual energy detonated. Crimson fire and yellow sword Qi twisted together, painting the sky in chaotic light.

Shen Hanyi was blasted backward. The webbing between her thumb and forefinger split open, blood instantly soaking the hilt of her sword.

But as she stabilized herself in mid-air, her eyes grew colder. Sharper.

“Interesting. You survived one hit.” Wang Tai’s surprise quickly morphed into bloodlust. “But that ends now!”

He rapidly changed hand seals. The Blood Flame Lamp flared again, the fire splitting into three even more ferocious dragons. They circled around, sealing off Shen Hanyi’s escape routes before pouncing!

“Hanyi, look out!” Zhou Kai shouted, his heart leaping into his throat.

In that instant, Shen Hanyi’s aura underwent a terrifying transformation.

An intent of absolute annihilation—of returning all things to nothingness—radiated from her body. Deep within her clear, icy eyes, two eerie dark red points of light ignited like whirlpools in a deep abyss.

The Suppress Demon Return to Ruins Sword Embryo, under the crushing pressure of a superior foe, finally bared its fangs.

Shen Hanyi’s sword essence became direct. Pure. Violent.

“Kill.”

She spat the word like a curse.

The Heaven Queer Sword seemed to come alive, its light turning frantic.

She didn’t block. She didn’t dodge. She chose the most direct, brutal path: mutual destruction.

Golden-white light flooded the blade as dark, vein-like patterns crawled up from the guard, constricting the steel.

Every slash she delivered carried the resolve to perish with her enemy. The sword light tore at the very fabric of the air.

Chi! Chi! Chi!

Her sword ripped through the flames, but the flames licked back, scorching her Qi and her flesh.

Shen Hanyi’s robes were burned black in patches. Blood seeped from her arms where the Blood Flame power had punched through her protective aura.

But she didn’t care. She ignored the pain, her offense becoming more unhinged with every second. With a suicidal fighting style, she—a mere Spirit Shaping cultivator—was single-handedly holding back the combined assault of three Blood Flame dragons!

The crowd on the plaza watched, jaws dropped, eyes wide.

“What… what kind of swordsmanship is that? It’s madness!”

“Does she not care about her life? She’s trading injuries for attacks!”

“Such terrifying Killing Intent! Is she really only at the fifth layer?”

“Her sword intent… it smells of death. It makes my heart tremble.”

On the ship, Qing Yuanzi lost his composure for the first time. “Such pure slaughter. Such resolute intent… If this girl survives to maturity, her achievements in the Dao of the Sword will be limitless.”

Du Chuyao’s beautiful eyes sparkled with fascination. “Senior Brother Li, Senior Brother Yang, your Calamity Abyss Valley is truly a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. That temperament, that Sword Embryo… she would be a top core disciple even in my Qionghua Palace.”

Wang Yan frowned deeply, his gaze locked on the aerial duel.

The smile had long since vanished from Long Yufeng’s face, replaced by an ashen grimace.

Wang Tai’s heart pounded with genuine fear. He felt like he wasn’t fighting a girl, but a peerless demon god who had crawled out of a sea of blood and a mountain of corpses.

Her technique was vicious. Every slash was aimed to butcher him. The chilling Killing Intent radiating from her made him, a Grand Perfection expert, feel waves of primal dread.

“If you want to die, I’ll help you along!” Wang Tai roared, pouring every ounce of his mana into the lamp.

The crimson flames blazed to the heavens, dying half the sky red, attempting to incinerate Shen Hanyi in one go.

But Shen Hanyi’s momentum was still rising!

“Slash!”

She let out a piercing cry. Her figure blurred into a streak of light.

Man and sword merged into one.

She became a shocking rainbow—a dark, flowing beam of light that ignored the raging inferno, shooting straight for Wang Tai’s chest with the determination of a meteor!

This strike was vicious to the extreme.

Wang Tai’s pupils contracted to pinpoints. The Blood Flame Lamp flashed wildly, condensing into a massive crimson maw to intercept her.

But in the split second the maw opened, the sword rainbow—carrying an unyielding, tragic beauty—punched right through it.

And through Wang Tai.

PFFT!

Wang Tai vomited a mouthful of blood, his body launched backward like a broken kite. He smashed heavily onto the plaza tiles. A sword wound on his chest gaped open, deep enough to expose bone. Even now, the residual Sword Qi was madly destroying his vitality.

The Blood Flame Lamp spun away, clattering to the ground, its flames extinguished.

Wang Tai struggled, trying to rise, but collapsed powerlessly. Unconscious.

The entire venue fell deathly silent.

You could hear a pin drop.

Everyone was paralyzed by the scene.

Then, the silence shattered.

“She won! She actually won!”

“Heavens! Spirit Shaping fifth layer defeated Foundation Establishment Grand Perfection! What kind of monstrous talent is this?!”

“Too strong! That strike was godlike!”

On the Calamity Abyss Valley side, Gao Feiyang’s jaw hung slack. “Senior Sister Shen is even fiercer than Senior Brother Qin! Are all sword cultivators this crazy?”

Fish Baibai jumped up and down, face flushed red. “Sister Hanyi is amazing! Too amazing!”

Xia Min’s eyes rippled with emotion, fixed on the swaying, precarious figure in the sky.

Xie Zhifei was no longer lazy. He gripped his sword, muttering to himself in disbelief.

On the bow, Yang Ling spoke, his voice filled with begrudging respect. “If not for today, I wouldn’t have known Brother Li commanded such a sword cultivator. Your ability to hide your light is something I admire.”

Li Qiwen’s lips curved into a faint, enigmatic smile. “Junior Brother Yang flatters me. They are just insignificant subordinates, picked up by chance. Not worth mentioning.”

He paused, letting the words hang in the air before delivering the final blow.

“When the water is shallow, the frolicking of fish and shrimp is plainly visible. But only when the water is deep does the true dragon reveal its form. Don’t you agree, Junior Brother?”

He raised his voice, addressing the other ship. “Fellow Daoist Long, I concede. Did my Junior Apprentice-Niece disappoint you? Is the power of the Innate Stainless Sword Embryo pleasing to your eyes?”

Long Yufeng’s face was so dark it looked like it might drip ink.

A Foundation Establishment Grand Perfection defeated by a Spirit Shaping fifth layer.

This was a humiliation of the highest order. A slap across the face of the entire Heavenly Spring Sect.

Zhou Kai ignored the clamor. His figure flickered—Dragon Roaming the Void—and he appeared at Shen Hanyi’s side, catching her falling body in one arm.

Shen Hanyi trembled. She looked up at him. The eerie red whirlpools in her eyes faded, replaced by exhaustion and a rare softness.

She was a mess. Her clothes were tattered, her skin burned, her sword arm hanging limp and dripping blood.

“Hanyi… don’t fight so desperately next time.” Zhou Kai’s heart ached. He quickly produced a Dew Return Pill and fed it to her.

“Mm,” she whispered softly, resting her head against his chest.

Surrounded by his familiar scent, her tension melted away. Even her breathing steadied.

The scene made the female cultivators in the crowd swoon with envy, while the men grit their teeth in jealousy. Such a peerless Sword Immortal… was already taken.

Long Yufeng’s eyes were icy daggers fixed on the couple.

“Good! Very good! Junior Brother Li, your people have given me a massive surprise!”

He suppressed his rage, his voice turning dangerous.

“My Heavenly Spring Sect has one more fighter. Also at Foundation Establishment Grand Perfection! Junior Brother Li, do you have any other subordinates who dare to step up and die?!”

Zhou Kai gently passed Shen Hanyi to Fish Baibai and Xia Min.

Then, he took a step forward.

His figure flickered, reappearing in the absolute center of the plaza, staring directly up at Long Yufeng.

A faint, mockery-laced smile played on his lips as his voice rang out clearly:

“Under the command of the Li Family’s Young Master, the weakest and most unworthy subordinate… Zhou Kai… specially comes to seek the guidance of the Heavenly Spring Sect’s masters!”