In Zhu Xian, people start to rise from plundering entries

"No!" A scream rang out. The protective star power of the three peak Star Sea Realm cultivators was ignited like paper, instantly turning them into fire figures. They screamed as they crushed the jade talismans and disappeared. The black-clad youth frantically swung his dagger, unleashing layers of black light to defend himself, but the fiery sword energy was all-pervasive, instantly burning through his defenses and engulfing him.

As the flames subsided, only a few charred battle talismans and the black-clad youth's unwilling roar before disappearing remained. Su Han flicked his sleeve, collecting the battle talismans. After a quick count, he found nearly thirty more, bringing the total to almost one hundred.

He didn't linger; his figure transformed into a wisp of smoke, quickly disappearing from the scene. The battle just now had caused quite a commotion, likely attracting the attention of others.

On the evening of the third day, a grand voice echoed through the sky above the secret realm: "The three-day period has ended. All disciples, cease fighting and prepare for teleportation."

Su Han held the 113 battle tokens in his hand, feeling at ease. This number was more than enough for advancing to the next level.

A flash of light, and Su Han, along with the other surviving disciples, was teleported back to Qingyun City Square. The moment they appeared, a wave of clamor washed over them. Some disciples cheered, some were dejected, and others huddled together in relief. Above the square, a massive light screen appeared, displaying the names and battle tokens of the top one thousand disciples who had advanced. Su Han's name was prominently listed as the eighty-seventh.

Seeing Su Han unharmed and ranked so high, Master Ziyang's tense face broke into a smile. Ye Lingxiao, who had also successfully advanced and ranked over four hundredth, excitedly squeezed over and punched Su Han, saying, "Good lad, you've been hiding it well! Eighty-seventh!"

Su Han smiled and returned the greeting, but his gaze flickered towards the direction of the Heart-Eating Sword Sect. There, You Mingzi still had his eyes closed, but the Heart-Eating Sword Sect disciples behind him were looking at Su Han with icy killing intent. One of them, with a pale face and eyes as sinister as a venomous snake, possessed an aura that had reached the mid-stage of the Star Palace Realm, ranking nineteenth on the light screen—Li Wuhen.

Seemingly sensing Su Han's gaze, Li Wuhen turned his head, a cruel smile spreading across his face, and silently made a throat-slitting gesture towards Su Han.

Su Han's eyes turned slightly cold as he looked away. The real challenge would likely come in the second round of the arena battle.

After a brief rest and statistics check, the match-up list for the second round of arena ranking battles was determined by drawing lots and announced.

Su Han looked at his name; his opponent was—Li Kui of the Heart-Eating Sword Sect, ranked 503rd, at the peak of the Star Sea Realm.

A murmur of discussion and a few sympathetic glances rippled through the crowd. Everyone could see that the Heart-Eating Sword Sect had its sights set on Su Han. They couldn't openly ambush him in the first round, so the second round, a draw, "coincidentally" paired him with them. Although Li Kui was only at the peak of the Star Sea Realm, the Heart-Eating Sword Sect's techniques were insidious and unpredictable, adept at defeating the strong with the weak. Moreover, this man must have been instructed to do so, and would likely try to kill him.

Ye Lingxiao looked at Su Han with concern. Master Ziyang's face was ashen, but he could not interfere with the result of the draw. He could only say in a deep voice, "Be careful. The Heart-Eating Sword Sect's sword technique is vicious. It targets the mind and meridians. Do not take its sword energy head-on. Use a strategy of maneuvering to break it."

Su Han nodded: "This disciple understands."

Soon, Su Han stepped onto the thirty-seventh arena. Opposite him, a gloomy-faced young man with sunken eyes stood with his sword at his side; it was Li Kui. The way he looked at Su Han was as if he were looking at a dead man.

“Su Han of the Ziyang Sect?” Li Kui’s voice was hoarse. “I heard you killed many of our people and obtained things you shouldn’t have. Vice Sect Master Youmingzi is very angry. So…” He slowly drew his long sword, its blade narrow and gleaming with a dark blue light. A cold, mind-corroding sword intent emanated from it. “I will make you die a very ‘comfortable’ death.”

Su Han remained silent, holding his "Starfire Sword" level, the tip pointing at his opponent. At the referee's signal, the match began!
Li Kui took the initiative, his figure blurring as he created three afterimages that seemed both real and illusory, rushing towards Su Han from different directions. The dark blue longsword in his hand trembled, emitting a ghostly shriek, aiming straight for Su Han's three vital points: his brow, heart, and dantian! Before the sword even arrived, the chilling, bone-corroding sword intent had already invaded, attempting to shake Su Han's mind.

"A mere trick." Su Han's consciousness stabilized, and the gentle moonlight in the Star Palace rippled, dispelling the disturbing sword intent. Without even glancing at the afterimages on either side, he casually thrust his "Starfire Sword" forward, aiming at the tip of the sword of the figure in the center. "Clang!"

The two swords clashed, sparks flying. The afterimages on either side dissipated, revealing Li Kui's true form. A hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, seemingly not expecting Su Han to so easily see through and block his "Heart-Eating Three Illusionary Swords." But his movements didn't stop; his swordplay suddenly became dense and sinister, the dark blue sword energy like a venomous snake's tongue, coiling upwards, specifically targeting the gaps in Su Han's swordsmanship and his acupoints, with cunning and ruthless angles.

The swordsmanship of the Heart-Eating Sword Sect was indeed renowned for its unpredictability and venom. Su Han unleashed the "Flowing Light" sword style, the sword light cascading like a silver river, completely protecting him and deflecting the dark blue sword energy. He did not rush to counterattack, but instead carefully observed his opponent's sword path, adapting to this sinister and unpredictable fighting style.

Below the arena, all the onlookers could see was a patch of dark blue light swirling around a cluster of dazzling starlight, accompanied by the incessant clang of metal against metal. Li Kui's attacks were like mercury flowing across the ground, penetrating every crevice, while Su Han's defense was as solid as a rock, leaving no room for error.

"This Su Han is quite composed, only defending and not attacking."

"The Heart-Eating Sword Technique is vicious; it erodes a person's star power and damages their heart meridian. If you hold out for too long, you will surely lose it."

"I don't think so. Su Han's breathing is long and his swordsmanship is meticulous. It seems that he has not used his full strength."

After dozens of moves, Li Kui, unable to gain the upper hand, grew increasingly ferocious. He suddenly took a step back, bit his tongue, and spat a mouthful of blood onto the dark blue longsword. The longsword hummed, its dark blue light intensified, and a chilling, decaying, and soul-corroding power, several times stronger than before, erupted, with faint, distorted ghostly shadows even appearing around the sword.

"Soul-devouring and spirit-stealing!" Li Kui roared, becoming one with his sword, transforming into a gigantic, ghostly blue shadow that lunged at Su Han with a piercing shriek. This sword strike had already surpassed the Star Sea Realm and was faintly touching the threshold of the Star Palace Realm. Furthermore, it contained the Heart-Devouring Sword Intent he had unleashed with his essence blood, making its power terrifying.

Many spectators below the stage changed color, and Master Ziyang clenched his fists.

Faced with this dangerous sword strike, a cold glint finally flashed in Su Han's eyes. Remaining on the defensive was not his style; he had only been testing the waters to gauge the opponent's strength. Now, there was no need for that.

Within his Star Palace, primordial stellar power surged and poured into the "Starfire Sword." On the sword's blade, the crimson flames suddenly transformed into a deep dark red, and at the center of the flames, a point of pure, exquisite starlight shone forth.

Without any earth-shattering display, Su Han simply thrust his sword forward.

The sword's speed wasn't fast, yet it seemed to lock onto time and space, piercing through the oncoming ghostly blue figure and precisely striking the tip of the ghostly blue longsword.

"break."

A soft whisper. (End of Chapter)