In Zhu Xian, people start to rise from plundering entries

"He's... dismantling the formation?!" an elder from the audience, an expert in formations, exclaimed in surprise.

"Using the sword as a finger, you pinpointed the key to the flow of spiritual energy! What precise eyesight, what superb spiritual perception!"

"This child also has some knowledge of the art of combat?"

Mo Wen's forehead was beaded with sweat. He had never encountered such an opponent before. Without brute force, without a deeper understanding of formations, but solely through an extreme sensitivity to the flow of spiritual energy, the opponent was breaking down his formation structure bit by bit, targeting specific points. At this rate, the formation would surely collapse within thirty breaths!
"We can't wait any longer!" Mo Wen gritted his teeth, slapped the abacus, and three golden beads flew up, hovering above his head, spinning rapidly. "Three Stars Suppress the Mountain! Suppress it for me!"

The three golden abacus beads shone brightly, transforming into three small mountain phantoms that pressed down on Su Han with immense force! This was his trump card, using the power of the formation to activate the abacus beads, its power comparable to an attack from the early stage of the Star Palace Realm!
Su Han looked up, a hint of seriousness finally flashing in his eyes. He took a deep breath, and within the Star Palace, the Primordial Star Power surged at an unprecedented speed. On the base, the illusory sword intent suddenly brightened, reflecting the starlight and moonlight.

"The stars and moon shine together, the sword breaks through all laws."

As he chanted softly, Su Han raised his sword to the sky. Starlight and moonlight intertwined and flowed across the blade, finally converging at a single point on the tip. That point of light was not dazzling, yet it seemed to contain a miniature starry sky, profound, ancient, and imbued with the meaning of creation and destruction.

He thrust out his sword, meeting the three illusory mountain shadows.

There was no earth-shattering explosion, no dazzling light or shadow. The instant the sword tip touched the mountain shadows, the three small mountain phantoms trembled slightly like burst bubbles, then disintegrated inch by inch from the point of contact, turning into countless specks of light that vanished. The three golden abacus beads let out a mournful cry, their light dimming, and flew back into Mo Wen's hand, tiny cracks appearing on their surfaces.

At the same time, Su Han's sword momentum was not yet exhausted, and the tip of the sword pointed towards a core node of the formation.

"Crack—"

A sound like shattering glass rang out, and the light array covering the arena flickered violently a few times before collapsing with a deafening roar. The arena returned to its original state, leaving only fragments of spiritual light scattered on the ground.

Mo Wen, pale-faced, clutched the cracked abacus, staring blankly at Su Han. After a long while, he smiled bitterly and said, "I lost. I admit defeat wholeheartedly." He prided himself on the exquisite nature of his formations, rarely broken by those of the same level, yet he never expected to be forcibly dismantled in such an incomprehensible way. The final three-star Zhenyue formation was even shattered by a single sword strike from his opponent. The intent behind that sword strike sent shivers down his spine.

The referee declared Su Han the winner.

The audience erupted in uproar once again. If the previous matches showcased Su Han's solid foundation and formidable offense and defense, this match demonstrated his astonishing insight, adaptability, and unfathomable swordsmanship.

"Even Mo Wen's formation couldn't trap him! That sword strike... what kind of sword intent was that? I've never seen it before!"

"This person has the ability to compete for a top 30, or even a top 20!"

"He's only at the mid-stage of the Star Sea Realm! If he advances to the late stage or even the peak, what will that be like?"

In the direction of the Heart-Eating Sword Sect, Li Wuhen's face was so dark it could drip water. The stronger Su Han displayed, the stronger his killing intent grew. If this boy wasn't eliminated, he would surely become a great threat! Youmingzi still had his eyes closed, but the fingers resting on the armrest had already tapped lightly three times. This was his habitual gesture when issuing some kind of command.

Su Han was unaware of all this. His victory was far from easy. The final sword strike that shattered the "Three Stars Suppressing the Mountain" technique had nearly exhausted thirty percent of his star power, and had also required a deeper understanding of the "Star Moon Sword Intent." If it weren't for the extraordinary nature of his Primordial Star Power, which allowed it to recover extremely quickly, he would likely have faced a grueling battle in the next match.

But the gains were also enormous. Through continuous battles against masters of different styles, his control over his own power and his understanding of sword intent improved rapidly. The illusory sword intent in the Star Palace became increasingly solid, and even faintly possessed a trace of "spirituality".

After an hour's rest, the matchups for the sixth game were announced.

Su Han looked at the light screen, his pupils shrinking slightly.

His opponent was none other than Yin Kui of the Heart-Eating Sword Sect, ranked twenty-first.

Almost simultaneously, an urgent voice came from Ye Lingxiao's side: "Su Han! Be careful! I just found out that this Yin Puppet is not a living person at all! It is a 'Sword Puppet' made by the Heart-Eating Sword Sect using a secret method. It is fearless of death, knows no pain, and has a 'Heart-Eating Demon Seed' planted in its body. Once injured by it, the power of the demon seed will invade the body and erode the mind. It is extremely vicious! Li Wuhen is going to use the Yin Puppet to cripple you!"

The surroundings fell silent instantly. Many gazes turned towards the Heart-Eating Sword Sect, then back to Su Han, filled with sympathy, pity, or schadenfreude.

Sword puppets are not true disciples, but humanoid weapons crafted using secret techniques. They retain some of their original fighting instincts and are completely controlled by their masters. Sending them into the arena, while not violating the official rules, is extremely insidious. Moreover, there's the vicious "Heart-Eating Demon Seed."

Master Ziyang abruptly stood up, his face ashen, and looked towards the direction of the Heart-Eating Sword Sect. He said coldly, "Youmingzi! You actually mixed sword puppets into the disciples' competition. Such behavior is utterly despicable!"

Youmingzi finally opened his eyes, revealing a pair of emotionless, grayish-white pupils. He glanced indifferently at Ziyang Zhenren and said in a hoarse voice, "Yin Kui is a disciple officially accepted by our sect, with an identity jade token as proof. As for what kind of cultivation method he practices, that is an internal matter of our sect. If Ziyang Zhenren has any objections, he may raise them with the arbitration elder of the assembly."

Master Ziyang was furious, but unable to refute it. The Hundred Sects Assembly only verified identities, not prohibited the cultivation of special techniques. The Heart-Eating Sword Sect exploited this loophole, which was despicable, but at least left no grounds for criticism.

"Su Han, this battle..." Master Ziyang looked at Su Han, hesitating to speak. He wanted Su Han to admit defeat, but he knew that with Su Han's temperament, he would never retreat without a fight. But that sword puppet, plus the Heart-Eating Demon Seed...

Meeting Master Ziyang's worried gaze, Su Han slowly shook his head and calmly said, "Master, rest assured, I know what I'm doing."

His gaze shifted towards the Heart-Eating Sword Sect, landing on the lifeless, gray-eyed Yin Puppet, then swept over Li Wuhen's cruel yet expectant eyes behind it.

You want to cripple me with a sword puppet?
Su Han slowly tightened his grip on the "Starfire Sword," his eyes growing increasingly cold. (End of Chapter)