In Zhu Xian, people start to rise from plundering entries

An eerie silence fell over the surrounding stands.

The earlier clamor and exclamations over Su Han's breakthrough have now transformed into complex whispers and stares. Sympathy, pity, curiosity, schadenfreude... a variety of emotions flow through the crowd, ultimately converging on the young man in blue robes who is slowly walking towards the third arena.

Master Ziyang clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white, and a faint purple aura rose around him, indicating that he was extremely unsettled. Behind him, his disciples Ye Lingxiao, Lin Qingxue, and others all wore expressions of worry and indignation. Lin Qingxue couldn't help but take a step forward, but was gently pulled back by her senior sister beside her.

"Master..." Ye Lingxiao lowered his voice, a fierce glint in his eyes, "The Heart-Eating Sword Sect's actions are clearly intended to destroy Junior Brother Su's path to cultivation! That Heart-Eating Demon Seed is extremely vicious. Once it invades, his mind will be damaged, his Star Palace will be shrouded in dust, and his future cultivation will be fraught with difficulties. He might even become a puppet who only knows how to kill! We absolutely cannot..."

“I know,” Master Ziyang said in a low voice, interrupting Ye Lingxiao. He was well aware of the danger involved. But the rules of the Hundred Sects Assembly were clear—as long as the identity was genuine and forbidden artifacts or techniques were not openly used, the sect had no right to interfere. The Heart-Eating Sword Sect's registration of a sword puppet as a “disciple,” though shameless, conveniently fell into the gray area of ​​the rules.

He looked toward the high platform. There, several arbitration elders from different sects, each with profound auras, were talking in hushed tones. Their gazes occasionally swept toward the direction of the Heart-Eating Sword Sect, their expressions calm, and they showed no intention of intervening.

Master Ziyang's heart sank. It seemed that these old fellows either didn't want to offend the Heart-Eating Sword Sect for the sake of a mere disciple of the Qingyun Sect, or... they also harbored the intention of testing Su Han's true strength.

"Su Han." Master Ziyang transmitted his voice secretly, reaching Su Han's ears directly, "This battle is extremely dangerous. That sword puppet is painless, fearless, and tireless. Its body has been tempered by secret methods, making it far more resilient than cultivators of the same level. Even more terrifying is the 'Heart-Eating Demon Seed,' which is formless and intangible, specifically targeting the mind. Once it invades, it's like a bone-deep sore, extremely difficult to remove. If you feel you are no match, just admit defeat. No one will laugh at you. There will be plenty of time in the future; there's no need to fight for a moment's pride."

Below the arena, Su Han paused slightly.

He raised his head, looked in the direction of his master, and gently shook his head. He did not reply telepathically, but the calmness and determination in his eyes said it all.

Admit defeat?

Since he embarked on the path of cultivation, since he received the Primordial Star Codex in that nameless valley, since he made a vow to go further and see higher on this path—the words "retreat without a fight" have never existed in his dictionary.

Moreover, the opponent is the Heart-Eating Sword Sect.

It was the Heart-Eating Sword Sect that had driven the masked men to hunt him down in the wasteland, seeking to take his life.

It was the Heart-Eating Sword Sect member, whose eyes held no concealment of killing intent and who regarded him as an enemy to be eliminated.

Some things can be undone.

Some things cannot be undone.

Su Han took a deep breath. Within the Star Palace, the Primordial Star Power flowed slowly, calming the last ripples in his heart. He stepped onto the bluestone steps of the arena, his footsteps exceptionally clear in the silence.

On the other side, Yin Kui also stepped onto the arena.

Unlike Su Han's composure, Yin Kui's movements were somewhat stiff. Each step he took carried a strange, even rhythm, as if it had been measured. He was tall and thin, wearing the standard gray-black sword robe of the Heart-Eating Sword Sect, but beneath the robe, his body outline appeared somewhat...incongruous, with certain parts slightly bulging, as if something was inlaid there.

What was most striking was his face. It was a bloodless face, his skin a deathly ashen white, his eyes hollow, his pupils cloudy and devoid of any spirit. His lips were tightly pressed together, without a sound of breathing. He stood there like a human statue, only the longsword in his hand, jet black with dark red patterns on its blade, exuded an unsettling, chilling aura.

"Heart-Eating Sword Sect, Yin Puppet." Yin Puppet spoke, his voice dry and hoarse, like two rusty iron pieces rubbing against each other, without the slightest emotional fluctuation.

"Qingyun Sect, Su Han." Su Han responded calmly, slowly drawing his Starfire Sword. The sword reflected the sunlight and flowed with faint starlight.

The referee was a middle-aged cultivator from the neutral sect "Xuanji Pavilion," possessing a late-stage Star Palace Realm cultivation. He surveyed both sides, lingering particularly on the Yin Puppet for a moment, his brow furrowing almost imperceptibly, but he still announced loudly:
"Sixth round, Arena number three, Su Han of Qingyun Sect versus Yin Kui of Shixin Sword Sect. The match begins!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the referee floated backward, and a light screen rose up at the edge of the ring, isolating the inside from the outside.

Almost the instant the light curtain closed, the Yin Puppet moved.

Without probing or building up momentum, he simply and directly thrust out his sword.

The movement was astonishingly fast, a stark contrast to the previous stiff steps! The black longsword transformed into a blurry shadow, a dark red light suddenly flashing at its tip, like the forked tongue of a venomous snake, aimed straight for Su Han's throat! Before the sword even arrived, a cold, filthy, and corrosive aura had already spread, making one's mind restless and even causing the circulation of star power to seem slightly sluggish.

"Heart-corroding sword intent!" someone in the audience whispered.

The Heart-Eating Sword Sect uses swords to ward off demons. Its sword intent excels at corroding the mind and corrupting the star palace, making it extremely vicious and difficult to defend against. The sword wielded by this Yin Puppet is the most insidious of its kind, the "Heart-Eating Demon Sword," whose sword intent already contains demonic characteristics, specifically designed to destroy a person's foundation of cultivation!

A cold glint flashed in Su Han's eyes. Without dodging or flinching, he slashed upwards with the Starfire Sword, its blade radiating a brilliant starlight and moonlight.

"clang--!"

The two swords clashed, producing a piercing metallic sound and sparks flying everywhere.

A cold and eerie force flowed along the sword, mixed with wisps of invisible and intangible, yet chilling aura that shot straight into Su Han's consciousness, attempting to penetrate his body. Within Su Han's Star Palace, the Primordial Star Power circulated on its own. On the base, the illusory sword intent trembled slightly, and clear light shone down, completely cleansing and obliterating the invading chilling aura.

"Hmm?" Li Wuhen raised an eyebrow from the direction of the Heart-Eating Sword Sect. The corrosive power of the Heart-Eating Demon Sword was actually ineffective against Su Han? How could this boy's mind be so stable?

On the stage, Su Han received a sword strike, his arm feeling slightly numb. This Yin Puppet's power was extraordinary, far surpassing that of cultivators of the same level; its physical body had indeed been strengthened by a secret technique.

Before he could catch his breath, the Yin Puppet's second and third sword strikes came in quick succession! The swordsmanship was simple, direct, and ruthless—all desperate killing moves, devoid of any defense, as if completely unafraid of injury. The pitch-black sword shadows, like venomous dragons emerging from their lair, intertwined to form a net of death, enveloping all of Su Han's vital points. The dark red patterns flowed with the sword's momentum, emitting an increasingly dense, foul aura; the light within the entire arena seemed to dim, and the temperature plummeted.

Su Han's figure flashed, his Star Moon Steps activated, weaving through the net of swords. The Starfire Sword parried, blocked, thrust, and slashed, starlight and moonlight clashing with the dark sword shadows, creating a continuous barrage of explosions. He tried to find a weakness in the Yin Puppet Sword Technique, but found his opponent's moves seamlessly connected. Though not refined, the opponent's fearless, wound-for-wound fighting style forced him to constantly respond. (End of Chapter)