In Zhu Xian, people start to rise from plundering entries

A piercing scream erupted from the black smoke. The smoke dissipated, and You Wuying's figure collapsed to the ground, his black robe charred and tattered, his face ashen white, his aura utterly depleted, his eyes filled with terror and lingering fear. Had he not reacted quickly, sacrificing his own life force to unleash the Netherworld Escape, and had the sword light's primary target not been the Ghost Realm and the myriad ghosts, he would likely have been annihilated, soul and body gone!
The hazy sword light slowly dissipated.

On the arena, darkness vanished, and the sun shone once more.

Su Han stood holding his sword, his face almost transparently pale, his body swaying precariously, yet he remained standing. The tip of the Starfire Sword pointed diagonally at the ground, trembling slightly.

The entire venue was deathly silent.

Everyone, including the elders of various sects on the high platform, stared in disbelief at the swaying figure on the arena and at the disheveled and terrified You Wuying opposite him.

what happened?
What exactly was that hazy, inconspicuous sword light?
It's astonishing that You Wuying, the young master of the Netherworld Palace, a demonic prodigy known for his strangeness, ruthlessness, and power, was still severely injured and defeated despite sacrificing his own essence to escape.
"Cough..." Su Han coughed up a mouthful of blood, leaning on his sword to keep from collapsing. He felt utterly empty inside; his Primordial Star Power was almost completely depleted, and his mind was utterly exhausted. The demonic seed in his chest seemed to have been stunned and temporarily subsided when the "Ending" sword intent erupted. But Su Han knew that this was only temporary; the backlash from the demonic seed would soon arrive, and it would be even more intense.

But he won.

The presiding elder gave Su Han a deep look, then flew onto the stage. After checking You Wuying's injuries and confirming that he was not in mortal danger, he announced loudly:

"Su Han of the Qingyun Sect wins this battle!"

After the sound subsided and a brief silence followed, the square erupted in an even more enthusiastic clamor than the day before!

If Su Han's victory over Zhao Jinglei yesterday was due to his exquisite swordsmanship and a touch of the "Reincarnation" concept, then his victory over You Wuying today was a genuine, head-on crushing defeat! With only a mid-stage Star Sea Realm cultivation, he consecutively defeated two peerless geniuses at the peak of the Star Sea Realm, and even one at the half-step Spirit Abyss Realm!

At this moment, no one dared to underestimate this young man from the Qingyun Sect.

Countless gazes were fixed on Su Han, filled with shock, awe, curiosity, and a desire to know more...

Su Han ignored these stares. He forced himself to stand up, nodded slightly to the presiding elder, and then slowly and firmly walked off the stage.

Every step seemed to require the utmost effort.

But his back was straight, like a pine tree or a sword.

The Qingyun Sect members had already come to greet them. Elder Lin helped Su Han up, and after scanning him with his divine sense, his expression changed drastically: "Quick! Go back and heal your injuries!"

He could sense that Su Han's condition was extremely dire. His star power was depleted, his meridians damaged, his soul unstable, and his demonic seed restless… any one of these conditions would be enough to cripple an ordinary cultivator for months. Yet Su Han had managed to force himself off the arena.

Ye Qingxue and the others quickly stepped forward to help Su Han and leave the square.

Behind him were countless complex gazes and lingering discussions.

From this day forward, the name "Su Han" will surely resonate throughout the entire Eastern Region's younger generation.

And the undercurrents will be even more turbulent.

Upon returning to his residence, Su Han immediately entered the meditation room and began to seclude himself to heal his injuries.

This injury is far more severe than yesterday's. In particular, the forced unleashing of that sword strike containing the intent of "ending" almost damaged the very foundation of his swordsmanship. If it weren't for the wondrous power of the Primordial Star Technique and his solid foundation, his cultivation would probably have regressed by now.

Even more troublesome was the demonic seed. Two consecutive fierce battles, especially the one against You Wuying, the stimulation of the ghostly aura and the immense mental strain from the final "Ending" sword intent made suppressing the demonic seed extremely difficult. That cold and evil aura, like a maggot clinging to his bones, constantly eroded his meridians and soul.

"I must find a way to deal with the demonic seed as soon as possible..." Su Han thought to himself. Otherwise, he might die from the demonic seed's backlash before the competition even ended. He took out the "Heavenly Thunder Tempering Pill" given to him by Zhao Jinglei and swallowed one. As soon as the pill entered his stomach, it transformed into a warm current that was both scorching and tingling, flowing through his limbs and bones. The power of heavenly thunder was extremely yang and strong, and had an excellent restraining effect on yin and evil energy. With the help of this power, the demonic seed's erosion was temporarily halted.

Su Han dared not delay and immediately activated the "Primordial Star Technique" to guide the medicinal power and primordial star power to repair his injuries and consolidate his foundation.

Time flew by as I healed.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

Over the past three days, the round of 16 to 8 has concluded. In the Qingyun Sect, besides Su Han advancing to the quarterfinals, Senior Brother Ling Feng also successfully advanced. The Xuantian Sect had three members advance: Zhao Jinglei (who advanced through the revival round), another prodigy Lu Ming, and a mysterious female disciple in black robes. The Youming Palace only had You Wuying advance, but he was severely injured in his battle with Su Han and is said to have withdrawn from the subsequent competition. The remaining three spots were won by disciples from the Tianjian Sect, the Five Elements Sect, and the Loose Cultivator Alliance, respectively.

With the top eight finalists announced, the atmosphere in Tianyuan City became even more intense. Everyone eagerly anticipated the upcoming battle for the top four.

After three days of tireless healing, Su Han's injuries finally stabilized, and he recovered about 50-60% of his combat strength. The demonic seed was also suppressed again, but it still lingered in his throat.

On this day, he had just finished practicing his internal energy when there was a knock on the door of his meditation room.

Standing outside the door was Elder Lin, his expression quite solemn.

"Su Han, there's something I need to tell you," Elder Lin said in a deep voice. "The draw for the quarterfinals is over, and your opponent is..."

"Who is it?" Su Han asked.

Elder Lin slowly uttered a name:
"Xuantian Sect, Lu Ming."

Su Han's pupils contracted slightly.

Lu Ming, the true leader of the Xuan Tian Sect in this competition, possesses peak Star Sea Realm cultivation, the "Heavenly Fire Dao Body," and his "Burning Heaven Sword Technique" is unparalleled. His strength surpasses even Zhao Jinglei's. It is said that he has already touched the threshold of the Spirit Abyss Realm and may break through at any time.

More importantly, Lu Ming is domineering and ruthless. In previous matches, his opponents were either killed or crippled without exception.

"The semi-finals will be in three days." Elder Lin looked at Su Han with worry in his eyes. "Your injuries... if it's hopeless, then admit defeat. As long as you're alive, you can always fight again. You're still young, and you have a long road ahead of you."

Su Han remained silent for a moment, then raised his head, a resolute glint in his eyes: "Elder, I want to give it a try."

Elder Lin opened his mouth, but ultimately let out a long sigh: "Very well. Take these three days to prepare well. If you need any pills or resources, just let me know."

"Thank you, Elder."

After Elder Lin left, Su Han sat quietly in the meditation room.

Lu Ming... Heavenly Fire Dao Body... Burning Heaven Sword Technique...

This battle will be more difficult than any previous one.

But he cannot back down. (End of Chapter)