One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

Just as Wang Ye was shaken by the unexpected result and momentarily blank, Nie Lingfeng seized this fleeting opportunity!

The Wind God Leg unleashed its full power! Like a black lightning bolt tearing through space, he instantly pierced through the remaining flames and distance between the two, closing in on Wang Ye! The fierce leg wind aimed straight for Wang Ye's vital chest and abdomen!

A strong sense of crisis made Wang Ye's hair stand on end! He barely had time to think; in that critical moment, following the instinct of a sorcerer to seek good fortune and avoid misfortune, and the strange perception granted by Feng Hou Qi Men, he unleashed the strongest control technique he currently possessed—

The clapper sounds in disarray!

He completed the hand seals at a speed beyond the limit, and uttered a mantra. An invisible and intangible power, which seemed to be able to touch the fundamental rules of time, suddenly descended and enveloped the area where Nie Lingfeng was!

In the eyes of the audience, an incredibly bizarre scene unfolded: Nie Lingfeng, who had been moving as fast as lightning just moments before, suddenly became extremely slow, as if he had been put into a slow-motion playback a hundred or a thousand times slower! His leg movements, the fluttering of his clothes, and even the subtle changes in his facial expressions all became "slow motion" that was clearly visible to the naked eye, forming an absurd and terrifying contrast with the normal flow of the world around him!

"Time... has slowed down?!"

"It's Master Wang Ye's ultimate move! The Chaotic Golden Clapper! It can manipulate time!"

"This is terrifying! How can we fight this? There's no way to solve it!"

"It's over, Nie Lingfeng is frozen in place!"

However, Nie Lingfeng, who was at the center of the "slow zone," felt completely different from what the outside world observed. He did not feel that his movements had slowed down, but rather that an extremely powerful, viscous, invisible force, seemingly coming from all directions, was frantically squeezing and binding his body and consciousness, trying to drag his thoughts, movements, and even the circulation of his internal energy into a near-stagnant quagmire.

This feeling... is a bit like being thrown into the extremely dense deep sea, or like being encased in solidified amber.

"Is this the power to manipulate the flow of time?" Nie Lingfeng felt a chill in his heart, but he remained calm.

With a thought, the Xuanwu True Scripture within his body instantly began to operate at full power! A profound and pure True Qi, as solid and stable as the earth, surged from his dantian, flowing through his limbs and bones, resisting the constraints of space and time! Simultaneously, the Ice Heart Technique flowed through his mind, guarding a sliver of clarity in his spirit, preventing his mind from being misled by this strange power of rules. Meanwhile, the fire unicorn tattoo on his chest suddenly became scorching hot, a violent and intense power originating from the depths of his bloodline was unleashed, like a ferocious beast awakening, roaring and surging through his meridians, bringing boundless brute force and a wildness that could break through all shackles!

With the triple force superimposed, Nie Lingfeng felt that although the sticky and heavy binding sensation was powerful, it was not indestructible!

"Break!!!"

A suppressed growl burst forth from his chest!

"Snap—!!!"

It was as if a tangible, intangible sound of shattering glass resounded deep within everyone's consciousness! It wasn't a real sound, but a mental shock generated when rules were forcibly shaken and broken!

The "slow domain" that enveloped Nie Lingfeng was like a mirror struck by a heavy hammer, instantly covered with cracks, and then collapsed with a bang! The flow of time returned to normal!

From the moment Wang Ye unleashed the Chaotic Golden Bell to the moment Nie Lingfeng forcibly broke through his domain, the entire process... took less than a second!

"puff--!"

The violent backlash from the forced breaking of the spell struck Wang Ye like a thunderbolt. His face turned deathly pale, and he couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood! His body trembled violently, and he staggered back several steps. His aura instantly weakened, and his eyes were filled with disbelief and horror.

Nie Lingfeng didn't stop there. Taking advantage of his weakness, he wanted to kill him! He moved again, and a fierce whip kick swept across Wang Ye's waist, which was wide open due to the backlash!

Wang Ye endured the churning pain and chaotic Qi within his body, and relying on his Wudang body techniques, he barely managed to turn to the side, using his hands once again to apply the soft force of Tai Chi in an attempt to deflect the force.

"Bang!"

Although most of the force of the kick was dissipated, the remaining power still solidly impacted Wang Ye. He was kicked away like a kite with a broken string, tumbling uncontrollably twice in the air before landing heavily. He stumbled back seven or eight steps before finally collapsing to the ground, clutching his chest and coughing violently, each cough bringing up a few drops of blood.

He raised his head and looked at Nie Lingfeng, who was not far away, breathing steadily but with only his clothes slightly disheveled. A look of helplessness and disbelief appeared on his face, which was more painful than crying.

"Brother Nie...you...you're going too far..."

"What happened to me?" Nie Lingfeng spread his hands innocently, as if he wasn't the one who had violently broken the time magic just now. "Master Wang, don't try to extort me. I held back my kick just now; it's impossible for me to have kicked you like this."

"No...it's not about that kick!" Wang Ye was practically going crazy. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, rolled his eyes, and said weakly, "The problem is you...in less than a second! In less than a second you ripped my 'Chaotic Golden Clapper' apart! The difference in cultivation between me and that person who couldn't immobilize me is huge. That's a technique involving the rules of time! Even that person didn't forcibly break it, but you...the backlash from forcibly breaking it, how am I supposed to withstand that?! Fighting you...it's too exhausting, really..."

He struggled to stand up, but his internal energy was disordered, and he slumped back down. He waved his hand and shouted towards the referee, "Referee! I'm done! I surrender! If we keep going, I'm afraid I'll die here!"

The entire audience erupted in uproar!

"That's... over?!"

"Master Wang Ye has voluntarily admitted defeat?!"

"What exactly happened just now? How did Nie Lingfeng break the time freeze?"

"I don't understand... I don't understand it at all! But I'm deeply shocked!"

"Is this absolute overwhelming power? Even rule-based skills can be brute-forced?!"

"Nie Lingfeng... just what kind of monster is he?!"

The referee was clearly stunned for several seconds before recovering from the lightning-fast and bizarre battle, and hurriedly announced loudly, "Wang Ye concedes! The winner is—Nie Lingfeng!"

Nie Lingfeng walked up to Wang Ye, who was still sitting on the ground meditating, and extended his hand. Wang Ye glanced at him, gave a wry smile, grasped his hand, and used it to stand up.

As their hands clasped and their bodies drew close, Nie Lingfeng slightly turned his head and spoke quickly in a very low voice, audible only to the two of them:

"Master Wang, though I am not a sorcerer, my master, in his early years, while traveling the world, by chance collected some extremely ancient and unorthodox sorcery texts and fragments. One of the fragments, though vague, mentioned a conjecture..." At this moment, Nie Lingfeng sounded like a charlatan. (He was completely aware of the later plot and wanted Wang Ye to grow up faster; the reason was naturally fabricated.)

He paused, lowered his voice, but spoke faster: "The ultimate skill may lie in 'covering the changes of the heavens and transforming myself into a king.' The book speculates that if a sorcerer can transform the Qimen Dunjia formation from being outwardly manifested in heaven and earth to being internally fixed within himself, making himself the eye of the formation and his location the central palace... then the formation moves with him, its scope is boundless, and wherever I go is the area covered by Qimen Dunjia."

After saying that, he patted Wang Ye's shoulder forcefully, said no more, turned around and jumped off the stage cleanly and neatly.

Wang Ye was struck dumb, frozen in place as if petrified. His eyes were glazed over, his lips moving unconsciously, repeatedly chewing on those words:

"The changes of the heavens... transform me into king... the external situation turns into internal stability... I myself am the central palace... the situation moves with the person... the scope is boundless..."

Every word was like a thunderclap, exploding in his mind and bombarding his existing knowledge, yet it also seemed to open a door to a completely new and unimaginable realm! Countless insights, confusions, and bottlenecks about Feng Hou Qi Men, at this moment, were like broken puzzle pieces, beginning to spin, collide, and recombine wildly!

"So...it can be like this...so there's more than one path..." he murmured to himself, his eyes quickly shifting from confusion to fervor, and then from fervor to a profound understanding.

The next second, he didn't even care about etiquette. He turned around abruptly, as if possessed, and rushed off the stage, knocking aside several staff members who tried to come forward to inquire about the situation. With a few leaps, he disappeared into the mountain path outside the martial arts arena, his whereabouts unknown.

The audience was stunned and in an uproar.

"What's wrong with Master Wang Ye? Did he suffer too much trauma?"

"What did Nie Lingfeng say to him? It sounded like he had an epiphany!"

"Could it be that some kind of unparalleled secret manual has been passed down?!"

"I don't understand it at all; I couldn't understand this duel from beginning to end!"

On the high platform, the old Celestial Master Zhang Zhiwei stroked his long beard, and a hint of surprise and understanding flashed in his eyes, which seemed to see through the affairs of the world.

"To make me king... to predetermine my own fate... what a grand ambition, what a brilliant idea." He muttered to himself, his tone full of admiration.

Tian Jinzhong turned his head in confusion: "Senior brother, what's the hidden meaning in those words?"

The old master smiled slightly and explained, "What I mean is that Wang Ye's Feng Hou Qi Men technique, that little Taoist priest, will probably break through a crucial layer of mystery and enter a more profound and unpredictable level because of what you said, young friend Nie. Young friend Nie... after discussing the Dao through martial arts, you have given him an immense opportunity."

Lu Jin, listening from the side, clicked her tongue in amazement: "Guidance? Weren't they just opponents who decided the outcome in the ring? How can young Nie have such composure?"

"When masters clash, victory lies in skill, but friendship lies in the heart." The old master gazed into the distance at Nie Lingfeng's retreating figure as he walked off the stage. "To be able to offer words of encouragement after defeating an opponent—this magnanimity and vision are beyond the reach of ordinary people. This young man... is remarkable."

In the arena, seeing that Wang Ye had already disappeared, the referee had no choice but to announce loudly again: "The winner of the second semi-final match is Nie Lingfeng! Thus, the final matchups for the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony are confirmed! The final will be held in two days, between Zhang Chulan and Nie Lingfeng!"

This news was like pouring cold water into a boiling oil pan, instantly sparking even greater controversy and uproar!

"The finals? Zhang Chulan versus Nie Lingfeng? Is there even any point in fighting like this?!"

"That's right! Nie Lingfeng can even break through Wang Ye's Feng Hou Qi Men technique, how can Zhang Chulan possibly compete?"

"Isn't this blatantly handing the championship to Zhang Chulan? Nie Lingfeng is definitely throwing the game!"

"There's a cover-up! There's definitely something fishy going on! The old master is favoring his grand-disciple!"

"That's not entirely true. Zhang Chulan's victory over Master Lingyu today was also quite impressive..."

"How can that be the same? Nie Lingfeng's strength is on a completely different level!"

The arena was filled with doubts, arguments, and shouts. The vast majority of people believed that the outcome of this final was already a foregone conclusion, as Nie Lingfeng's strength was clearly far superior to Zhang Chulan's, and the final was just a formality.

Amidst a cacophony of voices, Nie Lingfeng returned to the contestants' area. Zhang Chulan, Xu San, Xu Si, and Feng Baobao immediately surrounded him.

"Brother Feng! You're amazing! You even managed to break through the Chaotic Golden Bell! How did you do that?" Zhang Chulan's eyes were full of admiration and curiosity.

"It was just a trick, taking advantage of his superior physical strength." Nie Lingfeng brushed it off lightly, then changed the subject and looked at Zhang Chulan, his expression becoming serious: "Chulan, after we go back, the special training will continue."

"Huh? Special training?" Zhang Chulan was taken aback, somewhat confused. "Your opponent in the finals is Brother Feng... I... what do I need special training for? The championship is already..." He didn't dare to say the rest of the sentence.

"The championship is yours, but you still need to fight properly." Nie Lingfeng's tone was calm but undeniable. "For the next two days, Bao'er will give you special training. I'll avoid it and won't peek. When the finals come on... let me see just how much you've improved after these two days of training."

Upon hearing this, Feng Baobao blinked, about to say something, when Nie Lingfeng, as if knowing what she was about to ask, preemptively spoke:

"Sister Bao'er, don't worry. Chu Lan will definitely be the winner, that won't change. But I have to make sure he... wins something decent, so he can feel his own real growth and breakthrough, right?"

Feng Baobao tilted her head and thought for a moment, seemingly understanding Nie Lingfeng's meaning. She nodded decisively, "Okay. Then I'll give him a good workout these next two days." Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed Zhang Chulan's arm, who hadn't even reacted yet, and dragged him away.

"Hey! Sister Bao'er! Be gentle! My arm is going to dislocate! Brother Feng, help me—!" Zhang Chulan's screams quickly faded into the distance.

Xu San and Xu Si looked at each other in bewilderment.

Xu Si leaned closer to Nie Lingfeng and asked in a low voice, "Xiao Feng, you really don't plan to... throw the game in the finals?"

"It's not that we're not going easy on him." Nie Lingfeng shook his head, his gaze deep. "It's about giving him a chance, a chance to truly prove his strength and worth in front of everyone. The title of champion needs a worthy victory to crown him."

He paused, his gaze drifting to the towering Celestial Master's Mansion complex in the distance. His voice lowered, as if he were talking to himself: "And... there are some things I need to think about carefully."

Xu San adjusted his glasses and asked sharply, "What is it?"

Nie Lingfeng did not answer directly; his gaze passed over the noisy crowd and landed on the high platform.

There, the old master was pushing Tian Jinzhong's wheelchair, slowly leaving.

Some things... like, saving Grandpa Tian?

With the secret to immortality contained within him and the Qilin marrow blood that once saved Xu Xiang, there might be a glimmer of hope. But the old man Tian Jinzhong's injuries... were too horrific. Decades ago, his limbs were severed, his meridians were cut off, and he was tortured day and night. He was already on his last legs, and he had only survived to this day by virtue of his astonishing willpower and his steadfast adherence to the secrets of his sect.

Even if you forcibly keep him alive with Qilin blood, even if you force him to grow mutilated limbs... would the person you save still be the Tian Jinzhong with complete memories, mind, and soul? Is this truly salvation, or an interference with unpredictable consequences? Do I... really have the qualifications and ability to do such a thing?

Nie Lingfeng didn't know the answer. But he felt a strong urge to try. This was not only to make up for the regrets in the original story, but perhaps also a sense of responsibility and exploration towards the special ability he possessed.

He subconsciously raised his hand and gently pressed it against his chest.

Beneath his clothes, the fire unicorn tattoo emanated a clear, warm pulse, as if a dormant ancient heart was slowly awakening, responding to the churning thoughts and determination within him.

"Let's go." Nie Lingfeng withdrew his gaze and said to Xu San and Xu Si, "Go back and rest. Starting tomorrow... let's make some preparations for the finals and for what comes after."

Let's hear about the final of the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony in two days, and what happens after that!