After being jilted by the saintess at the beginning, why is she crying?

"What?!" Li Cheng was shocked.

This force is almost comparable to a full-force strike from a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator!

He dared not be careless any longer, and quickly calmed his mind, circulated his cultivation technique, and did his best to stabilize his protective spiritual energy, switching to a defensive stance.

The flying sword, however, clung to him like a maggot, and did not bounce off after the strike.

Instead, he used the recoil to spin around and thrust at an even faster speed!

Lin Fengmian chuckled softly, his sword techniques shifting.

Bang bang bang! Clang clang clang!

The flying swords transformed into streaks of silver afterimages, relentlessly bombarding Li Cheng's protective aura from various tricky angles with incredible speed and immense force.

For a moment, bursts of inspiration echoed throughout the air.

Li Cheng was overwhelmed by this relentless barrage of attacks and could only defend himself.

Completely powerless to fight back, let alone attack, they could hardly even take a step forward!

The crowd watching from below the stage erupted in uproar!

"Wow! Isn't Lin Fengmian supposed to be a furnace for cultivation? How come he uses his sword techniques so skillfully and fiercely?"

"Could Li Cheng have reached the twelfth level of Qi Refining by simply piling on pills? How come he was beaten so badly?"

Chu Qingyi's beautiful eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at the crisscrossing sword light on the stage.

She could see clearly that what Lin Fengmian was using was the first level of the "Nine Heavens Profound Sword Technique" that she had given him just yesterday!

Moreover, judging from the way it moves with ease and the imposing sword aura it exudes, it is definitely not a beginner's practice; it is clearly already at the level of minor mastery!

Just one day!

In just one day, he cultivated a low-grade Earth-level sword technique to this level?

She had originally thought that if the other person couldn't learn it, they might come back to her.

I can teach him then...

Unexpectedly, the other party not only didn't need it, but even learned it faster than she had back then!

The more outstanding Lin Fengmian was, the more uncomfortable Chu Qingyi felt.

Hearing the increasingly loud discussions and faint jeers from below the stage,

Li Cheng's face flushed red, filled with shame and indignation.

"Get out of my way!" he roared, his spiritual energy surging wildly within him.

He unleashed the emerald green spiritual light around his body to its fullest extent, forcefully shaking off the swirling, attacking flying sword.

They gained a brief respite.

"Boom!" An even more powerful aura erupted from his body.

The skin surface revealed a faint, jade-like luster, and the bones faintly creaked.

"It's the Li family's 'Jade Bone Rock Technique'!" a knowledgeable disciple exclaimed.

This skill is difficult to master, but once mastered, it greatly increases defensive capabilities and strengthens the body far beyond that of others of the same level.

It can also be used in conjunction with the Li family's set of fierce close-quarters combat techniques.

Once it gets close, very few people of equal cultivation level can break free!

"Lin Fengmian, you've successfully enraged me! I'm going to crush every single bone in your body!"

Li Cheng grinned maliciously, and with a burst of power, cracks appeared on the arena floor.

He charged at Lin Fengmian like a tiger released from its cage, trying to close the distance.

Lin Fengmian's eyes narrowed slightly, and he thought to himself:

With the Qi Refining Stage 12 and abundant spiritual power, coupled with this body-refining technique, he is indeed far superior to those small fry from before.

But he didn't panic; instead, his eyes became even sharper.

The sword technique in his hand changed once again, simplifying it from complex to simple.

"Nine Heavens Profound Sword Technique, First Heaven, Second Form—Splitting Light and Transforming Shadow!"

The flying sword suspended in the air suddenly trembled, its blade radiating light, and in an instant, it split into two, then into four, and then into eight!

Eight incredibly solid sword shadows surrounded Lin Fengmian, their sword energy chilling, locking onto Li Cheng.

"Hmph, so what if you're at the twelfth level of Qi Refining?"

Lin Fengmian's voice was clear and cold, carrying a hint of arrogance.

"Among those of the same level, sword cultivators are invincible!"

"go!"

Whoosh whoosh whoosh—!

The eight sword shadows were not mere feints; each one contained considerable spiritual power and sharpness.

Like eight silver dragons, they tore through the air, accompanied by a piercing whistling sound.

They fired at Li Cheng from different directions!

The attack was several times more ferocious than when using a single flying sword!

Li Cheng's forward momentum was immediately halted, and he roared repeatedly.

He pushed the Jade Bone Rock Technique to its limit, waving his arms in an attempt to disperse the sword shadows.

But the sword shadows were exceptionally agile, and the attacks were continuous, like a sudden storm beating down on banana leaves.

Most of the attacks still landed solidly on his protective aura and body.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Sizzle!

A flash of spiritual light appeared, and his robes were torn in several places by the sword energy.

Although he was not seriously injured thanks to his strong physique and martial arts skills,

However, the momentum of progress was completely halted, and they were even forced to retreat a few steps, appearing quite disheveled.

"I refuse to believe I can't crack your turtle shell!"

Seeing that he couldn't break through after a long attack, a fierce glint flashed in Lin Fengmian's eyes.

He took a deep breath, and the pure Yang spiritual power within his body surged forth, pouring it all into the sword technique.

"Nine Heavens Profound Sword Technique, First Heaven, Third Form!"

With a low shout, the eight crisscrossing sword shadows suddenly stopped, and then, like rivers flowing into the sea, instantly converged towards the main flying sword in the center!

It's not a simple overlap, but rather the spiritual power and sharpness of all the sword shadows are condensed into the flying sword!

The flying sword emitted a clear and resonant tremor!

The next moment, the sword tip pointed at Li Cheng, unleashing a magnificent sword aura as thick as an arm yet dazzlingly brilliant.

Like a cascading silver river, it tore through the sky and shot out with unstoppable force!

This sword strike was faster than Li Cheng could react!

"What?!"

He only had time to cross his arms in front of his chest and concentrate the remaining protective spiritual light into a single point.

"Bang—!!!"

A deafening explosion erupted on the life-or-death stage!

Li Cheng was hit head-on by a small mountain, screaming as he flew backward, crashing heavily into the protective light barrier at the edge of the arena before bouncing back to the ground.

His sleeves were torn to shreds, and the pale green protective aura he was so proud of shattered like broken glass, vanishing without a trace.

Even Lin Fengmian's mid-grade flying sword seemed unable to withstand the extreme infusion and collision of spiritual energy just now.

The sword made a "crack" sound as it could no longer bear the weight.

A clear crack appeared in the center, turning it into a broken sword!

The smoke and dust slowly dissipated.

Lin Fengmian remained standing in the same spot, his hands behind his back, and spoke coldly.

"Should we continue?"

All around, there was a deathly silence.

The only sound was the constant gasps of shock.

Everyone was stunned by this dramatic turn of events.

A mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator completely suppressed a 12th-level Qi Refining cultivator throughout the entire fight, finally breaking through the opponent's defense with a single sword strike!

Lin Fengmian...he's been hiding his true abilities far too well!

What kind of monster is he?

Li Cheng lay on the ground, his ears ringing and his whole body in excruciating pain.

But what hurt more than the physical pain was the unprecedented humiliation!

In full view of everyone, he was beaten like this by a furnace he considered worthless!

"No...impossible! How could I possibly lose to a piece of trash like you!"

His eyes were bloodshot, and he roared hoarsely, his last shred of reason consumed by rage and shame.

He suddenly looked up, a ruthless and resolute glint in his eyes.

Ignoring his injuries, he swiftly formed a strange hand seal with both hands and spat out a mouthful of blood into his palm.