The charming widow of the Marquis's mansion: The stable boy carries the flag and raises the dra

Lu Chen's smile froze on his face.

He had only sheathed his longsword for three breaths when an overwhelming sense of pressure suddenly exploded from Wang Long's body.

That was no longer the level of their tentative exchange, but rather a decisive force that could destroy everything in its path, like a dormant volcano suddenly erupting.

The moment the words "Sword, come!" landed, Wang Long's body blazed with golden light, and nine celestial sword beams shot out from his body, drawing nine golden rainbows in the air.

It merged with the lightsaber formed from spiritual energy, transforming into a giant sword with flowing gold and silver patterns, hovering above the dragon's head.

The sword vibrated and hummed, its sound like the long tolling of an ancient bell, spreading through the morning mist and causing the surrounding pebbles to tremble slightly.

Lu Chen's pupils suddenly contracted. He could no longer maintain his composed demeanor. He slammed his right hand back onto the hilt of his sword, and the black longsword was drawn again, held horizontally in front of him.

The runes flowing along the blade instantly lit up, forming a defensive spiritual energy barrier.

"You held back just now?"

His voice carried a hint of surprise, but he was not flustered; instead, it was filled with a genuine fighting spirit.

"Same to you."

Wang Long replied calmly, and then his figure moved. The golden giant sword followed his steps, like a resurrected dragon, and slashed straight down at Lu Chen!

boom!

Lu Chen raised his sword to meet the attack head-on. A visible shockwave of spiritual energy erupted from the point of impact, sending rubble and withered branches flying and dust billowing everywhere.

The ground beneath Lu Chen's feet cracked again, his knees bent slightly, clearly bearing a weight far exceeding what he had just endured, yet a carefree smile appeared on his face.

"That's more like it!"

He used the momentum to retreat several steps, then flipped his wrist, changing his stance from defense to offense. The blade, wrapped in arcs of silver-gray spiritual energy, moved like rapidly moving snake shadows, attacking Wang Long simultaneously from multiple angles.

The two clashed again, this time even more fiercely than before. Their swords clashed repeatedly in the morning mist, producing dense and muffled sounds. Each impact left new cracks in the ground, and clumps of bushes and dead trees fell down.

Lu Chen's swordsmanship was indeed exquisite, but Wang Long's Chaotic Dao Body became increasingly adapted to his opponent's rhythm during the long battle.

His figure moved nimbly through the dense flashes of blades, like a slippery fish. Every dodge was perfectly timed, and every counterattack landed precisely in the gaps of Lu Chen's offensive.

After another violent collision, Lu Chen's sword technique finally showed a slight flaw.

Wang Long did not let this opportunity pass. The golden sword light suddenly accelerated in that instant, cutting into the gap in Lu Chen's defensive circle like lightning. The tip of the sword accurately touched the connection between the opponent's hilt and wrist.

Lu Chen felt a numbness in his hand, and the black longsword almost slipped from his grasp. His body was forced to lean back, revealing an opening for a moment. Wang Long followed up, his left palm forming a solid palm print of spiritual energy, which struck Lu Chen's chest.

boom!

Lu Chen was sent flying backward, rolling twice on the ground before finally coming to a stop, a trace of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

He stood up, leaning on his knife. Although his face was a little pale, he still had that calm smile. However, the initial ease in his eyes was gone, replaced by a serious scrutiny.

"You are indeed stronger than I imagined."

Lu Chen spoke, his voice a few decibels higher than before.

Wang Long did not answer, but stood there quietly, his gaze fixed on Lu Chen.

He sensed that the other party's spiritual power was rapidly recovering, and that there was clearly still some energy left, but Wang Long was no longer going to give him a chance to adjust.

He raised his hand, and the golden giant sword trembled slightly in the air before transforming into nine streams of light that simultaneously surrounded Lu Chen from different directions.

Lu Chen's expression changed slightly. He raised his sword to block, but after blocking several sword lights in succession, his defensive circle was finally torn open, and a golden sword light swept past his robe.

It left a thin crack on his waist, and then the sword light seemed to have found a breakthrough. The other eight sword lights accelerated at the same time and pierced through his defense from all angles.

Lu Chen looked down at the several spreading spiritual light cracks on his body, remained silent for a moment, then looked up at Wang Long and gave a bitter smile.

"Okay, you win this round."

Before he finished speaking, a beam of light surged up from beneath his feet, gradually engulfing his figure.

His last words drifted into the morning mist, carrying a hint of sincere appreciation.

"After the selection process, if you have time, come to the Western Regions and I'll treat you to drinks."

With a flash of light, Lu Chen's figure vanished completely. The two Western Region cultivators who had been following him were also affected by Wang Long's sword energy and were now staggering backward.

Before they could escape far, they were caught up by several other golden sword lights and sent off the battlefield together.

Wang Long withdrew the nine Heavenly Gang Sword Lights, stood in place, and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

On the viewing platform, the silence was broken. The leader of the Western Regions Serpent Bone Sect stared at the dark brown dot marked "eliminated" on the map with a grim expression, remaining silent for a long time.

People nearby were whispering among themselves.

"Lu Chen was eliminated too? He was recognized as one of the top three among the younger generation in the Western Regions, yet he lost to Wang Long from the Eastern Regions?"

"Just who is this Wang Long? The strength he just unleashed far surpasses that of an ordinary early-stage Supreme Realm cultivator."

Over in the Central Region spectator area, the expressions of several elders also changed slightly.

The elder of the Qian Yuan Sect in the dark gold robe put down his teacup, his gaze becoming more serious, but his tone still carried a hint of disdain and arrogance.

"Lu Chen is indeed not weak, but the martial arts of the Western Regions are known for their unpredictability, and direct confrontation is not their forte. The fact that Wang Long was able to defeat him does not prove much."

The gray-robed old man beside him nodded, but couldn't help adding a comment.

"However, this Wang Long does have some real skills and cannot be regarded as an ordinary opponent."

The atmosphere in the Eastern spectator area was quite different.

Song Tiange stood at the edge of the viewing platform, his gaze fixed on the two still-moving dots on the map. His expression was calm, but the fingers clenched in his sleeve tightened slightly.

He didn't speak, he just watched quietly.

Ye Wushuang stood beside him, her expression still cold, but her gaze never left the gray dot on the map.

After a moment of silence, she spoke in a low voice.

"I believe in them!"

"Um."

Song Tiange responded with a calm tone, but with a hint of barely perceptible seriousness.

"The real battle is about to begin!"