“What’s going on? Why did he transform into a sword?” Qing Han grit her teeth. She couldn’t move her mouth anymore, so she was transmitting her thoughts to Lu Yun.

“The bodies we’re assuming now are created by our Life Glyphs, while his is conjured by energy from the Sword of Chaos.”

That was why Sword Divine was invisible to those outside the arena and those he didn’t wish to see him. Qing Han was only able to see him after she’d used the three seals to draw upon the power of the Sovereign Arena.

The divine had now connected to the Sword of Chaos itself and transformed the strand of energy into a physical replica of the sword to suppress Lu Yun and Qing Han.

“The troublemakers have been captured. Let the Sovereign Meet continue!” a tremendous voice echoed across the arena. Immortals in Destiny City couldn’t hear it, but the cultivators here were suddenly gripped by an ineffable viciousness.

“Kill!” Almost involuntarily, they tore into one another.

No one outside the arena could tell that anything was wrong. It was only natural that the weak would fight harder upon seeing a ray of hope after the strong were eliminated.

In fact, smiles flashed across the faces of immortals in Destiny City. Although the greatest geniuses of their factions had been eliminated, those left in the arena were some of their best geniuses as well. Given the chance to mature, they’d become formidable cultivators. Weaker than those who had been eliminated, but not by a great margin.

“What do we do now?” Qing Han transmitted. “Once they determine their ranking, we’ll become part of the thirty-six sovereigns as well. Perhaps then we’ll be under his control!”

Previously, Sword Divine had influenced the will of the immortal dao to trick Qing Han into becoming his thrall with the Sword of Dao, but she’d seen through his attempt.

“I… Hm?” Lu Yun suddenly felt rejuvenated as a great power streamed from his real body into the Life Glyph replica. It was foreign, but also somewhat familiar. It granted him some mobility, but he refrained from making a move just yet.

“Prepare yourself,” he transmitted quietly. “Detonate yourself and leave the arena as soon as I break out of the sword’s hold!”

Qing Han perked up, but didn’t send a response.

Bam!!

Imposing sword energy burst out of Lu Yun and slammed into the sword above his head, knocking it awry. The sword rumbled and trembled violently for a moment, then its restraint on them cracked.

“Kill!!” Lu Yun snarled. A hundred sword atlases shot out of his body and a hundred and eight thousand immortal swords shot toward the Sword of Chaos in unison.

A powerful explosion ripped through the air, the great impact sweeping over the entire arena and disintegrating cultivators who’d been fighting among themselves. The great sword that had towered into the heavens was knocked away.

“Go!” Lu Yun growled with blood streaking down his lips.

Without hesitation, Qing Han detonated her nascent spirit and left the arena. Lu Yun knew what he was doing. She would only be a burden if she stayed.

Sword Divine had transformed back into human form, his dark gaze fixed on Lu Yun. Behind him floated the shadow of a giant sword. He would kill Lu Yun, he decided. Otherwise he’d never be able to clear the hate looming over his heart.

Gone, everyone was gone!

All the other cultivators had been eliminated and Qing Han had destroyed herself, leaving only Lu Yun in the arena. However, there was a strange power on Lu Yun that concealed him from even the will of the immortal dao.

In other words, the third round of the Sovereign Meet continued, but the arena had been effectively emptied. This was a battle that was strictly between Lu Yun and Sword Divine.

……

“Ahhhh!” Lu Yun tipped his head up with a long howl. His tied hair burst free and his long hair danced about him. A hundred and eight thousand flying swords arranged themselves into constellations of twinkling stars around him.

“Sword Divine!” he shouted. “Will you take my greatest attack?!”

The divine didn’t say anything. The mist over his face had dissipated, but the great sword shadow shrouded over his entire body and prevented Lu Yun from getting a clear look at his opponent.

Bam!

The Sword of Chaos descended from the sky and slashed at Lu Yun, fueled with enough might to destroy heaven and earth. The arena beneath Lu Yun’s feet began cracking under the pressure.

“Well met!!” shouted Lu Yun. The hundred sword atlases became one and the swords sparkled like stars, transforming the deteriorating arena into a cosmic ocean.

Bam!

The Sword of Chaos slammed brutally into the cosmic ocean, shattering the arena immediately. In its place emerged a giant plate formed of light.

It was a tremendously magnificent treasure. As soon as it appeared, it seemed to resonate with Destiny City. The city itself radiated a jade-like glow, but the plate was covered in ugly cracks, as if it’d been hurriedly pieced together after having been broken into pieces.

“A treasure of the immortal dao...” Scarlet Ape muttered at the sight of the plate of light.

……

Lu Yun was covered in blood, but his cosmic sea remained.

“This isn’t a sword formation, but a combat art!” Sword Divine tightly grasped the Sword of Chaos with both hands, his figure covered by a layer of sword aura. He threw Lu Yun a look of disbelief.

“Although that strand of sword energy contained only a ten thousandth of Sword of Chaos’ power, it’s not something a cultivator should’ve been able to withstand!” He was so stunned that his voice cracked.

Lu Yun had no treasures on him to counter the will of the immortal dao; even shamanic items would crack like eggshells under the might of the Sword of Chaos.

Yet he’d managed to block the attack with only his combat art!

Lu Yun laughed heartily, hovering in the air as a figure of blood. With a point of his finger, the cosmic sword energy surged and lunged at Sword Divine. It felt like a vast cosmic ocean was bearing down on him with cutting sword energy. The sword in his hand trembled and cracked.

“Die!!” Teeth gritted, the divine took another swing. It wasn’t an attack of the essence of dao, but an even more powerful combat art.

Bam!

Only silence reigned between heaven and earth.