“A very good physical defense. No wonder he was able to survive after receiving a punch of mine. Interesting!” On the wall of the Imperial Palace, Yuan Tong had suddenly appeared by Qing Yun’zi’s side, and he smiled and spoke indifferently as he gazed at Yang Ye.

“You’ve fought him?” Qing Yun’zi glanced at Yuan Tong as he asked this question.

Yuan Tong nodded, and then he smiled and said, “There’s no need to worry, Elder Yun. Even if he has comprehended Sword Intent and possesses a physical body comparable to a King Rank Darkbeast, he’s still bound to be my steppingstone!” His tone emanated strong confidence.

Qing Yun’zi nodded when he heard this. He had quite a bit of knowledge about Yuan Tong’s true strength. Even though Yang Ye had comprehended Sword Intent and possessed a physical body comparable to a King Rank Darkbeast, he could only be a steppingstone for Yuan Tong in the end. Besides Yang Ye, aren’t all the others below the same?

It could be said that the southern territory was bound to be Yuan Tong’s stage for the next thousand years, and it would be the Origin School’s stage as well!

On the arena, Li Xianjun wiped off the fresh blood on the corner of his mouth, and then he gazed at Yang Ye while his eyes narrowed slightly. He said in a low voice, “A physical defense comparable to a King Rank Darkbeast. I’ve really underestimated you again!” He’d always felt that Yang Ye’s strength was comparable to his junior brother, the deceased Xiu Luo. However, after these few collisions, he noticed that this fellow who he’d thought highly of in the past had a strength that far exceeded his expectations!

Yang Ye walked slowly towards Li Xianjun and said, “You’ve always been underestimating me, and you’re still underestimating me even now. Aren’t you?”

“Oh?” Li Xianjun’s brows raised while he said, “Looks like you possess an even more formidable trump card. I really wish to experience it.”

Yang Ye didn’t continue speaking, and he utilized the Gale Steps technique instead. Under the boost from this technique, Yang Ye’s speed instantly arrived at an extreme, and he left an afterimage behind while his figure instantly arrived before Li Xianjun. After that, the Violet Spirit sword in his hand slashed down swiftly and violently like a storm towards Li Xianjun.

He really wanted to utilize his full strength to deal with Li Xianjun, but he couldn’t because he had even more formidable opponents waiting behind Li Xianjun. If he exposed all his trump cards now, then the battles he faced after this would become more and more difficult. After all, everyone would be vigilant towards him then. What he wanted was for the Imperial Academy’s Qin Youran, the Origin School’s Yuan Tong, and the two women from the two palaces to underestimate him!

Only by making them underestimate him would Yang Ye have a better chance of seizing the 1st on the Ascension Rankings! Conversely, if everyone thought highly of him and took him seriously, then the battles he faced would grow more and more difficult!

On the arena, Yang Ye and Li Xianjun constantly exchanged blows. Their attacks were so swift that it stunned countless profounders below the arena because most of them were utterly unable to see their attacks clearly. They could only hear the incessant sounds of metal colliding resounding from the arena.

Two hours later, the clothes Li Xianjun wore were in rags while countless dense marks of the sword covered his entire body. On the other hand, even though Yang Ye’s clothes were in rags as well, there weren’t any injuries on his body. Obviously, Yang Ye had seized an advantageous position during these two hours of battle!

Yang Ye’s method of fighting was slightly shameless. Yes, he’d completely abandoned any intent to defend himself, and he exchanged blows with Li Xianjun. How could Li Xianjun’s physical defense compare to Yang Ye’s? So, at this point in the battle, Li Xianjun’s entire body was covered in injuries, whereas, Yang Ye was completely unharmed!

As they gazed at Yang Ye who was in battle on the arena, the countless profounders below the arena and especially the participating profounders in group no. 9 had solemn expressions. Because Yang Ye’s physical defense was truly too terrifying. The black sickle in Li Xianjun’s possession was at least an Earth Rank treasure, yet it was actually unable to pierce through Yang Ye’s skin while being enhanced by Slaughter Intent. So, if they encountered Yang Ye, then they might not even be able to kill Yang Ye even if Yang Ye stood there and allowed them to do so!

Bang!

The sword and sickle collided, and then the two of them split up once more.

As he sensed the blood through was flowing all over his body, Li Xianjun took a deep breath before the profound energy within his body surged madly. He slowly raised the black sickle and pointed it at Yang Ye from afar before he said, “I made numerous mistakes since encountering you in battle. But I guarantee that I’ll absolutely not repeat them now!”

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Xianjun closed his eyes slightly. At the same time, countless strands of black energy appeared out of thin air and descended down to envelop Li Xianjun. Moreover, these were countless threads of blood flowing swiftly amidst this black energy, causing it to seem extremely mysterious!

At this moment, Li Xianjun was extraordinarily aggrieved. Because after such a long battle with Yang Ye, not only had he been the first to suffer an injury, he’d been firmly suppressed by Yang Ye. How could Li Xianjun who was the number one figure of the Ghost Sect’s younger generation endure this? So, he intended to stop holding back!

“This is the Ghost Sect’s mid-grade Earth Rank technique, Monstrous Baleful Energy?” Qing Yun’zi who stood on the Imperial Palace’s wall gazed at Kugu as he asked this question.

Yu Heng and Su Qingshi’s expressions changed when they heard this because they naturally knew this technique, the Monstrous Baleful Energy technique. It was a very renowned technique of the Ghost Sect, and countless disciples of the Sword Sect had perished beneath this technique. At this moment, both of them revealed worried expressions because the Sword Sect hadn’t given Yang Ye any Earth Rank techniques….

In other words, how could Yang Ye resist this mid-grade Earth Rank technique?

Kugu revealed a wisp of a smile for the first time, and he said, “This mid-grade Earth Rank technique is divided into a total of nine levels, and Xianjun has already cultivated it to the 7th level. Coupled with some secret techniques, he can bring forth the 80% of this Earth Rank technique’s might. 80% of its might against a person that has only comprehended 1st level Sword Intent, haha….”

The worry in Su Qingshi’s eyes grew thicker when she heard him!

On the other hand, the Flower Palace’s Cai Feng revealed a cold smile on the corners of her mouth. She naturally didn’t wish for Yang Ye to win and survive. So, this was for the best! Of course, even if Yang Ye didn’t die at Li Xianjun’s hands, he would die at Wenren Yue’s hands, or perhaps he would die at the hands of Yuan Tong or Qin Youran. In her opinion, the earlier Yang Ye died the better!

On the arena, the black energy that coiled around Li Xianjun grew increasingly thicker and numerous. In just a few breaths of time, the entire arena was covered in countless strands of black energy while innumerable threads of blood moved incessantly like worms within the black energy. It was an extremely shocking sight.

The countless profounders below the arena moved over 30m behind because the terrifying aura emanated from the monstrous baleful energy on the arena caused them to shudder with terror.

Yang Ye had a solemn expression, and his eyes narrowed as he gazed at this scene that seemed like the end of the world. He was very clearly aware of the might possessed by an Earth Rank technique, and he knew Li Xianjun’s technique was at least a low-grade Earth Rank technique and might even be a mid-grade Earth Rank technique. Moreover, the blood red threads in the black energy caused him to feel slightly terrified.

Yang Ye took a deep breath before the profound energy within his body started to surge madly. At this moment, he couldn’t continue going head-on against Li Xianjun with his physical body because an Earth Rank technique could harm him. Not to mention that it was being enhanced by Li Xianjun’s Slaughter Intent, so the might it possessed would be extremely terrifying!

As his profound energy surged incessantly, the Violet Spirit sword in Yang Ye’s hand suddenly lit up with bright golden light, and then a clear and melodious sword howl resounded. Strand after strand of lights flickered on Violet Spirit while some even occasionally shot out explosively, and when they struck the hard ground, a few pitch black and bottomless holes would be created!

“What sword technique is that?” Qing Yun’zi frowned as he asked this question.

Yuan Tong who stood behind him shook his head and said, “The Sword Sect seems to not possess such a sword technique!”

When they heard the two of them, the members of the Flower Palace, Ghost Sect, and Snow Palace looked at Su Qingshi and Yu Heng. They were curious as well about what sort of sword technique Yang Ye was about to utilize against Li Xianjun. After all, the Sword Sect’s sword techniques were renowned in the world.

Yu Heng shook his head and laughed bitterly when he saw everyone look at him. Because the Sword Sect hadn’t taught Yang Ye any high-quality sword techniques. So, at this moment, even he was extremely curious about exactly what sword technique Yang Ye was about to use against Li Xianjun! After all, Li Xianjun had executed a mid-grade Earth Rank technique, so how could an ordinary technique resist it?

It wasn’t just these experts on the Imperial Palace’s walls, countless others had gazed at Yang Ye as well because they wanted to witness what sort of world shocking technique Yang Ye was about to execute!

Under the gazes of countless people, Yang Ye slowly closed his eyes instead, and only Violet Spirit that he held in his hand was ceaselessly trembling violently.

Countless people were stunned when they witnessed this scene. Is he courting Death?

Right at this moment, Li Xianjun took a step towards Yang Ye. As he gazed at Yang Ye, Li Xianjun’s face that was enveloped beneath the black energy revealed a savage expression. At a certain moment in time, the profound energy within his body surged like tidewater before he raised his right hand, and then the sickle in his hand started spinning swiftly. As it spun, the threads of blood on its blade were the first to shoot explosively at Yang Ye!

The threads of blood were extremely swift like bolts of lightning. The people in the surroundings were unable to catch sight of those threads of blood, and they could only hear the sharp and ear piercing whistling that they emanated!

When he sensed them shooting over explosively, Yang Ye didn’t open his eye, and he just held his sword with a single hand and slashed it down before him. A strand of golden sword qi shot out explosively. Under the boost from his Sword Intent, this sword qi was extremely fierce and swift, and it was swift to the point the people in the surroundings merely saw it flash before their eyes!

Bang!

An explosion suddenly resounded from the arena, and then an invisible wave of energy suddenly swept towards the surroundings. Everywhere it passed, the ground of the arena instantly split apart while rifts that were thick as an arm stretched swiftly towards the surroundings.

When they witnessed such a scene, the spectators below the arena revealed astounded expressions because such might was truly too terrifying. Merely this wave of energy was sufficient to annihilate many of them!

At this moment, countless people were shocked in their hearts!

When he saw those threads of blood being blasted into pieces by Yang Ye’s sword qi, Li Xianjun’s expression instantly turned even more hideous, and then he shouted furiously. “Go!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the black energy around him and all over the arena had instantly converged together to form an extremely enormous python, and it was large to the point it covered the entire arena. Countless strands of black energy surged ceaselessly towards the surroundings from within the enormous black python, and when they were enveloped by the black energy that covered the heavens and the earth, all the spectators instantly felt horrified as if they were facing the end of the world.