When Qin Lian entered the black metal tower, she felt the scenery around her begin to change. By the time she came back to her senses, she found herself in an arena. The arena was extremely wide and made from azure jade. A faint glowing barrier rose from its borders, sealing it off from the outside.

She was evidently on one of the floors within the tower.

Qin Lian’s expression remained unchanged as fiercely stared at a certain spot in front of her. Space rippled faintly as a figure emerged.

It was the Crimson Cloud Sword Sect’s Zhang Chengfeng.

Zhang Chengfeng stared back at Qin Lian as he smiled and said, “I’ve long heard of miss Qin Lian’s overwhelming strength from junior brother Ji Hu. It seems that I’m going to be the unlucky one who experiences it today.”

However, Qin Lian had zero intention of answering him. With a grasp of her hand, a large scarlet blade appeared. The blade gleamed icily as the surrounding space rippled a little.

Rumble!

Astonishing Genesis Qi erupted from her body, and a Genesis Qi storm unfurled as a glass sun appeared behind her, accompanied by a terrifying pressure.

“A foundation of 2.1 billion…” Zhang Chengfeng’s pupils shrank a little. His opponent’s Genesis Qi foundation was 200 million greater than his own. This was not a small gap, and it would put him under a tremendous amount of pressure.

“Crossing hands with the sixth-ranker on the Heavenly Sun List will at least fulfill a wish of mine!” However, Zhang Chengfeng was no ordinary individual. Although the situation was somber, he showed no fear. He placed his hands together before slowly pulling them apart.

Scarlet-red Genesis Qi stretched from his palms and slowly took on the form of a burning three-foot-long sword. Numerous fiery runes decorated the blade. A searing heat spread, warping the surrounding space.

Bzz!

Scarlet-red Genesis Qi erupted as a glass Heavenly Sun also appeared behind him.

However, there was clearly a difference between them even though they were both glass Heavenly Suns. At the very least, Qin Lian’s Genesis Qi was clearly much stronger than Zhang Chengfeng’s.

Thump!

Qin Lian tightly grasped the scarlet sparrow blade. A split second later, Genesis Qi rumbled as her figure turned into a bolt of scarlet lightning. Cheng Feng only saw a flash of scarlet before a scarlet-red blade ruthlessly slashed down at him with the cry of a sparrow.

Blade light swept forth as space cracked and shattered.

Zhang Chengfeng did not dare to delay a single moment, and he immediately brought up his burning sword light to meet the attack.

Clang!

Blade and sword light collided as torrential fire spurted outwards, burning the air.

Qin Lian’s figure did not budge a single inch, but Zhang Chengfeng’s body was sent shooting backward. The flaming sword in his hand wailed, evidently unable to match Qin Lian’s ferocious attack.

The clash had clearly displayed the gap made from a difference of 200 million stars.

Swish!

Qin Lian had no intention of relenting after the successful attack. She bent her long slender legs as flames exploded from her body, and her figure disappeared like a ghost.

Bzz! Bzz! Bzz!

Glowing scarlet-red blades seemed to fill the entire sky as they descended, cutting off any possible path of escape for Zhang Chengfeng.

“Little Saint Art, Crimson Cloud Sword Light!”

Genesis Qi frantically erupted from Zhang Chengfeng’s body as a wave of sword light swept outwards. The sword light gathered together like layers of churning crimson clouds that loomed towards Qin Lian.

Crimson Cloud Sword Light was one of the signature Genesis techniques of the Crimson Cloud Sword Sect. When used, sword light would become akin to clouds, stacking layer upon layer. Anyone it caught would find themselves inside a devastating cage of heavenly fire that was near impossible to escape.

Zhang Chengfeng clearly had no intention of warming up. He was going all-out.

Qin Lian narrowed her eyes. The long ponytail behind her abruptly exploded, and her fine black hair turned scarlet red. Her long hair drifted around her, making her appear like a scarlet sparrow with outstretched wings.

A low cry rang out from her mouth. “Little Saint Art, Scarlet Sparrow Dance!”

Lii!

She gracefully walked through the air, and her slender body twirled. She ferociously slashed with the scarlet sparrow blade in her hand, and it gushed out scarlet-red Genesis Qi.

A dancing scarlet sparrow seemed to emerge from the slash as it ruthlessly sliced into the crimson clouds with torrential momentum.

Chla!

The ripping of space rang out as the dazzling blade fell. The endless crimson clouds were violently sliced apart, long cracks even appearing on the azure jade floor below. However, the jade seemed to possess some kind of repairing power. The cracks soon disappeared, returning the ground to its previous appearance.

Urgh!

However, Zhang Chengfeng did not have the same power. After chopping through the crimson clouds, the surplus force struck his chest. Blood sprayed from his mouth as his body skidded across the ground, traveling nearly a thousand feet.

It had been a brief exchange, but the winner was already clear.

Meanwhile, outside the metal tower, a commotion swept over the countless onlookers.

From what they had seen so far, the first match would undoubtedly end in Qin Lian’s victory.

The Tianyuan Region side also burst into cheers, the numerous Heavenly Sun experts looking proud.

“As expected of senior sister Qin Lian.” Mu Youlan breathed a sigh of relief. She was the weakest among the Tianyuan Region’s four Heavenly Sun pillars, and honestly, she did not have much of a chance against Zhang Chengfeng. Hence, Qin Lian achieving a clean victory greatly boosted their morale.

Zhou Yuan did not speak and instead glanced at the Great Five Alliance camp. They looked unruffled—no signs of any panic. It was as if they had already predicted this outcome.

He tightly furrowed his brows. What were they thinking? Could they have already accepted their fate?

...

Long scarlet-red hair danced around Qin Lian as she slowly descended. She brandished the scarlet sparrow blade as her cold eyes locked onto Zhang Chengfeng’s bloody figure. Nearly his entire chest had been chopped open.

“Cough, as expected of the sixth-ranker on the Heavenly Sun List. You’re truly formidable.” Zhang Chengfeng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and grinned.

Qin Lian did not reply. She slowly walked forward as her blade dragged across the ground, leaving behind black scorch marks.

Zhang Chengfeng continued, “I know that none of the Great Five Alliance’s Heavenly Sun experts are your match, including myself. Perhaps all of you believe that you will achieve a clean and easy victory...hehe…” The smile on his lips turned strange.

An icy light abruptly blossomed in Qin Lian’s eyes as she suddenly sped forward, turning into a blur of scarlet. She intended to slay Zhang Chengfeng and end the match.

“But Qin Lian, you can’t beat me!” He smiled sinisterly. The flesh on his chest wiggled as something tunneled out from his body. It was a rune dyed in blood. When it emerged, it quickly twisted into itself, turning into a glowing ball.

It pulsed with a heart-palpitating power.

The rune-ball beat faintly like a heart, an exceptionally strange sight.

Although Qin Lian clearly knew that the rune-ball was extremely dangerous, her face remained ice-cold as she ruthlessly swung the scarlet sparrow blade. The glass sun behind her shone dazzlingly, its torrential Genesis Qi rippling the surrounding space.

Rumble!

However, before the blade could fall, blood light squirmed across the rune-ball. A terrifying force spouted out, warping even space itself.

Boom!

Outside the metal tower, countless people watched in shock.

The force was far too frightening, easily tearing apart even the barrier around the arena.

Thump! Thump!

Two figures shot out from the tower and crashed into the Wind Rain Lake’s surface. The figures bounced across the water, leaving deep ripples in their wake. They travelled several thousand feet before coming to a miserable stop.

Urgh!

Qin Lian steadied her body as she vomited a mouthful of blood.

Her eyes were practically spitting fire as she stared at a spot in the distance where Zhang Chengfeng’s limp body floated in the water. His entire body had nearly been torn apart, his face so deathly pale that he looked mere moments from death.

Despite his grave injuries, Zhang Chengfeng still managed to grin at Qin Lian.

Qin Lian’s face turned ugly with anger.

She was not the only one. The faces of Chi Jing, sect master Xuan Kun and the others also darkened.

Qin Lian and Zhang Chengfeng had been blown out of the tower.

Although Zhang Chengfeng only had half a breath left in him, it did not make much of a difference to the outcome.

In other words...what should originally have been a clean and easy victory had ultimately ended in a draw!

Things had gone wrong in the end.