Chapter 49: Spiritual Duel

Liu An's gaze was sharp as he closed in on the group step by step. With an icy tone, he declared, "Today, I shall properly discipline you all on behalf of your master!"

Before his words faded, his figure flickered and he arrived right before them. His fist momentum was like a dragon's, instantly knocking all of them to the ground.

The group was left in utter disarray, their faces etched with terror.

Fatty Xu watched from the sidelines, dumbfounded yet thoroughly delighted.

"His Royal Highness is truly formidable! Teach them a good lesson for me," Fatty Xu cheered, clapping his hands.

Just at that moment, an imposing voice echoed through the air. Fatty Xu's master descended from the sky, sweeping his gaze across the crowd like a pair of blazing torches.

"Audacious!" the master roared. "How dare you beat my disciples!" With a wave of his sleeve, the master shot out several rays of light that bound Liu An in place.

Fatty Xu hurriedly stepped forward to explain the situation to his master, whose expression softened into slight displeasure upon hearing the truth.

After a moment of contemplation, the master decided to impose a strict punishment: "Since the lot of you fail to properly assist your junior brother and instead resort to bullying him, starting today, you shall tend to the medicinal herb garden for half a year as penology!"

Following this, he retrieved several vials of medicinal pills from his sleeve and handed them to Liu An. "These are pills for healing injuries and aiding cultivation, take them as compensation."

He then turned and handed a few vials to Fatty Xu as well. "You, too, must be diligent and not slack off."

Fatty Xu joyfully accepted the pills, exchanging a smile filled with relief and happiness with Liu An.

As the setting sun dyed the western sky, the two walked side by side toward the sect's dining hall. Along the path, falling leaves danced gently in the breeze.

Inside the dining hall, voices buzzed and steam billowed. They found a corner table to sit down, ordered several specialty dishes of the sect, and feasted heartily. Their laughter and chatter were filled with ease and comfort.

As Liu An chewed on a tender piece of the sect's roasted duck, he conversed in low tones with Fatty Xu, shifting the topic to Lin Luomei, who had joined the sect at the same time as them.

"I heard that girl Luomei has already comprehended the ultimate realm of ice and is on the verge of breaking through to the second stage. It's truly enviable," Liu An said, a trace of competitive spirit flashing in his eyes.

Hearing this, Fatty Xu swallowed a mouthful of food, his eyes widening. "You can say that again! With her ice-crystal skin and jade-like bones, cultivation is practically as smooth as divine assistance for her. Besides, you probably didn't know this, but she is already ranked fourth on the sect's beauty roll. That aloof and chilly temperament of hers is simply heart-stirring."

As he spoke, Fatty Xu seemed to envision Lin Luomei dancing gracefully across a snowy plain, surrounded by swirling cold mist, looking so ethereal she hardly seemed mortal.

"You even keep track of things like that."

"Her temperament has only grown colder, though. The last time I saw her and tried to greet her, she didn't even acknowledge me. She just glanced at me and walked away," Fatty Xu said, a faint trace of sorrow lingering in his eyes.

After parting ways with Fatty Xu at the sect's dining hall, Liu An walked alone into the night, the moonlight falling like water over his shoulders.

Returning to his dwelling cave, he lit a candle. Shadows of swords danced across the walls inside, every single blade seemingly embodying his thoughts and willpower.

He closed his eyes to concentrate, his sword intent circulating. The sound of swords humming rose one after another within the cave, resembling the roars of dragons.

"The Gengjin Sword Art has reached perfection. Next time, I should switch to a different sword manual."

Several days later, on the day the sect's mystic realm opened, the horizon was stained red by rosy clouds. The sect's plaza was a sea of bustling voices; disciples were eager to flex their muscles, their eyes burning with fervor.

The gates of the mystic realm slowly opened, and an ancient and mysterious aura rushed forth. Liu An and Lin Luomei stood side by side, both with straight postures and resolute gazes.

Lin Luomei wore a plain robe, her skin like ice and bones like jade, with faint wisps of cold air lingering around her, making her look like a fairy of the frost.

Liu An possessed sword-like brows and star-like eyes, his imposing aura like a rainbow. The longsword in his hand trembled slightly, its sword intent piercing the clouds. The two exchanged a glance; no words were needed, as each saw the desire and determination for the mystic realm in the other's eyes.

Soon, under the drawing arrangement of an elder, they took their corresponding places to battle in the plaza according to sequence.

Liu An drew Heaven-One, and his opponent, Song Jiu, drew Heaven-Two.

The first duel was ready to erupt at the slightest touch.

Standing opposite Liu An was Song Jiu, who possessed a robust physique and flames surging all over his body, clearly having practiced the Flame-Control Art to perfection.

As the battle commenced, Song Jiu let out a fierce roar and formed hand seals. Scorching flames rushed toward Liu An like enraged dragons.

However, Liu An's expression remained calm. With a light wave of his longsword, the Gengjin Sword Art was instantly unleashed. A dazzling golden sword radiance, blinding as the midday sun, collided with the flames, producing a deafening roar.

Wherever the sword radiance passed, the flames were extinguished one by one, and Song Jiu's offensive was effortlessly dismantled. Immediately after, Liu An's figure moved like lightning, a flash of sword light piercing straight through Song Jiu's protective barrier of flames. The tremendous force sent Song Jiu flying, and he crashed heavily onto the ground amidst a cloud of dust.

"I yield," Liu An said with great courtesy, stepping quickly to Song Jiu's side to help him up.

Song Jiu was not a petty person; after thanking Liu An for his kindness, he consciously stepped down from the arena.

The subsequent duels continued until the fourth match, which featured Lin Luomei versus Zhang Xiaorui.

The showdown between Lin Luomei and Zhang Xiaorui resembled a symphony of ice, snow, and rippling waves.

Zhang Xiaorui conjured flowing water waves that transformed into countless spiritual serpents, entangling themselves toward Lin Luomei.

Lin Luomei's movements were as light as walking on snow without leaving a trace, every dodge perfectly timed. At the same time, she tapped her fingertips gently, causing ice crystals to bloom and transform into sharp ice blades that intersected and collided with the spiritual serpents, producing crisp, ringing sounds.

Zhang Xiaorui refused to show weakness, spreading out a curtain of water to form a defensive barrier. Lin Luomei's eyes sharpened; she quickly formed hand seals with both hands, causing the surrounding temperature to plummet as the air seemed to freeze.

In an instant, the world seemed to narrow down to her alone. She parted her lips slightly to chant a low incantation, unleashing an extreme chill as the art of freezing the heavens and earth was grandly cast. Centered on her, frost rapidly spread, freezing Zhang Xiaorui and the water curtain solid into a crystal-clear ice sculpture—a scene of utterly shocking magnitude.

Liu An felt no surprise; the battle had concluded swiftly, yet the fellow sect disciples crowding around the arena gasped in astonishment.

"Junior Sister Lin is simply too powerful! Such an iceberg beauty—just thinking about it is intoxicating."

"You're just a toad trying to eat swan meat! Look at yourself—what weight do you carry? Are you worthy?" The dreamer's fantasy was instantly shattered by a harsh voice.

After a few more matches, it was finally Fatty Xu's turn to enter the arena. His opponent was a bald man who practiced earth-type techniques.

Fatty Xu stood on the platform, facing the bald earth-type cultivator as their auras clashed in confrontation.

The bald man let out a loud shout, causing the ground to shake. Earth-yellow radiance flashed, and spikes of earth shot toward Fatty Xu like sharp swords.

Unflustered, Fatty Xu quickly formed hand seals with both hands while chanting incantations. Instantly, dense vines sprouted from the surrounding ground, acting like a giant green net that entangled the earth spikes one by one. The vines flickered with a peculiar sheen—the paralyzing poison at work.

The bald man froze in astonishment. Before he could react, the vines tightened abruptly, wrapping tightly around his entire body. The bald man's expression shifted drastically as he struggled desperately, all to no avail. The vines grew tighter and tighter until they completely bound him, leaving him entirely immobilized and forced to surrender.

The fatty thus advanced successfully.