The clash of steel echoed through the forest.
CLANG!
A shockwave of spiritual qi scattered fallen leaves in every direction.
Li Tian's crimson blade pressed against Lin Yuan's plain iron sword.
For a brief moment...
Neither moved.
Then—
Crack!
A tiny fracture appeared along the edge of Lin Yuan's sword.
Li Tian smirked.
"As expected."
"A Mortal-grade weapon."
"It won't survive ten exchanges."
He suddenly increased the strength behind his strike.
Lin Yuan slid backward several meters, leaving two long marks in the soft earth before finally regaining his footing.
His hands tingled from the impact.
"So this is the advantage of a Yellow-grade weapon..."
A cultivator's strength did not depend solely on cultivation.
A powerful weapon could greatly increase one's combat ability.
A Mortal-grade weapon was forged from ordinary metals. While sharp and durable, it could not channel spiritual qi efficiently.
A Yellow-grade weapon, however, was refined using spiritual ores and engraved with simple spirit inscriptions. It could withstand spiritual qi and even increase its user's attacks.
Against opponents of similar strength, the better weapon often decided the battle.
Li Tian pointed his sword at Lin Yuan.
"I'll give you one chance."
"Kneel before me."
"Hand over your Beast Core."
"And apologize for going against me."
" And I might leave you with both legs intact ."
The two youths behind him laughed.
Even Zhao Feng, leaning against a tree with his injured arm, frowned gripping his broken spare more tightly.
He knew Lin Yuan's chances of winning were slim.
Li Tian possessed higher cultivation, a superior weapon, and numerical advantage.
By all logic...
The fight should already be over.
Lin Yuan smiled faintly.
"I've noticed something."
Li Tian frowned.
"What?"
"You talk too much."
The smile on Li Tian's face disappeared.
"You'll regret that."
His figure blurred.
This time, he didn't attack head-on.
Instead, he appeared at Lin Yuan's right side, slashing toward his ribs.
Lin Yuan blocked.
Clang!
Then again and again taking more and more steps backwards
Before he could recover
Li Tian's left fist shot toward his chest.
Boom!
Lin Yuan crossed his forearm just in time.
The impact sent him flying into the trunk of a massive tree.
The bark splintered.
Pain surged through his arm.
"If I hadn't blocked that..."
"My ribs would've shattered."
Li Tian did not pursue immediately.
Instead, he circled slowly.
"Do you know why you can't defeat me?"
Lin Yuan wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth.
"No."
"Because you've never received proper instruction."
Li Tian twirled his sword confidently.
"You villagers think cultivation is simply absorbing spiritual qi."
"But my family has trained me since childhood."
"I know sword forms."
"I know footwork."
"I know how to kill."
Since Lin Yuan received the chains this was his first time battering a proper cultivator ,some one who had received training.
Cultivation alone wasn't enough.
Technique mattered just as much.
His opponent wasn't merely stronger.
He was better trained.
Watching from the side, Zhao Feng clenched his fists.
"This is bad..."
He wanted to help.
But his injuries were too severe.
Even standing was painful.
Li Tian attacked again.
His sword traced three crimson arcs through the air.
Each strike targeted a different vital point.
Lin Yuan retreated while blocking.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
The third impact nearly knocked the sword from his hand.
Another crack spread across the blade.
Li Tian laughed.
"One more exchange."
"Your sword would break."
Lin Yuan steadied his breathing.
Instead of rushing forward, he closed his eyes.
Li Tian frowned.
"Given up?"
Lin Yuan did not reply.
He remembered every lesson Gu Chen had taught him.
"A sword is not merely steel."
"The sword follows the heart."
"Never fight your opponent's battle."
"Make them fight yours."
His eyes slowly opened.
This time...
They were calm.
Completely calm.
Li Tian charged once more.
His speed was even faster than before.
His crimson sword descended toward Lin Yuan's shoulder.
At the very last instant
Lin Yuan stepped half a pace to the left.
Not enough to fully dodge.
Just enough.
The blade brushed past his shoulder, cutting only cloth.
Li Tian's eyes widened.
Before he could react—
Lin Yuan struck with the pommel of his sword instead of its edge.
Bang!
The heavy impact landed squarely on Li Tian's wrist.
The Yellow-grade sword slipped from his grasp.
It spun through the air before embedding itself in the ground several meters away.
Silence.
Even the birds seemed to stop singing.
Li Tian stared blankly at his empty hand.
His followers looked equally stunned.
Zhao Feng was also astonished .
Li Tian's face flushed with rage.
"My sword!"
He lunged toward it.
But Lin Yuan was faster.
He reached the weapon first.
Picking it up, he examined it curiously.
"So..."
"This is a Yellow-grade weapon."
Spiritual qi flowed through the blade far more smoothly than through his iron sword.
It felt lighter.
Sharper.
Stronger.
Li Tian roared,
"Give it back!"
Lin Yuan looked at him.
"I believe you said something earlier."
He smiled.
Without Li Tian's weapon, the balance of power had almost shifted.
But then...
A cold chuckle echoed from deep within the forest.
"Heh..."
"What an entertaining performance."
The laughter did not belong to any candidate.
It was older.
Colder.
Filled with killing intent.
Lin Yuan's expression instantly changed.
Li Tian stopped shouting.
Even Zhao Feng's smile faded.
From the shadows between the trees...
Five figures dressed in crimson robes slowly emerged.
Each wore a silver mask.
Each radiated an aura far stronger than any candidate present.
The leader looked at Lin Yuan with eyes devoid of emotion.
"So..."
"We've finally found you."
The crimson robes.
The silver masks.
Lin Yuan recognized them immediately.
Rage filling him immediately
The Blood Moon Sect.