Chapter 121: Instant Kill
"Qin Xuan!" Especially Bibi Dong, her heart instantly leaped to her throat.
Tang Hao seized the opportunity. His eyes flashed with victory. He switched to holding the Hammer with his left hand. The 'Collapse' character technique of Clear Sky Nine Absolutes was unleashed, a move designed to shatter all defenses, striking towards Qin Xuan's right cheek.
However, the Clear Sky Hammer stopped abruptly when it was less than five centimeters from Qin Xuan's cheek.
It stopped, frozen in the air.
Blood dripped to the ground. Drip. Drip. Drip.
Qin Xuan's Changming Sword, which had been knocked away and sent spinning through the air, had somehow fallen into his left hand.
He held the long sword horizontally, and its tip had, in that infinitesimal moment, pierced Tang Hao's left forearm.
Sword qi, imbued with the power of the Ghost Valley Breathing Technique and two different attributes of lightning and fire, drilled into his arm.
Tang Hao felt a paralyzing cold, followed by a searing heat, as the foreign energy surged through his meridians, locking his muscles and disrupting his Spirit Power circulation.
Under the agonizing pain, Tang Hao's Clear Sky Hammer became unstable. The 'Collapse' technique dissipated, its power vanishing.
Qin Xuan seized the opening. His movement was not fast, but fluid. He didn't rush; he simply flowed. He stepped forward, pointing his long sword directly at Tang Hao's throat.
Tang Hao was greatly alarmed, and the fear of death spread in his heart. For the first time in his life, he panicked during a battle.
He wanted to use a Spirit Ability, but the opponent didn't give him any chance. The sword qi in his arm had severed his connection to his Spirit. He didn't even have time to gather strength to use the Clear Sky Nine Absolutes again.
In utter desperation, his body suddenly retreated. He shifted the Clear Sky Hammer to his right hand, wanting to escape Qin Xuan's long sword pointed at his throat.
But no matter how he exerted himself, no matter how he stumbled back, Qin Xuan's Changming Sword remained pointed at his throat.
It was as if the sword was glued to him, a horrifying, "sticky" sword technique that followed his every move, always just a millimeter from piercing his skin.
Finally, after continuously retreating for more than 10 meters, Tang Hao's steps faltered. His foot caught on the uneven stone, and his body fell backward.
He sat down hard on the ground, his left hand supporting him. Although his right hand still held the Clear Sky Hammer, he dared not make any movement.
Because at this moment, the tip of Qin Xuan's Changming Sword was already pressed against his throat. A slight movement would result in instant decapitation.
"Clear Sky Nine Absolutes: Empty, Seal, Pierce, Penetrate, Entangle, Shake, Break, Stop, Collapse."
Qin Xuan looked down at Tang Hao from above, his gaze icy, his expression indifferent.
"I originally thought that you, a once-in-a-century genius of the Clear Sky Sect, would be able to fully demonstrate them. Is this all there is?"
Cold sweat streamed down Tang Hao's forehead. Qin Xuan's figure seemed infinitely magnified in his eyes at this moment. For the first time, Tang Hao lost the courage to retort.
This scene happened too suddenly.
From the start of their battle until now, it was almost less than a minute.
So much so that everyone had not yet reacted.
Ning Fengzhi was stunned for a long while before uttering such a baffling sentence, "It's over... just like that?"
"It's over just like that?" Gu Rong (Bone Douluo) uttered the same words, his face filled with disbelief. The two looked at each other, wide-eyed.
In their understanding, shouldn't Spirit Master battles involve both sides unleashing powerful Spirit Abilities? Roaring, massive explosions? A clash of domains? A true man's fight?
But what the hell was this in front of them?
Were they seeing things, or what? Qin Xuan actually subdued Tang Hao—the famed genius of the number one Sect—easily, without either of them using any Spirit Abilities, and without even causing much damage to the arena.
This incredible maneuver was simply shocking for 10,000 years.
Including Qianxun Ji and the other Titled Douluo, everyone else's reactions were similar to Ning Fengzhi's.
From beginning to end, they didn't understand how Qin Xuan defeated Tang Hao. Why didn't Tang Hao use Spirit Abilities to counterattack?
And even whether Qin Xuan was too strong or Tang Hao was too weak, they didn't know.
Tang Hao's father, Tang Tian, even shouted out, unable to control his worried emotions, "Hao'er!"
Only Sword Douluo, the only grandmaster swordsman present, saw some clues.
He hadn't just seen clues; it was as if he had discovered a new continent. His eyes, usually half-closed, were wide and clearly lit up, instantly bursting with dazzling brilliance.
He uncharacteristically lost his composure, suddenly stood up from his seat, and couldn't help but exclaim, "Amazing!"
Although it was only a few short moves, it was as if he had witnessed a divine technique.
What is swordsmanship? he thought, his heart pounding. This... this is swordsmanship!
The "Collapse" strike was full of brute force. The sword being knocked away should have been a fatal flaw. But that young man... he didn't even try to recover his right hand. He let the sword fly, calculated its arc, and caught it perfectly in his left, all while shifting his body's center of gravity.
He turned a disadvantage into a fatal counter-attack in less than a tenth of a second.
If it weren't for their different stances, and if the other party wasn't from Spirit Hall, he would have wanted to pull him aside to discuss swordsmanship for a month.
"What? Uncle Sword, what's so amazing?" Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong didn't understand, and most of the other Spirit Masters around were similar.
Sword Douluo forcibly suppressed the impatience in his heart and explained, his voice shaking with excitement, "Qin Xuan's swordplay has already surpassed the Clear Sky Nine Absolutes. Although he didn't use any Spirit Abilities just now, every move, whether it was strength, accuracy, or even sword intent, reached an impeccable level. I truly don't know how he practiced it."
After speaking, Sword Douluo did not forget to add, his gaze full of respect for Qin Xuan, "He is a true genius of swordsmanship. Compared to him, my swordsmanship, which I have immersed myself in for over 60 years, is simply like the light of a firefly, unable to compete with the sun and moon."
He sat back down, his expression one of awe. "If he is promoted to Titled Douluo, he can freely take my title of 'Sword'."
As soon as these words came out, the entire audience instantly erupted in an uproar. Those who had originally not thought highly of Qin Xuan were instantly dumbfounded.
Even Qianxun Ji, who usually looked down on Spirit Masters below nine rings, couldn't help but show a hint of emotion in his eyes.
Ning Fengzhi and Gu Rong's faces looked as if they had eaten excrement. They were all prepared to watch how Tang Hao would defeat Qin Xuan, but instead, Qin Xuan pulled off such a stunt. The Clear Sky Hammer, hailed as the World's Number One Tool Spirit, became his foil.
Tang Tian, Tang Xiao, the Second Elder of the Clear Sky Sect, and even Tang Yuehua, who had snuck in with them, all had their hearts in their throats, fearing that Qin Xuan would slice Tang Hao's neck with a single sword.
Tang Hao only then reacted, realizing his gaffe, feeling the gazes of doubt from all around him.
At this moment, he was like Murong Fu in The Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils, defeated by Duan Yu at Shaolin Temple. He had used his life's proudest techniques, only to be effortlessly defeated by a method he didn't even understand.
[Inorin's Note: Murong Fu is a character from a famous Wuxia novel. He is known for his pride in his family's vast knowledge of different martial arts, but he is ultimately defeated by simpler, more profound techniques, leading to his public humiliation and mental breakdown.]
He wanted to find a hole to crawl into, his eyes filled with shame and unwillingness.
He knew that today, not only did he fail to restore the Clear Sky Sect's face, but he also disgraced himself, a great disgrace. The dignified Young Sect Master of the Clear Sky Sect, the successor to the Clear Sky Douluo title, was defeated by another Tool Spirit wielder without either side using Spirit Abilities.
After today, even if his father defeated the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect to retain the title of 'World's Number One Sect,' the name of 'World's Number One Tool Spirit' would likely invite external doubts.
"What, you seem very unconvinced?" Qin Xuan looked at him mockingly.
Feeling the bone-chilling coldness at his neck, Tang Hao proudly turned his head away and said coldly, "That's right! You merely used a strange sword technique to catch me off guard. I haven't even unleashed the true power of the Clear Sky Hammer! And besides Clear Sky Nine Absolutes, I have even higher profound meanings!"
The profound meaning he spoke of referred to the Great Sumeru Hammer, which is Ring Detonation!
However, this Ring Detonation was not something he could currently use. Even if he cultivated to Titled Douluo, there was still an extremely high risk.
"It seems you're still a sore loser." Qin Xuan laughed.
"Do you think I have to crash into your hammer, head-on? That I can't dodge, can't evade, can't attack your weak points? That I must accommodate your Clear Sky Nine Absolutes or Disorder Splitting Wind Hammer Method to truly defeat you?"
"Oh, and when you're charging up, I can't interrupt you, otherwise it's 'unfair' to you. Is that it?"
Qin Xuan asked several questions in a row, making Tang Hao's face flush beet red.
Upon hearing Qin Xuan's words, the crowd present also burst into laughter, feeling that this so-called once-in-a-century genius of the Clear Sky Sect was, indeed, famous for nothing.
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