Kuang Yan roared,
"Go die—Exploding Claw!!"
Magic inside his body rampaged. Two massive claws, shaped entirely from condensed mana, tore through the air with a deafening howl as they lunged toward Tianlan.
Realizing he had no time to dodge, Tianlan quickly raised his leg and unleashed a wind spell.
"Wind Blade Slash!"
A sharp wind arc shot out instantly and collided head-on with the magic claws.
But the difference in power showed immediately—Tianlan's Wind Blade Slash only shaved off a fraction of the incoming force before shattering completely under Kuang Yan's overwhelming strength.
The remainder of the Exploding Claw roared forward straight at Tianlan.
He barely managed to lift his bracer to block—but with only one functioning hand—
Bang! Bang! Bang!!!
The force tore past the incomplete guard. Dozens of gashes ripped across Tianlan's body, blood splattering everywhere.
Gritting his teeth through the pain, he muttered,
"Kh… careless…! I didn't expect he could still counterattack like this…"
He rapidly checked his wounds. Thankfully, his Wind Blade Slash had weakened part of the blow, and the bracer stopped the deadliest impact. Though he was covered in bleeding cuts, none had struck a vital area.
He exhaled shakily.
"Good… nothing too deep."
The Stands
The family heads were already murmuring.
Bow God Family Head, Fengyu, scoffed,
"See? That brat underestimated Kuang Yan. Arrogant or not, the boy's strength is real."
Spear God Family Head, Tingqiang, added,
"He can still run now. Better go hunt magical beasts while he can!"
But Cang Song and Zhenyue frowned deeply as they watched Tianlan.
Zhenyue muttered,
"That kid won't retreat. Look at his eyes—there's not the slightest hint of backing down."
Cang Song sighed,
"Yeah… I don't know why, but unless he finishes Kuang Yan here and now, he won't stop. But is it worth it? Even if Kuang Yan dies here, once he leaves the barrier he'll be fine. It's you, kid… you might lose your chance to advance."
The Sword Saint Family Head, Yaofeng, chuckled,
"Worth or not, who knows? But if he backs down here, he'll leave a heart-demon. Facing a monstrously strong direct-line heir, and still forcing himself to kill him—especially Kuang Yan of all people… honestly, I want to recruit him already."
Zhenyue snorted,
"He doesn't even use swords. What would you recruit him for?"
Yaofeng shrugged,
"He can learn later. He's got the talent, doesn't he?"
The Turning Point
Tianlan now noticed Kuang Yan's breathing faltering.
He knew that symptom too well—
The precursor to mana withering.
Kuang Yan had been hunting contestants nonstop since entering the barrier. His mana reserve was already depleted, and with his injured leg plus the earlier Exploding Claw, he was now a bowstring stretched to breaking.
Tianlan immediately switched to guerrilla tactics, this time without using Gale Step—just his own speed and precision. He landed blow after blow while Kuang Yan attempted to counter, but every large movement twisted his injured leg and sent pain distorting his face.
Then—
the same scene repeated.
As Tianlan circled behind him for another strike, Kuang Yan suddenly roared:
"Exploding Claw!!"
The speed was nearly reflexive.
But this time—
He struck only empty air.
His pupils shrank violently.
Tianlan had vanished from his sight.
In truth, Tianlan had been waiting for this exact moment. He'd kept the same speed repeatedly to dull Kuang Yan's perception. A second counterattack was inevitable—and a spell of this level would certainly leave a massive opening.
The instant Kuang Yan unleashed the technique—
Gale Step!
Tianlan blurred into a gust of wind, repositioning instantly to Kuang Yan's left.
His right leg, fully charged, swung with brutal precision.
CRACK!
The kick smashed into Kuang Yan's already-injured left knee.
Kuang Yan howled, collapsing onto one knee.
Tianlan didn't hesitate.
A torrential barrage of punches rained down—
Sharp jabs flashed out like bolts of lightning—
each blow precisely slamming into Kuang Yan's face, jaw, abdomen.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!!
Kuang Yan's consciousness trembled under the relentless shock.
Just as Tianlan was about to finish him—
A violent surge of mana burst from Kuang Yan's core.
BOOM!!!
Tianlan was blasted backward.
Kuang Yan roared,
"I WON'T LOSE TO A WORM LIKE YOU! GO DIE!!!"
Tianlan steadied himself, his expression turning calm instead.
"…Fine. Let's end this."
Final Clash
Tianlan gathered all remaining mana into his leg, compressing it into a spiraling blade of wind.
Cang Song and Zhenyue exchanged looks.
"It's coming—"
"That technique… can he pull it off?"
Kuang Yan likewise dragged every last shred of mana into his claws.
He roared:
"EXPLODING CLAW—!!!"
Tianlan whispered:
"Wind—Compression Cannon."
He snapped his leg upward.
The wind detonated into a spiraling drill, shredding the air as it surged forward.
The two ultimate techniques collided in midair—
KAAAA-BOOOOM!!!!
The explosion swallowed both fighters whole.
The shockwave crashed down like a collapsing sky, blasting them away and slamming both into the ground, kicking up clouds of dust.
Aftermath
Jianchen had just exited the barrier. Noticing the abnormally heated atmosphere, he looked up at the giant screen immediately.
Tianlan staggered to his feet and walked toward Kuang Yan, who lay battered on the ground. Kuang Yan was still conscious—but completely unable to move.
Confused, Jianchen asked Xuan Ye,
"What happened? If that lunatic Kuang Yan attacked Tianlan, I'd understand—but this…?"
Xuan Ye explained everything.
Jianchen's eyes widened.
"You're telling me… that kid beat Kuang Yan?!"
Tianlan stared down at Kuang Yan and said coldly,
"How does it feel… to be beaten by a worm?"
Kuang Yan tried to respond,
"I… kh… I can still—"
But halfway through the sentence, his body convulsed violently. A thin line of blood leaked from his mouth before—
SPLAT—!
A mouthful of blood spurted out, drowning the rest of his words.
Tianlan drew his dagger.
The family heads instantly stirred.
"Hey! He isn't actually going to—!"
Beast King Family Head Kuangchen said nothing, but fury twisted his expression, and killing intent surged uncontrollably from him.
Cang Song immediately raised a barrier to shield the audience.
"Family Head Kuangchen, please restrain your killing intent and mana!"
Tianlan's voice was ice.
"It's over."
"I will keep getting stronger. And no matter how many times it takes—I will never forgive anyone who dares harm the people I cherish."
Shunk!!
The dagger plunged into Kuang Yan's heart.
Blood sprayed.
Moments later, his body dissolved into particles of light.
Kuang Yan—was truly dead.
The audience erupted—
"He actually killed a direct-line heir?!"
"This is basically slapping the Nine Great Families in the face!"
"Kuang Yan hunted contestants first! He deserved this!"
"This is the FIRST TIME a direct heir has been eliminated before the finals!"
Qing Luo cupped her hands over her mouth, trembling with excitement.
"He… he really did it! That lunatic!!"
Exhaustion finally claimed Tianlan, and he collapsed to the ground.
"Sorry… old man, uncle… looks like I won't make it to the finals. I'll disappoint you after all…"
He closed his eyes, letting the pain and fatigue wash over him, quietly waiting for the round to end.
(To be continued)