Cough!
Cough, cough!
Ptooey!
Blood still clogged his throat. Yue Qingshan hacked violently, expelling the last clot of foul crimson onto the ground.
He ignored his battered state, dragged his sleeve across his mouth, and forced himself upright.
A dull ache pulsed where Ye Qian's strike had landed. Yue Qingshan's brow furrowed.
He had underestimated everything.
He had believed Ye Qian's strength greatly diminished, victory within reach—but the recent exchange shattered that delusion. He was no match at all.
Still... his gaze drifted to Yue Ming. Though his body bore only surface wounds, his heart bled deeper.
Every time he recalled Ye Qian and Yue Ming standing so intimately together moments ago, fury scorched through him.
In his mind, Yue Ming was being coerced. All of this was because of Ye Qian—that pampered scion.
This was his only chance to take her away. Who knew if Ye Qian would ever accept another challenge?
No! Yue Ming can't wait that long. I must take her away today!
Even now, with blood on his lips and pain lancing through his ribs, Yue Qingshan thought only of Yue Ming's freedom.
Just as he gathered himself to charge again, his master's voice cut through his resolve, sharp and urgent in his mind.
"Qingshan! Stop at once. You are no match for Ye Qian.
I observed the exchange—he is not at Enlightenment Realm Peak at all.
His current strength is at least Holy Induction Realm!"
Holy Induction Realm?!
Yue Qingshan's eyes went wide, disbelief flooding his features.
Why was this completely different from what he had imagined?
Qi Deviation was supposed to be dangerous, catastrophic. Even if one survived, their cultivation would plummet.
But the reality before him was the exact opposite.
Many knew of Ye Qian's Qi Deviation. Many had even pitied him, certain his cultivation would regress sharply. Even with a Supreme Immortal Body, affected by Qi Deviation, his future achievements would be crippled.
Some had whispered he would never inherit the Ye Family.
But Ye Qian's strength had not regressed—he had broken through to the Holy Induction Realm.
"How can this be?! Why is it like this?"
The truth crashed over him. Yue Qingshan's face drained of color.
Everything diverged from his plan. Ye Qian's cultivation had not declined; instead, he had ascended. What could he possibly fight with?
Stubbornness?
Yue Qingshan possessed a Tempered Physique—his strength far exceeded ordinary cultivators. He wielded the Crushing Star Blade, a weapon capable of contending with Enlightenment Realm Peak opponents.
But that advantage ended at Enlightenment Realm. The Holy Induction Realm stood an entire tier above—a chasm no amount of grit could bridge.
No matter what price Yue Qingshan paid, victory was impossible.
That was why his master intervened now, commanding him to halt.
His master had already seen the futility.
"Qingshan, as the saying goes, 'as long as the green hills remain, there will always be wood to burn.'
You are still immensely talented. Given enough time, your future achievements may rival Ye Qian's.
I believe that under my guidance, you will grow stronger. Then you can challenge him again.
For now, preserving your life is paramount."
His master's voice rang like a warning bell, solemn and insistent.
Unwillingness coiled through Yue Qingshan. His hands clenched until his knuckles whitened.
Was he really going to admit defeat?
If he surrendered now, he would lose his only chance to take Yue Ming away.
Even if he grew stronger later, if he lost Yue Ming now, would there be any light left in his future?
Faced with such a harrowing choice, Yue Qingshan froze, unable to decide.
Ye Qian naturally noticed Yue Qingshan standing motionless.
He could easily guess the other's master was communicating with him.
Since Yue Qingshan had a Great Saint Realm remnant soul as a master, the old ghost must have already detected that he now possessed Holy Induction Realm cultivation.
If nothing unexpected happened, the master was urging Yue Qingshan to stop—continuing would only mean death.
"What? Still no movement? If you don't come over, then I will."
The words barely left his lips before Ye Qian vanished, leaving only an afterimage. He closed the distance at terrifying speed.
Two fingers pressed together, he swept them lightly through the air. A cold gleam flashed.
Sword Qi sliced across the arena, kicking up layers of sand and dust.
Yue Qingshan, still lost in agonized thought, saw the attack and reacted on instinct. He crossed both arms in front of him, gripping the hilt of the Crushing Star Blade with white-knuckled desperation.
Clang!
The Crushing Star Blade barely intercepted the Sword Qi. The immense force drove Yue Qingshan back, his boots scraping furrows in the dirt.
Powerlessness washed over him. He was completely outmatched.
But before he could stabilize his footing, countless more Sword Qi surged toward him from below.
Seeing the barrage, Yue Qingshan cycled through every technique in his arsenal.
There was no time to think. If he couldn't block these Sword Qi, his fate was sealed.
Clink, clank, clatter!
Metal rang against compressed energy. Facing this overwhelming force, Yue Qingshan could only parry desperately.
Pfft!
The relentless impacts exacerbated his already grievous injuries. Another mouthful of fresh blood sprayed from his lips.
No! I absolutely cannot sit back and wait for death!
"Extermination Sword Art!"
Yue Qingshan unleashed the most proficient technique he possessed. A surge of murderous intent erupted from his body, cold and violent.
Wreathed in formidable killing aura, Yue Qingshan ignored his cracked ribs and summoned the Extermination Sword Art.
The Crushing Star Blade, amplified by the Extermination Sword Art, finally intercepted the Sword Qi.
Of course, it was only barely intercepted.
How much longer he could endure depended entirely on when his spiritual Qi ran dry.
Wielding the Crushing Star Blade to execute the Extermination Sword Art consumed far more Qi than using ordinary Magic Treasures.
The Crushing Star Blade was still a Samsara Artifact, after all. While its power was immense, its consumption naturally soared in proportion.
"Oh? You can still hold on. I'd like to see… just how much longer you can last."
Ye Qian's expression turned frigid. At the same time, his sword-waving movements accelerated, faster and faster.
Overwhelming Sword Qi surged wildly, a tempest of lethal intent.
Yue Qingshan, mid-execution of the Extermination Sword Art, suddenly felt the pressure double.
He gritted his teeth, desperate to persevere, but his body trembled on the verge of collapse.