Chapter 173: Chapter 173: The Demon-subduing Saber Shows Its Might

CLANG!

A clear, resonant cry of a blade, like a dragon’s roar, suddenly erupted, instantly drowning out the noise of the entire arena.

The Mo Yuan Saber was unsheathed!

BOOM!

As the long saber left its scabbard, an incomparably terrifying aura erupted in an instant.

A deep, profound layer of black saber qi, like a flowing abyss, instantly surged from the ink-black blade. And along the edges of that black qi, a ring of demonic, violent, crimson light burned!

It was the fusion of violent Qi and Blood with Saber Qi!

"Ape Arm Star-Picking!"

Su Yu swung the saber with one hand in a sweeping motion, like the long arm of a Spiritual Ape.

The blade’s edge, wreathed in red and black saber qi, instantly extended by more than half a foot, as if it had grown out of thin air. It struck last but arrived first, viciously slashing down on Ding Mianyue’s incoming Emei Needle.

CLANG!

A deafening clash of metal on metal.

Ding Mianyue felt an irresistible, terrifying force surge up her Emei Needle, as if she’d been rammed head-on by a rampaging, primordial beast. The explosive power she was so proud of was as fragile as a bubble before this tyrannical slash, shattering in an instant!

PFFT!

Ding Mianyue let out a muffled grunt, the flesh between her thumb and forefinger splitting open. She was sent flying like a kite with a snapped string, thrown a good seventy or eighty feet by the force of the slash. She stumbled upon landing, taking several steps back before she could barely steady herself.

The entire arena fell silent once more.

Below the stage.

"Is that... Saber Qi?"

An elderly Martial Artist’s cloudy eyes went wide, his voice trembling. "Saber stance manifesting as qi! Is this a saber technique at the Great Success Realm? How is that possible!"

"Impossible, impossible! How old is he? Nineteen! He produced Saber Qi at nineteen!"

"Saber Qi! That’s a realm of saber mastery I’ve trained decades for and never even touched, and Su Yu... he actually comprehended it?"

The next moment, with a great uproar, the crowd erupted.

If his Minor Achievement in the Black Stone Body Forging Skill had merely made people think Su Yu was a genius of Black Stone City, then this moment—comprehending Great Success Saber Qi and executing that stunning slash—was a definitive declaration to all.

He, Su Yu, was a true prodigy!

Forget Black Stone City; even in Jian’an Prefecture or Liangzhou Prefecture, a nineteen-year-old who had comprehended Great Success Saber Qi was a genius who could hold their own!

Over at the White Ape Martial Arts Hall’s section.

Qin Fangqiong was already so excited his beard was trembling, and he was even a little incoherent. "It took this old man over a decade of bitter training to comprehend Great Success Saber Qi, and this kid... this kid has only been training for a year! HAHAHAHA, he’s my disciple, all right! My eye for talent is truly sharp!"

Beside him, Lin Wanzhu, who had been incredibly nervous just moments ago, now had her beautiful eyes wide and her red lips parted in an ’O’. She clutched her snowy-white chest, her heart pounding like a drum as she watched the brilliant, heroic figure holding the long saber on the stage.

’So, this is your trump card... My dear junior brother, just how many more surprises do you have for me?’

In the Liu Family’s camp.

CRACK!

A crack had appeared on the Jade Ring in Liu Yunzhen’s hand, crushed there unintentionally.

The casual, mocking expression on his face finally vanished, replaced by a dark and sullen look.

In his eyes, Black Stone City was just a small town under the jurisdiction of Jian’an Prefecture. Any ’genius’ that emerged from here was nothing special, fit only to become a subordinate of his Liu Family, to be taken and used.

But now, a genius had appeared who even he found troublesome and a little threatening. That displeased him greatly!

"A saber technique at the Great Success level, and it looks somehow familiar... Liu Kun, is your Spear Technique at the Great Success Realm? Can your Spear Stance defeat him?"

A few drops of cold sweat appeared on Liu Kun’s face as he stammered, "Third Brother, I’ve already touched the threshold of Great Success in my Spear Technique. In less than two years... no, one year! I’ll be able to comprehend Great Success Spear Stance in just one year!"

"Hmph, and you’re already nineteen, aren’t you!"

Liu Kun immediately lowered his head and fell silent. He knew that even if he broke through in a year, he would still be a step behind this Su Yu. What’s more, if he went on stage right now, he likely wouldn’t be Su Yu’s match.

Liu Yuan’s face had already turned deathly pale. She stared trembling at Su Yu on the stage. ’How is this possible? He actually comprehended a Great Success saber technique...’

’Is he really that much of a genius? I... I... I rejected a potential match with a genius like him?’

On the stage.

"You... You actually..."

Ding Mianyue clutched her numb chest, staring daggers at Su Yu. For the first time, a look of shock appeared in her eyes.

"I don’t believe it! You’re just a mud-legged peasant from Black Stone City! You must have gotten lucky to comprehend Saber Qi!"

"Even if you’ve comprehended Saber Qi, you can’t beat me! You’re not fast enough!"

"Flying Fish Breaking Kill!"

Ding Mianyue fiercely bit the tip of her tongue, spitting out a mouthful of essence blood. An unnatural flush instantly washed over her pale face, and the aura around her body skyrocketed.

She crossed the Emei Needles in her hands and her figure shot forward once again.

This time, her speed had increased by another thirty percent! She became a blurry afterimage, circling Su Yu frantically, searching for an opening. The night air whistled around her.

The audience members below the Third Acupoint realm could no longer follow her movements with their eyes!

"Die!"

Dozens of cold gleams slashed toward Su Yu from all directions, each strike containing enough terrifying power to slice through gold and shatter jade.

Faced with this torrential assault, Su Yu’s expression remained cold and indifferent.

He slowly raised the Mo Yuan Saber, the red and black qi on its blade pulsing erratically.

BOOM!

He activated the Seven Fiends Thunder Collapse Step, and the air beneath his feet exploded.

Su Yu didn’t bother chasing the afterimages. Instead, relying on the keen perception of his Five Senses Divine, he instantly locked onto her one true body.

"Vine Demon Lock!"

Su Yu swept his long saber, and the originally fierce and powerful saber stance instantly became viscous and supple. The layer of black and red saber qi seemed to transform into a giant spiderweb, instantly enveloping the space in a thirty-foot radius.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

A dense flurry of collisions rang out.

Ding Mianyue felt as if her Emei Needles were insects caught in a spiderweb. No matter how she changed her moves or how she accelerated, the black long saber would always appear precisely in her path, completely sealing off her attacks!

’How is this possible?’

’His saber technique is both hard and soft! Why is it so difficult to deal with!’

The horror in Ding Mianyue’s eyes grew. She had originally intended to use her comprehended "Breaking Kill Stance" to evade Su Yu’s powerful, head-on saber qi with extreme speed and explosive power, then wait for an opportunity to strike her opponent down!

But once Su Yu executed this saber stance, she was plunged into a quagmire, with no chance of escape.

"It’s over."

A cold glint flashed in Su Yu’s eyes. The next moment, the technique of his Mo Yuan Saber changed, shifting from soft to hard!

"Demon-slaying Mountain Splitting!"

He gripped the saber with both hands and, using the momentum from his Thunder Collapse Step, brought it down in a heavy chop.

CLANG!

Ding Mianyue hastily raised her Emei Needles to block, but the terrifying force made her knees buckle. With a BOOM, the ground beneath her feet shattered, and countless spiderweb-like cracks spread out in circles.

"Ape Arm Star-Picking!"

Su Yu immediately pressed his advantage with a wide-ranging horizontal sweep.

Ding Mianyue hastily and awkwardly leaned back to dodge. A lock of her hair was severed by the saber qi, and cold sweat soaked her back.

"Turning Back to Scoop the Moon!"

The Mo Yuan Saber changed moves again with a strange upward slash.

Ding Mianyue felt as if she had been locked onto by the long saber, completely unable to escape.

The next moment, she was forced to roll awkwardly on the ground to evade. Her exquisite martial arts uniform was shredded by the saber qi, revealing large patches of her snow-white skin.

In just a few dozen moves.

The once-arrogant prodigy of the Flying Fish Martial Arts Hall was now a complete mess. Where was the bearing of a master now?

"The final slash."

Su Yu leaped high into the air, raising the Mo Yuan Saber with both hands. All the Qi and Blood in his body and his saber stance converged on a single point. The black-and-red blade aura flared to a length of over three feet, like a furious ape splitting a mountain!

"Zhenyue Slash!"

The blade’s edge tore through the air in an instant. The terrifying whistle, like the cry of a white ape, made everyone’s eardrums ache.

As this slash came down, it was as if a great mountain had materialized and was pressing down, sealing off all of Ding Mianyue’s escape routes.

Ding Mianyue’s eyes filled with horror. ’Is this Great Success Saber Qi?’

’I can’t dodge! I can’t dodge! I can’t dodge!’

BANG!

A loud crash.

As expected, the two Water-Splitting Emei Needles in Ding Mianyue’s hands were sent flying by the impact. They spun through the air and landed far below the stage, scaring several Martial Artists into scrambling away.

And Su Yu’s Mo Yuan Saber, its terrifying edge still humming with power, stopped steadily right before Ding Mianyue’s slender neck.

The pulsing saber qi pricked the skin of her neck, drawing a single, crimson bead of blood.

The victor was decided!

Their battle seemed long, but in reality, it had lasted for little more than a quarter of an hour.

Only then did the crowd below the stage snap back to reality.

Everyone looked at the calm, saber-wielding figure, unable to stop themselves from sucking in a sharp breath of cold air.

He won!

Su Yu won!