’This big bear is certainly ferocious, but it’s rather ugly... And it’s so cumbersome. In the long run, a beast that relies solely on brute force has limited use.’

Bai Zichen’s expression was relaxed. He even had the presence of mind to critique the Silver-Striped Black Bear charging toward him.

As the Bear Beast charged, it looked like a small mountain. If the arena hadn’t been paved with Tier Two Jade Stone and reinforced with layers of Forbiddens, the ground would have surely caved in and shattered.

’Let’s end this quickly!’

In an open field, Bai Zichen could have darted about on his Sword Light, and he would have considered it a loss if the Silver-Striped Black Bear so much as grazed him.

But in the confined space of the arena, dodging was significantly more difficult. Besides, enhanced by several Divine Movement Techniques, the Bear Beast’s running speed was not at all slow.

He simply stood his ground and opened the Red Cover Treasure Pearl Umbrella. The Bear Beast crashed headfirst into it, and the terrifying force of the impact sent him staggering backward, shattering three layers of crimson light.

But the Silver-Striped Black Bear didn’t press its advantage. Instead, it clutched its face and shrieked in pain. Two puncture wounds from a sword had appeared on its face, drenching the black fur in blood.

Bai Zichen flicked the Ink Bamboo Sword in his hand, silently thinking, ’What a pity.’

’If the Bear Beast hadn’t been buffed with the Iron Wall Technique, which made its already formidable body seem like it was clad in Iron Armor... And if my other sword, the Golden Sparrow Sword, weren’t busy as a golden sword rainbow assailing the Treasure Pagoda... my Ink Bamboo Sword could only rely on its own sharpness to quickly land two stabs. If I’d had more power, in that brief instant of impact, I could have sliced off half the Bear Beast’s face with a single strike.’

On the other side, Xiong Baishan had already pushed the Three Treasures Exquisite Pagoda to its limits.

The Treasure Pagoda sat heavily on the ground, as though it had grown countless roots and merged with the entire arena.

At the same time, layers of sacred banners materialized from the Treasure Pagoda, smashing wildly at the golden sword rainbow. Regardless of whether they connected, this tactic at least significantly reduced the frequency of attacks against the Three Treasures Exquisite Pagoda.

It looked like an even exchange, but only Xiong Baishan knew the bitter truth. He was completely on the defensive, unable to spare a hand to help his Companion Spirit Beast.

He had prepared a whole stack of powerful Talismans, yet he had no opportunity to use a single one. One could only imagine his frustration.

His only hope now was for his Spirit Beast to pull through and inflict a serious wound on Bai Zichen.

’Top-Grade Defensive Magical Artifacts are such a pain. It’s like trying to crack a turtle shell!’

Although the Three Treasures Exquisite Pagoda was a cut below the Red Cover Treasure Pearl Umbrella, it was still a Top-Grade Magical Artifact specializing in defense.

With Xiong Baishan dead-set on defending and refusing to come out of his shell, Bai Zichen was truly at a loss for a moment.

Moreover, the Three Treasures Exquisite Pagoda seemed rooted to the ground, capable of transferring a portion of the damage it took. The jade stones beneath it vibrated constantly, and the Forbiddens arranged there flashed intensely.

’First, I’ll take one of your arms!’

The Bear Beast only grew more savage after being wounded. Its two massive paws, like cattail fans, battered the crimson light into scattered wisps. Seeing this, Bai Zichen made a gesture with his left hand. The Golden Sword Light slashed out once more before swooping back like a returning goose.

Golden Sparrow in his left, Ink Bamboo in his right. In an instant, with Dual Swords in hand, he unleashed two dazzling beams of Sword Light that slashed out before him.

The Silver-Striped Black Bear was in the middle of building up momentum for a charge and seemed to be ramming itself right into the Sword Light.

After his trip to the Nameless Valley to hunt the Blood Wolf, Bai Zichen had used a weaker version of a simultaneous dual-sword attack. But a few days ago, after descending from the Heart Inquiry Path and recuperating, he discovered that the strength of his Divine Sense had inexplicably grown by a huge margin.

The original limit of his Divine Sense’s range had been roughly 160 feet; now, it had surged to over 210 feet.

Therefore, even though he had never once practiced a true simultaneous dual-sword strike for close-quarters combat, he dared to try it now.

SWOOSH!

A giant black bear paw flew through the air. Two beams of Sword Light coiled around the Silver-Striped Black Bear’s shoulder. The Tier One Peak Demon Beast roared again and again, its remaining paw frantically swatting at the Sword Light. But the light intensified, layer upon layer, until it brutally severed the bear’s arm—an arm harder than Iron Spirit—at the shoulder.

Blood sprayed from the wound like a fountain. The Silver-Striped Black Bear wailed as it collapsed at the edge of the arena. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

"Big Black!"

Xiong Baishan roared in grief and fury—grief for the Spirit Beast he had spent day and night with, and fury for his own lost chance at becoming a True Disciple.

’Even my most trusted Companion Spirit Beast has been grievously wounded. What chance do I have left in this match? Could I possibly defeat Bai Zichen now that he’s wielding Dual Swords?’

In the A-Class Private Room, Liang Yu and Pei Dongyong looked at each other and both started laughing.

"Junior Brother Pei, you told me this youngster was skilled with a Flying Sword, but you failed to mention he could wield two at once during the Qi Refining Stage... Don’t tell me you deliberately kept this a secret to win that Red Fire Elemental Copper of mine, did you?"

Liang Yu feigned anger, slapping the tea table in front of him.

"Haha, Senior Brother, I truly didn’t see this coming. But I’ll consider our bet won. Once I melt down that Red Fire Elemental Copper, I should be able to upgrade my Copper Mace to a Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact!"

Pei Dongyong and Liang Yu had known each other since their humble beginnings. Back then, one was a mere Outer Sect Steward, while the other was a True Disciple, a heaven-blessed prodigy.

Yet the two of them could talk about anything, hit it off immediately, and had forged a deep bond of friendship.

"He’s fast at Cultivation, strong in Combat, and has such an outstanding disposition... Senior Brother, this Youngster Bai should satisfy the Ancestor’s requirements, don’t you think?"

"Hm? That Xiong kid still hasn’t given up?"

Just as Liang Yu was about to reply, he let out a soft gasp. Even with all his insight and experience, a look of astonishment crossed his face.

The Silver-Striped Black Bear, which had been on the verge of death, actually staggered to its feet again. It roared at the sky as flesh began to granulate over its severed shoulder, staunching the flow of blood.

Its already massive body swelled another size. The ring of silver stripes on its chest suddenly deepened, coalescing into a single golden thread as a fearsome pressure radiated outwards like a hurricane.

The Silver-Striped Black Bear’s aura continued to climb. Blood trickled from the bear’s eyes, nose, and mouth. Though clearly on the brink of collapse, its body was puffing up like a balloon, radiating a dangerous energy.

"It’s advancing a tier! The Bear Beast is breaking through!"

Zhao Yaqing activated her Clear Spirit Eye Technique. A single glance at the Silver-Striped Black Bear was all it took to see what was really happening.

"Has Xiong Baishan gone mad? He’s using some Secret Technique to burn all of the Bear Beast’s Essence Blood, forcing his Spirit Beast to ascend to Tier Two... Regardless of whether it succeeds, the Spirit Beast can only last for the time it takes half an incense stick to burn before its body will explode and it dies!"

"With the Bear Beast’s abundant life force, a severed arm isn’t a fatal blow; it could even be reattached. This is a Spirit Beast with the potential to reach Tier Two! How could he be so ruthless as to sacrifice it!"

"Reaching Tier Two would take forty-five years at the very least. How could he possibly wait that long? Without the resources of a True Disciple, Junior Brother Xiong has almost no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment. That’s why he’s willing to sacrifice his Companion Spirit Beast for this one desperate gamble!"

Chen Wei, however, could understand Xiong Baishan’s reasoning. ’If I were on the verge of dying from old age, what good would it do to wait for my Spirit Beast to reach Tier Two?’

’I can’t wait any longer!’

Even though Bai Zichen couldn’t quite grasp what was happening to the Silver-Striped Black Bear, he knew with absolute certainty that he could not allow it to continue.

He weighed the threat of the Bear Beast against that of Xiong Baishan himself and made an instant decision.

Merging with his sword, he became a streak of Golden Sword Light and shot directly at the Bear Beast.

The bear swung its remaining paw with immeasurable force. A sharp, cracking sound came from the Red Cover Treasure Pearl Umbrella as all its Treasure Beads shattered in an instant. The crimson light flickered a few times and then vanished, the Treasure Umbrella’s defense completely broken.

Bai Zichen felt an overwhelming, irresistible force slam into him. It felt as if every bone in his body was about to shatter. He was sent flying sideways, crashing into the mid-air Forbidden above the arena before tumbling to the ground.

PTOO!

He spat out a mouthful of bloody foam, his mouth filled with the thick taste of rust. It felt like two of his ribs were broken, but he had no time to check his injuries, his eyes fixed on the hill-like Bear Beast.

The Golden Sword Light had pierced halfway into the Bear Beast’s shoulder before it was stopped dead. The beast grabbed the blade with its paw and flung it away. The sharp Sword Light tore off three of the bear’s claws as it was thrown.

But to the Silver-Striped Black Bear, which was now on the verge of Tier Two—or perhaps should be called the Golden Silk Black Bear—this minor injury was nothing more than a scratch.

Just as it was about to step forward and swat the annoying little human dead, the Bear Beast’s strength began to drain away rapidly. Its enormous body, like a punctured balloon, started to deflate and wither.

An ink-jade flying sword had pierced clean through the Golden Silk Black Bear’s chest. The Quasi-Second Tier power it had gained by burning its Essence Blood shattered like a soap bubble as the last of its vitality drained away.

BOOM!

The Golden Silk Black Bear collapsed onto the arena floor, its body shrinking to a third of its former size. This time, it was well and truly dead.