Chapter 530: Chapter 530: Do You Think the Name Divine Blade Is for Nothing?

Dali Realm Capital.

The competition for the last two spots in the selection contest had reached a fever pitch. Everyone held their breath, eager to witness the final victors.

Zhang Yang and Teng Zhenjie were locked in a fierce battle. Elsewhere, Zhang Chi was also on the verge of victory. However, the latter was not happy at all. This was because He Ang, who had been severely injured just a moment ago, had reappeared. To compete for one of the final spots, he single-handedly challenged all the defeated competitors!

He swept through them with unstoppable force. Wherever He Ang made a move, no one could last a single exchange with him. In fact, he could often incapacitate several opponents with a single strike. As a result, the number of opponents standing in his way dwindled.

Time was running out for Zhang Chi, which made him incredibly frustrated.

Dammit, Ning Xuan was the one who injured you! Why the hell are you taking it out on everyone else?!

At the thought of Ning Xuan, Zhang Chi cursed him in his heart again.

That bastard! Where the hell did Ning Xuan run off to? If you hadn’t fled, He Ang would be chasing you right now, wouldn’t he?!

What he didn’t know was that Ning Xuan and Jin Li were also in the middle of their own competition. Both wanted to devour as much energy as possible, pushing their abilities to the absolute limit.

Consequently, the Lu Family’s Secret Vault suffered. Not only was the energy within the Divine Crystals being devoured, but many Magical Treasures were also losing their luster and Spirituality as the energy within their materials was drained. If this continued, those Magical Treasures would turn into nothing but a pile of scrap metal.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Amidst the rampaging, interwoven energies, the sound of explosions echoed continuously. These were Magical Treasures that, having had their energy completely consumed, could not withstand the surrounding impact and were shattering apart.

At first, Ning Xuan was somewhat worried that their devouring would affect his search for real treasures. However, after seeing this, he immediately changed his mind.

Can anything whose energy we can devour even be called a treasure?!

On the contrary, this would save him a lot of time. Anything that could withstand their devouring would be worth a closer look.

Unfortunately, by the time the Divine Crystal Energy was completely consumed, all that remained was a pile of scrap metal. This made Ning Xuan unable to stop himself from complaining.

"Dammit! Such a large family, and not a single decent treasure?!"

Ning Xuan was disgusted. This was only one reason for his disappointment, though. The scarcity of energy in this place was another. After devouring energy for so long, he hadn’t even touched the threshold of the Holy Realm Third Layer Heavens. What a letdown. He grew even more displeased after a careful check revealed no hidden doors or secret passages.

He slammed a fist against the rock wall.

Then, RUMBLE—

The Secret Vault began to shake, and the dome showed signs of collapsing.

"Let’s go!"

No sooner had Ning Xuan spoken than Jin Li tore through the void once more. Just as it carried him away, the entire Lu Family Secret Vault collapsed with a thunderous crash. Ning Xuan didn’t linger for a moment and fled at top speed.

"Where do you think you’re going!" an enraged roar, like a crack of thunder, exploded from behind.

A massive Palm Seal blotted out the sky, plummeting toward the space Ning Xuan had just vacated. Unfortunately, by the time the void shattered, Ning Xuan had long since vanished.

「In the Dueling Arena」

Members of the Lu Family rushed over in a panic. A moment later, Lu Feng flew into a rage.

"What?!" he roared, before storming away.

Lu Ying hesitated for a moment before quickly following. Family matters were of the utmost importance. As for Ning Xuan, with Ding Heyan on the case, there was no way he could escape.

What she didn’t know was that Ding Heyan was currently in a predicament he couldn’t put into words. He had been fighting Zang Peng for a long time, and while his techniques landed every time, what good did it do?

This guy isn’t human! Otherwise, how could it be impossible to slice any flesh from his body?!

Ding Heyan was already considering retreat. The continuous, high-intensity attacks were starting to take their toll. If this went on, the consequences would be unthinkable.

At this rate, forget about killing Ning Xuan. If he stays hidden and strikes at the right moment, I might not even keep my own life!

At this thought, Ding Heyan swung his blades, unleashing a sky full of blade light. This time, however, he used the dazzling light as a cover to retreat swiftly, intending to leave the area.

Fortunately, the street was sparsely populated. Otherwise, his retreat would have caused an immediate uproar throughout the Realm Capital. He was Ding Heyan, the Divine Blade! For him to use every technique in his arsenal only to fail to dissect his opponent and then actively retreat—it was unprecedented.

Zang Peng, for his part, showed no intention of pursuing. He had a clear understanding of his own strength.

It’s not that Ding Heyan isn’t strong enough, but that my body is fundamentally different from a human’s. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have a single piece of flesh left on me by now! This guy’s Swordsmanship is absolutely terrifying!

More importantly...

Ning Xuan must have succeeded! If I’m not mistaken, he’ll come for this guy next. All I have to do is attack Ning Xuan right after he kills Ding Heyan. I’ll be the oriole that hunts the mantis, which is stalking the cicada!

As Zang Peng predicted, things unfolded just so.

Seeing that Zang Peng wasn’t moving, Ding Heyan stopped his retreat and addressed him with the tone of a senior expert. "You’re quite good. Testing my blades against you has given me a new enlightenment! Wait until this master returns..."

Although most people were gathered around the dueling grounds, the long street was not entirely empty. A few onlookers were watching from a distance, and he couldn’t afford to lose face. Upon hearing his words, the shocked spectators had a moment of realization.

"I knew it! How could Lord Ding possibly fail to take down a mere upstart?"

"Lord Ding is already so powerful, yet he can still gain new insights. He truly is the number one blade of the Dali Realm!"

"The number one blade of Dali? Your perspective is too narrow! Lord Ding’s Swordsmanship is invincible across the entire Star Domain! Do you think the title of ’Divine Blade’ was earned for nothing..."

Before this sycophant could finish his praise, the adoring crowd’s eyes all bulged in shock. They saw a sword. A sword that had pierced straight through Ding Heyan’s brow.

After a moment of stunned silence, everyone had the exact same reaction: they all rubbed their eyes.

"It’s... it’s not an illusion! He... he actually killed Lord Ding with a single strike!"

"Where did this guy come from?! His methods are just too terrifying!"

"Someone actually managed to kill... to kill Lord Ding? And a teenager, at that... This is unbelievable!"

The image of Ding Heyan standing on the street, a young man before him holding a sword that pierced through his brow, was a scene that seared itself into the minds of all who witnessed it. Even many years later, they would remember every single detail.

The attacker was, of course, Ning Xuan.

SQUELCH!

Ning Xuan pulled his sword back, and the Element Force Sword in his hand vanished.

CLANG! CLANG!

THUD!

As the twin blades clattered to the ground, Ding Heyan knelt before Ning Xuan. Then, as Ning Xuan stepped back, Ding Heyan’s body pitched forward, collapsing at his feet. His eyes were wide open in death, unable to rest in peace.