When the long blade was raised, Xu Zimo casually swung it through the air, and a transparent barrier of blade energy formed in front of him.
All the ten thousand swords were blocked by the barrier.
On the other side, Dark Blade’s expression grew serious. On his three-foot blue-and-white sword, a beam of extreme light shot up to the clouds.
The entire sword was filled with rampant sword aura, splitting the surrounding clouds apart.
He stepped into the air, his white long robe fluttering in the wind.
“Heaven-Shaking Shadowless Sword,” Dark Blade whispered as his figure completely vanished from the arena.
At this moment, the arena was filled with the echoes of sword and blade shadows.
Dense sword lights covered the entire stage, as if space itself was shattered into countless fragments.
“All just flashy, useless moves,” Xu Zimo shook his head slightly.
He raised his right hand, held his blade up, and gently blocked in mid-air, without making any other moves.
Explosions rang out all around, the entire arena space collapsing into chaos.
The spectators could hardly see anything as a sword prison enveloped the arena.
With a loud boom, the fighting platform collapsed completely.
When the sword energy shattered that space, even a mosquito flying through it would die a million times over. Only then did the crowd begin to see what was happening inside.
Cracks spread from the arena floor, and creaking sounds echoed as it gradually collapsed. The crowd was stunned, this arena was built specifically for combat and had extremely high durability.
“Dark Blade has grown stronger,” someone muttered.
Xu Zimo still stood calmly at the center of the arena.
As a sword light descended from the void, Dark Blade’s figure slowly appeared to the side.
He raised his right hand, and the sword light transformed into his sword and landed in his grasp.
“This sword of mine, no one of my generation has ever been able to withstand it,” Dark Blade said lightly.
He looked at Xu Zimo, seemingly waiting for something to happen. But the image he’d imagined, Xu Zimo’s body torn apart, never came.
Pfft!
Suddenly, the robe around Dark Blade’s abdomen tore apart, and a line of blood burst out.
“How… when?” Dark Blade dropped to one knee, his eyes filled with shock as he stared at Xu Zimo.
In his vision, Xu Zimo had simply raised his blade. He hadn’t moved at all.
He was sure he had dodged, so how was he still struck?
Looking at the figure standing in the center of the arena, Dark Blade felt an inexplicable chill.
“Did he see through every move of my sword technique from the first slash? So his blade didn’t move because that was precisely where my sword’s trajectory would go,” Dark Blade speculated wildly.
There was no other explanation for the strike he had taken.
“Sometimes, your eyes lie to you,” Xu Zimo turned around and said flatly.
“How are you unharmed?” Dark Blade asked, unwilling to accept it.
“Because you’re too weak,” Xu Zimo replied, shaking his head. “I’m on the final level, while you’re only on the first.”
Seeing this scene, the crowd erupted, unable to believe their eyes.
“Dark Blade lost? How is that possible?”
“Who is that guy? I’ve never seen him before.”
In the spectator stands, the nobleman who had lent Xu Zimo the blade narrowed his eyes slightly.
He then asked his subordinate beside him, “If I remember correctly, Dark Blade is from the Sword Tomb, right?”
“Yes, he’s a direct descendant. But I heard he’s not very favored within the clan,” the subordinate nodded.
“Interesting. I recall the Sword Tomb has some very unique things,” the nobleman said with a smile.
…
Dark Blade lowered his head, watching the blood drip from his abdomen. It had been a long time since he’d been wounded, since he had felt pain.
“You really are strong,” Dark Blade took a deep breath and slowly stood up. “I admit it. In a normal fight, I wouldn’t be your match.”
“So what?” Xu Zimo asked.
“I hate the feeling of defeat. Just like the day I left the Sword Tomb,” Dark Blade said calmly.
“No one likes to lose,” Xu Zimo replied.
“Exactly. That’s why I’ve decided to show you my strongest move, even if it costs my life.”
Dark Blade picked up his sword, his eyes filled with unspoken emotion.
Sadness or longing, or perhaps deeply buried madness.
He raised his blue-and-white longsword, and at that moment, the sword seemed to sense something. The blade trembled slightly, as if in mourning.
That once pure blue-and-white sword turned blood-red, transforming from something sacred to something sinister.
He lifted his head. His eyes were completely red, veins bulging on his forehead. All the surrounding spiritual energy gathered into the sword.
“Blood-Sacrifice Death Sword!” Dark Blade roared, his blood surging into the blade along with his cry.
The crimson of the sword became even more striking, while Dark Blade’s face grew paler and paler, his entire being seemed to be drained.
“Come, let me see how strong you really are!” Dark Blade gripped the sword tightly, pouring all his power into one slash.
Just one slash.
The blood-red sword aura seemed to block out the sun, a beam of sword energy a thousand meters long burst from the blood sword.
Explosions rumbled all around.
The bloody sword aura came crashing toward Xu Zimo with unstoppable force, like a mountain collapsing.
After the attack, Dark Blade collapsed to the ground, completely drained.
He struggled to raise his head, staring quietly at the sword strike.
Its power extended beyond the arena. Even the spectators around were terrified, scrambling in panic to avoid it.
The referee raised a defensive barrier to shield the entire arena.
Watching the attack that seemed to destroy everything, Xu Zimo still responded with only one strike.
Nothing more.
Pure suppression of cultivation realm, pure understanding of meridian technique, and superior insight.
With one precise slash at the weakest point of the sword aura...
Boom!
The blood-red sword energy shattered piece by piece from the center.
Its power and killing intent were instantly extinguished.
Xu Zimo stood there, appearing casual and indifferent.
As if that attack hadn’t even been worth taking seriously.
“You…” Dark Blade coughed several times, staring at Xu Zimo in disbelief.
That Blood-Sacrifice Death Sword was a secret technique forbidden to be passed down in the Sword Tomb. Every swordsman was bonded to a single sword from birth.
That sword could accompany them for a lifetime. Only in life-and-death crises would they use this move, infusing their blood essence into the sword for a desperate final strike.
Though Dark Blade was only at the World Paragon Realm, this attack had the real power of a Fusion Heaven-tier strike.
“Wouldn’t it have been better to just admit defeat early? Why do this to yourself?” Xu Zimo sighed and shook his head.