This draw result was exactly what Yun Jin had been looking forward to the most.
Because of the scandal involving the Holy Son senior brother, the Heavenly Sect had become a laughingstock for everyone.
And all of this was thanks to the Holy Son of the Earthly Sect!
For this matter alone, Yun Jin wished she could have Li Shouzhen killed immediately!
And the grudges from this arena match were not limited to this.
The enmity between the Heavenly Sect and the Earthly Sect had a long history, the specific reasons for which had long been lost to time.
In any case, whenever disciples from the Heavenly Sect and the Earthly Sect met, there was bound to be trouble.
Moreover, before yesterday, the Heavenly Sect had always suppressed the Earthly Sect, which was mainly reflected in the Holy Sons of the two sects.
But after yesterday, everything had reversed.
The Holy Son of the Earthly Sect had avenged his sect, not only defeating the Holy Son of the Heavenly Sect but also making him cry. This could be considered a profound humiliation.
And for the Heavenly Sect to regain its face, relying on the Dao Master was certainly not an option. After all, on the surface, the Heavenly Sect and the Earthly Sect were still friendly and harmonious, and the Dao Master could not conveniently intervene.
What's more, even if the Dao Master intervened, he might not be a match for Ziwei of the Earthly Sect; the two might be evenly matched.
In this way, this arena match became extremely important, a crucial point for many years to come!
Yun Jin, the Saintess of the Earthly Sect, had every reason to win, and could not afford to lose!
She had to pick up the face that the Heavenly Sect had lost on the ground with her own strength!
"He's still young, can't keep things to himself!"
Duan Yan Zhuo said with a chuckle, "Junior Brother Yun, your Heavenly Sect Saintess seems to be holding back some anger, wanting to prove something."
"Heh heh..."
Yun Lan simply smiled faintly, then took a mouthful of wine, saying nothing.
As for Ziwei Dao Master, her thoughts were not on the Heavenly Pride Battle at all.
Her mind had already drifted to the various issues Chen Xiao would face after winning first place in the Heavenly Pride Battle.
Finally, the semi-finals of the Heavenly Pride Battle began.
For the audience, the competition had entered a white-hot stage.
But for Chen Xiao, this was at most a warm-up, not even a warm-up, just a formality.
The two stepped onto the stage, exchanged perfunctory greetings, and the first match of the Heavenly Pride Battle semi-finals officially began.
"Why don't you just surrender directly? Your strength can't be greater than Yun Hao's, right?"
Chen Xiao said in a calm tone.
He was sincerely suggesting the opponent surrender, so that the opponent would suffer less, and he would save some effort.
"Hmph, surrender? The word 'surrender' is not in my dictionary!"
Yun Jin exclaimed, "I admit you are very strong, but no matter how strong you are, I must defeat you today!"
"Because I have an unassailable reason to win!"
With that, with a clang, the long sword Yun Jin carried on her back flew out.
Immediately after, overwhelming sword intent swept out, making the air feel somewhat viscous and sluggish.
On the high platform, even some Great Dao realm powerhouses showed shocked expressions, exclaiming one after another.
"Such powerful sword intent! I didn't expect the Heavenly Sect Saintess's true strength to be this great!"
"How did she do it? Such powerful sword intent is probably comparable to the Dao Integration realm!"
"No, this isn't the sword intent she should possess. It seems she's putting all her eggs in one basket."
Upon closer observation, everyone finally discovered the clue.
However, Yun Lan's face showed a wry smile.
He took several large gulps of wine and said with red eyes, "Yun Jin has nurtured this pot of sword intent for over twenty years!"
Hearing this, everyone suddenly understood, their faces showing expressions of "So that's how it is."
And Yun Lan's words were not finished; he continued, "This pot of sword intent was originally intended for her to break through to the Dao Integration realm, but she didn't expect to use it for this!"
In fact, Yun Jin did not need to do this at all. Having fought her way into the top four, her mission was already complete.
She had already preserved the last shred of dignity for the Heavenly Sect.
But when she drew the Holy Son of the Earthly Sect as her opponent... it forced her to make this crazy decision!
After hearing Yun Lan's words, everyone was also slightly moved.
They never expected the Heavenly Sect Saintess to be so resolute.
She had gone to such lengths to regain the face lost by the Heavenly Sect.
By unleashing this pot of sword intent nurtured over many years, it meant that it was either success or utter failure!
If she won against the Holy Son of the Earthly Sect, it would be fine; the dispersed sword intent could be slowly accumulated again.
But if she lost, her sword intent would completely dissipate.
And she would never again be recognized by the Immortals, which meant that she would never be able to step into the Dao Integration realm in her lifetime!
The Heavenly Sect Holy Son had already been intimidated and his Dao heart disrupted. If the Heavenly Sect Saintess also lost her qualification to enter the Dao Integration realm, then the Heavenly Sect would be the biggest loser in this Heavenly Pride Battle.
After all, cultivating a Holy Son and Saintess required not only time but also a large amount of resources!
"Alas..."
Yun Lan sighed, took another large gulp of wine, and murmured, "This foolish girl, why bother!"
In his opinion, regardless of whether this match was won or lost, it would not have much impact on the future.
As the Dao Master of the Heavenly Sect, he was close to true detachment, so he did not care about losing face or not.
Moreover, the most important thing was that, with his eyesight, it was not difficult to see that even after unleashing the sword intent nurtured for over twenty years, his disciple's chances of winning were still slim!
The overwhelming sword intent enveloped Chen Xiao layer by layer, and the viscous and sluggish feeling made him somewhat uncomfortable.
But, that was only for a moment!
The Heavenly Sect Saintess's strike, which gambled her entire future, only made Chen Xiao feel slightly uncomfortable.
And this discomfort was akin to a normal human being bitten by an ant.
So, to put it plainly, Yun Jin's sword intent not only failed to harm Chen Xiao but did not even produce any hindering effect.
Bang—
Chen Xiao, with a simple and rough kick, sent Yun Jin off the stage.
Clang—
Yun Jin fell heavily onto the ground, covered in dust and grime, completely lacking the demeanor of the Heavenly Sect Saintess.
It was over, everything was over... She had followed in Yun Hao's footsteps, and her entire being was ruined.
She clenched her fists in hatred, pounding the ground. Tears of unwillingness streamed from the corners of her eyes, drawing a crystalline line in the air.
"Why? Why..."
She pounded the ground, then suddenly looked up, her unwilling gaze fixed on Chen Xiao, "What must I do to defeat you!"
Chen Xiao frowned, thought for a moment, and then said faintly, "Your question is very foolish. I refuse to answer, because you yourself know the answer."
After speaking, he leisurely walked off the stage, returning to the waiting area to await the final match of the Heavenly Pride Battle.
On the high platform, Yun Lan looked at his disciple on the verge of despair and exhaled.
Then, he took another large swig of wine.
The winner takes all, the loser is forgotten!
The losers would not receive much attention; all the cheers and gazes would be directed towards the victor.
Even if these cheers were superfluous.
Yun Jin left the edge of the stage dejectedly, walking out of the crowd in a sorry state.
At the same time, the second match of the semi-finals, the competitors, had already stepped onto the stage.
"Hey, brat, can't you take off that piece of clothing you're wearing?"
As soon as Duan Shi Kong stepped onto the stage, he shouted at his opponent, "Let everyone know who you really are!"
"To reach the top four in the Heavenly Pride Battle, your strength has already been recognized. There's no need to hide it anymore... although you can only stop here, it's not your fault!"
"You can only blame your opponent for being too powerful!"
Duan Shi Kong found an opportunity to show off his muscles again.
Ziwei Dao Master had always felt that the Human Sect's path had gone astray.
After witnessing Duan Shi Kong's performance, her conviction on this point became even stronger.
"You toad from the Human Sect, you talk too much!"
The black-robed man said coldly, then shot out like a cannonball from its barrel.
Duan Shi Kong quickly raised his fists to meet the fast-approaching black-robed man.
Bang—
The two collided, emitting a thunderous sound, and then both retreated.
Stomp, stomp, stomp—
Each of them retreated exactly five steps.
"Heh heh, interesting!"
Duan Shi Kong stroked his chin, "You want to compete with me in physical strength, and you're not at a disadvantage? Interesting, very interesting!"
As he spoke, golden light erupted from Duan Shi Kong's body, and a halo appeared behind his head.
Flames blazed fiercely on the halo, making Duan Shi Kong look like a war god descending from the heavens!
"It's over, kid. After I defeat you, the first thing I'll do is take off that tattered robe of yours. You better be wearing clothes underneath!"
Duan Shi Kong grinned, seemingly very pleased with his sense of humor.
"Heh heh, you foolish bullfrog, it is indeed over, but it is you who is over, not me!"
With that, the black-robed man suddenly shook his body.
Immediately after, a giant snake hundreds of meters tall appeared behind him!
The giant snake held its head high, its triangular eyes emitting a vicious, gloomy light. It opened its massive maw, revealing sharp fangs and a scarlet tongue.
This was naturally not a real giant snake, but merely a not-so-condensed phantom.
In other words—a Dharma form!
"What? You have a Dharma form? Are you already in the Dao Integration realm?"
Duan Shi Kong's face immediately showed extreme shock, and a hint of panic flashed in his eyes.
On the high platform, everyone exchanged glances, their eyes filled with confusion.
The Dharma form of the mysterious black-robed man, the snake that appeared behind him, did indeed resemble a Dharma form.
But everyone knew in their hearts that it could not possibly be a Dharma form.
After all, whose Dharma form would be a snake!
Duan Yan Zhuo loudly reminded him, "Disciple, don't be afraid. The kid opposite is just putting on a show. That thing of his can't even be called a Dharma form, and he's not in the Dao Integration realm. Don't be afraid, just fight!"
Although Duan Yan Zhuo said this, in his heart, a bad premonition had already begun to arise.
He seemed to have guessed where this black-robed man came from.
And he was not the only one who could guess this...