Chapter 209: Dance Of Blades

Chapter 208

Shi Tian was done with his analysis. After confirming that the two things he had been worried about would no longer be used, there was no reason to drag this battle on any further with Liyu, as he had already obtained the information he wanted.

The final attack Liyu had used against Haoran was most likely no longer available to him, or at the very least, it couldn’t be used repeatedly, and that mysterious treasure capable of restoring Liyu was also far more limited than he had initially believed.

With those two things taken out of the equation, there was nothing left for Shi Tian to fear.

He grabbed the sword that had rested at his side throughout the entire battle, then... he unsheathed it. SHING! The moment the sword left its sheath, the atmosphere around Shi Tian changed.

It was subtle at first, but then, in an instant, the air seemed to become heavier and far more oppressive. The pressure that had been absent from his body throughout the earlier battle suddenly erupted, his gaze becoming cold and sharp... sharp like the blade in his hand.

His entire bearing changed as well; before, he had looked almost casual, as though he were merely playing with Liyu while analyzing his abilities, but now... he finally looked like someone who had come to fight.

Someone who had finally decided to take this match seriously, someone holding a sword who had no intention of allowing his opponent to survive.

It’s time to end this death match. The moment that thought appeared in his mind... Shi Tian vanished. There was no sound, no disturbance, no visible movement, nothing. One moment he was standing at his original position, and the next... he appeared right beside Liyu.

His sword had already moved, the blade thrust directly toward Liyu’s throat. Fast, precise, lethal. There was no wasted movement in the attack.

It was a simple sword thrust, yet the moment it appeared, Liyu felt an intense sense of danger. His body reacted almost instinctively. The Lightning Sword immediately moved upward. CLANG! The two swords collided. But what happened next caused Liyu’s eyes to widen.

The Lightning Sword... was completely destroyed. The moment Shi Tian’s sword struck it, the dark lightning sword shattered as though it had been made from nothing but fragile glass.

BOOM! It was reduced to nothing but crackling lightning. The destructive force contained within Shi Tian’s sword was simply overwhelming. Liyu’s pupils contracted. What...? Before he could even process what had happened, Shi Tian’s sword continued forward, striking directly toward his throat.

Fortunately, the Celestial Battle Skin covered his throat, and because of that, his throat wasn’t shredded apart upon contact. But the armor itself... SHRRRK! A portion of the Celestial Battle Skin was torn apart by the sword. Liyu’s expression changed. He immediately used Linear Blink.

WHOOSH! His figure disappeared and reappeared several meters away, his eyes widened slightly. For the first time since the battle began, there was a trace of panic in them.

What the hell is that...? The sword. That sword was completely different from anything Shi Tian had used before. The strength behind it. The sharpness. The terrifying destructive power. Everything about it was dangerous. King Rayden’s voice suddenly rang inside Liyu’s mind.

"Let me handle this." His voice was as clear, calm, and regal as usual. "From his posture and bearing, I can tell you one thing." There was a slight pause. "He is really strong." "And he is highly skilled with the sword." Another pause. "You are not."

Liyu’s expression twitched. That was brutally straightforward, but he couldn’t deny it. Since Liyu had merged with King Rayden, it wasn’t a shock that they were currently sharing the same body. Liyu was the one currently taking hold of that body; he was the one operating it; he was the one controlling every movement.

And inside what seemed like a dark room... Liyu sat on a chair, while King Rayden stood beside him. The strange space was quiet and dark, almost as though it existed outside the physical world.

King Rayden had been waiting for Liyu to stand up so that he could take the seat and take control of the body. But Liyu clearly wasn’t doing that. At least... not yet. He wanted to test his own skills first, before allowing King Rayden to display his own swordsmanship.

Liyu wasn’t willing to immediately hand over control just because he had encountered an opponent stronger and more skilled with the sword. He wanted to see just how far he could go. He wanted to fight. He wanted to experience this battle himself.

"Not yet." Liyu spoke calmly. His voice carried no panic despite what had just happened. He wasn’t ready to give up yet. He immediately attacked Shi Tian once more.

BOOM! His figure flashed forward. Green lightning erupted around him as he closed the distance in an instant. The Void Piercer swept toward Shi Tian. Then another attack. And another. And another.

But what happened next was shocking. Shi Tian reacted to every single one of Liyu’s attacks. Not only did he react... he countered them. His sword moved in quick succession, each strike precise and terrifyingly efficient.

SHING! SHING! SHING! Liyu’s eyes twitched. Shi Tian suddenly slashed directly toward his head. He wants to cut my head right off. Liyu immediately raised the Void Piercer to block. CLANG!

The force behind the strike was overwhelming. The Void Piercer was slammed away to the side, and Liyu’s arm was forced open. Shi Tian didn’t waste that opening; he stepped forward, his hand shot out, and he grabbed Liyu by the leg. Liyu’s expression changed.

Before he could react... BOOM! Shi Tian slammed him directly into the ground. The stage shook beneath the impact, and before Liyu could recover... countless wind slices descended. SHIIING! SHIIING! SHIIING!

They came from every direction, attempting to shred Liyu’s body apart. But it didn’t work. His Celestial Battle Skin was still on his body, and it offered immense defense. The countless wind slices struck against the armor and were unable to immediately break through it.

However... that didn’t mean Liyu was safe. The problem wasn’t whether the armor could defend against one attack. The problem was what would happen if this continued.

The wind slices kept striking. Again. And again. And again. If this continued for long enough, even the Celestial Battle Skin would eventually be shredded apart.

And if that happened... Liyu would be doomed. He quickly got back on his feet and continued fighting. He tried to compete with Shi Tian. He tried to match his swordsmanship. He tried to keep up with the terrifying precision of every sword strike. But after fighting for a while... Liyu finally understood.

He couldn’t do it. Shi Tian’s sword skills were simply several times ahead of his. Not just slightly. The gap in swordsmanship and skill was enormous. Every time Liyu attacked, Shi Tian already seemed to know how he would respond.

Every time Liyu defended, Shi Tian immediately found another opening. The difference was becoming too obvious. Liyu’s eyes narrowed. He finally relented.

"Alright." He paused. "Take the seat."

The moment he said those words, Liyu stopped. He stood up and allowed King Rayden to sit down. The instant that happened... Liyu’s eyes snapped open.

The madness that had been present in his gaze was gone, completely. In its place... was a kingly gaze. Calm, majestic and regal. Powerful. It was the gaze of someone who had stood at the peak for countless years, someone who had experienced countless battles, someone who had never needed to fear anyone.

Even the green lightning surrounding Liyu changed. Previously, the green lightning had moved around his body in a chaotic manner, constantly crackling and twisting with violent, destructive energy. Now... it calmed down.

The lightning began to move in a swirling, harmonious manner. It no longer appeared chaotic. Instead, every strand seemed to follow a precise rhythm. A perfect cycle. A controlled flow. There was composure within it. And power. An entirely different aura suddenly radiated from Liyu’s body.

Shi Tian attacked once more. His sword flashed. But this time... his expression changed. Shock appeared in his eyes. Because Liyu... countered. CLANG! The two swords collided. Liyu didn’t merely block the attack.

He counterattacked. His Void Piercer swept forward with terrifying precision. Shi Tian immediately raised his sword. CLANG! Another collision. Then another. CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! The two moved at incredible speed.

The battle transformed completely. It was no longer Shi Tian overwhelming Liyu. Nor was it Liyu desperately trying to survive against Shi Tian’s swordsmanship. Now... they were exchanging blows. Countering one another. Attacking. Defending.

Then immediately counterattacking. The two moved in what seemed like a dance of blades. Lightning swung against wind. Dark lightning sword against Shi Tian’s silvery sword. Every collision produced a violent burst of energy that swept across the stage. BOOM! CLANG! SHING!

Their figures moved faster and faster. So fast... so unbelievably fast... that most of the crowd was unable to see the actual battle anymore. All they could see were afterimages. Countless overlapping silhouettes flashed across the stage. One moment they were on the left, the next on the right, then above, then below.

Their swords collided before they vanished again. Lightning and wind intertwined. The silvery sword and the dark lightning sword repeatedly clashed. The entire stage seemed to have become a world of blades and lightning.

Shi Tian’s gaze slowly changed. What surfaced within his eyes was not fear. No. It was confusion. Deep, genuine confusion. As the battle continued, he was slowly realizing something that shocked him to his core.

This Liyu’s sword skills... were superior to his own. And not only that... his application of those skills at every turn, in every situation, was far greater than his. Every movement Liyu made had a purpose. Every attack flowed naturally into the next.

Every defense seemed to contain an offensive intention. Even when he was forced into a disadvantageous position, Liyu was somehow able to turn that disadvantage into an opportunity to attack. It was almost as though he could see the battle several steps ahead.

Shi Tian prided himself on the extremely high battle IQ he possessed in comparison to the other weaklings that surrounded him. Those people... they were nothing more than novices. They had no understanding of how to fight.

They possessed strength, perhaps, but they didn’t know how to properly use it. They relied on brute force. They wasted movements. They exposed openings. They failed to understand the rhythm of battle.

They disgusted him. A lot. In Shi Tian’s eyes, those people were nothing more than weaklings who had been given strength without possessing the experience or intelligence necessary to wield it properly. But now... as he fought against Liyu... Shi Tian was starting to feel like a novice himself.

What is going on here...? For the first time in his life, Shi Tian was genuinely startled by something. How can someone who is younger than me have more sword skills than me? And that wasn’t even the most shocking part.

And not only that... his battle IQ seems to have surpassed mine as well. The realization was almost humiliating. Shi Tian blocked another one of Liyu’s sword attacks. CLANG! The force of the collision caused his sword to shift slightly. And that tiny movement... was enough.

Another part of his defense became unguarded. Liyu immediately noticed it. The crackling green lightning surrounding his body suddenly condensed. A lightning dagger formed from the raging lightning. It appeared almost instantly.

Then... SHIIING! It swung directly toward Shi Tian’s side at an insane speed. Shi Tian’s eyes widened. He attempted to react. But he was too late. PUCHI! The lightning dagger pierced through his side.

Blood splattered out, the crimson liquid immediately dyed his grey clothing red around the wound. Shi Tian’s expression changed. He tried to break free. But King Rayden pushed forward. He didn’t give Shi Tian even a moment to breathe.

The attack continued. Liyu’s movements became even more precise. Another opening appeared. And once again... PUCHI! Shi Tian’s second side was pierced through. Blood splattered into the air.

King Rayden smiled faintly as he spoke. "You are extremely skilled." His tone remained calm. Almost gentle. "But you are still a kid, after all."

King Rayden continued pressing forward as he spoke, his swordsmanship displaying a level of experience that was completely different from Liyu’s previous fighting style. "Once you leave your side unguarded, the moment you are pierced through there, it becomes easier for your momentum to drop and your reaction time to slow."

His words were delivered like a teacher correcting an inexperienced student. That calmness... that casualness... it made the situation even more humiliating for Shi Tian.

King Rayden swung his sword to the side. CLANG! Shi Tian’s sword was forced toward his right by the Void Piercer. And before Shi Tian could recover... King Rayden slammed his foot forward. BOOM! The kick struck Shi Tian hard in the side. Pain flashed across his face.

His gaze scrunched up as his body was forced backward. He immediately created distance between himself and Liyu. Or rather... King Rayden. Shi Tian landed several meters away. His feet slid against the stage before finally coming to a stop. His gaze was that of someone who had swallowed something bitter. Something incredibly bitter.

His usually cold and emotionless expression was completely shattered. For the first time in what seemed like forever, genuine emotion could be seen on his face: anger, humiliation, killing intent, and above all... an overwhelming urge to kill the bastard standing before him.

This bastard... his fingers tightened around his sword.

"So..." Shi Tian’s voice was colder than usual when he finally spoke. "You think you can lecture me now?" His voice carried a chill that seemed capable of freezing the air itself.

But King Rayden, as always, remained completely calm. His expression didn’t change, and his tone didn’t change. He simply spoke the words he felt needed to be said. "Yes." The answer came without hesitation.

"You are strong and skilled." King Rayden gave Shi Tian an almost approving look. "But you lack experience."

Shi Tian’s expression twitched.

King Rayden continued. "Don’t worry. It is because you are still very young." There was no mockery in his voice, which was what made it worse.

He sounded completely sincere. "When this tournament ends, I would be willing to teach a talent like yourself." A small, sincere smile appeared on his face. "If you come to me for guidance."

For the first time in what seemed like forever... Shi Tian’s face twitched. His eyes trembled ever so slightly. He is ridiculing me, isn’t he? The thought emerged from the depths of his mind. His anger surged. His fist slowly curled at his side. He is actually ridiculing me.

No one... no one had spoken to him in such a condescending manner in a very, very long time. Not like this. Not while looking at him as though he were some inexperienced child who needed guidance.

The humiliation was almost unbearable. Shi Tian took in a deep breath. Slowly. Deeply. He forced himself to calm his nerves. He had to calm down. He had never felt like this.

Not for a very long time. Apart from that day... he hadn’t felt this kind of anger. This kind of burning rage. This kind of overwhelming desire to make someone pay for their words. But now... he was angry. Truly angry.

And this bastard... this Liyu... was the cause of it. King Rayden looked at him calmly. Then he spoke again. "What do you say, young one?" His tone remained relaxed. "Give up."

He paused. "I don’t feel like there is a need to continue this battle anymore." His gaze remained fixed on Shi Tian. "You can’t win against me." The words were simple, but they carried an absolute confidence.

Shi Tian finally opened his eyes fully. The anger that had been visible within them gradually disappeared. His expression returned to its usual state: cold, expressionless, unmoving.

But beneath that calm exterior... there was something far darker. His gaze locked onto Liyu, and killing intent filled his eyes. "You are going to die anyway." His voice was calm. Too calm. "So I believe there is no point in not trying to make you die a painful death."

His grip around his sword tightened. "I would make sure you regret every dirty word that you have uttered from your mouth." The killing intent around him grew heavier. "Be glad."

His gaze became even darker. "You are one of the few people I would be using my Combat Art on." Shi Tian raised his sword. His expression remained calm and composed. "And believe me..." His voice dropped. "No one..." He paused.

"I repeat... no one..." The pressure surrounding him suddenly erupted. "...has ever seen me use my Combat Art and lived to tell the tale." The moment those words fell... Shi Tian held his sword with both hands. His posture changed.

The wind around him began to surge. The atmosphere itself seemed to tremble. His aura became completely different. This was no longer merely swordsmanship. This was something far more profound.

Something Shi Tian had deliberately kept hidden. Something that had never needed to be revealed until now. His eyes became cold and merciless. Then... he spoke.

"Wind Sovereign Art..." The air around his body exploded. "Second Form..." His figure vanished. "Drifting Gale."

WHOOSH! There was almost no warning. No sound. No visible movement. Shi Tian disappeared, and almost at the exact same time... a large crimson line appeared right across Liyu’s neck. SHIIING! The Combat Suit had been sliced completely through.