Martial Arts Overlord-Chapter 596 - 594: Fast Sword Duel!

"Luo Feng, you plan to go alone?" Xin Wuyue sensed the faint chill emanating from Luo Feng and exclaimed in surprise.

Luo Feng simply nodded.

"Absolutely not!" Xin Wuyue’s expression changed, and he shook his head vehemently. "I know your strength has increased rapidly. But Yi Tian is no ordinary expert; he’s a martial artist at the fifth level of the Spiritual Rotation Realm. Last year, he was ranked forty-sixth on the Dragon List. His power is unfathomable!"

Forty-sixth on the Dragon List... Luo Feng frowned slightly. He had long sensed that Yi Tian was formidable, but he hadn’t expected him to be this powerful.

Taking a deep breath, Luo Feng said, "Don’t worry, I’ll act according to the situation."

Luo Feng was a man who always repaid even the smallest kindness with utmost generosity. Yue Haitang had helped him several times; how could he stand by and watch him perish now?

Seeing Luo Feng’s unshakeable resolve, Xin Wuyue gritted his teeth and said, "Luo Feng, no wonder you were able to comprehend the Grand Momentum. I admire your courage. In that case, I’ll go with you. If it comes to it, we’ll fight to the death! I’ve already died once; I’m not afraid to die again!"

"I’ll go too."

"Senior Brother Yue Haitang guided my cultivation and has shown me kindness. I can’t just sit by and do nothing!"

Several other students from Changxin Academy chimed in.

Luo Feng shook his head. "You can’t go. I will try my best to buy time. You need to hurry to Sky Frost City as quickly as possible and find that elder from our academy. That’s our only chance of survival."

Xin Wuyue was taken aback; he hadn’t expected Luo Feng to have considered things so thoroughly. He nodded and said, "It was I who was reckless. In that case, we’ll leave immediately. You take care!"

Xin Wuyue pointed out Yue Haitang’s location and then promptly departed.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

The group utilized their Light Martial Arts, pushing their speed to the limit, and soon vanished into the snow-covered mountains.

Luo Feng retracted his Sky Flying Demon Wing Bones and soared into the air, heading southeast.

To think Yi Tian is actually an expert from the Dragon List...

As he traveled, Xin Wuyue’s words echoed in Luo Feng’s mind.

Only the top one hundred young disciples from the Six Golden Palaces of the Six Southern Domains were eligible for the Dragon List, and the top ten were known as the Top Ten Dragons.

For Yi Tian to be ranked forty-sixth on the Dragon List, his strength was undoubtedly immense. Rescuing Yue Haitang from him would be no easy task.

I’ll just have to play it by ear.

A glint in his eyes, Luo Feng suddenly accelerated, his figure creating a sharp sonic boom as it streaked across the sky.

「Beyond the mountains lay a vast plain.」

Here, the area was free from the influence of the Extreme Yin Qi Flow, and not a trace of snow could be seen. A blazing sun hung high in the sky, and the plain was a vibrant panorama of lush greenery, teeming with life.

In one corner of the plain, a large group of assessment candidates had gathered, watching from a distance, clearly indicating that something significant was happening.

In front of the crowd, three figures were in a standoff. Several corpses lay nearby, all clad in Changxin Academy uniforms.

"That handsome young man must be ’Gentleman Haitang’ Yue Haitang from Changxin Academy. Tsk, tsk, he’s just as handsome as the rumors say. If I were a woman, I’d definitely lose my heart to him."

"Who are those two blocking Yue Haitang? Their strength seems to comfortably surpass his."

"If I’m not mistaken, that young man should be Yi Tian, a disciple of Floating Snow Hall, and also the Princely Heir of the Azure Cloud Marquis, one of the six great King Marquises of our Canglang Dynasty."

"Yi Tian! The Yi Tian who is ranked forty-sixth on the Dragon List!"

"That’s right."

"It looks like there’s bad blood between them. Yue Haitang is probably in dire straits today. What a pity, he was a genius with a chance to contend for this year’s Martial Champion title."

"The Twelve Golden Palaces’ assessment has always been brutal. Take Luo Lie, the Killing Star, for example; dead is dead. Who knows how many will die in this campaign to exterminate the Underground Demons. We just need to protect ourselves and stay out of other people’s business."

"That’s true..."

The nearby assessment candidates murmured amongst themselves as they watched the confrontation.

"Yue Haitang, stop your pointless resistance. You should know you’re no match for me. Obediently hand over the Sword Heart Heaven Jade," Yi Tian said, standing with his hands clasped behind his back, looking at Yue Haitang with an air of leisurely confidence, as if everything was under his control.

Yue Haitang had a half-foot-long bloody gash on his left shoulder. His green uniform was speckled with blood, and his face was deathly pale. Hearing Yi Tian’s words, a cold light flashed in his bright eyes. "Yi Tian, you can forget about obtaining the Sword Heart Heaven Jade. When word of your actions reaches the Imperial City, my father will definitely not let you off!"

Yi Tian smiled faintly. "Yue Haitang, don’t try to use your father to intimidate me. Your Yue Family is already a spent force, a fact I’m sure I don’t need to remind you of. There’s no place for your Yue Family to speak in the entire Imperial City anymore."

Raising an eyebrow, Yi Tian looked at Yue Haitang with arrogance. "Rest assured, as long as you hand over the Sword Heart Heaven Jade, I can spare your life."

"As long as I, Yue Haitang, still draw breath, you will never get your hands on the Sword Heart Heaven Jade." Yue Haitang glanced at the fallen Changxin Academy disciples on the ground, biting his lip so hard that a trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.

"Hmph?" A sneer appeared on Yi Tian’s face, and he gave a subtle glance to the narrow-eyed martial artist beside him.

"Hehe, Yue Haitang, I’d advise you to hand over the Sword Heart Heaven Jade to my young master," the narrow-eyed martial artist said, stepping forward. A purple glow emanated from his body as he stared at Yue Haitang with tiger-like ferocity.

"You are not qualified to speak to me. Step down," Yue Haitang said calmly, his expression naturally exuding an inviolable, noble aura.

SWISH!

The narrow-eyed martial artist’s eyes narrowed. He casually executed a sword flourish and sneered, "In that case, I’ll have to take it myself. If I accidentally kill you in the process, don’t blame me."

Yi Tian stood quietly to the side, showing no intention of intervening. Although he feigned indifference, he was somewhat wary of Yue Haitang’s father, which was why he had the narrow-eyed martial artist make a move. This way, even if Yue Haitang were killed, he could shirk responsibility.

"Despicable!" Yue Haitang’s gaze was icy. He knew Yi Tian all too well; the man was not only conceited but also ruthless in his methods. Even if he handed over the Sword Heart Heaven Jade, he would undoubtedly still be killed.

Moreover, this Sword Heart Heaven Jade was the only memento his mother had left him when she departed, repeatedly instructing him to keep it close. In his eyes, it was more precious than life itself. How could he possibly hand it over to another?

Hopefully, Xin Wuyue and the others reach Sky Frost City soon... Yue Haitang thought of Xin Wuyue and the others who had left, his lips tightening slightly. This was his only glimmer of hope now.

"Yue Haitang, my apologies," the narrow-eyed martial artist growled, then lunged towards Yue Haitang. His tone was deceptively respectful, but his attack was exceptionally fierce.

SHING! SHING! SHING! SHING!

His longsword transformed into a curtain of purple Sword Qi, enveloping all of Yue Haitang’s vital points—his throat, heart, head, and eyes.

The narrow-eyed martial artist was at the second level of the Spiritual Rotation Realm. Ordinarily, Yue Haitang would be confident in fighting him. However, injured as he was, he had no choice but to go all out.

"Flying Moon Penetrating the Clouds!"

Channeling his Yuan Qi to its absolute limit, Yue Haitang held his sword level with his eyes and thrust forward.

WHOOSH!

The air shrieked as the sword light twisted into a silver crescent, striking out at an unnatural angle to block the onslaught of purple Sword Qi.

The narrow-eyed martial artist hadn’t expected Yue Haitang to be so formidable even while injured. His gaze intensified.

"Purple Cloud Sword Qi!"

Infusing his purple Yuan Qi into his sword light, the narrow-eyed martial artist’s blade seemed to transform into billowing purple clouds that spread outwards.

In an instant, the space around Yue Haitang was engulfed in purple light, thick with a chilling, murderous aura.

"Stars Encircle the Moon!"

Yue Haitang took a deep breath. The Red Dragon Purple Gold Sword in his hand quivered in the air, instantly deploying layers upon layers of sword light before him, like a multitude of stars guarding that space, as they clashed violently with the purple Sword Qi.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Both their swords moved at extreme speeds, only vague streaks of purple and cold light could be seen colliding in mid-air, igniting thousands of sparks. In an instant, the ground between them had been gouged down by one or two feet.

"Such astonishingly fast swordplay! I can’t even see their moves."

The onlookers, startled, strained their eyes, trying to discern the exchange.

"If I were to fight either of them, I probably wouldn’t even have a chance to draw my sword."

"I hope I don’t encounter Yue Haitang during the Martial Champion competition. His swordsmanship is too terrifying."

"Don’t worry. From the looks of it, it’s uncertain if Yue Haitang will even make it out of here alive today."

The nearby assessment candidates whispered among themselves, their expressions a mixture of pity, sympathy, and for some, schadenfreude.

In the air, purple Sword Qi and cold, sharp Sword Qi crisscrossed, locked in a fierce struggle.

Yue Haitang and the narrow-eyed martial artist exchanged hundreds of blows in a single breath, yet no victor emerged. All that could be seen were their sword lights growing faster, their techniques more incisive, the ferocious Sword Qi like two violently swirling hurricanes, constantly colliding.

At this point, it was no longer a contest of strength, but of willpower and endurance. Victory would belong to whoever could persist longer.

At first, faint sounds could be heard from the surroundings, but soon it fell into dead silence. All the assessment candidates from the various academies were utterly flabbergasted.

When the two had initially clashed, they already found the speed incredible. They never imagined it wasn’t their limit. Now, it was impossible to distinguish who was attacking whom.

Yi Tian stood aside, his eyes flickering. No wonder he’s the one who obtained the Sword Heart Heaven Jade. His talent in the Sword Dao is truly terrifying. However, your glory ends today.

He snorted coldly, and a savage sneer curled his lips.

One hundred moves!

Two hundred moves!

Five hundred moves!

After five hundred moves, the fight was still a stalemate. Just as the crowd was wondering how long this duel would last, Yue Haitang blocked a wave of Sword Qi. He frowned, and a jet of blood suddenly spurted from the wound on his left shoulder.

Such an intense burst of Yuan Qi had finally aggravated his injuries.

His rhythm disrupted, Yue Haitang immediately fell into a disadvantage, forced back repeatedly by the purple Sword Qi.

CLANG!

A thick beam of purple sword light struck the Red Dragon Purple Gold Sword in Yue Haitang’s hand, sending it flying from his grasp.

"Die!" The narrow-eyed martial artist roared with laughter, stomping his foot so hard it left a deep pit in the ground as he launched himself into the air.

"Purple Sky Mysterious Sword!"

Murderous intent gleamed in his eyes. The purple light around the narrow-eyed martial artist surged as his figure spiraled downwards, merging with his sword’s momentum, transforming into a four to five-meter-wide beam of purple Sword Qi. Radiating palpable killing intent, it plunged towards Yue Haitang from mid-air.

The sharpness of the purple Sword Qi was so intense that even the other assessment candidates, a kilometer away, couldn’t help but squint. Yue Haitang is finished!

Facing the purple Sword Qi, Yue Haitang pursed his lips, secretly gathering his remaining strength, preparing for a desperate, life-or-death struggle.

BOOM!

Suddenly, a deafening explosion thundered through the sky.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

A crimson beam of light shot down from the sky, carrying an overwhelmingly fierce aura as it sped towards the narrow-eyed martial artist.