Gao Wu: If this BOSS isn't nerfed, is it even playable?

Chapter 169 Divine Battle, Stealing the Mastery of Sword Control!
The first round of matches ended faster than expected, with almost every battle decided within minutes.

Soon, the huge light screen in the center of the virtual space reappeared, ready for the second round of drawing lots.

Dongfang Zhen stood in the stands, watching the match schedule that was about to start changing, his eyes calm.

He knew that Lin Ye's result in this draw was secretly manipulated.

Ultimately, preventing Lin Ye from encountering lower-ranked students too early serves two purposes: firstly, it saves time, and secondly, it protects the other students.

Given the overwhelming strength Lin Ye just displayed—the ability to kill Wei Shuying with a single shot—if he were to face anyone else, it would likely leave him with psychological trauma, which might not be good for his future martial arts path.

The names on the screen flashed rapidly before finally settling on a single image.

Zhang Daoxuan's expression froze slightly.

His name was listed alongside Lin Ye's.

He slowly exhaled, looking at Lin Ye with an expression more serious than ever before.

Before long, everyone else was teleported away, leaving only the two of them on the arena.

"Brother Lin."

Zhang Daoxuan spoke, his voice as calm and clear as water as ever.

“I must admit that you made me feel a sense of crisis when I first entered the camp.”

"I had always thought that Brother Dongfang and I were the only competitors in this camp."

"We are two people on the mountaintop, and we only need to look at each other and keep climbing."

"But your sudden emergence has shaken my Dao heart, which I have long considered as firm as a rock."

He looked at Lin Ye, his eyes no longer holding the aloofness of the past, but instead filled with a kind of candor that was almost like a seeker of the Tao.

"I just realized that my Dao heart is still unstable."

"Today, I will give it my all. I think only by truly facing you can I regain my original mindset."

On the sidelines, Dongfang Zhen listened to these words, seemingly lost in thought.

Should we simply confront it, rather than defeat it?

Brother Daoxuan, you yourself have realized that you are now the challenger, haven't you?

Countdown to zero.

The moment the battle began, Zhang Daoxuan did not hesitate at all. He pointed his sword, and the ancient iron sword behind him was instantly drawn with a "clang" and hovered in front of him.

At the same time, beneath his wide Taoist robe, an ancient-looking sword box opened on its own, and three silver streaks of light shot out from it!

Three thin, cicada-wing-like swords swirled around Zhang Daoxuan, emitting clear, melodious sword sounds.

The main sword in his hand is named "Zhenyue," while the three secondary swords surrounding him are named "Liuying."

Lin Ye narrowed his eyes slightly.

The moment Zhang Daoxuan drew his sword, an unprecedented sense of sharpness swept over him, as if the air itself had been cut into countless tiny fragments.

The young man before me has cultivated his sword intent to an extremely profound level.

"go with!"

Zhang Daoxuan simply raised his sword finger, making no further movements.

The three firefly swords instantly transformed into three streaks of silver lightning, enveloped in a fierce silver aura, and split into three paths, aiming straight for Lin Ye's throat, heart, and dantian!

The flying sword was extremely fast, and the sound of it cutting through the air was sharp and piercing.

Lin Ye's nerves reacted perfectly, but he did not dodge.

After his health points surged and he mastered the new energy of Gang Sha, he preferred to use his own body to feel the intensity of his opponent's attacks during battle.

Why are you hiding?

Could this sword strike really wipe out his hundreds of thousands of health points?

Since it's not feasible, there's no need to hide.

The next instant, the three flying swords struck with pinpoint accuracy.

Instead of the expected clang of metal, it sounded like three red-hot knives cutting into a piece of cold butter.

Lin Ye was startled.

He clearly saw that the layer of golden aura flowing on his body, the layer of silver aura attached to the sword, was torn open by the flying sword the moment it pierced through, as if it were a living thing, allowing the sword to penetrate deep into his body!
Dongfang Zhen, standing on the sidelines, gently shook his head.

Zhang Daoxuan's martial arts talent was only "controlling metal".

In terms of the exquisite skill of sword control alone, Zhang Daoxuan is in no way inferior to those monsters who have awakened psychic martial arts spirituality.

In particular, his metal-attribute aura has a characteristic that none of the other aura attributes possess.

Breaking the protective barrier.

It can penetrate and neutralize the protective aura of other martial artists in an almost unreasonable way.

Ding!
Realizing that his protective aura would be pierced, Lin Ye did not take any chances.

With a thought, a layer of dark purple hexagonal crystals instantly appeared beneath his skin, transforming into a dense armor.

The three flying swords, which had already pierced the armor slightly, pressed their tips against the crystal armor, emitting a crisp ringing sound, and could not advance any further.

But in the next moment, the three flying swords, like three startled fish, shot back instantly and were collected by Zhang Daoxuan.

The wind whistled in Lin Ye's ears.

Zhang Daoxuan himself had transformed into a silver streak of light, wielding the main sword Zhenyue, and with an indomitable and terrifying momentum, he slashed horizontally toward his neck!

Man and sword unite!

laugh!
The sword light, enveloped in silvery aura, left a deep white mark on Lin Ye's crystal armor, sparks flying everywhere.

Where the sword passed, a very thin wound appeared on Lin Ye's throat.

A trickle of blood seeped from the tiny wound.

Break the defense.

Lin Ye himself was somewhat surprised.

It seems that Zhang Daoxuan's strength is indeed not weak.

It should be noted that since breaking through to the Condensation Realm, he has never been truly injured by anyone.

Even this minor injury, which can be ignored, is a concern.

However, when Lin Ye looked up, he saw Zhang Daoxuan's face darken.

He struck successfully, but did not linger in the fight. He retreated rapidly, instantly creating a distance of dozens of meters.

At the same time, the three firefly swords transformed into three afterimages at an even more cunning angle, aiming straight for his eyes.

No one knew that at this moment, a monstrous storm was raging in Zhang Daoxuan's heart.

His all-out attack, the sword technique he had painstakingly honed for over a decade, a blade sharp enough to cleave a mountain in two, actually left only a bloody mark on a person's neck!
What kind of physical strength is that?
Nie Cang, standing on the sidelines, was also taken aback.

This defensive power...

abnormal!
Lin Ye's main cultivation method is also a balanced approach, not a specialization in defense.

I never imagined that it would be so difficult to even hurt him!

In the stands, Yin Liulan's brows remained furrowed.

Zhang Daoxuan... can't you even get me to take this seriously?

She could tell that Lin Ye hadn't used even a tenth of his strength from beginning to end.

He was like a child who had just received a new toy and wanted to test his new abilities in real combat.

If that's the purpose, then naturally they wouldn't want the battle to end too quickly.

In fact, Yin Liulan had guessed part of what Lin Ye was thinking.

But more importantly, he suddenly discovered something even more interesting.

Zhang Daoxuan's method of controlling swords using his "golden" spirituality seems to... have something worth learning from.

The next moment, to everyone's astonishment, Lin Ye actually slung the Piercing Star Spear behind his back and put it away.

What is he going to do?
Then, Lin Ye had a sudden thought.

In the air in front of him, three clusters of purple crystals condensed out of thin air and, under the shaping of an invisible force, rapidly expanded and changed.

In the blink of an eye, three crystal blades made entirely of purple crystals floated in front of him.

The shape of these three crystal blades is surprisingly similar to Zhang Daoxuan's three Firefly Swords by seven or eight points!

"Is he... using his martial arts intuition to imitate Zhang Daoxuan's sword control technique?" Su Yunjin exclaimed in astonishment.

Nie Cang stared at the three floating purple crystal blades on the arena and said in a deep voice, "When he used this martial arts spirituality before, I remember that the moment these crystal creations appeared, they had to be launched or used as defense."

"But now, it seems like he can really create things out of thin air."

"Not only can he modify details at will, but the crystalline objects he creates can also float in the air, completely under his control..."

"His martial arts intuition has also advanced!"

Watching this scene, Yin Liulan calmly added, "It's probably because he just discovered this change in his ability that he suddenly decided to learn from Zhang Daoxuan and use object manipulation to attack his enemies."

As the two were talking, there were already more than three purple crystal blades floating in front of Lin Ye on the arena.

Ten, twenty, fifty...

The dark purple crystals condensed and shaped in the air, and in the blink of an eye, nearly a hundred crystal blades of different shapes formed a sinister array of blades, silently floating, their tips pointing directly at Zhang Daoxuan opposite him.

Lin Ye was also somewhat surprised.

After absorbing a large amount of source crystals, his crystallization ability did indeed undergo a change that he himself had not fully understood.

Zhang Daoxuan's brows furrowed even more.

He couldn't sense any spiritual manipulation from Lin Ye; the crystal blades just hung there in mid-air, as if they were meant to be there.

What exquisite control!

Of course he wouldn't know, because Lin Ye wasn't using true martial arts spirituality at all.

Rather, it is a temporary skill acquired through a mechanism.

Suppressing his surprise and doubt, Zhang Daoxuan changed his sword technique again.

"go with!"

With a low shout, the three Firefly Swords no longer attacked separately, but transformed into three silver dragons connected end to end, drawing mysterious trajectories in the air and strangling towards Lin Ye's crystal blade array.

Instead of retreating, Lin Ye advanced. With a thought, the nearly one hundred crystal blades hummed and rushed forward.

For a moment, the sky above the arena was a mix of silver and purple, with piercing clanging sounds and sparks flying everywhere.

However, the battle situation turned out to be one-sided.

Although Lin Ye created many crystal blades, they were incredibly clumsy and stiff in terms of handling.

They moved haphazardly and without any strategy, like a group of burly men who only knew how to swing their arms randomly. But Zhang Daoxuan's three swords were as agile as snakes, elusive and unpredictable.

They can always hit the most vulnerable connection point of the crystal blade with the least cost and from the most tricky angle.

More importantly, Lin Ye was multitasking, simultaneously controlling nearly a hundred crystal blades. His mental energy was so scattered that the power attached to each crystal blade was pitifully weak.

Ding!Ding!Ding!
The three swords weaved through the flowers and trees in the crystal blade array, their momentum unstoppable.

The crystal blades that Lin Ye created were easily deflected, deflected, or even shattered.

puff!
In the chaos, a silver sword seized an opening in Lin Ye's defense, bypassed numerous obstacles, and slashed a shallow cut on his right forearm, drawing a string of blood beads.

Lin Ye looked at the wound on his arm, then at the three nimble and graceful flying swords in the air, lost in thought.

He seemed to understand something.

If one can fully master this method of attacking remotely, it will undoubtedly become a completely new means of combat.

Others ride swords, I ride crystals!

The idea took root in his mind as soon as it came to him.

It definitely has potential!
"It has the form but not the substance."

Zhang Daoxuan's voice came through, carrying a hint of barely suppressed dissatisfaction.

He seemed slightly offended by Lin Ye's clumsy imitation.

Before he finished speaking, he brought his sword fingers together and slashed forward fiercely!
The three firefly swords shone brightly, no longer dodging, but transforming into three silver lightning bolts, charging wildly through Lin Ye's crystal blade array with an unreasonable attitude.

collapse!collapse!collapse!
A series of crisp explosions rang out, and the array of nearly a hundred crystal blades in front of Lin Ye was cleared away by a third in just a few seconds.

Lin Ye frowned.

If the strength is insufficient, no matter how many there are, it will be useless.

I was too greedy.

To learn how to "control a sword with crystals" in a short time, one must first start with observation and imitation.

With this thought in mind, Lin Ye took the initiative to remove all the floating crystal blades in front of him.

Zhang Daoxuan was taken aback and was about to give chase when he discovered that Lin Ye was simply standing quietly in place.

He neither attacked nor condensed any more crystal blades for defense. Instead, he stared intently at the three silver streaks of light he had released, his gaze filled with an intensely inquisitive intensity.

This completely enraged Zhang Daoxuan.

What does it mean?
You won't even look me in the eye?
Or does he feel that his attack doesn't even qualify him to defend seriously?
Either way, it would be a tremendous humiliation for him!

"you……"

Zhang Daoxuan's chest heaved, and an indescribable rage surged to the top of his head.

He gave a low shout, holding nothing back any longer.

Suddenly, he bit his tongue, and a stream of blood sprayed onto the Zhenyue Sword that was floating in front of him.

Om-!
The ancient iron sword emitted a resounding tremor, and dense, blood-red patterns appeared on its blade.

At the same time, Zhang Daoxuan's face turned pale at a visible speed, and even fine blood vessels began to slowly seep from his seven orifices.

He flicked the blood-stained main sword into the air.

Clang! Clang! Clang!
A series of rapid sounds of swords being drawn rang out, and the main sword bloomed like a lotus flower, splitting into nine identical sub-swords!

The three blades transformed into twelve!
Driven by his secret technique, the twelve flying swords surged with sword energy, and the silver aura surrounding the swords even took on a strange crimson hue.

Zhang Daoxuan roared, and the twelve flying swords instantly transformed into a violent storm of weapons, whipping up thousands of sword shadows that tore through the air, completely engulfing Lin Ye!
Almost instantly, dozens of wounds of varying depths appeared on Lin Ye's body, and blood stained his combat uniform.

But he still did not retaliate, nor did he fully activate his crystal armor for defense.

His eyes, on the contrary, were frighteningly bright.

Right, that is it!

This is what he wants!
In his mind, if he could master this technique, the number of crystal blades he could condense from amethyst would be even greater than the number of Zhang Daoxuan's flying swords.

If every crystal blade could have an independent attack trajectory and a unique target, just like these twelve flying swords, what a terrifying sight that would be!

At that time, the crystallization skill will be truly developed into his ultimate trump card!
Lin Ye focused his mind, letting the violent sword energy cut through his body, a thin layer of crystal armor appearing and disappearing on his skin.

But his gaze was fixed on one of the flying swords, following its movements, weaving, and slashing.

He was forcing himself to remember and experience how Zhang Daoxuan manipulated it and how he used it to attack him.

This bizarre scene on the stage made Nie Cang, who was watching from the stands, laugh in anger.

"Is this kid... stealing my skills?"

"If I were Zhang Daoxuan, I would also be so anxious that I would be driven to despair."

"The opponent is clearly much stronger than me, but he doesn't fight me at all. He only wants to steal my signature skills."

Su Yunjin watched in stunned silence, muttering, "This is... too much of a bully."

Dongfang Zhen also shook his head, looking at the figure on the arena who was shrouded in a storm of sword blades but remained unmoved. He felt a pang of pity for his old rival, Zhang Daoxuan.

At the same time, he was also secretly assessing the situation.

If it were me, facing Zhang Daoxuan who was now using all his skills and acting like a madman, would I be able to withstand this ferocious attack?

The answer is, without using some real skills, you can't stop them!

But Lin Ye just stood there and endured it all.

A minute passed.

The power of the sword storm did not diminish in the slightest; on the contrary, it became even more chaotic due to Zhang Daoxuan's rage.

Lin Ye's body was covered in wounds, but the light in his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

Finally, he reacted.

Amidst the myriad sword shadows, Lin Ye slowly raised his right hand.

A purple crystal condensed in his palm. This time, he did not pursue making his flying sword exactly the same as Zhang Daoxuan's.

The crystal was stretched and eventually shaped into a prismatic spindle with sharp ends, a thick middle, and irregular facets all over its body.

Its edges were cut with sharp blades, and every corner was extremely sharp.

For a sword, the only effective attack points are the tip and the blade, which requires a very high level of skill from the wielder.

Lin Ye was well aware that his technical deficiencies were an insurmountable gap in the short term.

So they simply added some clever design elements, and finally created a weapon that would cause damage upon contact, regardless of where it hits the enemy.

This is not over yet.

Just as the purple crystal prism took shape, a wisp of liquid, resembling golden dew, covered its surface.

The moment that wisp of golden liquid appeared, the light in the entire virtual space seemed to dim slightly.

Zhang Daoxuan's pupils suddenly contracted, and the attack of the twelve flying swords showed a barely perceptible pause.

At the same time, in the spectator stands, Yin Liulan and Nie Cang's expressions changed simultaneously!
"This is... Liu Gang!"

Nie Cang's voice was filled with disbelief and horror.

Previously, Lin Ye had only displayed the form of misty aura, which was a standard characteristic of the early stage of the Condensation Realm.

But now, the internal energy within him has actually liquefied!

impossible!
Didn't he just break through to the Condensation Realm?

How could one condense the Qi and Sha into "Liu Gang" in such a short time?

This is a realm that can only be reached at least in the mid-stage or even late-stage of the Condensing Qi Realm!

Only Yin Liulan, after a brief moment of shock, seemed to be deep in thought.

She recalled something Lin Hanshan had mentioned in his report.

Lin Ye's total blood and qi was unprecedented, more than four times that of other martial artists of the same realm.

So, after Lin Ye broke through...

It's somewhat natural that the total amount of internal energy within him far exceeds that of other martial artists at the same level.

However, at the early stage of the Condensation Realm, his original Qi and Qi within his body were already so powerful that they were enough to complete the liquefaction ahead of schedule. Just how monstrous is he?
Whoosh!
Just as everyone was pondering, on the arena, the amethyst shuttle covered with golden flowing energy, driven by Lin Ye's will, transformed into a golden and purple stream of light, and with a rough yet unstoppable momentum, pierced towards Zhang Daoxuan.

Lin Ye's counterattack has begun.

The golden shuttle was fast, but its trajectory was very straight, like a javelin that had been thrown.

Lin Ye currently only knows this kind of straightforward attack.

While this attack pattern guarantees speed, it's still too easy to predict.

With a thought, Zhang Daoxuan precisely blocked the path of the prism shuttle.

Ding!
With a crisp sound, the shuttle was easily knocked away.

Zhang Daoxuan could even sense that the opponent's force was scattered, and the flowing energy covering it did not amplify the attack at all.

However, Lin Ye's counterattack did not stop.

The second and third prisms condensed in succession, and he then launched them out in the same clumsy manner.

Zhang Daoxuan's face was ashen. While maintaining his suppression of Lin Ye's main body, he also diverted his attention to control his flying sword to block the incoming prisms one by one.

But gradually, he sensed that something was wrong.

The trajectory of the prism shuttle that Lin Ye fired began to become unpredictable.

They are no longer simple straight lines, but have a slight curve, or an extremely unnatural slight change of direction during flight.

It became difficult to block.

The force transmitted from the prism, which was initially loose, became more and more condensed and clear.

Each impact caught him completely off guard.

Zhang Daoxuan's expression grew increasingly grim, and a tidal wave of turmoil surged within him.

He only observed himself for less than ten minutes...

From being completely disorganized at the beginning to now being quite well-organized...

What terrifying learning ability!

What kind of monstrous understanding is this?
Zhang Daoxuan gritted his teeth, and the anger in his heart was gradually extinguished by a chill, replaced by a more complex emotion.

When someone displays talent far exceeding yours in your most prized field, with overwhelming force, that feeling is enough to shatter the resolve of any genius.

Zhang Daoxuan felt that his Dao heart, which he thought was already as solid as a rock, was cracking inch by inch.

An emotion called "jealousy" was growing wildly in his heart.

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(End of this chapter)