Refining Ruins Cauldron

All eyes turned to one direction: a young man dressed in black, bathed in sunlight, slowly walking towards the arena.

With a delicate face, a slender figure, a sharp yet capable demeanor, and clear eyes, he was already an intimately familiar face to everyone.

Aside from a few handsome features, he is not particularly outstanding compared to other prodigies.

Yet this ordinary boy, with an overwhelming advantage, made it into the top ten!

The appearance of the boy proved to everyone that mixed spiritual roots are never useless!

Even those with mixed spiritual roots can still have a vast world to explore!

From menial laborer to prodigy, this story will eventually become a legend!

"This is Gu Qingyun, the biggest dark horse in the outer sect competition?"

"Really? I heard he repelled the enemy with just one sword strike?!"

"That strong?! No wonder such a ruthless person could make such a name for themselves!"

"Have you all heard? Even Elder Wei's granddaughter, Fairy Ziyan, tried to assassinate him, but was killed with a single sword strike! And it happened right in front of Elder Wei..."

Upon hearing this news, a hissing sound immediately erupted from the crowd, and everyone gasped in shock.

If the previous stories were merely astonishing, then this final challenge was simply a fantasy for these disciples!

Everyone knows that Wei Qianbo dotes on his granddaughter Ziyan and wishes he could give her the entire Law Enforcement Hall!

As a result, his most beloved granddaughter was killed, Wei Qianbo was punished, and Gu Qingyun escaped unscathed!

Immediately, discussions arose, all speculating about what had happened the previous night, with some even hinting at a potential conflict that would surpass the intensity of the fight.

Of course, none of this affected Gu Qingyun.

His gaze remained calm as he turned to look at the high platform.

His gaze swept over the group of peak masters, lingering on Nalan Feixue for a moment before he bowed slightly in respect.

Nalan Feixue smiled back, her eyes showing more satisfaction and less coldness as she looked at him.

Coming to his senses, Gu Qingyun looked at his opponent on the arena.

Nine people, nine outstanding talents from the outer sect!

The nine people who were able to stand on the arena in the end were all true powerhouses of the outer sect!

Of course, there were also unlucky people like Liu Wanqian who were eliminated early and were left offstage.

However, Gu Qingyun showed no fear at this moment; instead, a strong fighting spirit ignited in his eyes!

I am no longer the menial disciple I was when I first entered the sect!

Instead, they are the pride who stand on equal footing with these formidable figures and compete with them!

As Gu Qingyun stepped onto the stage, all ten people gathered.

The elder in charge of reading out the rules cleared his throat and explained the lottery results.

"The first round of the finals will still be a two-elimination format, with the five winners advancing to the next round."

"In the second round, one person receives a bye, and the remaining four compete in pairs. The two winners and the one who received a bye advance to the top three."

"The last three will compete again to determine the top three."

"Did you all hear me clearly?"

"clear!"

The ten prodigies nodded in unison.

This time, the lottery was no longer drawn from jade slips, but from the most primitive blind draw, which was personally conducted by Tianjiao.

Good or bad luck is also a part of one's ability.

What kind of fortune you draw depends entirely on yourself.

Soon it was Gu Qingyun's turn, and he drew the number "eight".

According to the rules, the second contestant in his group is named Sun Kang.

Sun Kang is known as the chief disciple of the outer sect of Quanwu Peak. He is also a body cultivator. His cultivation level has reached the Qi Refining stage and he is only one step away from Foundation Establishment. His strength should not be underestimated.

Even among the other eight, Sun Kang's strength is among the best.

It is said that he once fought against a Foundation Establishment cultivator and remained undefeated for a short time, which shows how terrifying his defense is.

Both parties stepped onto the stage, and Gu Qingyun and Sun Kang bowed to each other.

The elder judge briefly reiterated the rules to ensure that every prodigy understood them.

Meanwhile, the discussion among the audience rose again, with everyone making predictions about the upcoming battle.

However, at this point, even if there are still people who don't think highly of Gu Qingyun, they don't dare to speak recklessly.

This guy has created far too many miracles.

Across from him, Sun Kang stared directly into Gu Qingyun's eyes without flinching.

That confidence emanated from within, even drawing admiring glances from the latter.

"Gu Qingyun, right? I've seen your martial arts competition."

Unfortunately, the gap between us is ultimately too great.

As soon as he finished speaking, Sun Kang took a step forward.

Instantly, the entire arena seemed to shake, and a pale yellow earth-attribute spiritual energy erupted from him.

In the blink of an eye, it enveloped their entire bodies, and under everyone's gaze, it actually formed a set of rock armor!

The fact that this person can manifest spiritual power shows just how powerful their spiritual energy is!

Such astonishing defensive power would be impossible for ordinary Qi Refining cultivators to break through without special methods!

With his defenses in hand, Sun Kang's confidence soared, and his gaze returned to Gu Qingyun.

"Please! Today I'll see whether your sword is faster or my armor is stronger!"

Looking at Sun Kang, who was clad in rock armor, Gu Qingyun summoned the Azure Serpent Spirit Sword.

Concise, clear, and neat.

He slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, and his spiritual energy circulated within his body.

Seven Star Sword Technique, Burn the Heavens!

Against an opponent of this caliber, ordinary probing is meaningless.

Therefore, Gu Qingyun chose to unleash his killing move right from the start!

The five elements of spiritual energy transformed and continuously flowed into the Azure Serpent Sword.

A red light flashed across the sword, and the surrounding temperature gradually became scorching, even distorting the air itself.

Now, Gu Qingyun has mastered the power of Burning Heaven with ease.

Furthermore, his increasingly precise control over spiritual energy has further enhanced the power of his sword technique.

Compared to the previous attack on Liu Wanqian, this sword strike will only be more refined!

"Be careful!"

Gu Qingyun took the initiative to speak, naturally reminding Sun Kang.

As soon as he finished speaking, his sword flashed out, as fast as lightning!

A series of afterimages appeared behind him!

Sun Kang's pupils contracted slightly; he had never encountered such a formidable opponent.

The power of that sword made his hair stand on end!

This is hardly the eighth level of Qi Refining!

Judging from this imposing aura, the person standing in front of him was clearly no weaker than an ordinary Foundation Establishment expert!

The sword arrives before the spirit does.

Sun Kang was horrified to discover that his armor was covered in fine, hair-like scratches!

He knew that this was caused by Gu Qingyun's sword energy leaking out!

If even the leaked sword energy has such power, just how terrifying must this sword strike be?!

By the time Sun Kang realized this, it was already too late.

He is known for his defense and has incredible strength, but speed is not his forte.

With Gu Qingyun's current speed, there's no way he can dodge it; he has no choice but to take it head-on!

Ding!

A crisp metallic clang rang out as the Azure Serpent Sword struck the armor, unleashing destructive power instantly!

click!

The faint cracking sound startled Sun Kang, making his face turn pale!

He could clearly see that his armor, which he was so proud of and which had always been invincible, now had a crack!

The cracks started at the tip of the sword and began to spread outwards!

One crack, two cracks, one after another, cracking inch by inch, just like the shattered granite arena!