The fact that Pill King Zhen was merely a seventh-stage Saint Realm genius left every spectator absolutely stunned.
After all, when you compared his combat record to his mere seventh-stage Saint Realm cultivation, the disparity was simply staggering.
At this point in the tournament, there were virtually no seventh-stage Saint Realm fighters who hadn't already been eliminated.
Pill King Zhen might very well have been the last one standing.
Judging from how this fight was playing out,
If things continued at this pace, Ji Zhongtang would inevitably lose.
After all, sword techniques were far from the only thing Pill King Zhen had in his arsenal.
Ji Zhongtang, however, seemed completely unconcerned with any of that. At this moment, he was utterly immersed in his own rhythm, unleashing the Coiling Dragon Sword Technique with sweeping, majestic momentum that seemed ready to devour heaven and earth.
In an instant, sword qi crisscrossed the arena as though countless primordial dragons were coiling and soaring across the stage.
"Dragon Battle in the Wild!"
Ji Zhongtang roared, gripping his sword with both hands. He swept the blade upward, summoning a torrent of overwhelming aura as his entire being fused completely with the sword's momentum.
Muttering an incantation under his breath, he formed a sword seal.
"Qi is the mother of spirit, and spirit is the child of qi. The metal of the Western Soul rises from the lungs. Spirit serves my will; qi stirs the divine heavens!"
Five Thunder Divine Sound Sword — Slash!
Jiang Chen possessed the Primordial Magnetic Gold Mountain, so he had never been lacking in metallic elemental power. This single slash drew upon the metal of the Western Soul, channeling a tremendous surge of golden qi into a strike that soared above the nine heavens.
A terrifying arc of sword light erupted forth, slamming headlong into Ji Zhongtang's "Dragon Battle in the Wild."
It was clear that Jiang Chen intended to meet sword technique with pure sword technique — no tricks, no gimmicks.
When two blades meet on a narrow path, the braver one prevails!
Both charged forward with unrelenting swords, neither willing to yield ground, neither willing to lose their edge!
CLANG!
The two strikes collided with devastating force.
The tremendous tearing power instantly ripped gashes through the void, producing a series of ghastly rending sounds. Countless blasts of fierce wind erupted in all directions, pelting the surroundings of the arena.
The ground and pillars around the platform were instantly covered in countless vicious sword scars. These arena fixtures had all been reinforced with powerful formation arrays, yet even so, they were left battered and scarred by the ferocity of the clash.
Hsss-hsss-hsss!
Sword qi sprayed in every direction, shredding the clothes of both Jiang Chen and Ji Zhongtang into strips of fabric that fluttered about like cloth butterflies.
Jiang Chen, however, stood firm as a mountain, unyielding against the wind. Rather than retreating, he took several steps forward. The Divine-Demon Golden Body activated, devouring every trace of the residual sword qi.
Ji Zhongtang, on the other hand, had not cultivated the Divine-Demon Golden Body and could only frantically wave his sleeves to brush aside the vicious sword qi flying his way.
For a moment, the gap between them became rather obvious.
Ji Zhongtang glanced up to find Jiang Chen watching him with a half-smile. It was clear that his opponent still had plenty of energy left for another round of attacks. Meanwhile, Ji Zhongtang was still busy dodging the residual sword qi from their collision.
There was no doubt about it — Ji Zhongtang was at a disadvantage.
Though proud, Ji Zhongtang was not the sort to be stubborn about a loss. He took a moment to compose himself, then let out a soft sigh. "Pill King Zhen, I never expected your mastery of the sword to be so terrifying. I still have a few cards to play, and if I went all out, I might have a thirty percent chance of beating you. But that particular technique demands an enormous expenditure of energy. Even if I won, I'd face a powerful opponent in the next round and lose because of the depletion from this fight. That's a lose-lose proposition, and Zhongtang won't stoop to such a thing. So let's end it here — I concede."
Ji Zhongtang was refreshingly straightforward about it. If Pill King Zhen could match him head-on in swordsmanship, then he had effectively already lost.
After all, the sword was his greatest strength, and his opponent still had countless other techniques he hadn't even touched.
To put it bluntly, Pill King Zhen had simply been sparring with him.
Though young, Ji Zhongtang knew when to advance and when to retreat.
He leaped gracefully from the arena. For him, this defeat carried no real regrets. Even if there was no chance of revival in later rounds, the gains from this single battle were more than sufficient.
After all, what he had gained was not merely insight into the sword — he had learned that there are skies beyond skies, and people beyond people.
His talent in the sword was truly extraordinary. The Coiling Dragon Clan Lord had even named him the foremost swordsman. But Ji Zhongtang understood perfectly well that such a title meant very little.
Setting aside the countless sword prodigies serving under the Seven Great Emperors, even among the great clan families of the Crystal Royal City, there could easily be other hidden sword masters lurking in the shadows.