Prowess of the Inferno Ring

"Let the first duel of the semifinals begin!"

Whoosh!

Just like two bolts of lightning, Shi Li and Shi Daoliang activated both of their movement techniques to their full strength, wanting to take initiative in their own attacks.

Since Shi Li was able to exert a force that's about 30 ren stronger than Shi Daoliang's, it was a given that Shi Li would be the one to attack first, raising Sundering Flame up into the air.

"Hey Shi Daoliang, do you want to settle this in a set number of moves or...?" As Shi Li swung his sword down, he asked this question as Shi Daoliang made an abrupt stop as he sidestepped, dodging the sword.

"Hmm... I'd rather not limit ourselves and fight till one concedes!" After sidestepping, Shi Daoliang dashed forward as he tried to stab Shi Li on his abdomen, which was deflected by Shi Li with a simple swing of his sword.

Clang!

While Shi Daoliang's sword dragged him back thanks to its momentum, Shi Li used this chance to dash forward and kick out with his left foot at a diagonal angle, activating his [Flame Bursting Step].

Whoosh!

"Woah there!" As the orange sword light darted towards Shi Daoliang's abdomen, Shi Daoliang gritted his teeth and focused his mass on his back, allowing him to fall at a faster pace in order to dodge the orange sword light Shi Li shot out. Afterwards, he rolled backwards as he extended his right leg and used the momentum of his roll to shoot out a sword light from the soles of tips of his right foot.

Whoosh!

Shi Li was caught off guard by this attack. Thankfully, with him reaching the first level of the [All-encompassing Sword], his body instinctively raised the sword he held at a perpendicular angle to the sword light and slashed it in half, dispersing the energy it held.

After seeing Shi Li's counterattack, Shi Daoliang could not help but have a light yet wry smile on his face as he stood up, still gripping on his sword. "I learned that technique from you."

"I have a feeling that the similarities end there right?" Shi Li could not help but wryly smile as well. Shi Li only showed that technique once, but Shi Daoliang was able to grasp the method of doing it, allowing him to use it as he sees fit.

If this wasn't a monstrous genius, then what was he?

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Although the two of them engaged in that idle banter, their bodies did not stop moving as their swords collided here and there while they moved around the dueling platform. The both of them were trying to find an opening in order to settle the match once and for all.

While their swords still clashed, Shi Daoliang shouted out all of a sudden, "You know what? I have no need for the sword?" He did not hesitate to throw his sword towards Shi Li not long after, aiming to injure him at the very least with the throw.

Thanks to the shape of the sword, its air resistance was very little, add that to Shi Daoliang's strength, it made for a pretty big projectile. But with Shi Li's [All-encompassing Sword], before it could even touch the surface of Shi Li's clothes, it was already flicked away by the tip of his sword.

Whoosh!

"Huh?" At the instant Shi Li deflected the sword, his peripheral vision could not help but notice that Shi Daoliang jumped to a height of a few meters.

After seeing this, the spectators started to speculate whether Shi Daoliang lost his mind.

"Is Shi Li that strong in order to force Shi Daoliang to lose his mind?"

"Was he not a master of the sword?"

As they continued to speculate as to what Shi Daoliang's next move, Shi Daoliang started to do front flips in midair, creating a luminous white glow in front of him and behind him, silencing the spectators and making them look at the next technique with expectation.

Even Shi Li could not help but look at this with awe. Nonetheless, he was fighting off against this technique and not watching it. He decided to drop Sundering Flame to the ground and spin around as he activated [Flame Bursting Step].

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

If any random person were to come at this moment and watch the current fight between Shi Li and Shi Daoliang, they would think it's a contest on who could spin the longest. Although it seemed like that, it definitely was not the case.

Shi Daoliang continued to flip midair as he gradually descended, forming a wheel of white sword light before his feet touched the ground. As he landed, the wheel of white sword light hovered around his arm and was thrown by him not long after as he said, "Take this Shi Li! Luminous Blade Wheel!"

"Take this as well!" Shi Li stopped spinning as a ring had formed around Shi Li's feet. Unlike before, the intensity of the orange color of this ring was three to five times more intense than before, meaning that Shi Li did not dare to hold back as he transferred this ring to his right foot and kicked it out towards the light wheel. "Inferno Ring!"

Whoosh!

With the Luminous Blade Wheel that Shi Daoliang shot out being vertical, and Shi Li's Inferno Ring being horizontal, the two of them collided at the middle of the gap between the two.

Surprisingly, the Luminous Blade Wheel that Shi Daoliang shot out was being absorbed by Shi Li's Inferno Ring as its energy weakened.

"Eh?" Shi Daoliang looked at this and felt an ominous feeling as his wheel of sword light was fully absorbed, allowing Shi Li's Inferno Ring to continue on its path.

Whoosh!

Shi Daoliang ran at a direction where the Inferno Ring would not possibly injure him, and that was...to Shi Li's right!

"Heh. You underestimate this Inferno Ring!" At the instant Shi Daoliang was about to make a run for it, Shi Li snapped his fingers, which resulted in the ring of orange sword light to expand and envelop Shi Daoliang.

Pfft!

Unlike Shi Ziyun's multiple lacerations, this time, a large cut from the back of his left forearm to his right forearm was made. To others, it would seem that the injury Shi Ziyun endured a while ago was more dangerous than this one, but in actuality...

This one was more dangerous.

Shi Li decided to make the ring a homogenous sword light rather than multiple small ones, allowing for large cuts like these.

Shi Daoliang could not help but cough a mouthful of blood from the shock of this attack and fell down face first with a thud.

After that, Shi Li dashed towards Shi Daoliang and lifted his body up before leaving the dueling platform, headed towards the healers of the clan as he knew that Shi Daoliang would probably lose a lot of blood if it was not treated quickly.

While looking at the fleeting figure of Shi Li carrying Shi Daoliang, the spectators could not help but cheer and shout loudly as the fight that occurred definitely widened their horizons.

Shi Xingtai saw that Shi Li took the initiative to carry Shi Daoliang to the healers, which made him let out a sigh of relief inwardly before announcing, "Shi Daoliang is unable to fight any further! Shi Li has won the duel and shall move on to the finals!"