Fatal Blow

Fatal Blow...

Luo He's eyes gleamed sharply as she fixed her gaze on the young man before her.

Stellar Transposition, although associated with the Venerate Heavens Sect, had become common knowledge among the top rankers like Chen Wang and Shi Potian after the ancient kingdom's ranking battle. It wasn't surprising that their clan members would also learn this technique to secure their victory in the selection.

However, what truly astounded Luo He was the young man's straightforward and effective use of the ancient halberd. He didn't rely on innate techniques or the will of Mandate; his strikes were simply a testament to his profound understanding of the weapon. This made it impossible to discern his true identity.

But his streak of luck should have come to an end. In the next battle, his opponent would surely take him seriously.

For someone who knew Stellar Transposition, falling prey to an attack like Xiao Yu did, due to a momentary lapse in concentration, would be a regrettable fate. Xiao Yu hadn't even had the chance to showcase his true strength.

Though those from the Star-Seizing Manor were seething with anger, they were helpless for now. However, they were determined to uncover the identity of this audacious individual after the marriage selection. He had shown no mercy, callously slaughtering a member of their Star-Seizing Manor.

With only six participants left, the next round would leave only three standing. The remaining six were Chen Lie from the Great Solar Chen Clan (Chen Wang's elder brother), Wang Yifei from the Wang Clan, Hua Cheng from the Hua Clan, Shi Kuang from the Shi Clan, Yan Long from the Beastking Hall, and the mysterious young man with the ancient halberd whose identity remained shrouded in secrecy.

Luo He's voice cut through the tension. "All six of you, engage in a free-for-all battle. Only three will emerge victorious."

The crowd's attention shifted to the six participants. Luo He had decided to make them fight each other in a chaotic free-for-all.

Chen Lie's eyes blazed with an intense fire as he emanated scorching Great Solar energy, creating an unbearable heat around him. No one dared to approach him. With his third-level Heavenly Dipper cultivation and the possibility of having mastered Stellar Transposition, he was undoubtedly one of the strongest participants.

The contenders were cautious, avoiding any confrontation with Chen Lie. He sat confidently in the area designated for the Chen Clan, anticipation in his eyes. If his brother, Chen Wang, emerged victorious, Mo Qingcheng would become his.

Chen Wang's gaze turned icy when he looked at the demon sword standing tall outside the Pill Emperor Hall. He hoped that Qin Wentian wouldn't disappoint them today.

Chen Lie remained still, as did Wang Yifei. Meanwhile, Hua Cheng and Shi Kuang locked eyes, their battle escalating quickly.

Hua Cheng and Shi Kuang unleashed their brutal and relentless attacks, captivating the onlookers. The other four participants observed their fierce struggle but refrained from intervening.

"Hey, you, go and launch a sneak attack," a voice whispered into Qin Wentian's ears. The message came from Chen Lie. It seemed that secret communications had been ongoing among the contestants.

Qin Wentian stood his ground, ignoring Chen Lie. He continued to watch the battle between Hua Cheng and Shi Kuang unfold.

Chen Lie's brows furrowed dangerously as he issued a cold ultimatum, "This is your last chance."

Still, Qin Wentian paid him no heed. However, his attention was soon caught by Yan Long, who was heading in his direction, while Wang Yifei advanced towards Hua Cheng and Shi Kuang.

Yan Long's arm transformed into a beastly appendage, exuding terrifying demonic energy from his eyes. A beastman from the Beast King Hall, Yan Long possessed the bloodline of the flame dragon, granting him immense strength, as well as a lecherous and covetous nature.

"That woman is definitely mine," Yan Long declared coldly. With those words, he lunged at Qin Wentian with lightning speed.

The demonic arm shot toward Qin Wentian, forming a terrifying flame dragon claw in mid-air. Inside the draconic palm, a fierce current of flames swirled, radiating a scorching heat capable of turning a human body to liquid. Yan Long, a third-level Heavenly Dipper cultivator with the power of his bloodline augmentation, unleashed a strike of extraordinary strength.

Qin Wentian's ancient halberd surged with an enigmatic, formless energy as he locked eyes with Yan Long. He moved with explosive speed, launching a halberd strike that seemed illusory yet arrived at Yan Long's position in an instant.

Yan Long sneered, intending to brush the halberd aside with his palms, seeking a direct contest of strength with the ancient halberd.

But just before the collision, a thunderous boom resounded. Qin Wentian vanished from sight, and in his absence, Chen Lie appeared. Both of Chen Lie's palms blasted out with terrifying Great Solar energy surging unabated through his meridians. Originally, one palm was aimed at Qin Wentian and the other at Yan Long, but Qin Wentian vanished before Chen Lie's attack landed.

Meanwhile, Wang Yifei had teamed up with Hua Cheng, and together, they confronted Shi Kuang.

BOOM!

Suddenly, Qin Wentian reappeared above their battleground. His halberd, initially intended for Yan Long, was now thrust at Hua Cheng without hesitation.

However, experts at this level couldn't be caught off guard so easily. Although Hua Cheng was taken aback, his Great Sabre Astral Nova instantly cleaved outward, aiming to block Qin Wentian's attack.

Simultaneously, Shi Kuang's Astral Nova crashed into the fray. His nova took the form of a colossal stone golem, and its powerful palms surged through the air, colliding with Hua Cheng's Sabre Astral Nova. At the same moment, Shi Kuang vanished, reappearing above Hua Cheng to deliver a thunderous punch. His attacks were capable of toppling mountains, exuding terrifying power.

"WANG YIFEI!"

Hua Cheng bellowed, but to the crowd's astonishment, Wang Yifei's spear-type Astral Nova pierced through the void. Instead of targeting Qin Wentian or Shi Kuang, Wang Yifei aimed to kill Hua Cheng.

In an instant, Hua Cheng turned pale. His former ally had become his enemy, and with three Sovereigns united against him, his fate was sealed.

Boom! Shi Kuang's ferocious attack descended from above, throwing Hua Cheng into chaos as his blood and qi surged uncontrollably. Wang Yifei's spear blocked all paths of escape, and Qin Wentian's ancient halberd thrust mercilessly forward. Hua Cheng found himself defenseless, with no way to counter or evade.

"I CONCEDE!" Hua Cheng shouted in surrender. But before he could escape the impending attacks, Wang Yifei's spear Astral Nova swished and stabbed him in the back, while Qin Wentian's ancient halberd pierced his forehead. The Hua Clan spectators seethed with anger, feeling powerless to intervene.

However, the battle was far from over. After Qin Wentian dispatched Hua Cheng, Wang Yifei swiftly switched his target. Three long spears brimming with lethal intent materialized in the air, tearing through the void and aiming straight for Qin Wentian.

Without hesitation, Qin Wentian stomped the ground and employed Stellar Transposition. Astral light flooded the area, and when he reappeared, he stood high in the air.

Meanwhile, Chen Lie had already defeated Yan Long. As he witnessed Hua Cheng's demise, a cold glint flashed in his eyes. With only four participants left, the situation had become straightforward.

"Would you like to depart voluntarily, or shall we assist your exit by force?" Wang Yifei's icy gaze swept toward Qin Wentian, who remained suspended in the air.

Qin Wentian surveyed the situation and noted that all three remaining participants had their eyes locked on him. Even for him, facing three opponents of their caliber was nearly impossible. The combined power of twelve Astral Novas would overwhelm any defense he could muster. To win, he needed a method to eliminate one of the three instantly, before the others could react.

"Although Luo He mentioned that only three would advance, it's clear that the final three will be ranked. Killing me now may not be your wisest choice. You might find the other two to be formidable opponents," Qin Wentian transmitted his words to the three, but whether he was addressing each of them individually or all three remained unknown.

All four participants harbored hostile intentions.

"My strength is the weakest among us. Even if I make it to the top three, I won't pose a significant threat to you. Is it truly necessary to eliminate me at this moment?" Qin Wentian transmitted again, though it remained unclear whether he was directing this message to all three or just one of them.

"Die," Wang Yifei stepped forward, his three Astral Novas radiating a chilling sharpness.

Chen Lie and Shi Kuang also advanced slowly, drawing closer to the confrontation. Qin Wentian's expression turned frigid, but he continued transmitting messages to each of them privately. The content of his words varied for each recipient.

Finally, as Wang Yifei's Astral Novas surged toward him, Qin Wentian launched his own attack at Wang Yifei. Shi Kuang, with unwavering determination, dashed toward Wang Yifei and struck out with a palm.

Chen Lie, unmoving until this point, saw that the final three participants had seemingly been decided. Naturally, he had no qualms about piling on even more pressure. His figure disappeared, transforming the pincer attack by Qin Wentian and Shi Kuang into a triangular formation, with Wang Yifei at the center.

Just as Qin Wentian had discreetly transmitted to the other two, Wang Yifei was the only one among them who didn't possess Stellar Transposition. He was the easiest target for elimination.

"I ADMIT DEFEAT!" Wang Yifei exclaimed in surrender. When Shi Kuang and Chen Lie unleashed their Astral Novas in his direction, their feet radiating astral light, Wang Yifei went ashen with fear. He knew that all three of his opponents were adept at Stellar Transposition. If their attacks landed simultaneously, he'd meet a certain demise. He felt a profound reluctance because he understood that the halberd-wielding young man's scheme had succeeded.

Once Wang Yifei conceded, the situation shifted. Chen Lie's Astral Novas shifted away from Wang Yifei and closed in on Shi Kuang. Simultaneously, Chen Lie's figure vanished in a blaze of astral light as he used Stellar Transposition.

Qin Wentian's silhouette also disappeared as he adjusted the trajectory of his attacks toward Shi Kuang. It was clear that the coordination between Qin Wentian and Chen Lie had been meticulously planned.

This was the strategy that Qin Wentian had proposed to Chen Lie, and it was executed seamlessly. Chen Lie had no objections, as he knew that once Shi Kuang was eliminated, Qin Wentian was essentially a dead man. There would be no need for further selection; only one would remain.

Shi Kuang, encased in Golden Draconic Armor that bolstered his defenses, found himself overwhelmed by the sheer power of Chen Wang's and Qin Wentian's strikes. Ignoring the draining effect of Stellar Transposition, they harnessed its speed to amplify the force of their attacks. Spectators watched in awe and terror as the fierce battle unfolded. Finally, under Chen Wang's relentless assault, Shi Kuang was struck by a devastating halberd blow from Qin Wentian. The impact sent shockwaves through all of his internal organs. Seizing the opportunity, Qin Wentian delivered another forceful halberd strike, sending Shi Kuang hurtling off the steps.

At long last, only Chen Lie and Qin Wentian remained as the two participants.

Chen Lie wasted no time, his eyes filled with malevolence as a Great Solar Palm imprint erupted from his palm. He seized Qin Wentian's ancient halberd with his left hand while conjuring a menacing fire dragon with his right, eager to consume everything in its path.

BOOOM! A formidable sword intent suddenly detonated. In an instant, a regal sword, brimming with murderous intent, pierced through the fire dragon and continued its trajectory toward Chen Lie.

Chen Lie's face contorted as a colossal figure made of flames surged toward Qin Wentian. Yet, at that very moment, Qin Wentian's form vanished. The entire space resounded with the dreadful hum of sword melodies. Chen Lie felt an overwhelming sword intent locking onto him; he instinctively activated Stellar Transposition and vanished.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOOOM! In mid-air, torrents of astral light erupted incessantly. The two combatants engaged in continuous Stellar Transposition, moving with such speed that even the spectators struggled to follow their movements.

"The rate at which they're expending energy...how long can they keep it up?" The onlookers' hearts quaked at the ferocity of the clashes. Fortunately, this was the final battle.

Buzzzz...

The sound of the singing sword grew more intense. A crisp ring echoed, and then the spectators witnessed Chen Lie reappear, clutching his throat with both hands. Fresh blood streamed from his grasp, while Qin Wentian stood beside him, sword in hand.

This sword prioritized swiftness over raw power, but when combined with Stellar Transposition, its attack speed was devastating. Qin Wentian had seized an opening and swiftly slashed at Chen Lie's throat. His sword moved with such speed that no one could clearly see it. All they witnessed was a glint of cold light. It all transpired too quickly for their eyes to follow.

Chen Lie, dead. Shi Kuang, severely wounded. Among the three remaining participants, Qin Wentian was the sole one in prime condition.

Was this young man's ultimate objective? He had meticulously orchestrated each step, revealing his true power to vanquish Chen Lie. This young man was truly fearsome.

Members of the Chen Clan rose to their feet, their eyes seething with cold fury as they fixed their gazes on Qin Wentian. Waves of killing intent emanated from them, shrouding him.

Even Luo He stood, gazing intently at Qin Wentian.

"Senior Luo He, is there any reason to proceed with the selection?" Qin Wentian inquired. There were no more adversaries who could challenge him. He was the sole remaining contender.

While the spectators couldn't comprehend how someone at the first level of Heavenly Dipper had achieved this, they clearly saw that Qin Wentian had won the final battle against Chen Lie through sheer strength. His formidable swordplay had secured the victory. Although Chen Lie might have possessed greater overall strength, he couldn't match the speed of Qin Wentian's sword.

As for Luo He, could she still select a deceased or injured participant to be her son-in-law? Qin Wentian was her sole option now!