Chapter 74: A Life-and-Death Duel!

While the crowd remained in shock over Yan Mo’s talent, Lu Jin’s expression shifted slightly.

“It seems she did not use her full strength…”

His voice was very low, yet Long Xiwei heard him. “You are saying she hid her power?”

“Indeed. Her strength is far beyond a 2nd-grade Jindan; she is even stronger than that Tang Liu…” His mental power was never wrong, but he could not determine Yan Mo’s exact cultivation level. Everyone had their secrets, yet to hide one so effectively, especially within a place like the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, suggested that Yan Mo was not simple.

“The competition is so fierce!” Long Xiwei let out a soft sigh, her adorable reaction making Lu Jin find her increasingly charming.

* * *

“Are there any other disciples who wish to be tested?”

The Spirit Stele testing had lasted for a full hour. Once the majority of disciples had returned to their seats in disappointment, only Tang Liu and Yan Mo had met the requirements. However, having two qualifiers was already an excellent result for the Ten Thousand Swords Sect!

The selection criteria for the Blood Moon Holy Land were extremely harsh. Within a thousand-mile radius, it was cause for celebration if a single qualified candidate emerged from any of the Five Gates and Three Sects. Having two candidates, not even counting Lu Jin and Liu Ruyan, was a massive boon. A disciple entering the Holy Land would bring countless rewards and eternal blessings to their home sect.

As the testing concluded, the time for the life-and-death duel between Lu Jin and Liu Ruyan finally arrived.

“Lu Jin, do you wish to try the test?” Peak Master Li Yunhe asked as the other disciples quieted down.

Lu Jin gave a casual smile. “The next event is my life-and-death battle with Liu Ruyan. Peak Master, the test is unnecessary. Please announce the start of the duel.”

At those words, the expressions of many disciples changed. Is the battle finally about to begin?

Beside Lu Jin, Long Xiwei’s eyes widened in shock. “Lu Jin, what did you say? A life-and-death duel? Between you and the Saintess Liu Ruyan?” Her gaze was full of intense worry.

Lu Jin nodded with a smile. “Do not worry, she cannot kill me.”

Long Xiwei looked at him earnestly. “Please, be careful.”

“I will.”

Lu Jin gave her a reassuring look before his figure blurred. In the next second, he appeared directly upon the Life-and-Death Stage. The moment the crowd saw him step forward, the plaza erupted into a frenzy!

“The moment of excitement is finally here! This duel between Lu Jin and the Saintess will surely be a clash between a dragon and a tiger, a bloody and vicious battle!”

“I hate to see sect-fellows slaughtering each other, especially since they were once a couple.”

“Heh, Liu Ruyan made Senior Brother Lu Jin suffer so much. He must kill her, or he will never be able to swallow that resentment!”

“But the Saintess is formidable, and she is already a disciple under Elder Chi Yu. Does Lu Jin truly dare to kill her?”

“Regardless, we will see the truth today!”

As the disciples argued, the expressions of Chu Tianxiong and the other high-ranking officials also shifted. It seemed that Lu Jin and Liu Ruyan now represented two conflicting factions within the Ten Thousand Swords Sect. Many people remained undecided on which side to support, choosing to wait and see how the situation developed.

Seeing Lu Jin take the stage first, Liu Ruyan’s face turned cold.

Swish!

In the next second, her figure flashed, and she too ascended the Life-and-Death Stage. She stood with her hands behind her back, her aura roiling. Her robes fluttered despite the lack of wind, and her long hair billowed behind her. The sight left the disciples in awe.

“The Saintess is mighty!”

“She is truly a genius worthy of Elder Chi Yu’s tutelage! Lu Jin is doomed!”

“This Lu Jin really doesn’t know the height of the heavens. To face the Saintess on the Life-and-Death Stage: he clearly does not know how to write the word ‘death’!

“The Saintess has Elder Chi Yu as her backer. What does Lu Jin have? He has nothing but a one-way ticket to the grave!”

The Saintess’s fanatical followers began to shout. The atmosphere became hostile even before the duel officially commenced. Many turned their eyes toward Chu Tianxiong and the elders. However, Chu Tianxiong had stated that no one in the Ten Thousand Swords Sect would interfere today. Once on the stage, life and death were in the hands of fate.

On the stage, Liu Ruyan stared at Lu Jin with eyes full of murderous intent.

“Lu Jin! I did not expect your cultivation to have progressed yet again. However, this Saintess does not care what shameful methods you used to reach this level. Today, I will cut you down on this stage! You shall die!”

Before her voice even faded, her internal aura erupted. The horrific fluctuations caused the disciples’ expressions to shift once more.

“What? The Saintess’s cultivation… it has reached such a terrifying level?”

“This is the 6th-grade Jindan! Her power is actually not inferior to her Master, Ji Yaoyue!”

“The pupil has surpassed the teacher! Strange, why hasn’t Peak Master Ji Yaoyue come to watch? This is a rare occasion!”

“The Saintess can even kill enemies above her level! Lu Jin is definitely losing today!”

As the chatter grew louder, the atmosphere reached a fever pitch. In the VIP seats, the representatives of the three great factions were somewhat dazed. They had known nothing of this life-and-death duel and began to feel a surge of worry for Lu Jin.

“Liu Ruyan, I will repay everything you did to me a hundredfold today!” Lu Jin’s eyes were filled with frost. His aura whistled forth, a horrific spiritual power that seemed to tear through the air as it pressed toward Liu Ruyan.

Momentum! That single surge of pressure made many onlookers feel as though they could not even lift their heads.

“What a terrifying pressure! What is Senior Brother Lu Jin’s realm?”

“To release such pressure, he must be at least at the 5th-grade Jindan!”

“To reach such a state in so short a time, Senior Brother Lu Jin is truly a heaven-defying genius!”

“Heh, there is no shortage of geniuses who die young!”

“Shut up! If you say another word against Senior Brother Lu Jin, I’ll kill you! That Saintess is a snake-hearted woman, a petty villain!”

“Hmph, do not dare to profane the Saintess!”

As the camps below began to clash, Liu Ruyan’s expression darkened. “Lu Jin, today, I will kill you with my own hands!”

Boom!

As her words fell, her spiritual Qi exploded. With her at the center, a radius of hundreds of yards was instantly shrouded in a gray aura. Within that gray mist, ghostly shadows seemed to flicker to and fro.