292 - Elasia Saga

On the expansive Yun Ni platform, nearly all the cultivators had their eyes fixed on the central dueling stage, where two figures each held their swords ready. The precise signal that marked the start of the match echoed around them. With a clear "ding!" the crisp sound entered everyone's ears, inexplicably raising a sense of tension in the spectators. Although the duel was between Fu Yan and Fang Yu, the onlookers couldn't help but hold their breaths, their eyes riveted on the shadows of the two competitors. Just then, the melodic call of celestial cranes resonated across the Yun Ni platform. Two or three black and white celestial cranes soared from unknown origins, gracefully circling the area, leaving a trail of flight in the air. The clear calls of the cranes instilled a sense of tranquility and delight in the audience. In the same moment that the cranes' cries faded, the two figures on the dueling stage moved rapidly into action. Fang Yu was the first to strike, extending his palm and unleashing a wave of energy. Before anyone could react, he deftly flicked out sharp, invisible sword blades towards Fu Yan. Fu Yan, unsurprised and unfazed, stared coolly at the approaching blades. Her Star Sword condensed in an instant, sweeping forth in a dazzling arc. Majestic sword energy swiftly enveloped the surroundings. As it clashed with Fang Yu's blades, the air reverberated with a series of sharp cracks before exploding between them. As the brilliance of the sword exchange faded, the figures of the two seemed to vanish from the stage in an instant. In the next moment, Fu Yan appeared above in mid-air. She lifted her gaze toward Fang Yu without hesitation, raising her sword with ruinous force aimed straight at his back. Against a formidable opponent like Fang Yu, Fu Yan had no intention of testing the waters. Her sword's light pierced the sky with a pressing force akin to a tidal wave, driven by sheer urgency. Without the barrier surrounding the stage, the onlookers would likely have scrambled to reposition themselves from the astonishing display. Nevertheless, Fang Yu's demeanor remained unchanged. With apparent ease, he navigated through the enveloping sword presence and, without warning, countered with a thrust towards Fu Yan behind him. However, Fu Yan evaded his attack with a swift, fluid movement that many cultivators of lesser rank couldn't comprehend. For those at the early stage of Dao Fusion, the scene was merely two flitting lights streaking through the air, sending flashes of sword energy scattering. Some among the crowd felt overwhelmed by their inability to follow; however, none were concerned about these observers. After dodging the attack, Fu Yan leapt nimbly to Fang Yu's side without creating a safe distance. She began to circulate around Fang Yu swiftly, leaving only traces of her presence, making it nearly impossible for anyone to discern her true form. Fang Yu inadvertently furrowed his brow at this. Concurrently, Fu Yan's mysterious figures didn't idle, swiftly raising her sword. Surging internal true energy burst forth, as sword shadows spun in from all directions. Fang Yu found himself without a chance to evade. A hint of intense focus flickered in Fang Yu's eyes. He rotated his sword, stirring a whirlwind of blades around him, dispersing the incoming sword intent. Quickly spotting a direction, Fang Yu didn't hesitate. He deftly lifted his sword and struck forward. The tension among the audience spiked as they watched. Facing the enlarging sword shadow in her eyes, Fu Yan wasn't surprised by the partial lock on her true form, seemingly anticipating the move. In a flash, Fu Yan bent backward in a graceful curve mid-air, reappearing behind Fang Yu upon her return to the ground. Their sword stances dispersed instantly, and the two stood apart as if unaffected, drawing gasps from the spectators. "Is this the combat between prodigious geniuses? They've only just started and already exchanged such dense attacks. What's terrifying is how accustomed they seem to it," one observer remarked. "Exactly, amidst such intense assaults, they maintain ease with no sign of strain," another added. "Honestly, if I faced such daunting attacks, lasting even a second would be a victory," someone mused wistfully. "When might I wield such formidable power?" Exclamations rippled through the crowd as cultivators remained glued to the scene, intent on capturing every exhilarating moment. At Frost Palace’s end, Yi Tu and Ming Xi fixated on Fu Yan's figure. When Fang Yu locked onto Fu Yan earlier, they collectively inhaled sharply, relieved when Fu Yan skillfully diffused the threat. "Fang Yu is renowned as the foremost of the young generation in the Central Region, indeed not an easy foe," Yuan He observed gravely. Ming Xi was unfazed. "So what if he's number one? The competition's just begun, and Fu Yan hasn’t even shown her full strength," she said with confidence. "Look at those from Sword King Sect, acting as if Fang Yu’s victory is certain," Yi Tu noted. "Let's not lose our composure; we mustn't fall behind them in momentum." Amidst their group, only Bai Yue Li and Shui Liu Qing remained silent, their eyes fixed on the duel. Beyond the bustling voices, Fu Yan and Fang Yu remained oblivious, absorbed in observing each other, striving to predict the other's next move. Seeing Fu Yan evade effortlessly again, Fang Yu turned, eyes narrowing on her silhouette, his will to fight deepening. Without doubt, Fu Yan was his destined rival. Below the celestial realm, no one had fueled his excitement so intensely for a long time. He anticipated this duel would be thrilling. As these thoughts swirled within, Fang Yu flipped his hand, quickly channeling true energy that burst within him. An invisible force surged toward his spiritual sword, forming fearsome spiral sword auras in moments. These auras brimmed with immense power. With a subtle flick of his fingers, his spiritual sword spun rapidly, sending blazing sword auras hurtling toward Fu Yan. All this unfolded within a breath. As the sword auras shot out, they intertwined in mid-air, creating luminous arcs that echoed with sharp wind, darting toward Fu Yan with lightning speed. Fu Yan’s eyes flickered at the sight. She gripped her sword tightly, a towering sword intent emanating from the Star Sword. Fang Yu's spiral sword auras tore through the air relentlessly, quickly closing in on Fu Yan. Strangely, as the sword aura approached, it quivered momentarily before splitting into several smaller strands, cutting off all potential escape routes for Fu Yan. Sensing the fierce energy surrounding her, Fu Yan momentarily hesitated, surprised by the eerie nature of Fang Yu's move. Yet, she refused to yield. In the midst of the encroaching sword blades, Fu Yan raised the Seven-foot Sword, discovered in the Underheart Lake’s tomb. Initially thought to be an ordinary sword art, Fu Yan realized its profound potential upon mastering it. Despite its not particularly high grade, it could unleash a brief but powerful force, useful for countering unexpected strikes, such as Fang Yu’s fearsome sword aura. "Hiss—" As the Seven-foot Sword’s power surged from the Star Sword, it met the incoming sword auras. A piercing screech reverberated, causing Fu Yan to frown. Unperturbed by other matters, Fu Yan swiftly fortified her protective true energy to shield against the turbulent forces between them. Upon raising her gaze again, Fu Yan’s eyes widened considerably. Disaster struck as Fu Yan realized that while the Seven-foot Sword had deflected much of Fang Yu's sword aura, one remaining strand had managed to strike her left arm. A heavy impact followed, as the sword aura clashed violently with her protective true energy, erupting in a burst of blinding sparks. "Boom!" A loud explosion sounded from Fu Yan's arm, and an intense flash of energy forced her to retreat several meters back. A section of her sleeve tore away, fluttering to the ground like falling leaves. The spectators gasped collectively. "Fu Yan from Frost Palace was hit! In a duel like this, the first to get injured will face significant disadvantages!" "Fang Yu's move was terrifyingly unexpected. Despite Fu Yan's cautious defense, she couldn't completely evade that burst of sword aura." Amidst their astonishment, someone noticed a crucial detail, quickly pointing it out, "She's not actually injured. It's just her protective true energy that was breached." Indeed, as the observer noted, Fu Yan wasn't injured. Though the sword aura broke through her arm's protective energy, the remainder of its force was absorbed by the bead necklace she wore. This necklace, given to her by Bai Yue Li before the grand ceremony, possessed defensive capabilities that came into play just in time. The remaining energy, however, severed a piece of her sleeve, explaining the spectacle observed in the air. Steadying herself, Fu Yan's gaze locked onto Fang Yu again. Fang Yu's expression showed a slight smile. Without hesitation, he launched another attack, unleashing a series of sharp sword shadows that swept toward Fu Yan with an overwhelming force. This time, Fu Yan was thoroughly vigilant. Her eyes flickered with brilliance, and her powerful mental strength surged forth. In an instant, she employed her psychic skill—Star-Picking Hand. As the sword shadows advanced, about twenty meters away from Fu Yan, they suddenly froze in mid-air. The entire dueling platform echoed with the harsh sound of sword clashing. It was as if an invisible hand had grasped the sword shadows, holding them tight. In the next second, Fu Yan's eyes focused intensely, using her mental strength to forcibly redirect the sword shadows' trajectory. Swoosh! Swoosh! Instantly, each sword shadow sharply changed direction, flying towards the barrier on the opposite side of the platform. The barrier, set up by immortals, absorbed the impact with a light tremor, nullifying the energy without a trace. It was as though nothing had happened. Seeing this, Fang Yu glanced at Fu Yan with surprise before murmuring, "So, it's mental strength." Fang Yu had sensed something unusual in Fu Yan’s duel with Mo Rong Xin earlier, but the speed of her techniques and the barrier's interference made clarity elusive. Moreover, Fu Yan hadn't revealed her psychic abilities in previous duels, avoiding detection until now. The revelation was surprising: not only was Fu Yan a sword cultivator, but she had also developed significant mental powers—a fact Fang Yu hadn't anticipated. If her sword prowess was slightly below his own, the supplement of mental strength erased that gap. Yet, Fang Yu showed no panic upon realizing this. Focused solely on the battle, Fu Yan seamlessly extended her psychic influence. Since her mental strength was already exposed, she escalated her tactics, utilizing Lu Xiao Wen's signature skill—Mind Control Art. This psychic skill was indeed formidable. A mere shift in Fu Yan’s expression sent waves of psychic energy surging towards Fang Yu, exerting a suffocating pressure from all sides. Leaving no room for respite, Fu Yan swiftly wielded her sword again, her domain of swordsmanship unfurling behind her. When she reopened her eyes, they glinted with fierce sword energy. Utilizing Triple Body Refinement, the temperature in her domain plummeted swiftly. Within moments, sharp ice spikes coalesced in mid-air. "Go!" Her true energy erupted, and dozens of ice spikes glowed radiantly. With a wave of Fu Yan's hand, they shot forward with great momentum, cascading towards Fang Yu like a hailstorm. Yet in the next instant, Fang Yu's figure vanished from his previous spot. Fu Yan's eyes widened in astonishment. Admittedly, she hadn't counted on Mind Control Art to fully ensnare Fang Yu but had hoped it might briefly hinder him and make him vulnerable to her subsequent attack. Such a sequence would have allowed her to deplete some of Fang Yu's strength and find an opening for a breakthrough. However, to her surprise, Fang Yu moved effortlessly after seeing her attack, seemingly unaffected by the mental pressure. The situation seemed improbable. Even a powerful cultivator like Fang Yu should have shown slight impact from her psychic strength, she hadn't felt any reaction indicating resistance. Fang Yu hadn't broken free in a flash; rather, he appeared completely unaffected. As Fang Yu swiftly gathered his sword, he unfurled his own sword domain, within which thunder intermingled with fierce winds, projecting a daunting force. Rumble— As the ice spikes descended, Fang Yu countered without hesitation. A wave of wind blades issued forth, clashing violently with the ice spikes. Fu Yan regained her composure in an instant, swiftly reacting as ice spikes detonated in mid-air, producing successive explosions. Boom! Boom! Observably, someone began to catch on to the pattern, cautiously noting, "Did the master of Frost Palace just use psychic power to redirect Fang Yu's attack?" The murmured acknowledgment rippled through the crowd with amazement. "Impossible, isn’t she a sword cultivator? How can she also wield psychic abilities?" Skepticism lingered. "It does seem like psychic power, which is indeed formidable, but why isn't Fang Yu reacting?" As spectators debated the mysteries of psychic power, the explosions on the stage gradually subsided. Neither Fu Yan nor Fang Yu gained the upper hand. Even sporadic assaults that bypassed each other’s defenses were deftly neutralized. The intensity caused the fabric of space to tremble. Drawing a deep breath, Fu Yan raised her eyes to meet Fang Yu's gaze once more. A realization flashed through her mind; Fu Yan comprehended the situation. It wasn't that Fang Yu was impervious to psychic influence but rather that he wielded a temporary immunity artifact. Her Mind Control Art was ineffective under these circumstances. Recognizing this, Fu Yan wasn't disheartened. Psychic combat was supplementary, a potential boon, not a necessity. Fu Yan mainly relied on her formidable swordsmanship, not psychic prowess. Even though her psychic abilities couldn’t affect Fang Yu, casting them over the dueling stage markedly heightened her perception. Observing Fang Yu’s maneuvers and tactics was now instantaneous. This granted her a significant advantage nonetheless. Forgetting the minor setback, Fu Yan and Fang Yu both quickly consumed restorative pills, tightened their grips on their spiritual swords, and returned to their fierce battle. Within a breath, light and shadow flickered, with the two figures resuming their intense clash. The duel continued with rapid exchanges, leaving the audience spellbound as more rounds passed before another climactic confrontation loomed. In that fleeting moment, they parted, swiftly creating space between them. Quietly lifting his gaze to focus on Fu Yan, Fang Yu's expression hardened as he unleashed a great surge of true energy. Suddenly, he threw his spiritual sword into the air, forming hand seals with both hands. The sword swiftly halted in front of him, pointing skyward. Buzz— With a resonant hum, the surrounding forces began to rotate intensely, converging rapidly above Fang Yu's head. Before the audience could even register their amazement, a massive sword shadow materialized in the air above Fang Yu. This colossal sword, approximately twenty to thirty meters long and seven to eight meters wide, created an awe-inspiring sight. The crowd's eyes widened in disbelief. In that instant, Fu Yan felt a crushing force descend with the power to destroy worlds. She lifted her gaze to the turbulent force surrounding her, instinctively frowning slightly. Clearly, Fang Yu's sword was terrifyingly powerful. Yet, despite this, Fu Yan had no intention of backing down. Without hesitation, she swiftly threw her Star Sword forward. Whoosh— In an instant, the Star Sword began to spin rapidly before splitting into multiple sword shadows, encircling Fu Yan protectively. The next moment, Fu Yan crossed her arms powerfully in front of her, slicing through the air with intent. Simultaneously, a surging wave of true energy burst forth. It was as if Fu Yan and her spiritual sword had become one. With a slight movement of her body, a sword shadow formed from pure force appeared above her. Rumble— At this point, with a deafening roar, Fang Yu’s towering sword shadow descended directly toward Fu Yan. In the blink of an eye, Fu Yan's figure moved, charging forward with explosive speed. She became one with the sword itself!