Supreme of the Heavenly Realm
Chapter 322 - 319: All the Way Dark

Chapter 322: Chapter 319: All the Way Dark

Ye Xuan’s bet with Yu Yi was just a minor interlude. Soon, he faced his sixth opponent, none other than the Fox Clan genius, Gong Ze.

Generally considered inferior to Ye Xuan, Gong Ze felt somewhat unreconciled in his heart. As a top talent under the flag of the Demon Dragon Venerable, apart from the Demon Dragon Young Master and Linglong, he really hadn’t regarded anyone else highly.

"Beating Long Feiying proves your strength is indeed formidable, but thinking you can win against me is not so simple," Gong Ze said after watching the battle between Ye Xuan and Long Feiying. He thought the gap between him and Ye Xuan shouldn’t be wide and didn’t believe he had no chance of victory.

"Let’s give it a try and see,"

Ye Xuan replied, his expression indifferent.

"Arc Light Split!"

Gong Ze wasted no words. His right hand reached out, drawing an arc-shaped wave in midair that sliced towards Ye Xuan. Words were redundant compared to fists; strength and weakness, victory and defeat, would all be determined by the battle itself.

Ignoring the arc-shaped wave, Ye Xuan’s figure unfolded as he charged towards the arc light. En route, the Spiritual Edge Sword was unsheathed, flashing like lightning, shattering the arc light.

With one stroke breaking Gong Ze’s opening move, Ye Xuan didn’t waste words. The second sword thrust followed swiftly, one sword stroke following another, highly aggressive.

"Demon Domain Field!"

Gong Ze didn’t expect Ye Xuan to change his usual style of counterattacking to such an aggressive approach right from the start, giving no chance for breath and catching him off guard. He immediately backed away several steps, releasing a twisting black light which formed a dark Light Shield around him to protect his vicinity.

Hiss-hiss-hiss...

Ye Xuan’s sword light entered the dark domain field, immediately becoming sluggish and slowed considerably.

"Fox’s Deceitful Kill!"

Taking advantage of the domain field which slowed down Ye Xuan’s sword speed, Gong Ze launched a counterattack. Extending two fingers, he shot out a beam like a black thread of light toward Ye Xuan.

Ye Xuan’s eyes narrowed, and he promptly sidestepped, avoiding the black beam of light.

"He actually dodged it!"

Gong Ze’s expression changed slightly, surprised that he couldn’t hurt Ye Xuan as expected.

"Lightning Cut!"

Ye Xuan used a long-forgotten technique. Holding the sword with both hands, he cut horizontally, the sword light arcing like lightning, striking sharply towards Gong Ze.

Fully concentrated, Gong Ze quickly mobilized his demonic power, creating a black shield in front of him.

Thud!

The sword light fell upon the shield but was repelled, unable to penetrate.

Clang-clang-clang!

With unpredictable footwork, Ye Xuan stepped forward, the Star Trace Sword swinging at speeds invisible to the naked eye, slashing upward and thrusting straight. The demonic power shield wasn’t broken, but it was forced gradually out of alignment.

"Don’t even dream of breaking my defense."

Demonic power surged through Gong Ze’s body, pouring into the shield, which instantly expanded in size, becoming impeccably condensed.

"As long as my defense is unbroken, I remain invincible; there’s no need for concern."

Gong Ze silently strategized, maintaining his demonic power shield with all his strength. This shield was even larger than the one used against Yu Yi, reflecting his refusal to make similar mistakes as in his previous battle. Facing Ye Xuan, he clearly wouldn’t repeat those errors, planning to withstand Ye Xuan’s attacks while preparing to deliver a fatal blow at any moment.

Ye Xuan’s cultivation was lower than his, and Gong Ze couldn’t believe Ye Xuan would last long. The moment he saw a gap or a decrease in Ye Xuan’s strength, that would be his opportunity to turn the tide of the battle.

Ye Xuan could guess some of Gong Ze’s thoughts. Breaking through Gong Ze’s defense was not beyond his ability, but unless absolutely necessary, it seemed unnecessary to do so.

If one could win at the least cost, naturally, the better, and it also meant exposing less of his strength.

With that thought in mind, Ye Xuan purposely continued to strike with his sword. The movements appeared extremely fierce, but most were feints, aimed at dulling Gong Ze’s senses. After swinging thirty to forty strikes in succession, Ye Xuan’s onslaught gradually weakened, seemingly revealing a rhythm of fatigue.

At that moment, Ye Xuan’s opening appeared.

"Now’s my chance!"

Gong Ze’s face lit up with joy, seizing the opportunity to strike, hoping to defeat Ye Xuan in one fell swoop. However, just as he had dissipated the demonic power shield and was about to reach Ye Xuan, the latter’s opening suddenly vanished.

"No good, I’ve been tricked!"

Realizing he’d been had, Gong Ze attempted to retreat, but by then it was too late to pull back.

"Triple Sword Power!"

Halting his retreat, Ye Xuan’s clothes fluttered in the wind as he moved the Spiritual Edge Sword rapidly, creating three overlapping sword shadows, slashing towards Gong Ze.

Gong Ze didn’t have time to react before he was struck by the sword light and sent flying backward, blood spilling from the corner of his mouth.

"Deceitful little brat."

Young Master Blood Python and Young Master Hu, among others, were also paying attention to this battle. At first, they thought Ye Xuan was going to lose, and both felt a hint of schadenfreude. The audacity of this brat, aiming for the top three, they thought. Wishful thinking! However, their expressions stiffened immediately, and they could only curse Ye Xuan for his cunning.

"Damn it."

Gong Ze was somewhat resentful. He hadn’t expected Ye Xuan to be so crafty. Perhaps if he hadn’t been tricked, the outcome of the battle would still be undecided.

As for Gong Ze’s thoughts, Ye Xuan had no interest in knowing. Gong Ze’s reluctance wouldn’t last long; as the later battles unfolded, he would naturally understand that even if he hadn’t been tricked, he still wouldn’t have stood a chance.

"Don’t worry, I will avenge you."

Glancing at the somewhat disheveled Gong Ze, Linglong spoke indifferently. From the previous battle, she had gained a rough understanding of Ye Xuan’s strength. He was definitely not her match.

After Ye Xuan left the stage, other battles continued. Yu Yi, after losing to Linglong, also lost to Long Feiying. With that, her chances of making it into the top three became exceedingly slim, though she still could compete with Long Feiying, Gong Ze, and others for the top five.

Currently, the only ones maintaining seven consecutive wins were Demon Dragon Young Master, Linglong, and Ye Xuan.

Unless unexpected, the top three would likely be these individuals.

"The eighth match, Ye Xuan against Linglong."

The referee’s voice spread, and instantly, an uproar burst forth. Raindrops in the sky were dispersed by the noise, and ripples spread through the air, covering the entire field.

At this point in the Genius Supremacy Competition, the rankings were largely clear. Demon Dragon Young Master was likely to take first place, but second and third were still up for grabs. Was it to be Ye Xuan or Linglong? Undoubtedly, this battle would provide the answer.

As for Demon Dragon Young Master, his power had been so dominant, and his strength was well known. From the current standpoint, both Ye Xuan and Linglong lagged behind Demon Dragon Young Master.

Linglong took this battle very seriously. Only by defeating Ye Xuan could she be qualified to challenge for first place, and beating Ye Xuan would boost her confidence against Demon Dragon Young Master. In her eyes, Ye Xuan was an important stepping stone.

On the battle platform, the two stood opposite each other, twenty meters apart, each exuding a silent aura. Linglong’s imposing presence failed to intimidate Ye Xuan; her aura was torn apart and extinguished by his sharp energy.

"Ye Xuan, I didn’t expect a newcomer like you to come this far. However, now is the time for your winning streak to end." Linglong’s pressure grew stronger, her blue hair flying wildly, her long tresses fluttering, as if she harbored a certainty of victory in her overwhelming aura.

"That remains to be seen."

Reaching the realm of Sword Heart Clarity, Ye Xuan’s sword momentum invisibly spread out as if creating a whole new world, completely unafraid of Linglong’s Innate Supreme Demon Beast bloodline pressure.

"Star Falling Fist!"

Linglong clenched her right hand into a fist and threw a punch, as fierce as a shooting star, hurtling directly towards Ye Xuan.

In the void, a sword light flashed as if slashing through darkness; at some point, Ye Chen’s Spiritual Edge Sword was already drawn. Accompanied by the realms of Sword Heart Clarity and Human Sword Unity, it precisely countered the shooting star punch, sending sparks flying in all directions, like a meteor shower.

In a flash, Ye Xuan broke through the fiery rain and appeared right in front of Linglong, thrusting his sword forward.

This thrust seemed casual, but it encompassed everything, naturally piercing through with incredible strength.

Human Sword Unity, Intermediate Stage.

As the previous battles unfolded, Ye Xuan’s Human Sword Unity realm had also been refined. Based on the different levels of Human Sword Unity, there are the Initial Stage, Intermediate Stage, Advanced Stage, and the Peak.

Previously, Ye Xuan had just begun to understand the realm at the Initial Stage. As for Long Feiying, he was only at the entrance, not even at the Initial Stage.

"So that’s how it is."

Seeing Ye Xuan’s thrust, Long Feiying’s eyes lit up; it seemed he had discerned something from Ye Xuan’s swordsmanship, revealing a thoughtful expression.

"What?"

Linglong’s face changed. Ye Xuan’s thrust appeared ordinary, but it was actually incredibly complex. The sword’s artistic conception was so harmonious that she didn’t know how to counter. She was at a complete loss. Only now did she realize Ye Xuan’s terror; Long Feiying’s swordplay before him was mere child’s play.

In a critical moment, Linglong used the same move she had employed against Yu Yi. With her hands grasping the air, she altered her Hand Seals, and the space in front of her suddenly distorted, enveloping both Ye Xuan and his sword as if trapped in a quagmire.

This move was similar to Gong Ze’s Demon Realm Domination but was even more peculiar and powerful.

However, the piercing sword light, though slowed, still penetrated the distorted space, aiming for Linglong’s chest.

Her face paling, Linglong retreated rapidly, but she was still a step too late; her chest was pierced by Ye Xuan’s sword light, leaving a bloody hole.

As the audience beheld the scene on the battle platform, they were stupefied.

"How is it possible that a single thrust has wounded Linglong?"

"It’s too exaggerated. Could it be that Ye Xuan was holding back his true strength all this while, not taking his previous matches seriously?"

"Terrifying, this dark horse... Could it really sweep the competition to the end?"

In everyone’s eyes, although Ye Xuan possessed the strength to rank in the top three, his comprehensive power was still slightly lower than Linglong’s. Yet now, Ye Xuan had swiftly wounded Linglong at the beginning of the match, undoubtedly shattering the permanent concepts in their minds, causing an earthquake-like shockwave.