Inside the stadium.
The roar was deafening.
Longguo's Chen Jiuyang against Indragod's Abalan!
Chen Jiuyang had performed powerfully in the first round of selections, but Indragod's Abalan was equally formidable.
In the February weather, Abalan clasped his hands together, his upper body bare, revealing golden skin and a chest full of bulging muscles.
The two stood on the stage.
The warriors from Indragod possessed extreme physical toughness, capable of withstanding cold weapons with their bodies, even parrying Yan Hongming's Sky Dragon Breaking City Spear.
The referee spoke, "Prepare! Countdown: Ten, nine, eight..."
In an instant, Abalan's aura erupted, his skin turned golden, and a phantom Buddha image materialized behind him!
It exuded an incredibly terrifying oppressive aura.
Chen Jiuyang's eyes gleamed, "Interesting!"
"Buzz!"
Chen Jiuyang's body ignited with a faint golden blood energy. The Yan Sheng Saber in his hand hummed, its terrifying saber phantom surging, its tip flowing with golden light.
Referee: "Two, one! Begin!"
As the words fell,
"Rumble!"
Chen Jiuyang instantly raised the Yan Sheng Saber and, from dozens of meters away, slashed at Abalan. Instantly, the golden saber phantom of the Yan Sheng Saber surged!
"Clang!"
Abalan remained unperturbed. He clasped his hands forward, and the golden Buddha phantom behind him moved. The phantom's palms caught Chen Jiuyang's saber phantom.
Chen Jiuyang's eyes brightened, and he exclaimed, "Good!"
After so long, he had finally met someone of comparable strength.
This was the first person who could withstand the edge of his saber.
Abalan had also comprehended peak divine intent; the next step would be divine might!
Furthermore, his physique was incredibly robust!
This battle would surely not be dull.
Withdrawing his saber, Chen Jiuyang struck again:
"Shun Guang!"
The saber intent of the Chijie level manifested, instantly illuminating the venue as if it were daylight. Terrifying airwaves swept out, seeming to burn the very air.
Abalan's expression shifted slightly, and he clasped his hands together once more.
"Boom!"
"Clang!"
Both were phantom projections, but their techniques collided with a sound like metal striking metal, astonishing countless onlookers.
After the saber strike, Abalan attacked proactively, sprinting across the stage. In an instant, he was before Chen Jiuyang, his golden fist smashing down at him.
"Hmph!"
Chen Jiuyang narrowed his eyes and snorted coldly. He recalled how Yan Hongming had suffered greatly under similar circumstances, nearly suffering a crushing defeat.
Chen Jiuyang, holding the Yan Sheng Saber in one hand, met Abalan's punch with his other fist.
"Bang—"
Terrifying blood energy condensed instantly and clashed with Abalan's punch. The stage floor, unable to withstand the pressure, cracked.
Their fists met, evenly matched, with neither side gaining an advantage.
Abalan's pupils contracted. This Longguo martial artist's physique was so formidable, no weaker than his own?
Chen Jiuyang's eyes blazed with fighting spirit, "Let me experience your true skill!"
He planted the Yan Sheng Saber into the ground and threw another punch.
"Bang bang bang!"
On the stage, Abalan and Chen Jiuyang both unleashed powerful, direct attacks, evenly matched and neither giving ground.
Abalan's physique was exceptionally strong. For the first time since he began practicing martial arts, Chen Jiuyang encountered a martial artist with such a robust body. Each punch he landed felt like striking a rock, causing his fist and arm to ache.
Abalan, too, was shocked by Chen Jiuyang's physical strength and his peculiar, strange blood energy.
Every time he took a punch from Chen Jiuyang, surplus blood energy and true qi would surge into his body, violently agitating it and causing a tearing pain, making him extremely uncomfortable.
His advantage lay in wearing down opponents in prolonged fights!
However, he could not engage Chen Jiuyang in a war of attrition!
He had watched Chen Jiuyang's previous match in the first round, fourth bout. Chen Jiuyang's combat power and stamina were top-tier.
If he fought Chen Jiuyang in a war of attrition, he would likely be exhausted to death.
"I must end this quickly!"
Abalan's eyes sharpened as he made his decision.
"Full power to decide the victor!"
Abalan abandoned his fist techniques, transforming them into palm strikes, and retreated to the edge of the stage, creating distance between himself and Chen Jiuyang.
"Ci Bei Yu Sha!"
Abalan's blood energy, true qi, and soul also ignited. The phantom Buddha image behind him reappeared.
"Boom!"
The phantom Buddha palm descended towards Chen Jiuyang, its ghostly roar echoing.
Chen Jiuyang chuckled, "Finally unable to hold back and getting serious!"
Chen Jiuyang had forced out Abalan's trump card.
Chen Jiuyang drew the Yan Sheng Saber, his aura climbing steadily, his indifferent voice ringing out, "Jian Jin!"
"Rumble!"
Chen Jiuyang's saber strike materialized, causing the very space to feel as if it were solidifying. The saber intent was magnificent, possessing an invincible, domineering aura.
"Bang—"
The phantom Buddha palm and Chen Jiuyang's saber strike collided, instantly erupting with a terrifying force.
Moments later, Abalan's expression shifted slightly, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. His peak divine intent Buddha palm phantom bore cracks under Chen Jiuyang's domineering saber strike, appearing as if it would shatter.
"Such sharpness!"
Abalan's composure finally wavered.
"Boom!"
A few moments later, Abalan could no longer withstand Chen Jiuyang's saber intent. The phantom Buddha image was split by a single saber strike, but Chen Jiuyang's attack did not dissipate and continued to slash towards him.
"Ch-!"
Abalan's physique was struck by Chen Jiuyang's saber. A terrifying, ferocious saber wound appeared from his left shoulder to his abdomen, blood dripping from his body.
An ordinary person struck by Chen Jiuyang's saber would have been dismembered. However, Abalan's physique was so powerful that even after being hit by Chen Jiuyang's Jian Jin strike, the wound, though horrific, did not damage his core. He did not bleed excessively, allowing him to maintain his combat effectiveness.
Chen Jiuyang's eyes narrowed, a glint flashing within them, "Quite interesting."
This Abalan's physique was truly powerful, exceeding his imagination. This single saber strike would have been fatal even to someone at the half-step Heavenly Realm.
Yet, Abalan survived.
Abalan spoke in a deep voice, "Chen Jiuyang, let us exchange one more blow to decide the winner."
If this dragged on, he would be worn down by Chen Jiuyang. He could not accept this; he was not a weakling, he had the dignity of a strong warrior.
Chen Jiuyang replied, "Alright."
Abalan made an ancient hand seal. A distorted, ominous phantom Buddha image rose again behind him. His face contorted, he declared, "Lei Yu!"
"Wuwuwu~"
The phantom Buddha image wept, emitting cries of despair.
The illusory tears instantly enveloped both Abalan and Chen Jiuyang.
"What is this!"
Chen Jiuyang's expression drastically changed. All the sorrowful memories hidden deep within his mind surged forth, making it impossible for him to remain calm.
Abalan's expression grew even more contorted, his eyes turning red as if he were enduring the torments of hell.
Chen Jiuyang's eyes turned bloodshot, his gaze splitting with fury:
"You, deserve to die!"
Hidden deep within his memories were painful events he never wished to relive.