Silence.
The moment the two swordsmen stepped onto the arena platform, the entire Daoyan Arena fell into complete stillness.
A cultivator in a cyan daoist robe and another in dark black daoist robes stood on the eastern and western sides of the platform respectively.
The pure white Swift Sword, engraved with crimson flame patterns, revealed half an inch of its blade outside the scabbard. Under the cloudless, clear sky, it emitted a dazzling, glass-like radiance, as if crafted by nature itself.
The other sword, its body entirely crimson red, displayed no such shimmering brilliance. Instead, it seemed coated in a layer of fine sand. Only upon close inspection could one see the blade's spine, etched with patterns forged through countless hammerings and temperings.
In the next instant, He An's hand, pressed against the sword hilt, suddenly exerted force, abruptly drawing the crimson long sword from his waist.
Weng!
A metallic friction sound, like a mournful cry, echoed through the air.
Then, he fixed his gaze on the young man in the cyan daoist robe across from him.
Though he still hadn't drawn his sword, the pressure this rogue cultivator, who had emerged from nowhere atop Heavenly Summit Mountain, exerted on He An was far greater than any opponent he had faced before.
Soon after, Su Hongzhen finally raised his hand.
But his hand did not fall on the Xun-Li Sword at his waist.
Instead, he cupped his hands and bowed in He An's direction.
"I have heard that you, sir, are the foremost swordsman among the younger generation of the Southern Region on Chenping Continent. Hongzhen hopes today to witness your brilliance for himself."
Su Hongzhen's voice was very calm.
Foremost Swordsman of the Southern Region?
These six words—He An had never before felt he had fallen short of them. He had always accepted others addressing him as such with complete composure.
He had even been called the "Foremost Swordsman of Chenping Continent," and he never considered it an exaggeration.
Yet, when these six words left Su Hongzhen's mouth, He An actually felt a twinge of embarrassment.
But that embarrassment lingered in his heart for only a moment.
Why couldn't he be the foremost swordsman of Chenping Continent?
He tightened his grip on the Mingxue Sword in his hand and flashed Su Hongzhen a proud, defiant smile.
"Alright, then I'll let you see for yourself!"
The moment his words fell, He An moved.
The trembling Mingxue Sword cleaved out a streak of crimson sword qi, slashing toward Su Hongzhen's direction.
The instant the sword qi left the blade, the entire arena platform was almost shrouded in blood aura. Even Su Hongzhen's cyan daoist robe, illuminated by that bloody light, was dyed into a hue close to purple.
Watching the Mingxue Sword Qi that He An had unleashed, Su Hongzhen still did not draw his sword.
The combat instincts honed over these past few years allowed him to easily handle the opponent before him using only footwork and a sense of distance.
The young man in the cyan daoist robe's figure flickered.
From an absolutely tricky angle, he sidestepped He An's slash and swiftly closed in on He An.
He An's gaze sharpened. He certainly knew the power of Su Hongzhen's footwork.
Just yesterday, he had stood on the arena platform and spoken harsh words to Su Hongzhen.
"With the Great Dao ahead, only one sword can question it."
This was not just an ordinary boast; it represented He An's unyielding determination.
But until now, Su Hongzhen still hadn't drawn the sword at his waist.
He An had long since prepared himself to break his sword after this battle, but if he were to be defeated without ever making his opponent draw his sword—
He wouldn't accept it!
Facing Su Hongzhen, who was activating his mysterious footwork, weaving through the Mingxue Sword Qi he had unleashed, and would almost be right in front of him in the next instant, He An clenched his teeth tightly, his gaze growing more cautious.
Then, he swung the Mingxue Sword in his hand once more, unleashing several more streaks of Mingxue Sword Qi.
He wanted to use this method to maintain distance from Su Hongzhen.
The successive Mingxue Sword Qi slashes wove a blood-red net in the air, blood aura mingling with the mournful cry of the sword's howl.
A sword net of such density—even if Su Hongzhen's footwork were heaven-defying, there would be no way to evade it.
But then, a scene that shocked the cultivators in the Daoyan Arena and He An, who stood opposite him, unfolded.
Su Hongzhen's toes lightly tapped the ground. His entire body gently leaped up, and then his toes actually touched the edge of that sword qi in midair, as if using the sword net He An had woven as a ladder, climbing step by step!
"How is this possible…"
Not only the young disciples watching in the Daoyan Arena, but even the Myriad Transformations Realm great powers of the Five Great Sects sitting atop the viewing stand couldn't help but gasp in astonishment at this sight.
This was a technique Su Hongzhen had realized while climbing Heavenly Summit Mountain with Chen Yan, walking on the thick yet fragile layer of snow.
Walking Without a Trace on Snow.
It wasn't the Qi Sea Realm cultivators' flying through the air, but a far more mysterious and delicate footwork technique.
He An had clearly realized his mistake.
No matter what, relying on his sword qi, he couldn't reach Su Hongzhen.
From the very beginning, his strategy of trying to maintain distance to engage the enemy was completely wrong.
The only chance to find victory over Su Hongzhen was likely to engage in close-quarters combat.
If he could stick to his opponent with his sword techniques, perhaps he could diminish the advantage Su Hongzhen gained through his footwork.
"Vertical Slash!"
Then, He An roared.
His wrist twisted, and the Mingxue Sword swept upward from below.
A slash far fiercer than any previous Mingxue Sword Qi tore from his blade.
The mournful cry of the sword's howl grew even sharper—actually, compared to a lament, the sound of metal vibrating as it cut through the air was more like a shriek.
Su Hongzhen's figure in the air faltered slightly. This strike from He An signified that he had abandoned his strategy of maintaining distance from Su Hongzhen, so this sword qi was far more urgent than his usual Mingxue Sword Qi.
But the swordsman in the cyan robe in the air remained unflappable.
He merely turned his body slightly to dodge He An's vertical slash, but then, he had to face He An's close-quarters assault.
"Well done, turning defense into offense!"
From the viewing stand, a slightly older sect elder couldn't help but exclaim:
"He An truly deserves to be the foremost swordsman of the Southern Region among the contemporary prodigies of this era. His thinking is so clear and decisive. He will surely achieve great things in the future…"
But just as he said this, his words suddenly paused.
Alas, He An's path as a swordsman might end today.
He An seized the gap as Su Hongzhen's figure began to descend from the air. Without the sword qi serving as "steps," Su Hongzhen, after all, was only a Martial Spring Realm cultivator; he couldn't fly through the air like a Qi Sea Realm cultivator.
Like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, He An swiftly reached below Su Hongzhen, and the Mingxue Sword in his hand stabbed repeatedly toward Su Hongzhen's ankles.