Chapter 625: Concealment-Returning Versus Silver Radiance

Wu-06's strike was simply too fast. It was only when the silver dragon revealed its true form, a silver spear, that an explanation slowly surfaced on the Observation Mirror.

"The spear strikes forth like a dragon, there is nothing it cannot pierce."

After running through Xu Guzhi's body, the silver spear reversed course and punctured the sword silhouettes one by one, then drifted leisurely back to Wu-06's hand.

Even now, the massive mountain-range swords Xu Guzhi had unleashed had still not reached Wu-06's body. They faded and dissolved in the wake of the silver radiance's display of power.

Xu Guzhi spat out a mouthful of blood and stared in disbelief at the "child" standing before him, whose face showed not the faintest trace of emotion.

The battle had reversed in a single blink.

The vast majority of cultivators watching from across the land had failed to clearly see what had transpired. Only through the Observation Mirror's repeated slow-motion playback did they piece together what had happened.

A collective sharp intake of breath swept through them.

"What incredible speed! What a sharp spear technique!"

"Just what is Wu-06's background? He's far too powerful! I dare say some Dao Unity Immortal Venerables might not be his match!"

"Fellow Daoist, if you're referring to someone specific, you might as well speak plainly."

***

On the battlefield, Xu Guzhi had been run through by the silver spear, yet he did not immediately concede.

He drew a slow breath, and the wound closed completely. Then he opened his mouth and swallowed the sword in his hand whole, letting it sink into his abdomen.

The moment the sword entered his body, his form vanished.

Xu Guzhi had disappeared, openly and brazenly, right before everyone's eyes.

Once again, it was the commentary surfacing within the Observation Mirror that allowed the watching cultivators to make sense of it.

"The sword returns to concealment, the killing intent vanishes into the void."

For the first time, an expression crossed Wu-06's face.

It was only a flicker.

He stood motionless in the void, extended his right hand, and crooked a finger forward in a gesture of provocation.

Almost instantly, an invisible sword light materialized just above his head. Silent, it sought to sever his skull.

Silver radiance erupted to meet the Concealment-Returning Sword, intercepting the killing blow.

Wu-06 swept his gaze across his surroundings, but still could not locate Xu Guzhi.

Another invisible sword qi attacked, giving no warning. Yet again, at the very instant before it could touch his body, the silver spear rose to block it.

"Though the sword has no form, its intent moves without conscious thought."

"Wu's spear has reached the pinnacle of speed; it shatters ten thousand techniques."

The Observation Mirror's commentary appeared once more.

Li Fan studied those two lines for a long moment, then replayed the fight scenes in his mind, and a slow understanding took shape.

Xu Guzhi's Concealment-Returning Sword was genuinely extraordinary—even Wu-06 could not detect its trail. 

But Wu-06's speed was simply too great. He outpaced Xu Guzhi by more than a single margin. 

And beyond that, Wu-06 had mastered the method of "intent moving without conscious thought," which meant that at the very instant an attack was about to land, he could mobilize the silver spear to intercept each blow.

Viewed this way, it was clearly an impossible task for Xu Guzhi to defeat Wu-06.

But for Wu-06 to defeat Xu Guzhi… that also seemed exceedingly difficult.

Wu-06 appeared to grow tired of the game. He frowned for the first time.

A violent silver radiance erupted from his body, sweeping outward in all directions, bent on annihilating everything it touched.

The image in the Observation Mirror was instantly flooded with silver light. After a brief blindness, the scene gradually resolved.

"Surely that Xu Guzhi is dead now."

As that thought passed through the minds of many watching cultivators, another formless sword light slashed toward Wu-06, like a vengeful spirit that refused to disperse.

Xu Guzhi was still concealed somewhere in the arena!

Seeing this, Li Fan's eyes lit up. This method is truly excellent for preserving one's life.

Wu-06 was clearly infuriated by Xu Guzhi's shamelessness. Silver lightning snakes swept through the surrounding space, tearing dark rifts in the void, yet still he could not find Xu Guzhi.

Jeers erupted from the Myriad Immortals Alliance's side of the spectator stands.

"What kind of contest is this? Hiding just because you can't win?"

"I think he shouldn't be called Xu Guzhi anymore. He should change his name to Xu the Turtle!"

But no matter what anyone said, Xu Guzhi remained unmoved, hidden within the void, launching blow after blow with his sword.

With no end to the fight in sight, a resolution was eventually reached through negotiation between both sides.

The very first match of the first day had ended in a draw.

The result caught everyone completely off guard. In the Techniques Encompass The World section of the Tianxuan Mirror, a single post appeared:

"Holy shit! It really was a draw! Three-hundred-to-one odds? I've finally turned my life around!"

It attracted a flood of curses.

After Xu Guzhi and Wu-06 left the arena and rested briefly, the second match began.

The cultivator sent by the Myriad Immortals Alliance was someone Li Fan recognized—Shuo Feng, nicknamed I Am Invincible.

The representative from the Five Elders Council, however, was a limping, disabled man.

This Lame Daoist was unremarkable in appearance but formidable in combat. His every movement seemed to carry immense weight, warping the space around him and blurring the live feed within the viewing mirror.

Shuo Feng was no easy opponent either. He relied stubbornly on his suit of brilliant golden armor, using it to absorb all of Lame Daoist's attacks. The two fought a protracted battle before Shuo Feng finally seized an opening, commanding forty-nine flying swords to defeat his opponent.

The second match went to the Myriad Immortals Alliance.

Yet Shuo Feng's face showed little sign of triumph. He simply cupped his hands toward Lame Daoist and left without a word, looking rather dissatisfied with his own win.

Even the Observation Mirror weighed in after the match ended.

"Shuo Feng's victory lies in the superiority of his artifacts, not in the bravery of his martial skill."

By all logic, something that lifted the enemy's morale while dampening one's own should not have appeared there. And yet it had.

"Who is Shuo Feng?"

"His artifacts are incredibly powerful! If I had a set like that, I probably wouldn't be much weaker!"

"You? He has a good mother. What do you have? Keep daydreaming!"

"A good mother? Fellow Daoist, please elaborate."

Cultivators across the land buzzed with discussion, and word quickly spread that Shuo Feng was the favored son of Immortal Venerable Feixue, and that his participation in the competition was likely connected to his mother.

Whatever Shuo Feng himself made of it, the third match began amid the ferment of that discussion.

Everyone expected another fierce clash of titans. Instead, it was over in an instant.

With a single punch, the representative sent by the Myriad Immortals Alliance was defeated.

The one who threw that punch was a seemingly unremarkable peasant woman from the Five Elders Council.