Zuo Mingqiu raised his Dao sword with his right hand, a talisman attached to the blade, igniting with fierce demonic fire. Chanting incantations, he swung his sword towards the humanoid blood cocoon.
"Not good, show mercy!"
From below the stage, elders supporting Zhao Qingdong from the Heavenly Master Mountain cried out in alarm. Some even moved to rush onto the battle platform and rescue Zhao Qingdong.
As the Daoist prodigy of Heavenly Master Mountain, Zuo Mingqiu was well-versed in three thousand Daoist techniques and excelled at slaying demons. Zhao Qingdong, transformed into a demonic blood cocoon, would surely not withstand this sword strike.
Even if Zhao Qingdong had fallen into demonic ways, these elders did not want her to die, nor did they want her to lose.
However, desire was useless. The elders who had leaped up to rescue her were automatically bound by the grand Dao rules of the space and slammed back onto the ground, causing tremors.
"Presumptuous! Anyone who dares to interfere with the competition will be punished by mountain rules!"
True Master Bixu roared angrily.
Others fell silent.
There was no way to save her.
"Sizzle!"
Zuo Mingqiu's sword struck the thin outer layer of the blood cocoon. With a sizzling sound, wisps of green smoke rose into the air, accompanied by a terrifying wail as if of a vengeful spirit.
Then, he continued downwards, intending to cleave the blood cocoon and Zhao Qingdong within into two.
But the next second, a more terrifying sound emerged.
"Die!!!"
Before Zuo Mingqiu could complete his strike, the blood cocoon suddenly exploded. A sharp, horrifying female voice seemed to emanate from hell. Zhao Qingdong emerged, drenched in blood, her red sword weaving a thousand afterimages in the air.
"Clang clang clang clang!!!!"
Zuo Mingqiu's expression shifted in surprise, but he reacted instantly. His feet traced the Eight Trigrams, and he struggled to parry Zhao Qingdong's increasingly rapid sword strikes.
Zhao Qingdong's speed increased, becoming so fast that Zuo Mingqiu could no longer discern her movements or angles, nor could he see where the swords were landing. He could only defend by instinct.
But Zhao Qingdong's sword could not be blocked like this. As she advanced, her blood-red sword energy spread wildly. Rips appeared on Zuo Mingqiu's Daoist robe as if glass shattering, and blood seeped out like water from deep roots.
Zuo Mingqiu felt pain, his brow furrowed.
"Kill kill kill kill!!!!"
Zhao Qingdong's aura surged to its peak. Her long hair whipped around as she attacked Zuo Mingqiu with a near-maniacal ferocity, seemingly having lost her senses. But in reality, she had not.
This was actually Zhao Qingdong's moment of greatest clarity.
"She forcibly broke through the blood cocoon, which will result in a severe backlash. However, for a short period, the backlash energy will be used by her, making her ferocious."
"During this period of ferocity, she will gain the same immense power as if she had normally absorbed the blood cocoon's energy and become demonic. But this energy will deplete rapidly, and there will be significant side effects, ranging from serious injury to direct death!"
From the direction of the Quanzhen Sect, a True Master in a yellow-purple long robe and waistcoat spoke with a grave expression. He understood the Blood Cocoon Technique extremely well, for the Daoist who created this demonic art was one of their Quanzhen Sect's founding patriarchs!
Beside the Quanzhen Sect elder, disciples from other monasteries heard this explanation and exclaimed in surprise, "Meaning, if Zhao Qingdong cannot defeat Zuo Mingqiu within this period of ferocity, she will definitely lose?"
The elder nodded, his expression solemn.
"Yes."
"However, the chances of that are very slim. The surge brought by ferocity far surpasses any gain-enhancing Daoist art of the Daoist sects. It will directly elevate Zhao Qingdong above the third stage."
"Even a Lord of the fourth stage would struggle to withstand her swift and heavy sword strikes."
Indeed, even a Lord of the fourth stage would find it difficult to contend with Zhao Qingdong in this state if she got close. Her sword was now too fast. In less than a thousandth of a breath, she had already unleashed hundreds of sword strikes, and these hundred strikes left no afterimages, only the dense red malevolent energy erupting in waves across the sky.
Zuo Mingqiu retreated frantically, blocking with his sword by instinct. More and more dark, black rips appeared on his person, and the blood flowing from them turned into thick, blackish-green, as if poisoned.
"Daoist Prodigy, you must hold on!"
Outside the arena, countless elders clenched their fists. The Old Heavenly Master and True Master Bixu also broke out in a sweat for Zuo Mingqiu.
In the blink of an eye, Zuo Mingqiu already bore over forty sword wounds, deep enough to expose bone, with several bones shattered. At this rate, before Zhao Qingdong's ferocious state ended, Zuo Mingqiu would surely lose, or even die.
But would Zuo Mingqiu die?
He gazed at the illusory sword shadows before him, at Zhao Qingdong who was attacking him like a madwoman. A hint of abnormal flush appeared on his pale face.
Then, his feet tracing the Xun position, he spat out a colossal fire dragon. It rode the gale, roaring as it blocked hundreds, even thousands, of Zhao Qingdong's heavy sword strikes.
Zhao Qingdong's body swayed, her speed decreasing by ten percent, but she remained as swift as lightning, directly shattering the fire dragon with a powerful strike and once again attacking Zuo Mingqiu's face.
This time, Zuo Mingqiu stood in the Kan position, conjuring a Daoist art of the Gen trigram. A small mountain composed of mud, sand, gold, and granite erupted from the ground ahead of him. It was solid yet soft, impervious to brute force, as it would trap the attacker in the mire.
But Zhao Qingdong's sword could break it.
This mountain lasted only three seconds.
After three seconds, it shattered into countless small stones, falling to the ground, rendered useless. However, this still provided Zuo Mingqiu with precious time to retreat ten meters.
Ten meters was merely the time it took for Zhao Qingdong to swing her sword twice.
The terrifying demonic flames on Zhao Qingdong's body slowly weakened, her imposing aura diminished. Her figure vanished again, only to reappear behind Zuo Mingqiu's left side, thrusting a sword towards his lower back.
Zuo Mingqiu had already drawn his sword in anticipation, so Zhao Qingdong's strike landed on his Dao sword, which was imbued with lightning-based Daoist arts.
"Boom crack!"
As the two collided, Zuo Mingqiu couldn't withstand the pressure and was once again sent flying dozens of meters away. Zhao Qingdong merely swayed slightly.
"Heaven Punishing Golden Seal!"
As Zuo Mingqiu flew backward, he performed a hand seal. A golden, flashing grand Daoist seal erupted from his right palm, possessing a fierce, suppressive intent. It landed three meters above and to his right.
The next instant, Zhao Qingdong appeared at that position. She slashed down with her sword, only to be intercepted by the Heaven Punishing Golden Seal once more, her figure wobbling.
"Universe Earth Binding!"
Zuo Mingqiu once again employed a Daoist art, stepping in the Gen position and using a Daoist art of the Qian position. Two illusory hands of the grand Dao, infused with earth element energy, clasped together before him.
"Dong!"
Zhao Qingdong's figure appeared between the two hands. But this time, she reacted, widening her stance as she swung her sword. Her slender legs, battered by immense force, managed to withstand the clenching of the two Daoist illusionary hands!
"Dang!"
Zuo Mingqiu had not expected Zhao Qingdong to react even when his attack was calculated in advance. Thus, facing this strike, he could only hastily cross his Dao sword to block. The result was, naturally, being violently sent flying again, spitting blood and landing hundreds of meters away.
At this point, he was less than twenty meters from the battle platform.
"Absolutely no more mistakes can be made!"
"Five Thunders Orthodox Law, descend!"
Zuo Mingqiu's eyes were bloodshot. He pushed his sensory abilities to their limit, his illusory Eight Trigrams array beneath his feet spinning continuously, calculating Zhao Qingdong's next move, even the next ten moves, and their locations.
Xu Mu watched this scene, his pupils constricting.
"As expected, the Innate Eight Trigrams."
He gazed at Zuo Mingqiu, his heart trembling.
He himself had spent a full ten years on the Wind and Thunder Platform to merely grasp the basics of the Innate Eight Trigrams, and it took countless life-or-death trials to reach his current minor accomplishment. Zuo Mingqiu, after only a few days, could already alter the positions of the trigrams and observe the grand Dao to predict enemy movements?
Xu Mu's eyes were fixed on Zuo Mingqiu. The latter continued to precisely predict Zhao Qingdong's appearance locations, the number and direction of her sword strikes. Yet, he could not block them all. Each time, he sustained a considerable injury, but it at least bought him time.
And Zhao Qingdong's condition was rapidly declining. The effect of her ferocity was gradually fading, her speed and strength greatly diminished. Yet, she still ferociously swung her sword at Zuo Mingqiu.
Sword rises, sword falls. Zhao Qingdong pressed forward relentlessly. Zuo Mingqiu's flesh was torn.
Another wound, then another... Zuo Mingqiu continued to retreat, his body accumulating more sword wounds, but they were no longer as deep. The pressure lessened.
"Just one step away, the final step, Miss Qingdong is about to win!"
True Master Lan Qi clenched his fists and shouted excitedly. Zuo Mingqiu had no retreat left. Although Zhao Qingdong's condition had severely declined, she still swung her final sword at the brink of exhaustion. Zuo Mingqiu, heavily injured and caught off guard, could not possibly block it!
"Crack!"
Instead of retreating, Zuo Mingqiu advanced, allowing Zhao Qingdong's sword to slash into his shoulder blade, stopping only when it reached the vicinity of his heart and lungs.
"She didn't fall off!"
Everyone gasped. To avoid falling off the battle platform, Zuo Mingqiu had risked his life to withstand this sword strike, nearly having his heart pierced by Zhao Qingdong!
However, although he endured this strike, Zhao Qingdong clearly still had some strength left, not yet reaching the point where she couldn't lift her sword due to weakness. Moreover, she had already withdrawn her sword from Zuo Mingqiu's body.
Everyone held their breath.
The next sword strike might not be as fast, nor as powerful, but could Zuo Mingqiu, in his current state, block it?
"It's over."
As Zhao Qingdong swung her sword, Xu Mu seemed to sense something and sighed with emotion.
He had won, in the end.
On the battle platform, Zuo Mingqiu bent his body, one hand supporting his chest, the other extending three fingers crackling with lightning, directly pressing them against Zhao Qingdong's chin.
Her fair, cold skin sizzled under the lightning, emitting a burning sound. As long as Zuo Mingqiu moved even a fraction further, Zhao Qingdong's head would be pierced by those three fingers. The ferocious lightning would destroy her brain and consciousness, annihilating her soul.
"You lost."
Zuo Mingqiu straightened his body, supporting his chest, and looked at Zhao Qingdong, speaking calmly with exhaustion in his voice.
A gust of wind passed. Zhao Qingdong's breath completely plummeted. She struggled to move her eyeballs, looking at the three fingers and lightning against her chin, then broke into a brilliant smile.
"Clang!"
Her red sword slipped from her grasp, falling to the ground.
"Yes, I lost."
Zhao Qingdong's voice was hoarse. Her eyes closed, and she collapsed straight onto the battle platform. Black blood flowed from her seven orifices, soaking her long hair and robes. She lay there, dead and beautiful, like a blooming black blood lotus.