The Quest for Immortality Chapter 2133: Victory or Defeat (Part 2)

The disciples of Gui Water Sect also came to their senses and turned their attacks on Linghu Xiao.

Getting caught in a clash between supreme killing moves like these meant almost certain death. Under normal circumstances, they would have fled as far as possible.

But this was the Sword Discussion Conference, with a grand formation protecting them.

They could put life and death aside. Their sole objective was to win!

Thus, the disciples on both sides threw caution to the wind, trying to stop the opposing sword prodigy from unleashing his killing move.

Ouyang Xuan's sword light, Cheng Mo's great axe, and Situ Jian's Lihuo Sword all struck Qin Cangliu, gradually wearing away the power of his Golden Body Talisman to prevent him from unleashing the Canghai Hengliu Sword.

Four streams of icy Gui Water Sword Qi likewise struck Linghu Xiao, eroding his golden protection and hindering his Chongxu sword move.

The disciples of both sides were locked in a deadly melee.

At that critical instant, Qin Cangliu's eyes flew wide. With a fierce shout, he mustered almost every last bit of his strength and unleashed the Canghai Hengliu Sword just before his Golden Body Talisman shattered.

Linghu Xiao's expression was grave. Silently clenching his teeth, he withstood the combined assault of Gui Water Sect's four disciples and likewise exhausted almost all his strength to release his Chongxu Sword True Qi.

In an instant, sword light surged like water on one side, an ocean bursting its bounds and flooding heaven and earth.

On the other, Sword Qi shone like the moon, as cold and piercing as moonlight in broad daylight.

The two sword moves collided, erupting in dazzling radiance and tremendously powerful shock waves.

Countless fragments of Sword Qi twisted and tore at one another, like rivers flowing backward and moonlight shining over the sea. Then they swept outward, rending mountains and splitting rocks, reducing vegetation to ash and engulfing everyone.

Even watching it through the projection was enough to leave people shaken.

This beautiful yet perilous scene, woven from supreme sword techniques and the finest Sword Qi, branded itself deep in everyone's minds.

Everyone watched with bated breath, so absorbed that they forgot to breathe.

It was not only the Foundation-building disciples who were awestruck.

Even some Golden Core cultivators, and even those in the Ascension realm, looked stunned.

With their present cultivation realms, they were naturally stronger than these disciples.

But back when they themselves had been in the Foundation-building realm, their strength had been nowhere near this level.

These prodigies of Qian Learning could unleash such astonishing destructive power while still in the Foundation-building realm. How strong would they become once they entered the Golden Core realm, or even broke through to Ascension? It scarcely bore imagining.

"So this is... the Qian Learning Sword Discussion Conference..."

Almost simultaneously, the same thought arose in the minds of most cultivators present.

Low-level and high-level cultivators alike were shaken.

Within the projection, Sword Qi was still tearing through the battlefield. Explosions continued to spread, raising dust and smoke across the mountainside.

Gradually, the Sword Qi dissipated, the explosions subsided, and the dust began to settle.

A tense question arose in everyone's hearts.

Who... had won?

That clash of sword killing moves had engulfed almost every disciple fighting for the two sects.

This was truly the decisive exchange.

It determined life and death, as well as victory and defeat.

The victor would remain, while the defeated would leave the arena.

In this duel between prodigies, whose Sword Qi was stronger—Qin Cangliu of the Qin family, or Linghu Xiao of Taixu Gate?

Who was the true victor?

Everyone's hearts rose into their throats.

In the projection, the dust slowly dispersed, finally revealing a lone figure.

The fighting had been so devastating that the clash of supreme Daoist arts had nearly wiped out all the disciples from both sects.

Only one person was still alive, still standing where he had been.

Before long, everyone could make out his face.

Dressed in black-water Daoist robes, his face pale and cold, his aura faint, he stood alone with his sword in hand and his clothing in tatters. There was something tragic, gallant, and deeply impressive about him.

"Qin Cangliu!"

"He actually won!"

"Incredible..."

"What a magnificent fight!"

"Gui Water Sect has defeated Taixu Gate! Qin Cangliu of Gui Water Sect has defeated Linghu Xiao of Taixu Gate..."

...

In the stands, the elders of the various clans and sects were visibly moved, each harboring their own thoughts.

The elders of Gui Water Sect stroked their beards and nodded, their eyes filled with satisfaction.

But in the next instant, their expressions froze. They stared at the projection, their pupils contracting...

Inside the sword discussion arena.

Qin Cangliu stood alone. There was no one around him. Linghu Xiao had vanished as well. Only he remained on the battlefield.

"I... won?"

"I defeated Linghu Xiao."

"My Sword Dao is right..."

Countless emotions welled up inside Qin Cangliu. The joy of defeating a formidable opponent after fighting to utter exhaustion sprang up from the depths of his heart like bamboo shoots after rain, then spread throughout his body.

His faith in his Sword Dao grew even firmer.

"I won..."

Qin Cangliu murmured. Then he relaxed inwardly and blinked his dry eyes.

He blinked just once.

When he opened his eyes again, he suddenly discovered that someone had appeared before him without his noticing. Two fair fingers were pointed at his forehead, firelight gathering at their tips, and then...

There was no "then."

Everything happened too quickly for him to react.

A figure appeared. Pale fingers pointed. Firelight flashed. His forehead burned with pain, and his Dao Discussion Jade shattered.

By the time Qin Cangliu came to his senses again, he found himself outside the arena.

He had lost.

Qin Cangliu stood rooted to the spot for a long time. A jumble of indescribable emotions churned inside him, and for a while, he could not accept what had happened.

The spectators outside found it even harder to accept than he did.

They had been cheering Qin Cangliu, applauding his feat, and marveling at this prodigy's performance...

Then, without a sound, a figure appeared. With a light motion of his fingers, a single fireball sent Qin Cangliu out of the arena.

Everyone felt as though an unseen hand had suddenly closed around their throats.

Silence fell over the arena in an instant.

A tragic hero had fallen to a scoundrel's sneak attack.

A prodigy of the Sword Dao had been defeated by the Fireball Technique.