Chapter 457: Divine Wood Domain
"Zhang Ruochen is comprehending profound sword techniques?"
The masked woman's eyes flickered continuously, showing a hint of disdain, clearly not agreeing with Duanmu Xingling's view.
She said coldly, "What Zhang Ruochen is clearly using is the Liangyi Sect's Spirit-level lower-grade martial technique, the Heavenly Heart Sword Art. In the Liangyi Sect, even a Mysterious Extreme Realm martial artist can cultivate this sword technique to great perfection. No matter how profound it is, how profound can it really be?"
Although a thin veil covered her face, it still couldn't conceal her extraordinary temperament. One could imagine that beneath the veil lay a face of peerless beauty.
The masked woman's bright, snow-white eyes were filled with contempt, still regarding Zhang Ruochen as a young martial artist who had gained fame early and become arrogant.
People like this were often just frogs at the bottom of a well; once they encountered a true expert, they would be cast into a bottomless abyss.
Duanmu Xingling rolled her eyes and said, "When I say profound, I'm not referring to the sword technique's moves, but the sword dao realm contained within the sword technique. Don't you know that Zhang Ruochen has already achieved Sword Heart Illumination? His sword dao realm is unmatched among the younger generation."
"That's not necessarily true. Since Zhang Ruochen can cultivate to Sword Heart Illumination, there will naturally be other sword dao prodigies who also reach that realm."
The masked woman's eyes were icy cold as she stared at Duanmu Xingling, speaking in a confrontational tone.
Duanmu Xingling didn't back down at all, smiling, "In that case, let's wait and see. The battle platform is right there; they'll determine the victor soon enough."
On the Heaven-grade battle platform, Zhang Ruochen had already executed seventeen consecutive strikes of Heavenly Heart Pointing the Way, and Lu Fantian had also retreated seventeen times in a row.
Lu Xuan stood up, hands on her hips, somewhat annoyed, and called out loudly, "Brother, can you do it or not? If you can't, just step down from the battle platform and stop disgracing our Divine Sword Sacred Land."
Hearing this, Lu Fantian was furious and shot a cold glare at Lu Xuan.
It wasn't just Lu Xuan; the other martial artists in the Martial Market Arena were also growing impatient.
Originally, they had expected a fierce battle between a dragon and a tiger, but it turned out to be so dull.
One side only used a single sword technique from start to finish, while the other only knew how to dodge.
If this continued, what was there to watch in this battle?
In truth, Lu Fantian was also fighting quite frustratingly, because he could never see through Zhang Ruochen's follow-up moves and was forced to keep dodging.
After seventeen rounds of probing, Lu Fantian finally felt confident enough to counterattack.
When Zhang Ruochen executed his eighteenth Heavenly Heart Pointing the Way, Lu Fantian didn't retreat but advanced, gripping a long sword inlaid with golden threads, straight as the character "one," thrusting forward.
"Ssshh!"
The two swords clashed, sending sparks flying and producing a harsh scraping sound.
Finally, a real exchange occurred, and the Martial Market Arena fell silent once again.
The Heaven List elites who had come specifically to watch all focused their attention, holding their breath, wanting to see just how brilliant Zhang Ruochen and Lu Fantian's sword techniques truly were.
After one exchange, the figures separated, retreating to opposite sides.
A moment later, Lu Fantian took the initiative to attack, gripping the sword hilt with both hands, channeling his true qi throughout his body, concentrating it in his arms, and slashing down fiercely with a single sword strike.
A very domineering sword strike.
The sword momentum was clean and decisive, with no flashy feints.
From the viewing platform, everyone could clearly see a sword qi flying out from the sword in Lu Fantian's hand, splitting the air left and right, forming a majestic waterfall of sword techniques.
Faintly, one could hear a "rumbling" waterfall sound, shaking the soul.
"What a terrifying sword strike! Lu Fantian's strength is indeed formidable. Just the power of this one strike is enough to clash head-on with a cultivator at the Fish-Dragon First Transformation." Duanmu Xingling's heart tightened, feeling a bit worried for Zhang Ruochen.
Lu Fantian's strength exceeded her expectations.
One must know that the Fish-Dragon Realm had already surpassed the mortal realm.
The Fish-Dragon First Transformation, known as "Innate Embryonic Breathing," allowed one to breathe internal qi internally, hold firm to unity, and draw on the world's spiritual energy as sustenance, reaching a state of fasting.
Such a person was no longer called a martial artist but a cultivator.
Once in the embryonic breathing state, even sleeping at the bottom of a great river for a year wouldn't cause suffocation or starvation. That was a realm truly beyond mortals, something countless martial artists yearned for.
Lu Fantian's ability to contend with a cultivator at the Fish-Dragon First Transformation showed his immense strength.
Faced with Lu Fantian's explosive, powerful sword strike, Zhang Ruochen still kept his eyes closed.
The expression on his face was calm as water as he once again executed the Heavenly Heart Pointing the Way.
However, this strike of Heavenly Heart Pointing the Way seemed to have some different variations compared to his previous ones.
"Whoosh!"
Zhang Ruochen simply swung his arm again, but the flying sword qi produced a series of afterimages, spreading in all directions, forming six sword paths.
"Bang bang!"
The sword qi collided, producing a series of explosive sounds.
Then, Zhang Ruochen continued to execute sword techniques, unleashing thirty-six strikes of Heavenly Heart Pointing the Way in a single breath. Each strike carried a different sword dao charm.
Lu Fantian also kept striking back, defending against Zhang Ruochen's sword techniques, but he still fell into a passive state.
"How can this be? Zhang Ruochen is only using a simple Spirit-level lower-grade sword technique, so why can it suppress me so thoroughly?"
"No, Zhang Ruochen is comprehending the sword. It looks like just one sword technique, but it contains the supreme true essence of the sword dao."
Only by breaking Zhang Ruochen's state of sword comprehension could he disrupt his rhythm.
Only then could Lu Fantian gain the upper hand.
Realizing this, Lu Fantian stopped tangling with Zhang Ruochen, retreated to the edge of the battle platform, gripped his war sword with both hands, and raised it above his head.
He channeled the Divine Wood Qi within his body, forming a Divine Wood Domain.
On the battle platform, the world's spiritual energy continuously condensed into green vines and leaves, tougher than real vines and sharper than real leaves.
The vines and leaves grew wildly, covering the entire battle platform.
Only a Divine Wood Body could cultivate a Divine Wood Domain.
Within the domain, everything was under Lu Fantian's control.
Even a single leaf could instantly become a lethal blade.
Sensing the danger approaching, Zhang Ruochen awakened from his sword comprehension state. Without hesitation, as if by instinct, he swung his sword and slashed out, breaking through the vines and leaves, striking at Lu Fantian.
"Zhang Ruochen, you've finally entered battle mode!"
Seeing Zhang Ruochen take the initiative to attack, Lu Fantian was not afraid but overjoyed. He controlled the vines, slashing them toward Zhang Ruochen.
Each vine was a sword.
Dozens of vines collided with Zhang Ruochen's protective Heavenly Gang, producing a loud sound of true qi vibration, breaking Zhang Ruochen's sword technique and forcing him back two steps.