On the arena.

The match is still fiercely ongoing.

Peerless Sword cannot defeat Ling Chen, nor can he wear Ling Chen down; his heart is clouded with gloom. In this situation, it depends on whose willpower is stronger and whose endurance is better; that whoever will be the final victor.

The battle has come to this point, both have almost exhausted their trump cards, but neither can overcome the other. Although Ling Chen frequently surprises with extraordinary moves, he can't use them often, and Peerless Sword's cultivation is indeed much stronger. If he's prepared, the damage Ling Chen can cause him is negligible. Unless Ling Chen makes further progress, the effect won't be significant.

Knowing that other means are ineffective against the opponent, the two continue their furious exchange, instantly entering a fever pitch; the wailing Tornado Storm continuously crashes into the surrounding arena shield, sweeping the rubble from the ground into the air, resulting in a dense stone rain.

"I refuse to believe you can block my swords for long!"

Gritting his teeth, Peerless Sword charges straight at Ling Chen, closing the distance between them to enhance the impact.

Unexpectedly, Ling Chen doesn't choose to keep his distance but meets the opponent head-on, slashing out sword after sword.

Both are aware that, with their remaining True Qi, they can't support a long-range sword qi duel. Close combat saves True Qi, and they both happen to be very confident in their swordsmanship. Close combat is a greater test of sword skills, which can hasten the determination of victory.

"Close combat is likely to decide the outcome soon."

Everyone held their breath.

"A swordsmanship contest, who will be stronger?"

Sima Xiaoyao also held his breath; Peerless Sword's swordsmanship embodies the essence of the Imperial Clan's sword skills, acclaimed as peerless under heaven. But Ling Chen's swordsmanship is just as formidable, continually overcoming adversity from a disadvantaged position, turning danger into safety. Even Peerless Sword may find it difficult to surpass Ling Chen in sword skills.

"In terms of swordsmanship, no one of the younger generation can surpass Peerless Sword royal brother."

Li Tailong stared fiercely at the scene on the arena, his pupils already showing lines of blood.

The majority of the crowd had their eyes wide open, blood-filled eyes swollen as this battle was extraordinarily exciting, truly rare through the ages; any momentary mishap was a loss to them.

Clang clang clang clang clang...

Once close, the impact of the attacks increased not by a little, but by double; as the sword glints collided, sword qi ceaselessly fell upon them. Both struggled to maintain their defenses, their Protective True Qi showing cracks, with roiling blood.

"Defeat me!"

Peerless Sword gathered all his strength and slashed out a sword, the sword qi morphing into a giant dragon, sweeping towards Ling Chen.

"Immortal Points the Way!"

Ling Chen's counterattack didn't have as great an momentum as the opponent's, but his cohesion was much higher. At close range, the sword qi shot out in a straight line, piercing through Peerless Sword's sword qi dragon, hitting his Protective True Qi. However, Ling Chen was also hit by the exploded sword qi from the dragon, leaving several holes on his shield.

With a muffled groan, both flew back dozens of meters.

"Again!"

Ignoring everything else, they leapt forward, charging recklessly without defense, merely seeking to land attacks on each other, no concern whether they themselves were hit.

"Seven Styles of Azure Dragon!"

"Heavenly Star Full Moon!"

"Eight Wastes Fire Dragon!"

"Pluck Chestnuts from the Fire!"

In this exhausted state, their momentum was far less than before. If their peak state could easily kill a Half-Saint, then now, any ordinary Sky Apex Realm Eighth Layer or even Seventh Realm expert at full strength could defeat them both.

Puff puff puff puff...

In the blink of an eye, Peerless Sword was struck by five swords, Ling Chen by four.

"Impossible, Peerless Sword royal brother was struck one more time than that kid!"

Li Tailong's expression drastically changed, looking as if he had seen a ghost.

"A troubled heart leads to troubled sword; Peerless Sword's mindset is unsettled."

Liu Mengru's beautiful eyes slightly narrowed, speaking calmly.

Someone of Peerless Sword's Supreme talent likely has never been engaged in such a long, arduous battle, fought with such difficulty. Usually, the younger generations he faces can't withstand more than ten moves from him. Even Liu Mengru hasn't pushed Peerless Sword to exhaust all his skills.

Having never fought such a grueling battle naturally means lacking the mindset for grueling combat.

Ling Chen, however, is entirely different; Ling Chen has often faced crises, meeting opponents of equal or even greater strength, so even now at this stage, Ling Chen remains composed, calm, with a heart as still as water.

Moreover, Peerless Sword harbors a deep fear of failure, whereas Ling Chen does not have this emotion.

"Is Peerless Sword going to lose?"

Sima Xiaoyao's pupils slightly contracted, exclaiming in surprise.

"Not necessarily."

Liu Mengru shook her head again.

With her uniquely womanly intuition, she senses this match will not end here.

"This can't go on; if my current state persists, there's a seventy to eighty percent chance I'm the one to lose."

Peerless Sword's expression was dark as water; he was acutely aware of his situation. Indeed, he's never met a tough opponent like Ling Chen before; he underestimated Ling Chen both in strategy and mindset, which led to his own mental collapse, allowing Ling Chen, who remains calm, to gain the upper hand.

"I have no choice but to use that move."

Peerless Sword's eyes flickered intensely, seemingly making a decision, then retreated sharply to evade Ling Chen's assault, standing steadily at the edge of the gusting Tornado Storm.

"Ling Chen, consider yourself honored; you're the first in years to force out my strongest trump card. Others are unworthy."

With narrowed eyes, Peerless Sword spoke astonishing words.

"What, Peerless Sword still has a trump card? Impossible!"

"Is it real or a bluff? If Peerless Sword had another trump card, why didn't he use it earlier? Why wait until now?"

"Perhaps there are risks to this trump card; Peerless Sword's posture does not seem like a bluff to me!"

"So exaggerated; the previous battle was already earth-shattering. If the strongest trump card is revealed, it's unimaginable. Ling Yu is in danger now; it's likely he has no card left to play!"

When evenly matched individuals can't determine a winner, using the trump card becomes essential for deciding victory. It can be said that the trump card is a warrior's final means, allowing no mistakes. This is why they are not easily exposed—once revealed, there's no fallback, no further surprising tactics.

Everyone thought Peerless Sword and Ling Chen had exhausted their trump cards, yet at this critical juncture, Peerless Sword claimed to have a final trump card left, akin to a sudden thunderclap in clear skies, shocking all.