Desolate Devouring Art-Chapter 1008 - First Match

The First Sword Manor spoke with undisguised confidence. They believed victory lay within their grasp. They had already decided the outcome, convinced that the Heavenly Xun Sword would eventually fall into their hands.

"I may be old, but I'm willing to serve as the referee for this duel. What do both sides think of it?" Steward He spoke, offering to act as the witness.

"We'd be honored!" Miao Feiyu stood up and gave Steward He a bow.

By now, the sun blazed high in the sky. Though it was the hottest season in Northern City, the air still clung to sub-freezing temperatures. Living here forced residents to battle the cold constantly.

"Will both sides have their representatives step forward?" Steward He announced, glancing at the two parties.

Five disciples from the First Sword Manor stepped forward, led by Yin Xue. They radiated overwhelming pressure.

"What frightening strength! These five look like wild beasts. The Renowned Sword Manor is in real trouble today," whispered many spectators.

Miao Jianying led the five representatives from the Renowned Sword Manor as they stepped onto the stage. But compared to their opponents, they failed to project the same overwhelming aura.

"Is this a joke? Did the Renowned Sword Manor really send someone at the second-level Spirit Profound Realm?" As the ten representatives stepped onto the arena, every gaze snapped to Liu Wuxie.

The First Sword Manor had sent five representatives, each at the pinnacle of the Spirit Profound Realm. Though slightly weaker, four of the Renowned Sword Manor's disciples stood at the ninth-level Spirit Profound Realm. Only Liu Wuxie stood apart with his cultivation at the second-level Spirit Profound Realm.

Not just the crowd, even the First Sword Manor disciples stared in shock. They had studied every detail and run countless analyses. They had predicted the four expected Renowned Sword Manor picks, except Liu Wuxie, who had appeared out of nowhere and was never factored into their analysis.

Everyone pointed fingers as scornful remarks erupted in quick succession. Some even shouted for Liu Wuxie to step down and stop disgracing himself. After all, sending someone at the second-level Spirit Profound Realm into such a critical match disgraced the Renowned Sword Manor.

Many disciples from the Renowned Sword Manor hid their faces in shame, unable to keep watching.

"Manor Lord Miao, what is the meaning of this?" Master Xue turned to look at Miao Feiyu, puzzled.

"You'll know in a while!" Miao Feiyu replied with an enigmatic smile.

Only Steward He showed visible surprise as he fixed his gaze on Liu Wuxie.

Meanwhile, Lu Yanghui noticed the mocking expressions aimed at Liu Wuxie from the crowd. He smirked coldly and couldn't wait to see how Liu Wuxie would make a fool of himself.

"I'm Zhou Biao, representing the First Sword Manor," said a burly man from the First Sword Manor's party, cupping his fists toward the crowd.

The crowd fell silent as he stepped onto the arena, and every gaze locked onto him.

"Young Master, let me take the lead!" Xia De stepped out from the Renowned Sword Manor's party.

Among the four, he was the weakest, having only recently broken through to the ninth-level Spirit Profound Realm. His technique and true essence barely surpassed those of someone at the eighth-level Spirit Profound Realm.

"Be careful!" Miao Jianying reminded.

Xia De stepped into the arena and faced Zhou Biao.

"Five moves! I'll send you flying out of the arena in five moves!" Zhou Biao sneered and drew his sword.

Both manors were famed for their swordsmanship, so it was no surprise they relied heavily on sword techniques.

Whoever left the arena would lose the fight, though such outcomes rarely occurred due to the ring's massive size.

The clash between two young prodigies instantly captured the crowd's attention.

"What arrogance!" Xia De scoffed, his fury rising at Zhou Biao's provocation.

Though they had never fought, each had taken note of the other.

Zhou Biao raised his sword at an unusual angle, and the crowd gasped before he made his move.

Liu Wuxie had spent three days reading the First Sword Manor's sword techniques. If he wasn't mistaken, Zhou Biao was about to execute the Petal-Plucking Sword Rain.

This sword technique resembled a torrential downpour when executed.

Xia De, in contrast, used one of the three famous sword techniques of the Renowned Sword Manor: the Cloudflow Pursuit.

His sword moved with the elegance of drifting clouds and flowing water.

The two exchanged attacks. The disciples from both manors knew each other's techniques well, and neither gained the upper hand.

Xia De remained in the arena even after seven moves. Each clash sent sparks flying like dazzling fireworks.

The lake roared as shockwaves of sword aura rippled across its surface. It wove into shimmering nets that engulfed the lake's surface, trapping the fish below.

The fight left the crowd breathless, though Earth Profound Realm experts found it underwhelming.

Liu Wuxie couldn't deny that the cultivation environment in Northern City had surpassed the Southern Province. He wouldn't even be surprised if Northern City caught up with the Central Plains in a thousand years.

"Endless drizzle!" Zhou Biao roared.

Thunderclouds covered the sky as though a violent storm was coming.

Xia De responded and unleashed the strongest move in the Cloudflow Pursuit, called Cloud Tempest Strike.

"This strike should determine the winner between the two," someone muttered impatiently among the crowd.

Most had come to witness the showdown between Miao Jianying and Yin Xue, who represented the strongest in the two manors. They could imagine the earth-shattering clash between the two.

Lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled overhead, each bolt weaving itself into arcs of sword light. The crushing pressure from their clash cracked the surface of the Divine Sword Platform, though it held firm.

When their swords collided, a shockwave burst outward in every direction.

Shortly after, the two were hurled into the air and backward toward the arena's edge.

Whoever got flung out of the arena would lose the match.

Zhou Biao had the advantage with regard to the purity of true essence and was more proficient in his sword techniques.

Xia De had little chance of winning.

Liu Wuxie had already foreseen the outcome of this fight through Ghost Eye.

The two performed a somersault in mid-air. But when Xia De was moments from landing on the ground, Zhou Biao twisted his body in mid-air and struck his sword at Xia De's abdomen like a venomous viper.

No one had anticipated Zhou Biao's attack. The move caught Xia De off guard mid-air, leaving him no opportunity to react.

The sword shot toward Xia De's abdomen, ready to pierce him if he didn't dodge in time.

Everyone from the Renowned Sword Manor watched nervously. Miao Jianying's face darkened, but he couldn't intervene. Both sides had agreed on a best-of-five format and had ruled that any interference would count as a foul.

Xia De lived up to his reputation as a prodigy. He shifted his center of gravity to quicken his descent, narrowly dodging Zhou Biao's attack, which skimmed past him.

But the battle wasn't over. Zhou Biao followed up with a sweeping horizontal strike, aiming straight for Xia De and forcing him to retreat or risk a direct hit.

One misstep had nearly cost him the match. Xia De struggled to block the second strike after narrowly dodging the first. He had no choice but to retreat. However, with one more step, he risked falling out of the arena.

"I'll fight you to the death!" Xia De roared and steeled himself even when facing death. He knew how crucial the first match was for the Renowned Sword Manor. Losing the match would put the Renowned Sword Manor at a serious disadvantage.

"Get off!" Zhou Biao let out a sinister laugh and infused his sword with a terrifying vortex of sword aura.

Strangely, the vortex didn't pull inward but exploded with rebound force, and such was the nature of Zhou Biao's sword dao art.

Only those who elevated swordsmanship to the realm of dao techniques could claim to wield true sword dao arts.

Xia De's expression became grave. He hadn't expected Zhou Biao to be this powerful.

With a thunderous blast, the sudden attack caught Xia De off guard. He couldn't raise his sword in time to defend, and the force hurled him into the air.

Blood sprayed into the sky as Xia De's body twisted like a broken kite and tumbled out of the arena, the red battle ring's edge marking his defeat. With that, the First Sword Manor claimed the first victory.

Some had predicted this outcome, though others still looked surprised.

Given the First Sword Manor's rapid growth in recent years, no one was surprised they took the victory. But the Renowned Sword Manor's representative had fallen far too quickly. How could the gap between them be so vast when both stood at the ninth-level Spirit Profound Realm?

"Thanks for the fight!" Zhou Biao said, cupping his fists together. But the depth of his eyes gleamed with ridicule.

Several disciples from the Renowned Sword Manor rushed over and helped Xia De to his feet, who was still coughing up blood. He had taken heavy injuries and needed time to recover.

"Ling Xuelin of the First Sword Manor!" a youth announced as he stepped out from the First Sword Manor's group, cupping his fists to the crowd before turning to face the opposing side.

"I'll go!" Shao Yuanyi said.

"Let me take this one. We can't afford another loss. We need this win," Lu Yanghui said firmly, stepping before Shao Yuanyi.

He surpassed Shao Yuanyi in combat strength. If they lost this round, they'd need to win the next three matches to escape their desperate situation.

However, given the current situation, that seemed impossible, especially since no one believed Liu Wuxie stood a chance, even if they won the next two matches.

That meant they had to win all three remaining matches just to keep Liu Wuxie off the arena. But pulling off three straight victories bordered on impossible.

Miao Jianying matched Yin Xue in strength, but Yin Xue held the edge in age and battle experience.

Shao Yuanyi turned to Miao Jianying for confirmation. Miao Jianying nodded, giving Lu Yanghui the go-ahead.

"Be careful," Miao Jianying said.

No matter how Lu Yanghui had mocked Liu Wuxie, he now stood as the Renowned Sword Manor's representative.

Lu Yanghui understood his responsibility. His goal was to defeat his opponent and salvage the situation. This match would determine whether the Renowned Sword Manor still had a chance to turn the tables.

If they lost this match, the Renowned Sword Manor's chances to win would collapse entirely.

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