The Gold Cracking Seal

Qiao Shan of the Qiao Family stepped onto the arena. The burly, somewhat disheveled man introduced himself to Chi Qiu with a cupped-fist salute.

“Chi Qiu.”

Since the opponent treated her with courtesy, Chi Qiu naturally responded in kind. She rose to her feet and returned the salute.

“Are the two of you prepared?”

The middle-aged man ascended the stage once more. Noticing the absence of any murderous intent from either combatant, he smiled warmly.

“Having ascended the stage, we are naturally prepared for anything,” Qiao Shan replied.

Chi Qiu remained silent, merely offering a slight nod to the middle-aged man.

“Excellent. Failure is determined by a concession or by being forced off the stage. Remember, the sparring should cease before fatal harm is inflicted. Do not take a life.” He then turned his head to Chi Qiu, adding, “Forgive my lengthy reminder.”

“It’s no trouble,” she replied, shaking her head. She understood this was merely a formality.

“Then let the battle commence.” The middle-aged man nodded in acknowledgment. He clapped his hands together, descended the stage, and rang the large bell.

The moment the bell chimed, Qiao Shan moved. With a sweep of his hand, several streams of azure true qi materialized. Some coiled around his body as a protective barrier, while others coalesced into beast-like forms, lunging directly at Chi Qiu.

Chi Qiu shifted her stance lightly, her eyes blazing with golden light. Streaks of roaring thunder burst forth, bathing the entire arena in a golden hue. The Tribulation Lightning was incomparably violent. The azure beast-shadows disintegrated layer by layer upon contact with the thunder, vanishing into nothingness.

This Tribulation Lightning was a defensive technique of the divine beast Yinglong. It possessed extraordinary power, capable of destroying true qi, annihilating flesh, and even damaging the spirit. Its potency had surged even further after Chi Qiu obtained the half Dragon Orb and a wisp of True Dragon’s Aura, far surpassing its strength during the Yinglong Tomb period.

Witnessing his offensive dissolve so effortlessly, Qiao Shan’s expression flickered. He reached out, and a longsword instantly appeared in his hand. He then executed a sword art, wielding the blade with fierce, whistling movements, using his true qi and the artifact’s power to barely fend off the Tribulation Lightning.

“Where is she?”

As Qiao Shan shattered the bolts of thunder, intending to brace for Chi Qiu’s next attack, he was startled to find the arena completely empty. Only an eerie, chilling wind remained. Green sand billowed across the stage.

Clang, clang…

Suddenly, the sound of clashing armor echoed from behind Qiao Shan. The noise was incredibly close, as if right beside his ear.

Hiss—

Qiao Shan’s hair instantly stood on end. An indescribable terror enveloped him. Under extreme pressure, he could not afford to think of anything else, swiftly channeling his true qi and slashing his sword backward.

As the sword struck, a sense of obstruction emanated from its tip. Before Qiao Shan could feel joy, that obstruction abruptly transformed into an immensely powerful suction, pulling his entire body backward.

Qiao Shan’s face paled with shock. Without time to deliberate, he made a decisive move. Releasing his longsword with his right hand, he simultaneously struck out with true qi from his left. Using this recoil, he rapidly retreated, widening the distance between himself and Chi Qiu.

“Quite decisive. That longsword is of no low grade.”

Behind where Qiao Shan had originally stood, Chi Qiu’s figure slowly emerged. An inexplicable force circulated in her palm, and the longsword hovered, slowly spinning in the air, clearly drawn by the power she wielded.

“Impressive tactics.”

Qiao Shan’s expression darkened slightly. To have one of his artifacts seized in a single exchange left him deeply displeased. However, Qiao Shan was not one to merely strategize on paper. He had undergone numerous trials and faced death countless times, so he would not be disheartened by this setback.

“Try this!”

Qiao Shan cupped his hand in the air, and a scarlet gourd, roughly three zhang long, appeared above the arena. Its mouth was pitch black, emitting an intensely scorching fluctuation. The gourd’s mouth slowly rotated, quickly aiming at Chi Qiu. Then, a fiery red torrent erupted, crimson flames cascading down from above and engulfing more than half of the arena.

Yet, Chi Qiu’s expression remained unchanged; she showed no fear. With a flick of her hand, the longsword she had captured shot forth, directly piercing the scarlet gourd. Meanwhile, she herself, undaunted by the flames, closed in, charging straight toward Qiao Shan.

The scarlet gourd continuously spewed flames, making the entire arena significantly hotter. Outside the stage, the heavy rain evaporated, forming a shroud of mist that enveloped the entire platform. Fortunately, all the spectators present were cultivators. While direct exposure to these flames would have caused them considerable trouble, the current residual heat was easily withstood.

A dense, gentle aura permeated from within Chi Qiu’s scales, quickly enveloping her and isolating her from the encroaching flames.

“Now, try my Qiao Family’s ultimate technique, the Gold Cracking Seal!” Seeing Chi Qiu unfazed by the sea of fire, Qiao Shan’s heart jolted. He abandoned any thought of stopping the longsword piercing the scarlet gourd and immediately unleashed his ultimate technique, intending to halt her advance.

Golden-Geng qi overflowed, and azure true qi surged. A colossal seal, dozens of zhang in size, slowly coalesced in the air, its sharp and heavy aura pressing down upon the advancing Chi Qiu.

Chi Qiu’s eyes widened, and several thick bolts of Tribulation Lightning surged forth from her pupils, striking the massive seal in the sky. Then, disregarding the scorching heat radiating from her body, she lightly tapped her feet, instantly transforming into a drifting withered leaf.

“How arrogant! Let me suppress you with this Gold Seal!” Qiao Shan pointed a finger, and the great seal, carrying an unstoppable might, crashed down.

Chi Qiu paid no heed. She pushed the Falling Leaf Steps to its extreme, her spiritual power and true qi erupting simultaneously. Blood-red lotuses blossomed from a tiny rupture on her fingertips, encircling her.

With Tribulation Lightning defending against the Gold Seal, the longsword piercing the scarlet gourd, and blood lotuses and scales blocking the flames, Qiao Shan could not swiftly overcome Chi Qiu’s diverse defenses. He could only watch helplessly as she closed in on him.

“I know your close-combat skills are exceptional, but mine are not lacking either.” Qiao Shan’s heart tightened as she rushed to within a few steps of him. Yet, he knew he couldn’t show fear. He roared, simultaneously drawing two great sabers, preparing for a close-quarters battle.

I just need to hold her off for three breaths. After three breaths, my great seal will break through the Tribulation Lightning and suppress Chi Qiu…

Though he acted bravely, Qiao Shan knew full well that he was no match for her in close combat. His only hope now was to stall for three breaths.

“Then let us see,” Chi Qiu said indifferently.

With a cold expression, she struck out with her palm. Its trajectory was exquisitely profound, true qi overflowing from her palm as an indescribable, peculiar fluctuation spread outward. All the spectators were captivated by this strike, observing with rapt attention.

Qiao Shan dared not be careless. He unleashed both sabers, slashing toward the Tribulation Lightning she had summoned. At this moment, he sought not to achieve a feat but merely to avoid error. As long as he defended against this wave of her assault, victory would be his.

The answer was clearly no.

Before his words could fully fade, Chi Qiu’s palm strike landed. The two great sabers shattered with a resounding crack. The palm’s momentum remained unchecked, seemingly light as it struck Qiao Shan’s lower abdomen.

Qiao Shan’s face froze, then he felt an immense force erupt from his lower abdomen. This force did not seek to obliterate him but rather to surge throughout his entire body. Having suffered such a heavy blow, he could no longer maintain his footing. He was sent flying backward, falling off the arena. As Qiao Shan was ejected from the stage, the scarlet gourd and the golden great seal both lost their true qi supply; one ceased spewing flames, and the other dissipated.

“Thank you, senior, for showing mercy.” Qiao Shan struggled to his feet. His black robe had been shredded by the palm strike, and a dark purple palm print was starkly visible on his lower abdomen. He knew Chi Qiu had held back a great deal of power, and thus he thanked her.

“Victor: Chi Qiu!”

The middle-aged man struck the great bell, signaling the end of the match. The audience cheered in unison, applauding her.

Qiao Shan retrieved his scarlet gourd. Seeing the several gashes carved into it by the longsword Chi Qiu had wielded, he pursed his lips, a pang of heartache in his chest. This gourd had been forged from a spirit plant as its base, supplemented with various precious materials and immortal iron. Although it was only a top-grade artifact, its value was no less than a low-grade Primordial Spirit Treasure.

Qiao Shan put away the scarlet gourd, bowed to Chi Qiu with a cupped-fist salute, and then limped away from the arena.

“Daoist Chi, would you like to compete in another match?” The middle-aged man smiled, looking at her.

“Another match! Another match!”
“One more, Daoist Chi! We want to see!”

Before she could respond to the middle-aged man’s words, the audience erupted into a clamor. Chi Qiu, having never received such overwhelming support, was quite surprised. A slight smile graced her lips; this feeling was truly wonderful.

Chi Qiu surveyed the audience, then looked back at the middle-aged man. She nodded slightly.

“Then, let us have another match.”