The attack by Di Luwu was unbelievably swift.
It wasn’t until the silver dragon revealed its true form—a silver spear—that the scene became clear.
The explanation slowly appeared in the viewing mirror:
“The spear strikes like a dragon, breaking through all.”
After piercing through Xu Guzhi’s body, the silver spear swiftly turned back, shattering the countless sword shadows in its path.
Then, it leisurely returned to Di Luwu’s hand.
At this point, the giant mountain swords Xu Guzhi had swung still hadn’t managed to touch Di Luwu’s body.
In the dazzling silver brilliance, they vanished into nothingness.
Xu Guzhi coughed up a mouthful of fresh blood and stared in disbelief at the “child” before him, who showed no emotional fluctuations whatsoever.
In truth, most of the spectators couldn’t even discern what had happened.
Only after watching the slow-motion replay in the viewing mirror repeatedly did they begin to grasp the details of the fight.
Gasps echoed across the crowd.
“What incredible speed! Such sharp spear techniques!”
“Who is this Di Luwu? His strength is terrifying! I suspect even some Dao Integration Immortal Sages might not be his match!”
“Who exactly are you referring to? Don’t hesitate to name names.”
On the battlefield, Xu Guzhi, pierced by the silver spear, didn’t admit defeat immediately.
He took a deep breath, and his injuries healed completely.
Xu Guzhi slightly opened his mouth and swallowed the straight sword in his hand.
With the sword consumed, his body disappeared from sight.
Amid the stunned gazes of the audience, Xu Guzhi vanished entirely!
It was only through the explanation appearing in the viewing mirror that the onlookers understood what had occurred:
“The sword returns to the sheath; its strike conceals itself in the void.”
For the first time, a faint ripple of emotion appeared on Di Luwu’s face—but it was just a fleeting ripple.
Standing motionless in midair, he extended his right hand, curling his fingers in a provocative gesture.
Almost instantly, an invisible sword light emerged above Di Luwu’s head.
Silent and undetectable, it aimed to sever his head.
But as the strike descended, a burst of silver light erupted, intercepting the Hidden Returning Sword and neutralizing the killing blow.
Di Luwu scanned the surroundings, but Xu Guzhi’s whereabouts remained elusive.
Another wave of invisible sword energy silently approached, impossible to detect.
Yet, once again, just before it touched Di Luwu, his silver spear intercepted it.
“Though the sword is formless, its intent lacks awareness.”
“The martial spear, at the peak of speed, breaks all techniques.”
The viewing mirror displayed these words again.
Li Fan stared at the lines in the mirror for a long time, replaying the scenes of the duel in his mind, coming to some realizations.
Xu Guzhi’s Hidden Returning Sword* was indeed extraordinary—even Di Luwu couldn’t locate it.
However, Di Luwu’s speed was simply unmatched, far surpassing Xu Guzhi’s by several levels.
Moreover, Di Luwu had mastered the method of acting instinctively without conscious thought, enabling him to summon his silver spear at the critical moment to intercept each strike of the Hidden Returning Sword. Ṟ𐌽ȯ𝖇Ëṥ
From this perspective, Xu Guzhi defeating Di Luwu seemed like an impossible task.
But for Di Luwu to triumph over Xu Guzhi…
That, too, seemed highly challenging.
Di Luwu, appearing to have had enough of the game, furrowed his brow for the first time.
A violent surge of silver radiance erupted from his body, sweeping outward with the intent to annihilate everything in its path.
The viewing mirror’s display was completely overwhelmed by the blinding silver light.
After a brief moment of blindness, the mirror gradually returned to normal.
“Surely this time, Xu Guzhi must be dead.”
When the numerous cultivators were speculating about the outcome, another formless sword light struck toward Di Liuwu as if it were a persistent ghost.
Xu Guzhi remained concealed somewhere within the field!
Seeing this, Li Fan’s eyes lit up: “This technique is truly excellent for self-preservation.”
Di Luwu, clearly provoked by Xu Guzhi’s relentless evasion, became visibly enraged.
Silver lightning serpents swept through the surrounding space, creating black void fissures.
Yet, Xu Guzhi could not be located.
From the spectator seats of the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance, boos and jeers erupted:
“What kind of duel is this? Can’t win, so he hides?”
“Don’t call him Xu Guzhi anymore—rename him Xu Wugui!” [1]
But no matter how others criticized him, Xu Guzhi remained unmoved, concealed within the void, launching one sword strike after another against Di Luwu.
As the battle dragged on endlessly, it seemed no conclusion could be reached. Finally, through mutual agreement, a dramatic result emerged:
The first duel of the first day ended in a tie!
This result surprised everyone, save for one cultivator who posted the following message in the Tianxuan Mirror’s [World of Dharma] section:
“Wow! It really ended in a draw. With 300-to-1 odds? I’ve struck it rich!”
The post garnered a mix of envy and scorn from countless cultivators.
After Xu Guzhi and Di Luwu left the stage and rested briefly, the second duel began.
The Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance sent a cultivator Li Fan knew well: Shuo Feng, nicknamed “I Am Invincible”.
Meanwhile, the Five Elders Association’s representative was a limping disabled man.
This so-called “Limping Daoist” appeared unremarkable but was, in fact, incredibly powerful.
Every move he made seemed to carry immense force, distorting space itself and blurring the live broadcast from the viewing mirrors.
However, Shuo Feng was no easy opponent. Clad in radiant golden armor, he withstood all of the Limping Daoist’s attacks.
After a prolonged fight, Shuo Feng seized an opportunity and deployed 49 flying swords, ultimately defeating the Limping Daoist.
Thus, the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance won the second duel.
Yet, Shuo Feng showed little joy on his face. He clasped his hands toward the Limping Daoist in acknowledgment before leaving silently, seemingly dissatisfied with his victory.
“Shuo Feng’s victory lies in the strength of his equipment, not the courage of his martial skill.”
This post-match commentary even appeared in the viewing mirrors, a rare critique that praised an opponent while downplaying one’s own side.
Such remarks should not have surfaced but somehow did.
“Who is Shuo Feng?”
“The treasures he’s wearing are incredible! If I had those weapons, I wouldn’t be much weaker!”
“You? Dream on. He has a powerful mother; what do you have?”
“A powerful mother? Fellow Daoist, please elaborate…”
…
Cultivators across the world began discussing Shuo Feng fervently. Soon, everyone knew he was the favored son of the Immortal Sage Fei Xue. Many speculated that his participation in this duel was due to his mother’s influence.
Regardless of Shuo Feng’s feelings, amidst the heated debates, the third duel commenced.
Initially, everyone expected another intense battle, but the outcome was decided in an instant.
With a single punch, the representative sent by the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance was defeated.
The one who delivered the punch? A seemingly ordinary peasant-looking woman from the Five Elders Association.
[1. Wugui here means ‘turtle’ basically insulting Xu Guzhi by calling him coward]