Chapter 38: Scorching Sword Slays the Evil Phoenix! The Second Form of the Green Lotus Sword Song—Yin-Yang: Blade of Scorch (Bonus Chapter, Seeking Monthly Tickets)

In the past.
Ma Hongjun trampled on the wind, acting with unchecked arrogance:
"Is that it?"
"Is that it?"
"The Imperial City—is this all it has?!"

In this moment.
The echoes of the past were crushed to dust.
The Evil Fire Phoenix had become nothing but a backdrop.
Clad in white, bathed in fire, walking with tranquil grace, he returned the sentiment:
"Is that it?"
"Is that it?"
"The Evil Fire—is this all it has?!"

—

To the audience below.
This scene of extreme contrast felt as refreshing as gulping down ice water in the sweltering heat of midsummer.
From the top of their heads to the soles of their feet, they felt a wave of pure satisfaction.
"Yes! Yes! Hahahaha! Is that all the Evil Fire has?!"
It was unclear who shouted it first.
This shout, like a spark igniting a prairie, instantly set the entire Spirit Fighting Arena ablaze.
In a mere instant.
The entire arena resonated with the chant: "Is that all the Evil Fire has?"
Such a scene was so shocking it made one’s scalp tingle.

"Cough, cough!"
Yu Feng’s face flushed with excitement, but the coughing aggravated his injuries, and blood seeped from the corners of his mouth.
Yet he ignored it entirely, his voice hoarse as he roared along with the crowd.
Oslo quickly steadied his swaying body.
"Yu Feng, you’re about to kick the bucket, stop shouting, for heaven's sake!"
Yu Feng’s eyes were a mix of humiliation and vindication.
"Oslo, you don't understand."
"From the time I was a child until now, this is the first time I've been trampled into the dirt."
"Today, Jianjiu has repaid this debt for me. From this day forward, he is my hero."

In the VIP box.
Dugu Bo watched the boiling sea of people below.
The figure in white was the undisputed focus.
A rare smile appeared on his stern, aged face.
"What a Li Zhexian..."
He had seen countless people in his life.
He knew there were some who were born with an inherent charisma.
Every gesture they made could stir the winds and clouds.
And Li Zhexian was such a person.

"Grandfather..."
Dugu Yan’s beautiful eyes remained fixed on the young man in white on the stage, never blinking.
"Can I beat Brother Zhexian now?"
"No."
Dugu Bo felt his answer was too blunt.
Worried about hurting his granddaughter’s pride, he was about to add a few words of comfort.
But he heard Dugu Yan exclaim excitedly:
"That’s wonderful!"
Dugu Bo: "..."
He stroked his beard, falling into deep thought.
Perhaps he should ask Li Zhexian if there were any lingering side effects from the detoxification last time.

In the Ye family box.
Mother Ye stared intensely at Ye Lingling.
"Lingling, you must make Li Zhexian accept you."
"Our Ye family’s Nine-Heart Begonia’s ability to surpass the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda depends entirely on Li Zhexian."
"I understand, Mother."
Ye Lingling replied, her mind drifting far away.
She wasn't thinking about how to win over Li Zhexian.
Instead, she was thinking...
Don't let Li Zhexian’s cold, swordsman-like demeanor on stage fool you; he’s probably thinking about which restaurant he’s going to visit to satisfy his cravings later.
Yes.
That was his character.

In the Imperial box.
"Young Master, once you take control of the Spirit Hall, this boy will surely become your right-hand man!"
The Puffer Spirit master said with excitement:
"By then, our Spirit Hall..."
"Shut up."
Xue Qinghe coldly interrupted him.
"In the future..."
Her voice was soft, yet carried an unquestionable weight.
"I do not allow you to associate Li Zhexian with the Spirit Hall."
In her heart.
A person like Li Zhexian.
Should be riding a horse toward the horizon of the world, or wandering in a clear stream flowing under the moonlight.
Not accompanying her, sinking into the quagmire of power.
She wasn't worthy of him.

"This is impossible!"
Zhao Wuji’s eyes widened like copper bells, his rugged face full of disbelief.
Unharmed while submerged in the Phoenix’s evil fire?
Let alone this junior, even he, Zhao Wuji, couldn't do it with such ease and grace.
Qin Ming sighed, bitterness in his voice:
"Teacher, let Hongjun concede."
"The little monsters of Shrek are strong."
"But Jianjiu is different; he is a monster among monsters."
Monsters are still within the reach of human capability.
But a freak of nature is beyond common measure.

Zhao Wuji’s face shifted between light and shadow, his fists clenched, making a creaking sound.
Ma Hongjun was brought here by him; nothing must happen to him.
His throat bobbed, and he was about to speak.
Boom—!
On the stage, the fierce battle reignited.

"I don't believe it!"
Ma Hongjun stepped forward in anger.
The second spirit ring beneath his feet surged upward.
"Second Spirit Skill—Bathing Fire Phoenix!"
Purple evil flames soared into the sky.
Behind Ma Hongjun, they condensed into the shape of a phoenix.
The phoenix spread its wings and let out a long cry, the scorching heat waves spreading like a tsunami.
The audience in the front rows felt a suffocating, burning pain even through the spirit power barrier.
The spirit masters at the arena quickly poured their spirit power into the barrier to stabilize it.
But that was not all.
Ma Hongjun’s third spirit ring, his only purple one, suddenly lit up.
"Third Spirit Skill—Phoenix Wing Heaven Soar!"
Screech—!
A deafening phoenix cry shattered the air.
Ma Hongjun was swallowed by the raging purple flames.
A pair of wings, condensed from purple fire, suddenly extended from his back.
The wings were over four meters wide, and every flap sent rolling waves of heat, causing the spirit power barrier to hiss and crackle.

Buzz—!
The fire wings flapped frantically.
Ma Hongjun shot into the sky.
He drew a scorching purple trajectory in the air.
"Jianjiu!"
"Let's see how you handle this move!"
Ma Hongjun hovered in mid-air, looking down at the swordsman in white.
The purple wings flapped violently.
A rain of fire, like a torrential downpour, cascaded down toward the area where Li Zhexian stood, overwhelming and suffocating.
This terrifying scene made countless audience members stand up in shock.

Li Zhexian’s white robes danced wildly in the scorching wind.
He tilted his head slightly, his dark eyes reflecting the falling sea of fire.
"Fire..."
His thin lips parted, his voice not loud, yet it strangely pierced through the roar of the heavens.
"...is not played like this."
The moment the words fell.
His right hand slowly lifted, fingers splayed, and he suddenly gripped the void.
Clang—!
A clear, sharp sword hum resonated throughout the arena.
A simple, ancient sword hilt appeared out of thin air in his palm.
Following that, the clear, jade-like Azure Lotus Sword appeared bit by bit, as if being drawn from the void itself.
On the blade, twelve azure lotus imprints bloomed one after another.

"Azure Lotus Sword Song, Second Form—"
Li Zhexian’s eyes turned suddenly sharp.
"Yin-Yang: Scorching Sword."
The twelve lotus imprints flashed brilliantly.
Massive amounts of thick, viscous, pure, and scorching crimson flames erupted from the heart of the lotus.
In an instant.
The three-foot-six-inch Azure Lotus Sword was drawn into a narrow, agile trail of flame with burning crimson streamers.
The tip of the sword flickered, the blade shrouded in flowing crimson fire, dragging a tail of flame several meters long.
Hiss—!
Hiss—!
Hiss—!
Blade edge and scorching heat intertwined.
The spirit masters maintaining the barrier turned pale.
The shield fluctuated violently, groaning under the unbearable pressure, with cracks appearing in several places.
At this moment.
A dense purple spirit ring swirled around the sword of fire.
"Second Spirit Skill—Three Swords of Fragrance."
In this instant.
The Azure Lotus Sword seemed to break through the extreme domain, stepping toward another unfathomable realm.
Li Zhexian felt a strange tingling sensation in his spine.
As if something was about to pierce through his skin.
But with the battle at hand.
Li Zhexian had no time for second thoughts.
He raised the Azure Lotus Sword, dragging its crimson tail, and with a sharpness and heat that seemed capable of piercing through everything, he slashed down at Ma Hongjun in mid-air.
"Today..."
"The Scorching Sword slays the Evil Phoenix!"