Chapter 57 – Su Xin VS Tu San

When the match list was announced, it immediately stirred up a commotion in the venue.

The first eight matches were nothing special.

But the ninth match...

"Su Xin versus Tu San?"

"So early, and they're already pitted against each other?"

"What kind of arrangement is this from the Crimson Dragon Tower?"

Many people couldn't understand.

In the final stage of the one-on-one duels, the first two rounds, from thirty-six to eighteen, and then eighteen to nine, were arranged by the Crimson Dragon Tower to ensure that the top talents wouldn't face each other too early and get prematurely eliminated.

But now, in just the second round, from eighteen to nine, Su Xin and Tu San were already matched up...

There's no need to say much about Su Xin. With the strength he has shown, among the remaining seventeen talents, probably only Xia Mang is qualified to be his opponent.

And Tu San, though perhaps slightly less powerful than Su Xin, is still one of the top talents in this hunt.

Before the first stage of the hunt began, Tu San was already considered a sure entry into the top ten, and in the second stage, his performance was only second to Su Xin and Xia Mang.

Under normal circumstances, both of them should have made it to the final round of nine and were destined to enter the Heavenflame Palace.

But now, they were meeting prematurely.

"What is His Majesty doing?"

"Is he trying to suppress the Qi Prince's Mansion?"

On the high platform, the two Palace Masters of the Heavenflame Palace looked quite puzzled.

They were sitting right next to the Heavenflame Emperor and naturally saw what had just happened.

They knew that the Crimson Dragon Tower hadn't arranged for Su Xin and Tu San to meet at this point; it was specifically arranged by the Heavenflame Emperor.

...

The second round of matches had already begun.

One by one, the talents stepped forward.

Xia Mang easily defeated his opponent with his domineering and fierce spear skills, not even using his full strength.

Duan Yunfeng's opponent was quite tricky, and for a while, Duan Yunfeng only had a slight advantage, but then he unleashed his ultimate move.

A dazzling, beautiful blood-red light appeared.

With just three strikes, he defeated his opponent.

Soon, eight of the nine matches were completed, leaving only the last one.

This last match was the main event.

...

In the arena, Su Xin stood holding his sword, while opposite him, Tu San stood with a cold expression, his eyes calm like a dead sea, devoid of any emotion.

Tu San held a pair of blood-red claws, his weapon of choice.

"Tu San, from the Qi Prince's Mansion." Su Xin narrowed his eyes slightly.

He had some suspicions about the Qi Prince's Mansion, wondering if they were the ones who had sent the Winged Dragon Guards to attack the Su Family at night.

But it was just a suspicion; he couldn't be sure.

"Show me your strongest power," Su Xin said calmly, with absolute confidence in his voice.

He indeed had that confidence.

Before his cultivation breakthrough, he would have had to go all out and use every trick to possibly defeat Tu San.

But after his breakthrough, his strength had surged, and Tu San was no longer much of a threat to him.

Tu San didn't speak, but his figure had already darted out.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Streams of light flashed continuously; Tu San's movements were incredibly fast and bizarre, leaving afterimages around him.

"What speed!"

"Such a strange technique!"

Exclamations erupted from the audience.

Swish!

A blood-red stream of light suddenly appeared beside Su Xin, striking at his throat like lightning.

Su Xin glanced sideways, swinging his sword, and with a clang, the blood-red stream of light was dispersed.

Tu San erupted, swinging his claws.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!~~

Blood-red streams of light swept out continuously.

Each stream was fast, precise, and vicious, with angles that were extremely tricky.

Tu San pushed his movement technique to the limit, launching frenzied attacks. To the surrounding spectators, only the rapidly sweeping blood-red streams of light were visible; Tu San's figure was impossible to catch.

Amidst this storm of claw attacks, Su Xin remained calm, like a rock firmly rooted to the ground. His sword moved with the intent of the Mountain-Sea, blocking each blood-red stream head-on, his feet not moving an inch.

"This is Su Xin's defensive swordsmanship!"

"The undisputed best defense in this hunt!"

"This swordsmanship is flawless. Tu San's technique is so bizarre and fast, yet he can't do anything against it."

Countless people marveled.

They had heard from the Crimson Dragon Tower's intelligence that Su Xin's defensive swordsmanship was the best in this hunt.

They had only heard of it before, but now they were witnessing it firsthand.

Swish! Swish!

The blood-red streams of light attacking continuously grew faster and more powerful.

Each one was as fast as lightning.

Each one carried tremendous force.

Like the claws of a peerless beast.

Yet Su Xin remained as steady as a mountain.

Boom!

The sword's momentum changed, and a violent force erupted, immediately pushing Tu San back.

"Tu San, is this your strongest power?" Su Xin coldly stared at Tu San.

Tu San's face was like iron, showing no response.

Su Xin didn't want to waste more time with Tu San. His figure flickered, and he took the initiative to attack.

His sword swung with an indescribable ferocity.

The air became scorching, the sword intent surged, stirring up waves of heat.

The entire arena seemed to be engulfed in a sea of fire.

The endless waves of sword intent, carrying a thunderous force, pressed down on Tu San.

Tu San relied on his movement technique and speed to try to entangle with Su Xin, but under the guidance of the sword's momentum, the terrifying force surged from all directions, converging on him.

This was Su Xin's mastery of the Thunderfire Volume, guiding and controlling the 'Thunderfire Momentum' to a greater extent.

Tu San's movement technique couldn't be fully executed, and he could only struggle to defend.

But in this struggle, the difference in their power became evident.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

After several collisions, each time, Tu San was directly pushed back.

After several times, he was already seriously injured.

"Still not giving up?" Su Xin frowned.

Anyone with eyes could see that Tu San had no chance.

The gap in strength was very clear.

Normally, in such a situation, one would choose to concede rather than continue to be beaten.

But Tu San remained silent, his expression unchanged, barely holding on under Su Xin's attacks.

"Hmph!"

Su Xin snorted coldly, increasing the power in his swordsmanship.

Boom!

Another forceful attack, Tu San swung his claws to block, but his figure was once again sent flying.

As he was sent flying, he couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of hot blood.

Su Xin didn't intend to continue entangling with him. After sending him flying, he took a quick step forward, and a strikingly cold sword light suddenly appeared.

Phantom Volume, First Form, Dark Light!

This sword was incredibly fast, and Tu San, in the midst of being knocked back, couldn't defend against it.

In a real fight, Su Xin could have killed him with this sword.

But since it was just a hunting duel, Su Xin couldn't kill. As the sword light was about to touch Tu San's body, he changed its direction.

Originally, this sword could have severed Tu San's head, but now it only left a slight sword mark on his shoulder.

Swish!

As Tu San steadied himself, he suddenly took a step forward, swinging his right hand.

He didn't swing his claws, but from beneath his sleeve, a black light shot out.

This black light was a sharp half-foot-long black needle.

"Despicable!"

"This..."

Exclamations erupted from the audience.

Too fast.

Too sudden.

No one expected Tu San to have this hidden move.

Especially after Su Xin had clearly held back, and at such close range.

The black needle, with its terrifyingly cold tip, shot straight at Su Xin's head.

Tu San's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes, like a dead sea, burst with a murderous intent.

"The prince's order, Su Xin, must die!"

In Tu San's mind, there was only the order from the prince.

The sudden crisis made Su Xin's expression change.

However... having once been assassinated, nearly losing his life, that experience had taught him a profound lesson.

At all times, with anyone, he remained slightly on guard.

Though Tu San's move was sudden, and the black light indeed fast, Su Xin reacted as soon as he sensed it.

Su Xin didn't swing his sword; there wasn't time. But around his body, strands of sword shadows solidified.

Around Su Xin's body, it was as if a layer of sword intent defense had appeared out of nowhere.

"Mountain-Sea Domain!!"

"Mastering the Mountain-Sea Volume to perfection, pushing the sword intent to solidify, forming a sword intent domain!"

On the high platform, the two Palace Masters of the Heavenflame Palace were shocked.

Palace Master Diyue even stood up, exclaiming, "How is this possible? Didn't he just master the Mountain-Sea Volume to perfection in the second stage of the hunt? How could he form the Mountain-Sea Domain so quickly?"

Mastering the Mountain-Sea Volume to perfection allows the use of the 'Mountain-Sea Domain.'

But truly mastering the 'Mountain-Sea Domain' requires time to study and comprehend.

Normally, it takes several months.

But Su Xin?

From the end of the second stage to now, it's only been three days, right?

In just three days, he mastered it?

"This swordsmanship talent is simply unbelievable!"

Palace Master Diyue's heart couldn't calm down.

The Mountain-Sea Domain is a sword intent protective domain.

The cold, terrifying black needle struck the Mountain-Sea Domain but couldn't penetrate it, instead being deflected to the ground.

The needlehead pierced the ground, instantly sizzling as if boiling water had been poured on snow.

The ground began to dissolve at a terrifying speed, and in an instant, a huge pit appeared out of nowhere.

"Poison!"

"That needlehead is poisoned!!"

The tens of thousands of spectators, along with the top experts and nobles on the high platform, all changed their expressions.

In an instant, the ground dissolved.

Such terrifying poison, if it touched a person's body...

If Su Xin hadn't used the Mountain-Sea Domain to block the needle, if it had pierced his body, even just breaking the skin...

"You, seek death!!"

Su Xin's heart was filled with anger and endless killing intent.

His cold eyes, like the gaze of death, locked onto Tu San in front of him.

...