Chapter 122: Mu Yue’s Strength
Before long, everyone moved to the Shen family’s martial arena.
Over the past year, although the Rising Stars list had seen occasional changes, shifts within the top thirty ranks were exceedingly rare.
A few days prior, Mu Han, who should have securely held the thirtieth position, was defeated by Qiu Yingying, a young woman who had only recently entered the Rising Stars list within the last year.
Now, having slipped to thirty-first place, Mu Han was being challenged by a woman from the Eastern Domain, which struck many as quite astonishing.
It seemed that this year had not been kind to Mu Han.
Some began to speculate aloud, “Could it be that the men from the Eastern Domain are simply not up to par? Two women have made it onto the Rising Stars list, and now another woman from the Eastern Domain is challenging one of the prodigies. If she succeeds, that will make three.”
“Maybe the men from the Eastern Domain really aren’t cut out for this,” another voice chimed in.
“After all, I’ve never heard of any male prodigy from the Eastern Domain making it onto the Rising Stars list.”
“Truly a place where women outshine men.”
Many started to shift the topic in this direction.
Qing Xi’s face darkened upon hearing these words.
How dare they belittle the men of the Eastern Domain?
It seemed she could no longer afford to stay low-key.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as her gaze settled on the martial arena, eager to see just how much Mu Yue’s strength had improved.
Not far away, Ji Mingshan and Bai Ruyu glanced at Qing Xi with deep apprehension in their eyes.
Others might not know, but they had personally experienced Qing Xi’s formidable prowess.
To them, Qing Xi was deliberately avoiding the Rising Stars list to create the illusion that the Eastern Domain’s men were weak.
Recalling the golden jade robe that had been sold off, Ji Mingshan was convinced that Qing Xi was a deeply scheming individual who liked to play the fool to fool others and must be kept at a distance.
With that thought, Ji Mingshan pulled Bai Ruyu aside and moved to a different spot.
On the martial arena, Mu Han, the seventh son of the Evil Moon Sect, did not hide the aura of his cultivation.
At only twenty-four, possessing such a cultivation level made him one of the top prodigies in the entire Yun Chuan Prefecture.
He had immense potential and great ambition.
Compared to other prodigies, he still had much room to grow.
Mu Han believed that by the time he neared thirty, even if he couldn’t break into the half-step Ling Gang, he would at least reach the pinnacle of the innate Great Perfection stage.
Combined with his formidable skills, he was confident he would then enter the top ten of the Rising Stars list and be hailed as a super prodigy even by the sect leader of the Evil Moon Sect.
Lost in these thoughts, Mu Han laughed heartily, brimming with confidence.
“Little girl, I’ll let you have two moves!”
He had previously claimed he could defeat Mu Yue in three moves; now offering two implicitly meant he could take her down in one.
Everyone present was no fool and could hear the arrogance and pride in his words.
“Such shameless boasting!” scoffed a prodigy from the Purple Dawn Sect, who ranked above Mu Han and was not afraid of any retaliation.
“Hmph, whether it’s fact or empty talk, you’ll find out soon enough,” Mu Han retorted, his eyes flashing with a fearsome light and his powerful aura swirling, showing no sign of relaxation.
As someone who had emerged from thousands of disciples, Mu Han was no empty name.
He unleashed the Evil Moon Sect’s unique bronze-level ultimate technique, “Crimson Moon Slash.”
As Mu Han circulated his true energy, seven crimson moons appeared above his head in succession, radiating a powerful and fierce aura.
“This is the full version of the bronze-level ultimate technique ‘Crimson Moon Slash.’ It is said that each level of mastery adds one more crimson moon. Seven moons multiply the power sevenfold, combining offense and defense. It ranks among the top ten bronze-level ultimate techniques in Yun Chuan Prefecture.”
“Rumor has it Mu Han’s talent is extraordinarily high. To have mastered this ultimate technique at such a young age is truly remarkable. No wonder he is one of the nine sons of the Evil Moon Sect.”
Even the prodigies on the Rising Stars list looked at Mu Han with respect.
However, to everyone’s surprise, Mu Yue’s body began to emit a spiritual light, revealing nine sword energy petals slowly rotating around her like a blooming lotus.
Each petal bore five intricate patterns.
“That’s the bronze-level ultimate technique ‘Thousand Flower Blade’!”
“Legend says this technique ranks among the top ten similar ultimate techniques in Yun Chuan Prefecture and is no weaker than ‘Crimson Moon Slash.’”
“But Mu Yue seems to have only reached the fifth level of mastery. She shouldn’t be able to match Mu Han, right?” some doubted.
“You don’t understand. To master ‘Thousand Flower Blade,’ one must first cultivate sword energy. If there is sword intent as well, the power is greatly amplified. So even at the fifth level, with the enhancement of sword energy and intent, its power is not weaker than the seventh level of ‘Crimson Moon Slash,’” explained a knowledgeable prodigy, enlightening the crowd.
Many cast playful glances at Mu Han.
“This isn’t good!”
Mu Han realized this too, his brow furrowing slightly, but he was not worried.
Even if Mu Yue had comprehended sword intent, he remained calm.
With the dual advantage of his ultimate technique and cultivation level, he believed that even if he couldn’t defeat her in three moves, he would ultimately emerge victorious.
“Make your move!”
Mu Han stood at the center of the arena, forming hand seals.
The seven crimson moons converged, forming a gigantic crimson moon before him.
“Then, forgive me.”
Mu Yue lightly waved her delicate hand, sword intent surging from her body, instantly amplifying the power of the nine sword energy petals, making them sharper.
“Bang!”
The nine petals struck out simultaneously, carrying astonishing penetrating power, causing the red moon to tremble wildly.
The force crashed like a mighty wave, forcing Mu Han to retreat more than ten steps, his entire body trembling violently.
For the sake of face, he forcibly stifled the painful expression threatening to surface and swallowed the blood rising in his throat without a trace.
“Oh my, is she really this strong?”
Mu Han’s heart filled with shock, terror flashing in his eyes.
He hadn’t expected Mu Yue to truly grasp the once-in-a-thousand sword intent.
He felt a twinge of regret and shook his aching arms.
“I’ll give you one more chance.”
With that, he summoned a surge of overwhelming true energy, replenishing the giant crimson moon.
At that moment, Mu Yue flicked her finger, the nine sword energy petals merging into a giant sword’s silhouette, descending with a terrifying aura.
Even the top-ranking prodigies on the Rising Stars list felt immense pressure.
“The ‘Thousand Flower Blade’ can be used like this?”
Mu Han’s heart sank, yet he threw caution to the wind, focusing all his strength to condense the strongest crimson moon as a shield.
But the giant sword silhouette’s power was truly formidable.
It struck down, cleaving the red moon neatly in two.
The explosive force made Mu Han unable to hold back any longer; he spat blood.
“So fierce?”
The crowd gaped in astonishment.
A technique one cultivation level lower than his could still break through Mu Han’s strongest defense.
If they were to fight on equal footing, Mu Han might not even withstand a single blow.
Even Qiu Yingying frowned slightly, feeling considerable pressure.
In a fight at the same level, without deploying the final two levels of her “Ninefold Sword Wave,” she believed she could at best draw even with Mu Yue.
The “Thousand Flower Blade” was an exceptionally unique technique.
Though merely a flawed bronze-level ultimate technique, each sword energy petal possessed immense defensive and penetrating power.
When combined, the nine petals’ might rivaled that of a master-level ultimate technique.