C73 A Win Easily

"Impossible, how can he be this strong?"

Qing Tiangan was in shock. It was merely a probing move, yet he was struck so fiercely he couldn't even muster a counterattack!

His armor echoed with the heavy thuds of each hit.

Without this armor, he would've been out of the fight long ago.

Each blow was dampened by the armor, significantly reducing the force. By the time it reached him, the power had diminished to barely fifty or sixty percent. Despite this, a sweet taste lingered in his throat, accompanied by the rising tang of blood.

"Strength isn't just something you claim with words."

Lee Yu seized an opening and hammered a blow onto Qing Tiangan's chest plate, sending him flying.

The light screen captured the moment, and the crowd in the arena erupted into astonishment as they witnessed the scene unfold.

"Can it be real? Is the Thunder Bloodline truly that formidable?"

"I've been watching this match the entire time. Trust me, it's impressive. He's been completely dominating Qing Tiangan."

"I believe Qing Tiangan just got caught off guard. He's about to turn the tables!"

During the match, Qing Tiangan erupted with a surge of potent spiritual energy, momentarily pushing Lee Yu back.

"Brute force is trivial. As Divine Dao cultivators, we value spiritual energy!" Qing Tiangan, gasping for air, bellowed.

"But..."

With an agile somersault, Lee Yu easily sidestepped the blast of energy and reminded him, "I'm a Sixth Grade cultivator, and you're Seventh Grade."

He also possessed thunder attribute spiritual energy, not something ordinary cultivators of the same level could match.

The atmosphere turned tense.

Qing Tiangan's mouth moved, but no words came out.

He was familiar with Lee Yu's dossier and had seen his rapid ascent from a mortal to Sixth Grade in just a few months. This alone spoke volumes of Lee Yu's frightening aptitude for cultivation.

It dawned on Qing Tiangan that his hope for victory lay in leveraging his military training and close-combat skills. His original plan was to dodge the brunt of the attacks. Knowing his cultivation level was lower, he'd planned to rely on his reflexes, which was precisely why he had engaged in close-quarters combat.

He never expected that an ordinary person could not only reach the Sixth Grade in just a few months but also find time to master martial arts manuals. Was there really that much time to spare?

Qing Tiangan wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and declared, "I refuse to believe that in such a short time, you've had enough time to also become adept at the secret manuals!"

The effect of channeling spiritual energy through specific meridians was undoubtedly exponential.

With a flick of his wrist, his broadsword was enveloped in a green glow, its edge as sharp as thorns.

On the sidelines, two judges, both Fifth Grade cultivators, exchanged a look, their expressions revealing their bemusement.

They had a unique perspective; having once been Lee Yu's instructors, they intimately understood his proficiency with the secret manuals and held authoritative opinions on the matter.

While teaching Lee Yu, they couldn't shake the feeling that he was a monster disguised as a human, given his incredibly rapid learning pace. It seemed he could master a technique after a single demonstration and application!

"Ever since I started training with the saber, I've practiced three hundred swings daily," Qing Tiangan said with a grave tone, fixing his gaze on Lee Yu. "If you can withstand this blow, I'll concede defeat."

If Lee Yu could withstand this blow, Qing Tiangan had no other techniques left to fall back on.

As a cultivator of the Divine Path, his status was not insignificant. He had trained in various martial arts manuals from before reaching the Sixth Grade and had honed his body as well. But ultimately, his physical strength was derived from spiritual energy. Compared to Lee Yu, his sole advantage might be the years he spent battling between life and death in the military.

Without that, he had nothing left!

"Come at me!"

Lee Yu squared off with equal seriousness. He neither underestimated his opponent nor himself. Opening his palm, lightning flickered within, and finally, a long sword formed from the thunder attribute spiritual energy materialized.

Ultimately, Qing Tiangan's animosity stemmed from Lee Yu taking the 'seed' status that he might have obtained. Lee Yu had no intention of relinquishing his position, but he was prepared to face any resentment that came with it.

So, if Qing Tiangan was eager for a single-strike showdown, he was more than ready to oblige.

"Check out the purple stage—it's about to go down!"

"Qing Tiangan's about to unleash his secret weapon. Looks like Lee Yu is ready to settle this with one decisive move!"

"Who's going to win?"

"Who am I, a fortune-teller?"

Spectators at the martial arena were on edge as they watched the purple stage intently. One was an elder's son who had left the clan years ago, disgruntled at not being named a seed and seeking to hone his skills in the outside world.

The other was Lee Yu, a newcomer who had arrived out of nowhere and was instantly made a seed contender without any prior merits.

The clash between them was inevitable, a battle over the coveted 'seed' status. So, who would emerge victorious?

Many from the Qing clan were drawn to the spectacle, including Qing Heng, who was fixated on the light screen.

"A sword formed from released spiritual energy... Such purity. Is he on the verge of breaking through to the Fifth Grade?" Qing Heng pondered.

On the stage.

"Here I come!"

Qing Tiangan, dragging his large blade, picked up speed, leaving a trail of afterimages in a burst of green light as he swung his blade down fiercely.

But in the next instant, his body came to an abrupt halt.

Lee Yu hadn't moved an inch. With a slight bend of his body, his long sword effortlessly pierced through the armor, protruding from Qing Tiangan's back.

On the screen, it appeared as though Lee Yu had simply positioned himself and Qing Tiangan had run straight into the blade.

"Lee Yu wins!"

The judges, muscles coiled tight, appeared at the stage's edge at Lee Yu's signal. After assessing Qing Tiangan's wounds, they declared the victor.

"You're quite impressive!" one judge commended.

That sword strike could have easily shattered Qing Tiangan's armor and slit his throat.

Yet, Lee Yu's strike was calibrated to incapacitate, causing minimal bleeding and avoiding any critical injury.

The judge, an associate of the Third Elder, recognized Lee Yu's intentional restraint, which significantly boosted his esteem for the fighter.

"Truly impressive!" the Third Elder remarked. He had tensed up seeing the sword pierce through, but the judge remained calm, confident there was no grave harm done.

He turned to the middle-aged man beside him, eyes ablaze with intensity.

"A genius beyond anyone in the Qing's! And he's only been cultivating for a few months!"

Qing Heng nodded with equal satisfaction. "He just defeated his opponent by exploiting a weakness in the Heavenly Handle. Truly, he's a genius in every respect!"

His vision was exceptional, instantly discerning Lee Yu's attack strategy.

Merely cultivating was pointless. With a high-grade bloodline, one only needed to sit and absorb spiritual energy, stacking spiritual items endlessly. Who wouldn't be able to advance in their cultivation?

For the Qing's, those who could both cultivate and fight held much greater value. This wasn't just the case for Lee Yu; even the Qing's own progeny were raised under this doctrine.

With over a million in the Qing's clan and just seven 'seed' positions, the number of individuals with high-grade bloodlines exceeded a mere handful.

The scarcity of resources was what spurred the clan's competitive spirit. If everyone received cultivation resources, who would truly value them?

As the light screen around the purple stage faded away, Qing Heng's attention shifted to the green stage, his gaze turning icy.