Chapter 196: The Onslaught of the Sword Dragon

It was unmistakably the silent Sword Flow.

Yet, under two distinctly different releases, the dense sword rain converged into a raging blade dragon, barreling relentlessly toward the charging Third-Stage fighter. The interweaving sword flows erupted in a cacophony, whipping up a sudden, oppressive storm across the platform.

Meanwhile, two silver, white streams hidden within the sword dragon carried lethal intent as they arced across the battlefield, silently closing in on Zhang Yang at the rear.

There was no time to react.

The nine charging forward looked on in despair at the torrent of sword flows crashing down.

It was over!

No escape! No block!

Even if they turned around now, there’d be no time to dodge this death storm that enveloped almost the entire duel stage!

Even though the attack hadn’t yet struck, everyone realized that a super sword technique forged from thousands of sword flows was simply something their strength couldn’t counter. Even mid-level Third-Stagers were as fragile as paper—let alone these newly promoted fighters!

“How can the gap be so vast?! Weren’t we all just promoted to Third-Stage?!”

In their final moments, regret and bitterness seemed almost tangible.

If any one of them managed to survive, they’d surely curse Zhang Meng and the higher-ups behind him in no uncertain terms.

“Fraud! This is nothing but a death trap! Protection? Energy drain? It’s all a lie!”

It was nothing short of a death sentence!

Yet, no matter how desperate or shocked they were, within 0.1 seconds the sword dragon charged like a raging beast, shattering the nearest few into a shower of blood.

As if devouring them, the endless sword flow effortlessly tore through their spirit energy, dissolving flesh and blood together.

Ruthless. Gruesome.

Time seemed to skip frames.

With every challenger falling without resistance, the massive sword dragon instantly became streaked with blood.

Simultaneously, every face in the arena changed; many Third-Stage fighters sprang up in disbelief at the scene unfolding before them.

Just moments ago, they were debating how many seconds Yenir could last.

But they never expected reality to hit so hard.

Damn it…

Sure, the battle could have ended in seconds—but it was Zhang Yang’s side that would be obliterated! This wasn’t a hard-fought duel; it was a one-sided massacre!

Over on the other side, Lu Wanzhou was struck with profound horror.

His shock far exceeded that of the other spectators.

Honestly, he was almost so startled he could have cried out.

What kind of abnormal power is this?!

Had he not seen with his own eyes that the sword flow was summoned by Yenir, he’d have thought he was witnessing a battle between mid-level Third-Stage combatants!

Not only him—the three advanced Third-Stage Awakener fighters trailing behind Yenir stiffened instantly. Though they wanted to rush in and save Zhang Yang, at that moment all they could do was watch as the challengers fell.

There was nothing to be done; there simply wasn’t enough time.

It was all too fast—the sword technique erupted in an instant.

Anyone witnessing such a scene would be stunned. By the time they reacted, the three discovered, to their dismay, that they were already too late to stop Yenir!

It wasn’t that they were weak or incompetent.

They had simply devoted every thought to Yenir once the duel began, terrified of any harm befalling him.

They never even considered that the true danger was on Zhang Yang’s side! The bold Yenir struck suddenly, catching them utterly off guard!

This kid’s sword technique activated in a flash! Without any sign of defense, the moment the sword dragon materialized, they realized the severity of the situation!

The speed was shocking, but that was only part of it…

In their perception, there wasn’t a split-second pause between each successive sword attack—it completely shattered their understanding. Normally, every skill has its cooldown, and the more powerful it is, the longer the interval.

But that rule was utterly broken in Yenir’s case!

No matter how rich their battle experience, they’d never seen anything like this.

Moreover, aside from its terrifying speed, the sheer force unleashed by Yenir’s attack left even them visibly shaken.

In their haste, even a single misjudged move could result in injury!

Unbelievable—it defied all expectations!

Damn, is this even basic Third-Stage? Even seasoned mid-level fighters would struggle to reach such heights!

At that thought, the three silently cursed in unison.

But curses aside, their lightning-fast reactions forced them to dash right in front of Zhang Yang.

It had come to this—the remaining cannon fodder was already gone; if Zhang Yang fell too, the consequences would be disastrous…

Especially since it would be an utter humiliation…

If Yenir could eliminate everyone in front of him in one strike, the three might as well hang themselves…

The judges—what a farce… they were practically just bystanders now.

Standing there, Yenir paid no heed to the horrified expressions around him. Watching the three judges rush toward Zhang Yang to intercept his attack, he merely sneered inwardly.

Just as expected—if he intended to kill someone, Lu Wanzhou and the others would surely intervene.

Knowing this, he skipped even warming up and unleashed four rapid sword techniques in one breath, willing his spirit energy to deplete if necessary to finish them off.

He wasn’t after a hard-won victory—even single-handedly defeating ten people was legendary—but for Yenir, that meant nothing.

He craved an all-out display that would stun everyone, forcing every high-up in the Huaxia Battle Zone to recognize the true extent of his talent!

Potential? No!

I am strong right now!

Boom!!

He activated his Spirit Shield.

The three advanced Awakener fighters who rushed to Zhang Yang’s side quickly summoned their abilities, forming a massive shield in front of him.

The sword flow collided continuously with it, sending ripples of force outward.

Beneath the mighty spirit shield, the sword dragon could only emit a mournful wail as it gradually dissipated.

Seeing that they had finally saved Zhang Yang, a collective sigh of relief swept through the trio.

That was too close—it had nearly turned them into a laughingstock.

Although Yenir’s damage was admittedly overwhelming, the sheer gap in strength meant they could easily block the subsequent attacks.

Cowering behind them, Zhang Yang—who had once brimmed with fighting spirit—snapped back to reality. Gazing at the fallen Third-Stagers around him, he trembled like a frightened child.

Only then did he truly grasp how vast the gap between him and Yenir really was.

Had he charged even a bit faster, had the three judges reacted quicker…

He’d probably be nothing more than a mangled corpse by now!

“Help me!”

“Sir! Please help me!!!”

“I’m done—I’m done!!!”

Completely petrified, Zhang Yang’s voice trembled with near-tears, oblivious to how disgraceful it made him sound.

All he wanted was to live—nothing else mattered! He vowed that once he stepped down, he’d avoid Yenir at all costs. He never wanted to see that young man again!

“It’s alright…”

However, just as Lu Wanzhou’s grim expression was about to declare the end of the duel and name Yenir the victor,

two abrupt, hidden killing moves seemed to materialize out of nowhere, bypassing their defensive field.

Their pupils constricted sharply.

No—

Two more attacks had slipped past their senses!

Feeling the sudden surge and explosion of two sword energies, the three judges shuddered all over.

But as they tried to turn around, all three froze mid-step and only managed a bitter inward smile.

It was all too late.

Not for any other reason—because they had already heard the sound of flesh being sliced.

That sound came from behind them…

Zhang Yang was already dead…

….

Standing there, Yenir let out a light laugh before slowly retracting his twin swords back into their scabbards.

He had counted on the cannon fodder absorbing the first wave of the Sword Storm, trusting that Lu Wanzhou and his team would block the remaining attacks.

But it was precisely for that reason that he silently activated his Sky Rift Radiance.

Thanks to the stealth properties of Sky Rift Radiance, even the advanced Third-Stagers failed to notice anything amiss.

He had already adjusted his angle—in Yenir’s hands, two cunning streams of Sky Rift Radiance were all it took to eliminate Zhang Yang at the rear in seconds.

He didn’t allow Sky Rift Radiance to burst alongside the Sword Flow; instead, he let it silently glide along the duel stage, delivering a fatal blow the moment Zhang Yang believed he had survived.

By the looks of it, the result was disturbingly effective.

Thud.

As Zhang Yang’s body, severed into four pieces, gently fell to the ground, an anguished roar of despair erupted through the silent arena.

“No!!”

“Yang’er!!!”

Overwhelmed with uncontrollable rage, Zhang Meng stared at Zhang Yang’s corpse on stage, his fury shattering his sanity.

With eyes bloodshot and a voice choked with grief and anger, he charged straight at Yenir, shouting, “You little bastard! I want you dead!!”