Chapter 269: Cold Fragrance

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

The rest period ends.

Talented youths from all corners and various forces gathered in the Ziwei Star Domain; the third round of the Genius War's Heavenly Realm Contention War is about to begin.

Even the eliminated geniuses, most of them, rush here with enthusiasm, hoping to witness the birth of the strongest of their era.

"When the third round ends, we can enter the Ancient Ruins, right?"

"Nine immortal statues, nine paths to Immortality, have guided countless cultivators across heaven and earth and buried countless living beings."

Lin Chuan's thoughts swirled.

Guided by the Spirit of the Sphere of All Beings, a new Yun Tai Kong Jian formed.

"Welcome, cultivators, to participate in the third round of the Three Thousand States Genius War, the Heavenly Realm Contention War."

"The nine slots that will ultimately allow entry into the Ancient Ruins to behold the immortal statues will be decided here; they will be the brightest new stars of this era."

"They will also become the pillar that upholds the future Nine-phase World."

"I announce!"

"This edition of the Heavenly Realm Contention War is officially opened!"

"The opening match will pit free cultivator Lin Chuan of Qingyun Prefecture against the Bi Luo Yuan cultivator Leng Fang of Qingzhou."

Lin Chuan ranked first in the Second Realm, and he also opened the inaugural match.

The Law Power of the Sphere of All Beings enveloped the two, and Lin Chuan and Leng Fang were simultaneously transported into an entirely new micro‑world.

"Eh?"

"Has this Leng Fang also stepped into the legendary Second Realm?"

"Does the pressure of the Three Thousand States Genius War have such a tempering effect?"

Bai Li Ming and the other super geniuses are only at this level; in the eyes of many cultivators, the likes of Leng Fang are merely second‑tier geniuses.

At the highest Yun Tai.

The Guardians' gazes converged on Leng Fang.

"Cold Fairy, the geniuses of your Bi Luo Yuan this cohort are all impressive; it seems they've gained many insights from the first two rounds of competition."

"They all broke through during the three‑month rest period."

"It seems the little girl Nan Gong Yana has also grown considerably stronger."

A Guardian from the Purple Star Emperor Sect smiled and said.

"Unexpected."

The Guardian dubbed 'Cold Fairy' kept a normal expression, "But for Leng Fang to beat Lin Chuan is still very difficult."

Lin Chuan's strength is universally recognized by the Guardians as the pinnacle of this edition's Genius War.

All other geniuses before him assume the posture of 'Challenger'.

The only one with a chance to stand shoulder‑to‑shoulder with Lin Chuan is Bai Li Ming.

"Upsets happen every year, huh?"

One Guardian laughed, "In a desperate situation, the potential of living beings to erupt is unimaginable; perhaps the little girl Leng Fang could overturn Lin Chuan."

The other Guardians smiled silently.

Upset? Overturn?

That probability is far too low.

With such a vast gap between them, how many years would it take for a similar event to occur?

If it truly happened, one could only say Lin Chuan is extremely unlucky.

If one is defeated by 'the weak overcoming the strong' in the very first match of the arena, they are doomed never to become the top Heavenly Pride.

"Just watch and you'll see."

The Guardians' gazes turned toward the interior of the micro‑world.

The Spatial Law restraints on Lin Chuan and Leng Fang were slowly lifting, and the battle was about to commence.

Staring at his opponent, Lin Chuan slightly furrowed his brows; on the other side, he sensed a strange odor.

"Somewhat familiar—why?"

"Could it be that I once crossed paths with a woman from Bi Luo Yuan?"

"Or perhaps some secret technique of Bi Luo Yuan caused it?"

In his thoughts, Leng Fang was already charging, her body turning into a stream of light, leaving countless afterimages across heaven and earth; she moved to the extreme, even the space itself warped.

"Immediately ramping up the intensity?"

Lin Chuan did not activate the Burial Spirit Domain; instead, he summoned the CloudHeart Sword.

Swoosh!

A flash of icy blue light shot out of the space, striking Lin Chuan's back.

"Too slow."

Lin Chuan smiled faintly; his divine sense had already perceived it, and with a turning sword arc he shattered the incoming icy blue light.

"Disgusting man."

A cold voice rang out as several streams of light attacked again.

Lin Chuan was momentarily stunned.

How did it even elevate to a mental attack?

What did I do wrong?

Or perhaps... it's because of Bi Luo Yuan's unique culture?

Swish!

The sword light slashed again, Lin Chuan closed his eyes, sensing the surge of flowing light and the constantly shifting space.

"I've found you."

"Soul Sword! Sword Twenty‑Three!"

In an instant, the sword‑wielding spirit emerged from Lin Chuan's body, then with a flash appeared before a stream of light, and the Soul Sword slashed down fiercely.

"Puff!"

Fresh blood spurted, Leng Fang's body rolled out of the hidden space, unscathed, yet blood gushed from the seven orifices.

Lin Chuan smiled, "You don't seem very clean either; you even look dirty to me."

"You!"

Leng Fang's eyes turned blood‑red, his face snarling.

Lin Chuan's remark was, first, a retort to Leng Fang's earlier "disgusting", and second, a notice of an anomaly he sensed when he wielded the Soul Sword.

Leng Fang's spirit seemed different from that of ordinary cultivators.

But he could not discern much about its nature.

"Disgusting! I'm going to kill you!"

Ice frosted Leng Fang's body, halting the wounds; his fingers frantically tapped the air, firing countless fine blue streams of light.

"Even the wounds on the spirit can be stopped?"

"You still dare to employ Divine Power Secret Art like this; aren't you afraid your foundation will be damaged?"

"Are all the women of the Azure Abyss this maddened?"

Lin Chuan was astonished.

If Leng Fang were a normal person, he could have seen through the illusion in their recent clash; the opponent could never have taken victory from him.

Damaging his foundation for that?

That would be far too unworthy.

Even a 'man‑hater' need not go to such lengths, right?

"Fine, I'll let you go."

Lin Chuan grasped the sword with one hand, lifted it lightly, and let a blade fall; a black sword arc swept through space like a rolling sea wave.

This was a sword technique he forged by combining the Burial Spirit Domain.

It remains unnamed for now.

Infused with Underworld Power, the blade can strike the Physical Body and also corrupt the spirit.

The frenzied Leng Fang was hit again.

Just when Lin Chuan thought it was over, the soul sliced by the Underworld sword arc—and whose Dao body had also suffered severe damage—Leng Fang's speed suddenly spiked, and he lunged straight at Lin Chuan.

Buzz!

Heaven and earth froze instantly, and even the air was covered with frost.

Leng Fang turned completely into an ice man; a sharp ice spear, bearing a temperature that freezes everything, thrust fiercely toward Lin Chuan's brow.

The tip of the ice spear seemed to have a hint of black.

In that instant, Lin Chuan sensed an extremely dangerous aura.

"Burial Spirit Domain!"

A black sea of spirit energy unfurled beneath his feet in an instant, and a Ku Gu arm suddenly emerged in the space, forcibly grasping the ice spear.

At the same time, Lin Chuan held nothing back.

A sword that summoned the Yellow Springs Void Shadow slashed fiercely across Leng Fang's head.

Clang!

The blade was blocked by the law of the Sphere of All Beings.

The Yellow Springs Void Shadow, however, pierced Leng Fang's spirit outright; the frost on her body quickly dissipated, and her Dao body crashed to the ground.

In the next moment, the power of space enveloped Lin Chuan and Leng Fang's Physical Body.

Both were teleported back to Yun Tai.

The scene still echoed in Lin Chuan's mind.

"How strange."

"What on earth is happening?"