Chapter 780: Phoenix Burn Heaven! Leng Yuexi Wins!

"Oh? When?" Leng Cang was surprised.

"Two months from now, the Martial Arts Academy Exchange Tournament."

Wang Tai replied with a smile, "Xu Jingming will likely represent Lei Ting Martial Arts Academy then."

"You're from the military—what does the academy exchange tournament have to do with you?" Leng Cang asked, puzzled.

"This year's academy exchange tournament is different from last year's—this time, the venue is likely to be the Ye Er Nexus."

Wang Tai replied, "Not just our military—some major families of Great Xia will also send participants."

"The Ye Er Nexus is opening again?" Leng Cang's eyes lit up.

The Ye Er Nexus was first discovered forty years ago by a sixth-rank adept.

After entering, the adept discovered the nexus teemed with rare and exotic flowers and herbs!

The disturbance of its emergence also drew more people to investigate.

Eventually, it even attracted the strongest figures among the Six Titans to compete for control.

But they soon discovered the nexus permitted only adepts below ninth rank to enter.

And each opening lasted only one to two months.

The next opening might be two years away—or three.

Thus, the six strongest figures named it the Ye Er Nexus and agreed to jointly develop it.

Each time the nexus opens, nations organize eighth-rank adepts to enter and harvest the rare flora within.

The format of the academy exchange tournament isn't fixed—choosing a nexus as the venue is normal procedure.

"Correct," Wang Tai nodded.

"Pity I don't have much time left—if I did, I'd go in again."

Leng Cang shook his head.

He had entered the Ye Er Nexus himself—though only once.

That was over a decade ago.

"Don't worry—I'll go for you. If I can find an SSS-grade healing herb, you'll be saved."

Wang Tai said solemnly.

"SSS-grade healing herbs aren't easy to find—even in the Ye Er Nexus."

Shaking his head, Leng Cang gazed ahead at the city: "Enough talk—the match is about to begin."

"Both competitors, prepare yourselves! After pressing the teleport button,"

"you will be randomly teleported to positions at least two kilometers apart within the city ahead!"

As the referee spoke, a teleport button appeared before Leng Yuexi and Qiu Ran simultaneously.

Without hesitation, both pressed it.

Shhh—

Their figures vanished instantly, reappearing within the city ahead.

Simultaneously, two holographic projections appeared on either side, each displaying Leng Yuexi and Qiu Ran within the city.

"If Sister Xi wins the first match, we still have a chance—if she loses, our odds are slim."

Xu Jingming's cold, clear eyes fixed on the holographic projection above.

He had confidence he could defeat Wu Xuan, eighth-rank upper grand master—but even if he won, it wouldn't guarantee victory.

The virtual city spanned over twenty square kilometers, yet to these two powerful adepts, it was negligible.

Just over ten seconds later, they clashed.

Leng Yuexi wielded the Chi Lian Sword, which had two forms.

One was its conventional form, indistinguishable from an ordinary longsword.

The other resembled a whip—supple and razor-sharp.

Her opponent, Qiu Ran, was a reinforcement-type adept wielding a battle blade.

Direct confrontation? He wasn't afraid.

Fire Sparrow Slash!

Brilliant Sun Sword!

Flame Sun Array!

Though Leng Yuexi trained in body tempering and followed the martial path,

she was still the wielder of the S-grade elemental fire ability: "Jiuyou Purple Flame."

Each swing of her blade was wreathed in searing flame.

Like Xu Jingming, she unleashed numerous spell-like combat techniques—though fewer in number.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Waves of heat surged, and the violet flames ignited nearly half the city.

The ground trembled; skyscrapers collapsed.

Qiu Ran, as her opponent, had to constantly maintain his blood defense—or the flames would instantly consume him.

"Whoa, Miss Leng's strength is this powerful?"

"Terrifying! This power rivals most eighth-rank lower-tier adepts!"

Watching Leng Yuexi trade blows evenly with Qiu Ran, the members of the Spirit Fox Guild in the stands were stunned.

They knew Leng Yuexi's S-grade ability made her strong—but not this strong!

Qiu Ran's strength was already considered formidable among eighth-rank lower-tier grand masters!

"Hmm?" Leng Shu's expression darkened.

In his expectation, Qiu Ran should have crushed Leng Yuexi with overwhelming superiority.

"Miss Leng's S-grade ability is powerful, but the key is her physique,"

Wu Xuan, eighth-rank upper grand master, frowned as he analyzed. "She matches Qiu Ran blow-for-blow without yielding.

Her body tempering must have reached an extremely advanced level—but according to our prior data,

Miss Leng's breakthrough should be far weaker than Qiu Ran's."

Yet he didn't know that after absorbing nearly two hundred liters of ninth-rank peak royal beast blood,

Leng Yuexi's physique had reached an astonishing level.

"In direct clashes, Sister Xi is slightly weaker—but it doesn't matter.

Now, we see who endures longer—who lasts longer, wins."

Xu Jingming silently observed the battle.

Both followed the close-combat martial path.

In the nearly half-hour of brutal fighting that followed, not a single intact building remained in the city.

The ground and sky were filled with scorching purple flames and crimson blood energy.

Leng Yuexi and Qiu Ran were both drenched in blood; their conditions had clearly declined since the start.

Yet neither had yet claimed victory.

"Phoenix Burn Heaven!"

Finally, after another ten minutes,

Leng Yuexi stood tall in the center of the city, the Chi Lian Sword coiling around her like a living serpent.

Above her, a phoenix as tall as a small mountain, forged from violet flames, suddenly materialized!

Boom—

The instant the phoenix took shape, flames erupted, radiating temperatures of over ten thousand degrees Celsius.

The air seemed to boil; the ruins around Leng Yuexi melted like ice cream in summer.

Even hardened concrete couldn't withstand such heat.

"Oh? Is this an SSS-grade technique?" Xu Jingming's brows lifted.

This should be decisive.

Indeed, as soon as the phoenix formed, Qiu Ran—already at his limit—could no longer resist.

He was engulfed by flames and perished instantly.

"Qiu Ran is dead. First round, Miss Leng emerges victorious!" the referee announced.

Around them, a wave of gasps erupted.

When had Miss Leng Yuexi become this strong?