plumnovel 74. The Final Showdown
74. The Final Showdown
On the Cliff of Broken Souls, eight days of fierce fighting took place in the arena.
As the reigning champion, Lin Mo had defeated seventeen challengers in succession, including top experts from small and medium-sized sects, as well as assassins secretly supported by powerful families who were trying to weaken him. Although protected by the rule of five matches per day and the time allotted for meditation, the continuous high-intensity battles still left their mark on him. The hem of his blue robe was stained with dark red spots, not entirely from the blood of his enemies, but also from tiny beads of blood seeping from the ruptured capillaries caused by the fluctuations of his own internal energy. Although his breathing remained steady, the subtle fatigue between his brows and eyes could not escape the notice of a true master.
The atmosphere on the viewing platform was extremely tense. Everyone knew that the moment to determine the final outcome was approaching. After paying a heavy price, even losing several carefully trained experts from collateral branches, the aristocratic families were finally about to reveal their last trump card.
Notary Zhou Zhengyang glanced at the sky, then swept his gaze over the perpetually empty main seat in the aristocratic camp, and spoke in a deep voice: "Today's fifth match is also the final challenge of this year's Life and Death Arena. Are there any heroes still wishing to step onto the stage and give it a try?"
His gaze lingered for a moment on the west viewing platform. The representatives of the smaller factions were mostly silent. All their skilled fighters had been defeated; having witnessed Lin Mo's terrifying strength, none dared to step forward easily. Even though Lin Mo showed signs of fatigue, his unfathomable depth was still awe-inspiring.
Just when everyone thought that today would end peacefully and that the story would continue tomorrow, a majestic aura, as powerful as a mountain and as cold as winter, suddenly rose from behind the aristocratic families' camp!
A figure appeared silently in front of the aristocratic families' ranks. The newcomer was around forty years old, with a simple, ancient face and eyes as deep as an ancient well, devoid of any emotion. He wore a black, close-fitting outfit without any superfluous adornments, yet standing there, he seemed to be the center of the entire arena, even the light seemed to bend slightly towards him. A long, sheathed sword hung at his waist; the sheath was dark, its design ancient, exuding a sense of the weight of time.
"It's... Ninth Master Cui!"
"Cui Wei, the foremost martial arts expert of the Cui family in this generation!"
"He actually took action himself!"
A tidal wave of gasps swept across Broken Soul Cliff. Cui Wei—this name represented a legend in the martial world. He wasn't the head of the Cui family, but his martial arts skills were said to have surpassed his brother Cui Yuanhao's. He rarely appeared, usually in seclusion. Rumor had it that his swordsmanship had reached perfection, once splitting a river in two with a single strike, making him a force to be reckoned with throughout the north and south. His appearance signified that the powerful families were willing to use their final force, determined to decide the fate of the world in this battle and reverse their decline!
Cui Yuanhao looked at his younger brother, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes, but mostly a resolute determination. He stood up and, facing Zhou Zhengyang and Lin Mo, announced loudly, "Notary, Champion Lin, the final challenger, Cui Wei of the Cui family!"
The voice wasn't loud, but it contained a powerful confidence and inner strength that made people's eardrums buzz.
A commotion erupted on the west viewing platform; everyone was holding their breath for Lin Mo. Cui Wei's reputation was too great, while Lin Mo had already endured a fierce battle and was not at his peak. With this disparity, the odds of victory seemed to have shifted.
Zhou Zhengyang's expression also became more serious as he looked at Lin Mo on the arena: "Chairman Lin, do you accept the challenge from Cui Wei?"
Lin Mo took a deep breath, the primordial internal energy he had cultivated in his two lifetimes slowly circulating within him, dispelling his physical fatigue, and his eyes regained their sharpness, like those of a hawk. He looked at Cui Wei, and from that calm, unwavering gaze, he felt an unprecedented pressure. This was a true formidable opponent, whose cultivation had probably already touched the threshold of the Innate Realm.
"I couldn't ask for more." Lin Mo's voice was calm, but it carried a fighting spirit that grew stronger with each challenge. He knew that this battle would determine whether the new rules could truly gain a foothold and whether he could completely break the monopoly of the aristocratic families over the canal transport.
Cui Wei nodded slightly, took a step forward, and his figure seemed to merge with the air, appearing on the arena in the next instant, standing ten feet away from Lin Mo. He didn't say anything more, but slowly drew the long sword from his waist. The blade was long and narrow, with a dark color, as if it could absorb the surrounding light, and a cold glint flowed at the edge, making people's hearts tremble.
"This blade is named 'Silence'," Cui Wei's voice was low and hoarse, carrying a peculiar rhythm. "Please."
Before he finished speaking, his aura suddenly changed. His previously restrained presence erupted like a volcanic eruption, instantly enveloping the entire arena and making the air seem thick and viscous. Some people who were closer to the arena even felt their breath catch in their throats and involuntarily took a step back.
Lin Mo's pupils contracted slightly, not daring to be careless in the slightest. The Azure Frost Sword was drawn with a clang, its blade clear as autumn water, its tip trembling slightly and emitting a faint hum. A chilling sword aura spontaneously activated, subtly resisting Cui Wei's heavy, mountain-like blade momentum.
"Clang!"
Without warning, Cui Wei moved. The Annihilation Blade transformed into a black lightning bolt, a simple straight slash, yet it seemed to contain the power to create the world. Wherever the blade passed, the air was torn apart, emitting a piercing shriek! Before the blade even arrived, the extremely refined blade intent had already locked onto Lin Mo, making the hairs on his body stand on end.
Lin Mo used profound footwork, his figure as elusive as a willow catkin, narrowly avoiding the thunderous strike. His Azure Frost Sword followed suit, its light like silk, wrapping around Cui Wei's wrist – the "Entangling Silk Force," a fusion of the essence of swordsmanship from two lifetimes.
With a flick of his wrist, Cui Wei changed the direction of the Annihilation Blade from slashing to cutting, and the blade light spread out in a fan shape, accurately striking the Azure Frost Sword.
"Ding!"
A crisp, metallic clang rang out, sparks flying. Lin Mo felt an overwhelming force surge from the sword, his arm went slightly numb, and he used the momentum to drift back three zhang, dissipating the force. Cui Wei, on the other hand, only swayed slightly before remaining as steady as a mountain.
In their first encounter, the outcome was clear. Lin Mo was indeed slightly inferior to Cui Wei, who had immersed himself in this path for decades, in terms of the sheer power of his internal energy.
"Such powerful internal energy!" someone in the audience exclaimed in surprise.
A hint of surprise flashed in Cui Wei's eyes. Although he hadn't used his full strength in this strike, it still contained eighty percent of his power. If an ordinary expert were to take it head-on, their weapon would have already slipped from their hand. He hadn't expected that Lin Mo would only be knocked back, and his swordsmanship would still be as smooth and free as ever.
"Not bad," Cui Wei praised, launching another attack. The Annihilation Blade Technique was unleashed, the blade light like a black tide, wave after wave, endless and continuous. Each strike was powerful and heavy, with tricky angles, sealing off all of Lin Mo's space to dodge. The blade intent was heavy, carrying an aura of annihilation and the end of all things, constantly impacting Lin Mo's mind.
Lin Mo pushed his movement technique to its limit, weaving through the myriad sword shadows. His Azure Frost Sword was used to point, stab, flick, and smear, showcasing the "speed, accuracy, skill, and softness" to the fullest. He no longer clashed with Cui Wei's internal strength, but instead used exquisite sword techniques to find the subtle flaws in his opponent's swordsmanship, using skill to overcome force.
In an instant, the arena was ablaze with the glint of swords and the clash of blades, the energy surging everywhere. Black blade light and cyan sword energy collided continuously, producing a dense, rain-like clang. The two figures moved so fast that they were just blurry afterimages; those with lower cultivation levels couldn't even see their movements clearly, only feeling the suffocating killing intent.
Although Lin Mo was on the defensive, his defense was impeccable. Having been a top-tier expert in his previous life, his combat experience was incredibly rich, and his insight extremely sharp. While Cui Wei's Annihilation Blade Technique was formidable, it wasn't without flaws. At the very moment his opponent shifted his blade's momentum, Lin Mo would always deliver a sword strike from an unbelievable angle, forcing Cui Wei to retreat and interrupting his relentless attacks.
Fifty moves passed in the blink of an eye. Cui Wei, unable to break through Lin Mo's defenses, frowned slightly. He hadn't expected Lin Mo to be so resilient and possess such exquisite swordsmanship, able to withstand his full force for so long.
"Annihilation Slash!" Cui Wei shouted, his sword aura suddenly changing. The Annihilation Blade was raised high, all the sword intent and internal force instantly gathered and condensed into a single point on the blade. The next moment, a black sword aura, condensed to its extreme and seemingly capable of devouring everything, tore through the sky like a fatal blow from a demon god of the Nine Netherworlds, slashing straight at Lin Mo's head!
This strike was Cui Wei's peak power. Even before the blade's energy arrived, the terrifying pressure caused the railings at the edge of the arena to groan under the strain, and the ground to crack!
Lin Mo sensed a deadly threat, his eyes flashing with fierce determination. He knew he could no longer hold back. His internal energy surged at an unprecedented speed, his martial arts insights from both lifetimes instantly merging into a cohesive whole. He stopped dodging, and the Azure Frost Sword emitted a clear, resonant cry, its blade blazing with a brilliant azure light!
"Poxu!"
With a soft shout, the Azure Frost Sword transformed into a streak of light, thrusting straight towards the destructive black blade energy! This sword strike, seemingly unstoppable, actually had its tip vibrating at an extremely high frequency, containing Lin Mo's understanding of the "Point Breaking the Surface" martial arts principle, and even incorporating a sliver of the spatial laws he had touched in his previous life!
"puff!"
There was no earth-shattering roar, only a muffled sound, as if something had been pierced. The black blade energy, which contained Cui Wei's life's worth of skill, disintegrated and shattered from the inside out the instant it touched the tip of the Azure Frost Sword!
The black blade energy transformed into chaotic air currents that scattered and impacted, carving deep furrows into the arena floor.
Lin Mo's sword, undiminished in its momentum, aimed directly at Cui Wei's chest!
Cui Wei's eyes finally revealed an expression of disbelief and shock! He had never expected that his ultimate move would be broken in such a bizarre way! In haste, he could only hold the Annihilation Blade horizontally in front of his chest.
"clang!"
The sword tip struck the blade, producing a resounding clang like a great bell. A sharp, needle-like sword aura pierced through the blade and drilled directly into Cui Wei's meridians!
"Hmph!" Cui Wei grunted, his face paling. He staggered back seven steps, each step leaving a deep footprint on the hard rock arena, a trickle of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth. His internal energy had been disrupted by that strange sword energy, causing him considerable internal injuries.
Lin Mo was also in bad shape. He forcibly broke through the "Annihilation Slash" and then used all his strength to unleash the "Void Breaking" sword. Almost 70% of his internal energy was consumed, his blood and qi were churning, his right arm holding the sword was trembling slightly, and his tiger's mouth had already cracked, with blood flowing down the hilt of the sword.
The scene froze instantly.
Everyone stared wide-eyed, unable to believe what they were seeing. Cui Wei, the top expert of the Cui family, had actually been repelled by Lin Mo with a single sword strike and was even injured!
Cui Wei steadied himself, staring at the tiny white dot on the blade, then at Lin Mo opposite him, who was panting but whose eyes remained bright. He remained silent for a long time. He could sense that his opponent had held back with that last sword strike; otherwise, the sword energy that pierced through his body would have severely damaged his heart and lungs.
"The younger generation is truly formidable." Cui Wei slowly sheathed his sword, wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, and his voice returned to its previous calm and collected tone. "I lost."
The three words echoed clearly across the silent Broken Soul Cliff.
They lost! Cui Wei of the Cui family conceded defeat in person!
After a brief silence, deafening cheers erupted from the west viewing platform! The sound soared into the sky, as if to completely dispel the gloom of Broken Soul Cliff!
The small and medium-sized sects and independent martial artists were moved to tears. They had witnessed history! A martial artist from a non-aristocratic family had defeated the strongest representative of a family on a stage governed by the rules set by those families, and defended his position as the champion! This signified that the old monopoly had been completely broken, and the new rules had been truly established by Lin Mo's blood and sweat!
Cui Yuanhao and the other representatives of the powerful families sat slumped in their chairs, their faces ashen, as if they had aged ten years in an instant. Cui Wei's defeat meant that their plan to regain control of the Grand Canal had completely failed, and more importantly, it meant that the absolute authority of the powerful families in the martial arts world had been shaken like never before!
Zhou Zhengyang took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, and announced in a loud voice: "Challenger Cui Wei concedes defeat! This year's life-or-death arena is now over! The ultimate winner is the reigning champion—Lin Mo! According to the revised rules, control of the canal transport system belongs to Lin Mo and the forces he represents!"
As the proclamation fell, a new era officially began on this Cliff of Broken Souls, amidst the afterglow of the setting sun and thunderous cheers.