The malevolent energy intensified, growing in volume.
The entire green lotus was enveloped by layers of this malevolent energy.
The azure light desperately tried to break through, but as Ren Gu attacked relentlessly, the malevolent energy grew faster and faster.
The red color was on the verge of consuming her entire Sea of Consciousness.
A sharp pain pulsed through her Sea of Consciousness, wave after wave.
For anyone else, being affected by malevolent energy would directly lead to a dazed spirit, followed by an opening in their defenses.
However.
Li Shuang was different.
The Rebirth Art she cultivated, in terms of spiritual cultivation level, far surpassed this malevolent energy.
Though the malevolent energy was greater in quantity during their confrontation, the green lotus would never yield.
Li Shuang's choice was not to be subtly influenced.
It was to resist!
To resist fiercely!
To charge wildly!
This mere malevolent energy, does it truly wish to suppress my Sea of Consciousness?
Dream on!
Never!
Within her Sea of Consciousness, the green lotus was provoked into anger, and the ethereal image of the green lotus began to slowly rotate.
As the green lotus fought back desperately, the pain in her Sea of Consciousness grew more intense.
This kind of pain was enough to drive anyone mad.
Yet, Li Shuang's expression remained as calm as ice!
Her footwork was still exquisite, her responses still flawless.
It was as if she hadn't been affected in the slightest!
"Li Shuang, I'd like to see where else you can run!" Ren Gu sneered, suddenly pushing the hilt of his saber. The blade, carrying a golden glow, thrust forward like lightning.
In an instant.
Li Shuang's sword domain was pierced by the massive saber light, and the sword domain shattered completely, like melting ice and snow.
"I admit, you are very talented." Ren Gu's expression was sinister. "But in the face of absolute power, talent is useless!"
No matter how brilliant a genius she was, today, he would ensure Li Shuang's path to immortal cultivation was utterly severed.
With her sword domain shattered, Ren Gu flew forward, gripping his long saber, and turned to strike down at Li Shuang.
Lin Qingling's heart tightened abruptly. Li Shuang's spiritual power was simply too meager compared to Ren Gu's.
Her footwork was indeed exquisite.
But.
Exquisite footwork also consumed a vast amount of spiritual power.
After only three consecutive dodges, Li Shuang, who was in the middle stage of the Golden Core realm, had already expended nearly half of her spiritual power.
Although the Grand Dao of Emotionless Art was constantly operating, enhancing her ability for sustained combat, the disparity in power levels between the two sides in this battle was too great. The replenished spiritual power simply couldn't keep up with the consumption.
If she continued to dodge like this.
In a few more instances, Li Shuang's spiritual power would be completely depleted.
At that point, she would be nothing more than a fish on a chopping block.
Lin Qingling's heart grew slightly anxious.
She knew Li Shuang wasn't impulsive, but in the current situation, she couldn't see where Li Shuang's chance of victory lay.
Li Shuang executed her footwork, dodging another attack, further depleting her spiritual power.
"Come on, come on, keep dodging." Ren Gu grinned menacingly, pursuing her without hesitation.
Yan Zhonghe smiled.
He had long since stopped bothering to look at Xin He and Wu Lingchuan.
But his eldest disciple would surely not disappoint him.
He would reclaim all the face that the Overlord Saber Sect had lost!
He knew very well how much Meng Yifei valued Li Shuang.
But now.
No amount of valuing would help.
It was Li Shuang's foolishness to agree to such terms herself.
The so-called genius!
Would soon become utterly useless!
Ren Gu charged again.
Li Shuang's expression was exceptionally calm. She suddenly spoke loudly, "Elder Ling, are you watching?"
Elder Ling?
The entire arena fell silent for a moment.
A hint of doubt flickered in everyone's eyes.
There was only one Elder Ling in the Sword Sect, the elder who guarded the Treasure Pavilion.
The crucial point was.
At this moment, why was Li Shuang suddenly mentioning him?
Yan Zhonghe couldn't help but laugh. "This Li Shuang is quite interesting. Is she seeking help, knowing she's bound to lose? Are you suggesting this Elder Ling of yours will forcibly intervene?"
Meng Yifei didn't speak, a flicker of doubt in his eyes.
After a brief silence.
Elder Ling's voice came from the void.
"Yes."
Her voice was distant and cold, carrying an extreme chill.
A smile appeared on Li Shuang's face. "Elder Ling, do you remember what I once promised you?"
Everyone else was puzzled.
At the entrance of the library, Elder Ling's face, however, showed a subtle expression.
She calmly made the last stitch.
Then.
A hawk flew out from her embroidered handkerchief.
In just an instant, the hawk arrived at the training ground.
"The eye of the hawk is my eye," Elder Ling's voice emanated from the hawk.
Li Shuang nodded. "This disciple understands."
Ren Gu's expression grew even more ferocious. "At a time like this, Li Shuang, you still have the mind to be distracted!"
"Gather Malevolence! First Form of the Heaven-Slaying Saber!"
Red malevolent energy swirled, as if a bloody scent permeated the arena.
The green lotus spun faster and faster. The stinging pain in her Sea of Consciousness grew sharper.
Yet, Li Shuang seemed to notice nothing.
Li Shuang tightly gripped the Black Abyss Sword. She no longer dodged, pouring all her remaining spiritual power into the dim, unremarkable stone on the Black Abyss Sword.
This stone had originally been ordinary, showing no abnormalities.
But the moment Li Shuang's spiritual power infused it, a golden light shot up into the sky.
A hint of anticipation flashed in Elder Ling's eyes.
This stone... was the Hidden Dragon Stone that Li Shuang had taken that day!
The Hidden Dragon Stone was a sixth-grade treasure.
And the Black Abyss Sword, at this moment, could barely be considered fourth-grade.
Could a fourth-grade treasured sword actually bear the power of a sixth-grade item?
Was a sword spirit with purple compatibility truly extraordinary?
No, it wasn't just compatibility.
If that were all, bearing the power of a sixth-grade item would still be too difficult.
Unless...
Li Shuang had other tricks up her sleeve.
The hawk's eyes were fixed on the arena.
The moment the saber light fell.
The Hidden Dragon Stone was also activated, and then, to everyone's astonished gaze.
The sword spirit, Lili, appeared above the Black Abyss Sword.
A mighty dragon's roar echoed above the arena!
The next moment.
Lili's form directly transformed into a dragon.
Li Shuang raised her hand, and Lili also raised her claws.
Li Shuang's fingers moved slightly, and Lili's claws also moved slightly.
The movements of the person and the spirit, at this instant, were completely unified!
"This is!" Meng Yifei's beard trembled, and he suddenly stood up.
This feeling...
The sword cultivator and the sword spirit seemed to have achieved complete unity.
Their minds were one, truly becoming a single entity.
The growth of a sword spirit had three realms.
Initially, it was an ethereal shadow.
Later, it was transforming the ethereal into reality.
Finally, it was the unity of heaven and man.
Everyone knew.
Purple compatibility was rare and hard to come by.
But...
To have achieved the unity of heaven and man, the unity of person and spirit, already in the Golden Core stage?
Wasn't this a bit too exaggerated!