The instant Gao Zhenhao swung the Coldwater Sword, Lin Tian's expression changed dramatically. In one fluid motion, seal after seal shot forth from his hands, and a formation rapidly took shape at his side.
Since the Spirit Gun—his strongest weapon—was now unusable, he had no choice but to rely on formations to withstand Gao Zhenhao's assault. In such a moment, he dared not hold anything back.
Yet just as the formation fully activated and Lin Tian braced himself for impact, he was astonished to discover that Gao Zhenhao had not advanced at all. Instead, he stood there like a fool, wildly swinging the Coldwater Sword through empty air.
"What on earth is he doing?" Zhao Zhenjie muttered in disbelief from below the stage. Among everyone in the Xuanwu Sect, he was the one who most wanted Lin Tian gone. If inner disciples were permitted to attack outer disciples, he himself would have been standing on that platform.
"What's Gao Zhenhao up to?"
"Is he performing some kind of acrobatics, or trying to lull Lin Tian into lowering his guard?"
The surrounding outer disciples were utterly baffled by Gao Zhenhao's bizarre behavior.
"Gao Zhenhao, what exactly are you doing?" Lin Tian finally spoke, watching him sweat profusely. "Even if you look down on me, there's no need to humiliate me like this."
Gao Zhenhao felt nothing but grievance. He had clearly poured every ounce of spiritual energy into the Coldwater Sword, intending to strike Lin Tian down in one decisive blow. Yet the sword seemed to have completely slipped beyond his control—no matter how much energy he channeled into it, there was no response at all.
Worse still, he had moments ago brandished the Coldwater Sword with absolute confidence, as if Lin Tian's death were already assured. Now, this farce made him look utterly ridiculous.
"Could it be that something went wrong during the forging of your Coldwater Sword?" Lin Tian asked with apparent concern. "Why not go back and study it more carefully?"
That single remark made Gao Zhenhao's face flush even deeper. Had things truly come to the point where his opponent was offering him advice?
"Lin Tian, let me make this clear," Gao Zhenhao snarled coldly. "There is absolutely nothing wrong with the spiritual weapon I forged."
The moment those words left his mouth, the Coldwater Sword suddenly erupted with a surge of frigid energy. Seeing this, delight flashed across Gao Zhenhao's face.
But the joy vanished just as quickly.
The icy aura was not directed at Lin Tian—it was aimed at him. Gripping the sword, Gao Zhenhao had no time to react. In mere moments, his hand was engulfed in frost.
Seizing the opportunity, the Coldwater Sword tore itself free.
At that sight, everything finally became clear to Lin Tian. A glimmer of delight flashed in his eyes. He had once thought that although Little Rascal possessed intelligence, it was little more than a decorative curiosity. He never imagined it could wield such terrifying power.
"A weapon spirit… that's a weapon spirit!" someone exclaimed from the crowd. Such behavior from a spiritual weapon could only mean one thing—there was a weapon spirit residing within it.
Instantly, countless outer disciples looked at Gao Zhenhao with unconcealed envy.
Gao Zhenhao, meanwhile, ignored the pain in his frozen hand, staring at the Coldwater Sword in exhilaration. He had never expected such an extraordinary, accidental gain.
But just as he stepped forward, the Coldwater Sword suddenly slashed through the air. In the next instant, an icy tempest erupted and surged outward. Gao Zhenhao was dumbfounded, stumbling backward in panic.
The sword, suspended in midair, showed no intention of letting him escape. It darted and spun, unleashing wave after wave of icy storms. In mere moments, the entire arena was transformed into a frozen wasteland.
Gao Zhenhao frantically dodged, but the freezing aura disrupted his spiritual energy more and more. He could clearly feel his movements slowing.
Then another burst of cold energy struck. This time, he had no chance to evade. The frost engulfed him completely, turning him into a motionless ice sculpture upon the stage.
"That's enough!" Lin Tian shouted urgently as the sword prepared to strike again.
In the next instant, before everyone's astonished eyes, the Coldwater Sword obediently flew back to Lin Tian like a docile pet. It hovered around him, rubbing against him affectionately. The sight was so absurdly endearing that the entire Artifact Peak's outer disciples were left speechless.
They had all believed that Gao Zhenhao's confident display of the Coldwater Sword meant Lin Tian was doomed. Instead, not only had Lin Tian remained unscathed, but the spiritual weapon Gao had painstakingly forged now appeared to belong to him.
Though encased in ice, Gao Zhenhao still retained awareness. Watching his Coldwater Sword behave so submissively toward Lin Tian felt like knives carving into his heart. His years of painstaking effort had become a wedding dress for another. Such humiliation was unbearable for anyone.
As for the outcome of the match, there was no need for further words. When the 750,000 points on the platform flowed directly into Lin Tian's token, Gao Zhenhao's heart bled anew. Despair for his future overwhelmed him. Seven hundred and fifty thousand points—an amount that would take him years to accumulate even as an inner disciple—had vanished before his eyes.
"I'm really sorry," Lin Tian said awkwardly. "I didn't expect things to turn out like this. If there's another opportunity like this in the future, feel free to call me—I'll be there anytime."
Those words were the final blow. Gao Zhenhao's already shattered spirit collapsed completely. He spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted on the spot.