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A melodious tune began to resonate across the battlefield.
Xiao Xiao had already recalled her Three Lives Soul Suppressing Cauldron, and her spirit now transformed into the Nine Phoenix Salute Flute.
"She... she has a different spirit and soul ring. She's actually a dual spirit user!" Ning Tian exclaimed in shock.
Though she was the young mistress of the prestigious Nine Treasure Glazed Pagoda Sect and had seen many top-tier spirits, this was her first encounter with a dual spirit user.
The melody from the Nine Phoenix Salute Flute instantly negated nearly half of the power provided by the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda.
Xiao Xiao's first spirit skill, named "Slowing," reduced the opponent's speed. Although it was only a single-ringed skill, its potency was undeniable—it managed to weaken the effects of Ning Tian's three-ringed pagoda by half. This alone demonstrated that Xiao Xiao's flute was almost on par with the legendary Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda in quality.
"Not only is this about spirit skills or rings—this melody…" Yan Shaozhe listened intently to the tune Xiao Xiao played, feeling his own soul power stir within him.
While Xiao Xiao's flute didn't require any specific song to activate her abilities, playing an extraordinary melody amplified its effects significantly. At this moment, Xiao Xiao was performing Awakening of Insects, one of the six melodies from the Six Springtime Tunes.
Awakening of Insects reflected the natural rhythm of life awakening during spring. As the season arrived, yang energy rose, temperatures warmed, thunder roared, and rain increased, bringing vitality to all living things.
This melody could aid cultivation by accelerating the flow of internal energy. The Heavenly Sound Sect once used it to assist their disciples in training. In battle, it enhanced the speed of attacks by boosting the flow of soul power—which, in this world, equated to internal energy.
Yuwen Tuo's blade movements grew noticeably faster, gaining a threefold increase in speed, while the boosts from Ning Tian's pagoda were halved.
This shift brought the two sides back into balance.
"With the accompaniment of the flute, this handsome man's blade dance has not only become quicker but also infinitely more refined. There's truly no flaw between his strikes and withdrawals," Nanmen Yun'er marveled aloud.
She and Wu Feng understood better than anyone just how much Yuwen Tuo's strength had surged.
Spirit skills and melodies individually enhanced attributes, but when combined—when music accompanied dance—the result was far greater than the sum of its parts. Yuwen Tuo's blade dance became even fiercer, each swing cutting straight to the heart of the enemy.
After deflecting Wu Feng's fiery punch with a broad slash, Yuwen Tuo spotted a weakness in Nanmen Yun'er's hand technique.
With a flash of his blade, a streak of light cut through the air.
The crimson blade condensed on Yun'er's arm shattered instantly. A sharp pain shot through her wrist, where a thin line of blood appeared—but thankfully, only the skin was broken, leaving her meridians unharmed.
"Yun'er, are you alright?" Wu Feng asked worriedly.
"I'm fine! Thank you for holding back, handsome sir," Nanmen Yun'er replied, knowing full well that Yuwen Tuo had pulled his strike at the last moment. Had he not, her wrist would have been severed cleanly.
After expressing her gratitude, she leapt off the field without hesitation. Everyone present knew she had lost fair and square; continuing to fight would only tarnish her dignity.
Yuwen Tuo's victory over her was decisive, and she accepted it wholeheartedly, grateful for his mercy.
"You really are something, Yuwen Tuo. Your reputation isn't exaggerated in the slightest. I doubt I can win today, but as the fierce woman of the Nine Treasures Glazed Pagoda Sect, I'll still give your blade dance a proper test!" Wu Feng roared, flames erupting around her body.
With Nanmen Yun'er out of the picture, there was no fear left in Wu Feng—only an overwhelming surge of determination.
Ning Tian no longer needed to divide her support between two people and focused all her efforts on Wu Feng. With this boost, Wu Feng's strength rivaled that of a Soul Elder. Though she stood little chance against Yuwen Tuo, surrendering without a fight wasn't an option.
"Blade Dance: Wildfire Blaze. Please, allow me to demonstrate," Yuwen Tuo said respectfully, announcing the name of his blade technique.
This particular dance stemmed from the Wildfire Overgrowth stance in the Fierce Flame Saber Manual.
"Very well then—flames encircling, truly worthy of the name 'wildfire.' First Spirit Skill: Dragon's Flame!" Wu Feng channeled powerful dragonfire into her palm, transforming it into a claw-like shape before lunging toward Yuwen Tuo.
As a fellow fire-attribute user, she could keenly sense the purity and intensity of Yuwen Tuo's flames. Her own fire seemed to be purified upon contact, making prolonged combat impossible for her.
Unfortunately for her, what made the blade dance unique wasn't merely its slashing techniques but the combination of footwork and bladeplay.
The Wildfire Blade Dance featured dynamic stances like "bow steps" and "leaping strides," exuding vibrant rhythm and fluidity. Each step and swipe was precise yet lethal, brimming with murderous intent.
Yuwen Tuo gracefully evaded Wu Feng's dragon claw, countering with a horizontal strike to her waist that forced her back immediately.
In another leap, he delivered a diagonal slash, sending a crescent-shaped arc of blade energy flying toward Wu Feng. Startled, she arched her body backward, narrowly avoiding the attack. However, the residual blade energy sliced through the arena wall, causing it to collapse entirely.
Retracting his blade momentarily, Yuwen Tuo positioned it beneath Wu Feng's arched form. With a light kick to her right foot, he destabilized her balance, sending her falling onto the flat side of his blade.
He then gave the blade a sharp upward thrust, launching Wu Feng backward halfway across the field, landing her neatly beside Ning Tian.
"My head feels dizzy!" Wu Feng groaned, disoriented from the fall.
Ning Tian sighed deeply. "It's like watching an elder playfully toy with a child. It seems we've truly lost this match."
She could see clearly that Yuwen Tuo had fought almost playfully, deliberately sparing Wu Feng multiple times. He could have ended her life thrice over: once with a waist-level slash that turned into a harmless slap, another with a diagonal cut that intentionally missed its mark, and finally with the positioning of his blade, which he kept horizontal instead of vertical—a move that would have cleaved Wu Feng in two.
Ning Tian withdrew the support of the Seven Treasures Glazed Pagoda and bowed slightly to Yuwen Tuo. "Thank you for showing restraint toward my teammate. We concede defeat."
Yuwen Tuo nodded, recalling his spirit. "You're welcome."
"I didn't let you win—I simply couldn't keep up. Yuwen Tuo, your blade techniques are sharp, and your footwork is impeccable. I, Wu Feng, am genuinely impressed," Wu Feng admitted sincerely.
Her attitude toward Yuwen Tuo contrasted sharply with how she treated Huo Yuhao in the original story. There was no disdain here—only heartfelt admiration.
And rightly so. First, Yuwen Tuo hadn't harmed Ning Tian in the slightest during the match and had shown restraint repeatedly. Moreover, Ning Tian herself acknowledged defeat gracefully, and Wu Feng, though proud, wasn't ungrateful.
Secondly, in the original story, she despised Huo Yuhao because she believed he relied on Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao to win effortlessly. But Yuwen Tuo faced her alone, overpowering her completely with nothing but his blade. What reason did she have to feel resentful?