High above in the sky.
Behind Grandmaster Victor Zhou, a sword-wielding figure stood, his robes billowing wildly in the wind.
His silhouette was nothing like the blurry phantoms Evan Lin had seen before, those conjured by third-grade Pointing-to-Mystery experts.
By comparison,
Those phantoms produced by third-grade Pointing-to-Mystery cultivators always appeared somewhat indistinct.
But the phantom behind Grandmaster Victor Zhou was clearly not formed from inner force—this one was vivid, lifelike, standing in the sky like a heavenly deity.
Especially the long sword in his hand—it radiated unmatched might. Just standing there, it gave off an overwhelming sense of pressure.
"Now, Master Lin from Seacrest, it's time for you to die."
Grandmaster Victor Zhou's voice echoed like thunder, descending with the force of heaven itself.
He looked down, eyes cold, staring at Evan Lin: "Inside the Coldspire Grand Array, your energy is nearly spent."
"Even at your peak, you might not have been my match. Now, you can't even withstand a single move from me."
"So, what do you plan to do?"
His voice rang out, and the sword-wielding phantom behind him showed not the slightest hesitation, raising its blade.
The phantom lifted its sword slowly.
Yet with every inch the sword rose, strange phenomena stirred across heaven and earth.
Thunder and wind roared all around, and the overwhelming force made Lucy Bai and You Han both change color in shock.
"Victor Zhou has spent years cultivating in seclusion. Honestly, it's been ages since I've seen him make a real move."
Grandmaster You stared deeply at the phantom in the sky. Seeing the look on his face, the crowd grew even more wary.
"Master Lin from Seacrest is probably at the end of his rope. The odds he'll survive this are slim to none."
You Han, shaken by Victor Zhou's attack, instinctively stepped back.
He looked at Evan Lin standing there. Though there was some admiration in his eyes, it was mostly icy indifference.
After all, this Master Lin from Seacrest had mysterious origins and acted with overwhelming force. If he stayed in the world, it might not be a good thing for You Han.
"He's way too arrogant. If he'd just finished off Aiden Zhou in time and hadn't let the Coldspire Grand Array drain so much of his power, maybe he could have blocked Victor Zhou's sword."
"But now, it looks like Master Lin from Seacrest is doomed."
Lucy Bai stared blankly at the sword in Victor Zhou's hand. "I can sense powerful spiritual energy from that blade."
Spiritual energy.
This was Lucy Bai's most direct impression of Victor Zhou's power.
From a distance, it looked like a sword formed from condensed force, but in reality, that blade wasn't made of inner strength—it was pure spiritual energy.
It was something Victor Zhou had forged over decades of cultivation, day after day, stronger than most magical artifacts.
"This Master Lin from Seacrest..."
Lucy Bai gritted her teeth.
She was born with sharp spiritual senses, so she could naturally feel Victor Zhou's terrifying power.
"Should we ask the Patriarch to step in and save him?"
The elder beside her spoke up, clearly worried. He lowered his voice: "This Master Lin from Seacrest is young, reckless, and not without talent."
"Once Victor Zhou's sword strikes and he's hanging by a thread, with his strength spent, then we can ask the Patriarch to save his life."
"At that point, you can use him to open the door hidden in the Bai clan for generations and resolve your karmic cycle. Otherwise, if he dies here, your family's fate will keep repeating, and you'll have to wait for him to return from reincarnation."
The elder finished speaking and looked at Lucy Bai.
Lucy Bai turned her head and glanced at the massive bronze coffin nearby.
If anyone here could help Master Lin from Seacrest withstand that sword, besides Grandmaster You, it would be the yet-unseen Grandmaster Phoenix Bai.
Yet the bronze coffin remained utterly calm.
It seemed nothing outside could draw Grandmaster Phoenix Bai's attention—or perhaps she hadn't yet awakened inside the bronze coffin.
"Now, what will you do?"
Victor Zhou's voice was cold and distant. He raised his hand, golden light flashing all around him and in front.
The phantom behind him moved in sync with his gestures.
Hand lifted, sword lifted.
The long sword hovered in the air, sword energy crisscrossing, blotting out the sky.
The fiery clouds split apart by the sword vanished completely under Victor Zhou's golden light.
"You have a sword, and so do I."
Evan Lin looked up at the sky, his tone calm.
Lucy Bai turned at his words.
In the eyes of the crowd, they saw the young man standing there, lifting his head as the cool wind stirred his long hair.
No matter how overwhelming Victor Zhou's magical pressure grew above, the youth faced it calmly and unflinchingly.
"My sword is already in the sky, hanging right above your head!"
"Master Lin from Seacrest, where's your sword?"
Victor Zhou's words dripped with disdain, his tone icy: "Don't forget, right now you're still trapped in the Coldspire Grand Array."
"Even though Aiden Zhou is dead, if you try to condense your inner strength into a sword, the formation will still absorb every bit of it!"
"You're standing in the position of certain defeat—talking swords with someone like me, who's destined to win?"
"You think you're worthy?"
Victor Zhou sneered, his white hair and beard lifted by the wind.
As Victor Zhou raised his sword past his neck, the phantom and sword energy grew even stronger, utterly dominating the scene.
The wind around them now seemed as sharp as blades.
On Coldspire Mountain, the broken stones were etched with deep marks as the breeze swept by.
All of this was the power of Victor Zhou's magic.
With a single swing of the sword, even the gentlest breeze became a blade between heaven and earth!
"Such a small formation—breaking it is nothing."
Victor Zhou had barely finished speaking when the youth's indifferent voice sounded again.
His casual words made it sound like he was talking about something utterly ordinary.
"This formation was set up years ago by me, Victor Zhou, and Grandmaster Phoenix Bai. It's not something you can break just by saying so."
Grandmaster You stood there, looking at Evan Lin. "Young man, I'd advise you to avoid the sharp edge for now."
"Otherwise, if Victor Zhou cuts you down here, all your cultivation will go to waste."
Grandmaster You finished speaking.
Lucy Bai frowned. "The Coldspire Grand Array isn't that easy to break. If you could, you would have already done it, right?"
"If you were really that strong, you could have broken the array the moment you stepped forward to face Aiden Zhou."
"But you didn't break it. Why not?"
"It must be because you can't break it!"
Lucy Bai spoke with absolute certainty, staring at Evan Lin.
"I break the array whenever I feel like it. That's all there is to it."
Evan Lin shook his head. "Earlier, I didn't want to break the array."
"Now, I want to break it."
"So, let's break it."
Let's break it.
Three simple words came from Evan Lin's lips.
Everyone watched the young man, standing there under Victor Zhou's pressure, like a lone boat in a raging storm.
The moment his words landed,
an incredibly terrifying aura erupted from his body!
It was as if something had suddenly awakened.
Like a sword finally deciding to leave its sheath, showing its sharp edge to everyone!