Cardinal Lai Kin held the Thunder Strike Staff upright and regarded Qin Qi with quiet disappointment. “You attacked repeatedly, yet you could not touch even my sleeve.” Qin Qi stepped backward. Fear entered his eyes because Cardinal Lai Kin had exhausted him without using magic or launching a single counterattack. The bluish-white crystal at the head of the staff began to shine. Spiritual pressure spread across the platform and rose toward the sky. Clouds gathered above Kunlun City with unnatural speed. The daylight dimmed, and thunder rolled through the mountains even though no rain had begun. The audience looked upward in awe. Lightning moved inside the dark clouds as if answering the call of the staff below. “The Thunder Strike Staff commands the sky,” a Feilong Order disciple said. Cardinal Lai Kin pointed the weapon toward Qin Qi.

Nirajh held the sapphire-blue sword before him with unmistakable pride. Its diamond-grade material reflected the lightning still lingering in the clouds, and the pressure around the blade caused many swords below to vibrate inside their sheaths. The crowd reacted with awe. Few weapon refiners on the Silver Sifting Continent could create a blade with such purity and strength. Nirajh saw their response and smiled. “Weapons of this grade are rare in your land. Your continent lacks both the energy and refinement knowledge required to produce them.” Guo Jiang remained unimpressed. He reached behind him slowly and drew the Demon Dancer Sword. The moment the blade appeared, the pressure in the sky changed. Its aura carried an ancient darkness that made Nirajh’s blue sword seem ordinary. Nirajh’s eyes widened. He recognized the weapon’s origin, and surprise

Nirajh measured the distance between himself and Guo Jiang while remembering their previous exchanges. Guo Jiang’s raw power exceeded his expectations, and the Demon Dancer Sword had left a mark on his diamond-grade weapon after only three clashes. If the duel continued, victory would not come quickly. Nirajh might damage his sword, exhaust his cultivation, or leave himself vulnerable when Sage Yi Rong and Sage Weizhan entered the same region. The Thunder Strike Staff below offered an easier reward. Cardinal Wan Fa stood at Liuxing level, far beneath Kaishi, and the entire Feilong Order remained focused on the confrontation in the sky. Nirajh’s gaze dropped toward the square. Guo Jiang noticed the change, but only a brief instant separated observation from action. Nirajh turned into a streak of white light and descended at meteor-like speed. The movement was not a glorious charge against