Little by little, the clash between the two slowed down. The swirling inscriptions of attribute powers faded into stillness. The force of their spiritual wills withdrew into silence. The brilliant glow between them vanished. All eyes fell on the two figures standing at the heart of the arena, their robes soaked through with blood, their bodies trembling where they stood. Both were fighting on the edge of collapse! Without speaking, the two dropped all borrowed strength. They no longer called upon their elemental force or spiritual will. They chose to decide this final bout with nothing but the steel in their hands. Every spectator held their breath. They knew this clash of legends was about to reach its last moment! A duel of pure blade and sword! Would the Calamity God of War, Linghu Yudao, stand undefeated once more? Or would Ling Feng, the Peerless Sword God, slay a god and claim the throne for himself? The entire arena seemed to stop breathing. All eyes locked onto those two blood-soaked figures. Linghu Yudao let out a rough cough. Blood dripped from his lips, yet he still wore a smile as he threw back his head and laughed. "Good! You did not disappoint me!" Ling Feng's gaze stayed sharp. He could not deny Linghu Yudao's power. Even after his spiritual will had been crushed by the Tianbai Emperor's spiritual manifestation, Linghu Yudao had traded more than two thousand blows without losing ground. "Come then. Let us settle this with our blades alone!" Linghu Yudao's curved blade, thin as a cicada's wing, gleamed faintly as he lifted it once more. Both men knew they had pushed themselves to the edge. If they kept clashing with everything they had, they would only end up dragging each other down. Beyond this arena, a greater threat from the demon race loomed. There was no sense in wasting their strength any longer. It was time to bring this battle to an end. Ling Feng's Eradicator of Realms let out a low "hum" as if it shared its master's excitement. After all this time exchanging blows, Ling Feng could see it clearly. Linghu Yudao's blade art had reached a level that defied human limits. Within that blade lay a terrifying blade will. "This blade bears the name Seven Slaughter's Edge, and its very will is the Seven Slaughter Will!" A fierce gleam returned to Linghu Yudao's eyes as he roared, "Fight!" Ling Feng's aura rose once more, piercing the sky. "This sword is the Eradicator of Realms. My sword will is the Slaughterous Sword Will!" A biting cold spread through the entire arena. Every spectator felt a chill run down their spines. Seven Slaughter Will against Slaughterous Sword Will! Only one would stand as the true king. A single flash split the air as the two figures collided. They had cast aside every other force, yet their clash still shook the arena like two ancient beasts colliding head-on. The entire platform shuddered beneath them. Sword qi and blade arcs tore through the air. Shockwaves howled like hurricanes. It felt as if the sky itself might break apart at any moment. The air cracked open, leaving trails of shattered void in its wake. Their swords moved so fast that the eye could not hope to follow. Sword will and blade will swept through every corner of the arena. Linghu Yudao's arm trembled. A tiny flaw appeared in his guard. Ling Feng stepped in without mercy. One sword cut through illusion and shadow alike. That single opening spelled Linghu Yudao's defeat. A sharp ring of steel echoed out. Linghu Yudao's figure was thrown back by a gleaming arc of sword light that seemed as cold and pure as frost and snow. Blood spurted from his mouth, scattering like dying sunlight across the dusk sky! That proud figure, which had seemed unshakable for so long, fell like a puppet drained of all its strength. He struck the ground with a dull, heavy thud. The undefeated God of War had fallen from his altar to the earth below. Ling Feng stood in the air, his face pale as paper. Sweat and blood drenched his battered robes as he gasped for breath. Yet even so, he remained upright in the sky, looking down at the fallen Linghu Yudao with calm, unwavering eyes. At that moment, he stood at the peak! The highest throne belonged to him! The undefeated legend belonged to him! Linghu Yudao clutched his chest and coughed out a mouthful of blood, yet there was a faint smile at the corner of his lips. He forced himself up on trembling arms, lifting his head to look at Ling Feng. In his eyes flickered a spark of quiet satisfaction. "You are very strong!" His voice was hoarse and weak, but there was an iron certainty in it. In that moment, he was no longer the peak that thousands struggled to reach. He now had a peak of his own to climb. That peak was Ling Feng. He finally had a goal, and he no longer stood alone. "You are strong too." Ling Feng descended from the air and reached out to pull him to his feet. "But what I do best has always been the sword." With the power of the Eye of the Emperor, Ling Feng had copied countless sword arts, pieced their secrets together, and refined them through the supreme sword dao secret art, the Art of Simple Detachment. By now, he had begun to carve out his own understanding of the sword from all the countless styles he had devoured. He had never once forgotten his ambition: to create a sword dao of his own! This was only the beginning. Linghu Yudao gave a faint laugh. "Keep that throne warm for me. It will not be long before I return and strike you down!" Ling Feng threw back his head and laughed. "Anyone who loses to me will never surpass me again!" The judge's eyes were wide with disbelief. His voice trembled at first, then rose into a shout that shook the entire arena. "The hundredth battle—Ling Feng is victorious!" That cry echoed through the silent stands. It bounced from wall to wall until it blended into a thunderous cheer that shook the sky. This youth, still too young by any measure, had claimed the throne of the Hundred Battles Arena in Tianmang Fortress! The first spectator found his voice, his words sharp as a knife through the silence. "The unstoppable Linghu Yudao has been defeated!" A storm seemed to sweep through every mind in that instant. This ending was what they had hoped for, yet even as they saw it with their own eyes, they struggled to believe it was real. Then the entire arena rose to its feet as one. Every fist shot skyward as a deafening roar thundered out. "A new King of a Hundred Battles has been crowned!" King of a Hundred Battles! A man who swept aside one opponent after another, who fought ninety-nine matches undefeated, who took down the Calamity God of War even when his body was pushed to its limits. One by one, he shattered the monsters that filled the Hundred Battles Ranking. He tore down the cold, distant myth that had once seemed untouchable. From this day on, one name would echo through all their hearts. Wang Meng and Li Qing, two seasoned veterans, drew long breaths to steady themselves. Even they felt the weight of that final clash. This young man's strength defied reason! "From this day forth, Ling Feng, your name will be carved in Tianmang Fortress's history!" The judge's cry rang out like a drumbeat for every soldier of the Southern Army, a glory they all dreamed of claiming. And now, that glory belonged to Ling Feng! In the stands, fresh recruits who had just arrived from academies across the continent felt hot tears gather in their eyes. This glory ignited a fierce pride in their hearts!