That Xiahou Jie would eventually run out of Qi to create arrows was reality. Even ‘xian’ and ‘shen’ cultivators could not go against reality. They cannot fill an empty well without water, nor can they possess an infinite amount of Qi.

Eventually, and naturally, Xiahou Jie’s Qi for creating those arrows ran out.

She was no longer about to manipulate Tang Hong’s strange movement technique.

With a silent step, Tang Hong’s figure arrived several chi before Xiahou Jie.

From the sabre in her hand, an extremely bright sabre light shore forth. The air around her petite body immediately become stifling and overbearing, as though she had merged with the night sky.

This air was abruptly cut by an arced cut, slashing directly at Xiahou Jie’s body.

To cut something so overbearing indicates that the sabre light was even more tyrannical; it directly sealed off all directions around Xiahou Jie, giving off the feeling that even if one wished to avoid it, they could only accept their fate.

The night wind in the courtyard blow uncontrollably, yet the area where the sabre light was shining so brilliantly was utterly still.

The cloth bundling Xiahou Jie’s hair was invaded by the sabre Qi, and turned into countless pieces of fabric. Her black hair fell onto her shoulders.

If she met this sabre ray directly, she would undoubtedly die.

However, Xiahou Jie showed no sense of fright meeting it. Calmly meeting Tang Hong’s eyes, she extended her hand towards the sabre ray.

Her hand was very white and so soft.

Compared to the violent and terrifying sabre, it seemed so tiny and weak.

Despite the stifling air created by the sabre, her hair danced gently.

A shapeless essence exuded from her hand and entered the night sky.

The Qi was very warm and lacked any killing intent. It was akin to a mother calling back her children.

Suddenly, the shrill sound of countless arrows splitting air resonated throughout the starry sky.

From all directions, over a dozen Qi arrows pierced through the night sky.

All these Qi arrows were those she had shot previously. It seemed that they dissipated after sinking into the night sky or the artificial mountain - it turned out they had never left, only waiting for Xiahou Jie’s summoning.

Xiahou Jie extended her hand towards the night sky.

Akin to falling stars, all the Qi arrows burned with brilliance as they descended from the sky, rushing towards Tang Hong.

Tang Hong’s expression remained cruel and apathetic, but her dull eyes suddenly contracted. Her hand tightened their grip on the sabre; there was no longer enough time to attack Xiahou Jie, so she struck at the sky.

Striking the sky should be a single movement, and if Tang Hong remained still, it would only be one image to the spectators. However, she did not thrust at the night sky once, but countless times, creating a myriad of images.

Tang Hong held her sabre high, perpendicular to the walls behind her. Her eyes seemed to wander aimlessly, but wherever her sights fell, a sabre glow appeared. Eventually, they surrounded her body, turning into a nigh perfect sphere of light.

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Upon touching the sphere of light made of sabre ray, the Qi arrows immediately exploded.

A muffled series of booms rang out from the platform.

Tang Hong’s bare feet stood atop countless cracks on the platform once more, but this time, the ruptures were even more pronounced.

Those Qi arrows had been blocked by her sabre and were sent back, yet they did not dissipate into the night sky. Rather, like spirits, they whistled and glowed once more as they attacked.

These dozen or so arrows turned into a rain of Qi, constantly bombarding Tang Hong.

From the sides of the stage, the spectators could hear an incomparably dense collection of sound rang out from the platform.

The sound was akin to the strange and ear-splitting sound made by striking metal against stone.

The platform was filled with countless flickers of flames. Upon closer inspection, it turns out these were actually made when the arrow collided with the sabre!

Still, none of the ‘countless’ Qi arrows managed to draw close to Tang Hong’s body. Even the momentary and brilliant flickers could shine into the sphere of light created by the sabre.

The floor of the platform was riddled with the scars created by these arrows, each leaving a impression that seemed too deep for a human to measure. It was akin to marks left behind by a torrent of rain, they densely covered the surface of the platform.

Tang Hong’s sabre seemed permanently struck out against the night sky, as if her body was utterly still.

Yet every moment, she was creating countless sabre rays.

Extending towards Xiahou Jie’s position, these overbearing sabre rays began to concentrate at four points.

Like a tiger extending its claws.

Seeing the flickers of flames on the platform, hearing these booming sounds, the spectators that remained conscious were all awed to speechlessness.

The battle had come to a deadlock; Tang Hong’s energy was completely expended on her sabre while Xiahou Jie was controlling that barrage of Qi that filled the night sky.

Yet what truly shocked all the experts was the claws created by Tang Hong’s sabre.

No wonder she was only one of two disciples under Consort Li and among the strongest in her generation. At such a tender age, she had reached such a stage.

When cultivators reach Qi Manifestation, they would no longer need to rely on techniques to create an external realisation of their Qi. Rather, they had complete control over it, able to realise Qi into any form they desired.

In such a state, they could form a near-perfect barrier or an infinitely sharp weapon.

Tang Hong is still a Heart Purification state cultivator and is thus incapable of manipulating Qi as she wishes. But with her nigh-perfect sabre-ship and technique, she managed to realise both an impenetrable barrier and an unstoppable weapon.

The experts from Mount Qingcheng began to prepare for Xiahou Jie’s defeat. No matter how talented she was, as long as she remained a Heart Purification cultivator, it would be impossible to reveal anything that could rival Tang Hong’s manifestation.

This signified that, in the battle, Tang Hong had reached an invincible position.

However, these experts forgot one matter.

To not lose does not mean victory.

Confronting Tang Hong, who used pure talent to imitate the manifestation of Qi, Xiahou Jie had displayed discipline, discipline to an inhuman level.

Whether it be the movement of her body or the frequency the Qi arrows rained down, each was managed to a level that can no longer be called perfect control.

Even though there were four claws forming, Tang Hong does not have the opportunity to counter-attack.

For the extremely prideful Tang Hong, this was unacceptable.

Her purpose for entering the Thirteenth Prince’s manor had always been to utterly defeat Xiahou Jie.

The whistling lingered, and the Qi arrows continued to fall down.

The unbearable sound of metal against stone and the terrifying echoes from the power arrows echoed in Tang Hong’s ears.

Her constantly wandering eyes finally set on Xiahou Jie. Her expression remained cold and cruel, but her eyes began to sharpen.

Suddenly, she closed her eyes. Then, with a hint of madness, she gave a single shout.

“Ah!”

Accompanying the shout, the light around her body grew brighter, and the sabre Qi’s intensity increased several-fold.

With the sound of crushed stone, Tang Hong’s body disappeared, then reappeared. Holding the sabre with both hands, she thrust at Xiahou Jie.

She cared not for the rain of arrow surrounding her. As long as her sabre struck true, even if the Qi arrows pierced her, then it would have been worthwhile.

The duel had reached its most dangerous moment.

The experts from Mount Qingcheng’s expression rapidly changed, and they quickly stood up.

Because of her pride as the most powerful among the younger generations and her anger towards Xiahou Jie’s earlier comments, she had heedlessly thrown her entire body into the attack. Just how mighty would it be!

This attack had four strands of light.

One of the experts suddenly shouted, “Colossal Tiger Sabre!”

Long before the first dynasty united the central plains, there had once been an infamous tiger terrorising villages in Jiangnan.

Usually, the villagers would retaliate against it, yet the tiger was over twenty one cun (7 meters) in length, and was actually one of the few beasts throughout history that managed to cultivate Qi.

It remained tyrannical and oppressive until a wandering hunter came by Jiangnan and slain the tiger after observing it for three days and three nights. The hunter took the tiger’s largest claw and its unique method of cultivation, ultimately founding Mount Longhu and becoming one of the founders of Daoism.

Seeing this well-known technique displayed by Tang Hong, many quickly realised the sabre in her hand was likely the claw quick had remained unblemished after three thousand years.

A mighty sword intent pierced through the air, yet before it could contact Xiahou Jie’s body, there was a distant shattering sound in the night sky.

That was the sound of stone crumbling.

Immediately, terrifying lines could be seen on the mountain’s granite surface, and parts of it began to deform.

It seems that Tang Hong’s attack had reached a truly frightening degree.