Naked Sword Art
Chapter 431 - 431: Chu Piao's Plan

Hearing the announcers, Chu Piao instantly understood what the black sphere in Xiao Fang's hand was. Still, Xiao Fang explained through a spirit transmission:

{"This will give us cover. Think you can manage?"}

"Of course. Do you even need to ask?" Chu Piao said under his breath so that only Xiao Fang could hear.

{"Alright. Wait for my signal."}

Chu Piao gave a short nod and readied himself.

Xiao Fang threw the black sphere high into the air—several meters above the arena—then sent a sword slash streaking through the air.

BOOM!

The black sphere exploded into a massive cloud of dark smoke, rapidly flooding the stage. Within seconds, the entire first floor was engulfed, even the corner where the Flowing Blade Sect Elders were seated. The smoke swirled like ink in water, obscuring everything from view.

The crowd in the stands above leaned forward, straining to see through the thick veil of smoke—but it was no use.

Inside that shroud, Xiao Fang moved silently. He summoned his Cannibal Abnormal Beast, handed it the Dragon Dynasty Spear, then prepared it to throw the spear toward one of the unsuspecting Flowing Blade Divine Realm Elders.

Next, he drew his Yin-Yang Twin Blades.

Lightning crackled across Xiao Fang's aura as he released his spirit attribute. His Yang blade and hair ignited with a brilliant white glow, while his Yin blade darkened, cloaked in Curse Qi that pulsed like a living shadow.

Then, without warning, Chu Piao activated his own spirit attribute.

But that wasn't the most shocking part. His body was now radiating the unmistakable aura of a Divine Realm cultivator.

'Did he make a breakthrough during our fight?' Xiao Fang wondered.

A part of him felt that explained why Chu Piao didn't bleed after being cut by Xiao Fang first. Naturally, he had many questions about Chu Piao's spirit attribute and breakthrough into the Divine Realm, but this wasn't the time for questions.

He began his countdown.

{"Three."}

{"Two."}

{"One."}

{"Now!"}

They moved like phantoms in the smoke. Chu Piao and Xiao Fang darted toward the Elders' corner just as the Cannibal Beast hurled the spear.

CRACK!

The spear struck first—one Divine Realm Elder died instantly, impaled through the heart.

In the next breath, Xiao Fang decapitated the second before he could even rise to his feet. Divine Realm or not, in the pitch black, any target was as good as a sitting duck to someone like Xiao Fang.

Two Divine Realm cultivators—dead before they could make a sound.

The third Elder snapped alert the moment the spear struck, his instincts flaring. He expanded his aura and drew his blade, but the dense smoke rendered him nearly blind. He didn't know what direction the next strike would come from.

Then—a presence stepped into his range.

Without hesitation, the Elder slashed.

However, the person he cut was a fellow Flowing Blade sect Elder. The Elder was confused wondering why the Elder would grievously wound him, but in truth, it was an accident.

In that split second of confusion, the Cannibal Abnormal Beast pounced. The Elder turned just in time to parry the beast's strike, only to have his head severed by Xiao Fang from behind.

Three Divine Realm Elders. Gone. All in a single breath of time.

Xiao Fang knew this would've been impossible if they were Elders from the Divine Sword Sect. A Divine Sword cultivator's Swordsman Instincts alone would've rendered such an ambush futile. The gulf in strength between cultivators of the same realm was apparent to see—techniques, passive skills, and instincts made all the difference.

Turning his attention to Chu Piao, Xiao Fang noticed he was moving through the smoke almost as well as he was—just not fast enough. However, since the Elders were now alert, things were getting harder for him, so Xiao Fang joined in.

In mere seconds, every last Elder from the Flowing Blade Sect was decapitated—including the one who placed the Deathlock Thread around Chu Piao's heart.

Fortunately, the technique didn't have an automatic kill trigger. The thread remained wrapped around his heart. Although it wouldn't dissolve easily, there was no longer a worry that it might kill him.

Only two options remained: wait for it to fade naturally—or let Xiao Fang use his [ Devourer ] technique to consume it.

Xiao Fang stepped back onto the center of the stage, his body silent and still.

Only a few breaths of time had passed since the smoke bomb exploded.

Yet the arena had been transformed into a graveyard.

As he began to consider what he might say once the smoke cleared, he noticed something strange: the crowd wasn't looking at the stage anymore. They were all staring upward, eyes fixed on something in the sky.

Adjusting his hearing, Xiao Fang caught the faint sound of movement high above him.

Someone was in the air.

It was the golden-robed man.

Up until now, he had seemed aloof, detached—completely uninterested in the tournament. Even with Xiao Fang and Chu Piao's skill, they were still mere mortals in his eyes, and he had no appreciation for the art of swordsmanship. But now he hovered high above the arena, his eyes narrowed, his expression serious.

Xiao Fang's breath hitched.

A massive vortex had formed around the golden-robed man, pulling all the smoke from the arena into its swirling depths.

Xiao Fang knew from painful experience how strong a Heavenly Realm cultivator was. If this man decided to target him, there would be no fighting back. The only option would be to run.

But fleeing now would only make him look guilty.

So, instead, he quietly returned his twin blades to his ring and drew the sword he had used against Chu Piao—the one everyone had seen him wield on stage and was unbloodied. Then he stood motionless, waiting.

However, Xiao Fang began to feel a familiar energy creeping into his body.

It was Death Qi.

A chilling current drifted off the corpses of the Elders he had slain, threading through the air like smoke before being absorbed into him. It coiled into his core, cold and heavy, yet strangely invigorating.