frightfiction Chapter 248 Advancing to the Top 3
Chapter 248 Advancing to the Top 3
Tai Shi Lingling took a deep breath, gripped the ribbon in her hand tightly, and looked somewhat solemn. She snorted softly, "Duan Qingxi, although you were the champion last year, after three years of training, it's still uncertain who will win or lose."
Duan Qingxi nodded slightly, showing no intention of paying attention to her, and said in a calm tone, "Make your move."
Seeing the other party's indifferent expression, Taishi Lingling's temples throbbed, but she still managed a smile. Her spiritual power surged rapidly around her, and she took the lead in striking forward with the ribbon.
Her figure was naturally agile, and the ribbon swayed with her movements, gathering several pink flowers, before she lashed out at Duan Qingxi with a sharp aura.
However, Duan Qingxi was faster. Her figure flashed like a ghost, dodging her attack. Then, she gently pointed her finger forward, and a dazzling spiritual energy burst out, wrapping around the longsword and shattering the ribbon that had been pulled apart!
"Clap! Clap!"
The pink ribbon shattered on the ground like a firework exploding. Taishi Lingling felt a huge force suddenly come over her, and the ribbon almost flew out of her hand amidst the sharp pain in her wrist.
She staggered back a few steps, horrified. She had fought Duan Qingxi before, and although she was no match for her, this was the first time she had ever been so disheveled.
In just three short years, the gap between them has widened so much.
Before she could react, Duan Qingxi appeared in front of her. With a flick of her wrist, her dress fluttered, and a long sword was already at her neck. The cold blade made Taishi Lingling freeze instantly.
"Can you admit defeat?" Duan Qingxi said calmly.
Taishi Lingling's pupils contracted, and the cold touch on her neck made her clench her fists: "Admit defeat?"
Standing on the platform, she represented the Holy Light Palace. To ask her to admit defeat to Duan Qingxi would be tantamount to the Holy Light Palace bowing down to the Heavenly Extreme Palace! How could that be possible!
She took a deep breath, and with a slight twitch of her fingertips, the ribbon instantly slid down to the ground like a nimble little snake, clinging to the side of her skirt. Then, it circled behind Duan Qingxi and, taking her by surprise, fiercely locked onto her ankle!
"Duan Qingxi, don't be so smug!"
Duan Qingxi was slightly startled and wanted to back away, but it was too late. The moment her body was suspended upside down by the ribbon, she suddenly turned her sword and slashed at the ribbon!
Then, they quickly created distance between themselves.
"Isn't it a bit too early to admit defeat before it's even started?" Tai Shi Lingling's curved eyebrows gradually turned cold.
The competition has only just begun.
Meanwhile, in the battle area on the other side.
The fluctuations in spiritual energy from Duan Huaiyan's battle with Zhuge Yunzheng had already drawn gasps of surprise from the spectators.
"Brother Yunzheng, your attack is fierce, but too hasty." Duan Huaiyan smiled and waved his folding fan. A red spiritual energy transformed into a thread and wrapped around Zhuge Yunzheng's ankle.
"Is that so?" Seeing that her feet were unable to move, Zhuge Yunzheng swung the sharp Yin-Yang Blade Ring in her hand hard at the ground, and the Qi Slash instantly cut off the spiritual energy threads.
But at that moment, the broken spiritual energy threads did not recede as expected. Instead, they sank deep into the ground, suddenly forming a spiritual energy trap like a lava pool beneath his feet. A powerful suction force rose from it, causing his movements to slow down for a moment.
Duan Huaiyan seized the opportunity, his folding fan suddenly unfolded, flames flickering as he swung it. In that instant, he appeared in front of Zhuge Yunzheng, a sharp weapon springing from the top of the fan and aimed directly at Zhuge Yunzheng's chest.
Streams of condensed flames coiled around him, making it impossible for anyone to dodge; even the slightest movement would result in injury.
"Brother Yunzheng, you're too kind."
Just as Duan Huaiyan spoke tentatively, before his words had even finished, Zhuge Yunzheng's aura suddenly changed.
The fiery red spiritual energy that originally surrounded him was gradually replaced by wisps of white aura.
Countless icy frosts spread around him, rapidly extending beneath his feet, forcefully suppressing the clusters of flames. Then, with a bang, they exploded in the air, transforming into countless icy spikes that relentlessly pierced towards Duan Huaiyan.
Duan Huaiyan was startled. When the icy spikes were only half an inch away from him, he quickly retreated, waved his folding fan, and used his spiritual power to condense a huge fire shield to block the attack.
When he had already touched the edge of the arena, he steadied himself, peeked out from behind the fire shield, and showed a look of expectation on his face.
Zhuge Yunzheng was already stronger than him, and her attack just now was merely a test. He hadn't expected her to be so fierce and swift. Luckily, he was prepared, or he would have been hit...
Duan Huaiyan cleared his throat, put away his folding fan, and shook his head slightly: "Ahem, a moment of carelessness, a moment of carelessness, let's try again."
……
"Oh!"
At this moment, a loud bang came from the competition area where Guan Xun was located, which was enough to attract everyone's attention.
Han Pingli shouted loudly, like a thunderclap, and pulled the giant sword from his back. The heavy blade landed on the ground with a muffled "thud," which made the ground tremble slightly.
"Show me your true skills! I don't need you to let me win!" He looked at the white-clad figure in front of him, his eyes blazing with fighting spirit.
Guan Xun steadied her staggering steps and didn't say anything. She simply fanned away the dust that filled the air in front of her. She couldn't always have the upper hand; sometimes she had to appear somewhat strained. Only by engaging in a back-and-forth battle could she dispel everyone's suspicions about her.
She clutched her chest and took a deep breath: "You're amazing."
After saying that, he gripped his longsword tightly and slashed it down in the air. The long, narrow blade gleamed with a faint silver light and exuded a chilling aura.
Seeing this, Han Pingli frowned. Judging from the opponent's posture, he had indeed put all his strength into resisting, and it didn't seem like he was hiding his strength. Could it be that his strength was really superior?
But when he saw this beautiful woman compete, she seemed to handle everyone with ease... Was it just his imagination?
He had no time to think on the dueling platform. Seeing the opponent's attack, he gripped the greatsword tightly with both hands and held it horizontally above his head.
"Bang!!!"
The explosive sound of the two spiritual energies colliding caused the arena to tremble slightly.
Han Pingli's eyes narrowed slightly, and he dared not be careless.
He slammed his other hand hard on the arm he had used to parry with his sword, trying to steady it from its violent trembling.
What incredible strength! I felt like my hand was going to break after taking that blow.
"Drink!" he shouted, immediately circulating his energy in his dantian and gathering all his spiritual power in his arms. The muscles on his arms suddenly bulged, and the veins stood out, a sight that terrified onlookers.
"How terrifying! If someone were punched like that, they'd probably turn into a bloody mist on the spot..." someone couldn't help but exclaim.
Guan Xun's eyes flickered slightly. His opponent had concentrated all their strength in one place, and this attack was likely to be powerful. If he rashly faced it head-on, he would surely expose his true strength.
With a thought, just as the giant sword was about to strike, she slightly shifted her body to the side, seemingly narrowly avoiding the sword's slash.
But just then, the giant sword struck the ground, and the huge shockwave sent him flying. His heels reached the edge of the arena, and he seemed about to fall off.
"Haha, utterly defeated!" Han Pingli laughed heartily upon seeing this, his eyes filled with pride.
His all-out attack was truly unstoppable!
Even if he doesn't win the championship this time, as long as he wins this match, he can make it into the top three!
After thinking it over, his eyes lit up, and he raised his greatsword again and swung it at Guan Xun.
On the high seats, the expressions in the eyes of the several people were different.
Yu Liuhua frowned, gripped the armrests of the chair tightly with both hands, and leaned forward slightly.
What's going on? How come someone as beautiful as her seems to be struggling against Han Pingli's giant sword? That shouldn't be the case. With such strength, could it be that she has nothing to do with the destruction of the Holy Light Branch Hall? Or... is she pretending to be weaker than him?
"Hehe." Elder Mud Granny chuckled casually, a hint of interest flashing in her eyes. This girl must have sensed something and was just putting on an act.
It seems she might really be involved in the destruction of the Holy Light Branch Temple; if that's the case, there's going to be a big show to watch.
Guan Xun was naturally unaware of the thoughts of those seated at the table, and had no time to speculate.
Guan Xun kept moving, dodging several attacks from the giant sword. Each time, he seemed to be in grave danger, and was even forced to retreat by the shockwaves, looking somewhat disheveled.
She cannot win too easily. Her age determines the upper limit of her strength, and that is her limit. She must not let the people of the Holy Light Temple notice anything unusual.
Faced with this evasion, Han Pingli was unable to gain the upper hand after a long period of attack. He gradually became impatient, took a deep breath, and his spiritual power surged wildly. A layer of rich spiritual power shone on the giant sword. Clearly, he had run out of patience and intended to defeat his enemy in one move.
"enough!"
He gripped the greatsword tightly with both hands, and unlike his previous attacks, he suddenly leaped up, paused in mid-air for a moment as if locking onto the person, and then slashed down fiercely at Guan Xun's head!
This strike gathered all his strength, making his aura even more terrifying than before, as if he wanted to split the entire arena in two.
Guan Xun's eyes narrowed slightly. That was enough; dragging it out any longer would be superfluous.
Having pondered this, she quietly circulated her spiritual power at an extreme speed. Just as the giant sword was about to strike her, her figure suddenly transformed into a blur, narrowly avoiding the attack.
At the same time, the sharp sword in her hand, like a venomous snake emerging from its hole, flashed with a cold silver light. The instant Han Pingli slammed the sword into the ground, her figure appeared behind him.
With an outstretched arm, the sharp tip of the sword was already pressed against the side of Han Pingli's neck.
Han Pingli was startled and tried to retract his giant sword to dodge, but it was too late.
I felt a stinging pain, followed by a warm sensation that slowly spread downwards from the painful spot—it was bleeding…
His expression turned cold, and he tightened his grip on the sword. Seeing that his opponent on the dueling platform dared not use any force, he immediately wanted to counterattack.
However, the moment he moved, he was kicked hard in the lower back. He groaned and his massive body was sent flying like a boulder, crashing off the stage and onto the ground.
He struggled a few times, but couldn't get up; it seemed like there was something wrong with his kidneys.
As he sheathed his sword, Guan Xun staggered back half a step, clutching his chest as if his breathing was somewhat disordered.
Everyone who saw it felt that this battle was not won easily.
The results of the three teams' competition have been announced. Elder Eagle Eye waved his hand and declared, "The top three are out! But don't think the competition is over yet. The three who have advanced to the top three, Zhuge Yunzheng, Duan Qingxi, and the beautiful Ruhua, need to compete in one last round. The final winner will be the champion of this Holy Vanguard Selection Tournament!"
As soon as the elder finished his announcement, cheers erupted in the hall.
Of course, the one who was discussed the most was Guan Xun.
Looking across the entire Central Plains, no place can compare with the Three Great Halls in terms of talent cultivation. It was naturally beyond everyone's expectations that someone whose origins were unknown could leap into the top three.
Many people started asking around, but couldn't get any answers, so they gave up and started betting on who would win the championship.
Facing the gazes of the crowd, Guan Xun's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.
Only the champion has the opportunity to enter the upper house, so she is determined to win the championship.