Chapter 28: Wang Xuzhi VS Xiao Yi
“This is the finals for the Foundation group?” Yan Yuehong was at the Foundation Paragon level, same as her.
Wang Xuzhi nodded. “Third senior-martial brother is actually really amazing. He’s the one who was first to obtain the qualifications to enter the finals among all of the participating Foundation disciples.”
“Is it very difficult to enter the finals?”
“Extremely difficult!” He continued to explain. “Every participating disciple is an elite of the various sects. Every sect will first conduct an Intra-Sect Tournament to select three participants, and there’s a total of three different groups in the Inter-Sect Tournament. There are more than ten participants in each group, and only after defeating everyone in the group, can you enter the finals.”
I see. It looks this person called Yan Yuehong is actually really skilled. “In that case, you’re really amazing too. You have entered the finals as well, haven’t you?”
Wang Xuzhi smiled a little shyly, and nodded a little embarrassingly. This kid, back then, he was so arrogant and prideful. I didn’t expect to see him change so much in just five years. I simply praised him a little, and his face reddened so easily.
Zhu Yao suddenly recalled that she promised to see his preliminary matches a few months ago. She had actually forgotten about it.
“Sorry, Xuzhi. Back then, I promised to see your matches. However, four months ago, something happened, so I never had the chance to leave the mountain.” In the few days he was participating in the preliminary matches, she was recovering from the outburst of spiritual energy. When she fully recovered from it, he had already finished with the preliminaries.
“It’s… It’s alright!” Wang Xuzhi’s face reddened even more, and then, he raised his head and looked at her in the eyes. “You… What did you call me just now…?”
“Xuzhi?” Zhu Yao looked at him a little weirdly. “Didn’t you always want me to call you by your name? You’re a grown-up now, I can’t be calling you twerp or little wimp forever, right? What? I can’t call you that?”
“You can! Of course, you can!” Wang Xuzhi hurriedly nodded his head forcefully, as though he was afraid she would change her mind.
This little wimp sure is hard to please. “When’s your match?” On the ring, Yan Yuehong had already obtained victory.
Wang Xuzhi turned to look at the ring as well. “It should be the next match.”
Already? Zhu Yao was a little startled, and she just happened to hear the announcement that the final match of the Essence group was next. It was between Wang Xuzhi and Xiao Yi, who had won just earlier.
“Big sister Zhu Yao, I’m going.”
Zhu yao nodded, and habitually, she reached out her hand to stroke his head, smiling. “That person should be specialized in formations. You must be careful.”
“Mn. I will.”
“Good luck.” Zhu Yao did a ‘good luck’ gesture. “Remember, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, it’s fine if you come back safe and sound.”
Wang Xuzhi was startled, as though he had never thought that she would say something like that. A moment later, he revealed a brilliant smile, as though rays of light were being emitted out from him, blinding and sparkling.
Zhu Yao reflexively raised her hand to block the shine, and when she regained her senses, Wang Xuzhi had already entered the ring. Was that just her imagination? Why did she feel that the little wimp’s smile was so brilliant, it almost blinded her?
The match on the ring had already begun. Facing his last opponent, Wang Xuzhi had no choice but to be even more cautious. Adding the stunning battle his opponent displayed earlier, he could not help but pay extra attention to the person in front of him.
Of course, the same went for Xiao Yi as well. Five years. He had been ousted out of the Inner Sect for five years. Today, he was finally able to cleanse all his shame, and retain his former glory. Today, he, Xiao Yi, would have everyone who had bullied him understand, what was true strength.
When experts collide, only the brave will prevail. Almost at the same time, the two initiated their attacks.
Wang Xuzhi had the Fire Heavenly Spirit Vein, however, what he first used was not the Fire-type Mystic Arts he specialized in, rather, he summoned several wind blades. Xiao Yi did not put a barrier, instead, he slammed his palm onto the ground, erecting an earth wall to block the wind blades.
However, Wang Xuzhi’s wind blades were just a feint. When his opponent formed the earth wall, he had already moved towards Xiao Yi’s back. He summoned his flying sword, and swung it down. The sword was filled with spiritual energy, a strike with astonishing might. And, his opponent no longer had the chance to defend against it.
“Good!” Zhu Yao could not help but applaud Wang Xuzhi.
The sword slashed past the human figure, landed on the ground, and emitted out a ‘dang’ sound. And the human figure in front of him actually slowly dispersed, disappearing into thin air. It was actually a false image. Wang Xuzhi’s expression changed. As he did not have the time to find Xiao Yi’s true body, he immediately erected a defensive barrier.
Sure enough, the moment his barrier was formed, a piercing sword strike came attacking towards him, and it struck the barrier heavily.
Wang Xuzhi swung his sword to force his opponent back, and leapt backwards himself, his defensive barrier had already shattered soundingly. As he thought, his opponent was not easy to deal with.
Similarly, Xiao Yi held onto the hilt of his longsword as he stared at him. Both of them were disciples who wielded swords, and they trained in the ways of the swords. Compared to Mystic Arts, they were most specialized in their sword techniques. Almost at the same time, the two of them abandoned their Mystic Arts, and collided with their sword techniques.
Xiao Yi had the Metal and Wood Dual-Spirit Veins, his sword emitted out a faint golden light, and due to its incomparably sharpness and firmness, it could be used to attack and defend. While, on the other hand, Wang Xuzhi had the Fire Heavenly Spirit Vein. His strikes were filled with destructive power, and his entire sword was as though it was burning with raging fire.
The two of them collided more than a hundred of times, yet, they were still unable to determine the victor, and if they were to continue fighting like this, they would simply be depleting their own spiritual energies. Finally, the two of them came up with ideas of their own. Xiao Yi threw out two formation flags, and a formation instantly took shape.
Wang Xuzhi had already prepared himself for his opponent’s formation. He flew up, and instantly distanced himself from the formation.
Hmph. At that moment, Xiao Yi revealed a cold smile. As he thought, those from the Inner Sect were all people who were cowardly and afraid of death. “Spirit Increasing Formation, Activate!”
As those words fell, large amount of spiritual energy gathered from all directions, and the formation on the ground released a brilliant white light.
Wang Xuzhi’s expression slightly changed. Xiao Yi intentionally threw his formation flags out in a wide manner to trick him into distancing himself from the heart of the formation. In actual fact, it was not an offensive formation, but a support formation used to replenish spiritual energy. As long as the formation was completed, the person within the formation would be able to have his spiritual energy instantly raised to the perfect state.
Not good. I can’t let him complete the formation. I have no choice but to take a gamble then.
Wang Xuzhi circulated all of the spiritual energy in his body, and for a moment, a violent wind stirred. A gigantic sword as high as a tower appeared from the ground, completely surrounding the entire ring. A dense sword energy flooded the skies.
“Isn’t… Isn’t this a sword formation that can only be accomplished by practitioners at the Foundation stage?” A disciple outside the ring cried out astonishingly. Only someone who had extremely high comprehension to sword techniques, could unleash a sword formation that surpassed one’s level.
Zhu Yao’s worried heart was tightened even more. The little wimp was putting his all into this attack, and the outcome of the match would be decided with this strike of his.
“Countless Sword Formation, disperse!” When those words fell, the gigantic sword that emitted out a dense and cold sword energy dispersed into countless of small swords in an instant. With the force of an avalanche, the small swords flew towards the center of Xiao Yi’s formation.
In the end, Xiao Yi’s Spirit Increasing Formation was never completed, however, his spiritual energy had recovered to a certain extent. With extreme speed, he left the heart of the formation, and flew towards the skies. However, the Countless Sword Formation actually followed after him.
He had no choice but to cast his Earth-type Mystic Art again, erecting a earth wall that covered himself entirely. However, the countless swords simply struck onto the wall, and it seemed as though his defense was about to be broken. Xiao Yi clenched his teeth, his eyes turned cold, revealing the determination to make his aspirations come true. This match, I can’t lose, I must not lose!
The wall that was struck by the countless swords shattered in an instant, and it looked as though victory had been decided. Suddenly, a sword energy that was even more frightening than the gigantic sword earlier, exploded from the earth mound. It was as though time had stopped, and the swords that were still attacking wildly had stopped in mid-air.
Xiao Yi stood up from the mound, and did hand seals one-handedly. Although his body looked fatigued, it still emitted out a relentless aura. He then shouted out, with emphasis on every single word. “Linear. Sky. Slash!” He swung the sword in his hand with all his might, and the countless swords in the air, were instantly blown away in all four directions. Only when they struck the spectator’s barrier outside the ring, did they finally fall onto the ground.
Linear Sky Slash? That was an Azoth-stage sword technique!
With his Countless Sword Formation broken, Wang Xuzhi’s spiritual energy was completely depleted, resulting to a backlash which caused him to spit out a mouthful of blood.
However, Xiao Yi’s technique was still not finished. He pointed the longsword in his hand towards the sky, and instantly, a humongous spiritual sword appeared in the skies. The spiritual sword was more than a hundred times larger than the gigantic sword Wang Xuzhi summoned earlier.
“Destroy!” Xiao Yi shouted loudly, and the humongous spiritual sword fell towards Wang Xuzhi, who no longer had the strength to retaliate.
Zhu Yao felt her heart quivering. The ominous feeling she had ever since little wimp went onto the ring, was instantly infinitely stronger than before. A terrifying feeling instantly struck her heart, and all of the hair on her body stood on ends.
However, her body had already reacted unconsciously.
“Heavenfall!” A Heavenly Lightning split apart the air as it descended from the skies, instantly striking onto the descending humongous spiritual sword. In the next moment, the spiritual sword shattered into pieces.
Xiao Yi spit out a mouthful of fresh blood.
The entire audience was dead silent.
All of their eyes, gathered onto her face one after another.
“Uh…” ‘Embarrassment’ could no longer describe Zhu Yao’s current feelings. The hell, she herself did not know why she suddenly intervened. She looked at her surroundings, and then, she looked towards the tall stage. “Umm… My… My hands slipped. Ho. Hoho. Hohoho.”
Audience: “……”