Chapter 92: Lin Qi’an Encounters Zhao Yunji, A Battle on the Brink
“Good girl, don’t be afraid… I won’t hurt you…” Zhao Qingmeng comforted softly as she approached step by step.
She knew that this creature would instinctively avoid people with spiritual power because it felt threatened. However, ordinary people without spiritual power would greatly reduce its vigilance. Yet, no ordinary person had ever participated in the Great Hunt before.
After all, who among those chosen wasn’t a favored talent? This year, Lin Qi’an bringing Zhao Qingmeng along was unprecedented.
“Squeak, squeak.” The golden cicada chirped and, unexpectedly, jumped onto Zhao Qingmeng’s shoulder without any defense!
She remained calm and composed, slowly reaching out her hand. The Golden-Winged Cicada flapped its wings twice before hopping onto the back of her hand. At that moment, Zhao Qingmeng activated the Holy Essence Golden Bell.
The Holy Essence Golden Bell was an extremely special sacred artifact. The spiritual power was stored inside it and needed regular replenishment. The advantage was that Zhao Qingmeng could activate it even without having spiritual power herself.
A soft golden light enveloped her entire hand. The Golden-Winged Cicada, only then realizing the danger, attempted to flee, but after colliding everywhere, it couldn’t escape the golden light’s encirclement.
“I caught it! I caught it!” She exclaimed in delight, her little face brimming with joy, and her eyes squinted into crescent shapes. She never imagined she would catch it with her own hands.
“Amazing!” Lin Qi’an hurried over to help store the Golden-Winged Cicada.
No one would have expected the Golden-Winged Cicada to actually be caught. Once they return to calculate the points, this creature could add an extra 100 points! But after falling behind for two days, is there still hope for first place?
The Great Hunt was nearing its end. Team 108, Xiao Chen and Ye Yun, had risen to the top! And at that moment, the teams ranked second and third collided.
Zhao Yunji had been searching for Lin Qi’an’s team, wanting to teach him a lesson. However, until the Great Hunt was about to conclude, they hadn’t crossed paths. Now, they were face-to-face with another seeded team.
The Holy Son of Taiwu Holy Land, Wu Ling!
“So, it’s the princess and the Saintess of Tianchi Holy Land.” Wu Ling, dressed in white, holding a folding fan, smiled, “Since we’ve met, I would like to witness the elegance of the two fairies.”
The clash between these two teams was naturally recorded by someone projecting the scene, and countless people were likely watching. Wu Ling’s idea was simple: showcase his extraordinary strength by defeating the two and making a name for himself in one battle!
The Crown Prince’s fiancée, the Crown Prince’s maid, defeating them would surely overshadow the Crown Prince’s fame.
“You take the other one,” Zhao Yunji instructed Su Xueni before flying forward, her golden long dress dancing in the wind.
This battle indeed attracted countless eyes.
“The princess of Tai’an versus Wu Ling, how exciting!”
“Wu Ling’s combat techniques are unparalleled, but Her Highness’s thunder techniques are even more superior.”
“Hahaha, this is truly thrilling to watch. As expected of the top of the Fairy Saintess Ranking, possessing both strength and beauty.”
“The Heavenly Extreme Five Thunder Technique, its power is extraordinary! I’m afraid no one can rival Her Highness’s thunder techniques.”
Indeed, Zhao Yunji won this battle, and without much pressure. She almost entirely suppressed Wu Ling. The rolling heavenly thunder left the ground under her skirt with barely a spot intact. The third-ranked seeded team was officially out.
“I admit defeat!” Wu Ling shook his head and withdrew.
It seemed there was still quite a gap between himself and this princess at the peak of the Transcendent Realm. Even if the Crown Prince encountered her, he wouldn’t be her match.
In the vast Canglan Dao Domain, is there a man worthy of such a divine woman? A goddess like Zhao Yunji shouldn’t belong to any man; she is destined to reach the highest heights!
After watching this battle, the audience sighed in regret.
“By the way, where has the Crown Prince been all this time?”
“I don’t know, not a single image has been seen!”
“The Crown Prince hasn’t been eliminated, his ranking is still third.”
“What a pity, originally the Crown Prince was firmly in first place, but in these past two days, his points haven’t increased at all, and he’s been completely left behind.”
“Ah, indeed, with such a point difference, it’s impossible to catch up.”
All the Beiyang cultivators hoped the Crown Prince would take the crown. It was the pride of Beiyang! If an outsider took the crown of the Great Hunt, Beiyang would lose face greatly. Originally, with the Crown Prince’s extraordinary performance, taking first place was quite certain, but unfortunately…
The next fight for the crown would be between the Tai’an Princess’s team and the obscure Team 108. Neither were from Beiyang. It seemed somewhat uninteresting now.
Night fell. The sky was thick with dark clouds. A strong wind swept across, bringing a torrential downpour! The rain fell like arrows, piercing straight into the ground, with thunder rolling and lightning flashing.
“What heavy rain!” On the vast plain, countless cultivators quickly opened their spiritual shields to ward off the torrential rain.
“Perhaps we should head back; there’s nothing much to see here.”
“Indeed, Master, let’s return to the sect. This year’s Great Hunt is almost over.”
Just as many were thinking of retreating…
“The Crown Prince has appeared!”
This shout immediately drew the attention of many.
“Where has the Crown Prince been for the past two days? Let’s go, quickly check it out!”
The cultivators, paying no heed to the pouring rain, rushed over to witness the event.
In such a harsh rainstorm, the recording from the image stone was not very clear, but the figure clad in snow-white clothes was undoubtedly the Crown Prince.
“Damn, the Crown Prince is confronting the Princess of Tai’an head-on!”
“Come and see, the battle of the century is about to begin!”
“Oh? The fiancée meets her fiancé, haha, who would have thought there would be such a twist at the end!”
This news spread like a deep-water bomb, exploding among the crowd with unimaginable speed.
In just a moment, nearly all the cultivators on the vast plain had gathered in front of the image stone, packed densely together with barely any room to spare. Above them, an enormous barrier was raised, serving as a rain shelter.
Lin Qi’an hadn’t expected to run into Zhao Yunji. Without the radar map in his mind, he had been wandering aimlessly, and this encounter was purely coincidental.
When the torrential rain began, his first reaction was to take Zhao Qingmeng into the Lotus Realm for shelter. But the sight of two stunning women walking through the rain made him stop in his tracks.
“Crown Prince!” Su Xueni exclaimed in surprise.
“Sister?” In the downpour, Zhao Yunji’s golden long dress remained untouched by the rain, clearly made of the high-grade Flying Immortal Silk.
However, her three thousand strands of black hair, draped over her back, were all soaked.
“Sister, it seems you’ve been doing well these past few days.” Her words carried a coldness that seemed to freeze the torrential rain into ice.
What does she mean? Instead of settling things with her fiancé first, she uses words to stab at me?
Zhao Qingmeng suddenly smiled slyly. “Brother Lin, thank you for shielding me from the wind and rain. If it weren’t for you, I surely would have caught a cold!”
Zhao Yunji: …
Lin Qi’an: …
The tension in the air grew even thicker.
Swish!
A sword stood upright, pointing directly at Lin Qi’an. The sword carried faint traces of lightning, exuding a terrifying aura.
“Lin Qi’an, Crown Prince of Beiyang, do you dare to accept my challenge?” Zhao Yunji was not one for petty thoughts like her sister.
In her mind, Lin Qi’an could be cunning, charming, and playful, but the prerequisite for all that was strength! Only the strong are qualified to possess everything.
“Sigh, if we must fight, then let’s get on with it,” Lin Qi’an sighed helplessly. “Xueni, take care of her for me.”
“Alright.” With that, Su Xueni looked after Zhao Qingmeng, ensuring she wouldn’t be caught up in the battle.
Lin Qi’an and Zhao Yunji faced each other, with neither giving an inch. This battle gripped the hearts of countless onlookers!
Setting aside their engagement, Lin Qi’an, as the Crown Prince of Beiyang, represented the strongest force of Beiyang’s younger generation.
Meanwhile, Zhao Yunji, the Princess of Tai’an, represented the strongest among the younger generation of Tai’an Imperial City. Both were descendants of Great Emperors!
If Lin Qi’an lost, Beiyang might have to lower its stance before the Tai’an Imperial Family.
However, if Zhao Yunji lost, it would show the world that while Beiyang might not be the ruler of an immortal dynasty, its strength could not be underestimated. Countless holy lands, sects, and Dao palaces were all focused on this battle!
“Who do you think is stronger, the Crown Prince or the Princess?”
“The Crown Prince once killed a Celestial Realm demon beast with a single sword strike, wielding a Sacred Rank weapon. His strength is evident.”
“The Princess of Tai’an has also had an illustrious record. She completely crushed the Holy Son of Taiwu, and with her peak Transcendent Realm cultivation, she too wields a Sacred Rank weapon.”
“Under normal circumstances, I think it’s impossible to judge. But right now, the Princess is definitely at an advantage!”
“Why?”
“Because it’s currently a thunderstorm, and the Princess excels in thunder techniques. The power is more terrifying—this is her home ground!”
“The old gentleman’s analysis is reasonable. It seems the Crown Prince is likely to lose this time!”
People were already placing bets.
“Place your bets, everyone!”
“Crown Prince or Princess, place your bets, the more you bet, the more you win! Get rich overnight, it’s all happening today!”
At this point, many cultivators were betting on the Princess to win. After all, with the Tianlang Immortal Dynasty backing her, the Princess’s resources were no less than the Crown Prince’s—her techniques, divine abilities, and weapons were all top-tier. With higher cultivation and favorable weather conditions, why wouldn’t she win?
Soon, more and more people bet on the Princess.
“I’ll bet 500 spirit stones on the Crown Prince!”
“I’m also betting on the Crown Prince to win!”
Ran Yuwei and Zi Lianyou, watching the battle, both placed bets on the Crown Prince. They weren’t afraid of losing; they were just cheering him on.
In the exclusive viewing stand, even the holy-level powerhouses from Tianjian City, who rarely showed themselves, couldn’t see through the situation.
The Sword Emperor’s expression was serious, revealing no joy or anger.
“Mother, can brother win?” Lin Hongyu asked softly.
“If your brother loses, you must train hard for a month, without a moment of play.”
“Ugh, why should I be punished if brother loses!”
Amidst the torrential rain, in the forest, Lin Qi’an and Zhao Yunji moved simultaneously!