Chapter 349: Chapter 342: Dark Attribute Martial Artist, Qing Lei
"A Second-Ring Martial Sect!! Fall back!!"
The Kachu Empire students cried out in alarm. Their charge instantly became a retreat. Was this a joke? Making the five of them fight a Second-Ring Martial Sect? Wasn’t that just asking for death? Any single Martial Sect could easily defeat a dozen High-Level Martial Kings, not to mention the five of them didn’t even qualify as High-Level Martial Kings.
Seeing them pull back, Little Tiger smiled faintly. They hadn’t retreated directly off the stage, which meant they hadn’t completely given up. ’Since that’s the case,’ he thought, ’my Combat Skill is fully charged. Wouldn’t it be a waste not to unleash it after all their taunting?’ But he was perfectly clear-headed now, so he definitely wouldn’t attack their bodies directly.
"Hah!"
With a great shout, Little Tiger leaped high into the air. His Iron Fist, wreathed in a vortex of rock, plummeted toward stage one like a comet.
"BOOM!!"
The entire stage shuddered violently! A dazzling light, as bright as day, flashed from the stage, followed by a massive explosion that seemed to shake the Azure Sky! Countless bits of sand and stone shot out in all directions! Just as the flying debris was about to affect the battles on the other stages, Elder Bai suddenly leaped into the air. With a wave of his hands, a huge, cylindrical Barrier rapidly rose from the edges of stage one, securely enclosing it and containing all the flying stones within.
"..."
Another wave of silence fell. When Little Tiger revealed the power of a Second-Ring Martial Sect on the stage, the Empires that had just been mocking them had already shut their mouths. A Second-Ring Martial Sect! That was a Martial Artist Realm that absolutely surpassed those of the Low-class Empires! The match’s outcome was almost a foregone conclusion. Martial Kings against a Martial Sect—even with double their numbers, they wouldn’t have stood the slightest chance!
The dust gradually settled, revealing the scene on stage one to everyone. A bare-chested young man stood tall in the center of the stage. At his feet, a large crater roughly fifteen meters in diameter and six meters deep lay quietly. However, there was no sign of the Kachu Empire contestants in the crater. The crowd scanned the area around the stage again, but still found nothing.
’Could that guy have blasted those five contestants to bits?’
Most people were already thinking along these lines. The rules of the Empire tournament stated that anyone who intentionally killed a contestant from another nation would be immediately stripped of their right to participate. However, judging from the kid’s calm expression, he didn’t seem afraid at all.
"Damn it, we lost!"
Suddenly, a soft cry came from below stage one. A few figures leaped onto the stage from the back. Only then did everyone understand. The Kachu Empire contestants hadn’t been blasted to bits by Little Tiger; seeing that the situation was bad, they had jumped directly off the stage. According to the tournament rules, falling off the stage counted as a defeat.
Thus, in this battle, whether individually or as a team, the Xuanling Empire had achieved a complete victory! Moreover, the Xuanling Empire had only sent out one person to finish this first match of the Empire ranking competition, successfully seizing the Kachu Empire’s ranking and Empire Level!
"In this battle, the Xuanling Empire is the final victor! They have acquired the rank and Empire Level of the Kachu Empire. Congratulations to the Xuanling Empire on their promotion to a Low-level Middle-tier Empire!"
A hint of gratification appeared in Elder Bai’s eyes. To be honest, he had never looked down on any contestant from a Low-class Empire. But for so many years, not a single promising Martial Artist had emerged from their ranks; they were always crushed and instantly defeated by their opponents. This year, however, the Xuanling Empire had given him a completely different and enjoyable spectacle. So, after announcing the final result, he unexpectedly nodded at Little Tiger and said with appreciation, "You’re very good. Keep it up."
Little Tiger was inherently kind-hearted. Seeing Elder Bai’s friendly gesture, he couldn’t be impolite. He immediately bowed, offered his thanks, and returned to the Xuanling Empire’s viewing area.
"Good kid! Well done!"
The moment he returned, a beaming Di Cang slapped Little Tiger—on the shoulder, of course. The praise in his eyes was unconcealed. After all, Little Tiger’s performance had been a heavy slap in the face to all those who looked down on the Xuanling Empire. And what a resounding slap it was! A feeling of unprecedented satisfaction filled Di Cang’s heart.
"Haha, Little Tiger, you always seem so honest and reserved. I never would’ve guessed you had such a suave side to you."
Ye Shuangshuang, with her fiery and cheerful personality, paid no mind to her surroundings. She threw an arm around Little Tiger’s shoulders and started ruffling his hair, laughing as she did. Qing Lei was completely helpless about this. He had once told Ye Shuangshuang not to be so affectionate with Little Tiger, but over time, Qing Lei discovered that Little Tiger was completely oblivious to matters between men and women. He only saw Ye Shuangshuang’s affectionate actions as a friendly gesture from a family member. In the end, Qing Lei had no choice but to give up and pretend he didn’t see it. Now, he was long used to it and didn’t give it a second thought.
"Heh, I guess we’ve really made a high-profile debut now." Qing Lei’s eyes were full of mirth, and the corner of his mouth quirked up. "But this alone isn’t enough to be considered truly high-profile and arrogant. According to the rules of the Extreme Martial Continent, since we won the first round, we’ll have to compete in the next one immediately. How about this: I’ll go next."
Qing Lei’s words immediately drew everyone’s attention.
"Is that a good idea? You’re the acting captain, after all."
Mo Qing pursed her lips. She didn’t really care who went first or last, but as the acting captain, Qing Lei should have been the last to fight.
Hearing Mo Qing, Qing Lei shook his head with a wry smile. "What acting captain? In my heart, besides Mu Chen, no one else is qualified to be called captain. We’re all just contestants. So it’s decided. I’ll go for the next battle."
Qing Lei’s voice was firm, and no one could do anything about it. Mu Bingling, however, glanced almost imperceptibly toward the Red Sun Empire, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
"Any of you can go up next. But when the Red Sun Empire is ’lucky’ enough to become our opponent, that match must be mine."
Mu Bingling’s sudden declaration stunned everyone. In their minds, ever since Mu Chen had left, her heart had been frozen. She rarely spoke an unnecessary word to anyone besides Mo Qing. But Qing Lei, Ye Shuangshuang, and Little Tiger didn’t mind. They could sense Mu Bingling’s camaraderie with them and believed everything would change because of a man named Mu Chen. As long as Mu Chen returned, Mu Bingling’s heart would completely thaw. He was the key to her shackles.
"Sister-in-law Bingling’s orders! We humble ones wouldn’t dare to disobey!"
Qing Lei, Little Tiger, and Ye Shuangshuang were suddenly in a mischievous mood. They brought their old antics from the academy to this grand stage, simultaneously giving Mu Bingling a deep, formal bow. It made Mu Bingling’s icy expression melt, revealing a hint of a smile.
But that hint of a smile made the entire scenery of the Peak of the Holy Mark seem to dim in comparison. She was like a green sprout breaking through ice, gradually growing and blossoming into a pure and sacred Snow Mountain Ice Lotus that took root in the heart of everyone present.
Beauty! A beauty unparalleled in this world!
Beauty! A beauty that could topple nations!
At that moment, everyone truly understood the meaning of a smile that could topple a city.
As time passed, Mu Bingling had long since shed her youthful awkwardness. The woman she was now possessed a peerless beauty capable of captivating anyone.
She didn’t smile, because her smiles blossomed for only one person. She didn’t speak, because her words were whispered to only one person. That person was the solace of her life...
Feeling the countless eyes on her, Mu Bingling’s expression instantly returned to normal. As if nothing had happened, she sat down, a fleeting look of playful reproach in her eyes. "Don’t fool around in a place like this again," she said lightly.
Qing Lei and Little Tiger snapped out of their daze at the same time. Although they had seen Mu Bingling’s smile before, they couldn’t help but be stunned. It was a smile not of this world.
Scratching his head, Qing Lei hurriedly nodded. "Won’t happen again, won’t happen again."
Sitting in the distant viewing area for the Red Sun Empire, Qin Shou’s face was a mask of insanity. He was uncontrollably agitated, constantly muttering, "She’s mine, she’s mine! No one can take her from me! I’m going to have her!"
He was oblivious to the fact that everyone around him was looking at him with extreme disdain, as if they were watching a dog in heat.
"The rest period is over! The first round of battles on all stages has concluded. Will the victorious Empires from the first round please ascend the stages and prepare for your next match!"
Elder Bai was clearly the vice-host of the Empire tournament. By now, the battles on all the stages below had ended, and the second round was about to begin.
Qing Lei’s lips curved up. "Finally my turn. I wonder which unlucky Empire it will be... I’m really looking forward to it."
With a mere thought, Qing Lei’s figure vanished from everyone’s sight. They all shuddered. That disappearance... it was too strange.
After their first match, the amount of attention on the Xuanling Empire had skyrocketed, so every one of their members was being watched. Yet Qing Lei’s disappearance had been completely traceless, without even the slightest fluctuation of Primordial Power. Everyone subconsciously looked toward stage one. The stage Little Tiger had destroyed had already been repaired by Elder Bai, but what was even more shocking was that, aside from the contestant from the other Empire, there wasn’t a single other person on it.
"How... How did he do that?"
In the Middle-level Empire Region, Liu Feiyan’s eyes were wide. She had been staring at them without blinking from the very beginning, but even she hadn’t been able to see how he disappeared.
"Haha... Interesting, very interesting! To think a Low-class Empire would have such a genius." In the special area, Dilaka and Shan Qiuhen exchanged a look and a smile, both seeing the interest in each other’s eyes.
"Xuanling Empire, state your name," Elder Bai suddenly said, speaking to an empty spot. Others couldn’t see Qing Lei’s position, but he was different. Although Qing Lei’s concealment was excellent, the gap in their Martial Artist Realms still allowed him to find a few clues.
"WHOOSH!"
Qing Lei’s figure suddenly materialized on the side of the stage like a black curtain unfurling. Only when he appeared did everyone realize that he hadn’t vanished at all, but had simply been hiding. Only one type of person could do that!
"A Dark Attribute Martial Artist!!"
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