Chapter 355: Chapter 348: Illusionary Step
CRACK!
Another crisp crack echoed. Gritting his teeth against the numbness in his right foot, Qing Lei rushed forward, barely dodging the attack from the vine-like whip.
Watching Qing Lei constantly dodging on the stage, Ye Shuangshuang frowned from the rest platform. "This can’t go on. The numbing poison is already corroding Qing Lei’s right leg. If he keeps moving like this, not only will he burn through a huge amount of Primordial Power and stamina, but if the numbing poison spreads..."
"No." Mu Bingling cut Ye Shuangshuang off with a small smile. "If he just kept wearing himself out, you’d be right. But look closely. Every single one of Qing Lei’s movements has a purpose."
After hearing Mu Bingling’s words, Ye Shuangshuang immediately looked back at the arena. Just then, Qing Lei once again barely dodged Liu Feiyan’s vine whip, this time in a rather pathetic manner—by rolling on the ground like a donkey. The move drew sneers and laughter from the audience.
"Haha, look, look! That’s what you get for being arrogant. He’s being whipped like a drowning dog."
"Exactly. It would have been much better to pick a Middle Lower Empire. Why insist on a Middle Upper Empire? Isn’t he just asking for humiliation?"
"I guess Dark Attribute Martial Artists aren’t as terrifying as the rumors say. Or maybe this particular Dark Attribute Martial Artist is just too weak."
"How strong can a Dark Attribute Martial Artist from a Low-class Empire possibly be?"
"That’s true..."
...
The chatter from above was incessant, but those who understood what was truly happening didn’t share their opinion. The spectators from the High-class Empires, at least, weren’t laughing. They simply stared impassively down at Qing Lei, analyzing his every move.
"Heh... This Dark Attribute Martial Artist is interesting. To think he can remain so calm and composed in such a disadvantageous situation. If he’d been born in a High-class Empire, he’d probably be terrifying."
In the High-level Empire Region, at the viewing seats for the Ice Emperor Dynasty, a gentle, scholarly-looking man chuckled, a hint of admiration in his eyes. This made another young man beside him scratch his head in confusion. It was the first time he had ever heard his boss praise someone like that. ’Could that Dark Attribute Martial Artist really be so impressive?’
...
"Is that...?"
The distance between Qing Lei and Liu Feiyan was closing in a subtle, profound way. If one didn’t look very carefully, it was hard to even notice that Qing Lei was getting closer to her!
When Ye Shuangshuang finally understood, her pupils constricted. She said in a low voice, "That’s... Illusionary Step!"
"Illusionary Step?" Mo Qing looked startled and asked urgently, "Shuangshuang, are you saying that’s the Body Technique Battle Skill Qing Lei has been practicing? But it looks so ordinary, without any of the aura a Combat Skill should have!"
Ye Shuangshuang nodded. "Sister Mo Qing, I’m sure of it. That’s Illusionary Step. The reason it’s called that is precisely because it’s so unremarkable that people can’t even tell it’s a Combat Skill. Look at the distance between Qing Lei and Liu Feiyan. No matter how he moves, they seem to stay the same distance apart. But if you look closely, you’ll realize the Qing Lei who’s moving around isn’t his real body at all. It’s... an illusory clone!"
"Ah?" Mo Qing’s mouth fell open in disbelief. The figure scrambling and rolling on the ground like a living person was actually an illusion!
"Now!"
The crawling Qing Lei suddenly stabbed both his blades into the ground. He rose to stand on one foot, his body forming an extremely elegant, streamlined arc. With a push from his left foot, he shot toward Liu Feiyan like a cheetah.
"Heh, you want to close the distance from that far away? You’re dreaming!"
Liu Feiyan cried out sharply and swung both her arms. With a CRACK, two vine whips struck Qing Lei’s body. But the moment the whips made contact with his back, the charging Qing Lei suddenly dissolved into a puff of smoke before everyone’s eyes. The two thorny whips instead slammed viciously into the arena floor, carving out two deep gashes!
"He... he vanished..."
On the Cangyue Empire’s rest platform, all four members stared in stunned unison, their mouths wide open. Ta Shan said blankly, "When did he disappear? Why wasn’t there any sign?"
Peng Chong’s expression changed. His face grim, he yelled, "Feiyan, behind you!!!"
But could that urgent shout really save Liu Feiyan? The answer, of course, was no!
"Did you enjoy whipping me just now?"
An utterly ice-cold voice came from behind Liu Feiyan. Hearing it, her heart skipped a beat. ’Crap!’
She frantically tried to mobilize her Primordial Power. If she succeeded, the surrounding vines would immediately coil around her for protection. But how could Qing Lei possibly give her the chance? With a flick of his wrists, he flipped his short blades so the edges faced up and the backs faced down, then brought them down in a sharp strike toward the nape of Liu Feiyan’s neck.
"Why don’t you just quiet down for a bit. Concussive Strike!"
THUD!
With a dull thud, Liu Feiyan felt a sharp pain in the back of her neck. Her vision went black, she lost all consciousness, and her body fell forward stiffly. But just as she was about to hit the ground, Qing Lei hooked an arm around her and caught her falling form. He then called out to the people from the Cangyue Empire, "Aren’t you going to come get her?"
Ta Shan, stunned for a moment, let out a couple of "oh’s" before rushing onto the stage to take the completely unconscious Liu Feiyan back. Elder Bai slowly descended. Seeing Qing Lei still standing in his spot, he nodded and announced loudly, "Xuanling Empire’s challenge match, first battle! The winner is Qing Lei of the Xuanling Empire!"
...Silence!
The areas for the Middle-class and Low-class Empires were all completely silent.
"What just happened?"
"No idea."
"What was that?"
"No idea."
"What do you know?"
"I know nothing."
"What’s your mom’s last name?"
"No idea."
...
No one understood how the completely one-sided battle had suddenly turned around. The reversal was faster than flipping a page in a book, and there wasn’t a single trace of how it had been done.
It was no wonder everyone was so shocked. The distance between Qing Lei and Liu Feiyan had been several hundred meters. Even if Qing Lei had used a Body Technique to move, it would have been impossible to leave no trace, especially while being watched by countless pairs of eyes. This was no ordinary skill.
"Is he a ghost?"
But just as everyone was still reeling in astonishment, Qing Lei suddenly collapsed, losing consciousness as well. The numbing poison had finally taken full effect...
Seeing this, Ye Shuangshuang hurriedly rushed onto the stage, lifted Qing Lei from the ground, and held him in her arms, her expression filled with anxiety. Elder Bai was also quite concerned. Without asking for Ye Shuangshuang’s permission, he sent a wisp of Primordial Power into Qing Lei’s body. A moment later, he let out a sigh of relief and said, "Don’t worry, child. The little fellow is fine. He’s just been paralyzed by the numbing poison. He’ll recover on his own in an hour."
Ye Shuangshuang’s worry lessened slightly after hearing Elder Bai’s words. She gave the Elder a grateful nod, then leaped back to the rest platform with a tap of her toes. Although the Xuanling Empire had won this battle, it was a pyrrhic victory. Qing Lei could no longer fight.
In the Cangyue Empire’s rest area, Peng Chong’s expression was grim. The beginning and the middle of the fight had gone exactly as he’d predicted, but this outcome was just too hard to accept.
"Dammit! What method did that bastard use to trick everyone’s eyes!" Unable to figure it out, Peng Chong clenched his fists fiercely. ’We can’t afford to lose any more face.’ "Ta Shan!"
"Here!" Ta Shan immediately stepped forward, his expression also grim.
"You’re up next! And you have permission to activate forty percent of the Rock Clan Secret Technique if necessary! You absolutely cannot lose!" Peng Chong’s usual lazy, carefree expression was completely gone, replaced by a look of grim determination.
But his words made Ta Shan freeze for a moment. It wasn’t just anything—it was the permission to activate forty percent of the Rock Clan Secret Technique that made Ta Shan incredibly excited.
"Really? I can activate forty percent? But Big Brother Fei Yuan said we weren’t allowed to activate the Rock Clan Secret Technique until we challenge a High-class Empire." Ta Shan’s excitement suddenly deflated as he seemed to remember something.
Peng Chong shook his head. "You big oaf, that’s why I said to only activate forty percent. Besides, that’s the upper limit. With your strength, activating just twenty percent would probably be enough to crush them. Go on. I’ll cover for you with Boss Fei Yuan."
"Alright then, I’m going!"
Since Peng Chong was taking responsibility, Ta Shan no longer had any reservations. Clenching his fists, his entire body landed on Arena Number One with a BOOM, like a great mountain, causing the whole stage to tremble from the impact.
That landing alone was enough to show everyone just how immense Ta Shan’s power was!
Elder Bai glanced calmly at Ta Shan, a peculiar glint flashing in his eyes. He murmured in a voice only he could hear, ’This year’s Empire tournament is truly interesting. The newcomers are more monstrous than the last. And there’s even one from *that* place, heheh...’
On the Xuanling Empire’s side, Little Tiger’s expression hardened when he saw Ta Shan take the stage for the second match. "Sister Bingling, Big Brother Qing Lei can’t fight anymore. I already made a deal with him earlier. This big guy is mine."
A flash of worry passed through Mu Bingling’s eyes. She nodded and advised, "Be careful."
Little Tiger grinned, revealing his white, canine-like teeth. The fire of battle ignited in his eyes. With a flicker, he landed directly opposite Ta Shan. From above, Little Tiger’s frame looked small and lean, his skin dark, but there was not a trace of weakness about him. On the contrary, he gave off the feeling of immense explosive power.
And Ta Shan? He was the exact opposite. His entire body radiated a sense of tangible power. His bulging muscles and the crisscrossing veins all served as undeniable proof to the world: he was strong!
"Hey, little guy. You look like you have some skill, but there’s still a big gap between you and me. How about you just surrender now?"
Ta Shan’s words were blunt, but his tone held no trace of arrogance or contempt, making it impossible to get angry at him. Little Tiger, however, wore a grim expression and replied just as bluntly, "Big guy, how will we know if there’s a gap until we fight? Even if there is, I’m still gonna fight!"
Ta Shan stared blankly for a moment, then said, suddenly annoyed, "Why are you so stubborn? If you want to be destroyed, then I won’t hold back."
"Bring it on. I’m not afraid of you."
"You @#¥%..."
"I’ll @¥...%¥..."
"@#¥..."
’What the hell kind of tribal language are they speaking? This old man can’t understand a thing! Can’t you speak the common tongue of the Extreme Martial Continent?’
"Ahem..." Clearing his throat, Elder Bai suddenly raised his right hand and said in a grave voice, "You two..."
"?" Both of them paused and said in unison, "Is there something you need, Referee?"
Elder Bai: "..."
...
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