Chapter 793: Chapter 790: Unexpected!
Ji Dantong, who was enraged, now resembled a waking lion, charging forward with a majestic and overwhelming sword strike, its fierce momentum making everyone hold their breath.
Sun Miaohan, who bore the brunt of the attack, saw the incoming strike. Although her smile remained, her pupils shrank involuntarily, and her footwork subtly shifted, narrowly avoiding Ji Dantong’s fierce strike.
Without waiting for Ji Dantong to react, Sun Miaohan swiftly raised her arm, flicking her fingers to release dozens of barely visible silver needles.
She had begun the encounter by provoking with words, aiming for this moment to launch an attack at a critical juncture, hoping to catch her opponent off guard.
Based on Sun Miaohan’s understanding of Ji Dantong, she knew that when enraged, the latter would definitely unleash all her strength without holding back a bit of True Qi, exerting as much force as possible.
Once Ji Dantong had explosively unleashed her energy, she would definitely fall into a brief period of True Qi depletion, and if Sun Miaohan could seize this opportunity, she could almost resolve the opponent with a single move.
However, this time, she somewhat underestimated Ji Dantong...
Just as Sun Miaohan had thought, she indeed understood Ji Dantong very well, but how could it be that Ji Dantong didn’t also understand her thoroughly?
When serious, Ji Dantong would certainly consider all possible changes in tactics, and even if she couldn’t win, she would at least strive for a draw.
At this moment, seeing the anticipated attack approaching, Ji Dantong calmly swung her long sword rapidly, like a fan blade spinning continuously.
"Clang clang clang clang clang..."
After a series of dense clashes, Ji Dantong chuckled lightly and instantly counterattacked, wielding the sword in one hand and transforming her other hand into a palm, determined to land at least one hit.
The sudden reversal stunned those who had been applauding Sun Miaohan’s victory; immediately, Ji Dantong’s supporters’ spirits surged, so much so that they almost jumped onto the stage, only to be stopped by the surrounding barrier.
Although Ji Dantong’s supporters were evidently fewer than Sun Miaohan’s, they seemed to be prematurely celebrating victory at this moment, with someone even hugging and jumping in circles, causing others to have black lines on their faces.
"This is the difference, just a slight advantage, and look how happy they are."
"That’s quite a misunderstanding; can’t you see it’s high-level satire?"
"Ji Dantong just gained a bit of an advantage, and they’re so excited, clearly not expecting it before, so being over-excited now is understandable!"
Seeing the opposite side laughing with their arms crossed, Ji Dantong’s supporters felt displeased and immediately questioned, "What are you guys saying?!"
"What? Did we say anything?" The speaker feigned ignorance, causing laughter around them.
This unrestrained demeanor instantly pissed off Ji Dantong’s supporters, and both sides immediately began to argue, the intensity even surpassing the two protagonists on the arena.
Seeing that the verbal conflict was quickly escalating to a physical one, the sect leaders watching from the pavilion could no longer stand it. If they allowed the situation to escalate, the arena might turn chaotic both above and below, ending in an uncontrollable mess.
They wanted to stimulate the competition among the disciples, but not in such a manner.
Chen Zhenfang’s expression changed, and she waved her wide sleeve, causing the disciples below the pavilion to freeze instantly, as though time had stopped.
After a moment, a clarity occupied their minds, making them realize someone from the higher-ups took action, and they quickly focused on the battle on the arena, not daring to applaud or cheer anymore.
Once the scene turned silent, the only sounds left were the swooshing through the air on the arena, occasional metallic clashes, and the inaudible cheers in the minds of both sides’ supporters.
...
It was unsurprising that Ji Dantong’s change of moves didn’t achieve the expected effect, as the two, having been rivals since childhood, knew each other even better than the closest of friends, in a certain sense.
And the reason was none other than their adversarial relationship!
Though it sounded peculiar, upon reflection, it wasn’t hard to understand. Because they were opponents, one side kept devising ways to defeat the other, while the other constantly kept the former in check, ensuring not to be overtaken.
Given their constant attention to each other, it was natural they understood each other in great detail.
Hence, the current situation seemed less about testing raw strength and more about testing strategic calculation prowess.
Using their understanding of each other, they anticipated the other’s next possible response and accurately determined the correct option.
In this aspect, Ji Dantong wasn’t entirely confident in herself.
In truth, until now, despite the situation appearing evenly matched, she still felt a lack of confidence.
Just like the feats Sun Miaohan listed before, she, who never once achieved victory, regarded Sun Miaohan as an insurmountable mountain in her heart.
And at this moment, Ji Dantong was making an effort to see if she could indeed surpass that seemingly insurmountable mountain.
Unbeknownst to her, Sun Miaohan was equally surprised by Ji Dantong’s performance this time, which greatly exceeded her expectations.
If it weren’t for her slightly superior strength, she might have fallen victim to the unexpected.
Based on this, both sides had come to a consensus: they must not let this drag on any longer, and needed to think of a way to resolve the battle quickly, lest unexpected changes occur.
Given the current situation where they each revealed some of their hidden cards, whoever forced the other to reveal theirs first would mean victory in the battle.
Realizing this, Sun Miaohan smiled amidst the tense, stalemated battle, saying, "Junior Sister, this time you indeed surprised Senior Sister!"
Ji Dantong frowned, feeling a twinge of discomfort in her heart, yet this emotion only lasted for a moment.
She understood she must not let herself be disturbed by the opponent’s words. The constant failures over the years reminded her that losing her composure would only lead to another defeat!
Hearing Sun Miaohan’s incessant verbal provocations, Ji Dantong even considered using True Qi to temporarily shield her senses.
However, it was but a fleeting thought. In this battle, blocking out her hearing would be akin to voluntarily surrendering by cutting off her hands.
Now, Ji Dantong truly understood that sentence Xu Ming once said, which she had previously dismissed with disdain...
She remembered Xu Ming once saying earnestly, "In assessing combat efficacy, never limit it solely to a shallow understanding of one’s own strength. Anything that can influence the battle can be considered part of combat strength!"
Looking back, this indeed was aphoristic truth!
