Chapter 164: Chapter 164: 50 Consecutive Wins (Part 4) (Thanks for the generous gift from Phantom-Ice Heart!)
In the previous nine matches, Shi Xiaole fully showcased his superior sword skills. What was even terrifying was his keen insight, which ensured every blow he struck landed its target — undoubtedly the epitome of an exquisite sword master.
If at the initial stages, Xiang Mingzhen was 60% sure of defeating Shi Xiaole, now his confidence had reduced to a mere 30%.
Especially at this moment, standing face to face, the profound energy radiating from Shi Xiaole, calm as water yet inscrutable, perturbed Xiang Mingzhen, leaving him unsettled for quite a while.
"Brother Shi, I did not expect that we would compete against each other under such circumstances."
Xiang Mingzhen expressed with deep emotions.
"Neither did I."
Shi Xiaole replied with a smile.
"What do you think, can Senior Brother Xiang win against the surnamed Shi?"
Among the spectators, disciples from the Starry Sect, already aware of Xiang Mingzhen entering the fray, expressed no surprise. But when it came to deciding the victor between the two, the disciples were inevitably curious.
"I think it’s hard! All the previous opponents were formidable masters below the seventh level of Qi Absorption, but none could withstand even the simple sword techniques of Shi Xiaole."
"Yes, I have never seen such a person, who manages to secure his victories with his level of skills and the manner in which he does it."
"What are you fussing about! Senior Brother Xiang has cultivated the Starry Art to a great extent, and his technique realm is also stronger than the previous opponents. It’s not like he’s sure to lose!"
The disciples of the Starry Sect held different opinions, but obviously, every face was tinged with seriousness.
"Unexpected."
The Grand Elder of the Starry Sect, too, was less confident than he was the day before, but he retained faith in Xiang Mingzhen.
If his disciples could not perceive it, how could he fail to understand? The essence of Shi Xiaole’s strength lay in his discernment and execution power. Any slight slip would offer him an immediate opportunity.
In other words, those weaker than Shi Xiaole, regardless of their degree of weakness, would be quickly overcome with hardly any difference, it was just a result of Shi Xiaole’s combat style.
On the stone platform, the two stood ten meters apart.
"Brother Shi, brace yourself!"
Now that he was standing here, Xiang Mingzhen naturally had no reason to back out. He had his pride, how could he know the outcome without a good fight?
The fully cultivated Starry Art pushed to the extreme was visibly enveloped around Xiang’s body, giving him a distinctive aesthetic look yet maintaining an indescribable elegance.
Whoosh.
Such incredible speed!
In a flash, Xiang Mingzhen, at a ten-meter distance, was already before Shi Xiaole, brandishing his sword that was gloriously enveloped in starlight.
His sword’s trajectory was neither straight nor curved; it was a combination of both. The lingering afterimage in the air, coupled with the light effects on the sword, mirrored countless twinkling stars, dazzling the viewer.
The second-level inferior sword technique, Star Flash Sword.
"Has your internal power reached perfection, and your sword technique the Transformation Phase?"
Ling Tianyu’s eyes widened slightly, his fists tightly clenched.
Once upon a time, he and Xiang Mingzhen were considered to be talents of the same tier, but now, whether it was internal power or technique, the latter had undoubtedly surpassed him.
Ling Tianyu had to admit, if he were to face this sword, he would have no other choice but to lose.
He couldn’t help but fix his gaze on Shi Xiaole, curious to see how the latter would respond.
"Indeed, he’s a top-tier genius."
Under the sword’s radiant glow, Shi Xiaole’s expression remained unaltered.
Generally speaking, those with higher talent have a better understanding of techniques, leaving fewer openings at the same realm.
For example, at this moment, he only found two flaws in Xiang Mingzhen’s approach. These two flaws could not be resolved merely through tactics.
After all, Xiang Mingzhen’s strength was formidable. Unless Shi Xiaole experienced some realm-breaking power surge, he would have to bring out a trump card to counter it.
But now...
As the Purple Light Divine Skill circulated, Shi Xiaole no longer suppressed his realm. His right arm vibrated slightly, and he swung his sword thrice rapidly.
Taiyue Three Green Peaks.
Clink! Clink! Clink!
The energy was like a rushing current, bursting out in all directions, centered around the two.
"Did your cultivation... breakthrough to the third level of Qi Absorption?"
Xiang Mingzhen retreated, a look of astonishment on his face.
"A fortunate breakthrough."
Shi Xiaole responded.
Fortunate? At the age of sixteen, reaching the third level of Qi Absorption, his speed was now on par with that of other top-tier geniuses of his age.
Xiang Mingzhen was not sure whether he felt bitter or envious, but soon, these emotions were quickly transformed into a fighting spirit. Winning against ordinary people meant nothing; it was exhilarating to have a formidable opponent.
"Starry Twinkling!"
Leaping into the air, Xiang Mingzhen’s body seemed to merge with his sword. A strong glow from inside his body poured into his sword, eventually transforming into a cluster of twinkling sword lights, hurtling toward Shi Xiaole with an oppressive force.
This was one of the unique skills of the Star Flash Sword. Using internal power to simulate starlight, it was hard to discern between reality and pretence, and contained a peculiar power. If an opponent was affected even slightly by it, it would instigate a chain reaction, causing a series of energy explosions.
Even if his opponent had a stronger power than Xiang Mingzhen, he was confident that he could defeat them with this move.
"Impressive sword technique."
With a step forward, Shi Xiaole took the initiative to meet the attack. The twinkling starlight reflected in his profound eyes, tracing a trajectory invisible to ordinary eyes.
Swish!
This was the first of the Taiyue Three Green Peaks, which split the starlight in half. Just as the energy was about to explode, Shi Xiaole immediately followed with the second stroke.
This was one of the Thirteen Skills of Mystifying Cloud and Mist.
Brush! Brush! Brush!
Shi Xiaole launched nine swords in succession, each with a different style, clearly derived from various swordplay techniques. However, each stroke felt as if it was aimed at a critical point, effectively snuffed out any potential for an explosive hit.
"He moves as freely as a heavenly horse, following his heart’s desires. His swordsmanship has reached such a level."
The Grand Elder of the Will Sect murmured, this scene left him disturbed.
He had witnessed the potency of Star Flash Sword, and frankly, even someone well-versed in this sword technique might not be able to crack it quickly.
And since Shi Xiaole couldn’t possibly know it, the boy’s adaptability must be incredibly powerful.
Beside him, Shangguan Yan, who had just arrived yesterday, remained silent, but waves of ripples continuously flashed in her beautiful eyes.
"It was broken just like that?"
The disciples of the Starry Sect couldn’t believe it. Shi Xiaole’s swordsmanship had practically overturned their understanding.
The Grand Elder nearby was also so surprised he was speechless, his old eyes wide open.
As the others reacted in amazement, Shi Xiaole began his counterattack. There were no special techniques or killing moves; only ad-hoc movements that perfectly countered Xiang Mingzhen’s swordplay.
Given Shi Xiaole’s current cultivation level, his internal power had long surpassed the likes of Xiang Mingzhen, so the advantage of his martial arts realm was even more pronounced.
"Such a vast difference!"
Xiang Mingzhen’s face changed colors.
Under Shi Xiaole’s aggressive, antelope-like attack, he was almost running ragged and hardly able to put up a decent resistance.
"Seems like I’ll have to use that move."
Xiang Mingzhen rapidly retreated, his internal power revved up to full throttle, causing him intense pain in his meridians. Blood even seeped from his pores. However, his momentum was steadily increasing like a rising tide, up until a certain limit.
"Star Falling from Heaven!"
Xiang Mingzhen swung his sword mightily, and a light blue sword light flew out from the blade. The intense air force it contained caused slight twitches in the eyes of those standing nearby.
This was a wide-ranging sword technique, with raw destructive power as its main goal, leaving few openings.
Unable to resolve it with technique, Shi Xiaole remained calm, suddenly boosted his internal power to seventy percent, held his hands high, and slashed down with his sword.
His deadly technique was named—Hair’s Breadth Lifeline.
Boom!
In the startlingly loud noise, the sword light in pale blue exploded but was divided into halves by an invisible sword impetus. An extremely dangerous sword aura surged out from the center, blasting Xiang Mingzhen to the edge of the platform.
"He won again, that’s thirty-one wins in a row."
"Indeed, no ordinary person can stop him."
By this point, no one was surprised anymore.
Despite Xiang Mingzhen’s efforts, the rhythm of the battle was always controlled by Shi Xiaole. It would be strange if the latter didn’t win. The only curiosity was how much effort Shi Xiaole had put in this time.
"Humph!"
The old man snorted coldly. He exchanged glances with the person beside him, both flashing signs of gravity.
These are elders from the Red Sword Pavilion and Xiaoxiang Gate.
They originally thought that Xiang Mingzhen would be enough to deal with Shi Xiaole, but they didn’t expect such an outcome.
Remembering the previous battle scenes and Shi Xiaole’s performance, the elder from Red Sword Pavilion couldn’t help but speculate - in the same realm, is Wei Renhao as powerful as Shi Xiaole?
"He really does have some abilities."
The young men from the two top sects looked at each other, slowly letting the arrogance on their faces fade.
"I really can’t match you."
Xiang Mingzhen touched his chest. He had only suffered minor injuries. Knowing that Shi Xiaole held his hand, he thanked him gratefully by clasping his hands and secretly warned him to be careful in the next contest before he left the field.
Turning around to look back, the young man in the blue shirt stood up, while all the people behind him were merely the background. For some reason, Xiang Mingzhen had a faint feeling that this was the last time he was challenging Shi Xiaole.
The thirty-second round, the one who stepped forward was none other than Shangguan Yan.
Even though Shi Xiaole had learned the Landslide and Water Split technique at the Inspiration Bridge, he had no confidence in defeating her. However, times have changed, and now everything was different.
Clang, clang, clang...
The green and black figures intertwined, and their swords continuously stirred up clusters of sparks. Sometimes, the sparks even pierced through the body, which were the illusions left by the two of them at the original place.
There was one moment, when a sword was flicked away and the guard was wide open, Shi Xiaole pulled back his sword.
Shangguan Yan was defeated.
"Brother Shi, I believe now, you can overcome this difficulty."
Leaving a sentence behind, Shangguan Yan departed.
Shi Xiaole couldn’t help laughing. He didn’t care how others viewed him, as long as he kept winning, no one could stop him!
Thirty-three straight wins.
Thirty-four straight wins.
For some reason, as if he had lost his patience after Xiang Mingzhen and Shangguan Yan, people discovered that Shi Xiaole even stopped using techniques. Anyone who fed off his moves encountered a harsh counter-attack directly; if one strike failed, then two or three more would follow.
His attack speed was blistering, which led to some not even having a chance to launch their own move before they were defeated. Consequently, those who were left were as scared as a stray bird, immediately launching a killing move as soon as their feet stepped onto the stone platform.
However, they only managed to hold on for another two or three moves.
In the baffling and astonished expressions of the audience on the spot, top fighters in Dark Alley came and left in a flash; as soon as they made an appearance, they immediately left, and Shi Xiaole reached his forty-sixth straight win, tying Wei Renhao’s record.
And then he won four more rounds, achieving fifty consecutive wins.
There was no shouting. There was an eerie silence on the scene.
Everyone was enduring a shock, finding it hard to accept that such unreachable honor was achieved in such an easy manner.
"It seems I have underestimated him. Hmm, interesting."
Up in a tower in Dark Alley, a man dressed in blue, whose age was hard to tell, watched the scene on the Gold Silver Jade Copper Platform, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.
