Chapter 218: Chapter 218: The Blade’s Aura Shakes the Drizzle
The gentle breeze stirred, lifting Su Zhi’er’s pink chiffon and black hair. Her eyes seemed to be imbued with the sunlight, becoming incredibly radiant and profound, leaving anyone who glanced at her entranced.
A cool breeze blew, accompanied by wisps and strands of white internal power, wildly dancing about, reminiscent of drifting willow catkins and leaves, quickly blurring everyone’s vision.
Shi Xiaole felt a sense of impending danger, swinging his sword towards the upper left corner.
Clang!
Sparks shot out in a ring due to the force. In an instant, they hissed twice before getting extinguished by the moist internal power. At the same moment, the moist internal power surged like a floodgate, attacking Shi Xiaole with a force comparable to a tsunami, covering all directions with no room for retreat.
"Heavenly Flood Three Styles, the first style, Ten Thousand Fathoms Flood."
Su Zhi’er’s melodious voice echoed from the distance, forming a stark contrast with the terrifying attack.
The Heavenly Flood Three Styles, created by Su Zhi’er based on the Mind Methods of the Floating Rain Pavilion, were fatal moves. Many gifted warriors fell victim to these moves in the last competition. Now, displayed once again, their power was several times stronger than before, leaving the spectators in awe.
Almost immediately, Shi Xiaole determined that ordinary swordplay wouldn’t be enough to resist this attack, nor would his flying skill, as the attack was all-encompassing.
"It seems, I need to use a new tactic."
Many people assumed that mastering thirty percent of the Wind Intent Realm was Shi Xiaole’s trump card, but in reality, this was just one of his many insights in Wind Valley that he didn’t even account for.
Shi Xiaole has never truly unleashed his real capabilities. Why should he be serious with ordinary people?
"Eight Directions Wind and Rain."
Shi Xiaole held the sword in both hands. He made a strike in each of the four directions. The internal power crossed and interweaved, forming the figure eight, and then spread out like waves.
Whiz...
In the ear-piercing sound of tearing, a circular ’eight’ shaped crack appeared in the white flood. Sparks were splattering within the long, dragged-out fissure.
The Eight Directions Wind and Rain was originally a sword technique. However, after half a year of reflection, Shi Xiaole was able to execute it without a sword. The method had evolved from wielding a sword to manipulating sword energy.
"Second style, Mightly Torrent."
As the attacks intensified, Su Zhi’er’s body surged with waves of internal power. Originally shattered, the flood attack suddenly reversed, forming a square torrent rushing forward. Although the attack scope was not as wide as before, its momentum was clearly stronger.
In the face of this formidable power, the legs of most of the talented warriors wobbled. If they were in Shi Xiaole’s shoes, they would probably not even muster the will to resist, let alone fight back.
The Shattered Snow Blade was held high to the sky, releasing the Eight Directions Wind and Rain once again. However, this time Shi Xiaole compressed it into a single line, slashing forward fiercely. The Wind and Rain could take many forms, depending on how it was wielded.
There was no earth-shattering explosion, nor were there any sensational scenes. All there was, was a thin sword light that neatly split the oncoming flood in half like cutting through tofu. This caused the stage to begin shaking violently.
"Tidal Wave Overturns the Heavens!"
Su Zhi’er shouted, her arms swinging, the silky internal power gather into a mass, rushing forward like a rolling carpet, making an upside-down shot towards the sky. The momentum was so massive, it seemed capable of overturning the heavens and reversing day and night.
Standstill in his movement, Shi Xiaole concentrated his internal energy, this time, the strength of the Eight Directions Wind and Rain technique focused on the blade of the Shattered Snow Blade. He just stood there, sword in hand, waiting for the attack to come.
Whoosh!
As if a lengthy fabric was torn in half, the sword blade collided with the flood of internal power, sending out a stunning burst of energy that was effectively blocked by the endless extension of the sword light, not allowing it to penetrate forward even a little.
After the storm had passed, many people were horrified to find Shi Xiaole unhurt. Not only was he unhurt, but those who were observant noticed that, from the moment Su Zhi’er launched her attack until now, he had not moved a step.
"What an incredibly perceptive young man, using the same technique but able to transform it according to the situation."
"His understanding is great and control is even stronger. Many things aren’t as easy as just thinking about them and being able to do."
All nine judges were moved.
They had seen many talents, but a creative genius like Shi Xiaole was a first for them, inevitably leaving them with a feeling of encountering something extraordinary.
"This guy!"
Xu Nianxue’s pretty face changed continually.
By now, even if she didn’t want to admit it, she had to acknowledge that she was no match for Shi Xiaole. But how could he progress so quickly?
"Young Master Shi, I didn’t expect that you would be the first person in this competition to force me to use the Floating Rain True Scripture."
Before the competition started, Su Zhi’er had imagined many scenarios. But life’s plans fall short of fate’s. Who could have anticipated that the first person she would go all out against was the one who was overlooked by everyone before the competition?
As for defeat, Su Zhi’er never considered it.
The Floating Rain True Scripture was the treasure of the Floating Rain Pavilion. Both its inner power cultivation and techniques were at the upper second level. When used in combination, their power exceeded many other combinations of the upper second level inner power and techniques.
"Come at me with all you’ve got."
Shi Xiaole was also getting excited. He was looking forward to seeing how far Su Zhi’er could push him.
A layer of mist-like internal power suddenly surged from Su Zhi’er, gradually covering her within a radius of three feet. Upon closer inspection, this wasn’t mist but countless rain-like strands of internal power.
When internal power reached the upper second level, it often possessed variant properties. For instance, those who practiced the Floating Rain True Scripture would have internal power as fine as hair with the trait of dampness. It could not only counter fire attribute internal power but also simulate various forms of rainwater.
Splash...
Su Zhi’er lightly pinched her bare hands, and countless rain threads within three feet turned into raindrops, flying out like bullets. Occasionally, a raindrop shot onto the stage, immediately leaving a two-inch deep dent.
"Only a master of the first tier Xuan Qi can leave obvious marks on the arena, apparently, this girl’s attacking power is infinitely close to such a master."
Many disciples of the Mechanism Pavilion gasped.
This kind of offensive power would definitely qualify as the top in previous contests. Of course, this is not to say that Su Zhi’er is indeed on par with a master of the first tier Xuan Qi. Such a master may only use half of their effort to leave a mark on the stage, while she must have used at least seventy to eighty percent of her power.
"Zhi’er has achieved minor success in cultivating the Floating Rain True Scripture, unless her opponent is also a top-level genius who cultivates a second-tier superior internal power, they are naturally inferior to her."
The owner of the Floating Rain Pavilion is pretty and full of charm. She had full confidence in her beloved disciple.
"How can Shi Xiaole defend against this?"
Even more people were watching with wide eyes.
Although it seemed like a long story, everything actually happened in a very short time.
Countless raindrops filled the sky, and with the support of the Floating Rain’s internal power, the lethal force was much stronger than the previous Heavenly Flood Three Styles. They reached Shi Xiaole in an instant.
Shi Xiaole stood still, thinking swiftly.
With his current level of flying skill, he could possibly evade directly and then counterattack. However, he suddenly wanted to fight head-on. With his level of strength, he had a wide range of tactical choices in battle, because he had no weak points, he could choose how to fight.
Whoosh!
Almost demon-like internal power flowed rapidly through Shi Xiaole’s meridians. At seventy percent, just as the raindrops were about to hit him, he exploded with unprecedented power.
Crackling...
Like rain steaming up in a flame, those raindrops seemed to hit a mountain and turned into a denser mist, rolling back. However, those with keen eyesight could see that the mist was not evaporated, but was pierced into more fragments by a terrible internal power.
"What a powerful internal power!"
"Shi Xiaole is also cultivating second-tier superior internal power!"
After a brief silence, the venue exploded with applause.
Shi Xiaole’s previous power was hidden, so many people did not know the situation. But now everything was clear.
A few people’s pupils shrank, feeling that Shi Xiaole’s internal power was even purer than Su Zhi’er’s by three points. Could it be that his internal power was even more advanced than hers? How is that possible?
Like Fading Rain, Su Zhi’er came to Shi Xiaole without anyone noticing. She launched a soft palm attack with her right hand. This palm was imbued with thirty percent rain intent, possessing the power to pierce stone and cut through gold.
Floating Rain Palm.
With the great support of Brahma-I Unity’s internal power, Shi Xiaole’s attack power increased greatly, and he quickly fought back with his blade.
In the following scene, Shi Xiaole perfectly demonstrated what is meant by free-flowing and impromptu. Under the influence of his Wind Intent Realm, his blade technique did not adhere to any form, each time striking at Su Zhi’er’s weakest point, leaving her at a disadvantage.
"Golden Silkworm Rain."
Su Zhi’er was about to launch an attack after gathering some rain threads with her left hand. Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a flash of the blade and instinctively dodged. Just as she steadied herself, a blade light above her head, as if waiting for her, came down directly again.
With a loud bang, the punch from her left hand automatically cracked.
Su Zhi’er fought with increasing trepidation, her beautiful face full of horror.
She had never faced such an opponent before. Overwhelmingly losing under almost equal strength, she could only defend passively and couldn’t even launch an effective attack.
This feeling, was as if a self-conceited insect fell into a spider’s web. Struggling hopelessly, without knowing that every move was within the spider’s calculation, she could never escape.
But this guy probably wouldn’t expect that her most powerful attack doesn’t need to build up power purposely.
Mist seemed to be gathering in her eyes. Su Zhi’er pushed the Floating Rain internal power to its extreme.
Visibly, a layer of rain curtain burst out, and with the addition of thirty-percent rain intent, it seemed as if real torrential rain was pouring down from the sky. Even the sunlight shining on Shi Xiaole dimmed slightly.
"Covering Rain and Cloud!"
The seemingly bean-sized raindrops were actually condensed from Floating Rain’s internal power. Each drop possessed amazing destructive power, covering the sky and earth as they fell towards Shi Xiaole, leaving no hope of escape.
Shi Xiaole didn’t evade. In this small space where evasion was not possible, he and the Shattered Snow Blade became one. A strong and fierce aura spread from him.
"Break!"
Shi Xiaole cut forward with his left arm. Immediately, the Shattered Snow Blade drew a deep green light trail in the air. The light trail was three feet long and silently rushed into the rain curtain.
Crack.
The rain curtain was seamlessly split in half, revealing the clear blue sky. The blade momentum did not stop and shattered the thick mist of rain threads, forcing Su Zhi’er to retreat ten steps.
"Blade Qi, this is real Blade Qi!"
Su Zhi’er screamed.
