Chapter 219: Chapter 219: I will help you win it back
When the deep green arc of light appeared, many people at the main peak had their swords violently trembling within their scabbards. The clinking sound was uniform, shaking people’s souls.
Sword Qi, not only contains the wielder’s internal power, but also a certain understanding of swordsmanship that can only be comprehended, not spoken.
Therefore, when Sword Qi emerged, within a certain range, any swordsman who is not as proficient would find their swords resonating, as an indication of submission and resonance.
"How could it be? He has comprehended genuine Sword Qi?"
"If I’m not mistaken, he’s the first swordsman to use Sword Qi in recent tournaments."
"This man has managed to hide his strength well."
Many geniuses were shocked. As for those wielding swords, they were dumbstruck. Feeling a vague reverence for Shi Xiaole.
This was an oppression of will, the reverence of sword-bearers towards true swordsmen.
"To lose to a true swordsman, I have no complaints."
The expression on Su Zhi’er’s face changed frequently, and finally, her gaze fell on the mother-child scabbard at Shi Xiaole’s waist. Was there another sword? Was he using two swords?
Because she had realized that it was Sword Qi, Su Zhi’er automatically ruled out the possibility of Shi Xiaole using a sword. After all, how could someone who wasn’t a devoted swordsman comprehend Sword Qi at such a young age?
"You’ve done very well."
Shi Xiaole said.
He was not being sarcastic. The number of people who could force him to use up to seventy percent of his internal power and expose Sword Qi wouldn’t be too many among the crowd.
"No wonder he was so arrogant. Hmph, but even if he understands Sword Qi, I am still the best young swordsman in Qingxue State."
Bali Wen took a deep breath.
If it were in the previous tournament, he wouldn’t have much confidence to beat Shi Xiaole. However, this time, even if he couldn’t get the first place, but the honor that belonged to the swordsman, he couldn’t allow others to take away.
"He won, the young master actually won."
The entire Golden Phoenix Tower was dumbfounded.
In fact, more than ninety percent of the onlookers had an expression of disbelief at this moment.
The identities of the top nine seed players represented too much. If Shi Xiaole could defeat Su Zhi’er, it proved that his talent was even higher than her level, placing him at the same tier as the four Heaven Kings, it’s unbelievable!
"There’s always a stronger one among the strong, I have seen it."
The Floating Rain Pavilion master’s eyes were full of amazement.
If it had been a hard-fought defeat, she might have felt regret, but Shi Xiaole clearly won easily, creating a frightening illusion for her. Did he still hide even stronger capabilities?
"We’ll know as we continue watching."
...
With the end of the ninth round, Shi Xiaole’s popularity surged once again, even surpassing Yue Tianlin and others. The competition continued in an orderly manner amidst the heated atmosphere.
As if unwilling to let Shi Xiaole be the center of attention, in the tenth round, Situ Changkong faced Wang Zuying. This was another fierce battle between the top newcomer and the seed player, catching everyone’s attention.
Situ Changkong’s swordplay was ruthless. He didn’t hold back once he made his move, aiming accurately and powerfully, which made people shudder.
Wang Zuying burst out with all her internal power from the beginning and displayed the Heavenly Sea Curtain. The threat Situ Changkong gave her was greater than Gu Zhihang’s.
Ding Ding Ding!
The sword tip hit the Qi shield, but surprisingly no ripples appeared, as if each sword was sucked away by an invisible force.
"Curtain Covering the Four Seas, Reverse Flow."
Wang Zuying flipped her wrist, and the power of the sword technique sucked in by the yellow Qi door immediately attacked Situ Changkong.
Situ Changkong did not retreat but advanced. He stepped on the ground and stormed forward, always able to avoid the counterattacks from the Qi shield and killed all the way to Wang Zuying’s side, making many people exclaimed in disbelief.
Shi Xiaole’s eyes showed a flash of surprise.
Situ Changkong’s movement technique wasn’t exceptional, but the timing of his movement was exquisite. If his guess was correct, the other party must have estimated the position of the rebound through the direction of the sword technique he used first, so he could always successfully dodge.
To achieve this, one needed an extremely clear understanding of one’s own strength and the angle of the sword. Only a genius swordsman could do this.
Obviously, other top young swordsmen also thought of this, their faces becoming solemn.
"Across the Sky Eight Palms!"
Wang Zuying was not just good at defense, her offense was also first-class. Facing Gu Zhihang in the previous round, she just adopted a defensive tactic.
Eight shadows of the palm were arranged in a pattern, overlapping each other, blocking all the acupoints around Situ Changkong.
"I’ll let you see my bird martial arts."
Situ Changkong had been instructed by a different person since he was a child, and he had learned various techniques from birds and beasts, so his attack was straightforward, always aiming at the target.
Oof.
He bent his body sideways, his head almost level with his feet. After dodging the palm force, he quickly rebounded like a drawn bow and forcefully stabbed towards Wang Zuying with a sword.
Just when Wang Zuying was about to dodge, suddenly the sunlight through the sword tip shot into her eyes, causing her to see multiple illusions and forced her to use the Heavenly Sea Curtain again.
"I’ve seen through your weaknesses."
What Situ Changkong had been waiting for was this moment. He suddenly swung his sword forward, creating an unmatched sharp white edge.
The Heavenly Sea Curtain unexpectedly broke instantly. A strand of hair was floating in the air. Simultaneously, the sound of the vibrating long swords echoed from the main peak.
"God, it’s Sword Qi!"
Who knows how many people shouted loudly, looking at Situ Changkong, who was holding his sword on the stage, with incredibly complex expressions.
In this tournament, following the swordsman Shi Xiaole, another swordsman who had realized Sword Qi appeared. The gathered talents’ numbers greatly exceeded those in the past.
The waves in everyone’s hearts hadn’t yet calmed when another intense battle occurred in the same round, between Gu Zhihang and Guan Duli.
Whoosh!k>
With one sword, Guan Duli won.
Many hearts raced.
Guan Duli, known as the ’Death Claiming Swift Sword’, was notorious for his first three strikes. Since his debut, no one of his generation could withstand the full cadence of his three-strike combination.
The challenge was even greater now.
Just a moment ago, he had also displayed an exceptional sword qi skill.
Guan Duli cast a glance at Situ Changkong and his peers, unable to hide his ambitious fighting spirit.
In this round, Shi Xiaole’s opponent conceded straight away.
The ranking tournament ran only ten rounds each day, with forty-one matches per round. Due to the field of eighty-one competitors, someone would end up taking part in two matches per round. After eighty rounds, the only one who had not yet participated would face a close competitor to ensure fairness.
The second day.
The eleventh round began.
Wunian, the ’Dragon Staff Monk’ from Lanci Treasure Temple, faced off against Bai Zhanmei.
In this match, Bai Zhanmei was all smiles, thoroughly showcasing his superiority in flying skills. Despite Wunian being a greater cultivator with stronger abilities, he was unable to do anything to him for a time.
Those who had underestimated Bai Zhanmei got a shock, realizing only now that his disastrous defeat against Shi Xiaole was not because of his own weakness, but because the latter was terrifyingly strong.
"Hmph, as long as I don’t come across those two who specifically counter me, Ye Liushuang and Shi Xiaole, who can casually defeat me?"
Bai Zhanmei was utterly smug, continually looking for opportunities to strike Wunian.
About five hundred moves into their intense duel, the victory eventually fell to Wunian. Being a Qi Absorption eighth-level expert, Wunian was only inferior to Bai Zhanmei in flying skills. However, in a long standoff, he still held a significant advantage.
Still in the eleventh round, Floating Rain Fairy Su Zhi’er met Xu Canghai, seeded within the top nine, who ranked seventh in the previous competition.
"Fairy Su, please," Xu Canghai politely extended his hand.
"Young Master Xu, be careful."
Without underestimating him, Su Zhi’er immediately used the Floating Rain True Scripture, covering the stage in a misty rain.
From within the rain curtain, a fist imbued with the desolate aura of dusk vibrated outwards, breaking through all obstructions.
The two swiftly exchanged positions. Whenever they appeared in one place, the aura of dusk blended with the misty rain, bringing an unexpected poetic touch to the thrill-kissed fight.
"Fairy Su, bring out your killer move."
After several exchanges, Xu Canghai pushed aside the rain strands and laughed softly.
Su Zhi’er sighed inwardly. The opponent’s understanding of the dusk realm countered the rain realm to some extent. Even with her strength, facing him, she could not perform more than eighty percent of her potential.
"Covering Rain and Cloud!"
A wall of rain gushed out in a tide that seemed to cover the sky, making one feel as if they were in a world of rain. Every raindrop was condensed from internal power, possessing a force capable of penetrating gold and rock.
"Sunset Twilight."
Not underestimating the situation, Xu Canghai summoned his internal power. Immediately, a spectacular golden glow appeared on the surface of his fist, contrasting fascinatingly with the setting sun on the horizon. As his punch was landed, the harmonious force, like a rolling ball, disintegrated the veil of rain wherever it passed, easily breaking her killer move.
"I yield."
Su Zhi’er gave a bitter smile.
"Fairy Su, I will win back your previous match for you," Xu Canghai whispered through a message, causing Su Zhi’er to pause, quickly realizing he was referring to Shi Xiaole.
"That man is not easy to defeat. Please take care of yourself, Young Master Xu."
Su Zhi’er knew that Xu Canghai had always pursued her and took this opportunity to curry favor. However, she felt that he would not necessarily find it easy to defeat Shi Xiaole.
"Take care of myself? Please just wait and watch, Fairy Su."
Xu Canghai had only casually mentioned it before, but Su Zhi’er’s words made him anticipate his fight with Shi Xiaole even more. He would use his own strength to prove himself.
In the eleventh round, Shi Xiaole’s opponent was a master who ranked sixteenth in the previous competition. After several exchanges with him to grasp his techniques, Shi Xiaole defeated him efficiently with his blade qi.
The twelfth round.
The thirteenth round.
In the next two days, Shi Xiaole did not encounter any noteworthy opponents and easily maintained his winning streak.
The most attention-grabbing match during this period was probably the fight between Yue Tianlin and Wunian. Both were Qi Absorption Level 8 masters, with cultivation levels second only to the four Heaven Kings.
The result was not unexpected, with the more aggressive Yue Tianlin emerging victorious. However, the process was enough to shock everyone.
Five strokes... Yes, Yue Tianlin had only needed five strokes to win. Moreover, it was clear he had not used his full strength, making the victory look incredibly effortless. It is noteworthy that unlike Guan Duli, Yue Tianlin didn’t make his name relying on a three-strike move sequence.
"Incredible, why do I feel Yue Tianlin is stronger than many of the nine seeds?"
"I thought Shi Xiaole was hiding his strength well, but now I realize that Yue Tianlin is not inferior to him. His earlier extravagant display merely hinted at the tip of his actual power iceberg."
The crowd was abuzz with discussions. Despite the gathering of prodigies, Yue Tianlin was undoubtedly one of the most eye-catching individuals in their opinion.
"This young man’s sword techniques are already advanced enough to anticipate his opponent’s moves. He really is extraordinary."
Even Master Honest and Daoist Xuhuai underneath the welcoming pine couldn’t help but steal another glance. His sword skills at eighteen would be considered top-tier anywhere else.
The thirty-fifth round.
"Shi Xiaole versus Xu Canghai."
The referee’s voice rose timely, attracting countless eyeballs to the stage like a magnet.
The continuous daily battles, no matter how spectacular, would cause aesthetic fatigue. Hence, for a not so ’explosive’ face-off, many chose to sit and rest.
"Very good, I’ve finally waited for you."
Xu Canghai leaped onto the stage, looking at Shi Xiaole across from him, his heart aflame with the desire to battle.
