Chapter 220: Chapter 220: The Might of the Spiral Qi Strength
Xu Canghai did not belittle Shi Xiaole in any way, but in his view, without the confidence to defeat his opponent, how could one talk about becoming a true powerhouse?
What’s more, for this competition, he had invested much effort, his strength wasn’t something the average person could imagine.
"First, take my Yellow Springs Palm strike."
With the circulation of the internal power of the Yellow Springs Technique, Xu Canghai flipped his form. While a palm energy flew out of his hand, a muddled chanting sound resounded in the air, like an invisible hand stirring the people’s hearts into chaos.
This was a rare soundwave palm technique with both the palm force and soundwave as the offense: one primary, one auxiliary, advancing side by side.
Unperturbed in the slightest, Shi Xiaole drew his sword, and a deep green sword Qi roared upwards.
Bang!
The void vibrated as the fierce energy stirred violently like a raging sea. Those near the arena even felt a force pushing down on their heads, causing discomfort throughout their bodies.
Boom boom boom ...
In the continuous booming sounds, two figures collided, engaging in close-quarter combat.
Horizontal Practice Martial Artists are skilled in close combat. While Xu Canghai wasn’t a Horizontal Practice Martial Artist, the Yellow Springs Technique of the Xu Family was rather unique. It allowed the practitioner to attach a thick layer of internal power to their body’s surface, with effects no different from the former.
Countless sparks flickered and burst out.
When Shi Xiaole’s blade hit Xu Canghai, it didn’t cause any damage. Shi Xiaole distinctly felt that the opponent’s protective true Qi had deflected his attack; if ten parts fell on him, only three or four parts actually took effect.
"Ha ha ha, show a greater ability, otherwise you will never be able to break through my Yellow Springs Qi."
Xu Canghai counterattacked while laughing.
The Yellow Springs Technique, his biggest reliance was profound and inscrutable; different people practicing it would produce different effects. This defense mode was a personal insight Xu Canghai gained from studying the Yellow Springs Technique.
He even tested this move against a First Level Xuan Qi Expert from the Xu Family. The other party had to exert full strength just to barely shatter the Yellow Springs Qi. Of course, saying "full strength" was relative, in reality, it was only about forty percent under normal conditions.
Therefore, besides Yuan Zhong, one of the Four Heaven Kings present, Xu Canghai didn’t think anyone else could threaten him.
With Brahma-I Unity internal power amplified to seventy percent, Shi Xiaole swung out his blade with all his might.
Whoosh.
The sword Qi crashed into Xu Canghai, its energy twisted, slicing a scar about three meters long and one inch wide on the ground of the arena. However, Xu Canghai was unscathed.
"This kind of defensive technique..."
Wang Zuying was slightly stupefied.
The principle of the Heavenly Sea Curtain was to deflect force, and Xu Canghai’s Yellow Springs Qi, was clearly operating on the same principle, but was undoubtedly much more profound and exquisite.
"Even the sword Qi can’t break it?"
"If this is Shi Xiaole’s most powerful attack, then it means he cannot do anything to Xu Canghai. As time goes on, the only outcome is defeat."
Everyone’s eyes were glued to the stage, closely watching the situation.
"Unless your sword Qi can become fifty percent stronger, you have no hope of shattering my Yellow Springs Robe."
Xu Canghai couldn’t help but feel a bit smug.
Generally speaking, sword Qi combined with sword moves constitutes the strongest technique of a swordsman. Even if Shi Xiaole had a trump card, Xu Canghai didn’t believe it could be stronger than sword Qi.
"Sunset Twilight!"
Since Xu Canghai had already exposed his Yellow Springs Robe, he didn’t want to delay any longer.
Energy descended to the Dantian. An atmosphere of dusk erupted from his body. The round ball of palm energy exploded like a balloon, instantly obscuring Shi Xiaole’s body. It gave people a sense of bleakness as if one’s life had reached its end.
Many people’s spirits were affected. It felt as if they were watching Shi Xiaole struggling on the brink of death under this palm strike, yet unable to escape the shackles of destiny.
Sss sss sss.
Suddenly, one sword light after another burst out from the spherical internal power. From afar, it looked like a round hedgehog shell. As the shell shattered at the sound, Shi Xiaole stepped out.
"Eh?"
The head of the Xu family, Xu Beihe, was somewhat surprised. Canghai’s palm strike just now definitely held no mercy, it was much more potent than when he was facing Su Zhi’er. He wondered how the opponent was able to break it.
"Your strength is formidable, but it can’t harm me."
With his robe billowing, Shi Xiaole said.
"Heh, talk big after you break through my Yellow Springs Robe."
Xu Canghai sneered.
"As you wish."
If he used his strongest attack, Shi Xiaole indeed could shatter the Yellow Springs Robe, but Xu Canghai wasn’t worth such effort. Moreover, he suspected that brute force wouldn’t be able to completely dismantle the opponent’s defense.
Fortunately, Shi Xiaole had plenty of tricks up his sleeve. In the past six months, apart from the Wind Intent Realm and Eight Sides Storm, he had meticulously studied Yuwen Huaji’s Ice Profound Power.
In the Great Tang Martial World, this technique not only could paralyze opponents, but also had the ability to break the methods of deflecting and borrowing Qi. In other words, the so-called "diverting a great force", was useless against it.
Although Shi Xiaole hadn’t practiced the Ice Profound Power, he had realized a method of Spiral Qi Strength from the internal power Mind Methods of this technique. It was just what he needed to use in the current situation.
With his mind sinking into his body, Shi Xiaole gently swung his long sword. This swing seemed to be no different from the previous one, but soon, people were shocked to find that the green sword Qi was spiraling out.
The fact that Xu Canghai didn’t think his defense could be broken, didn’t mean he would sit back and do nothing. He started to display moves while dodging.
The spiral sword Qi and the dusk palm exploded at the same time. The former’s momentum continued; added with its greater quantity, it easily set up a Heaven and Earth Net Force, trapping Xu Canghai within it.
Crack!
The Yellow Springs Qi was brushed by the spiral sword Qi, and this time it couldn’t deflect the attack. Instead, it was penetrated by the sword Qi, which shattered a flaw in the Yellow Springs Robe.
"What?!"
The breaking of the Yellow Springs Robe shocked Xu Canghai. What horrified him even more was that when the spiral sword Qi brushed past, he felt numbness in his arm, as if he was unable to exert his strength.
Whomp, whomp, whomp.
There were too many green spiral blade auras. Based on the blade aura’s principle, Shi Xiaole could continuously release them unless his internal power was depleted. In no time, Xu Canghai was numb all over and his movements distorted.
Suddenly, the knife force slowed. Xu Canghai quickly jumped back, but far from feeling relieved, he felt unprecedented shame.
When he met those deep, indifferent eyes that seemed to pierce directly into his heart, Xu Canghai instinctively knew that the other party had deliberately done this, not to spare him, but to give him an opportunity to use his full strength. The intention was to defeat him when he was at his peak.
Damned bastard!
His chest was on fire with rage. Xu Canghai drained every bit of his internal power and bellowed, "Fist-shaking the Netherworld!"
A horrifying twilight aura emanated from his body, which turned the space above the stage into an orange hue. Wherever the punch traveled, all was despair.
In the twilight, Shi Xiaole’s eyes were exceptionally bright, his green robe unchanged. It seemed as if he was in another void. He gripped the knife in both hands and made a diagonal swing.
Dozens of green spiral blade auras congealed into a single, unstoppable force.
The power of this blade aura was not much stronger than regular blade auras. Yet, the spiral principle perfectly countered the other’s Yellow Springs Technique. With a "phutt" sound, the twilight world couldn’t withstand even a moment under the blade aura, and shattered immediately.
Thump, thump, thump.
Xu Canghai, pale faced, backed up to the edge of the stage. He stared unbelievingly, unable to accept that he had lost, and lost so thoroughly at that.
"Shi Xiaole wins."
The first referee hastily stood up, forcibly suppressing the upheaval in his heart.
Judging from the weapon Shi Xiaole carried, he knew that he still had something up his sleeve. What truly shook him was the fact that even against someone as strong as Xu Canghai, Shi Xiaole had not used his other weapon.
When would Shi Xiaole finally reach his limit?
At that moment, even someone with the temperament of the first referee couldn’t help feeling an irresistible curiosity.
"Brother."
Xu Nianxue was dazed, her head buzzing. All she could sense was a blank void.
She could accept her brother losing to anyone, but not to Shi Xiaole; not to this young man whom she had once ridiculed and despised. But it had happened right before her eyes.
"I knew it."
Su Zhi’er gently exhaled. For some reason, she suddenly had a keen interest in Shi Xiaole. It wasn’t romantic interest, but pure curiosity.
After defeating Xu Canghai, Shi Xiaole’s importance had risen significantly. Now, not only the newcomers, but even the four Heaven Kings had him on their radar, not daring to underestimate him.
Perhaps it was bad luck. In the previous round he had suffered a humiliating defeat against Shi Xiaole, and now in the thirty-sixth round, Xu Canghai had the misfortune of coming up against the number one seed, Yuan Zong.
"Brother Xu, step down."
Yuan Zong shook his head.
"Fist-shaking the Netherworld!"
Xu Canghai looked terrible and used his full force right from the beginning.
In response to this attack, Yuan Zong’s reaction was unusually casual. He simply extended his left hand and pushed out in a copycat manner.
It was as if two mountains had collided without releasing any sound, a powerful energy wave rippled outward and pushed Xu Canghai hundreds of meters away.
Xu Canghai lost.
Gasps of surprise echoed one after the other as all the people on the mountain struggled to digest what had just happened.
Compared to winning on skill, this absolute steamrolling via brute strength was undoubtedly more impactful.
Moreover, given Yuan Zong’s capabilities, his battle techniques could never be weak. This could only mean that Xu Canghai didn’t even warrant enough respect for Yuan Zong to consider actually battling.
Gazing down at his peers!
These four words emerged in everyone’s minds. How advanced had Yuan Zong’s abilities grown, five years after he first stood out from the pack, was unknown to anyone.
In the blink of an eye, it was the fourth day of the ranking match.
Round Forty-Three.
Ye Liushuang was up against Bai Zhanmei.
Against Ye Liushuang, whose Flying Skill far surpassed his peers, Bai Zhanmei was in a pathetic state. He didn’t last even two moves and was directly thrown off the stage.
"Damn!"
Bai Zhanmei was livid. This woman never knew how to save face for people, especially men.
In the same round, the illusionary martial artist Mo Ye was up against Gu Zhihang.
Mo Ye’s previous opponents hadn’t been strong, so his popularity had waned a little. However, all the participating heroes refused to overlook him.
"Illusions are born from the heart."
His black pupils spun rapidly, like vortices in the sea. Across from him, Gu Zhihang was prepared from the start. He averted his gaze from Mo Ye’s eyes, took up his sword and charged.
"Streak of Light! "
Gu Zhihang used his sword to send Mo Ye’s body flying. Illusionary martial artists may have potent illusion techniques, but their fighting skills were not as strong. As long as one could avoid their illusions, they had nothing to fear.
"Idiot, you fell for my trap."
A ghostly voice echoed, and Gu Zhihang found himself plunged into darkness. Just as fear was beginning to creep in, he lost consciousness.
"Mo Ye wins."
The referee’s voice was loud, but the crowd was chilled to the bone.
Although Gu Zhihang had been defeated twice, his strength definitely put him among the top twenty in this competition. Yet, he had been quietly defeated by Mo Ye. This man’s illusion techniques were too terrifying.
