Chapter 232: Chapter 232: The Pinnacle Battle (Part 1)
The glaring sun shone brightly, setting ablaze the sea of clouds at the peak, and also igniting the fervor in the hearts of countless people.
Today was the eighth day of the ranking competition, as well as the last round of this assembly of Heroes. Everyone’s match would end in this round, and rankings would be determined based on their battle performance.
Undoubtedly, this round would be the most exciting one, not only because of the final thrilling battle, but also because at the end of each match, every contender would give their all with nothing holding them back.
"What do you guys think, who will win- Shi Xiaole or Xue Changqing?"
"Stop asking these dull questions. Every time you underestimate Shi Xiaole it backfires, doesn’t it? Xue Changqing is an unfathomable force, until the results are out, anyone could win."
"Haha, I was just asking. But you’re right. Their ability and characteristics are one of the most mysterious ones in history. Luckily we made it here this time, or we would regret it if we didn’t."
Even though the competition had not started, the crowd had already begun whispering amongst themselves, their discussions revolving around Shi Xiaole and Xue Changqing.
"Yuanting, you seem confident about victory?"
Among the top powers of Qingxue State, Xu Family, one of the four major families enjoys good relations with Snow Listening Mountain villa, one of the great sects. In fact, Xu Beihe, the head of Xu Family, is married to the villa leader Xue Yuanting’s sister.
Thus, Xu Canghai and Xu Nianxue, siblings, are actually Xue Changqing’s cousins.
"Confident of victory, perhaps?"
Hearing Xu Beihe’s words, Xue Yuanting neither confirmed nor denied.
Since the start of the competition, the abilities showcased by these geniuses that even doyen in martial arts like him are taken aback, compared to previous years, isn’t this year’s standard boosted by more than two notches?
However, Xue Yuanting is not surprised that Xue Changqing made it to the finals.
No one understands the strength of his precious son better than him. Or rather, even he hasn’t fully understood it. Shi Xiaole, his opponent, is indeed a tough challenge, but Xue Yuanting knows that Xue Changqing will not lose.
My son, if you can emerge as the champion of this competition, you will undoubtedly shock the martial world of Qingxue State and become the undisputed top talent. I am looking forward to your performance!
Seeing Xue Yuanting’s unruffled appearance, Xu Beihe murmured to himself in his mind.
His feelings were indeed mixed at the moment. One was his nephew, the other was the son of his past benefactor, he didn’t want either of them to lose.
However, based on some selfish considerations, he still hoped that Shi Xiaole would be the victor. After all, the latter might become his son-in-law in the future, which means they would truly become a family then.
"Changqing has been enjoying all sorts of resources from Snow Listening Mountain villa since he was a child, and his ability now has somewhat exceeded Shi Xiaole. I fear Shi Xiaole doesn’t stand much of a chance."
Xu Beihe carefully analyzed the situation of the two, and finally came to a conclusion.
Time passed by every minute and every second.
Just at the stroke of Chen hour, the no.1 referee stood up under everyone’s gaze and announced aloud, "The eightieth round officially begins. The first match, Bai Zhanmei against Pan Yue."
Boom boom boom.
Without further ado, the two talents immediately erupted into an intense battle on the stage. It was the last round, both went full throttle right off the bat, intending to seize the victory of the final match.
"Jade Divine Skill."
With his forehead veins bulging, Pan Yue struck palm after palm, clearing a large area of the surrounding shadows. Unfortunately, Bai Zhanmei’s flying skill was exceptional. He came and went abruptly, leaving no chance for his opponent to touch even the tip of his garment.
"Eagle Breezing Skies!"
Bai Zhanmei burst into laughter and confronted his opponent head-on.
Among the people present, he was only wary of Shi Xiaole and a few others. Even if others were stronger than him, if it came to a fight to the death, they wouldn’t be able to catch up with him.
After over forty moves, Bai Zhanmei seized an opportunity and knocked Pan Yue off the stage.
Afterwards, Su Zhi’er, Wang Zuying, Bali Wen, Situ Changkong, Mo Ye and other masters from various factions took turns to fight, giving their all, presenting the audience with one visual feast after another.
In the penultimate match, Yuan Zong and Yue Tianlin engaged in a fierce battle of more than a hundred moves. Finally, Yang Jiuding broke his opponent’s Sword Qi with Jade Halberd Six Style and obtained the hard-earned victory.
With this, their rankings were set, Yuan Zong ranked third and Yue Tianlin fourth.
Today’s sun had not yet reached its zenith, but the enthusiasm of the crowd had reached an all-time high, waiting for the moment of volcanic eruption.
Before anyone knew it, the entire peak of Hero Mountain fell silent, if not absolutely quiet, was at least unusually hushed. Numerous fiery eyes fiercely stared at the stage at the center, as if spotlights.
Whether they were wandering warriors, gang experts, children of noble families, martial arts masters, or even the sect leaders and elders from the top powers, or all the talents participating in the competition under the stage, all held their breath unanimously.
Under the welcoming pine, a monk and a Taoist smiled at each other and then turned their eyes away.
An invisible pressure descended, making the ten judges, who had been used to such scenes, somewhat tense. Yet, the tension was accompanied by immense excitement.
The number one referee took a deep breath, and then muster up his internal power to make the announcement, his voice unusually hoarse "The eighty-first round, the forty-first match of the Assembly of Heroes, Xue Changqing versus Shi Xiaole, begins!"
Piercing voices spreading from the main peak of Hero Mountain to all directions, like a tsunami hitting everyone’s psyche.
In an instant, countless people began to scream. It’s important to know, everyone present was a martial arts expert with immense prowess. Such an unanimous roar stirred up countless fluttering leaves, falling down the cliff like green rain from the sky, swept in all directions.
At the foot of Hero Mountain, more people heard the referee’s voice, just like boiling water, instantly stirring up a pot of chaos.
"The Martial Uncle is about to take the stage."
The disciples of the Positive Pole Sect were so excited they were beside themselves, imagining a variety of scenarios in their minds.
As the Sect Leader, the normally reserved Yang Jiuding was also a little out of character. He was completely proud from hearing about Shi Xiaole’s achievements from others.
Yang Zheng and Yang Yi were a bit annoyed. They considered themselves to be talented, especially after understanding part of the mysteries of the Yangxuan Heavenly Scripture, they felt the urge to fight against the elite warriors, but due to the lack of time, they could only stand by and watch.
"Regardless, I hope Martial Uncle wins."
Yang Zheng was full of hope.
At the top of the main peak of Hero Mountain, two figures stood five feet apart on the fighting platform, their clothes fluttering in the gentle wind.
Xue Changqing stood on the east side, his soft white hair like snow hanging from both sides in a middle part, his deeply inset blue eyes containing an indescribable loneliness. His body was pure white as if he was an untainted ice sculpture of a snowman, holding a long sword.
Opposite him was Shi Xiaole, wearing a simple light blue robe, his black hair tied into a bun with a grey cloth and hanging down his back, along with the long sword hanging from his waist. His handsome and vigorous face coupled with his tall and athletic body, was captivating.
At this moment, looking at the two people on the stage, many people were deeply amazed.
"This battle not only determines who is the top genius of Qingxue State but also who is the first swordsman of the present day."
"I have a premonition that this battle will become a classic."
The heartbeat, breathing, and even blood flow of the crowd had deviated from their normal rhythm. The disciples and elders of Snow Listening Mountain villa, as well as many people in the Cloud Triangle, were sweating nervously.
"I’ve known for a long time that you are my strongest opponent."
Xue Changqing spoke, his voice as cold as snow, full of pride.
"Me too."
Shi Xiaole’s voice was low and magnetic.
Swish, swish, swish!
An indescribable Sword Qi surged out of Xue Changqing’s body. The Sword Qi was not a whole, but divided into many parts, each part running wild, causing the swords of many warriors nearby to tremble until they grabbed them with their hands, restoring calm.
"This..."
The crowd of warriors was shocked.
Previously, only Sword Qi could resonate with the swords, but Xue Changqing’s Sword Qi had caused such an effect. Just how profound was this man’s mastery of the sword?
The cold Sword Qi rushed towards Shi Xiaole, attacking him from every angle. People could not help but move their eyes to see how the opponent would respond.
The power of the Sword Qi lies in its mental suppression, not physical attack. Shi Xiaole could certainly break the opponent’s Sword Qi using his own swordsmanship, but doing so would undoubtedly put him at a disadvantage in this pinnacle duel.
A low tearing sound rang out, and a Sword Qi wrapped around Shi Xiaole, blocking Xue Changqing’s all-encompassing Sword Qi.
Xue Changqing’s lips curled up, his Sword Qi continued to climb, finally attacking like a blizzard, instantly causing Shi Xiaole’s Sword Qi to be full of holes.
People did not show disappointment, because based on the analysis before the match, Shi Xiaole had no advantage and it was inevitable for him to be at a disadvantage.
"Don’t hold back, I know your Sword Realm is more than this, otherwise, you are not qualified to be my opponent."
Xue Changqing said coldly.
Shi Xiaole sighed, and the next instant, an incredibly dangerous Sword Qi surged out of him like a flood, hitting the ice and snow Sword Qi head-on.
Two invisible forces collided and spread out. Almost within the blink of an eye, before the many warriors on the field could react, their swords had automatically jumped out three inches, making a uniform clanging sound.
"The pinnacle of Oneness of Man and Sword."
Feeling the rhyme in the Sword Qi, Yue Tianlin gritted his silver teeth and looked at Shi Xiaole with a shocked and complex expression.
If before, he had only admired Shi Xiaole’s swordsmanship, now he would have to admit that like Xue Changqing, Shi Xiaole completely overwhelmed him.
"If you want to fight me, you’d better not hold back at all. In the final round, I won’t give you a second chance because of your mercy."
Xue Changqing grabbed the hilt of his sword and slowly drew it out. People suddenly saw a completely different Xue Changqing, full of confidence, arrogant and brutal, ruthless and cold.
"How much I can perform depends on your strength."
Shi Xiaole faced the challenge with his usual calm.
But his heart was anything but calm. He deeply knew that his appearance had stimulated Xue Changqing, causing him to enter into a different state.
But who knows, the appearance of Xue Changqing also stimulated Shi Xiaole. He felt the cells all over his body ’come alive’, even the hand holding the sword was shaking slightly.
This was not fear, but anticipation, an extraordinarily tense and excited anticipation.
It seemed as if the wind had stopped blowing, in the silent moment, two dazzling swords suddenly burst through the void, brutally clashing against each other.
The pinnacle battle has begun.
