Chapter 82: Chapter 82: Powerful
There was a hush over the open ground of Astonishing Dragon Castle.
All the people froze, gazing at the center of the field, unable to recover from shock.
While Ba Renxiong was defeated by Zuo Feiyang, it wasn’t due to him being weak, but rather because Zuo Feiyang’s Sword Qi was too powerful. Regardless, Ba Renxiong was known as a leading figure amongst the second-class geniuses.
Who would have thought that his final battle with Shi Xiaole would end in his defeat?
"His flying skill is exquisite, his sabre technique is powerful, but it’s his control over the flow of battle that is truly shocking. We’ve all underestimated this young man,"
Having drained his power, Yue Changzheng muttered in a low voice.
He was one of the few people present who could clearly see what had happened during the fight.
From what he could gather, Shi Xiaole had managed to dodge Ba Renxiong’s Invincible Blood Saber Slash by using the Golden Goose Skill and delivered a definitive blow, thus seizing victory.
But how much insight and confidence would one need to strike the opponent and avoid injury all in the same heartbeat?
After a deep look at Shi Xiaole, a touch of admiration rose in Yue Changzheng’s heart.
"Impossible, impossible."
Zhang Qingfang’s mouth quivered as he shook his head repeatedly.
In his eyes, Shi Xiaole who had defeated him through cunning and luck, suddenly defeated Ba Renxiong through sheer power, which was something he found unacceptable.
He pinched his leg to confirm that he wasn’t dreaming, causing his face to turn even more unsightly.
Yan Donghua and Tao Ding, as well as the disciples of the Fiery Fire Sect beside him, were also dumbstruck and speechless.
"Brother Shi, is this your current strength?"
Wang Yangming, who had already stood up, let out a sigh, seemingly uninterested in the shocked expression of his Senior Brother.
Even though he had already evaluated Shi Xiaole highly, it was not until this moment that Wang Yangming absurdly realized how ridiculous his ideas were.
Some people, like Shi Xiaole, could never be judged by common sense.
"Junior Brother, when did he comprehend that move?"
Xiao Yuanbo turned his neck, his eyes meeting those of Yuan Qiuwei and Mao Wenjing, both of whom had a look of stupefaction, even their master Yu Fangge seemed dumbfounded, clearly knowing no more than they did.
"Senior Brother, how does that blow compare to your Divine Wind Sword?"
From the floating corridor, Jiang Qingzhou asked Zuo Feiyang.
Without giving it much thought, Zuo Feiyang said blandly, "Among the contemporaries present here, I don’t think anyone except Yue Xunxian and Liu Mengse can withstand the Divine Wind Sword."
Hearing this, Jiang Qingzhou let out a sigh of relief.
Before coming here, he had aimed to be the top among the Four Outstanding Youths, and the three outstanding talents below that. But unexpectedly, Shi Xiaole had sprung up, stealing his limelight.
Now, after defeating Ba Renxiong, it seemed as though Shi Xiaole was closing in on his Senior Brother’s position, something Jiang Qingzhou didn’t want to see.
Fortunately, according to his Senior Brother’s meaning, Shi Xiaole’s current strength was not yet a threat to him, which was a rather comforting consolation.
"Damn it, I really misjudged this."
Xiong Ni felt thoroughly embarrassed, especially considering he had previously been belittling Shi Xiaole, only to have his words thrown back in his face in an instant.
"How did this happen?"
Among those who were most shocked, apart from Ba Renxiong, were the two women up in the loft. They had secretly followed Shi Xiaole for some time and prided themselves on understanding all of his tricks. They had not expected him to pull out a trump card at the crucial moment, catching everyone off guard.
"He must have learned this after his last trip to Mountain Luyan."
Xu Nianxue ground her teeth and said in a complicated tone.
"For him to learn it in such a short time...he really has outdone himself."
Wang Zuying’s beautiful eyes were fixed on the center of the arena, her mind seemingly lost in thought.
"The battle has been decided, thank you for your instruction."
Seeing that Ba Renxiong had been in a daze from the start up to now, Shi Xiaole said a sentence, turning to return to his seat without waiting for a response.
This battle had given him much to ponder, and he needed to reflect on it.
"Hahaha..."
Suddenly, a burst of loud laughter rang out from behind, carrying an indescribable sense of madness and excitement.
"The battle has been decided? When was it decided?"
Ba Renxiong woke up and laughed heartily: "Mr. Shi, I still need to thank you. Your last move just now made me see through the key layer of the Invincible Blood Saber Slash. How about you try blocking one more blow of mine?"
His blood-red hair fluttered as he voiced a statement that startled everyone.
As soon as his words fell, he rushed towards Shi Xiaole like a beast, leaping high into the air and bringing down a saber strike filled with profound blood qi.
If his previous Invincible Blood Saber Slash was a miniaturized version of a revolution of the heavens, then his current Invincible Blood Saber Slash resembled a saber formed from a river of blood.
The sabre’s glow was only about a meter long, not much larger than the long saber in his hand. But when it fell, many people’s hearts trembled.
Even Zuo Feiyang, who had been expressionless, had an explosive look in his eyes at this moment, involuntarily gripping the sword at his waist.
He intuitively felt that the power of Ba Renxiong’s saber seemed to rival his own Divine Wind Sword!
No cries of surprise erupted from the crowd because before they had time to express their shock, the crimson saber light was already bearing down on Shi Xiaole, who was just returning to his seat.
It was as if everyone’s minds had come to a standstill.
"Did you think I couldn’t handle it?"
The clear voice echoed with calmness. Shi Xiaole suddenly turned around, without panic, without fear, all that was left was a silent confidence of having the situation well in hand.
Originally, he did not want to play his trump card - the two chances of danger, as a last resort, mystery could guarantee effectiveness.
However, it seemed that there was no choice but to use it now.
In the time it takes to blink, Shi Xiaole had drawn his previously rarely used Azure Edge Sword. Grasping it with both hands, he loosened his body and swung boldly against the bloody blade light.
A sudden explosion of a perilous conception that was both strange and dangerous, like a toppling mountain or a raging flood.
The original terrifying blood-colored light, upon contact with this sword, shattered like spring snow meeting the blazing sun within a few breaths.
"Puff!"
Ba Renxiong came fast but retreated faster, shooting backward like an arrow, finally stumbling to a halt ten meters away, his face pale.
"You, you..."
Ba Renxiong’s pupils contracted unceasingly, unable to accept this situation.
Regardless of whether he would admit it, his previous Invincible Blood Saber Slash was indeed weaker than the Divine Wind Sword. However, after his recent insight, the power of the Invincible Blood Saber Slash had greatly increased, reaching a realm comparable to the Divine Wind Sword!
Despite this, he had still lost, and there was no excuse for his defeat.
Anger, shock, and a hint of fear surged up in Ba Renxiong’s chest, leaving him reeling.
Shi Xiaole, who was right in front of him, although not very tall, at the moment felt like a towering mountain, a net that stifled him, making it difficult to breathe.
Failure is not terrifying. What is terrifying is to do your best, to surpass your own limits, only to be defeated easily by the opponent, which is almost devastating to your confidence.
Ba Renxiong was so frustrated he almost spat out blood, and the other people at the scene were already seeing stars.
Before the match, no one thought Shi Xiaole would win. In the end, this low-key teenager had slapped everyone in the face with an incredible winning move.
And that was not it. Who would have guessed that after that Ba Renxiong would have an epiphany on the spot, actually raising his saber technique to another level and launching an even more formidable attack.
Such an attack, on par with the Divine Wind Sword, was crushed by Shi Xiaole’s sword before anyone could even process it.
Most importantly, everyone could clearly see that Shi Xiaole’s sword contained a very powerful conception that was completely different from the one before.
This meant that Shi Xiaole, in the Cloud Triangle region where no young person had publicly comprehended a conception, had comprehended two! How incredible talent was this?!
Who would have expected such a result?
The twists and turns of this fight could be said to be the most dramatic in the history of the conference. Everyone saw Ba Renxiong’s remarkable potential, but what left a deeper impression was Shi Xiaole’s calmness and sophistication.
This was not a typical teenager. If this time Ba Renxiong had not proactively challenged him, everyone would have been deceived by him, underestimating his true strength. Such extraordinary temperament, coupled with such a powerful talent and strength, made everyone remember the name Shi Xiaole.
One can imagine that after the end of the Cloud Sky Conference, this name will surely be spread across the numerous corners of the Cloud Triangle with the return of various sects and schools.
It was the so-called instant fame gained through a singular fight.
Jiang Qingzhou looked at Zuo Feiyang next to him, seeing his tight grip on the sword hilt, his fists white-knuckled. The question he had intended to ask suddenly didn’t seem right anymore.
"Brother Shi, may I ask what conception was contained in that sword move you just made?"
In the silence, someone stood up and asked, causing many people’s expressions to change greatly. The inquirer was none other than Liu Mengse.
"Danger and anomaly."
Startled, Shi Xiaole answered.
The power of the two-ratio danger conception was beyond Shi Xiaole’s expectation.
Of course, due to his own cultivation limitations, the ’hairline chance of life’ he showed earlier, though it broke the Invincible Blood Saber Slash, the remaining power was not enough to seriously injure Ba Renxiong.
So in a real life-and-death fight, Shi Xiaole might not be able to easily kill Ba Renxiong. At most, it would be a pyrrhic victory.
"Impressive danger and anomaly conception. It seems that I will soon have new competitors."
Liu Mengse let out a carefree smile and glanced at Yue Xunxian.
The intention of his words was clear, indicating that Shi Xiaole had the potential to threaten the Four Outstanding Youths. If it had been before, many people would find it hard to believe, but now, no one disagreed.
The fame that Shi Xiaole gained today, isn’t it similar to Liu Mengse and Yue Xunxian’s rise to fame, perhaps even more so?
"The path of martial arts is always long, a moment’s potential can’t represent anything, perseverance is the key."
Someone muttered quietly, sounding somehow mysterious.
"That’s true indeed, let’s see what Shi Xiaole will do in the future."
Some people chimed in half-agreeingly, half-expectantly.
"Junior brother, tell the truth, how many more tricks do you have up your sleeve?"
Back in his seat, Xiao Yuanbo said with a grin.
"Senior brother, this is already my limit."
Shi Xiaole laughed helplessly.
He really didn’t want to reveal his trump card, but the situation just now didn’t allow him much thought. It seemed that he needed to intensify his training and improve his strength in the future.
"If this is not your limit, how are we supposed to survive?"
Upon hearing the conversation, Mao Wenjing rolled her eyes and mumbled a comment.
