Chapter 349: Deciding Dance of the Phoenix
There were three martial arenas at the edge of the trading area.
When Yu Nianzhen, Lin Huang, and her entourage arrived, three duels were already in-progress.
On the first arena was a duel between two female cultivators who wore similar clothes. The two were extremely beautiful, but their attacks were deadly.
Looking at them, it was evident they came from the same force but had somehow fallen out and were ready to kill each other.
’They are equally matched. It will be a while before their fight has a conclusion.’ Yu Nianzhen thought and turned away indifferently.
On the second arena was a fight between two male cultivators.
One of them had a coffin on his back, and fierce corpse qi surrounded his body.
At the moment, his lips were curled in a sneer, and his eyes were filled with contempt.
"Wu Jin, don’t laugh too early. I still haven’t done my best." The opponent shouted and released a ghost flag.
’Another fight that won’t end soon.’ Yu Nianzhen observed and turned to the last arena.
Fortunately, the fight on the last arena was coming to an end.
However, several people were awaiting their turn, and Yu Nianzhen couldn’t help but frown.
Without hesitation, he walked to the waiting people and removed a storage bag from his storage ring.
"Fellow Daoists, are you willing to trade your place for spirit stones?" He asked.
When the people heard that, they instinctively looked at the storage bag and fell into thought.
Unlike treasures in the Nine Treasures secret realm, spirit stones could be used when they exited the secret realm. In that case, trading a place for spirit stones was worthwhile.
However, it depended on the amount of spirit stones the other person was willing to part with.
"I will trade my place for one million low-grade spirit stones." One of the cultivators said.
While speaking, he looked at Yu Nianzhen, hoping to catch any changes in his expression.
However, Yu Nianzhen’s expression didn’t fluctuate. He just turned to the other three and raised his right eyebrow in question.
"I also want one million." Another cultivator said, looking a little unconfident.
He felt that one million was too much, but since the amount had already been thrown out, he could only go with the flow.
"How about one million for each of us?" A third spoke and a fourth nodded in agreement.
After getting their agreement, Yu Nianzhen didn’t hesitate.
Compared to spirit stones, he valued his time more.
He didn’t want to wait in line and waste time that could be used more productively.
"Thank you, fellow Daoists." He said and gave them the spirit stones.
After finalising the deal, Yu Nianzhen turned to Lin Huang and found her staring at him.
’It’s too bad.’ She thought and shook her head.
Her beast people were promiscuous and rarely fixated on a single partner.
However, she couldn’t help but be regretful that she couldn’t have Yu Nianzhen and Jiang Yue.
"The fight will be over soon." She said and turned to the third arena.
As expected, the fight was on its last stretch.
While the two watched, one of the fighters gathered his qi in his right fist and before the other could react, he struck.
The fist carried an unstoppable momentum, and his opponent couldn’t resist.
Uncontrollably, the opponent was thrown back, and blood spewed out of his mouth.
"This is just a small lesson. If you continue to pester junior sister Li, I won’t be merciful." The winner shouted and jumped out of the arena.
At that, the loser smiled bitterly and forced himself to stand up. He looked like he wanted to say something but finally chose not to.
With a shake of his head, he also jumped down and walked away from the arena.
’Looks like the situation is more complicated than it appears.’ Yu Nianzhen observed but didn’t say anything.
After all, the matter had nothing to do with him, and his interference was unwarranted.
’Only strength is true in the Cangxing world.’ He thought and shook his head before jumping onto the martial arena.
"I don’t want to have a long fight. Let’s decide with one strike." Yu Nianzhen said when the young woman stepped onto the arena.
"I agree." Lin Huang nodded as a sly smile curled her lips.
Rather than a protracted fight, she preferred a short one.
In such a fight, she could explode with all the power of her bloodline and may even stand a chance of winning.
After reiterating the specifics of the duel, the two retreated to opposite sides of the arena.
While the two were talking, a crowd of a dozen people had gathered below the arena.
"Who do you think will win?" Someone asked.
"I recognise one of them..." A young woman said and narrowed her eyes in contemplation.
"Junior sister..." Another called to gain her attention.
"That red-clothed young woman seems to be the phoenix princess of the beast region."
"Phoenix princess." A male cultivator muttered as his eyes filled with greed.
’She has a devilish figure.’ The man thought as he stared at Lin Huang’s large breasts.
"Brother, are you so courageous?" A voice asked, and the man turned to look at its owner.
The speaker was a male cultivator whose eyes were filled with ridicule.
Seeing the ridicule, the man turned away and lowered his eyes.
’What’s the problem with fantasising?’ He thought but didn’t continue to stare at Lin Huang’s chest.
"The phoenix princess is very powerful. She will likely win the fight."
"Not necessarily."
"What do you mean?"
"Think about it.... How many people are qualified to fight the Phoenix princess? That male cultivator should also be powerful."
"I feel a little dangerous when I look at that man. I think he will win."
"It doesn’t matter what you think. They will decide in one strike. We only have to wait."
With that, the spectators turned to the arena.
At this time, a flaming phoenix had materialised behind Lin Huang.
The phoenix was about ten metres tall, and its flaming wings stretched twenty metres as if wanting to cover the sky.
Across from Lin Huang and the phoenix, Yu Nianzhen stood with a sword in his right hand.
Compared to Lin Huang’s terrifying momentum, Yu Nianzhen looked and felt ordinary.
His aura was introverted and didn’t leak out to subdue the martial arena.
However, such a Yu Nianzhen pressured Lin Huang!
She felt like she was standing in front of an extraordinarily tall mountain, and her heart couldn’t help but tremble.
’How could this be?’ She wondered as she forcibly suppressed the fear in her heart.
’What has he experienced in these years? Why has he become more terrifying?’
A million thoughts crossed her mind, but it only took a moment.
After the moment, she steadied herself and steeled her heart.
If she knew the swordsman had become so monstrous, she would not have challenged him.
However, she didn’t regret her decision.
Seeing the other person’s strength pressured her but also motivated her.
’I didn’t expect to win, but I thought I could resist for a while. Unfortunately..."
With a bitter heart, Lin Huang cleared all thoughts from her mind and looked her opponent in the eye.
"I am ready." She said.
When he heard her words, Yu Nianzhen looked at the person, and nodded.
Despite her entanglement, he respected her strength.
This time, he wanted to show her the distance between them and effectively cut off any thoughts she may harbour.
[Shanjiang, seal nine points of the sword’s power.] Yu Nianzhen reminded his sword spirit.
However, doing so wasn’t because he underestimated his opponent.
It was because Shanjiang was now a profound rank weapon, and its power was too much.
Considering his fight with Lin Huang wasn’t a life-and-death match, Yu Nianzhen chose to seal most of the sword’s power.
[Why do I have to be sealed?] Shanjiang complained but did as his master ordered.
In his mind, Yu Nianzhen heard some clicking sounds and the sword in his hand trembled slightly.
Soon after, the sword’s power decreased, and Yu Nianzhen sighed before speaking.
"I am also ready." He said.
As soon as the words fell, the eyes of the two collided, and both unleashed their attacks.
"Supreme phoenix dance." Lin Huang shouted.
On the other side, Yu Nianzhen didn’t say anything.
He just swung his arm, and a speck of sword light flew from his sword.
"Is he underestimating the phoenix princess?" Someone shouted when they saw the speck of sword light.
"He will pay for that." Another sneered.
"What do you know? That sword light isn’t so simple."
As if responding to the person’s observation, thousands of sword lights seemed to be born from the speck.
In the blink of an eye, the sword lights collided with the flaming phoenix, and the bird screamed.
Within three breaths, the flaming phoenix was shredded to nothing, and the backlash flung Lin Huang from the arena.
’As expected of him.’ She thought as bitterness filled her eyes.
A moment later, the bitterness cleared from her eyes, and she forced her body to land gracefully.
"You have won." She said, and Yu Nianzhen nodded.
