Chapter 391: First Match – 10V10 - Part Two
The Basilisk King Dagger lodged in Gao Gan's neck, while Zhao Yun's silver spear tip penetrated through Gao Lan's abdomen.
Both Gaos stopped moving and glanced at the ambushers.
The silver elder smirked at Ma Moxi, who suddenly appeared behind his back.
"Nice try. But you should have aimed for the head."
Ma Moxi knitted his brows as the feedback from the strike felt weird. He felt like he had cut through a mass of water.
As if Gao Gan's entire body turned into mercury liquid, his neck shape-shifted and sucked the heaven-grade dagger into his liquid physique.
The previous wound was healed on the spot!
Ma Moxi let go of the dagger before his hand touched Gao Gan's body as he sensed the threatening characteristic of the latter's physique. He leaped backward, keeping the distance and bringing out a new weapon. Yet, he sneered at the elder.
"You fucking slime. Are you sure you want to eat my dagger?"
"Thanks for the precious heave-grade treasure. I'll be sure to cherish it after I kill you!"
"As I asked, are you really sure?"
"Huh?"
Gao Gan's face changed as he sensed something wrong with the dagger that his body had absorbed. His liquid stomach, which had been storing the dagger, started to get stiff.
The slime-like physique suddenly got hardened. He couldn't even circulate his Qi through the portion around the dagger.
Basilisk King's petrification power was at work. Gao Gan's innards and liquid in his stomach had been petrified, and the curse slowly expanded to the other parts of his body.
"Petrification Curse!?"
Gao Gan panicked. He attempted to eject the dagger out of his stomach, but the solid parts of his body didn't listen to him.
As Gao Gan was about to turn into a stone statue, Gao Lan activated his gold element and grabbed Zhao Yun's spear shaft. The latter pulled it out of his abdomen and yanked it off her hand.
Being weaker, Zhao Yun lost her earth-grade spear. However, she brought out another one and thrust it toward Gao Lan's face.
Gao Lan ignored the incoming attack. The spear tip hit his temple, but it was unable to penetrate through his gold skin.
The gold elder activated his domain power. His gold element worked like Qiang Sui, enhancing the overall attributes of Gao Gan and other elders.
Gao Gan sensed the boost from his colleague. He manipulated some of the gold element Qi to the petrified parts, using the advanced element power to cancel the curse.
But it didn't work!
Gao Lan frowned as he was confused about how his gold element couldn't remove the petrification curse. But before he could utter a word, Zhao Yun's light element Qi burst out as she also used Zhao Bao's technique to increase her overall strength.
The rabbit girl kicked the ground and disappeared from Gao Lan's sight. She reappeared next to Gao Gan and thrust her spear, aiming for the latter's head.
"DAMMIT!!"
Jiao Chu, who had been recovering from the previous wound, decided to rejoin the battle. He saw Zhao Yun's movements and charged at her, trying to intercept her strike.
But Ma Moxi suddenly turned around and activated his "Gate of Babylon", summoning a hundred golden jians. The flying swords rained upon the charging elder.
Jiao Chu groaned and stopped moving, pointing his palm in front of him. A steel wall emerged from the ground, becoming a shield to protect himself from the golden sword rain.
Ma Moxi sneered as he managed to counter-intercept Jiao Chu on time. Behind him, Zhao Yun's spear punctured through the Gao Gan's head!
Gao Gan's head splattered as if they were made of water. The mercury-like fluid attempted to merge and restore his head.
However, the petrification curse of Ma Moxi's dagger spread through the former's body. It stoned his neck and disabled his physique's passive ability!
Just like that, Gao Gan turned into a stone statue without a head! The remaining mercury liquid managed to return to the body, but it was stoned, too!
Within 10 seconds after the battle had been initiated, the trio, Fogan, Ma Moxi, and Zhao Yun baited and took down a nascent soul realm cultivator!
Gao Lan and Jiao Chu came back to their senses after they sensed the nascent soul of Gao Gan leaving his real body. They widened their eyes in shock.
"SHIT!!"
The nascent soul of Gao Gan turned to the other seven fighters on their side and yelled in anger, "DAMMIT!! WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING!? ARE YOU GOING TO JUST WATCH AND LAUGH!?"
The seven remaining elders glanced at Gao Gan's nascent soul. Five of them smirked while the other two were expressionless.
Even if they were allies at the moment, none of them had the obligation to save their rival's life. After all, after this war, they might have to contest for treasures, slaves, and territory of Siren City.
…
While the spectators and the contestants on the platform were still digesting the development and the fast-paced battle, Fang Yanxu pointed his fingertip at Gao Gan's nascent soul.
The soul suddenly lost all remaining power in his soul dantian. Then, Fang Yanxu opened a red gourd on his waist and pulled the soul inside the container.
After Gao Gan's soul had entered the gourd, Fang Yanxu plugged it and declared, "Gao Gan has lost and eliminated from the first round, but the match continues!"
Hearing the sudden announcement and seeing how Fang Yanxu had taken the soul, Yuan Shaoqing protested, "Your Excellency! Why are you taking my people's soul!?"
"Gao Gan has lost his physical body! According to Samsara Law, all mortal souls have to enter the Yama Court for the trial. If he's worthy, he shall be sent to the River of Reincarnation. But if he's a sinner, he shall be punished accordingly!"
"But he can still recover his physical body!"
"From what I see, he's dead."
"His physical body might be dead, but he can possess-"
"ARE YOU SAYING YOU ENCOURAGE WANDERING SOULS TO POSSESS ANOTHER BODY AS A NEW HOST!? ARE YOU SUPPORTING SOUL POSSESSION, SOUL-DEVOURING, OR SOUL SNATCHING CRIMES!?"
As the emissaries from Samsara rarely visited Heavenly Goose Planet, only a handful of people was aware that possessing other people's bodies was a crime.
Yuan Shaoqing was taken aback. Stealing another body was a common privilege of nascent soul realm cultivators of this world – It was an unspoken custom of all 7th-stage cultivators to steal a good body with the right foundation and potential so that they could use it to recultivate and reach the 8th-stage easier.
"… N-No. We wouldn't dare. We would never support such crimes."
"Good. Again, any soul of a 7th-stage cultivator or weaker will be collected and transferred to the Yama Court by me. So, do your best not to die, mortals!"
"…"
…
Fang Yanxu's declaration and the new rules scared 7th-stage cultivators from Yuan Shaoqing's side.
At first, they thought that they could easily find a new host if their physical body were to be destroyed or killed. But now, it would spell their permanent death.
Gao Lan and Jiao Chu kicked the ground and leaped backward, retreating from the battle. They stood behind the remaining seven representatives as they didn't want to take the role as a vanguard anymore.
Jiao Chu clicked his tongue and shouted, "We've tested their strength. Now, it's your turn!"
Gao Lan also grumbled, "I lost my brother because none of you stepped up or supported us! I have already exchanged a few blows with them. You guys contribute something!"
"…"
The seven remaining representatives peered at them and sneered. Then, all of them inspected their opponents.
Unlike before, they thoroughly inspected the aura of all Siren City's fighters. Only then, they discovered something unusual, which they had overlooked before.
The catgirl, Mao Xueyan, and Fogan were veteran fighters. Their aura and strength were comparable to late-stage nascent soul realm cultivators, but they had the advantage of a unique bloodline and unknown racial abilities.
The tall busty tiger woman, Mao Dandan, had the faint aura of a nascent soul cultivator as well. However, her domain aura was unstable as if she had just broken through.
Then, one of the representatives noticed a glimpse of Wei Yuan and Kang Yan's presence, which was subtle. The branch leader of the Great Zhang Clan noticed their hidden strength.
The branch leader of the Great Zhang Clan was a toned muscular man with deep jawlines, a hook mustache, a wrinkled face, and thick eyebrows. He appeared to be in his early 50s, but he was actually 23 this year!
Zhang Liao came here with his full gear, aka blue scale armor, a large tower shield on his back, and two halberds in his hands. All treasures were heaven-grade, and the souls inside his items were his dead parents and ancestors.
As soon as Zhang Liao was uncertain if a group fight was winnable, he expressionlessly turned around and stepped down from the platform.
"E-Elder Zhang!?"
Gao Lan, Jiao Chu, and others were shocked when their hope, the branch leader from the Zhang Clan, suddenly forfeited the match.
Zhang Liao muttered in a monotonous voice, "Our side has no unity as a team. I see no reason to risk my life in this match when all my allies are selfish morons."
"B-But we can still overpower them with our strength and domain power."
"I don't fear strong enemies, but I'm afraid of my stupid and reckless allies! I've seen more people died because of their foolish friends than the people who were killed because their enemies were too strong!"
The philosophy of Zhang Liao stunned his colleagues and impressed the people of Siren City. The crowd was also silent as they agreed with the statement.
The remaining elders gritted their teeth as they reflected on themselves. They turned around and were about to jump off the stage, giving up the first match as well.
However, some of the girls were opportunistic.
Jiang Lan, with an anti-material rifle, aimed at Jiao Chu's head and pulled the trigger.
BANG
Before Jiao Chu could leave the platform, his head exploded as a DU round crushed his skull and the nascent soul inside the body.
Gao Lan turned around in a panic, "YOU!!"
Jiang Lan switched target and aimed at Gao Lan next.
BANG
"DAMMIT!"
Gao Lan waved his dadao to parry the bullet. However, the armor-piercing bullet head, made of soul stones and DU element, punctured through the thick saber and left a large hole in his chest.
Even his golden element couldn't stand against the weapon!
While the fighters from Yuan Shaoqing's side looked at the two dead elders in shock, Liu Guang, Wei Yuan, and Ju Shoufen smirked as they brought out the same weapons. They aimed at the other opponents.
"TSK!!"
The remaining nascent soul cultivators, except for Zhang Liao, either flew or leaped off the platform. One of them even erected an earth wall to hide.
Wei Yuan aimed at Zhang Liao, who had nonchalantly been walking down the stairs off the stage, and pulled the trigger!
Zhang Liao looked back at Wei Yuan. Then, he glanced at the muzzle while both his feet were off the stage, "Bad move, demon girl."
BANG
Suddenly, Fang Yanxu appeared in front of the Zhang Clan's branch leader and caught the bullet with his fingers.
Fang Yanxu glanced at the bullet head, checking its element.
When Fang Yanxu discovered that the bullet head was coated with refined soul stone, he looked at Siren City's people.
"I won't ask you how you got those deadly weapons. However, assassinating contestants that have already forfeited the match is unacceptable."
Fang Yanxu turned around to face the remaining 7th-stage cultivator, who had been hiding behind an earth wall. He was the only one who hadn't left the platform yet.
The immortal announced the result of the first match.
"Siren City's representatives are disqualified by attempting to assassinate their opponents who had left the stage! The first point goes to Yuan Shaoqing Alliance!"
"WHAT!?"
Fogan, Ju Shoufen, and Mao Xueyan were enraged. Their side clearly won as their opponents had already given up fighting. Yet, the immortal's verdict was the opposite.
The orc lord bellowed, "Immortal, don't you have eyes!? All of them have already forfeited!?"
"I clearly said that the match is decided when ALL contestants of one's side leave the platform, give up, or die. However," Fang Yanxu snorted and pointed at the remaining nascent soul cultivator of Yuan Shaoqing, who was left alone on the stage.
"I haven't heard that this gentleman has said anything about giving up the match. He simply sat there while the others left."
"…"
"On the other hand, your side violated the common manner and ethic of a formal match. Attacking a person who has already given up fighting is uncalled for! Therefore, in the first match, your side is disqualified!"
…
= Black Amethyst Mine, Nero Chamber =
Nero and Dian Wei had been watching the live broadcast DaoTube with Miaomiao's J-Phone. They found a channel, which belonged to a world guardian, and they were cheering for Ju Shoufen's side.
As soon as they heard that Yuan Shaoqing won the first match by disqualification, Nero almost tossed Miaomiao's phone.
"Bastard! This is bullshit! How dare he!?"
Miaomiao, who had been browsing through a mountain of artifacts and treasures in Nero's stash room, poked out his head to give them a disapproving look.
"Master, my phone ain't cheap. Don't destroy it, okay?"
"FUCK! I'll give you money to buy a new one! Say, how long are you going to dig through my stash? Have you gotten what you want!?"
"Just a bit longer, master. I need a good shield that goes well with Killer Queen."
Nero rolled his eyes, "Your physical defense is pretty much the same as an 8th-stage cultivator already. Why don't you just use the dragonewt form and be done with it?"
"One mustn't be overconfident with his supreme abilities as anything can happen in a fight. With a good shield, I can create a misconception and trick my opponents that my scales are weak."
"Meh, I hate deception tactic. Well, suit yourself. Just remember, you can only pick one! If I catch you stealing my treasures, I'll fucking detonate my bloodline in your body!"
"I know. By the way, if I can't find a good shield, can I have the mural piece that you have?"
Nero raised his eyebrows and turned around, staring into Miaomiao's eyes. He paused for a moment, after which he read his mind while he questioned the latter.
"How many pieces that you have? I mean, the real mural pieces."
"If including yours, four."
Nero smirked, "Have you practiced the technique yet? Want me to give you some tips?"
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