novelraw Chapter 29 – Champion!
Chapter 29 – Champion!
In last year's rankings, Han Shan was second, and Feng Xuanzhu was third.
In the Advanced Elite Class, the two of them were old rivals.
"You big oaf, let me show you the power of my Thunderstorm Sword Art!"
Feng Xuanzhu shouted angrily, drawing his sharp sword. The cold sword light pierced through the air, as fast as lightning and astonishingly swift.
He knew he had already lost to Luo Xiu once, and he had little chance against Xu Qiusheng. If he lost to Han Shan again, he might not make it into the top three.
So in this battle, Feng Xuanzhu was determined to give it his all.
When he faced Luo Xiu, both his movement technique and sword technique were suppressed, but now against Han Shan, he could truly showcase his strength, causing the crowd below to exclaim in surprise.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Swords clashed, and Feng Xuanzhu retreated three steps, but he immediately used the Shift-and-Shadow Movement Technique, his swift sword raining down like a storm, forcing Han Shan to use Hard Qi Technique for defense.
Han Shan focused on strength and defense, while Feng Xuanzhu emphasized agility and speed—one was steady and solid, the other swift as the wind.
As top experts of the advanced class, their strength far surpassed ordinary Ninth Layer Body Refining practitioners.
Feng Xuanzhu had trained his movement and sword techniques to the Major Achievement realm, while Han Shan's blade technique and Hard Qi Technique were also at the Major Achievement level.
In the blink of an eye, they had exchanged over twenty rounds, neither able to gain the upper hand. Feng Xuanzhu struggled to break Han Shan's defense, while Han Shan couldn't keep up with Feng Xuanzhu's speed.
Now, it was a matter of whose inner qi would deplete first and whose endurance would last longer.
Feng Xuanzhu's sword strikes grew faster, the sharp sword light dense as rain, covering Han Shan's vital points.
Han Shan stood his ground, wielding the Mountain-Splitting Blade, blocking all of Feng Xuanzhu's attacks, and using Hard Qi Technique to withstand those he couldn't dodge.
After a long while, Han Shan's inner qi finally ran out, his Hard Qi Technique faltering, and Feng Xuanzhu's sword light slashed open his chest, blood splattering.
Feng Xuanzhu was also drenched in sweat; if the fight had continued, he too would have been exhausted.
"Feng Xuanzhu wins!"
After this battle, it was clear to everyone that Han Shan and Feng Xuanzhu were evenly matched, but Han Shan's passive defense led to faster inner qi depletion.
Next, it was Luo Xiu's turn to take the stage, and his opponent was the acknowledged number one, Xu Qiusheng!
Their encounter was a clash of titans. Luo Xiu's performance was unexpected, entering the finals at the age of fourteen, with a chance to claim the championship, setting an unprecedented record in the Martial Hall of Qingyun City.
In every previous Grand Martial Tournament, the champion had always been an expert from the Advanced Elite Class.
This battle drew countless eyes, and everyone's heart was filled with anticipation.
Xu Qiusheng ascended the dueling platform, holding a silver spear, expressionless. With a Perfection Realm Third Grade Spear Technique, his strength was unrivaled.
"This is my last time participating in the Grand Martial Tournament. I hope you won't disappoint me."
Xu Qiusheng gazed at Luo Xiu, speaking calmly. At eighteen, he would graduate after this tournament.
Luo Xiu nodded with a smile, "I also want to experience your spear technique."
"Make your move, I won't hold back." Xu Qiusheng's silver spear trembled, drawing an arc like a silver ribbon, stabbing towards Luo Xiu in an instant.
As Xu Qiusheng thrust his spear, Luo Xiu felt a chilling sharpness, the air brimming with a fierce aura.
"Snap!"
Luo Xiu moved, the spear tip grazing past him, tearing his clothes and leaving a blood mark on his skin.
Even with his precise movement technique, Luo Xiu narrowly avoided the thrust, but the wind from the spear still tore his clothes and cut his skin.
"What a formidable spear technique!" Luo Xiu's heart tightened, knowing he had met a true opponent.
Xu Qiusheng's strength was comparable to an ordinary Qi Sea Martial Artist, making Luo Xiu feel he was even stronger than Chen Hu, whom he had encountered on Yaqi Mountain!
"Whoosh!"
Xu Qiusheng's silver spear suddenly changed its move, and Luo Xiu had no time to draw his sword, as a sharp aura enveloped him.
"Not good!"
Luo Xiu's expression changed slightly, continuing to retreat, but the spear technique's attack covered a wide area, making it impossible to evade completely.
"Hehe, this Luo Xiu is good, but compared to Xu Qiusheng, he's still lacking." On the spectator seats, Elder Li smiled as he spoke.
However, at that moment, Luo Xiu suddenly extended his hands, inner qi flashing not as a faint glow but as brilliant as flames!
"Boom!"
Just as he was about to be struck by the spear, he struck out with both palms, forcibly knocking Xu Qiusheng's silver spear away!
The silver spear trembled violently, a powerful and vast force transmitted through it, numbing Xu Qiusheng's grip, nearly causing him to lose hold of the spear.
"What immense inner qi!"
Xu Qiusheng's expressionless face showed surprise. He was at the peak of the Ninth Layer Body Refining, yet Luo Xiu's inner qi was even more robust and pure. If Luo Xiu had used true qi instead of inner qi, Xu Qiusheng would have suspected he had already broken through to the Qi Sea Realm.
"What strong internal force! His movement technique is restrained by Xu Qiusheng's spear, but with overwhelming internal force, he easily resolved the crisis!"
In the pavilion above, Zhuang Nantian, an Elder of the Martial Hall, slammed the table in excitement, his eyes shining.
"This is impossible! Even with Fourth Grade Internal Cultivation at the peak of the Ninth Layer Body Refining, his internal force shouldn't be this strong!"
Elder Li, who had just praised Xu Qiusheng, stood up in shock.
Zhuang Nantian stroked his beard, smiling silently. He knew that Luo Xiu's formidable internal force was due to mastering the Pure Yang Technique.
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In over eight hundred years, only three people had mastered it. How could the Pure Yang Technique be ordinary?
On the dueling platform, Xu Qiusheng's spear technique remained fierce and unmatched, preventing Luo Xiu from drawing his sword, forcing him to rely on movement technique to dodge or use his powerful internal force to resolve the crisis.
The Perfection Realm spear technique was impenetrable, with continuous attacks, but Luo Xiu remained calm, waiting for an opportunity to counterattack.
"As they say, overwhelming force can break all techniques. If I use the power of flames, the power of my inner qi will multiply, allowing me to suppress Xu Qiusheng's spear technique."
Luo Xiu pondered internally. Elemental power was a method only Innate Martial Masters could wield, his strongest trump card.
However, Luo Xiu reconsidered. While using absolute power to suppress would guarantee victory, it would rely on external force, not true skill.
"Unless absolutely necessary, I should avoid using my trump card. I'll use Xu Qiusheng's Perfection Realm spear technique to hone my movement and sword techniques!"
Luo Xiu's pupils contracted, making a decision. With a tap of his toe, he swiftly retreated, simultaneously punching out to repel the silver spear.
"Clang!"
In that critical moment, he seized the opportunity to draw his sword, the Shadow Sword flashing like lightning.
"Glazed Coldlight Spear!"
Xu Qiusheng remained composed, ignoring Luo Xiu's incoming sword light, thrusting his silver spear directly at Luo Xiu's throat.
The spear's attack range far exceeded that of the sword. Before Luo Xiu's sword could reach him, his spear would surely hit Luo Xiu first.
Luo Xiu had no choice but to change his move and dodge, rapidly moving to close the distance with Xu Qiusheng. The spear had a large attack range, but in close combat, it would be at a disadvantage.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!..."
Unknowingly, the two had exchanged over forty rounds, leaving the crowd below dumbfounded.
Both at the peak of the Ninth Layer Body Refining, Han Shan and Feng Xuanzhu had exhausted themselves after just thirty rounds, but Luo Xiu and Xu Qiusheng had fought over forty rounds without any sign of inner qi depletion.
This clearly indicated that their inner qi cultivation was far more robust and pure than Han Shan and Feng Xuanzhu's, with much longer qi channels.
As time passed, Xu Qiusheng's forehead began to sweat, his inner qi gradually faltering.
In contrast, Luo Xiu remained calm and composed, his breath steady and unyielding.
"Damn, this is insane, they've gone over sixty rounds!"
"Oh my god, are they going to fight for a hundred rounds?"
The crowd below was stunned into numbness. Xu Qiusheng was the acknowledged number one, and his immense inner qi cultivation was within their expectations, but for Luo Xiu to match him was simply unbelievable.
"Clang!"
In the ninety-eighth round, the Shadow Sword clashed with the silver spear, and Xu Qiusheng's silver spear flew from his hand, his body retreating, his grip torn, blood dripping.
From the moment Luo Xiu drew his sword, every clash of spear and sword transmitted the impact of Luo Xiu's powerful internal force. If Xu Qiusheng hadn't held on, he would have been defeated long ago.
"How can your inner qi be stronger than mine? Did you cultivate the Pure Yang Technique?" Xu Qiusheng looked at Luo Xiu in disbelief.
"Clang!"
Luo Xiu sheathed his sword, nodding, "Senior Brother Xu's spear technique is formidable. If not for my robust inner qi from cultivating the Pure Yang Technique, I wouldn't be your match."
Pure Yang Technique?
The top-tier Third Grade Internal Cultivation mastered by only three people in eight hundred years?
Hearing the conversation between the two on the dueling platform, the crowd below gasped in shock.
Apart from Zhuang Nantian and the Master of the Martial Hall, who already knew, even the beautiful teacher Lu Mengyao stood up in astonishment.
She hadn't expected Luo Xiu to have mastered the Pure Yang Technique.
Most people were unaware of this internal cultivation's origins, but she, with her special status, knew it clearly.
In the pavilion above, the Master of the Martial Hall slowly stood up and announced loudly, "Luo Xiu wins this battle!"
With the Master of the Martial Hall personally declaring it, all eyes focused on Luo Xiu, and for a moment, countless people fell silent, their gazes filled with complex emotions.
The final showdown held little suspense. Even Xu Qiusheng had been defeated by Luo Xiu, leading Han Shan to concede directly.
Following that, Feng Xuanzhu also conceded to Xu Qiusheng, finalizing the rankings.
The top three in the martial tournament were Luo Xiu, Xu Qiusheng, and Han Shan, in that order!
Luo Xiu, the champion!
"He actually achieved this..."
In the crowd below the dueling platform, Liu Yuxin's face was dazed, her heart filled with endless regret.
If... if she had seized the opportunity when he liked her, perhaps not only she but the entire Liu Clan would have benefited immensely.
Without a doubt, Luo Xiu would become a prominent figure in Qingyun City, and it wouldn't be long before he left Qingyun City to become renowned throughout Yunlong Prefecture and even the entire Tianwu Kingdom!