Chapter 593: Conceding Defeat
Xiao Chen used his Essence to the fullest extent. With the support of the sixty-percent-comprehended saber intent and the peak state of thunder, one attack had Wang Quan vomiting a mouthful of blood. Then, he was sent flying.
The strong Quintessence shield rippled and fluctuated but it did not shatter. However, the pure force that permeated it jolted Wang Quan’s internal organs.
“Stop! I concede defeat!” Wang Quan, who had fallen to the floor, felt incomparable pain. Seeing Xiao Chen step forward to continue fighting, he quickly conceded defeat.
Wang Quan had nearly used up all his Quintessence. If he suffered another attack, he would not have enough Quintessence to defend himself and would be torn apart.
The twenty-three-meter-long golden dragon above Wang Quan was bitten by Xiao Chen’s golden dragon. It became dimmer and shrank to a little over seventeen meters long.
As for Xiao Chen’s golden dragon, it became dazzling and spirited, growing to twenty-five meters long.
Xiao Chen sheathed his saber and prepared to leave the Wind Cloud Platform. Then, he paused for a moment and said to Wang Quan, who was lying on the stage, “My cultivation may not be high but you are still unable to stop me. Even without this sixty-percent-comprehended saber intent, I can still defeat you easily.”
With sixty-percent-comprehended saber intent and the momentum of wind and cloud gathering, Xiao Chen managed to defeat Wang Quan, one of the giants, in one move.
It did not matter that Xiao Chen’s opponent had a higher cultivation and had even opened his sea of consciousness, already refining a tenth of his Essence into Quintessence; he was still not a match for Xiao Chen.
When Xiao Chen revealed another one of his trump cards, the Quintessence made from a tenth of Wang Quan’s Essence became insufficient.
At this moment, no one thought Xiao Chen was the weakest of the eight giants anymore. He had the strength to compete against Bai Qi.
The cultivators with bolder imaginations even thought that he could compete against Sima Lingxuan. However, his odds were lower.
“Next match: Nangong Ziyue versus Beiming Shang.”
It was another battle between Noble Clan scions. Although these two had suffered defeat before this and could no longer compete for a top eight position, they were still strong. They were still in line for the top ten ranks. This match was still rather interesting.
Beiming Shang used Palm Techniques. His Lamenting Palm brought out emotionlessness to its extreme. The Palm Technique was cold and emotionless. Every move contained great might.
However, Beiming Shang was matched up with Nangong Ziyue. Her state of mountains and waters was as calm as still water or moved like the mountains and ground trembling. It did not fear the way of emotionlessness.
The two were evenly matched. After four hundred moves, an opening appeared in Beiming Shang’s way of emotionlessness. Nangong Ziyue took advantage of this opportunity to clinch victory.
With only eight rounds remaining, the victory that Nangong Ziyue obtained brought her a step closer to the top ten.
“Next match: Sima Lingxuan versus Liu Xiaoyun.”
A few matches later, Sima Lingxuan stepped onto the Wind Cloud Platform again. However, his opponent was not one of the other eight giants. Instead, it was the Drifting Snow Sword Sect’s disciple, Liu Xiaoyun.
There were only eight giants. Naturally, out of the eight matches, there would only be seven matches against the other giants. The remaining match would be with one of the other participants.
How the matches were arranged was up the referee. However, this leftover match did not put any pressure on the eight giants.
Liu Xiaoyun looked at Sima Lingxuan, who exuded a strong self-confidence. Then, he sighed softly and smiled bitterly. “During the previous Five Nation Youth Competition, I could still last ten moves against you. Now, I’m afraid I can’t even block one.
“Sima Lingxuan, how about we compete using the sword, only the sword and nothing else?”
Competing with swords was just like competing with sabers. Both parties would drew their swords at the same time. Whoever’s sword could defeat the other’s would be the winner.
Naturally, Liu Xiaoyun’s sword was not as strong as Sima Lingxuan’s. He proposed this because he wanted to feel Sima Lingxuan’s sword intent while competing with the sword in order to improve himself.
Sima Lingxuan had a proud and aloof personality, looking down on the swordsmen of the world. Liu Xiaoyun now presented his request with a very humble attitude. Fire blazed in his eyes, as he hoped that the other party would agree.
“Given your status and strength, you are qualified to compete with swords with me. Prepare your move, then.” Sima Lingxuan accepted Liu Xiaoyun’s request after thinking for a while.
An excited look flashed in Liu Xiaoyun’s eyes as he performed a cupped-fist salute. “Many thanks!”
After Liu Xiaoyun finished speaking, he placed his right hand on his sword hilt. Then, he started quickly gathering all his Essence, state of ice, sword intent, and all his comprehension on the way of the sword.
Competing with swords sounded simple—drawing the sword and tossing it out. However, this simple action contained all their understanding on sword intent, Sword Technique, states, the force used with attacking. As long as a mistake was made in one of them, hundreds of openings would instantly appear when the sword was drawn.
The atmosphere immediately turned heavy, the air solidified, and the Wind Cloud Platform turned silent. Both sides did not say anything as they gathered momentum.
“Weng! Weng! Weng!”
Suddenly, loud sword hums erupted from the silence. The sounds were drawn-out and continuous, providing a very dignified ambiance.
The two moved at the same time. A cold and lonely sword spun quickly in the air, causing snow to fall. A vast sword intent gave off a silver-white light, making the place turn even colder.
Cold, an extreme cold, an emotionless cold. This was Liu Xiaoyun’s state. His sword intent served the same functions too.
On the other side, Sima Lingxuan’s sword glittered with golden light. Strong winds blew everywhere and clouds churned. A overwhelming state of kingship could be found in the winds and clouds; this was a king’s sword.
With the support of sixty-percent-comprehended sword intent, the state of kingship seemed very tyrannical and mighty. It had the atmosphere of several thousand swords bowing to it as the king of swords.
“Dang!”
The two swords quickly clashed. Liu Xiaoyun’s sword was knocked away before breaking into two.
Sima Lingxuan’s sword moved with a ‘xiu’ sound. It carried a vast sword intent as it easily pierced the Wind Cloud Platform, causing strands of Dragon Qi to rise up.
The hazy Dragon Qi sent the aura of the proud and arrogant sword soaring. The brilliance of the king’s sword rose into the clouds. It seemed like it would break through the Wind Cloud Barrier in the sky.
Before the king’s sword, Liu Xiaoyun could not resist. The difference in sword intent was too great.
The sword was a swordsman’s second body. This treasured sword had accompanied Liu Xiaoyun for a long time already. It killed many of his enemies. His Essence, Qi, blood, spirit, and soul had been poured into it.
The instant the sword broke, blood trickled out from Liu Xiaoyun’s mouth. His face ashened, so pale that he looked drained of blood, becoming dispirited and fatigued.
Defeated in one move. Sima Lingxuan’s golden dragon devoured a significant part of Liu Xiaoyun’s twenty-meter-long dragon. Liu Xiaoyun’s golden dragon became much dimmer.
As for Sima Lingxuan’s golden dragon, there did not seem to be much of a change. It was still twenty-nine meters long. Given his current Luck, unless he defeated one of the other giants, it would be very difficult for his golden dragon to grow longer.
Liu Xiaoyun wiped off the blood on his lips. He was in no hurry to get off the Wind Cloud Platform. Instead, he closed his eyes and carefully reviewed Sima Lingxuan’s sword intent from the moment the two swords clashed.
After a long time, Liu Xiaoyun opened his eyes. Revealing a gratified expression on his pale face, he picked up the broken halves of his sword from the Wind Cloud Platform.
“When competing with swordsmen, I always use my full power, not holding anything back.” Sima Lingxuan said something incomprehensible to others before leaving the Wind Cloud Platform in a smug and conceited manner.
However, Liu Xiaoyun was slightly stunned. He understood what Sima Lingxuan meant. Sima Lingxuan was advising him not to despair. However, because Sima Lingxuan was too proud and aloof, he could not console someone directly. That was why he did so in a roundabout way.
The first round of the day came to an end. In the crowd’s excitement, it quickly came to an end. Of the eight giants, Wang Quan and Li Tianhua had both suffered defeat, the two losing their chance to compete for the first rank.
The two battles of the giants had not disappointed anyone. Xiao Chen fought against Wang Quan and Xuanyuan Zhantian fought against Li Tianhua.
These two people were newcomers in this Five Nation Youth Competition and forces to be reckoned with. They had advanced at a fast pace and accumulated their results step by step. The golden dragons above their heads grew rampantly without pause.
This was especially so for Xiao Chen; everyone found him unfathomable. Since the elimination rounds began, he had never been defeated.
Despite how so many cultivators looked down on him, Xiao Chen kept on winning, defeating all the opponents before him. Whenever everyone thought that Xiao Chen’s winning streak would come to an end, he would reveal a new trump card and overcome his opponent.
Nobody knew how many trump cards Xiao Chen had. This white-robed youth who came from the Great Qin Nation challenged all sorts of people with his saber—Noble Clan disciples, great sect disciples, and expert veterans.
Neither arrogant nor hot-tempered, never cursing or complaining. There was always a calm and tranquil expression on his face.
“First match: Bai Qi versus Yue Chenxi.” The ninety-fourth round of the competition began. The referee announced the next match in an unhurried manner.
“It’s another battle of giants. I wonder, who will win this time?”
“One has to gain complete victory before they can climb the path to the peak. Failure is not tolerated. Now that they got this far, they will be very alert and on edge.”
“Bai Qi has the Four Seasons Saber Technique. I wonder if Yue Chenxi has any other trump cards.”
The crowd in the spectator stands were very excited as they discussed.
In terms of strength revealed, Yue Chenxi was no weaker than Xiao Chen. Bai Qi, who was on the Wind Cloud Platform, had no intention of underestimating her.
This competition was like a mountain climb. The steep cliffs were filled with thistles and thorns. They had already caused many of the climbers to fall.
The few of them that could now see the peak had no path of retreat. The moment they tripped, they would be flung far behind.
After working hard for so long, cultivating day and night, accomplishing all they had, their dreams stood right before them. They had waited for this moment for too long.
Bai Qi had too many things to prove. He could not afford to lose. He could not lose, absolutely not!
“Fight! Eighteen Heaven Breaking Saber Strikes!”
After the referee announced the start, the power that Bai Qi had been storing instantly erupted forth without him saying anything.
An overwhelming fighting spirit surged out together with the Eighteen Heaven Breaking Saber Strikes’ first attack, turning into a dazzling saber light and flying at Yue Chenxi.
Yue Chenxi’s expression turned serious. Her pretty face was completely filled with caution. She did not intend to concede defeat to Bai Qi.
After taking a deep breath, she covered her right fist with Essence. A golden light exploded forth and shattered the incoming saber light into a rain of sparks.
“Second Heaven Breaking Saber Strike!”
The moment the saber light shattered, a second more powerful strike descended.
Third strike…fourth strike…fifth strike…
Bai Qi remained rooted in place, not moving at all. Only the right hand holding the saber moved continuously. The Eighteen Heaven Breaking Saber Strikes rained down like a heavy storm.