ragginovel Chapter 94 Arena Combat
Chapter 94 Arena Combat
The next day, at 5:45 AM.
The platform for discussing the Dao was packed with people.
Not only Cuiping Peak, but disciples from all eighteen outer peaks came to watch the battle, and even a few figures in inner sect attire mingled in the crowd.
On the high platform to the north, all seven rosewood chairs were occupied.
The man in the center had a thin face, three long strands of beard under his chin, and wore a dark blue Taoist robe with alchemy furnace patterns embroidered on the cuffs. He was none other than Lu Yuanshan, the peak master of Cuiping Peak.
His presence today caused a stir in the waiting area.
Lu Yuanshan was seated on his left and right by three stewards: Du Zhong, Sun Mao, and Qian Tong, as well as three outer sect elders: He Chuan.
In addition, there were two new faces: a female cultivator dressed in white and a male cultivator in a green robe with a sword, both inner disciples who came to observe the ceremony.
Zhang Lin's gaze swept across the high platform and landed on the white-robed female cultivator.
Luo Qinghe, in the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, was the one who piloted the spirit boat to guide new disciples from the Southern Wilderness Continent into the sect.
She actually came today.
Luo Qinghe seemed to sense something, shifted her gaze, met Zhang Lin's eyes for a moment, and nodded slightly.
On the viewing platform at the back, a handsome young man in white robes stood with his hands behind his back. He was Zhou Mingxuan, a Foundation Establishment cultivator in the early stages.
His purpose in coming is self-evident.
Zhang Lin withdrew his gaze and found a seat in the waiting area.
Chen Boyuan leaned closer and whispered, "Peak Master Lu has come in person. Today's battle is of great significance."
Zhang Lin nodded.
"You offended Zhou Mingyuan during yesterday's magic assessment," Chen Boyuan said. "If he chooses you in today's practical battle, he will definitely go all out."
"I couldn't have gotten it."
As the bell rang, Du Zhong rose to announce the rules.
"The practical assessment will be a single-elimination tournament with one draw for each of the fifteen disciples. One disciple will receive a bye, while the others will fight in pairs. The winners will advance."
"In magical duels, magical artifacts, elixirs, and talismans are forbidden. One must rely solely on spells. To admit defeat, to go out of bounds, or to fall to the ground and not get up is to be considered a loss."
"The pilot test will be conducted indefinitely, and no one may be intentionally harmed; violators will be severely punished."
The drawing of lots begins.
Zhang Lin drew a yellow card.
His opponent was an old disciple named Wang Tong, and the two were led to the second arena.
Wang Tong had an honest face and a burly build, and was at the late stage of Qi Refining cultivation.
After stepping onto the stage, he clasped his hands in a respectful greeting, looking rather nervous: "Senior Brother Zhang, my skills are not yet proficient, please be merciful."
Zhang Lin returned the greeting: "Senior Brother Wang, you're too kind. Please."
At the steward's command, Wang Tong was the first to make a move.
He pushed out with both palms, and three fireballs flew in a triangular formation. The flames were intense and the speed was extremely fast; he was using the Fireball Technique.
Zhang Lin neither dodged nor avoided, a glint of silver light flashing in his eyes, as he raised his hand and made a pressing motion.
A blue wind wall unfolded in front of him, and three fireballs crashed into the wind wall, only to be extinguished instantly, like mud sinking into the sea.
Wang Tong used the Golden Blade Technique again, and several golden blades followed closely behind, striking the wind wall with a piercing metallic scraping sound, but leaving not even a mark.
Wang Tong gritted his teeth, unleashing his true energy at full power, and unleashed a barrage of fireballs and golden blades, his offensive like a raging tide.
Flames danced and golden light swirled on the arena, captivating the disciples below.
Zhang Lin remained motionless. His output of true energy to the wind wall was always slightly higher than Wang Tong's magical true energy, without consuming excess true energy, yet giving people the illusion of indestructibility.
The silver light of the Qi Observation Technique flowed in his eyes, and every wisp of Wang Tong's true energy flow and every hand seal was clearly visible to him.
He used three drops of true energy to activate the fireball, and he countered it with five drops of wind wall.
To openly and honestly observe the operation of other people's magic is a rare form of spiritual practice.
Wang Tong's offensive was like a storm, but Zhang Lin's defense was as solid as a rock, unmoving.
Ten breaths later, Wang Tong was drenched in sweat and was at his last gasp.
His inner energy was not as strong as Zhang Lin's, and the repeated attacks had exhausted him greatly. He was panting heavily, and sweat blurred his vision.
Zhang Lin then spoke up: "Senior Brother Wang, you flatter me."
He raised his hand and waved it, unleashing a ten-foot-long, armor-piercing golden blade.
The golden blade cleaved through the air with lightning speed, then suddenly stopped about a foot in front of Wang Tong, hovering motionless.
Wang Tong glanced at the golden blade in his chest, then at Zhang Lin's calm expression, swallowed hard, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Thank you for your mercy, Senior Brother. I concede defeat."
Zhang Lin sheathed the golden blade and returned the greeting with a cupped hand.
He barely expended any energy in this battle, his true qi circulated freely, and the recovery speed brought about by the widening of his meridians kept his true qi at over 80% throughout the entire battle.
On another arena, Luo Yuan faced off against a female disciple in the late stage of Qi Refining.
Luo Yuan excels in fire-based magic. His third-tier transformation technique is the Flame Dragon Technique, which is powerful and domineering, forcing his opponent to retreat repeatedly until he finally conceded defeat in the sixth breath.
On the third arena, Chen Boyuan was locked in a fierce battle with Fang Yunxiu, a veteran disciple who had reached the pinnacle of Qi cultivation.
He exerted all his strength, using all the techniques he had learned in turn, barely managing to hold on until the fifteenth breath. Finally, due to insufficient internal energy, he was blasted off the stage by a water column, ending his journey in regret.
Zhang Lin looked towards the fourth arena, his gaze slightly narrowed.
Zhou Mingyuan faced off against a young disciple who was in the late stage of Qi Refining.
Just as the disciple raised his hand to cast a spell, Zhou Mingyuan unleashed a third-tier giant golden blade, the blade hurtling straight toward his face with a sharp whooshing sound.
The young man hastily erected an earthen wall in front of him, but the wall was shattered by the golden knife as easily as paper.
The golden blade, its momentum undiminished, pierced through the rubble and slashed fiercely into the young man's chest.
If it weren't for the timely intervention of Du Zhong, the steward by the arena, that young man would likely have been seriously injured.
The young man's face turned ashen, and he staggered back several steps before regaining his balance. His eyes were filled with fear as he looked at Zhou Mingyuan.
Du Zhong frowned and warned Zhou Mingyuan, "When fighting, stop when you've reached your limit; don't go too far."
Zhou Mingyuan said calmly, "Since it's a real battle, it's inevitable that he'll lose his composure. He can only blame himself for his lack of cultivation."
After saying that, he turned and stepped off the stage, his gaze sweeping over Zhang Lin intentionally or unintentionally.
Zhang Lin's expression remained unchanged, but his eyes narrowed slightly.
In the second round of the draw, Zhang Lin drew Fang Yunxiu.
This person is a veteran disciple of Cuiping Peak, with perfected Qi Refining. He ranked third in the small competition last year and just now he can be said to have crushed Chen Boyuan. He is famous for his third-level water escape technique.
When he stepped onto the stage, Fang Yunxiu had a handsome face and an elegant demeanor like a scholar, but the fluctuations of true energy emanating from his billowing sleeves betrayed his strength.
"Junior Brother Zhang, please." Fang Yunxiu clasped his hands in greeting.
"Senior Brother Fang, please." Zhang Lin returned the greeting with a cupped hand.
The order was given by the deacon.
Zhang Lin struck first, and with a wave of his hand, a golden blade slashed through the air.
A water curtain suddenly rose in front of Fang Yunxiu. The golden blade slashed into the water curtain, but it was as if it had been slashing into a swamp, and its speed decreased sharply.
Taking advantage of the brief moment gained by the water curtain, Fang Yunxiu calmly retreated.
Within the water curtain, countless water arrows shot out, their arrows whistling through the air like a torrential downpour.
The disciples below the stage all paled; this water arrow technique had an extremely wide coverage area, making it impossible to avoid.
A wall of wind unfolded around Zhang Lin, and the water arrows crashed into it, producing a dense crackling sound.
The wind wall trembled, but the water rocket remained stuck.
Fang Yunxiu changed his hand gestures, and the water curtain suddenly expanded, transforming into a water dragon about ten feet long.
The dragon raised its head high, its body coiled, and opened its mouth to swallow Zhang Lin.
Wherever the water dragon passed, the air was damp and cold; this was the third-order transformation of Water Escape Technique: Water Dragon Technique.
Instead of retreating, Zhang Lin advanced, his right hand making a fist, and a giant hand of Xuanhuang burst forth from the ground, his five fingers clenched into a fist, slamming into the water dragon's body.
Water splashed everywhere, and a hole was smashed into the dragon's body, but the water flow quickly filled it, and the water dragon was restored to its original state.
The Xuanhuang hand smashed again, and the water dragon replenished it. Earth can overcome water, but the water's power is ever-changing and inexhaustible.