ragginovel Chapter 337 The Final Battle of the Holy Son Candidate
Chapter 337 The Final Battle of the Holy Son Candidate
After the candidates for Saintess were tentatively decided, the noise on the dueling platform did not subside; instead, it transformed into an even more oppressive atmosphere of excitement.
Beside the high platform, the empty seat of the Holy Son still stood there, with a dark gold ribbon hanging from the back of the chair. When the wind blew, it looked as if someone was sitting in the unseen shadows, observing the entire scene.
Lin Wanqing held the booklet and stared at the chair for a long time.
"Senior Brother Mo, why do I find that chair scarier than a person?"
Mo Chengyue sat upright with a sincere expression.
"Because people can talk, but chairs can't; they're only there to let people sit down and then let those sitting down be looked at."
Xie Buci rested his chin on his fan, and the languid look in his peach blossom eyes had lessened.
"Third brother, what you said is harsh, but it's true. What the former Holy Son left behind wasn't just a chair, but a pile of unresolved issues."
Qin Wanzhuang looked towards the battle stage, her ponytail lifted by the wind, her black outfit highlighting her sleek figure.
"We can settle the score later; let's see who can stand until the end."
Wenren Ji stood to the side, sword in hand, his bangs covering half his face, his tone unusually serious.
"Lu Qingheng, your sword intent is clean."
Lin Wanqing immediately looked at him.
"Junior Brother Wenren, you actually praised someone?"
Wenren Ji glanced at her.
"fact."
Xie Buci smiled.
"Junior Brother has spoken more times today than he usually does. It seems that Lu Qingheng's sword is indeed to his liking."
Mo Chengyue said.
"Don't just look at whether the knife is clean or not; also look at whether the person who wielded the knife can survive to reach the chair."
Su Qingying sat not far away, dressed in white, her jade sword resting on her lap, her eyes and brows as clear and cold as the fresh snow on distant mountains.
"Lu Qingheng has a shallow foundation, but his strength lies in his character and popularity."
Yu Jianhuan rested her chin on her hand, her rose-purple skirt draped over the stone steps, her beauty mark appearing both striking and dangerous in the sunlight.
"Shen Zhaoxuan has a powerful background; his advantage lies in having someone paving the way for him."
Jin Qiaoqiao's phoenix eyes were half-closed, and the iridescent light in her dark hair swirled in the wind.
"If one wins, the poor students will feel that a new path has been opened; if the other wins, the Tianqing Summit will feel that the old flag can be raised again."
Lin Wanqing heard the pen tip hovering over the paper.
"So, who does the sect leader actually want to win?"
Mo Chengyue glanced at Jiang Wei on the high platform, then looked at the empty chair.
"The sect leader may not want anyone to win completely."
Lin Wanqing frowned.
"But isn't the Grand Tournament about selecting the Holy Son?"
Mo Chengyue said.
"The competition is to select someone who can temporarily stabilize the sect, not someone who can immediately resolve all conflicts."
Xie Buci slowly closed his fan.
"You mean, Sect Master Jiang doesn't want the Tianqing Peak family to regain their power, nor does he want Lu Qingheng's banner to fly too high?"
Mo Chengyue said.
"If Lu Qingheng rises too quickly, the disciples from humble backgrounds will become hot-blooded, the disciples from various peaks will be uneasy, and the elders will worry that the rules will be pushed along by emotions."
Qin Wanzhuang continued.
"If Shen Zhaoxuan sits on it directly, the old power of Tianqing Peak will be restored, and the shadow left by Ye Wushang will also return."
Su Qingying said.
"Therefore, the best approach is that no one can please everyone."
Yu Jianhuan smiled sweetly, but her words were sharp and scathing.
"Since everyone is somewhat dissatisfied, no one can easily be the first to overturn the table."
Jin Qiaoqiao looked at Mo Chengyue.
"You humans like to call this kind of thing 'balance'?"
Mo Chengyue nodded.
"You could say that everyone has food in their bowl during the meal, but no one can take the pot away."
Lin Wanqing carefully wrote two strokes, then asked another question.
"Can this sentence be written?"
Mo Chengyue immediately replied.
"cannot."
Xie Buci said.
"Go ahead and write it. Elder Chen loves these kinds of metaphors that will get him beaten up."
Mo Chengyue looked at Xie Buci.
"Senior Brother, you harbor deep malice towards my living environment."
Qin Wanzhuang said.
"Stop joking, the results of the draw are in."
The elder in charge stood by the battle platform, the jade token in his hand glowing.
"The final battle for the Holy Son candidates: Shen Zhaoxuan of Tianqing Peak versus Lu Qingheng of Xuanyu Peak."
As soon as the word was spoken, a chorus of suppressed cheers erupted from the outer disciples' seats, followed by the Xuan Yu Peak disciples straightening their backs.
Someone on the other side of Crimson Cloud Peak sneered.
"Lu Qingheng has already been given face by the sect to get this far."
"If we really let someone who came from a humble background as a herb gardener compete for the title of Holy Son, where will the inner sect's reputation be?"
Someone in the outer gate area immediately objected.
"So what if he comes from a medicinal herb farm? Every single one of his wins was on stage!"
"It's better than someone relying on an elder's backing, who only manages to damage one's meridians!"
"Who are you talking about?"
"Whoever gets impatient gets to say it!"
The elder in charge raised his hand, and the light screen around the battle platform lit up, suppressing the surrounding noise with array patterns.
Shen Zhaoxuan stood up and went on stage.
He was still wearing the same Tianqing Peak disciple's uniform, the sword at his waist was unadorned, and his steps were neither hurried nor slow, as if he had withdrawn a layer of gentleness from his sharp edge.
Lu Qingheng walked out of his seat on Xuanyu Peak.
His old scabbard still bore mottled marks, and his sleeves were worn from washing, but his steps showed no hesitation.
Lin Wanqing said in a low voice.
"The difference between the two of them standing together is so obvious."
Xie Buci said.
"One is the facade that the peak vein has relaunched, and the other is the road that we carved out of the mud ourselves."
Wenren Jidao.
"They can all fight."
Qin Wanzhuang said.
"Shen Zhaoxuan concealed his aura well, without showing any oppressiveness, because he wanted to win with dignity."
Su Qingying said.
"It's quite remarkable that Lu Qingheng wasn't overwhelmed by the momentum."
Yu Jianhuan looked at the stage, and the corners of her eyes lifted slightly with a smile.
"If I were one of those elders on the high platform, I would also be having a headache. People who are too good at winning are annoying, but people who are too pitiful are even more annoying."
Jin Qiaoqiao said.
"If the demon race encounters this situation, they usually fight first, and then talk to the survivors."
Mo Chengyue said.
"So the relationships among you demons are truly simple and honest."
Jin Qiaoqiao looked at him.
Are you mocking me?
Mo Chengyue immediately straightened up.
"I am expressing reverence."
Xie Buci chuckled softly.
"The third brother's survival skills are indeed based on ancient methods."
On the stage, Shen Zhaoxuan bowed first.
"Junior Brother Lu, please."
Lu Qingheng returned the gift.
"Senior Brother Shen, please."
Shen Zhaoxuan looked at his knife.
"Your wrist meridians were disturbed by the Burning Meridian Force in the previous battle, are you still able to withstand it?"
Lu Qingheng said.
"Thank you for speaking up earlier, Senior Brother Shen."
Shen Zhaoxuan said.
I'm asking about your injury.
Lu Qingheng said.
"Capable of fighting."
Shen Zhaoxuan nodded.
"That's good."
Some people in the audience were talking about it.
"Shen Zhaoxuan even asked about the injuries. Has Tianqing Peak really changed this time?"
"Don't be naive. The more respectable he is, the more it shows that Mingtian Qingfeng will regain his reputation."
"But he did speak up for Lu Qingheng just now."
"It's a good thing, but it's also a calculated scheme."
Upon hearing this, Lin Wanqing couldn't help but look at Mo Chengyue.
"Senior Brother Mo, doesn't that sound a lot like something you would say?"
Mo Chengyue said.
"This shows that the overall thinking ability of the sect's disciples has improved, which makes me very pleased."
Xie Buci said.
"It could also mean that your ability to spread rumors has improved."
Qin Wanzhuang said.
"Quiet."
On the battle platform, Lu Qingheng drew his sword first.
He did not launch a preemptive attack, but instead held the blade diagonally in front of him, the remaining spiritual energy flowing along the spine of the blade, fragmented yet orderly.
Shen Zhaoxuan placed his right hand on the hilt of the sword, but did not draw it. He then took a half-step forward.
Lu Qingheng made the first cut.
The blade flashed forward, following the array patterns on the battle platform, leaving a cold, bright arc in its wake. It sought no fancy moves, only aiming for Shen Zhaoxuan's central gate.
Shen Zhaoxuan drew his sword.
With a soft click of the scabbard, the longsword cut horizontally, precisely blocking the upward thrust of Lu Qingheng's blade.
As the two blades clashed, spiritual light emanated from the point of contact, causing ripples to spread across the battle arena's light screen.
Immediately, someone in the outer seat gripped their sleeve tightly.
"Senior Brother Lu, don't get suppressed!"
"His knife is even faster than before!"
"Shen Zhaoxuan is too steady; he didn't back down!"
Someone from the Tianqing Peak seat said in a deep voice.
"Senior Brother Shen hasn't even unleashed his swordplay yet."
"He's testing how far Lu Qingheng's wrist pulse has recovered."
"This is the final battle for the candidates; it's much more exciting than the previous ones."
Lin Wanqing asked hurriedly.
"Senior Brother Mo, who has the upper hand?"
Mo Chengyue said.
"It's not obvious now."
Lin Wanqing didn't believe it.
"There are times when you can't tell?"
Mo Chengyue said.
"Junior Sister Lin, as human beings, we must allow the guards of the Scripture Pavilion to retain the dignity of ordinary people."
Su Qingying said.
"Shen Zhaoxuan is controlling the pace."
Qin Wanzhuang said.
"Lu Qingheng is looking for an opening."
Wenren Jidao.
"The second cut."