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墨書 Inktalez
The sun rose as usual, and the streets of the Trial Ground were packed with onlookers. A massive banner hung over the Bustling Market, signaling that the Convention was in its final stages of preparation. The list of all participants had been posted, drawing crowds on both sides of the street to gaze at the grand display.
Qianwen had rarely donned a red formal outfit, his hair meticulously styled, and his face adorned with a touch of radiance. His five Hall Masters also wore new attire, standing around him, awaiting orders.
The arena beneath the divine tree finally opened its gates. In the circular venue, the ancient Taiji Pattern remained vibrant, untouched by time. Heroes had gathered early under the divine tree, lining up according to their groups and respective halls, ready for instructions.
According to the lineup, You Long and Meng Jiang were positioned first, followed closely by Luo Yue and Shaomeng next to An Qi, while Lan An and Yumeng stood together as well.
"At this point, where is Ran Xing?" Luo Yue furrowed his brow as he glanced at the list under the divine tree, feeling a twinge of concern for his companion's situation.
"Indeed. If Ran Xing doesn't return within two hours, it will be considered a forfeit," An Qi said, looking up at the sun and beginning to feel anxious.
A cry from an Azure Hawk pierced the sky, drawing everyone's attention to the podium at the front of the arena. The five Hall Masters had lined up in order: You Long and Ziyuan stood in the front row, while the other three Hall Masters stood behind them. Qianwen arrived last, positioning himself before them to form a triangular arrangement.
"How much time is left?" Qianwen asked softly, frowning as he turned to those behind him.
"Commander, there are still two hours remaining. Everyone is here except for Ran Xing," You Long stepped forward to report.
Having not received any feedback from Nian Yueye for seven days, Qianwen couldn't ascertain what had happened to Ran Xing on his journey. He turned back without saying a word.
You Long noticed this silence and refrained from speaking further. How could this guy be so oblivious to urgency? Logically speaking, there should have been results at least three days prior; how was there still no news now?
Even more strangely, almost simultaneously, contact with Teacher Nian Yueye abruptly ceased, cutting off all sources of information. What could possibly link these two events so coincidentally?
You Long's thoughts remained unspoken. Meanwhile, what left Ran Xing—who had just saved the townsfolk—stunned was about to be revealed by a person kneeling in gratitude before him.
"What!" Ran Xing spat out the water he had just drunk. Was this person joking?
“ young hero, it's absolutely true! A few days ago, while I was out gathering firewood on the mountain, I saw someone around your age, dressed in a blue long robe, being tormented by others nearby…” The commoner paused, his voice faltering as he recalled the figure who had thrust a hand glowing with purple light into someone's heart. It was only after being rescued by Ran Xing that he regained his composure.
Someone around my age, wearing a blue long robe… Ran Xing's mind raced as he quickly remembered the person who had brewed tea for him that day: Meng Jiang's student, Lan An!
“Since you’re so certain, tell me, who instructed you to spread these rumors?” Ran Xing suddenly changed his expression and raised the Vitality in his hand, transforming it into a sharp blade poised above the man's head.
The news had come too suddenly for Ran Xing to fully accept that someone who had once helped him could be involved in such a situation.
However, seeing the commoner kneeling and pleading with tears streaming down his face, Ran Xing understood that this was not a lie; something unexpected must have occurred within the Trial Ground. If what he said was true, Lan An would certainly have some unavoidable suspicion.
After exchanging thanks with the man, Ran Xing no longer hesitated and immediately rushed toward the direction of the Trial Ground.
“Now I announce that the Convention will commence as scheduled. The first group, Refined Hall's Shaomeng, against Mountain Sea Hall's An Qi.”
With a command given, two hours passed in an instant as everyone waited together, yet Ran Xing still had not returned.
The two approached the Divine Tree and gradually saw it radiating light, transporting them to the underground arena. Qianwen then waved his hand to extract Divine Fall from within himself. When one side was defeated, Divine Fall would use its pure Vitality to heal the loser and bring both parties out of the arena.
The rules were simple: defeat your opponent without resorting to underhanded tactics; otherwise, your results would be nullified.
“It seems today I can't avoid a fight,” Shaomeng thought sadly to himself, even though he did not wish for this outcome.
But seeing An Qi cracking his knuckles and preparing for action forced him to brace himself for An Qi's attack.
As An Qi stepped forward aggressively, Shaomeng immediately leaned back to evade An Qi's sweeping strike aimed at his head. He quickly countered with a whip-like motion to push An Qi away before stabilizing himself on one leg and spreading his arms like a white crane waiting for An Qi's next move.
An Qi steadied himself, adjusted his breathing, and leaped toward Shaomeng with an open stance. He unleashed Vitality to kick up dust from the ground before executing another high sweep aimed directly at Shaomeng's head.
Shaomeng swiftly brought his hands together in an X formation and rotated them in a cloud-like motion. He easily deflected An Qi's legs before exerting force to spin An Qi and throw him down onto the ground in front of him.
Shaomeng's dominating performance drew admiration from Yumeng beside Luo Yue, who clapped enthusiastically with a hint of infatuation. Meanwhile, Lan An remained silent with his head bowed.
“Shaomeng has already won,” Yumeng confidently declared.
“No, until he falls down, victory or defeat is not determined,” Luo Yue interrupted.
“It seems you're quite confident you can win against me later!” Yumeng remarked as she sized up this girl from another prominent family background who seemed entirely different from herself. Though she appeared delicate, she was just as unapproachable as Shaomeng.
“We'll see when the time comes,” Luo Yue replied with a sweeping glance. Yumeng chose not to continue conversing with her but instead asked Lan An whom he favored in this match.
Lan An was taken aback by the question.
Are people of this age all so competitive?
Inside Lan An, Long Shan was momentarily at a loss for words, caught between the intense gazes of two women who each demanded a clear answer. He could only show a troubled expression.
"It's not the right time yet; I can't draw any conclusions," he finally said.
This statement elicited nearly devouring looks from both women. Fortunately, Luo Yue took the initiative to grab Yumeng, averting a potential conflict.
"Alright, don't make it difficult for him," Luo Yue said.
Yumeng shot a glare at Luo Yue, then turned her fierce gaze on Lan An, who usually sided with her in conversations. After a moment, she let out a sigh and chose not to press further.
Meanwhile, An Qi had gained some insight after two rounds of testing and was preparing to launch another attack.
"It seems this is the kind of opponent I should be facing," An Qi remarked, admiring Shaomeng. He began to gather Vitality in large amounts, ready to unleash the ultimate technique taught by Meng Jiang: Earthly End: Finality.
This skill concentrated Vitality, allowing it to take shape in front of the user according to their intent before being launched. Upon impact, it would explode and create smoke to distract enemies.
On stage, Long Shan watched as Shaomeng stood his ground without flinching against his opponent. He almost couldn't suppress a laugh. What was this kid thinking, daring to face his enemy head-on?
As he observed Shaomeng's move, Long Shan recognized it as the same technique used against him back then—the Vengeful Heart Technique. This kid was truly bold, using destructive force against destructive force, aiming directly to break through An Qi's Earthly End: Finality. What guts!
An Qi hadn't anticipated that Shaomeng would transform the blazing Vitality into a sea of flames rushing toward his Earthly End: Finality. The conical technique surrounding An Qi, combined with a few drops of sweat falling from Shaomeng's forehead, actually suspended An Qi's Earthly End: Finality in mid-air, motionless.
The audience erupted into applause.
"Good kid! It seems my efforts to train you weren't in vain," Long Shan chuckled as he watched Shaomeng's performance. Truly, as the saying goes, "A scholar's worth is recognized after three days apart!"
The two women, who had just been fierce as Evil Spirits, were now cheering for the two below. An Qi's next attack, fueled by Shaomeng's vengeful technique, intensified and was gradually consumed by the raging flames. Shaomeng stood there, drenched in sweat, fists clenched, waiting for An Qi's next move.
In Shaomeng's eyes, beads of sweat were forming on An Qi's forehead, slowly trickling down. Both of them were panting heavily, standing there with their fists clenched, waiting for the other to make the first move.
An Qi activated Vitality once more, donning a pair of earth armor on her hands, with spikes at the front of the armor, making it both offensive and defensive.
Seeing that Shaomeng had not made any moves, An Qi decided to take the initiative. She leaped into the air, preparing for close combat, trying to gain an advantage within Shaomeng's range.
Shaomeng observed An Qi's advancing steps without moving, leaving Yumeng and Long Shan on stage puzzled about what kind of fighting style this was.
Suddenly, it seemed that Shaomeng saw an opportunity. As An Qi aimed to strike her with a dual palm attack, Shaomeng sprang forward just before An Qi's hands could close in on her ears. With both hands channeling fire Vitality, she struck An Qi at her elbow joints, causing An Qi to stagger back two steps from the burn.
Seizing the moment, Shaomeng advanced and crossed her arms to push An Qi away. However, An Qi retaliated with a kick at the last moment. Their Vitality clashed in an explosion that sent both of them crashing into opposite walls of the arena.
In this final phase, it would come down to who could stand up first. Both were panting heavily and began to cough.
"Get up, kid! Hurry!" Long Shan said anxiously, frowning as he watched the battle unfold. He noticed Lan An beside him swaying slightly, her lips trembling as she urged, "An Qi, get up!"
This situation piqued Long Shan's interest but also somewhat disrupted his focus. At that moment, his purple and black eyes shone once more.
"An Qi, stand up!"
"Shaomeng, stand up!"
The two who had just been fierce as Evil Spirits were now united in a single thought: for their representatives to get up quickly and secure the crucial first point for their team.
According to the Convention's competition rules, each team had three students. If one team member won two matches out of three against another team member from a different team, they could seize the Divine Fall. For Luo Yue and her companion, victory seemed to hold greater significance than mere honor; they did not want any member of the opposing team to rise before their own.
Thus, under everyone's watchful eyes, Shaomeng and An Qi strained against each other in their final struggle.
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