Giving It Everything
The faint Teleportation Ripple subsided, and Su Bai's figure reappeared under the pillar of light in the inner arena.
He looked around; the atmosphere in the room had changed drastically.
The remaining people's gazes toward him, which might have held a sliver of hope before, were now completely replaced by fear.
The new Chief of the Sword Academy is truly unfathomable in strength!
[Dragon's Roar Sword Heaven] is domineering and unparalleled; [Great Luo Sword Net] has unmatched control over the field; Sword-riding Technique is as fast as a ghost; tactical mind is clear and flexible...
Almost no weaknesses!
Want to challenge him and take third place? The difficulty is probably several times higher than expected!
On the other side, Qin Lin of the Wood Court, who had just defeated Lightning Court Chief Yang Guang with an almost crushing victory, was equally breathtaking.
The unpredictable tactics of using Spirit Plant seeds, and the effortless deception in defeating powerful enemies, all demonstrate its unfathomable depth.
Challenging him? The outcome probably won't be much better than Yang Guang's.
As for Zhao Hanshuang of the Ice Court, who firmly holds the top spot...
People didn't even want to think about it too much.
He is the successor personally acknowledged by Senior Sister Bing Li, who was the top-ranked Foundation Establishment in last year's competition.
He was privately considered by the Academy Master various academies to be the strongest in this competition!
His mastery of Ice-Type Law Technique is both offensive and defensive, with countless variations; it is said that he has mastered the True Disciple essence of the Ice Court.
To challenge him? That's practically tantamount to giving up in advance.
The four remaining challengers in the inner field— Dongfang Luoyu (Fire Academy), Zhao Shanhe (Sword Academy), Yu Jiangying (Water Academy), and Xu Qing (Earth Academy)—felt utterly dejected.
Dongfang Luoyu's alluring eyes swept over the three people in the room, finally turning into a soft sigh.
Her red lips parted slightly, her voice tinged with a hint of helplessness. "It seems I'll be missing out on the Foundation Establishment Pill this year."
"Forget it, rather than going up there and getting beaten up and humiliated, then being teleported back out and making a fool of myself, I'd better just be sensible."
She looked at Steward Li Zhao in mid-air and gave a graceful bow. "Steward Li, this Disciple, Dongfang Luoyu, voluntarily relinquishes my opportunity to challenge in this round."
These words caused a low murmur among the Disciple watching from the sidelines.
The Chief of the Fire Court actually abstained!
But upon closer examination, it makes perfect sense.
Facing Su Bai, Qin Lin, and Zhao Hanshuang, her chances of winning were indeed slim.
Maintaining a semblance of dignity might be a wise move.
Li Zhao Steward slightly, without saying anything more.
A beam of teleportation light descended, enveloping Dongfang Luoyu. The next moment, her figure disappeared from the inner arena and appeared in the outer viewing area, her expression calm.
Su Bai watched Dongfang Luoyu leave with a calm gaze, then turned to the remaining three people in the arena.
Zhao Shanhe would never challenge himself.
The remaining officials are Yu Jiangying, Chief of the Water Court, and Xu Qing, Chief of the Earth Court.
Yu Jiangying possessed Clear and Cold and aloof temperament; standing there, she resembled a deep pool, tranquil and profound.
Su Bai sensed that she was quite strong and skilled in Water Method, but she didn't pose the same strong threat as Zhao Hanshuang or Qin Lin.
Perhaps because Water Attribute Spell emphasize duration and recovery, they are slightly less effective in arena battles like those in the Qi Refining Stage, which require quick victories.
As for Xu Qing...
Su Bai understood even more clearly.
This person was one of his potential targets before he Copy the Ice Attribute Talent. Su Bai guessed that the Earth Attribute Spell Talent was around the Second Tier. He had profound defensive skills and was a calm and composed person.
But just as he had predicted, Xu Qing's defense, though strong, lacked agility and his pace was too slow.
Faced with Su Bai's [Clear Heart Sword Intent] perception and extremely fast Sword Control Technique, the openings were relatively obvious.
Moreover, now that Su Bai has Copy Zhao Hanshuang's Third Tier Ice Attribute Talent, his vision is even higher, and Xu Qing's Second Tier Earth Attribute Talent is no longer worthy of his attention.
Genius is now merely the baseline for Su Bai to choose targets to Copy.
It seems that these two people pose no real threat to me.
The real key is Zhao Hanshuang.
Su Bai focused his mind and began to silently adjust his state. The "Profound Sword True Essence Art" quietly circulated within his body, Nourishing his Sword Vein and circulating his Spiritual Power, preparing for the upcoming final showdown.
Just then, Zhao Shanhe's voice transmission quietly arrived. "Chief, judging from this situation, it seems my chances of getting a Foundation Establishment Pill this year are slim again."
"Since there's no hope of finishing in the top three, how about... I act as your striker and test Zhao Hanshuang's abilities for you! It's my way of doing my part as his senior brother!"
Su Bai was slightly taken aback upon hearing this.
Zhao Shanhe may appear rough and rugged, but he is actually quite meticulous and has always been very protective of his Chief brother, who has "risen to prominence" from behind.
Even knowing that the chances of winning against Zhao Hanshuang were extremely low, and that he might even get injured or damage his Law Artifact, he was still willing to pave the way for himself.
"Senior Brother Zhao, you..." Su Bai was about to use telepathy to dissuade him.
"Haha, Chief, no need for further words! Watch me!"
Zhao Shanhe's loud laughter echoed in Su Bai's mind, carrying a sense of heroic spirit.
The next moment, without waiting for Su Bai's response or for Li Zhao Steward ask again, Zhao Shanhe stepped out of the pillar of light, his gaze like a torch, directly hitting Zhao Hanshuang, who was expressionless in the first seat, his voice booming:
"Zhao Shanhe from the Sword Academy challenges for the number one spot!"
Buzz!
The teleportation beam fell, simultaneously pulling Zhao Shanhe and Zhao Hanshuang into the arena.
"Challenge me?"
A slight look of surprise flashed across Zhao Hanshuang's Clear and Cold face. He first glanced at Zhao Shanhe, then his gaze swept over Su Bai outside the arena, and his eyes instantly understood.
So that's how it is... Were you scouting ahead for Su Bai?
There was indeed some camaraderie among those from the same courtyard.
However, that's far too naive.
On the arena, three hundred feet apart.
Zhao Shanhe didn't waste any words; his fighting style remained as Forceful and direct as ever.
He let out a low shout, High-grade Magic Sword beneath his feet shone brightly with azure light, carrying him like a cannonball as he charged fiercely toward Zhao Hanshuang's location!
Soaring through the air on Sword Flight, it created a sharp whistling sound.
Although his Sword Flight speed was not as fast as Su Bai's, it was still far beyond the movement speed of ordinary Qi Refining Cultivator. In the blink of an eye, he covered a distance of a hundred feet and entered the hundred-foot attack range.
Zhao Shanhe knew he couldn't multitask like Su Bai, flying both swords simultaneously. When he approached within about eighty feet, he suddenly leaped off his flying sword, landing and charging forward at high speed, while simultaneously changing his Sword Art!
"Go!"
The High-grade Magic Sword emitted a clear and melodious tremor, and its speed suddenly increased again after it was no longer in human-mounted mode!
Transforming into a straight streak of Azure Light, it shot through the air at an even faster speed, aiming straight for Zhao Hanshuang!
Before the sword even arrived, a condensed, pale blue Compressed Sword Qi burst forth from the sword tip, tearing through the air and slashing down with a whooshing sound!
Facing this swift and ruthless sword strike, Zhao Hanshuang remained indifferent.
He didn't even move his feet; he simply made a hand seal in front of his body with his left hand, seemingly casually.
"Condensation."
As the Clear and Cold voice fell, an extreme chill suddenly erupted from him!
Moisture in the air instantly condenses into fine ice crystals and snowflakes, which then drift down.
The next instant, a layer of crystal-clear, white jade-like Ice Snow Substance emerged from his body, rapidly thickening and taking shape!
In the blink of an eye, a Snow King Puppet, about two meters tall, with a round and honest shape, and its entire body like a piece of fine white jade, completely enveloped Zhao Hanshuang!
It is the Ice Court's Quasi-Second Tier defensive Law Technique— [Ice Snow Jade Puppet]!
The temperature at this end of the ring plummeted below freezing!
"When--!"
The sharp Sword Qi unleashed by Zhao Shanhe struck the Snow King Puppet's thick chest squarely, producing a dull, resounding clang like metal clashing!
The Sword Qi left a clear sword mark several inches deep on the jade-like snow, sending snow and ice fragments flying everywhere.
The white jade luster around the sword mark swirled rapidly, and in just a moment, the sword mark was filled with newly formed ice and snow at a speed visible to the naked eye, restoring it to its original state as if it had never been attacked!
"What a hard turtle shell!"
Zhao Shanhe's heart sank.
Although he did not use the burst of Sword Vein in this sword strike, it still contained the Compressed Sword Qi energy of the "Profound Sword True Essence Art," making it far more powerful than ordinary Sword Qi. It couldn't even make the opponent's puppet sway!
"Slash! Slash! Slash!"
Zhao Shanhe refused to believe in evil, gritted his teeth and urged his magic sword to move repeatedly in the distance. Three Laws Compressed Sword Qi roared out in a triangular pattern, slashing towards the "Snow King's" head, chest and abdomen respectively!
Zhao Hanshuang didn't even bother to move the puppet to block; she simply adjusted its orientation slightly.
Bang bang bang!
Three Laws Sword Qi struck in succession, exploding into three shards of ice on the "Snow King" and leaving Three Laws shocking sword marks.
But the white jade luster continued to flow, and the sword mark was repaired once again at an astonishing speed.
In just two or three breaths, the Snow King Puppet was completely intact, without even a trace left.
"The defense is truly insane..."
Zhao Shanhe's face was grim.
He Consciousness that ordinary Compressed Sword Qi would probably be insufficient to shake this puppet formed by a Quasi-Second Tier Ice Magic in a short period of time.
Just as he was launching a full-scale attack and his mind was slightly distracted, Zhao Hanshuang quietly raised her right hand, her five fingers slightly spread, pointing at the High-grade Magic Sword that was circling in the distance, preparing to attack again.
"Ice Bind."
Without a sound, the air temperature around Zhao Shanhe's High-grade Magic Sword plummeted at an unbelievable speed!
A thin but tough layer of pale blue ice instantly solidified out of thin air, like a giant ice hand, firmly freezing the radiant magic sword in mid-air!
"What?!"
Zhao Shanhe was shocked and immediately felt that the connection between himself and the magic sword had become extremely sluggish, as if there was a thick ice wall between them.
He roared, his Spiritual Power surging wildly into the Sword Art, attempting to forcefully shatter the solid ice and recall the magic sword.
A cold glint flashed in Zhao Hanshuang's eyes, and her five fingers clenched tightly!
"Burst!"
Click--!
The block of ice that had frozen the magic sword shattered with a deafening roar!
A violent burst of icy Spiritual Power, mixed with sharp shards of ice, shot out in all directions!
Although the magic sword itself was made of extraordinary material and was not directly shattered, the spiritual light on its surface dimmed considerably, and the sword even emitted a heartbreaking wail.
It clearly suffered significant damage and spiritual shock.
"These Law Technique from the Ice Court... are too troublesome!"
Zhao Shanhe was both shocked and furious. He quickly recalled the damaged magic sword and tenderly stroked its blade.
Although he had heard of the difficulty of dealing with the Ice Court's Law Technique in his early years, it was only when he faced a top genius like Zhao Hanshuang that he truly felt the powerlessness of being suppressed in all aspects.
Ice Magic not only possess incredible defense, but their control and burst damage are equally terrifying!
Seeing that his ranged Sword Qi was failing to achieve its intended effect and his magic sword was damaged, Zhao Shanhe gritted his teeth and changed his tactics.
He gripped his magic sword, his body suddenly retreating rapidly to the side and rear, simultaneously pushing off with his feet to ascend into the Sword Flight once more!
He planned to use the aerial advantage of the Sword Control Technique to engage in hit-and-run tactics, constantly harassing Zhao Hanshuang's Spiritual Power as possible to maintain the [Ice Snow Jade Puppet] and cast other Law Technique!
This is the only thing he can do for Su Bai right now.
But Zhao Hanshuang seemed to have anticipated this move.
Zhao Hanshuang snorted coldly, and her left hand, which had been hanging by her side, suddenly pointed and pointed at the ground beneath her feet!
"Icefield!"
A chilling aura, far more intense than before, surged forth from beneath his feet, spreading in all directions at an astonishing speed like a white icy tide!
Wherever it passed, the specially made hard surface of the arena was instantly covered with a layer of extremely hard Xuan Bing, about a foot thick!
In the blink of an eye, more than half of the arena, which was hundreds of feet in diameter, turned into a cold Icefield!
And this ice layer is still expanding outwards!
Immediately afterwards, the "Snow King" puppet that had been standing still moved!
Its bulky, enormous body seemed to have no weight or friction on the incredibly smooth ice surface, with ice chips flying under its feet as it glided forward at an astonishingly terrifying speed!
That speed... was even a fraction faster than Zhao Shanhe, who was flying through the air on his Sword Flight!
"How is this possible?!"
Zhao Shanhe's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets.
How can such a massive ice golem move at such a speed on ice?
The Ice Court's control over ice-type Spiritual Power is simply divine!
The snow puppet glided rapidly, instantly catching up to directly below Zhao Shanhe as he flew on his Sword Flight, the distance between them less than thirty feet!
Zhao Hanshuang coldly looked up at Zhao Shanhe above through the puppet's transparent "mouth" area, then raised her right hand again, her five fingers loosely clenched, aiming at the airspace where Zhao Shanhe was located.
"Frost... Explode!"
Zhao Shanhe felt the air around him suddenly freeze, and then an indescribable, bone-chilling cold surged in from all directions, as if to freeze him and the surrounding space completely!
Fine ice crystals began to condense in the air, and his protective Spiritual Power emitted a crackling sound as it struggled under the strain. The speed of his Sword Flight also noticeably decreased due to the corrosive effect of the cold air.
There was no escaping it! The chilling aura covered an enormous area, and it seemed to spread with his movements!
"Damn it, let's go all out!"
A ruthless glint flashed in Zhao Shanhe's eyes; he knew he couldn't escape.
Since there's no way to avoid it, let's try to find out something more for Su Bai before he's eliminated!
"Chief! Remember the favor I did you, your senior brother!"
Zhao Shanhe roared and did something that surprised everyone!
He actually gave up flying on his Sword Flight and his body plummeted from mid-air like a meteorite!
During his descent, he gripped the slightly dimmed High-grade Magic Sword tightly with both hands, pushing the "Yin Yang Guixu Sword Meridian Profound Sword True Essence Art" within his body to its limit, frantically pouring all the remaining Spiritual Power into the sword without reservation!
"Sword Vein - Explode!!!"
He roared, his body twisting violently in mid-air, head down and feet up, and with an unparalleled determination, he charged headfirst towards the massive "Snow King" puppet that was rapidly gliding down below, becoming one with his sword!
Buzzing!!!
The High-grade Magic Sword emitted a violent tremor as if it were about to shatter at any moment, its azure light flickering erratically.
But in the next instant, the dazzling Sword Qi energy suddenly erupted!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh--!!!
One, two, Three Laws... a dozen or so condensed, almost tangible, Azure Sword Qi energies radiating a violent and sharp aura surged forth from the sword tip, weaving into a dense rain of swords, carrying all of Zhao Shanhe's power and strength, pouring down upon the Snow King Puppet below!
The sheer power of this all-out Sword Qi eruption was so overwhelming that even Zhao Hanshuang, who had always maintained an indifferent expression, showed a genuine sense of seriousness for the first time.
He had to interrupt the [Ice Blast] he was preparing, his hands forming a series of hand seals as he poured more Spiritual Power into the [Ice Snow Jade Puppet] to solidify its defense, and he manipulated the puppet into a stance where its arms were crossed in a blocking motion.
Boom boom boom boom boom--!!!
Dozens of Compressed Sword Qi bombarded the "Snow King" puppet's crossed arms and massive body in succession!
The deafening explosions continued in succession, as the violent Sword Qi clashed and annihilated the solid ice and snow in a frenzied battle!
Large clumps of jade-like ice and snow were blasted and scattered everywhere.
Under the relentless bombardment of Sword Qi, the Snow King Puppet's bloated body rapidly shrank and thinned at a visible speed!
Ice shards filled the arena, Sword Qi crisscrossed, and the scene was breathtaking.
Zhao Shanhe stared intently at the scene below, his eyes bloodshot, and the tiger's mouth of his hands gripping the sword was split open, dripping with blood.
He could feel the stinging pain in his Sword Vein and the complete depletion of his Spiritual Power.
Finally, the last Sword Qi was exhausted and dissipated into the air.
The ice shards slowly fell, and visibility returned.
The once tall and bulky Snow King Puppet had now undergone a drastic change in appearance.
It was no longer round; most of its body had been cut away, leaving only a slightly slender and even somewhat comical snow stick shape, barely maintaining a human-like outline, protecting Zhao Hanshuang within.
The white jade luster on the puppet's surface had dimmed considerably, and its circulation speed had slowed down, clearly indicating a significant decrease in its defensive capabilities. However... it was not completely shattered after all! It still stood!
Zhao Hanshuang looked coldly at Zhao Shanhe, who was falling exhaustedly through the air, through the much thinner puppet wall.
He raised his right hand again and made a loose fist to Zhao Shanhe.
A terrifying chill gathered again.
Zhao Shanhe's Spiritual Power was completely depleted, and he could barely maintain his Protective Spiritual Light. He could only rely on his physical strength to twist his body to the side, trying to avoid the core of the chill.
However, it was already at its last gasp.
Click, click...
The biting cold penetrated his body without hindrance, and white frost instantly condensed on his skin, rapidly thickening and transforming into a layer of ice.
My blood felt like it was freezing, and my thoughts became sluggish.
"Damn it... even with all our strength, we still couldn't break through this turtle shell... a truly utter and utter defeat... so shameful..." Zhao
Shanhe smiled bitterly to himself, his Consciousness beginning to fade.
Just moments before he was completely frozen, and his body was about to be damaged by the extreme cold—
Buzz!
A familiar Teleportation Ripple suddenly appeared and enveloped him.
The next moment, Zhao Shanhe's figure disappeared from the arena and appeared under the pillar of light in the outer arena.
His body was covered in a thin layer of ice, his face was pale, his breath was weak, and his body was trembling uncontrollably.
Fortunately, they were protected by the formation at the last moment and escaped irreversible damage.
Su Bai stood inside the arena, taking in everything.
He looked at Zhao Shanhe, who was weak but trying his best to straighten his back, and nodded silently.
He remembered this favor.