Mechanical Puppet

(ps: I witnessed the novel climb from ninth to fourth place in the new book subcategory today, and I wonder if we can keep moving forward? There's only one final step left to reach the top three, and I need your support...)

A mysterious yet powerful force surged from his lower abdomen, filling every corner of his body. Whether it was his bone marrow or his hair strands, everything seemed saturated with the energy of the Super Spirit Qi Secret Medicine. Almost at the same time, among the skill tree, the skill icon representing Explosive Steps began to glow brightly.

Normally, the later one used the Super Spirit Qi Secret Medicine, the better the effect. After all, he only had a single system skill like Explosive Steps right now, making it far too wasteful. However, Zhuge Xiang was determined to win the championship of a normal duel.

First and foremost place, although separated by only a single step, possessed a chasm of difference between them.

To use a very simple analogy, if someone asked what the highest peak in the world was, he believed everyone would instinctively answer Mount Everest. But if someone then asked what the second-highest peak was, how many people could answer?

Although Zhuge Xiang did not know what this so-called Mount Everest was, he understood this logic very well.

He wanted to gain the sect's attention, and he wanted to obtain better resources. He had to fight with all his might to contend for the championship of this grand tournament. If he lacked the Super Spirit Qi Secret Medicine, he would have no hope at all, and conceding defeat would be that. Yet possessing the Super Spirit Qi Secret Medicine meant he still had a fighting chance. As long as there was hope, he could not give up, especially when it came to battle. This was Zhuge Xiang.

Explosive Steps!!!

With a low shout in his heart, Zhuge Xiang directly unleashed Explosive Steps. Four times the speed comparable to an ordinary Qi Cultivation Realm Third Layer erupted, turning Zhuge Xiang into an imperceptible shadow.

Zhuge Xiang had always used Explosive Steps to escape, fleeing out of Lu Yuling's attack range. This was the very first time he used Explosive Steps to attack. Everyone held their breath; clearly, the final victor of the grand tournament was about to be revealed.

Although Explosive Steps were extremely fast, making it almost impossible for people to react in time, Lu Yuling had clearly perceived all of Zhuge Xiang's movements under her Clear Mind State. She had made evasive maneuvers early on and dodged past. However, Zhuge Xiang did not stop at all. After being dodged, his sole let out a loud explosive crack on the ground, and Explosive Steps continued to activate as he rushed toward Lu Yuling...

Lu Yuling's eyes widened, her pupils contracting slightly. Previously, Zhuge Xiang could only barely manage to execute Explosive Steps before needing to rest for a moment. This was the first time she saw him execute them consecutively. Furthermore, with such a massive consumption from the skill of Explosive Steps, how could his circulation of Qi Energy possibly be this smooth?

Whether it was footwork or martial arts, high-consumption moves inevitably caused a weakening period in Qi Energy and could not be executed consecutively. Yet at this moment, Zhuge Xiang seemed to have reversed this common sense.

"Could it be... because of that medicinal pill?" Shocked by Zhuge Xiang's consecutive execution of Explosive Steps, Lu Yuling collected herself and guessed that it was due to the Super Spirit Qi Secret Medicine.

Although under the Clear Mind State, Lu Yuling perceived Zhuge Xiang's movements and quickly made the most appropriate dodge, Zhuge Xiang's saber still tore a tiny slit into her dress.

"It works! Again!" Even though it was only a very small slit left on her dress, it represented hope to Zhuge Xiang, letting him understand that his conjecture was indeed correct.

Even if she could perceive his moves, it was useless if her physical speed could not keep up. She could only watch helplessly as his attacks landed on her body.

Explosive Steps! Explosive Steps! Explosive Steps!!!

With thirty seconds of time where Explosive Steps had zero consumption and zero cooldown, Zhuge Xiang naturally would not waste it. Moreover, the Bloodthirsty Technique had only the final half-minute remaining, making it very clear to Zhuge Xiang that victory or defeat would be decided within this half-minute. If Lu Yuling endured past this half-minute, he would definitely lose. Once the effect of the Super Spirit Qi Secret Medicine faded and the Bloodthirsty Technique's exhaustion period arrived, he would no longer have any means to turn the tables.

One Explosive Step after another was executed continuously. Following the Explosive Steps, the bluestone slabs on the Duel Platform developed cracking footprints one by one. Across the Duel Platform were afterimages left everywhere by the execution of Zhuge Xiang's Explosive Steps. Zhuge Xiang's speed had already surpassed the range visible to ordinary naked eyes.

Disciples who had comprehended Qi Energy could only barely see Zhuge Xiang's shadow flash by. As for those disciples who had not comprehended Qi Energy? They were even more dizzy from those afterimages on the Duel Platform. Often, before the old afterimage had vanished, a new afterimage had already emerged...

"Hiss, what terrifying speed! Is he truly only at the cultivation base of the Qi Cultivation Realm Third Layer?" Zhuge Xiang's speed left everyone deeply shocked.

Hua Nongying beneath the stage widened a pair of bright eyes, then pouted, clearly displeased that her proud speed had lost to someone else. Is this fellow called Zhuge Xiang a monster? With such fast speed, even if I train Ghost Step to the Perfection Level, I might not necessarily be this fast.

"Losing to him, I am not wronged," Ji Wuxue's gaze flickered as he spoke coldly. If such eerie speed were unleashed when dueling him, he would not have lasted long before suffering defeat.

"With such fast speed, even my Flying Dagger cannot lock onto him," Ling Wufeng beneath the stage said in a low voice with furrowed brows. Clearly, when speed reached the extreme, it was also a terrifyingly formidable power.

Zhuge Xiang's shadow was like a ghost. Although Lu Yuling perceived Zhuge Xiang's movements and so on under the Clear Mind State, she found herself stretched thin and struggling to cope under his storm-like attacks.

Clearly, as Zhuge Xiang had guessed, under the Clear Mind State, Lu Yuling could use the most appropriate moves to parry or counterattack even against an opponent with fast movement speed. However, when the speed reached a terrifying degree, Lu Yuling's body would fail to keep up with her own speed even with the Mind's Eye state.

Wielding the Blood Refinement Saber under ultra-high-speed movement, it felt as flexible as a dagger. Although Lu Yuling tried her best to parry, Zhuge Xiang's Blood Refinement Saber still left several cuts on her body, and Lu Yuling's injuries grew increasingly severe...

"Senior Sister Lu, you'd better concede defeat. With my current speed, you are simply not my opponent." Amidst the high-speed movement, the Blood Refinement Saber in Zhuge Xiang's hand did not hesitate in the slightest, yet he spoke aloud.

They were rare friends. Although Zhuge Xiang needed this victory, Lu Yuling no longer had any chance of turning the tables, and Zhuge Xiang was unwilling to let her suffer injuries in vain.

"Concede defeat?" Regarding Zhuge Xiang's words, Lu Yuling did not agree. She merely smiled as she looked at Zhuge Xiang and said, "I will execute one final move. If I still fail, then I shall concede defeat."

Saying this, Lu Yuling waved her palms, and the Ice Silkworm Silk Gloves completely disassembled into strands of tough silk thread that wrapped around Lu Yuling's surroundings, causing Zhuge Xiang to temporarily not dare to strike at will to avoid getting entangled by those threads.

After laying down a layer of defense around herself using the ice silk, Lu Yuling's fair palm brushed gently across her waist belt, and immediately an shadow appeared before her.

Its appearance seemed crafted from special materials; it was a puppet. The puppet was covered in densely packed blood-red lines that formed countless arrays. Standing before Lu Yuling, it looked like the shape of a fox from afar. This puppet actually emanated a powerful aura, one no less weak than Zhuge Xiang's.

"What is this?!" Looking at the mechanical puppet that had appeared out of thin air, let alone Zhuge Xiang, the onlookers below all widened their eyes.

"A mechanical puppet. Originally, I wasn't capable of crafting it, because it requires a Demon Core or spirit stones as an energy core. However, settling for the second best, I used Monster Blood to carve one hundred and eight arrays, coupled with the Asura Sect's own massive Spirit Gathering Array to gather spirit qi, which is why this mechanical puppet of mine could succeed. Judging from the spirit qi currently gathered, my mechanical puppet should be able to hold out for a few minutes."

Bringing out the mechanical puppet, Lu Yuling stared earnestly at Zhuge Xiang as she spoke. As she spoke, the fox-shaped mechanical puppet moved, pouncing toward Zhuge Xiang like a swift leopard.

"So that's how it is." Looking at the pouncing fox-shaped mechanical puppet, Zhuge Xiang understood.

No wonder when that One-Star Mid-Grade Fox Demon was slain that day, Lu Yuling wanted to collect the fox demon's Heart Vein Essence Blood. It turned out she wanted the blood of those monsters to carve arrays and gather spirit qi as power for the mechanical puppet. Zhuge Xiang had never expected that Lu Yuling was merely fourteen or fifteen years old; where on earth did she learn such profound knowledge of formations?

Yet clearly, Zhuge Xiang no longer had the spare mind to ponder that at this moment. With the mechanical puppet assisting, Zhuge Xiang's pressure abruptly grew heavier, and the remaining duration of the Bloodthirsty Technique was only about twenty seconds...