Mechanical Puppet

(PS: Today I witnessed the climb from ninth to fourth in the category new book rankings. Can we push further? Only one step remains to reach the top three—I need your support...)

A mysterious and powerful force surged from his abdomen, flooding every corner of his body. From the marrow of his bones to the tips of his hair, all seemed saturated by the energy of the Super Spirit Qi Secret Medicine. Almost at the same moment, within the skill tree, the icon representing Explosive Steps blazed brightly.

Normally, the Super Spirit Qi Secret Medicine yielded better results the later it was used. After all, he only had Explosive Steps as a system skill right now—using it so early was wasteful. But for the championship of this formal duel, Zhuge Xiang was determined to claim it.

First and second place might seem close, but the gap between them was enormous.

A simple analogy: if someone asked which mountain was the tallest in the world, everyone would reflexively answer Mount Everest. But if they then asked for the second tallest, how many could answer?

Though Zhuge Xiang had no idea what this "Mount Everest" was, he understood the principle well.

To gain the sect's attention, to obtain better resources, he had to fight with everything he had for the Grand Tournament's championship. Without the Super Spirit Qi Secret Medicine, he wouldn't have had a shred of hope—he'd have conceded. But with it, he still had a chance to fight. As long as there was hope, he couldn't give up. That was especially true in battle. That was Zhuge Xiang.

Explosive Steps!!!

With a low shout in his heart, Zhuge Xiang activated Explosive Steps directly. Bursting forth at four times the speed of an ordinary Qi Cultivation Realm Third Layer cultivator, he turned into a shadow barely perceptible to the eye.

Explosive Steps—Zhuge Xiang had been using this skill solely to flee, escaping Lu Yuling's attack range. This time, it was his first use of Explosive Steps to attack. Everyone held their breath. Clearly, the final victor of the Grand Tournament was about to be decided.

Though Explosive Steps was incredibly fast, almost impossible to react to, Lu Yuling, in her Clear Mind State, clearly perceived all of Zhuge Xiang's movements. She had already prepared her evasive action and dodged. But Zhuge Xiang didn't stop. After being dodged, his foot stomped the ground with a sharp crack, and he activated Explosive Steps again, charging toward Lu Yuling...

Lu Yuling's eyes widened, her pupils contracting. Until now, Zhuge Xiang could barely use Explosive Steps once before needing a moment to rest. This was the first time she'd seen him use it consecutively. And with such a high-consumption skill, how could his Qi Energy flow so smoothly?

Whether it was footwork or martial techniques, high-consumption moves always caused a period of Qi Energy depletion, making consecutive use impossible. But at this moment, Zhuge Xiang seemed to defy that common sense.

"Could it be... because of that pill?" Stunned by Zhuge Xiang's consecutive Explosive Steps, Lu Yuling realized it must be due to the Super Spirit Qi Secret Medicine.

Though her Clear Mind State let her detect Zhuge Xiang's movements and react with the most appropriate dodge, his blade still tore a small slit in her robe.

"It's working! Again!" Even a tiny tear in her robe gave Zhuge Xiang hope. It confirmed his guess was correct.

Even if she could perceive his moves, if her body couldn't keep up with his speed, it was useless. She could only watch helplessly as his attacks landed.

Explosive Steps! Explosive Steps! Explosive Steps!!!

With thirty seconds of no cost and no cooldown on Explosive Steps, Zhuge Xiang wasn't about to waste it. And the Bloodthirsty Technique had only half a minute left. He knew clearly: victory or defeat would be decided within those thirty seconds. If Lu Yuling held out, he would lose. Once the Super Spirit Qi Secret Medicine wore off and the Bloodthirsty Technique's weakness period hit, he'd have no way to turn the tables.

One Explosive Step after another, unleashed continuously. With each step, cracked footprints appeared on the bluestone slabs of the Duel Platform. The platform was filled with afterimages left by Zhuge Xiang's Explosive Steps. His speed had surpassed what the naked eye could track.

Disciples who had comprehended Qi Energy could barely see Zhuge Xiang's shadow flash by. Those who hadn't? They were dizzy from the countless afterimages on the platform—old ones hadn't faded before new ones appeared...

"Hiss, what terrifying speed. Is he really only at the Qi Cultivation Realm Third Layer?" Zhuge Xiang's speed left everyone deeply shaken.

Below the stage, Hua Nongying's beautiful eyes widened, then she pouted, clearly unhappy that her proud speed had been outdone: "Is this guy named Zhuge Xiang a monster? Even if I trained Ghost Step to Perfection Level, I doubt I'd be this fast?"

"Losing to him—I have no complaints," Ji Wuxue said coldly, his eyes flickering. With such eerie speed, if Zhuge Xiang had used it during their fight, he wouldn't have lasted long before losing.

"At this speed, even my Flying Dagger can't lock onto him," Ling Wufeng muttered from below, frowning. Clearly, when speed reached its extreme, it became a terrifying force in itself.

Zhuge Xiang's shadow moved like a ghost. Though Lu Yuling's Clear Mind State let her perceive his every movement, she was overwhelmed by his storm-like assault.

As Zhuge Xiang had guessed, in her Clear Mind State, Lu Yuling could use the most appropriate moves to block or counter even fast opponents. But when speed reached a terrifying level, even with her Mind's Eye, her body couldn't keep up.

The Blood Refinement Saber swung, moving with such high speed it seemed as agile as a dagger. Though Lu Yuling tried her best to defend, Zhuge Xiang's blade left several cuts on her body. Her injuries grew worse...

"Senior Sister Lu, you should concede. At my current speed, you're no match for me," Zhuge Xiang said, his Blood Refinement Saber never hesitating even as he spoke.

She was a rare friend. Though Zhuge Xiang needed this victory, Lu Yuling had no chance to turn things around. He didn't want her to suffer unnecessary injuries.

"Concede?" Lu Yuling didn't agree. Instead, she smiled at Zhuge Xiang. "Let me use one final move. If I still fail, then I'll concede."

With that, Lu Yuling waved her hand. The Ice Silkworm Silk Gloves completely unraveled into tough strands of Silk Thread, wrapping around her and forming a barrier. Zhuge Xiang hesitated to attack recklessly, afraid of getting entangled.

After setting up this defense with the Ice Silkworm Silk, Lu Yuling's pale hand lightly brushed her belt. Then, a shadow appeared before her.

It seemed to be made of special materials—a puppet. The puppet was covered in blood-red lines, densely packed into countless formations. Standing before Lu Yuling, it looked like a fox in shape. This puppet exuded a powerful aura, not much weaker than Zhuge Xiang.

"What is that!?" Seeing the Mechanical Puppet appear out of nowhere, not just Zhuge Xiang but the spectators below also stared wide-eyed.

"A Mechanical Puppet. Normally, I couldn't make one because it requires a Demon Core or spirit stone as an energy core. But as a compromise, I used Monster Blood to carve one hundred and eight formations. Combined with the Asura Sect's massive Spirit Gathering Array to collect spiritual energy, my Mechanical Puppet succeeded. Based on the energy gathered so far, it should last a few minutes."

Bringing out the puppet, Lu Yuling stared seriously at Zhuge Xiang. As she spoke, the fox-shaped Mechanical Puppet moved, lunging at Zhuge Xiang like a swift leopard.

"I see," Zhuge Xiang thought as he watched the charging fox puppet. So that's why, when the One-Star Mid-Grade Fox Demon was killed, Lu Yuling had collected its Heart Vein Essence Blood. She needed the demon's blood to carve formations and gather spiritual energy as the puppet's power source. Zhuge Xiang never imagined that Lu Yuling, only fourteen or fifteen, had learned such profound formation knowledge.

But he had no time to dwell on that now. With the Mechanical Puppet's help, his pressure suddenly increased. The Bloodthirsty Technique had only about twenty seconds left...