The Sumi Mirror and the Marrow-Washing Pool
Pfft!
As the black dog was killed, Yokoyama Eiko suffered a huge backlash, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Then, she collapsed helplessly onto the ring, her life force instantly waning, like a candle flame about to go out, flickering uncertainly in the wind.
Hengshan Yingzi raised her head with difficulty. Her beautiful eyes, which were once as bright and dazzling as stars, had lost their former brilliance and were now filled with shock and resentment.
Her gaze was fixed on Hua Qiang, as if it were tangible, as if she wanted to burn two holes in Hua Qiang.
After a moment, her expression softened, and a sense of relief quietly appeared in her eyes.
"Hua Qiang, you've won," she said weakly.
"Your strength has completely won me over. From this day forward, Yingzi is yours."
"You can do whatever you want to Yingzi!"
"Yingzi is willing to follow Hua Qiang by his side, to fight alongside you across the world, and to help you achieve your imperial ambitions."
Hua Qiang tilted his head back slightly and exhaled a deep breath, the breath seemingly still carrying the smoke and blood of the battlefield.
He fought an extremely tough battle; every move he made seemed like a struggle and dance on the edge of life and death.
However, the gains were also far greater than imagined.
He gained a whopping 4 billion Slaughter Points simply by killing the big black dog summoned by Hengshan Yingzi.
This marked another significant step forward for him on the path to the Saint Realm.
The leap from the Emperor Realm Peak to the Saint Realm is an insurmountable hurdle, requiring a full 2 billion points of Blood Qi Value.
Hua Qiang secretly fantasized: if he could kill a few more Saint Realm experts, he could step into the legendary Saint Realm in no time.
He couldn't help but imagine himself after becoming a saint—what glory and splendor it would be, with the entire world trembling beneath his feet.
You must understand that everyone below the level of a saint is an ant. Although I am at the Peak Emperor Realm, in the eyes of a saint, I am just a slightly larger ant.
However, he also knew that hunting down Saint Realm expert was by no means an easy task; it was an opportunity that could only be encountered by chance.
If Hengshan Yingzi hadn't summoned that mysterious big black dog today, he doesn't know when he would have been able to encounter the beings of the Saint Realm.
After all, once they reach the Saint Realm, those powerful individuals will be like transcendent immortals, leaving the land they once conquered and heading to a mysterious and unpredictable special place.
Or perhaps, we have entered another vast and boundless universe, full of unknowns.
At that moment, upon hearing Hengshan Yingzi's affectionate yet resolute words, Hua Qiang's lips twitched slightly involuntarily.
A strange feeling welled up in his heart, like a stone being thrown into a calm lake, creating ripples.
This woman truly possesses extraordinary abilities. If one were to recruit her, the path to becoming a powerful figure in the future might never be so lonely.
Her companionship might become a bright spot and a source of comfort on his long journey.
As the thrilling battle between the two came to an end, the surrounding spectators instantly erupted like a powder keg, bursting into deafening cheers and shouts.
The sound was like a surging sea, wave after wave, seemingly threatening to overturn the sky.
Under the expectant and excited gazes of the crowd, the next match also began in full swing.
Both players displayed astonishing strength and tenacious fighting spirit in this match. Every attack they launched seemed to carry the power to tear apart the heavens and earth, and every defense they made was like an indestructible fortress.
The battle was more intense than anyone could have imagined; both fought with all their might, and in the end, they were both severely injured.
In the end, John Truss won by a narrow margin.
However, a dramatic scene followed: in front of everyone, he loudly announced that he was giving up the competition with Hua Qiang and voluntarily accepting second place.
Almost simultaneously, Hengshan Yingzi's opponent made the same unexpected decision, forfeiting the competition, which allowed Hengshan Yingzi to easily secure third place.
Thus, this highly anticipated World University Martial Arts Alliance Competition came to a successful close amidst the gasps and exclamations of the crowd.
After a short break, James, the chairman of the tournament Organizing Committee, had the top ten contestants stand in the center of the ring to receive their rewards.
As for the rewards for other strategic resources, they will be given in a different form.
James, an old man with a full head of white hair, stepped onto the stage, accompanied by eight other people. These people all exuded a powerful aura, and each of them held an ancient Token in their hands.
These eight people each stood in a different position, leaving an open space in the middle that could just accommodate ten of Hua Qiang's men.
These people chanted incantations, then threw the eight Token into the air. The Token emitted white light, attracted each other, and then merged together.
The next moment, a uniquely shaped, extremely antique-style mirror appeared in the air.
Then, the mirror slowly rotated above Hua Qiang and the other ten people, and then a beam of white light shone out from the mirror, enveloping all ten Hua Qiang them.
The next moment, the ten people were drawn into the mirror by the beam of light right before everyone's eyes, and the mirror disappeared. In its place, eight Token fell from the sky.
Hua Qiang felt a wave of dizziness, and then they found themselves in a mysterious space.
The space was vast, but there were no sun, moon, stars, mountains, or rivers; it was just a hazy, gray expanse.
It was filled with Chaos gas. Taking a breath made me feel refreshed, and I even felt a strange power slowly flowing through my body.
Then a voice rang out in the space. "Welcome, students. As a reward for the top ten in this competition, you may enter the Marrow Marrow-Washing Pool to undergo a marrow cleansing and purification process."
How much one can gain depends on one's own fate.
"There are ten Marrow-Washing Pool ahead, numbered one through ten, corresponding to the first through tenth place."
"Everyone, find your number and enter the Marrow-Washing Pool to claim your rewards!"