The battle against the remaining three members of Black Tier Class Five was nothing more than Lin Ming's one-sided domination. However, since those three had not mocked Black Tier Class One, Lin Ming did not strike too heavily. He stopped after forcing them off the arena.
"Shouldn't you announce the result already?" Lin Ming asked, looking at the referee, who had yet to announce the outcome.
"Oh. Right! Right! Black Tier Class Five's challenge against Black Tier Class One has failed. Black Tier Class One has successfully defended the arena and gains one point," the referee announced after coming back to his senses at Lin Ming's words.
The referee had been intimidated by Lin Ming's display just now. They were all merely students, though they had been in the academy for several years and had now reached the Dou Master realm. Yet he had just watched Lin Ming move with thunderous decisiveness, effortlessly defeating several Four- and Five-Star Dou Practitioners. Even he himself might not have been able to do it as easily as Lin Ming. Didn't that mean this student from Black Tier Class One was no weaker than him? He was a freshman who had only enrolled a month ago, yet he had already become a Dou Master?
Lin Ming had no idea what the senior acting as referee was thinking. Once he heard their victory announced, he stepped down from the arena and waited for the next challenge.
After leaving the arena, Lin Ming looked toward the arena beside them, where Black Tier Class Two was competing.
Han Yue had just defeated one of Black Tier Class Two's members. With that person's defeat at her hands, Black Tier Class Two had only one person left who had not yet taken the stage: their class leader, Liu Qing, the Tyrant Spear who would later rank third on the Strong Ranking.
Meanwhile, of the five members Black Tier Class One had sent to challenge Black Tier Class Two, only two had been defeated. Aside from Han Yue, who was still on the stage, Lin Xiuyai and another student had yet to fight. It seemed this arena challenge launched by Black Tier Class One against Black Tier Class Two would most likely end in Black Tier Class One's victory.
Liu Qing stepped onto the arena and said to Han Yue opposite him, "Your Dou Qi is nearly exhausted. Step down." After saying that to Han Yue, Liu Qing called directly to Lin Xiuyai below the arena, "Come up and fight."
"Han Yue, come down. Since Black Tier Class Two has specifically called me out, wouldn't refusing to take the stage make people think Black Tier Class One is afraid of them?" Lin Xiuyai said to Han Yue after hearing Liu Qing challenge him.
Han Yue considered it. Her Dou Qi truly was nearly depleted, and her team still had two people left. Her stepping down now would not have much impact. Besides, those two wanted a fair fight, and her remaining here would only seem out of place. So Han Yue nodded and walked off the arena.
Lin Ming watched Lin Xiuyai and Liu Qing on the stage. The regret of never seeing the battle between the future second- and third-ranked members of the Strong Ranking in the original work could finally be made up for. With that thought, Lin Ming eagerly awaited their clash.
"Lin Xiuyai, I thought our battle would have to wait until the Academy Competition at the end of the year. I never expected Black Tier Class One to produce someone like Lin Ming, someone beyond all hope of catching up to. But that is fine as well. With him around, you, Lin Xiuyai, can finally come out to challenge the arena. The battle on the road here that ended without a victor—we'll settle it today!"
Listening to Liu Qing, Lin Ming understood why Liu Qing had provoked Lin Xiuyai when their class had first arrived. So the two had fought for some reason on the way here. Although Liu Qing claimed they had not determined a victor, judging from his expression, he had probably suffered a slight loss. That was why he wanted to regain his pride on the arena now.
On the arena, Liu Qing took the Great Black Spear from his back, while Lin Xiuyai, standing opposite him, drew a three-foot Green Peak Sword. Then the two charged at each other, and the Great Black Spear collided with the Green Peak Sword.
"Clang... clang clang... clang clang clang..."
The two continuously attacked each other with their weapons, both seeking an opening in the other's defenses to claim victory. Watching their battle, Lin Ming thought that they truly deserved to be future overlords of the Strong Ranking. Among all the peers he had met over the years, these two were unquestionably at the very top. Even if he were at the same cultivation level, he might not necessarily perform much better than them.
The battle between the two continued. At that moment, Lin Ming suddenly thought of something. He remembered that both of them had possessed two trump-card Dou Techniques in the original work. Aside from the spear technique used with the Great Black Spear, Liu Qing seemed to have a Claw Skill as well. Lin Xiuyai, who had always held the upper hand over Liu Qing, possessed not only sword qi but also an unarmed hand technique.
Seeing the two of them fighting only with weapons, Lin Ming guessed that they had not learned those techniques yet. That made sense. At their age, learning one Profound Tier High-grade Dou Technique as a trump card was already about enough. Not everyone possessed talent as unparalleled as Lin Ming's, allowing them to learn so many Dou Techniques while still maintaining their cultivation.
Liu Qing's Claw Skill and Lin Xiuyai's hand technique were probably Dou Techniques they chose from Jia Nan Academy's Scripture Pavilion after placing in the top five during the Inner Academy Grand Competition. They must have begun practicing them only after entering the Inner Academy.
That was the only explanation that made sense. Otherwise, as top-five finishers in their year's Inner Academy Grand Competition, they could not possibly have returned empty-handed from the academy's Scripture Pavilion. Only that could explain why they were not using those techniques now. At least, that was what Lin Ming thought.
Half an hour passed. Because Lin Ming had displayed such overwhelming strength earlier, no one had come to challenge Black Tier Class One. With no challengers, Lin Ming was happy to take it easy and continued watching Liu Qing and Lin Xiuyai fight on Black Tier Class Two's arena.
After fighting for half an hour, the two had gained a fairly complete understanding of each other's strength and abilities. They knew they could no longer defeat their opponent through ordinary means, so both tacitly pulled apart.
"Lin Xiuyai, I have to admit it. Among people our age, you are the first to force me this far. In return, I will use my final move. Because of my cultivation level, I still cannot fully control it. If you are afraid now, then admit defeat. Otherwise, bear the consequences yourself." Liu Qing said, panting as he faced Lin Xiuyai.
"Haha! You, Liu Qing, are not capable of making me, Lin Xiuyai, admit defeat. As it happens, I also have a sword qi technique for you to taste. Likewise, because of my cultivation level, I cannot fully control this move either. So I return your words to you: if you are afraid, admit defeat now. Otherwise, bear the consequences yourself." Lin Xiuyai laughed twice, displaying a proud aura no less domineering than Liu Qing's.
"Haha! Good. In that case, let us decide the winner with one move!" Liu Qing laughed as he heard Lin Xiuyai proudly throw his words back at him.
"Then one move will decide the victor."
Seeing the two enter the state of preparing their ultimate moves, Lin Ming knew the most exciting moment had arrived. It would depend on whose ultimate technique was superior.
Lin Ming watched the two on the arena. Liu Qing's arm shook, and the black spear pointed straight into the sky before smashing violently toward the ground. Lin Ming sensed a hidden force spill out through the ground the instant Liu Qing's Great Black Spear struck it, leaving fine cracks across the arena floor. Though they were only tiny cracks, the arena was built from Cyan Grey Rock, which only a Dou Master could damage. Yet Liu Qing, only a Five Star Dou Practitioner, could produce the power of a Dou Master. That was truly terrifying.
Lin Xiuyai on the other side was no less formidable. Sword qi wrapped around his entire body, blowing his green robe wildly about, while his Green Peak Sword floated between his hands and spun continuously, as though it were about to pierce and shatter space itself.
Great Mountain Split!
Liu Qing let out a furious roar. As the shout rang out, the tip of the Great Black Spear in his hand suddenly lifted and pointed directly at Lin Xiuyai. Then he saw the spearhead emit an unstoppable golden glow like a mountain flood.
The dazzling golden light was like an enraged Giant Dragon, roaring and tearing forward viciously. Its piercing explosive sound and terrifying might gave the impression that no matter how many obstacles stood in its path, they would all be utterly destroyed.
Even Lin Ming was astonished by that power. He could feel a threat from the Great Mountain Split Liu Qing had unleashed. He was a Three-Star Dou Master! It seemed the third-ranked Strong Ranking powerhouse truly lived up to his reputation. Even as a mere Dou Practitioner, Liu Qing already displayed the bearing of the Strong Ranking's third place.
Then what even greater ultimate technique did Lin Xiuyai, who could steadily suppress Liu Qing and occupy second place on the Strong Ranking, possess?
As Liu Qing's Great Mountain Split came at him, Lin Xiuyai made his move as well. He abruptly gathered the sword qi winding around his body, causing it all to attach to the three-foot Green Peak Sword floating between his hands. The Green Peak Sword, enveloped in sword qi, suddenly surged with gale wind and spun even more violently, its imposing force not the slightest bit weaker than Liu Qing's Great Mountain Split.
Green Peak Sword Qi!
Lin Xiuyai also let out a furious roar. Then the Green Peak Sword between his hands shot forth like a falling meteor, carrying a green tornado as it pierced toward the golden light emitted by Liu Qing's Great Mountain Split.
Boom~~
The green tornado and golden light collided, and a deafening explosion that seemed capable of splitting the heavens resounded across the arena.
"Who won?" "Does anyone know who won?" "Where's the referee?"
Questions rang out all around. Then someone awkwardly emerged from the side. Everyone looked and realized that it was the referee, who should have been on the arena. Why had he come out from the crowd?
"Cough, cough! The power of the Dou Techniques both sides used just now was simply too great, so I came down first. I do not know who won or lost either," the referee said awkwardly. As a Dou Master, being frightened off the arena by Dou Techniques used by two Dou Practitioners was embarrassing for anyone. But what could he do? This year's students were simply inhuman. A Dou Master had already appeared on the neighboring arena, and while there was no Dou Master on this arena, the Dou Techniques these two used were more than even ordinary Dou Masters could withstand! That was why he had hurriedly fled the arena.
Just after the referee spoke below the stage, two figures flew backward in opposite directions. One fell directly beneath the arena, spat out a mouthful of blood, and fainted. The other grabbed the edge of the arena just before falling, but he too spat out blood. Then his hand loosened from the edge, and he fell beneath the arena as well, unconscious.
"Lin Xiuyai is the victor. Black Tier Class One's challenge is successful and gains one point. Black Tier Class Two has failed to defend the arena and loses three points," the referee announced. It appeared that the one who had grabbed the arena's edge and fallen a moment later was Lin Xiuyai.
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