"Are you a substitute?"
Gu Yue's delicate brows knitted almost imperceptibly. As she felt the fluctuations of Jiang Xiu's cultivation, a glint flashed through her eyes.
You foolish Na'er. You don't dare take me on yourself, so you sent someone to fight in your place? It doesn't matter. Once I defeat this human, I'll come find you. You won't escape me.
Gu Yue thought to herself as her slender hands moved slightly. A faint azure glow appeared in the air, and the light, nimble element of wind gathered around her.
Jiang Xiu strolled to a spot directly opposite Gu Yue, sizing her up with both his gaze and his spiritual power.
An Elementalist. Gu Yue has already begun to regain control over the six elements, hasn't she?
Jiang Xiu's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched the elemental lights appear one by one around Gu Yue, silently making his guess.
When the Silver Dragon King transformed into human form, she split into two people. Na'er inherited the Silver Dragon Spear, while Gu Yue inherited the power of the elements.
And now, Gu Yue's cultivation had reached level twenty-five.
In the spectator room.
Leng Yaozhu and Na'er sat on the sofa, their eyes fixed on the Soul Guidance Screen before them. The scene it displayed was the one inside the Battle Space.
"Let's begin. Let this Tower Master see how the genius you found measures up."
Leng Yaozhu gave a light wave of her jade hand and spoke to the middle-aged man behind her. He was the Tower Master of the East Sea Spirit Pagoda branch.
"Yes!"
The middle-aged man nodded, and a faint curtain of light rose inside the Battle Space on the screen, enveloping Gu Yue and Jiang Xiu.
"Boss, stay sharp! Don't embarrass yourself! Give Gu Yue a good thrashing!"
Na'er clenched her fair little fist and stared intently at the screen with her violet eyes.
"Na'er, who do you think is more likely to win, Gu Yue or Xiao Xiu?"
Leng Yaozhu asked with a smile.
"Hmm... three to seven."
Na'er pondered for a moment, then answered seriously.
"Oh? You're that confident in Gu Yue?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Leng Yaozhu's beautiful eyes. Hearing that Gu Yue had a seventy-percent chance, she couldn't help asking softly.
"No, Master, you misunderstood. I meant that Gu Yue will go down seven times in three minutes."
Na'er smiled mysteriously. Having been by Jiang Xiu's side for four years, she knew full well how formidable he was. Gu Yue couldn't possibly withstand his strength.
You foolish Gu Yue. Just let me set you up like a sitting duck.
Just then, a mechanical voice sounded inside the Battle Space.
"The match begins. It will continue until one combatant is defeated."
Jiang Xiu and Gu Yue gazed at each other. As soon as the voice fell silent, they summoned their Martial Souls.
A hazy figure appeared behind Gu Yue, with six elements circling her like six glittering jewels. Two yellow Hundred-Year Soul Rings then rose from beneath her feet.
Gu Yue had entered the human world less than a year ago. At East Sea Intermediate Academy, she had yet to use any of the resources available to her. By her own design, her cultivation had only reached level twenty-five, but even so, she was a top-tier genius for her age.
But in the next instant, Gu Yue's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly. A tall, dark figure rose behind Jiang Xiu, then flowed over him like water, forming a suit of black armor.
Two dark-purple Soul Rings rose beneath Jiang Xiu's feet. They were so deep a purple they were nearly black, their surfaces faintly shimmering with a dark light. They were already close to the ten-thousand-year level.
"Hmph! Today, I'll show you that even among geniuses, there are different levels."
Gu Yue's eyes were as calm as water. Jiang Xiu wasn't the only genius in the world.
In an instant, the wind element around Gu Yue surged. As azure light flashed, she had already put some distance between herself and Jiang Xiu. She was a long-range attacker, and the greater the distance, the better it was for her.
At the same time, red light abruptly shone in Gu Yue's hands. Several clusters of blazing, violent fire appeared and shot toward Jiang Xiu like meteors. Their intense heat made the air ripple, and their formation was so precise that they completely sealed off several of Jiang Xiu's escape routes.
"Since I've decided to start with you, I'll let you experience what absolute suppression feels like!"
Jiang Xiu's expression didn't change. He stepped forward sharply, and a layer of dark, icy light burst forth in an instant, enveloping the fireballs. A few wisps of white smoke rose, and the flames were snuffed out at once.
Jiang Xiu charged straight at Gu Yue, a Dark Straight Blade coalescing in his hand, its edge spitting razor-sharp flashes.
Though Gu Yue's cultivation was lower than his, Jiang Xiu didn't dare underestimate her. She was far superior to him in both control and combat experience.
Gu Yue was like a max-level expert starting a new account. The gap in cultivation could be narrowed almost completely.
But Jiang Xiu had plenty of confidence in himself, too. He hadn't spent the past few years standing still.
"Elemental Tide! Ice Spikes!"
Gu Yue didn't panic. The moment her first Soul Skill lit up, the surrounding elements grew denser. Countless sharp icicles gathered in her hands. As she lowered her palm, they poured down toward Jiang Xiu like a dense rain of arrows.
"Clang! Clang! Clang!"
Jiang Xiu darted from side to side, his blade flashing again and again. His strikes formed an airtight barrier, cutting down every incoming icicle as the distance between him and Gu Yue steadily closed.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Just then, the situation suddenly changed. Dark-yellow earthen walls rose from the ground, while patches of yellow light flashed overhead and swept toward Jiang Xiu. In midair, they transformed into sturdy ropes, every attack aimed straight at his vital points.
"Na'er, it seems the human you found still needs more practice."
Gu Yue's red lips curled into a faint smile, her expression proud. In this situation, she didn't believe Jiang Xiu had any room to dodge. Once he was trapped, she could do whatever she wanted with him.
"Nature's Gift, Flawless Golden Body!"
Instead of dodging as Gu Yue had expected, Jiang Xiu threw aside the Dark Straight Blade and clasped his hands into fists. His blood and qi surged through him like a rushing river, and a boundless crimson glow instantly enveloped him.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
A series of deafening crashes rang out. What happened next left Gu Yue's pretty face aghast: Jiang Xiu charged forward like a Ferocious Beast, smashing straight through the earth-element barrier. The ice spikes seemed to be no more than tickles; not one of them could break through his defenses.
"Is this something a ten-year-old human boy can do?!"
Gu Yue was stunned and couldn't believe it. Seeing the Dark Straight Blade Jiang Xiu had thrown aside, she prepared to move again with the wind element.
She bet that the move had cost Jiang Xiu a great deal. As long as she could stall for time, she would still win!
But soon, Gu Yue realized something was wrong. The black blade flying toward her shimmered with a faint mark. The instant it neared her, a deep black light swept out, opening a huge, blood-red maw toward her.
"Not good! It's a domain!"
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