The Martial Arts Tournament at Xiao Ling's House (1)

So, a few days later, the first martial arts tournament belonging to the Xiao Ling family officially began.

"Well then, welcome everyone to the first martial arts tournament I am hosting."

Standing on the training ground, Hajiling looked very spirited, and the girls below the stage clapped and cheered her on.

"Before we begin this martial arts tournament, I must offer a word of caution," he said solemnly. "This tournament is primarily for friendly sparring and exchanging ideas, so please know when to stop. I'll be heartbroken if any of you suffer any injuries."

As soon as he finished speaking, a clear and melodious laugh, like the tinkling of silver bells, rang out from below the stage.

"Haha, look how worried you are, Brother Ling," Suisui teased with a smile. "Don't worry, since we're family under the same roof, we should naturally prioritize harmony. As for now, let's ask Brother Ling to explain the rules of this martial arts tournament."

"Rules? The rules are simple." Xiao Ling stomped on the training ground beneath his feet. "This area beneath my feet is your fighting arena. Being knocked out of the arena, being hit in a vital spot three times, or voluntarily surrendering all result in the other side winning."

"This time, the use of Resonance Power is unrestricted?" Aemeath asked, raising her paw.

"Since this is a formal competition, you should be allowed to perform to your full potential," Xiao Ling said, pointing to the arena. "You should have noticed the unusual nature of this competition venue as well."

"Is this... Sonoro?" Jinhsi concluded after observing for a while.

"Yes, that's right!" Xiao Ling snapped his fingers. "This is a temporary Sonoro. You can play freely here without worrying about affecting the real world."

"That concludes the introduction to the rules. Now, everyone is welcome to volunteer to be the champion."

As soon as the words were spoken, a graceful figure in ice blue appeared in the air and then elegantly stood on the training ground.

"Hmm~" Xiao Ling wasn't surprised at all that Qingxiao was the first to go on stage; her face showed an expression that said, "This is going to be interesting." "It's not unexpected that Sister Qingxiao would go on stage first."

"Since you seem to be in such high spirits, why don't you take this opportunity to exchange a few moves with me?" Qingxiao's voice was clear and melodious, but his words sent a chill down Xiao Ling's spine.

"Haha, disciple won't disturb you any longer, disciple's on my way." Xiao Ling chuckled and immediately jumped off the stage.

Just kidding, he's not brave enough to fight a Nascent Soul Stage stage sword immortal with his mediocre skills. Let him hone his skills further.

After watching his disciple step down from the stage, Qingxiao naturally had someone in mind and quickly turned his attention to Cartethyia.

Cartethyia, who met Qingxiao's gaze, paused for a moment, tilting her head slightly as if to ask, "Are you looking for me?"

"I've heard that Miss Cartethyia comprehended sword intent from the ocean tides, and I've always wanted to find a good time to spar with you. Today, with my disciple's help, I have the opportunity. I wonder if Lady Cart would be willing to have a match with me?" Qingxiao invited.

Faced with this sincere invitation, Miss Wandering Knight naturally accepted with pleasure.

"Come on!" Cartethyia said in a clear voice after straightening her clothes, "Let's make it clear first, friendship comes first!"

"That's natural."

"In the 41 seconds before the raging torrent cleaved the heavens and earth, Cartethyia's chanting echoed once more across the martial arts arena. 'The chilling winds cleanse,' 'Purify and punish sins,' 'The unforgiving waves' —Qingxiao knew he had no chance to stop its birth. The unrestrained raging tide carved a shocking scar across the martial arts arena like a nuclear explosion..."

"Stop right there!" Roccia couldn't help but give Xiao Ling a hard knock on the head. "You're hurting my eyes! And where did you hear this tale from?"

"It was just a spontaneous remark..." Xiao Ling said with a wry smile, having just been reprimanded. "But isn't the sparring between these two quite entertaining?"

Xiao Ling wasn't wrong. Qingxiao was considered a strong person in the Septimont region, on par with Heartfox. As a dual resonance user of the Sentinel and Lament, Cartethyia's strength was naturally not to be underestimated. He was also quite looking forward to seeing what kind of sparks these two wind-type one-handed sword masters could create.

The perspective then shifts to the training ground.

Cartethyia and Qingxiao started off quite steadily, neither revealing their trump cards immediately. The clanging sounds of their swords clashing echoed one after another, and if you looked closely, you could even see sparks flying out at the moment of impact.

This back-and-forth, neither side willing to give in, isn't very entertaining. If it continues in this stalemate, not only the two performers on stage, but also the audience below might not find it enjoyable.

Therefore, this stalemate was broken not long afterward.

Qingxiao deliberately created an opening, allowing Cartethyia to knock his longsword away at just the right moment.

"So easily...?"

As a seasoned knight who had just experienced the stalemate, Cartethyia naturally knew that the opponent's weapon falling from his hand was a rare opportunity to attack, but she still remained cautious.

After all, he was able to fight her on equal terms just now, but now his weapon has been knocked away by him. It's most likely a trap.

Unfortunately, even without her weapon, Cartethyia, with her Qingxiao movements, found it difficult to seize an opportunity immediately. This aloof swordswoman was sometimes as still as a virgin, sometimes as swift as a rabbit, and sometimes as light as a bird, managing to dodge every powerful attack from the latter at just the right moment.

Then, out of Cartethyia's sight, Qingxiao made a hand seal with his right hand, and the sword that had been knocked aside seemed to come alive and attacked Cartethyia from behind.

Clang! Clang!

Cartethyia, who had been on guard for a long time, raised her sword to block the flying sword the instant it came, forcibly deflecting its trajectory.

"Not bad." The sword flew back into Qingxiao's hand, and a smile of appreciation appeared on her cool and pretty face.

"Likewise," Cartethyia replied with the same compliment.

"I heard you want to become my apprentice's knight."

"Huh?" Cartethyia blushed instantly. "Why bring this up now...?"

"What I mean is, as his master, I have an obligation to test him and see if this wandering knight can truly become a reliable ally by his side."

As soon as she finished speaking, a sharp edge suddenly appeared in the surrounding breeze, making Cartethyia's hair stand on end.

"It's coming!" Liang Yu said in a deep voice.

Everyone's attention instantly focused on the training ground, where Cartethyia was using her sword to block the sword energy that condensed in the wind.

On the other side, Qingxiao had already completed her transformation.

Her originally ice-blue hair began to shine like polished jade, and a layer of shimmering white light suddenly appeared around her. She gently stroked her long zither, and sword energy followed her guidance, attacking Cartethyia.

A celestial being with the body of a phoenix.

In this state, Qingxiao's offensive capabilities will reach a new level, far beyond what Cartethyia can currently handle.

Cartethyia was well aware of this, so she had to complete her transformation under the increasingly fierce attacks of her opponent.

While using her fighting instincts to parry Qingxiao's attacks, she calmed herself down and strengthened her resolve, preparing to break through this seemingly unsolvable deadlock.

Then, she heard the roar of the ocean waves.

Then, another storm suddenly erupted in the training ground, forcing Qingxiao to use his sword energy to protect himself from being blasted out of the arena.

In the stands, Heartfox, together with Shorekeeper and Morning, further weakened the powerful storm.

"What the hell is this all about?!" Lynae exclaimed, still shaken. "My face almost got blown crooked just now."

"Holy crap..." Xiao Ling looked at Cartethyia now, somewhat shocked.

Cartethyia... no, rather Fleurdelys, after being in this world for a long time, has once again regained her power—though perhaps only temporarily.

The Sword of Divinity embodies the power of Imperator; the Sword of Alterity symbolizes the curse of the Lament; and the Sword of Humanity is proof of her struggle as a human being.

Only when the three swords are combined can Fleurdelys unleash her overwhelming power.

"The battle is only just beginning, isn't it?" Fleurdelys's tone remained unchanged, yet carried an added air of authority.

"You might be right," Qingxiao nodded. "I will use all my strength next."

"I couldn't ask for more!"

This was no longer a childish sparring match; a slight misstep could blow the entire arena away. Fortunately, this was a temporary Sonoro, and with Heartfox and the other two personally overseeing things, these two powerful figures could unleash their full potential.

Fleurdelys's sword strikes towards Qingxiao like a tsunami, while the latter uses the sound of her zither to transform into sword energy to defend herself, while waiting for an opportunity to counterattack. However, Fleurdelys precisely blocks her attacks, and the two are once again locked in a stalemate.

Perhaps both of them had had enough of the formalities. Qingxiao used her slender hand to brush across all the strings of the zither, and in an instant, a huge rift was cleaved open in the sky by a giant sword, which hurtled straight toward Fleurdelys.

"Was that the final blow...?"

Fleurdelys raised her greatsword, and in an instant, the rage of the tide surged around her. Then, she pointed the greatsword sharply at the greatsword in the sky, and the roar of the raging tide and howling wind swept over the greatsword as she confronted it head-on.

Even Heartfox and the others would find it difficult to cope now. Dania immediately cast another layer of bubbles over everyone present. Although it wasn't very effective, it was better than nothing.

Boom!

With a loud explosion, the powerful impact blasted the two players, who had just exerted their full strength, out of the arena.

"So, it's a draw?" Xiao Ling asked again, looking at Cartethyia and Qingxiao who both fell off the court at the same time.

"I think so. After all, your rule just now was that going out of bounds means losing. Now that both of them have gone out of bounds at the same time, it's naturally a draw," Heartfox nodded.

Returning to the battlefield, after the fierce battle, both of their clothes were battle-damaged, and their fair cheeks were covered in streaks of dust, making them look somewhat comically cute.

After regaining her composure, Cartethyia smiled and thanked her, "Knight Cartethyia, I've learned my lesson!"

"It was me. My battle with you has benefited me greatly and will be of great help to my future cultivation," Qingxiao said with a slight smile.

"Cart, you're amazing! You managed to transform under those circumstances, and you were so imposing." Hajiling pinched Cartethyia's cheek as she stepped off the stage.

"It's not that amazing... I just kept thinking that I had to prove that I deserved to stand by your side, and then... hehe..." The confident Cartethyia from just now had turned back into the soft and cute Little Cart, looking incredibly adorable.

Qingxiao:...

Staring at Cart and Xiao Ling's intimate interaction, and then looking at her slightly torn clothes, Qingxiao suddenly felt as if she were the one who had lost.

"Ha..." The sword immortal sighed.