“Ling Yixue versus Ling Feng!”
After several more rounds, a heavyweight showdown began.
Ling Yixue, ranked second in the Elite Hall, faced off against Ling Feng, ranked third.
This battle naturally drew everyone’s attention once again, including Ling Yihang and Ling Xiao, the two who had maintained an unbroken winning streak thus far.
“Ling Yixue! Ling Yixue!”
“Ling Feng! Ling Feng!”
In terms of fanbase, Ling Yixue and Ling Feng were evenly matched.
One was a stunningly talented beauty.
The other was a genius disciple of the clan.
Each had their own supporters.
Thus, when they stepped onto the stage, the crowd below erupted into near-frenzied cheers and shouts of encouragement.
“Ling Yixue, you’ve rejected my advances multiple times, that’s an insult to me! Today, I’ll make you regret it completely!”
To Ling Feng, Ling Yixue was the ideal partner in his heart.
As for Ling Yu, she was merely a substitute.
Unfortunately, his affection was unrequited, Ling Yixue didn’t even spare him a glance.
In today’s duel, he naturally sought revenge.
“Matters of the heart cannot be forced. Besides, my focus now is solely on cultivation!”
Ling Yixue said coolly.
Her expression was as calm as still water, as if she didn’t take Ling Feng’s provocation seriously at all.
Clang!
Ling Feng drew his longsword!
The Willow Breeze Sword Technique traced an irregular arc, its speed fluctuating unpredictably, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, making it impossible to track.
The most terrifying aspect of this sword technique was its cunning unpredictability.
When you thought it was fast, it would suddenly slow down.
When you thought it was slow, it would abruptly speed up.
Ling Yixue didn’t dare to be careless. She thrust both palms forward, a chilling frost aura surging forth, as if the very air itself was freezing over.
The spectators below held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
After all, this was a clash between the second- and third-ranked fighters.
Clang!
In an instant.
Her frost-encased palms met that elusive longsword.
Yet with just a light touch, the sword suddenly changed direction, thrusting towards Ling Yixue’s waist.
Combat wasn’t always about brute force.
While Ling Feng’s Willow Breeze Sword Technique might lack the raw power of the Frost Palm, its deceptive nature far surpassed it.
But Ling Yixue was no pushover.
As the longsword came for her, she retreated gracefully, easily dodging the strike.
“Sigh, Ling Yixue has no family backing and relies solely on her own efforts. Without transforming her qi into gang, I’m afraid she’ll lose!”
After a dozen or so moves, Ling Xiao shook his head lightly.
He actually hoped Ling Yixue would win, but from the looks of it, Ling Feng’s swordsmanship was not to be underestimated, and the longsword he wielded was a high-quality ordinary treasure.
Meanwhile, Ling Yixue fought barehanded, which put her at a clear disadvantage.
On the stage, the two traded blows, exchanging over a hundred moves!
Yet neither had sustained an injury.
Ling Feng’s sword hadn’t so much as grazed Ling Yixue’s clothing.
And Ling Yixue couldn’t land a hit on Ling Feng either.
In terms of pure martial skill, they might well be evenly matched.
The fight quickly reached a stalemate, and those on the referee’s bench began keeping an eye on the time.
But asking the referees to decide a winner in this match was proving difficult.
The two were clearly on par, neither able to harm the other.
It seemed the only outcome would be a draw.
“Ladies and gentlemen, it appears this match will end in a draw.”
The head referee glanced at the others around him, discussing the matter.
“Not necessarily. Feng hasn’t played his trump card yet!”
The one who spoke wasn’t a referee but Ling Shisan, who had somehow appeared near the referee’s bench.
He was Ling Feng’s father.
“A trump card?”
The referees were all taken aback. They wouldn’t dismiss Ling Shisan’s words as mere bluster.
There had to be a reason for such confidence.
“Look! Something’s happening on the stage!”
At that moment, someone suddenly shouted, prompting everyone to hurriedly look up.
Sure enough, a significant shift had occurred on the combat stage.
Around the two-hundredth move, Ling Feng dodged one of Ling Yixue’s palm strikes, then suddenly retreated. With a casual sweep of his sword, he attacked.
It seemed an unremarkable strike, yet it unleashed a strange burst of sword qi!
Whoosh!
“Clang!”
“Hm!”
Though Ling Yixue blocked the sword qi, it still pierced her defences, leaving a small hole in one of her arms.
With a muffled groan, she was sent flying off the stage.
“Gang qi!”
Ling Yixue looked up at Ling Feng, a flicker of surprise in her eyes.
But it was only a flicker.
“Forget it. Let him win. I can’t reveal my gang qi just yet!”
She, too, possessed gang qi, and more of it than Ling Feng, but she had her own plans. Her gang qi was reserved for the grand finals; it wasn’t needed now.
“It’s the transformation of qi into gang! No wonder Ling Shisan was so confident, his son has actually condensed gang qi!”
The referees were all astonished.
While there were many peak Third Layer Martial Vein warriors, those who could truly comprehend the transformation of qi into gang were exceedingly rare.
Who would’ve thought that this generation of the Elite Hall had two such individuals?
“Ling Shisan, oh Ling Shisan, your son hid it well. To think he only revealed his gang qi now, his talent is truly remarkable. It seems he’ll secure a spot in the top ten of this grand tournament.”
The head referee sighed in admiration.
Ling Shisan merely smiled faintly and said, “You flatter him, Elder. My son has only a rudimentary grasp of gang qi.”
Though he said this, the excitement on Ling Shisan’s face was unmistakable.
His son, Ling Feng, was only fifteen years old. To rank in the top ten of the Genius Hall at such an age was an extraordinary feat.
“Ling Feng wins!”
The referee announced the result.
“Strange, it feels like Ling Yixue didn’t use her full strength.”
Ling Xiao rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Though the outcome was decided, he couldn’t shake the feeling that Ling Yixue was stronger than Ling Feng, she was just hiding something.
“Ling Feng! Ling Feng!”
Defeating Ling Yixue sent Ling Feng’s popularity soaring, even threatening to surpass Ling Yihang’s.
After all, the onlookers, who were just there for the spectacle, didn’t know how truly formidable Ling Yihang was.
“Yixue, why bother? Are you saving your gang qi to use against me?”
Ling Yihang appeared beside Ling Yixue at some point, asking calmly.
“Of course not. I just want an extra edge in the grand finals.”
Since he’d seen through her, Ling Yixue didn’t bother hiding it.
“Don’t worry. I’ll deal with Ling Feng.”
Ling Yihang said this nonchalantly before closing his eyes again, as if no other match on the stage could pique his interest.
Ling Feng glanced at Ling Yihang, feeling bored, then looked at Ling Xiao, his expression tinged with disdain and resentment.
You’re next, Ling Xiao!
“Brother Feng, you were amazing!”
Before Ling Feng could even leave the stage, Ling Yu rushed up and threw herself into his arms, casting a provocative glance at Ling Xiao.
It was as if she were saying, “So what if you beat me? My Brother Feng will avenge me.”
Ling Xiao merely smiled faintly.
How foolish. Did they think condensing a sliver of gang qi could suppress him?
At most, it would only force him to use the Bull Demon Technique: Savage Bull Transformation.
But that Willow Breeze Sword Technique of yours is decent. I’ll play along with you later.
The tournament continued. After Ling Yixue’s defeat, only three fighters remained undefeated: Ling Yihang, Ling Feng, and Ling Xiao.
To most onlookers, Ling Xiao was just a side character.
Ling Yihang and Ling Feng were the true prodigies of the Elite Hall, and their eventual clash was sure to be the grand finale.
