readytorunbook Chapter 46 Advancement
Chapter 46 Advancement
On the day of the competition, the sect's martial arts arena was bustling with activity as soon as dawn broke.
The site is spacious, covering dozens of acres, and the ground is paved with hard spiritual rock, which remains as solid as a rock even after countless impacts from spiritual energy.
The surrounding stands, arranged in a circular, ascending pattern, were already packed with people. Disciples from each peak wore uniform, vibrant colors that created a surging tide of color. The elders sat solemnly in the front row of VIP seats, their robes fluttering, their expressions dignified, and the pressure they exuded made the surrounding air feel heavier.
Xu Xiaoxiao got up early, washed up, changed into her new Chongyang Peak disciple uniform, and headed to the training ground with a mix of nervousness and anticipation, carrying her sword.
Along the way, Yuan Mengyao kept encouraging her: "Xiaoxiao, relax, just use the skills you've been practicing."
Xu Xiaoxiao took a deep breath, nodded emphatically, and her eyes showed determination.
Upon arriving at the contestants' waiting area, Jiang Jingzhi and Mu Zhusheng had been waiting for quite some time.
The eldest brother handed over a warm jade pendant: "Junior sister, this is a spirit-gathering jade pendant. Wearing it will help stabilize your spiritual power. Don't panic in critical moments."
Xu Xiaoxiao's eyes welled up with tears, and she accepted the gift with great care.
The second senior brother shook the porcelain bottle in his hand: "There are also these elixirs to refresh the mind. Take one when you feel tired."
In the center of the arena, the referee elder stepped onto the stage, his voice booming: "The purpose of this sect competition is to hone skills and select talents. I hope all disciples will strictly abide by the rules and stop when they have made their move!" After speaking, he channeled spiritual energy into the bronze gong, and with a loud "clang," the first round of duels began.
On the field, spiritual energy flashed everywhere. Some disciples summoned spiritual wings, their figures ghostly, and they quickly moved and attacked; others manipulated spiritual fire, and the raging flames scorched the air, forcing their opponents to retreat repeatedly.
Xu Xiaoxiao watched, her palms sweating, silently recalling the moves and encouraging herself.
When it was her turn to go on stage, the senior students in the audience shouted, "Xiaoxiao, go for it!"
Xu Xiaoxiao drew her sword, faced the rising sun, and stepped into the arena, determined to make a name for herself in this grand event and live up to everyone's expectations.
Xu Xiaoxiao stepped onto the stage, clenched her fists, and took a deep breath as she saw her senior brothers and sisters cheering her on from below.
In the first round, Xu Xiaoxiao drew Zhao Meng from Panshi Peak. This man was tall and strong, a whole head taller than Xu Xiaoxiao. His muscles were taut, like a majestic mountain, and he exuded a sense of oppression just by standing there.
He was at the eleventh level of Qi Refining, and relying on his abundant spiritual power and excellent physique, he always had an outstanding record in sparring with his fellow disciples.
As soon as the opening gong sounded, Zhao Meng took the initiative, stomping his foot hard on the ground. With a "crack," the Lingyan paved arena was cracked like a spider web. His figure, accompanied by a whistling wind, rushed straight towards Xu Xiaoxiao like a cannonball.
Xu Xiaoxiao was startled and quickly dodged to the side, but the strong wind still stung her cheeks.
After regaining her footing, Xu Xiaoxiao swung her sword and unleashed several bursts of spiritual energy, attempting to create distance and seize the initiative.
Unexpectedly, Zhao Meng neither dodged nor evaded. He crossed his arms, and his body radiated an earthy yellow spiritual energy, which he withstood the attack. The sword energy struck him, but only caused a few ripples and splashed up some dust.
Xu Xiaoxiao secretly realized that this aggressive attack was having little effect on him.
Immediately afterwards, Zhao Meng roared, his spiritual power surged, and he swung his arms in a wide arc. The surrounding soil and rocks were drawn up by the spiritual power and flew up, turning into sharp stones that rained down on Xu Xiaoxiao like a storm.
Xu Xiaoxiao was struggling to stay afloat, her steps faltering. Despite her best efforts to defend herself with her sword, stones still grazed her arms and cheeks, leaving several bloody marks.
Some people in the audience whispered among themselves, thinking that Xu Xiaoxiao had no chance of winning.
She gritted her teeth, her mind racing, recalling the clever use of spiritual plants that her second senior brother had mentioned.
Taking advantage of Zhao Meng's momentary pause in his attack, Xu Xiaoxiao formed hand seals and channeled spiritual energy into the ground. Several spiritual plant vines at the edge of the arena instantly grew wildly, winding their way towards Zhao Meng's limbs.
Zhao Meng was unable to break free for a moment and looked astonished.
Xu Xiaoxiao seized the opportunity, drew her sword and charged forward, the tip of the sword pointing directly at Zhao Meng's throat, drawing gasps from the audience.
At this moment, the referee elder intervened in time to stop the fight and declared it over, with Xu Xiaoxiao narrowly winning and advancing.
She was panting heavily, feeling both lingering fear and immense joy at her first victory, and secretly vowed to be more composed in the upcoming matches.
As she left the field, Jiang Jingzhi greeted her with praise: "Junior sister, you played very well at the start! Keep your composure, there are still many stronger opponents ahead."
Xu Xiaoxiao nodded emphatically, determined to perform exceptionally well.
Since there was still time before my next match, I went to watch from the sidelines and happened to see Senior Sister Yuan's duel.
Yuan Mengyao stood in the center of the arena, her figure light yet resilient, her gaze fixed on her opponent opposite her—Leng Ningshuang of Xuan Shuifeng.
Leng Ning Shuang wore a long, dark blue dress, her black hair cascading over her shoulders. Her expression was aloof, as if she herself carried a layer of frost. Just by standing there, the surrounding air seemed to grow colder.
She was at the peak of the twelfth level of Qi Refining, just one step away from Foundation Establishment. She was famous in the sect for her water control techniques, and her methods were unpredictable and varied.
As soon as the opening bell rang, Leng Ningshuang gently raised her hand, and a thin layer of water suddenly appeared on the field, instantly freezing into ice.
The ice quickly spread to Yuan Mengyao's feet, causing her to sway and almost slip.
Yuan Mengyao quickly used her spiritual power to stabilize her footing. At the same time, Leng Ningshuang flicked her fingertips, and several ice spikes shot out like arrows. The ice spikes gleamed with cold light and were extremely sharp.
Yuan Mengyao frowned slightly, quickly dodged to the side, and brandished her spirit sword, unleashing several streams of spiritual energy in an attempt to break through the ice and clear a path.
Unexpectedly, the sword energy struck the ice surface, leaving only a few shallow white marks, and the ice surface remained completely still.
Taking advantage of the situation, Leng Ning Shuang formed hand seals, and the clouds and mist in the air above the arena instantly churned, with large snowflakes falling softly, blurring the view. Yuan Mengyao felt a bone-chilling cold and her movements were hindered.
As she countered each move, Yuan Mengyao came up with a plan. She pretended to be outmatched and staggered backward, secretly gathering her spiritual power as her figure disappeared into the swirling snowflakes.
As Leng Ningshuang pressed closer and entered her attack range, Yuan Mengyao suddenly shouted and plunged her spirit sword into the ground with both hands. Using spiritual power as a guide, the hidden spiritual plants and vines around the arena broke through the soil, carrying the fragrance of earth and vigorous vitality, and wrapped around Leng Ningshuang.
Upon seeing this, Leng Ning Shuang flashed with blue light, forming an ice shield around her. The vines that touched the ice shield were instantly frozen and cracked.
However, Yuan Mengyao's actions were only to buy time. While Leng Ningshuang was resisting the vines, her spiritual power surged, and she used the unique "Spirit Wood Cage" of the Spirit Plant Peak. Several thick wooden pillars rose from the ground, trapping Leng Ningshuang inside.
Leng Ning Shuang's eyebrows shot up, and she slapped her hands repeatedly, sending ice spikes and waves crashing against the wooden pillars. For a moment, the spiritual energy in the arena surged, making it difficult to determine the winner.
Yuan Mengyao gritted her teeth, maintaining her spiritual energy output with all her might, her gaze unwavering, determined to break through the predicament and win this battle.
Xu Xiaoxiao gripped the hem of her clothes tightly, her eyes glued to the fierce battle between Yuan Mengyao and Leng Ningshuang, her heart pounding in her chest.
Seeing the ice spikes flying and the vines entwining, and the waves of energy colliding in the arena, she couldn't help but feel nervous, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
When the outcome was revealed, Yuan Mengyao narrowly won. Xu Xiaoxiao breathed a sigh of relief and quickly went to meet her, her eyes full of admiration: "Senior Sister Yuan, your fight was amazing! That icy and snowy offensive was so overwhelming, yet you still managed to find a weakness and turn the tide of the battle. I admire you so much."
He secretly pondered that he needed to learn from Senior Sister Yuan's skillful adaptability and ingenious use of spiritual power.
Recalling Leng Ningshuang's flawless water control technique, Xu Xiaoxiao still felt lingering fear: "Senior Sister Yuan, your opponent's ice magic was both fierce and troublesome. I was sweating for you at the beginning, but thankfully you remained calm and used the ingenious trick of spiritual plants to counter it. In the future, when I encounter a water control master, I will have to learn from you, to stabilize my position first, and then look for an opportunity."
As she spoke, she took Yuan Mengyao's hand and stroked the red marks left from the exertion, feeling heartbroken: "Senior Sister Yuan, this battle was tough and must have been extremely exhausting. You should rest."
At the same time, she secretly resolved that since her senior sister had worked so hard for the competition, she could not lose in the finals. She had to give it her all to make her senior brother's hard work worthwhile and to bring honor to the sect.
Xu Xiaoxiao silently reviewed the battle and murmured, "Senior Sister's timing in using spiritual plants to restrain and counterattack was superb. I usually lack that decisiveness and precision when practicing moves, so I need to hone it."
With fighting spirit gleaming in their eyes, they were already eager to learn from the experience, throw themselves into the subsequent training, and prepare for the challenge of the finals.