“That girl’s expression makes me want to kick her ass!” the monkey exclaimed.
Lu Yin burst out in laughter. Everyone was wondering if this woman from the Technocracy had had her eyes altered. The contempt in them was so blatant that it seemed to be asking for a beating.
“How are you doing?” Lu Yin asked Grandini as he glanced at her.
Grandini looked at her fair little fists. “Those modified humans are very tough. They’re hard even when you hit them.”
Lu Yin was speechless. She said that they were tough, but she had nearly crippled Domi.
At that moment, the second battle began. Han Chong stretched his arm out and started drawing with star energy as the ink. He drew mountains and seas, and the boundless high peaks released a huge pressure.
Yun glanced over at him, the disdain in her eyes still as overbearing as ever. Just as everyone thought that she would take Han Chong’s attack head-on with brute force, she reached out. Her arm briefly danced in the air and destroyed Han Chong’s technique.
The entire field went quiet. Every one gazed at this scene in astonishment, including Lu Yin.
What in the world?
Lockbreaking! She had used a lockbreaking technique, and not just any technique either.
Lu Yin took several steps forward and purposefully activated the Cosmic Art while observing Yun. That woman’s Lockbreaking skill was even higher than his own. It was so quick and proficient that it had easily dissolved Han Chong’s drawings as if they were nothing more than simple lines.
Starsibyl’s expression changed, and she eyed Yun nervously. Disbelief was evident in her eyes. She could not find anything to use for a divination on this woman. One could say that Yun was beyond such things.
Han Chong gazed at Yun in shock. The star energy drawing above his head gradually melted away and dissipated.
“Is that all you have?” Yun mocked, appearing bored.
“You’re a Lockbreaker?” Han Chong was startled.
Yun sneered. “Perhaps. I’ll give you one more chance. If you don’t have anything more to show, then just scram.”
Outside the arena, many students became enraged, and even the creatures from the Astral Beast Domain were agitated. Yun was just too arrogant, and her arrogance was aimed at every person here, not just Han Chong. It wasn’t merely arrogance either—-there was another strange sensation that she was giving off.
Han Chong frowned. This battle was not playing out the way that he had expected it to. He could not predict what this woman would do, so he stopped hiding his true abilities. He began drawing once more, but at a slower speed than before. However, with each line that he added in, the drawing let out a strange pressure, and it felt as if the very sky was turning dark.
Outside the arena, Lu Yin’s expression turned cold. This was the same exact feeling that he had experienced in the Tower of Resonating Light. Han Chong had hidden this immense pressure that he was able to intentionally emanate when he wanted. The painting that he was drawing was enough to make Lu Yin feel a great sense of danger.
Starsibyl looked up and stared intensely at Han Chong’s hand.
Outside the arena, Xia Ye’s eyes twinkled with curiosity. This was the technique that had crushed him during the Astral Combat Tournament.
Inside the battlefield, Yun just watched on as Han Chong continued drawing. The disdain in her eyes had disappeared, and what replaced it was shock that was soon followed by an overwhelming bloodlust. She instantly appeared before Han Chong, raised an arm and pressed down with it. Han Chong’s eyes widened, and he flicked a finger in response. Ever since he had learned this drawing technique, nobody at his level had been able to defeat him. Even Xia Ye’s four-lined battle force had been crushed.
Yun’s palm kept pressing down against the drawing. Somehow, heaven and earth seemed to shake, and a strange undulation swept across the Lifeseek Realm. It was so subtle that nobody aside from Han Chong and Yun sensed it. Even Lu Yin, with his domain and Cosmic Art active, did not sense it.
The undulation only took place for a brief moment, but the instant afterwards, Yun tore through the painting and pressed her palm against Han Chong’s chest. Han Chong was defeated, and he disappeared even as an expression of disbelief was etched on his face.
The battle was very quick, but it had been life-changing for the audience. Yun, who was from the Technocracy, had defeated Han Chong with such ease and even shown off her expertise at Lockbreaking. Nobody had expected this result; it was too astonishing.
Yun pulled back her hand, and the bloodlust in her eyes gradually disappeared only to be replaced by her usual contempt for the universe. “Trash.” And with that, she left the battlefield.
“Round Two. Victor: Yun.”
All the human students had glum expressions.
Within the crowd, Xia Ye was shocked. He had been certain that Han Chong would not lose and that his drawing was invincible. Despite that, how had he still ended up losing?
Lu Yin was surprised as well. That drawing had given even him a sense of grave danger—there was no denying that. However, the drawing had seemingly met its natural nemesis in the form of Yun’s attack and had been torn to shreds. How exactly had Yun done it?
Watching Yun battle was like watching Starsibyl; they were both extremely mysterious.
The battle had not taken very long nor had it caused much damage to the arena. Soon enough, the next battle began, and this time, Hua Yishou appeared inside the battlefield.
Facing Hua Yishou was Liu Shaoqiu.
Upon seeing Liu Shaoqiu, Hua Yishou became slightly annoyed. He really did not want to be matched up against Lu Shaoqiu because the mouse wasn’t confident of emerging victorious. The Sword Sect’s Thirteen Swords had killed a fair number of astral beasts, and this person was considered to be a genius and had just defeated a powerhouse from the Cosmic Sea a few days ago. Then, he had challenged the human Lu Yin and also announced that he had comprehended the Fourth Sword. This swordsman was sure to be a headache.
On the other side, Liu Shaoqiu didn’t mind who his opponent was. However, after seeing the mouse that was the size of a palm, he couldn’t help but frown. This mouse wasn’t even as large as his sword!
Amongst the spectating students, one person became downcast and glared at Hua Yishou with sorrow and bloodlust. It was Hart Phoenix.
For the Phoenix clan, their number one enemy from the Astral Beast Domain, the species that they most wanted to eradicate, was Hua Yishou’s race. Those mice had eaten quite a number of the Phoenix clan disciples, which had led to them becoming mortal enemies.
It was a pity that the astral beasts did not pay the Phoenix clan much attention. It wasn’t that they thought nothing of them, but rather that they had so many enemies that they could not be bothered to distinguish between them.
“Is Huayi a match for that human, Tian?” Feng Jiu asked Tian Hou as she glanced at him in his black robes.
Tian Hou answered in a low voice, “He can only block three moves at the best.”
Feng Jiu responded, “The humans will grow arrogant if we lose this first round.”
“That’s because humans are hypocrites. There’s no such thing as absolute fairness in tournaments, which is why it wouldn’t make sense for two humans to be matched against each other,” Tian Hou explained.
Feng Jiu was surprised. “Are you saying that somebody tampered with the lots?”
Tian Hou did not answer, but that was an answer in and of itself.
Feng Jiu grit her teeth as she glared at Lu Yin. That guy was a complete piece of trash.
“Look, Seventh Bro! She misses me! She’s looking over here!” the Ghost Monkey shouted in excitement.
Lu Yin was rendered speechless once more. “It’s not like she knows you’re on my arm. She’s not looking at you!”
“Huh? Then who’s she looking at?” The monkey grew enraged at Lu Yin’s reply, but then came to a sudden realization. He started whining, “You’re not going to steal her away from me, are you?”
Lu Yin sighed. He should probably screen the monkey.
Not too far away, Starsibyl glanced at Lu Yin with a strange look in her eyes. “What’s wrong? Are you sighing because Han Chong was defeated?”
Lu Yin froze, but then nodded. “Yes, it’s strange how he lost.”
Starsibyl eyed Yun. “It’s not that strange. That woman is more than she appears to be.”
“How so?” Lu Yin wondered.
Starsibyl’s eyes twinkled. “I know because I can’t divine anything about her.”
Lu Yin pursed his lips. He had never believed in Starsibyl’s so-called divination; it was all an act to him.
At that exact moment, the battle began. Hua Yishou took the initiative to attack, and his palm-sized body vanished in an instant as he travelled through the void to bite at Liu Shaoqiu. The mouse was going all out and had attacked as quickly as he could, as Hua Yishou did not want to even give Liu Shaoqiu a chance to pull out his sword.
Unfortunately, speed was not an issue for the Thirteen Swords. This was because the Second Sword was able to counter speed, and besides, Liu Shaoqiu also had his domain. No matter how quickly Hua Yishou moved, he would not be able to escape from Liu Shaoqiu’s senses.
Liu Shaoqiu took several steps backwards and avoided Hua Yishou’s attack. He then raised his sword and slashed downwards as the sword released a grating, metallic sound. There was a shriek, and then Hua Yishou was sent flying by an invisible strand of sword qi. His body violently struck a mountain, shot through it, and then collided with the barrier before he started to slowly slide down.
Everyone stared at Hua Yishou’s limp body. Was it already over? That technique had been the first of the Thirteen Swords, and it had previously been enough to defeat an Astral Combat Academy student leader like Kuang Wang.
The person who was hoping for Hua Yishou to be defeated the most was actually Kuang Wang. He had been defeated by the First Sword during the Astral Combat Tournament, so if Hua Yishou blocked it, then didn’t that mean that he, Kuang Wang, was even weaker than a rat? It was for this reason that he stuck his head out and stared intensely at Hua Yishou, hoping that the mouse was done for.
Unfortunately, things rarely ever go as people wish then to. Hua Yishou twitched slightly and leapt up to disappear into the void once again. Meanwhile, Liu Shaoqiu’s gaze grew cold, and he slashed out horizontally with his sword. There was a clanging sound, and then the void distorted as a huge spatial tear opened up, splitting the arena in half. Hua Yishou was forced out of the void and sent tumbling to the ground, his beady green eyes staring at Liu Shaoqiu in fear.
This person was too terrifying. Those two consecutive attacks had been the limit of what he could handle, and this was only the First Sword. If Liu Shaoqui used the Second or even Third Sword, then Hua Yishou had no idea how he could survive.
Lu Yin sighed in admiration as he gazed at Liu Shaoqiu. Lu Yin had become a Limiteer, and Liu Shaoqiu had naturally become one as well. His First Sword was definitely much more powerful now compared to what it had been during the Astral Combat Tournament. If Liu Shaoqiu had been this powerful back then, Lu Yin might not have been able to defend against the Second Sword. The First Sword alone would have been enough to force him into using his five-lined battle force.
While Hua Yishou was wondering how he could deal with Liu Shaoqiu, goosebumps suddenly covered his body as he was struck by an immense sense of danger. He looked up, and his pupils shrank as he saw innumerable strands of sword qi pierce through the void and cover the entire battlefield.
Just like how Mavis had dealt with Domi, Liu Shaoqiu was using his Second Sword to launch an area attack. Speed was pointless against the Second Sword.
“Round three. Victor: Liu Shaoqiu.”
The results of this battle were not surprising to anyone. Even the participants from the Astral Beast Domain did not think that Hua Yishou would be able to block Liu Shaoqiu’s attacks. As Tian Hou had said, the battle was concluded in just three attacks.
After leaving the arena, Liu Shaoqiu glanced at Lu Yin. It looked like he wanted to say something, but it was hard to tell due to the distance. However, due to his domain, Lu Yin was able to read Liu Shaoqiu’s lips. “Don’t disappoint me.” These three words expressed the utmost confidence that Liu Shaoqiu had in his own abilities. They also fired up Lu Yin’s competitive spirit. This timing was great, because he was in the next battle. His opponent was Feng Jiu.
This was quite the coincidence. These two had apparently had some issues even before the tournament started, and coincidentally enough, they were now facing off against each other.
Everyone held their breath as they looked at the arena.
Lu Yin stood in the middle and gazed at the ice phoenix while feeling a headache coming on. The monkey kept shouting in Lu Yin’s head, “Be merciful, Seventh Bro! That’s your future sister-in-law…”
In front of Lu Yin, Feng Jiu had an excited expression. She never expected to be able to avenge the Ghost Monkey so soon. In all honesty, she was not interested in the Ghost Monkey at all, but since he had helped her quite a bit previously, she was grateful to him. Thus, it made sense for her to avenge him. Besides, that ape also knew quite a few secrets…
