HBWnovel Chapter 49 Showdown 1
Chapter 49 Showdown 1
Xu Xiaoxiao defeated two opponents in a row, slightly out of breath. As she made a brief adjustment, the large screen scrolled and locked onto her next opponent—Chu Xinghe of the Lingyun Sect.
This person was tall and upright, dressed in a striking blue outfit, with his black hair tied up in a crown. He had a cold and stern expression, and the sword at his waist seemed to hold a chilling galaxy. He walked onto the stage with steady steps and exuded an aura of authority.
Chu Xinghe cupped his hands and said in a booming voice, "Xu Xiaoxiao, I have long admired your name. My Lingyun Sect has always been proud of its fierce swordsmanship, and I have come here today to learn from you."
Xu Xiaoxiao returned the greeting with a cupped hand, her gaze fearless: "Young Master Chu is too kind. I am willing to compete with you and hope you will give me your guidance."
As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Xinghe drew his sword instantly. The sword rang out like a dragon's roar, and a powerful sword aura, like a mountain-splitting blade, slashed straight down. Wherever it passed, the stone bricks on the ground cracked.
Xu Xiaoxiao dared not take the attack head-on, and dodged to the side, only to be surprised to find that Chu Xinghe's sword energy actually had a tracking power, like a carbuncle clinging to the bone.
She hurriedly used her spiritual power to protect herself, but with a "rip," a piece of her clothes was still sliced off by the sword energy.
“Miss Xu, you can’t keep hiding like this.”
Chu Xinghe pressed his advantage, unleashing a continuous barrage of sword strikes that filled the sky, trapping Xu Xiaoxiao in the center of the sword formation.
Xu Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth: "Young Master Chu's swordsmanship is superb, I will do my best to break this deadlock!"
Having said that, she unleashed "Phantom Strike," transforming into several phantoms that weaved through the sword formation, causing Chu Xinghe's attack to slow down slightly. Finding an opening, she poured all her spiritual power into a counterattack, and the two swords clashed, sparks flying everywhere.
Having narrowly escaped defeat, the referee announced: "In the next round, Xu Xiaoxiao will face Su Miaoyin from Tianji Pavilion."
Su Xiaoxiao had just finished a fierce battle with Chu Xinghe, and her spiritual energy was mostly depleted. Before her breathing had even stabilized, the screen ruthlessly switched, announcing that her next opponent would be Su Miaoyin from the Tianji Pavilion.
Su Miaoyin walked lightly onto the stage, her moon-white gauze dress fluttering in the wind, like a fairy in the clouds. Her long black hair was loosely tied up with a single ribbon, with a few strands falling beside her fair neck, adding a touch of gentleness and playfulness.
She holds an ancient zither in her hand. She appears delicate and frail, but her eyes are bright and lively, revealing a formidable determination.
Su Miaoyin spoke first with a light smile, her voice as clear as a nightingale's song: "Miss Xu, I have long heard of your diverse combat skills. I would like to take the liberty of using this music to exchange a few moves with you."
Xu Xiaoxiao patted her chest lightly to catch her breath, then cupped her hands in a gesture of respect and replied, "Miss Su, you are too kind. I have not yet recovered from the fierce battle just now. Your music must have hidden secrets, so I will do my best to deal with it. I hope you will show mercy."
After speaking, Su Miaoyin gently stroked the strings of the zither with her jade-like hands. At first, the zither music was melodious and gentle, like a clear spring flowing in the mountains. Just as Su Xiaoxiao was about to make a move, she suddenly felt the ground beneath her feet become soft, as if she had sunk into a swamp. It turned out to be an illusion created by the zither music.
Xu Xiaoxiao was startled. She quickly gathered her strength, leaped up, drew her sword, and struck several times in the air, attempting to break the formation.
Seeing this, Su Miaoyin raised her eyebrows slightly, her fingertips plucked the strings at an accelerated speed, and the music turned passionate. Waves of sound transformed into tangible blades, attacking Su Xiaoxiao like a rain of pear blossoms.
Xu Xiaoxiao used the "Gentle Breeze Steps" technique, her movements ghostly, dodging left and right while waiting for an opportunity to get close to Su Miaoyin.
Su Miaoyin's beautiful eyes flickered, and her red lips parted slightly: "Miss Xu's movements are indeed agile, but don't underestimate this sonic attack."
With that, he moved both hands in unison, causing the strings to vibrate and the sound waves to intertwine into a net, blocking Su Xiaoxiao's path.
Xu Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth, poured out the last of her spiritual power, and shouted, "Phantom Break!" Several powerful phantoms erupted from her body and rushed towards the sound network. With a "boom", the phantoms collided with the sound waves, stirring up billowing dust.
As the smoke cleared, Xu Xiaoxiao's hair was disheveled and her clothes were torn, but her eyes were fixed intently on Su Miaoyin; Su Miaoyin's face was also slightly pale, and her zither trembled slightly. The outcome of this duel was still uncertain.
The battle between Xu Xiaoxiao and Su Miaoyin continued. Xu Xiaoxiao knew she could no longer just defend. She forcibly suppressed the surging blood and qi in her body, quickly formed hand seals, and chanted incantations. She unleashed her second senior brother's ultimate skill, "Blazing Flames Burning the Sky." Instantly, several huge balls of flame appeared in the air and roared towards Su Miaoyin.
Su Miaoyin's expression was solemn as she rapidly plucked the strings of her zither. A sonic shield formed in front of her, and the flames collided with the shield, producing a deafening roar that distorted the surrounding air.
Taking advantage of this moment, Su Miaoyin changed the tone of her zither and played a "soul-capturing melody." The invisible sound waves, like ghosts, invaded Xu Xiaoxiao, attempting to disturb her mind.
Xu Xiaoxiao felt a sharp pain in her mind, as if a thousand needles were pricking her, but with her strong willpower, she guarded her mind and quickly counterattacked. She moved like lightning and instantly appeared in front of Su Miaoyin, her long sword stabbing straight at the other's throat.
Su Miaoyin remained calm and retreated lightly, while her zither music continued, sending barrages of sound blades flying towards Xu Xiaoxiao. Xu Xiaoxiao swung her sword to defend, and the sparks from the collision of the sword and the sound blades illuminated the entire arena.
The two exchanged blows, and the battle reached a fever pitch, with spiritual energy and sound waves intertwining and becoming evenly matched.
Xu Xiaoxiao knew that this couldn't go on, so she decided to take a desperate gamble. She gathered all her spiritual power into the tip of her sword and shouted, "Heaven-Shattering Sword!" A dazzling sword light shot towards Su Miaoyin like a rainbow piercing the sun.
Su Miaoyin also felt the power of the sword. She took a deep breath, pressed her hands hard on the strings, and unleashed a powerful sonic attack that collided violently with Xu Xiaoxiao's sword light.
In an instant, a dazzling light shone forth, and the powerful impact sent both of them flying backward.
As the light faded, Xu Xiaoxiao and Su Miaoyin crashed heavily to either side of the arena, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Xu Xiaoxiao's whole body ached, her arms felt like lead, and she struggled to sit up. She hissed, blood trickling from the corner of her mouth. She glanced at the equally disheveled Su Miaoyin and spoke first, forcing a blood-stained smile: "Miss Su, this 'Heaven-Shattering Sword' move didn't even take you down. Impressive."
Su Miaoyin, panting slightly, raised her hand to tidy her messy hair and returned a faint smile: "Miss Xu is too kind. Your sword technique is like splitting the heavens. I barely managed to withstand it with all my might. Cough cough..." At the end of her sentence, she couldn't help but cough a few times, and a trace of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth.
At this moment, the referee arrived gracefully and announced loudly: "This battle is a draw. According to the rules of the competition, the two will rest for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, and then fight for another round to determine the winner!" The audience below the stage instantly erupted in cheers and shouts of encouragement.
Upon hearing this, Xu Xiaoxiao shook her head with a wry smile: "Miss Su, an incense stick's time has passed in the blink of an eye. My spiritual energy has been severely depleted, yet you still have such methods. I'm afraid the next round will be fraught with danger."
Su Miaoyin forced herself to sit up, hugged the broken zither, and said with a piercing gaze, "Miss Xu, don't boost others' morale. Although it's difficult, who can say who will win or lose until the very last moment? I still have a new piece to try, so be careful, Miss Xu."
Jiang Jingzhi and Mu Zhusheng quickly helped their junior sister to the rest area. Mu Zhusheng took out her own pills, saying, "Junior sister, take this Qi-restoring pill."
"Junior sister, don't push yourself. Even if you can't get first place, you've already done very well," Jiang Jingzhi said with a touch of heartache when he saw the many small wounds on Xu Xiaoxiao's body.
"Thank you, senior brothers, I'm fine," Xu Xiaoxiao began to regulate her breathing.
As the incense stick burned out, the two returned to the stage to confront each other once more.
Xu Xiaoxiao flicked her longsword, and it rang out with a clear, resonant sound; Su Miaoyin gently stroked the strings of her zither, and the music became melodious and ethereal.
In an instant, Xu Xiaoxiao launched a surprise attack, her sword moving with her body like a dragon emerging from the sea, directly approaching Su Miaoyin.
Su Miaoyin remained calm and composed. With a light tap of her fingertips, the music transformed into an invisible shield, easily blocking the fierce attack.
“Miss Xu, your offensive is so aggressive, but you’ve also revealed too many weaknesses.”
Su Miaoyin joked and teased, but her hands didn't stop. With a turn of her zither music, she launched a counterattack with sharp, piercing sounds.
Xu Xiaoxiao dodged to the side, secretly considering a solution, and muttered through gritted teeth, "Then let's try this move!"
His spiritual energy surged like a vortex around him, and he used a strange movement technique, instantly creating several afterimages that blurred Su Miaoyin's vision.
Taking advantage of this brief moment, Xu Xiaoxiao focused her energy on the sword and unleashed a powerful strike.
Sensing the danger, Su Miaoyin's expression changed drastically. She unleashed her full spiritual power, unleashing the strongest sonic wave to collide head-on with the fierce sword strike. With a deafening roar, spiritual energy surged outwards, and the two were once again blasted away.
When the dust settled, Xu Xiaoxiao fell to the ground, unable to move; Su Miaoyin also collapsed to the ground, her zither shattered beside her.
After a long while, Xu Xiaoxiao spoke in a hoarse voice: "Miss Su... this time... was very enjoyable."
Su Miaoyin smiled weakly: "Indeed...it was exhilarating. Regardless of winning or losing, I hope we can continue to hone our skills in the future."
After saying this, the two smiled at each other and waited for the referee to announce the final result.