Chapter 615 - 611: Lin Qingyin VS Chu Jinghong
Chapter 615: Chapter 611: Lin Qingyin VS Chu Jinghong
The instant the word "Begin" was spoken—
Lin Qingyin was the first to move.
She took a step forward, and the White Jade Platform beneath her feet trembled violently. A tremendous aura, far surpassing the Early First Grade, erupted from within her.
The sheer power of her aura revealed she was at the Late Stage of First Grade!
BOOM—!
Lin Qingyin infused her palm with the Inner Qi of the Late Stage of First Grade and struck.
This was no probing attack. She struck with her full power.
As her palm sliced through the air, the condensed Palm Force drew in the surrounding currents, forming a nearly transparent Palm Seal before her hand.
The Palm Seal was about the size of a millstone, yet it was so condensed it looked solid. It carried a terrifying might, as if it could shatter mountains, and it shot straight for Chu Jinghong.
As the Palm Seal passed, it created a series of ear-piercing sonic booms and left a faint scorch mark on the White Jade Platform.
The power of this palm strike, much like Qin Yuan’s, had shockingly surpassed the limits of a Third Breakthrough Martial Artist and was approaching the Grandmaster Realm.
"What a Palm Technique!"
A glint of light flashed in Chu Jinghong’s eyes. For the first time, his expression grew serious.
He didn’t retreat or dodge. Instead, his right hand closed around the sword hilt at his waist.
CLANG—
The sword left its scabbard with a ring like a dragon’s cry. The clear, melodious sound instantly filled the entire arena.
The blade was a pale purple, glowing with a subdued light. A solid-looking purple Sword Qi condensed at its tip.
Chu Jinghong thrust his sword out.
Just like her, this was no probing attack. He struck with his full power.
He poured the immense Inner Qi of the Late Stage of First Grade into his blade without reservation. The Sword Qi surged, transforming into a bolt of purple light that looked as if it could rip a hole in the void itself as it shot fearlessly toward the Palm Seal.
Where the sword light passed, it tore a pitch-black rift several yards long in the air.
The rift lingered, refusing to close, and emitted a low whine. It was as if space itself was groaning in agony from the strike.
BOOM—!!!
The Palm Seal and the Sword Qi collided violently in mid-air, creating a world-shaking explosion.
The sound was so intense that the entire arena shook violently. The eardrums of countless spectators rang, and they instinctively covered their ears.
A visible shockwave erupted from the point of impact, spreading wildly in all directions.
Where the shockwave passed, the air warped into visible ripples, and even light itself seemed to bend under the force.
Watching from below the stage, Fang Han’s expression changed drastically as he scrambled backward.
Even so, the blast of air that washed over him made his breath catch in his throat, as if an invisible sledgehammer had slammed into his chest.
In the stands, the teacups in front of the three Princes and Princesses shook violently, spilling a few drops of tea.
The Third Prince Chu Yuanchen’s pupils constricted slightly, a look of confirmation appearing in his gentle eyes.
"So their combat strength really has surpassed the Third Breakthrough, rivaling that of a Grandmaster!"
Before the dust had even settled, the two figures on the platform clashed once more.
Lin Qingyin moved like lightning. She struck with both hands, her palms a blur of afterimages that filled the air with countless Palm Seals.
Each Palm Seal was incredibly dense, carrying the terrifying might to shatter mountains as they converged on Chu Jinghong from all sides.
The Palm Wind was tempestuous. The very air on the Battle Platform seemed to churn under her Palm Force, forming visible vortexes.
New scorch marks constantly appeared on the White Jade Platform. They were the remnants of her Palm Wind, a dense, crisscrossing network of burns.
Chu Jinghong held his ground. The longsword in his hand became a spinning wheel of light, its layers forming a dense, purple Sword Curtain.
The Sword Curtain looked ethereal, but it was incomparably sharp. Each flicker of light tore another pitch-black rift in the air.
Lin Qingyin’s Palm Seals crashed against the Sword Curtain, creating an unending series of rumbles, but they could not penetrate its defense.
CLANG CLANG CLANG CLANG—!
The explosive sound of Palm Force and Sword Qi colliding echoed like rolling thunder, spreading out in wave after wave.
The two figures moved in a blur across the platform, a purple light and a pale green light clashing, weaving, and annihilating each other in a frenzy.
Each collision unleashed terrifying aftershocks powerful enough to make an ordinary First Grade Martial Artist’s blood run cold.
The scorch and sword marks on the White Jade Platform grew denser. Though unable to damage the platform itself, they left behind a clear, scorched pattern.
In the stands, there was dead silence.
The gazes of a hundred thousand people were fixed on the two rapidly moving figures, their breathing seemingly suspended.
A battle of this caliber was completely beyond their wildest imaginations.
An ordinary First Grade Martial Artist likely wouldn’t be able to withstand a single exchange in a fight like this.
Below the stage, Qin Yuan stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his calm gaze fixed on the platform.
For the first time, a truly grave expression appeared in his deep eyes. ’These two both possess the strength to make me take them seriously.’
’Their combat power is nearly on par with a Grandmaster’s!’
Fang Han had retreated to a safe distance, his eyes locked on the two figures on the platform.
He had seen a Grandmaster in action, but that was nowhere near as stunning as this fight.
It wasn’t that their combat power surpassed that of a Grandmaster. Rather, Grandmasters were of an older generation; it was expected for them to be terrifyingly powerful. But these two were his peers, part of the younger generation.
On the platform, the battle had already lasted over a hundred exchanges.
Lin Qingyin’s breathing grew slightly ragged, and fine beads of sweat formed on her temples.
Sustaining such a high-intensity, full-power assault was a great strain, even for a Late-stage First Grade Martial Artist.
But the fighting spirit in her clear, elegant eyes only burned hotter.
She took a deep breath. Her Inner Qi surged, and her hands flew through a Sealing Technique before she thrust out her palm.
This palm strike contained the entirety of her enlightenment on the Mountain and River Realm.
A massive Palm Seal, dozens of feet wide, materialized from thin air. It was so solid that the lines on it were clearly visible, even the fine lines of a palm print.
It shot toward Chu Jinghong, carrying a terrifying pressure that seemed capable of shattering the very heavens and earth!
As the Palm Seal flew, it compressed the air into a visible white mist and let out a piercing sonic boom.
Chu Jinghong’s pupils constricted, but he did not retreat.
He took a deep breath and held his longsword horizontally before him. The purple light on the blade flared violently.
The next moment, he slashed out with his sword.
This slash seemed to contain the entirety of his enlightenment on the Rainbow Sword Intent.
The purple sword light transformed into a beam several yards long. It carried a sense of finality, as if it could sever fate and destiny itself, as it flew fearlessly toward the Palm Seal.
TSS—BOOM!!!
First came a faint but sharp tearing sound, like cloth being ripped down the middle.
It was followed by a world-shaking explosion!
The massive Palm Seal had been sliced clean in two by the purple sword light.
The two terrifying powers collided and annihilated each other in a frenzy. The resulting shockwave swept outward like an apocalyptic tsunami, causing the entire Battle Platform to tremble so violently it seemed on the verge of collapse.
The shockwave continued unabated, sweeping ferociously toward the stands. A gale tore through the audience, whipping at their clothes.
On the platform, the dust settled, revealing two figures.
One figure stood with sword in hand, his robes whipping in the wind.
It was Chu Jinghong.
The other figure was Lin Qingyin. She stood in place, her face slightly pale, as blood dripped from her hand.
She was silent for a moment before speaking, her voice hoarse but calm.
"I lost."
Chu Jinghong sheathed his sword and gave a slight nod.
"Thank you for the match."
The red-robed elder’s voice rang out in the arena:
"The winner is Chu Jinghong of Cangwu County."
After a moment of stunned silence, the stands erupted with thunderous discussion.
"Chu Jinghong won!"
"They’re both at the Late Stage of First Grade and showed power beyond the Third Breakthrough, almost at the Grandmaster level. But Chu Jinghong was the one who won in the end!"
"Chu Jinghong’s final slash was terrifying! It felt like I was facing a Grandmaster!"
"Tomorrow, Qin Yuan versus Chu Jinghong... Who will win?"
"Qin Yuan and Chu Jinghong are both at the Late Stage of First Grade and can unleash power beyond the Third Breakthrough. Who knows who will win? It’s hard to say."
"My money’s on Qin Yuan. The power of his Saber Technique is no less than Chu Jinghong’s Swordsmanship. He beat this year’s biggest dark horse, Fang Han, with a single strike!"
"I’m betting on Chu Jinghong. The fact that Chu Jinghong could defeat Lin Qingyin proves he’s the strongest of the three!"
When the red-robed elder announced the end of the day’s matches, the crowd began to disperse, but the buzz of discussion lingered long after.
Fang Han walked out of the arena with Luo Yuntian, Liu Bai, and Mad Saber, heading toward the Royal Villa along the wide streets of the Imperial Capital.
There were more pedestrians on the street than usual, most of them spectators who had just left the arena.
They gathered in small groups, passionately discussing the day’s matches, especially the climactic duel between Lin Qingyin and Chu Jinghong.
"Tomorrow, Qin Yuan versus Chu Jinghong, who do you think will win?"
"Hard to say. They’re too evenly matched."
The discussions ebbed and flowed, a constant murmur in the air.
Hearing these discussions, Luo Yuntian became curious and turned to Fang Han.
"Senior Brother Fang, who do you think will win tomorrow’s battle between Qin Yuan and Chu Jinghong?"
Liu Bai and the others also turned to look at Fang Han, clearly eager to hear his opinion.
Fang Han fell silent for a moment, thinking, then slowly shook his head.
"Chu Jinghong won his fight against Lin Qingyin today, but it wasn’t an easy victory. And judging from Qin Yuan’s strike earlier, his strength should be about on par with Chu Jinghong’s."
"In tomorrow’s battle, either of them could win."
Luo Yuntian pondered this for a moment, then slowly nodded. "That’s true..."
...
「On the tenth day, at the break of dawn.」
The entire arena was already filled with a surging tide of people. Not a single one of the hundred thousand seats was empty; even the aisles were packed.
The din of the crowd was like a physical tsunami, crashing in wave after wave over the arena, making the very air tremble.
Today was the final battle of the Martial Arts Assembly.
Qin Yuan, versus, Chu Jinghong.
The red-robed elder walked slowly to the center of the Battle Platform, his gaze sweeping over the only two figures remaining below.
Qin Yuan stood on the left side of the Battle Platform, hands clasped behind his back. His dark gold martial uniform held a subdued sheen in the morning light. A long saber hung at his waist, and his expression was as calm as still water.
His deep eyes gazed at his opponent, showing no ripple of emotion, only a bottomless tranquility.
Chu Jinghong stood on the right side of the Battle Platform. His moon-white robe was perfectly still, an ancient longsword hung at his waist, and his expression was cold and aloof.
In his calm eyes, there was likewise no flicker of emotion, only a pure, sharp battle intent, like the edge of a blade.
The red-robed elder’s voice was not loud, but it carried clearly to everyone’s ears.
"The final round. The tenth round of battle. The rules are unchanged. The winner will be crowned champion of this Martial Arts Assembly."
"Qin Yuan of Longxing County, versus, Chu Jinghong of Cangwu County."
A hundred thousand pairs of eyes converged on the two figures.
Qin Yuan and Chu Jinghong ascended the platform simultaneously.
They faced each other from dozens of yards away. Qin Yuan slowly raised his hand, gripping the saber hilt at his waist.
Chu Jinghong also raised his hand, gripping the sword hilt at his waist.