154: Chapter 154 Laying the Net
Liu Qing's figure constantly shifted positions on the arena, dodging left and right, looking extremely disheveled.
Wang Hao's speed grew faster and faster; as he brandished his long saber, blade light radiated in all directions, chasing Liu Qing across the entire field.
Liu Qing already had several wounds on her body—her left arm, right shoulder, and back; her school uniform was cut in multiple places, and blood seeped out, but she gritted her teeth and endured, never stopping.
"Surrender!"
Wang Hao pounced from the side, his long saber thrusting directly at Liu Qing's throat.
Liu Qing dodged sideways; the blade tip grazed her neck, leaving a shallow bloodstain.
In the stands, Qian Duoduo stomped his feet in anxiety.
"Why is Liu Qing just running and not fighting?"
Lin Fan stared at the arena, a mischievous smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
"Soon."
On the arena, Wang Hao's patience finally ran out.
Wang Hao's patience finally ran out.
He withdrew his Clones and stood his true body in place, holding the long saber above his head with his right hand as the silver-white light on the blade surged.
"Phantom Domain!" He shouted lowly, slamming the long saber into the ground.
Silver-white light spread from the blade tip, enveloping the entire arena.
Within the Domain, countless blade lights appeared out of thin eye, slashing toward Liu Qing from all directions.
There was nowhere to hide.
Liu Qing stopped her footsteps, no longer dodging.
She looked up, the corners of her mouth curling slightly, and lightly hooked her finger.
Wang Hao's body suddenly stiffened.
He looked down and found that he had been entangled by countless silver-white threads as fine as hair at some unknown point.
Wrists, elbows, shoulders, waist, knees, ankles—every joint was tightly bound by threads, the other ends of which were connected to the pillars around the arena, cracks in the ground, and invisible fulcrums in mid-air.
He tried to struggle, and the threads immediately tightened, cutting into his skin and drawing beads of blood.
"This is..." Wang Hao's pupils constricted slightly.
Liu Qing lightly pulled her left index finger; Wang Hao's right hand was pulled by the thread, causing the long saber to veer off course, its tip pointing down as it stabbed into the arena floor, and the Phantom Domain abruptly collapsed.
Liu Qing pulled her middle finger; Wang Hao's left hand was pulled behind him, forcing his whole body to turn.
Liu Qing pulled her ring finger; Wang Hao's right leg was pulled back, forcing him to kneel on one knee.
Liu Qing pulled her pinky; Wang Hao's neck was constricted by a thread, forcing his head back and exposing his throat to the air.
The entire process took less than three seconds.
Wang Hao was like a marionette, controlled by Liu Qing's threads, unable to move.
In the stands, Qian Duoduo's mouth hung open. "When did she set the net?"
Lin Fan smiled.
"From the very beginning. Every dodge, every roll, every time she escaped his blade, she was setting the net. Wang Hao only saw her distress, not her left hand. The threads of the Blue-Faced Jorōgumo are as fine as hair and almost invisible to the naked eye; by the time the net is set, the prey can no longer escape."
Liu Qing walked up to Wang Hao and looked down at him.
"Your blade is sharp, but your eyes aren't very good."
She raised her right hand, and the vines of the Ink-scale Ghost Vine Flower erupted from the ground, wrapping around Wang Hao's wrist that held the long saber and prying the weapon from his hand.
The long saber fell to the ground, dissipating into motes of light as the Armorization of the Phantom Mantis automatically deactivated.
Wang Hao knelt on one knee, his entire body bound by threads, unable to move.
He looked up at Liu Qing, his lips moving as if to say something, but the thread on his throat was too tight, and he only managed a raspy wheeze.
The referee walked over, glanced at Wang Hao's condition, and raised his hand.
"Wang Hao has lost the ability to fight. Second match, Liu Qing from Dongyun City First High School wins!"
Deafening applause erupted from the stands.
Liu Qing retracted the threads, the vines receded into the ground, and she walked off the arena.
She was covered in wounds, her school uniform cut in several places, and blood stained half of her sleeve, but she stood tall with a calm gaze.
Ye Wushuang handed her bandages and a potion; she took them, downed the potion first, then bit one end of the bandage to start wrapping her wounds.
Qian Duoduo wanted to help but was glared back by her.
Lin Fan stood up and looked at her. "Good work. For the third match, you surrender immediately."
Liu Qing nodded; she had already won two matches, and with one more, they could successfully advance.
Meanwhile, Beichuan City First High School had already lost two matches, so they would definitely send their strongest member next to fight for a chance.
In her current state, she definitely couldn't do it; if she forced herself, it would instead affect the subsequent matches.
Ten minutes later.
The referee's voice rang out above the arena.
"Third match, Liu Qing from Dongyun City First High School versus Han Feng from Beichuan City First High School. Please, both contestants, take the stage."
Liu Qing stood up and raised her hand to the referee. "I surrender."
The whole venue fell silent for a moment, followed by a buzz of discussion.
The referee glanced at her, then toward the Beichuan City contestants' seating area, and nodded.
"Third match, Liu Qing forfeits. Han Feng from Beichuan City First High School wins. The current score is 2 to 1, with Dongyun City First High School leading."
In the Beichuan City seating area, Han Feng's face was so gloomy it looked like it could drip water.
He had thought Wang Hao could take a round, but he hadn't expected him to be taken down by the opponent instead.
If he lost this fourth match, Beichuan City First High School would be directly eliminated.
He stood up, took off his jacket and threw it to the girl beside him, revealing a black short-sleeved shirt underneath, his muscle lines clearly defined.
He cracked his neck with a series of pops and walked toward the arena.
On the Dongyun City First High School side, Ye Wushuang stood up.
"I'll take this one."
Lin Fan made a "please" gesture and saw him off to the stage with a smile.
Ye Wushuang walked toward the arena expressionlessly.
The two stood still in the center of the arena.
The referee raised his hand.
"Fourth match, Ye Wushuang from Dongyun City First High School versus Han Feng from Beichuan City First High School. Start!"
As soon as the referee finished speaking, Han Feng moved.
His right hand rose, and a dark blue light surged from his palm; a semi-transparent dark blue bracer covered him from his fingertips to his wrist, its surface marked with fine hexagonal grid patterns like a honeycomb.
A slit opened in his palm, and countless tiny ice crystals poured out, condensing in the air into fist-sized Ice Crystal Bees.
His right eye lit up at the same time, an ice-blue light spreading from the socket to cover the entire eye.
His right pupil turned ice-blue, with intricate snowflake patterns slowly rotating deep within.
Immediately after, his left leg rose, and a dark grey light spread from his thigh to his ankle.
Finally, his head; a semi-transparent ice-blue crown condensed before his forehead, shaped like ice crystals with a snowflake-shaped gemstone embedded in the center.
Lin Fan's left eye heated up slightly as Han Feng's information surfaced in his vision.
[Name]: Han Feng
[Rank]: Rank 46 Armor King
[Armor Spirit]:
1. Ice Crystal Bee Queen, Rank 42 Heaven Spirit (Mid-grade).
Armorization Part: Right Hand.
Armor Abilities: Swarm Summoning, Bee King Summoning, Ice Spike Shot, Honeycomb Armor, Bee Venom Infusion.
2. Farsight Ice Falcon, Rank 41 Heaven Spirit (Low-grade).
Armorization Part: Right Eye.
Armor Skills: Extreme Cold Vision, Ice Crystal Lock, Cold Current Perception, Ice Crystal Refraction, Blizzard Warning.
3. Frost Earth Dragon, Rank 44 Heaven Spirit (Low-grade).
Armorization Part: Left Leg.
Skills: Extreme Cold Domain, Frost Nova, Earth-cleaving Ice Spike, Dragon Might Pressure, Ice Armor Art.
4. Cold Soul Spiritual Plant, Rank 39 Earth Spirit (High-grade).
Armorization Part: Head.
Skills: Summoning Amplification, Ice Crystal Shield, King's Will, Frost Blessing.
Lin Fan raised an eyebrow slightly; this kind of combat style was quite interesting.