162: Qin Shuang lost her composure: What the hell is this fight about!

On the Viewing Platform, Crown Prince Xia Yuan's brows furrowed slightly.

He glanced at his sister beside him, who looked calm as if everything had nothing to do with her, and a trace of coldness flashed in his eyes.

"Your Highness, the Grand Princess's move is quite ruthless," Elder Xuan whispered behind him.

"She wants to use nostalgia and old acquaintances to shake Young Master Li's state of mind."

"Narrow-minded, low-level tactics, nothing more." Xia Yuan shook his head, his voice flat.

"She thinks she can influence Li Qing like this? She underestimates Li Qing too much, and overestimates herself."

His gaze shifted toward the contestant preparation area.

There, a black-clad figure still sat quietly on a stone bench, eyes closed to rest his spirit, as if the sky-shaking clamor outside had absolutely nothing to do with him.

Meanwhile, in another corner of the contestant preparation area...

A beautiful woman dressed in white with a long sword on her back and a cold Aura felt her delicate body tremble violently the moment she saw the result on the light screen.

It was Qin Shuang!

In an instant, her expression became incredibly complex.

There was astonishment, resentment, bitterness, and a trace of secret anticipation that even she couldn't explain.

It's him.

It's actually him!

She had watched every single one of his matches over the past few days.

The geniuses of the Royal Capital were as numerous as clouds, with powerhouses emerging one after another.

Although she was confident, she also knew that with her strength, if she was lucky, she might pass the first round, but she definitely wouldn't get far.

But she never imagined that her opponent in the first round would be that man.

The man who had brought her endless shock and an endless sense of defeat.

She longed to fight him, to know just how large the gap between them still was.

But she didn't want it to be under these circumstances.

She didn't want to be a pawn in someone else's hand used to deal with him.

"Sigh!"

She let out a faint sigh, and her hand gripping the sword hilt couldn't help but tighten.

And as the center of this storm, Li Qing finally, slowly, opened his eyes.

He glanced at the two names side-by-side on the light screen, his face showing no expression whatsoever.

He simply stood up.

Then, step by step, he walked toward that massive obsidian arena.

Following Li Qing's footsteps, the sky-shaking clamor of the entire Martial Arena gradually subsided.

Hundreds of thousands of gazes converged upon him.

There was curiosity, awe, worry, and also schadenfreude.

His expression was indifferent, his steps composed.

That invisible Aura, as if he didn't care about anything, made countless people look his way.

"He's the Crown Prince's Guest Elder, Li Qing? Seeing him is truly better than hearing about him; this bearing is definitely not something an ordinary person could have!"

"Hmph, just putting on an act! Let's see how he acts when he meets a real expert later!"

"I wonder how that Qin Shuang will fight. Will she surrender directly, or just put up a symbolic fight?"

Amidst the crowd's discussions, Qin Shuang also moved.

She took a deep breath, suppressing the chaotic thoughts in her heart, and also stepped forward, walking onto the arena.

Dressed in white as pure as snow, with an ancient long sword on her back and a cold face, she was like a Moon Palace Fairy, standing solitary and independent from the world.

The moment she stood on this massive arena facing Li Qing from a distance, everyone's eyes lit up.

A golden boy and a jade girl, a match made in heaven.

Unfortunately, today, they were opponents.

"Li Qing."

Qin Shuang looked at the youth before her, who was both familiar and strange. Her red lips parted slightly, her voice cold yet carrying a hint of complexity.

"Long time no see."

"Mm."

Li Qing only gave a faint response, his words as precious as gold.

Actually, it wasn't quite right; if he remembered correctly, it had only been a few days.

This cold attitude caused Qin Shuang's heart to twitch.

She bit her lip; now was not the time for romance.

At this moment, a trace of unyielding Battle Intent ignited in her eyes.

She knew she was not his opponent.

But she, Qin Shuang, also had her own pride!

She could lose, but she absolutely could not surrender without a fight!

She would use her strongest strike to tell everyone, and to tell the man before her, that she, Qin Shuang, was also a Prodigy!

She wanted him to look at her properly!

"Qiang—!"

A clear sword cry rang through the clouds!

Qin Shuang drew the long sword from her back. The blade was like a pool of autumn water, flashing with a grim cold light under the sun.

An incredibly sharp Sword Intent surged from her body toward the sky!

Peak of Condensing Essence Realm!

Moreover, it was a top-tier Peak of Condensing Essence Realm with an incredibly solid Foundation, where her Sword Intent had already touched the threshold of the Meridian Opening Realm!

At this age, and being a girl from a relatively poor town...

To be able to reach this Martial Artist Realm with such solid strength despite limited resources, she was truly a Prodigy.

"Such strong Sword Intent! This Qin Shuang is also a remarkable Genius!"

"What a pity her opponent is that monster Li Qing!"

On the Viewing Platform, many big figures with sharp eyes couldn't help but express praise and regret.

On the arena, Qin Shuang's Aura had already climbed to its peak.

She didn't waste any more words. With a flick of her long sword, her entire being became like an arrow leaving a bow, shooting toward Li Qing!

"Startling Swan Strike!"

As soon as she moved, it was a Yellow Rank High Grade Martial Skill, her strongest killing move from three years of hard cultivation!

Her figure pulled out streaks of white afterimages in mid-air, and the long sword in her hand transformed into a gracefully dancing swan. The sword light flashed, reaching the pinnacle of speed, beauty, and danger!

That sharp Sword Qi even carved fine white marks into the hard obsidian arena.

This single strike was enough to insta-kill any opponent of the same rank!

Facing this world-shaking sword strike, Li Qing's face still bore that calm, unruffled expression.

He didn't even lift an eyelid.

He just stood there quietly, hands behind his back, as if he didn't see the lethal sword light that was enough to tear through steel.

It had to be said, Qin Shuang had both the strength and the looks.

She was truly worthy of being the second-ranked Genius of Jinling City!

Arrogant!

Too arrogant!

Everyone was shocked by Li Qing's overconfident posture.

On the platform, Crown Prince Xia Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Interesting, let's see how strong Li Qing really is!

Meanwhile, a cold sneer curled on Grand Princess Xia Qingyue's lips.

The scheme worked; Li Qing is reluctant to strike!

She could almost see the tragic scene of Li Qing's heart being pierced by this sword, his black clothes stained red with blood.

However, in the next second...

A scene that made everyone's eyes bulge, an unforgettable moment, occurred.

"Ding—!!!"

An extremely crisp sound, like pearls dropping onto a jade plate, abruptly rang out on the massive arena.

Qin Shuang's Startling Swan Strike, which gathered all her essence, energy, and spirit and was enough to split mountains and rocks, stabbed solidly into Li Qing's chest.