159: Chapter 159: Internal Battle of the Four Strongest! The Absolute Dominance of the Eastern Glory Team One!
In the second match of the quarterfinals, Bai Qianer pulled off a stunning upset by defeating Shi Potian with her exquisite illusion techniques, successfully advancing to the semifinals!
This result once again ignited the entire arena!
Donghuang First Team had already secured two semifinal spots in advance!
After a brief rest, Deputy Director Lu Mingyu did not give the contestants much time to catch their breath.
He directly announced, "The remaining two quarterfinal matches will proceed immediately! The third match: Lu Chenxin (Donghuang First Team) VS Li Chenyuan (Kyoto First Team)!"
This was yet another marquee battle!
Sword Heart Clarity VS Slaughter Blade Heart!
It also carried an element of seeking 'revenge' for their teammate Chen Ye!
The two stepped onto the arena.
Lu Chenxin, dressed in white robes with a long sword in hand, had eyes as calm as still water. His Cloud-Piercing Sword Intent was restrained, yet it gave off an unfathomable feeling.
Li Chenyuan held his blood-red saber, a fierce killing aura swirling around him, his gaze icy.
Having just defeated Chen Ye, his momentum was at its peak.
"Lu Chenxin, can your sword withstand my Slaughter Blade?" Li Chenyuan's voice was hoarse, tinged with provocation.
Lu Chenxin glanced at him indifferently, "A sword is not meant to block, but to break. Make your move."
"Arrogant! Slaughter Blade Domain! Unleash!" Li Chenyuan roared.
A dark red domain instantly expanded. The bloody killing intent, almost tangible, madly assaulted Lu Chenxin's mind!
"Cloud-Piercing Sword Domain!" Lu Chenxin's sword emitted a soft hum. A sky-blue sword domain unfolded, like a gentle breeze parting clouds, silently dissolving the killing will into nothingness.
His Sword Heart Clarity remained unperturbed by external evils.
"Boundless Sea of Blood!" Li Chenyuan slashed out with his saber. An intangible tide of slaughtering will surged forth!
Lu Chenxin advanced instead of retreating, his body moving with his sword, the sword light flashing like lightning!
[Cloud-Piercing Sword Art, Third Form — Sudden Rain Striking Duckweed]!
In that instant, countless fine, swift sword lights poured out like a torrential downpour,
precisely striking the weak points of the Slaughter Saber Intent, dismantling it layer by layer!
"What?!" Li Chenyuan was startled. Lu Chenxin's sword was faster, more accurate, and steadier than during the team competition!
Moreover, did he have a deeper understanding of his Slaughter Saber Intent now?
Of course, he didn't know that after watching his battle with Chen Ye,
Lu Chenxin had already thoroughly analyzed the operational patterns of the Slaughter Saber Intent by combining it with his own Sword Heart!
"Layered Peaks Amidst a Thousand Clouds!" Lu Chenxin's sword momentum shifted again. The sword lights layered upon each other,
like rolling clouds and seas, wave after wave, completely submerging Li Chenyuan's saber momentum!
Each layer of sword light contained the resolute will to pierce through clouds and mist!
Li Chenyuan was forced to retreat repeatedly, his blood saber dancing wildly, yet he found it difficult to break through the unending sword momentum!
He felt as if his Slaughter Domain had sunk into quicksand, its power greatly diminished!
"Impossible!" Li Chenyuan roared, forcibly stimulating his yuan energy. [Slaughter Saber Technique·Asura Slash]!
A blood-red saber light refined to its extreme tore through the cloud layers, cleaving straight towards Lu Chenxin!
Lu Chenxin's eyes sharpened. Man and sword became one!
[Cloud-Piercing Sword Art·Clouds Part to Reveal the Sun]!
A dazzlingly brilliant sword light, like sunlight piercing through dark clouds,
arrived later but struck first, landing with impeccable precision on the weakest point of the blood-red saber light!
*Ssshh—!*
The blood-red saber light shattered with a sound! The tip of Lu Chenxin's sword stopped before Li Chenyuan's throat.
"You... your sword..." Li Chenyuan couldn't believe it. He had lost, and so decisively!
Lu Chenxin's sword seemed to completely counter his saber!
"I concede." Lu Chenxin sheathed his sword, his tone calm, but deep in his eyes there was a flicker of satisfaction at having vented some anger for Chen Ye.
He looked towards the Donghuang First Team rest area and gave a slight nod to Chen Ye.
Chen Ye slowly unclenched his tightly gripped fist, a faint, almost imperceptible smile appearing on his cold face.
The bond between brothers needed no words.
"The third quarterfinal match: Lu Chenxin wins, advances to the semifinals!"
A third member from Donghuang First Team had broken into the semifinals!
The final quarterfinal match:
Ji Cang (Donghuang First Team) VS Wang Zhan (Kyoto First Team)!
White Tiger Blade Master VS Overlord Fist Soul!
Wang Zhan had fought his way back from the loser's bracket, his momentum soaring, his Overlord Fist Intent even more refined.
Having been tempered within the Nine Heavens Thunder Domain, Ji Cang's White Tiger Malice was now restrained, his saber intent purer and more domineering.
"Ji Cang! Let me see just how sharp your White Tiger Saber truly is!"
Wang Zhan roared, unleashing his full Overlord Fist Domain. A single punch blasted out, its intent shaking heaven and earth!
"As you wish! White Tiger World-Slaying Saber Domain!" Ji Cang drew his long saber.
The phantom of a white tiger roared. The domain of Gengjin Malice clashed head-on with the fist domain!
Saber light flowed like a bolt of silk, tearing through the air!
Both were the ultimate representatives of the fierce and direct path. Their fighting styles were hard and forceful, saber lights and fist shadows colliding wildly, the sounds of explosions unceasing!
The arena shook violently, the barrier's light screen flickering wildly!
"Overlord! Army Breaker!" Wang Zhan's fist shot out like a dragon, carrying an unstoppable, desperate momentum!
"White Tiger! Heaven-Shaking Roar!" Ji Cang's saber momentum shifted. The white tiger phantom let out a roar that shook the skies!
This roar targeted not just the physical body, but struck directly at the soul! [White Tiger World-Slaying Saber·White Tiger's Heaven-Shaking Roar]!
The tiger's roar devoured souls!
Wang Zhan's spirit wavered for a moment, causing a slight hesitation in his fist momentum!
"Tiger Hunt!" Seizing this fleeting opportunity, Ji Cang merged man and saber,
transforming into a sharp, white-gold saber light, like a fierce tiger pouncing on its prey, instantly cutting into Wang Zhan's center!
The saber light flashed!
Wang Zhan staggered back. A cut opened on the chest of his combat attire, blood seeping out.
He steadied himself, looked at the wound on his chest,
then looked at Ji Cang, whose eyes were sharp and aura even deeper. He took a deep breath and slowly lowered his fists.
"I've lost." Wang Zhan stated frankly.
Ji Cang's White Tiger Saber indeed surpassed his in terms of realm and willpower.
Especially that move, White Tiger's Heaven-Shaking Roar, was impossible to guard against.
"I concede. Brother Wang's fists are still as domineering as ever."
Ji Cang sheathed his saber and returned the courtesy.
The two exchanged a look and a smile, a sense of mutual respect between heroes.
"The fourth quarterfinal match: Ji Cang wins, advances to the semifinals!"
The final list of the four semifinalists was announced!
Zhou Heng (Donghuang First Team)
Bai Qianer (Donghuang First Team)
Lu Chenxin (Donghuang First Team)
Ji Cang (Donghuang First Team)
The entire arena fell deathly silent, then erupted into a deafening uproar!
The semifinals! Donghuang First Team had swept all four spots!
What terrifying dominance!
This was extremely rare even in the history of the Donghuang Nation's National Training Camp!
Kyoto First Team, Southwest University, Western Frontier University... all the geniuses from every other team were shut out of the semifinals!
With indisputable strength, Donghuang First Team declared their supremacy!
deputy director Lu Mingyu looked at this result, a flicker of astonishment also appearing in his eyes.
He had originally thought Zhou Heng was in a league of his own, but he hadn't expected Donghuang First Team's overall strength to have improved so dramatically!
Any one of these four, in previous tournaments, would have had the potential to win the championship!
"It seems the upcoming semifinals and finals will be civil wars within Donghuang First Team."
Lu Mingyu thought to himself, then announced:
"The semifinals will commence in half an hour! The matchups will be randomly drawn by the system!"
During the half-hour break, the atmosphere in the Donghuang First Team rest area was somewhatsubtle (subtle/awkward).
Zhou Heng, Ji Cang, Lu Chenxin, and Bai Qianer looked at each other.
Teammates who had fought side by side were about to become opponents on the arena in the blink of an eye.
"Ahem," Zhou Heng cleared his throat dryly, breaking the silence,
"Well, isn't this a case of 'coincidence opening the door for coincidence'—coincidenceArrived home (to the extreme). Are we four here to play mahjong?"
Bai Qianer giggled, "Brother Zhou Heng, you're still joking at a time like this."
Lu Chenxin shook his head helplessly, "A civil war isn't so bad. At least the championship will stay with our Donghuang."
Ji Cang stood with his arms crossed over his saber, his gaze sharp, "On the arena, we rely on our own abilities. I won't hold back."
"That's more like it!" Zhou Heng slapped his thigh,
"We're all on the same side, so let loose and fight! The winner treats everyone to a meal! But..."
He changed his tone and chuckled, "Given myextraordinary (extraordinary/superlative) strength, unparalleled past and present, and to avoid crushing your confidence, I've decided to go easy on you."
The other three simultaneously shot himdespise (disdainful/contemptuous) looks.
"How are you going easy?" Lu Chenxin raised an eyebrow.
"I won't use my spear." Zhou Heng said seriously.
The three of them had a slight change in their eyes.
"And I won't use thunder techniques either." Zhou Heng continued.
Ji Cang'scorners of the mouth (corner of his mouth) twitched.
"Hmm... I'll put away my wings too." Zhou Heng stroked his chin,
"I'll just use these fists to spar with you all. How's that? Pretty considerate, right?"
Bai Qianer: "..."
Lu Chenxin: "..."
Ji Cang: "...I thank you very much!"
This guy was clearly bragging about his strength in a roundabout way!
Without his spear, thunder techniques, or wings, he still had his Myriad Tribulations Thunder Prison Body, Eye of Thunder Punishment, and that unfathomableheritage (foundation/reserves) of his!
"Get lost!" Lu Chenxin scoldedIn a bad mood (irritably), "Stop showing off! We'll see what you're really made of on the arena!"
"Yeah, yeah!" Bai Qianer waved her small fist, "Brother Zhou Heng is too mean!"
Ji Cang simply closed his eyes, not bothering with him.
Jokes aside, all four of them understood that the upcoming civil war would be anything but easy.
Knowing each other inside out, to secure victory, they would have to bring out their true skills, even some trump cards they kept hidden.
Half an hour passed quickly.
Lu Mingyu's voice rang out, "The semifinal draw results: First match, Zhou Heng VS Bai Qianer! Second match, Lu Chenxin VS Ji Cang!"
Once the results were announced, everyone's expressions varied.
Zhou Heng versus Bai Qianer was almost universally acknowledged as the most lopsided match-up in terms of strength.
Although Bai Qianer was a dark horse, she relied primarily on illusions. Facing a monster like Zhou Heng who had no apparent weaknesses, her chances of winning were extremely low.
Meanwhile, Lu Chenxin versus Ji Cang was a true clash of titans!
Sword Heart Clarity VS White Tiger Saber Soul! Their strengths were on par, making the outcome unpredictable!
"Little Sister Qianer, don't worry, I'll be gentle." Zhou Heng winked at Bai Qianer.
Bai Qianer's face flushed slightly,He said angrily (chiding), "Brother Zhou Heng! I'm not afraid of you! My illusions are very powerful!"
Though she said that, she also knew in her heart that defeating Zhou Heng would be as difficult as reaching the heavens.
However, having made it to the semifinals, she was already very satisfied. For this match, she planned to go all out and test her limits!
On the other side, Lu Chenxin and Ji Cang exchanged a glance, blazing fighting spirit igniting in their eyes.
They had been looking forward to this battle for a long time!
The civil war within Donghuang First Team was about to begin!