Chapter 874: Semifinals! (1/2)
Chapter 874: Semifinals!
“I’m gonna kill you!” raged Li Ling’er. Subconsciously, she had already superimposed Meng Hao’s image over Fang Mu. She didn’t realize that this had happened, as the sudden intense pain in that specific region left her with no time for deep consideration.
Just when she had been about to attack, agonizing pain sent her staggering backward. At the same time, the long spear whistled through the air and came to a stop right in front of her forehead.
Meng Hao looked down at her coldly. After the previous incident, his mother had told him that Li Ling’er was the same Princess Ling’er whose hair he had lit on fire as a child. He also knew that his Grandpa Fang had arranged for the two of them to be married.
However, Meng Hao did not approve of such an agreement. He only had one wife, and that was Xu Qing.
Li Ling’er trembled as she felt the coldness radiating off of the spear that was pointed at her forehead. A sensation of imminent death washed over her, and she knew that if she didn’t say the two words that Meng Hao was expecting to hear, the spearhead would unhesitatingly stab directly into her forehead.
“I don’t want to kill you,” Meng Hao said coolly. Actually, there was something else that he wanted to say…. He still had Li Ling’er’s promissory note in his bag of holding, so until he got his spirit stones, he needed her alive.
If she died, who would repay the spirit stones…?
Li Ling’er glared at Meng Hao, her ample chest rising and falling as she breathed heavily. Finally, she gritted her teeth and slowly said the two words.
“I concede.” Immediately, she vanished, then reappeared on the next layer of leaves. She had not lost her chance to get into the semifinals. If she won out in the following three matches, she would still have that opportunity.
After all, this first round was only to determine who was in the top 4 and the bottom 4.
Immediately, the crowds in the Ninth Mountain and Sea began to comment.
“Fang Mu beat Li Ling’er!”
“He’ll definitely be in the top 4! Li Ling’er is a Chosen of the Li Clan, and will without doubt become a true Immortal in the future. I even heard that she’s never been beaten before, and that a fight between her and Fan Dong’er once ended in a draw!”
“This Fang Mu is invincible!”
Meng Hao was actually not the first person to secure a win. Shockingly, the first battle to end was the one between Zhao Yifan and the hulking man from the Kunlun Society.
That battle had been just as astonishing as Meng Hao’s fight just now, and had drawn quite a bit of attention. When the man from the Kunlun Society attacked, he used an enormous chain of mountains. Even he himself seemed like a mountain, completely impervious to all attacks.
However, Zhao Yifan was also a terrifying figure, which became clearly apparent in their battle. He only used six Earth-shattering sword moves in the fight. Each sword attack was more shocking than the one before it, and they slashed down onto the mountains, severely injuring the big man from the Kunlun Society.
The final sword blow was so powerful that the man from the Kunlun Society was powerless to resist it. His mountains exploded, and were it not for the fact that Zhao Yifan was holding back his killing intent, the man would definitely have been slain.
The battle’s result caused quite a commotion in the outside world. Unfortunately, the Patriarchs in the starry sky palace were not watching the arena matches, but instead were focused on the white-robed woman. Their expressions were a mix of reverence and other complex emotions.
Booming sounds continued to rattle out as the garrulous old man, one of the trial by fire competitors, fought against the young man from the Burning Incense Stick Society. Although their ages were different, both of them gave off the feeling that they were hustlers of some kind.
One of them didn’t attack, but rather, constantly mumbled and chattered madly at his opponents, frothing at the mouth. The other smiled and transmitted words into his opponent’s minds, causing them to fall down and worship him. In fact, even after those battles ended, the opponents would continue to look piously at the young man from down below on the lowest layer of leaves.
When they fought, they didn’t engage in close quarter fighting. Instead, they sat down cross-legged and looked at each other. Although nothing usual seemed to be going on, those who were in the know understood that they were currently in an extremely ruthless showdown.
“A battle of divine will!”
“The Burning Incense Stick Society excels in the use of divine will. They coalesce the will of many living things to become their Dao of burning incense. Xie Yixian is a Chosen of the Burning Incense Stick Society, and supposedly, he’s in the running to become Dao Child! His strength in divine will is spectacular!” [1. Xie Yixian’s name in Chinese is 谢一仙 xiè yī xiān. Xie is a surname which also means ‘thanks.” Yi means ‘one,’ and Xian means ‘Immortal’]
“If I remember correctly, the old man’s name is Qian Duoduo. He… is actually going to participate in a divine will contest with Xie Yixian from the Burning Incense Stick Society!” [2. Qian Duoduo’s name in Chinese is 钱多多 qián duō duō. Qian is a surname which also means ‘money.’ Both Duo characters mean ‘many’ or ‘more’]
On the other battleground, Fan Dong’er was facing the young man from the Paleo-Immortal Mausoleum. Fierce fighting raged between the two of them, and the face of the young man from the Paleo-Immortal Mausoleum twisted with passion. His eyes seemed capable of melting any coldness, but what had driven him mad was not Fan Dong’er. Rather, part of the mist behind Fan Dong’er had been scattered during the course of the fighting to reveal the female corpse behind her.
“That is… the most beautiful corpse I have seen in my entire life!” murmured the young man. Seven coffins were arrayed in front of him, all of them opened to reveal seven corpses, which he was using to fight Fan Dong’er.
Fan Dong’er was on the verge of going mad. Right now, there was nothing she hated more in the world than corpses, and the look in her opponent’s eyes filled her with revulsion.
Booms rang out, and time slipped by. The white-robed woman continued to float above the Dao Tree, coldly watching the cultivators in the arena matches. It was impossible to tell what she might be thinking.
After a long moment passed, a boom rattled out next to Fan Dong’er, and the young man coughed up a mouthful of blood. He fell back, and as he did, a black hair suddenly appeared in his hand. It did not belong to Fan Dong’er, but rather, the female corpse.
Fan Dong’er’s face twisted into a unsightly expression as the mist behind her vanished. The white-robed corpse was now clearly visible to everyone who was watching in the Ninth Mountain and Sea.
[caption id=”attachment_72975” align=”aligncenter” width=”580”] Official ISSTH art of Fan Dong'er[/caption]
“I concede!” cried the young man from the Paleo-Immortal Mausoleum. He coughed up some more blood, but his face was plastered with a look of enchantment. He held the hair up to his nose and inhaled deeply, then carefully put the hair away. Eyes burning, he looked over at the female corpse behind Fan Dong’er.
“She is my true love. Fan Dong’er, you better take good care of her.” With that, the young man vanished to appear on the set of leaves for the bottom contenders among the top 8. However, he continued to look down at the corpse, intoxicated.
Discussions immediately rose up among the audiences in the Ninth Mountain and Sea.