98 Chapter 97: The strongest girl (2/2)
Idiots.
I suppressed a sigh as I shook my head. Obviously the two of them were waiting to see what the other was do. To be honest, they were already fighting. Not physically, but mentally. Tang Qi Hong and Bai Ning Xue were the two strongest girls in Wu Ling Academy, and they were conducting a high-level duel on the spiritual plane, analyzing and counter-analyzing each other's stances, moves and techniques. They were aware that they couldn't afford to be careless – even a single mistake would spell the difference between victory and defeat.
They were already battling each other in their minds, calculating their opponent's next move and predicting their next step. Hundreds, if not thousands of speculative exchanges had crossed the space between them, their spirits colliding, clashing and then dispersing as one died or the other, only to be replaced by counterstrategies.
Amazing.
I calmly observed, knowing that I might have to eventually face one of the two one day. I could only hope we could keep our promise and I could meet Tang Qi Hong in the finals. Otherwise, I would have to avenge her defeat…
No, don't think about it. Believe in Qi Hong. She'll surely win.
The mental exchanges continued for another tense half a minute before one of them finally made her move.
It was Bai Ning Xue who made the first move, having discovered an attack pattern that could overcome Tang Qi Hong's defenses. The latter's eyes widened, but she clamped down on her shock and reacted instantly, her divine reflexes allowing her to parry Bai Ning Xue's sword. Lightning and fire detonated against each other and both girls were thrown apart.
”Kuh!”
Tang Qi Hong gritted her teeth as she skidded back, but she twisted around and dashed forward. Flames blew up behind her, propelling her forward at high speeds, and she swung her blazing blade down on Bai Ning Xue's position. Her opponent whirled around and deflected the blade, and a golden blast of lightning surged forward.
”!”
Tang Qi Hong quickly dove to the side and rolled back to her feet, narrowly avoiding the devastating pillar of electricity that slammed into the ceiling.
”…”
Bai Ning Xue regarded her opponent for a second before she repeated her maneuver. Gripping her sword tightly, she dashed forward and slashed at Tang Qi Hong, forcing the latter back on the defensive. The two girls clashed and collided, exchanging several hundred blows in a matter of minutes, fire and lightning dancing and interweaving in a volatile tangle that scorched the ground. Electric metal struck blazing steel and detonated in large blasts of shockwaves that buffeted both combatants. Even so, neither gave ground, their movements growing faster and faster.
Bai Ning Xue stabbed forward, a bolt of lightning arcing from her blade and slamming into Tang Qi Hong. The blond girl managed to defend against it, but the fierce lightning actually knocked her sword out of her hand and rendered her helpless.
”Kuh…!”
Tang Qi Hong uttered a cry of frustration and sought to recover her weapon. However, Bai Ning Xue wasn't naïve enough to allow her to reach for her sword. She was already surging forward, her crackling sword thrusting for Qi Hong's chest.
”Nine Heavenly Armaments…spear!”
Tang Qi Hong's eyes narrowed, and she suddenly produced a flaming spear out of nowhere. Thrusting the long weapon forward, she broke apart Bai Ning Xue's attacks. Twirling her spear, she slashed down heavily, making use of her greater reach and weight to knock Bai Ning Xue off her feet. However, the silver-haired girl was too skillful to fall into such a disadvantage. Flipping her body in midair, she widened the distance between the two and swiftly recovered her balance.
”Aaaaah!”
However, like Bai Ning Xue before her, Tang Qi Hong wasn't about to give her opponent time to recover. She was already rushing forward, thrusting her spear forward.
Bai Ning Xue met her blow for blow, using her sword to deflect Tang Qi Hong's huge spear away. The two of them clashed viciously, fire and lightning clashing against each other in a violent maelstrom that threatened to tear apart the coliseum. The two of them fought, Tang Qi Hong slowly overpowering Bai Ning Xue.
It was only natural. A spear had an overwhelming advantage over a sword, in terms of reach, weight and power. The only reason why Bai Ning Xue was able to hold her own so far was because of her peerless swordsmanship and impeccable defense. Even then, she was riding along a precarious slope. One mistake, one single slip, and she would lose.
Her brow furrowed, the only sign that Bai Ning Xue was taken by surprise. However, she focused on warding away Tang Qi Hong's barrage before counterattacking with a storm of lightning that forced Tang Qi Hong back.
Boom!
The ground sizzled as Bai Ning Xue bathed the area in devastating lightning. Tang Qi Hong responded by swinging her spear and unleashing a torrent of flames that scorched the space between them, but Bai Ning Xue defended against it by slicing the inferno apart with her lightning-wreathed sword. The two sprang apart, with Bai Ning Xue quickly widening the distance and focusing on long-ranged attacks. Raising her sword, she fired off quick but slightly weak lightning bolts in Tang Qi Hong's direction. Qi Hong merely twirled her spear around like a shield and deflected every last electric projectile, rendering them ineffective.
”Hu…”
Bai Ning Xue took a deep breath as she studied her opponent. Tang Qi Hong took a step forward, but Bai Ning Xue instantly backed off, maintaining the distance between them. She didn't just stay away – while she waltzed around the coliseum, she hurled several swift bolts of lightning to force Tang Qi Hong back in the defensive.
”Do you really think that will work againt me?”
After repelling the latest bombardment, Tang Qi Hong snarled and stabbed her spear into the ground. Producing a bow, she fired off consecutive barrages of flaming arrows. Bai Ning Xue's eyes widened briefly and she backed off while slashing with her sword to cut down approaching flaming arrows. Lightning crackled around her in a protective aura, disintegrating whatever arrows she couldn't knock away with her sword.
”…you are strong…”
Bai Ning Xue whispered softly to herself, almost inaudible. Tang Qi Hong was too focused on taking out her opponent that she didn't hear her words. Instead, she unleashed a second volley that saturated the area with her flaming arrows, leaving her opponent no space to evade.
”…”
Bai Ning Xue didn't panic or flinch. Instead, she stood her ground and deflected all the attacks with a splendid display of her sword. Her arms disappearing into golden blurs, she slashed, cut and sliced down incoming arrows, preventing the fiery projectiles from ever reaching her.
”Divine Thunder Tiger Formula: Thunder Tiger Crash.”
For a moment, it appeared as if thunderclouds had appeared above the two combatants, gathering at the top of the coliseum and blotting out the ceiling. Electricity crackled and flashed across the dark clouds before slamming down around Bai Ning Xue in a tangle of lightning, the golden bolts raining down and eradicating the barrage of flaming arrows.
”That's…!”
Tang Qi Hong's eyes widened, but she didn't have much time to be shocked. The lightning had directed its attention toward her, the ferocious bolts beginning to pelt her position. Dismissing her bow, she snatched up her spear as she ran, dodging and rolling away from the relentless bolts of lightning. Getting up, she spun her spear and deflected the fierce barrage of electricity, a halo of flames shimmering protectively over her.
Realizing that an attack of this magnitude was unlikely to deal any damage to Tang Qi Hong, Bai Ning Xue closed in. Tang Qi Hong narrowed her eyes when she noticed Bai Ning Xue's approach, and she swung around to face the new threat, her spear meeting her opponent's blade in a shower of sparks and flames.
The two of them sprang apart in a golden and red explosion, lightning and fire still weaving around each other in a destructive display of pyrotechnics. Even though Tang Qi Hong should possess the advantage with her longer weapon in close range, Bai Ning Xue seemed to be on the verge of overwhelming her.
That can't be right…
Then again, common sense clearly didn't apply to Bai Ning Xue. She was a peerless prodigy like no other, a genius who transcended all the other students in Wu Ling Academy. Like Zhu Jiao, she was a Five Star Constitution cultivator, a cut above the rest in terms of potential. Even with a supposedly inferior weapon, she could more than compensate for it with sheer skill.
”Kuh…!”
Tang Qi Hong realized that, and she desperately tried to force Bai Ning Xue away to maintain some distance. If I recalled, Tang Qi Hong's strengths lay more in her ranged capability. She had terrific aim with her bow, able to hit a target over a hundred meters away with uncanny precision. That, combined with her overwhelming firepower, made Tang Qi Hong an unrivaled ranged fighter among our generation.
Bai Ning Xue must have realized that, for she closed the gap and engaged Tang Qi Hong in close combat. Above her, the ominous clouds continued to hurl lightning bolts downward. The electric bolts took the shape of terrifying tigers that roared soundlessly as they mercilessly descended upon Tang Qi Hong's position.
”Ugh…!”
Tang Qi Hong decimated the tigers with huge swipes of her spear, but she was being forced back step by step. Weaving around the pack of tigers, she defiantly tore through them, cutting a bloody swathe through their electric forms and dispersing them.
Whoosh!
”!”
Tang Qi Hong stumbled back to avoid Bai Ning Xue's sword. Gritting her teeth, she countered with a slash, but Bai Ning Xue deflected it to the side before stepping in other her guard and ramming her elbow into Tang Qi Hong's chest. The blond girl staggered, but she firmly stomped on the ground to prevent herself from sliding backward and refused to give her opponent any quarter. Swinging her spear fiercely, she finally succeeded in forcing Bai Ning Xue back.
”Hah!”
With a determined cry, Tang Qi Hong thrust her spear forward. Bai Ning Xue met her squarely in the middle of the coliseum, her sword colliding with Tang Qi Hong's spear. Around the two girls, the pack of lightning tigers circled before growling silently and diving upon Tang Qi Hong, their electric claws outstretched to rip her apart.
”Oh no, you don't!”
With a holler, Tang Qi Hong gathered fiery qi all around her body.
Boom!
A raging inferno exploded all around her, shrouding her in ruby flames. The devastating shockwave sent the normally cool Bai Ning Xue reeling backward, her snow-white skin now singed black from the heat. Several of the lightning tigers were obliterated by the blast, consumed by the voracious flames, but the survivors wisely kept their distance.
Eyeing the inferno warily, the lightning tigers prowled cautiously and waited for a chance to attack. Bai Ning Xue pursed her lips and studied Tang Qi Hong's blazing form for a second, and then the corner of her lips turned up just a bit.
She was enjoying herself.
Stepping forward, she slashed and simultaneously unleashed another Divine Thunder Tiger Crash upon her opponent. More bolts of lightning rained down on Tang Qi Hong, taking the shape of ferocious tigers that streaked forward to tear her opponent apart.
They never reached her.
”!”
Bai Ning Xue jumped back in reflex, avoiding getting eviscerated and incinerated. Her lightning tigers, however, were not as lucky. The majority of them were decimated when Tang Qi Hong's living inferno reared up and lashed out in several directions, ripping through them and engulfing them. The flames seemed to devour the electricity and glow even brighter.
”Nine-Tailed Fire Fox Formula.”
Tang Qi Hong was glaring at Bai Ning Xue, who had skidded backward and held her sword in front of her defensively. Behind and above her, nine fiery tails writhed and waved around violently, striking mercilessly at the hapless lightning tigers that were forced to retreat with their golden tails between their legs.
Narrowing her eyes, Tang Qi Hong pointed her spear at Bai Ning Xue and issued a challenge.
”No more holding back,” she declared, her voice clear and her raised spear unwavering. ”It's time to finish this and decide who the strongest girl in Wu Ling Academy is once and for all.”