113 Chapter 112: Golden Kirin Sacred Beast Technique (2/2)
However, Zhu Jiao was far from helpless and alone. With a yell, he stomped on the ground, emanating a golden shockwave that obliterated the approaching tigers before they could reach him. Without breaking a sweat, he punched Bai Ning Xue in the next instant, almost taking her by surprise ad throwing her off her pattern of her attacks.
Bai Ning Xue was not deterred, though. Raising her sword, she swung it down and directed another lightning bolt at him.
”Heavenly Tiger Thunderbolt!”
This time, the lightning bolt took the shape of a humongous tiger that descended ferociously upon Zhu Jiao's position. Zhu Jiao held his ground, however, his aura growing rapidly into a snarling Golden Kirin.
The two celestial creatures met in the center of the arena and detonated upon impact. The resulting explosion caused an earthquake that almost caused the coliseum to topple in itself.
”What power?!”
Tang Qi Hong gasped as she tried to steady herself on the railing. Beside her, Lian Rou cried out as she fell, but Tong Xue was on hand to grab her.
”What's going on?”
We peered through the window, trying to squint past the smoke and cloud of dust that permeated the arena.
We didn't have to look for long.
The smoke immediately cleared as both Bai Ning Xue and Zhu Jiao burst out of it, the shockwaves from their movements blasting the thick fog apart. Silver and gold qi clashed and ignited, setting off secondary explosions that littered the coliseum, sending debris raining down from damaged walls or smashing craters into the ground.
So much for reinforced concrete. Then again, if the material wasn't reinforced, the coliseum would have been destroyed long ago. Good thing the staff was capable of repairing and restoring the coliseum near immediately after each duel by using some qi, otherwise no insurance agency was going to cover the costs of repairs.
The expenses would be astronomical if they always had to repair the coliseum properly after every duel.
”Hah!”
”Ah!”
Zhu Jiao punched while Bai Ning Xue swung her sword down. Gauntlet met blade and the physical clash detonated yet again, sending both of them reeling backward. Stomping on the ground to halt his slide, Zhu Jiao threw his other fist, but Bai Ning Xue made use of her incredible agilty to flip her body in midair and meet his punch with a lightning kick.
Crack!
The two sprang apart after another ignition of mystical energies that lit up the air. Skidding away, they dug in their heels and stopped before lunging at each other again. Bai Ning Xue, swinging her sword determinedly, and Zhu Jiao unyielding and firm.
”UWOOOOH!!”
”HAAAAAAH!”
Another collision, and the two swung past each other. Spinning around, almost in concert, they then lashed out and traded a few dozen blows. The ground around them was slowly being reduced to rubble.
”Lightning Flash!”
Electricity exploded out of Bai Ning Xue's sword and blasted Zhu Jiao at pointblank range, scorching him despite his thick, protective aura. Gritting his teeth, despite being seared by lightning and writhing in the grip of excruciating agony, Zhu Jiao unleashed a golden pillar of qi from his gauntlet that struck Bai Ning Xue in the chest and sent her spinning.
”Kuh!”
Bai Ning Xue did a cartwheel, throwing out her hands and flipping over to land on her feet. She then pointed her sword at Zhu Jiao.
”Focus on the point between a void and a void.”
”…what the hell?!”
Zhu Jiao's eyes widened.
”Assimilate your qi with the surroundings and balance the yin and yang around the point.”
”That's…!”
”Heaven's Void, Lightning Style.”
A lightning bolt crashed down on Zhu Jiao, electrocuting him. Even though he maximized the sturdiness of his Golden Kirin protective aura, the lightning penetrated the golden sphere and slammed into him directly, electrocuting him.
”UGH!”
Zhu Jiao collapsed onto the ground, his body going into uncontrollable spasms. He writhed and squirmed, shrieking in unimaginable agony.
”AAAAAAAAAAARGH!”
Clutching his shoulders and curling into a fetal position, he howled in pain. Tears leaked out of his eyes as he looked up at the heaving Bai Ning Xue, not comprehending. His childhood sweetheart watched him, her own breathing ragged.
”It's useless. Heaven's Void, Lightning Style is an attack that bypasses any kind of defense. There is no way for you to block it.” She sighed. ”To be honest, it's not something that I wanted to use, but you forced my hand.”
”Ugh…”
Zhu Jiao gritted his teeth as he tried to crawl onto all fours, his body racked by the relentless electricity.
”It's a move that consumes too much qi,” Bai Ning Xue continued as she strolled up to Zhu Jiao, raising her sword. ”But in exchange, it incapacitates the opponent in one strike.” She paused to study the writhing Zhu Jiao. ”This is really a terrifying move.”
”…!”
Zhu Jiao panted as he tried to raise his head, but his body refused to obey.
”Honestly, I'm surprised that you're still conscious.” Bai Ning Xue shook her head, and then slashed downward with her sword. ”But it's over.”
Clang!
”!?”
Bai Ning Xue's sword was harmlessly deflected away by one of Zhu Jiao's gauntlets. The ice princess was unable to conceal the look of surprise on her face, but before she could react, Zhu Jiao reached out and grabbed her arm.
”! You…!”
”I've got you!”
Despite the electricity that continued to surge and wreak havoc and agony on his body, Zhu Jiao was grinning. His complexion was pale and he was visibly perspiring from the sheer effort of maintaining his consciousness, but he clamped down hard on Bai Ning Xue's arm, refusing to let go. His beloved desperately unleashed a Lightning Flash at pointblank range, but Zhu Jiao intercepted her attack with his other gauntlet.
”There is no way…! You took a hit from Heaven's Void, Lightning Style! You shouldn't be able to block it…!”
”You're right,” Zhu Jiao agreed with a grin. ”I failed to block it. But what you didn't realize is that I'm a lot more tenacious than you think.”
”Kuh!”
Bai Ning Xue struggled, but her resistance was futile. Zhu Jiao kept a tight grip on both her arms, denying her the chance to either strike with her sword or escape. At such a close distance, she was also unable to bring her legs up to kick him effectively.
Zhu Jiao possessed superior strength, which meant that Bai Ning Xue wouldn't be able to break out of his grip. Furthermore, the moment he had her in his clutches, it meant that he had nullified her greatest advantage – her speed.
”Let go of me!”
Lightning flowed and blasted from Bai Ning Xue's hands, but even though the gauntlets were metallic, they seemed to stem the electricity and insulate Zhu Jiao from the terrifying currents. As if he didn't even notice them, Zhu Jiao smiled and drew Bai Ning Xue closer to him.
”I'm never letting you go ever again.”
”!!!”
Obviously, Bai Ning Xue realized the true, intended meaning that lay deep within those words, and she actually blushed a little.
Then Zhu Jiao spoiled that romantic moment by cocking his head back and head-butting Bai Ning Xue in the forehead. She cried out as she reeled back, only for Zhu Jiao to continue holding onto her. Jerked back into position, she was unable to dodge Zhu Jiao's fist when he let go of one of her arms and punched her.
”Oooh…”
Even I flinched at the snapping sound that echoed throughout the arena when Bai Ning Xue recoiled from the blow. The dude didn't have any mercy even though his opponent was his beloved and a girl, hitting her in the face.
Bai Ning Xue staggered, but she didn't give up. Clenching her teeth, she whipped around with her now free hand and struck Zhu Jiao with her Lightning Flash. Electricity imploded against his chest, but the golden protective aura around Zhu Jiao flared, guarding him from the worst of its effects. With a roar, he punched her in the chest.
Crack!
Blood spurted from Bai Ning Xue's mouth as she jerked back. However, Zhu Jiao wasn't going to make the same mistake she did and pummeled her mercilessly. Despite her best attempts to resist, Bai Ning Xue was slowly succumbing to the much more powerful blows, the damage accumulating at a horrifying rate.
”Whoa…Jiao is actually turning this into a dogfight?!”
Tong Xue was gaping at the unbelievable sight in disbelief. All around, the spectators were half-amazed and half-horrified, unable to digest what they were witnessing. What they had thought was a battle of the year had eventually devolved into a slugfest where Zhu Jiao was overwhelming Bai Ning Xue with brute force.
”Kuh…gah…!”
Bai Ning Xue, to her credit, managed to maintain her consciousness for a while longer. Gritting her teeth even as blood sprayed from her mouth, she lashed out with a hand and struck Zhu Jiao in the chest for one last act of defiance.
”Heavenly Roaring Thunder!”
A tiger erupted from her palm and smashed Zhu Jiao away, forcing him to release his grip on her sword arm. Bai Ning Xue seized the advantage to slash Zhu Jiao, and even with his protective aura, he was unable to prevent a thin, long line of blood from surfacing across his torso. Fortunately, it seemed that the injury was superficial.
”Huff…”
The force from Bai Ning Xue's final, desperate attack had sent him whirling away. Bai Ning Xue quickly retreated to a safe distance.
”Hu…”
She sucked in a deep breath, and then stumbled. Realizing she didn't have long before she collapsed, she resolved to finish the battle quickly, before her body could give out. Grinding her foot against the ground, she called upon what remained of her qi and coalesced it around her blade.
”Heavenly White Tiger Thunder Blade!”
A silver pillar of lightning lanced out of her blade, tearing into the coliseum ceiling and blasting beyond into the heavens. With a shout, she swung it and slashed the gradually recovering Zhu Jiao, who barely lifted his gauntlets in time to guard himself.
Boom!
The entire space vanished in a massive, catastrophic conflagration that expanded across the arena and scorched the walls and ground. So blinding was the blast that everyone were momentarily blinded. Even me, despite the protection that my darkened lenses afforded.
”Kuh…!”
”What's going on!?”
”Ugh?!”
Cries and shouts surfaced around the spectator box as they struggled to come to terms with the explosion. Squeezing my watery eyes shut and shaking my head, I forced them open and tried to peer through the smoke and dust.
”Golden Kirin Divine Claws!”
His body smoking and blood splashed all over his uniform, Zhu Jiao nonetheless burst out of the smoke with unimpeded ferocity and slammed his fist into a stunned Bai Ning Xue's midriff. Five golden claws streaked out of the gauntlet and punched huge holes through her body, sending geysers of blood sprouting outward.
”Gah…!”
Bai Ning Xue shook, her mouth open both from shock and in a cry of pain, and her eyes rolled over in their sockets. She staggered one last time, and then fell to her knees.
”…kuh…”
She looked up at Zhu Jiao, or tried to, but her eyes were no longer open. The White Tiger symbol on her forehead had also vanished, and the imposing presence that her Man and Sword as One exerted on the surrounding atmosphere was finally lifted, allowing everyone to breathe large sighs of relief.
Then Bai Ning Xue fell over, unconscious.
”…”
Heaving heavily, Zhu Jiao stared at his opponent's fallen body, but made no move to attack her. Instead, he waited patiently.
”…”
It took a while, but Teacher Cai was finally able to open his mouth and announce the victor.
”The match is over. The winner is Zhu Jiao!”
”Heh.”
Zhu Jiao grinned as he raised a triumphant, armored fist to the sutnned audience. The majority of them were still rooted in disbelief, unable to comprehend what had just happened.
”YEAH!”
On the other hand, I was cheering and clapping fiercely, pressing against the window and shouting at the top of my lungs. Tong Xue and the rest followed my example, yelling and waving excitedly.
”You did it, Jiao!”
”That was awesome!”
”Amazing! Utterly amazing!”
”Impressive!”
”Great job!”
”Congratulations!”
It wasn't just us. The majority of the class had also joined in, whooping and screaming. Several of the girls were hugging each other. Tang Qi Hong and Lian Rou were uncharacteristically squealing as they held each other's hands and jumped up and down. Ban Zhang was smiling. Tong Xue was doing some sort of weird dance.
Zhu Jiao caught my eye, and despite staggering dangerously and teetering on the verge of collapse, he managed to return my thumb's up. I shared his grin and nodded.
We would be meeting in the final, it seemed.