With a wave of the horsetail whisk in his hand, Hu Jun instantly unleashed a furious Fire Dragon.
The Fire Dragon coiled in the sky, hanging upside down. The scorching Spiritual Energy instantly raised the temperature of the entire arena.
The snow continued to fall heavily.
Unlike the delicate and frail ladies of Jiangnan, the intensifying snowfall was majestic and powerful. It didn't resemble a young woman but rather an Immortal weathered by the elements. This was Hu Jun's most direct impression of Xiao Ruoching.
"This is the strongest move I can currently use!"
The next moment, the roaring Fire Dragon swept through the swirling snow. The snow instantly vaporized into rain that whooshed towards Xiao Ruoching.
The frenzied Fire Dragon seethed with deep agitation, as if in protest. Fire Spiritual Energy radiated from its body, and sparks shot in all directions, instantly reddening half the sky!
The Disciples below took a deep breath, watching this scene unfold:
"That's the Fire Dragon Art, right?"
"An advanced Cultivation Technique from Wuhua Palace! I didn't expect this Hu Jun to have cultivated it to such a degree with just a Golden Core!"
"Fury Fire Burn, the third form of the Fire Dragon Art! Even an ordinary peak Golden Core cultivator couldn't block this strike!"
Xiao Ruoching took a deep breath, channeling the Spiritual Energy throughout her body. Her sword hummed!
Her eyes did not blink as she stared at the ferocious dragon head rapidly enlarging before her.
She could already feel its heat spreading across her cheeks.
She didn't know why she was standing on this arena platform, facing Wuhua Palace. She couldn't describe her current feelings with a precise word. Was it just as she had said, that she couldn't bear to see her Master insulted? Below the Unrepentant Cliff, Master had given her such a great opportunity and a Creation Pill—one of the rarest in the world—and had been so indulgent with her... Her Master was truly gentle. How could such a respectable person be as terrible as the rumors claimed? At that moment, when she stepped forward, she hadn't thought at all; her body had moved involuntarily. This gentle Master, who had watched the moon with her all night... The Master who would chase after her when she was upset, drape a Fox Fur over her shoulders, and tell her not to catch a cold... The Master who would fret over simple little things all night long...
The ring of the sword was crisp and clear.
Under the veil of snow, her reflection in the Fire Dragon's pupils, Xiao Ruoching smiled beautifully.
The last of her Spiritual Energy gradually fused into her sword, and a wisp of Great Dao Qi gathered in her Dantian.
A lotus flower bloomed in an instant. Then, Xiao Ruoching took one step forward, then two, then three!
In this life, I will accompany Master across the Twenty-One Provinces. We'll traverse Broken Sword Mountain, cross the Cang River, and visit Inverted Heaven.
—Four steps, five steps, six steps!
We'll go to Pingxi Prefecture, pass through Chunshan Mansion, and cross Chu Huang Mountain...
—Seven steps, eight steps!
There are so many places to see in the vast Twenty-One Provinces: Dongfeng's North Mo, South Wind's Jiangnan...
On the Elder's Platform, Wenren Pingxin felt his mind reel, staring blankly at the Golden Age Lotus beneath Xiao Ruoching's feet!
Sword Two! This is Sword Two from the Sword Scripture! *As If We'd Just Met*! How is this possible? How could she have comprehended it so quickly?
Xiao Ruoching closed her eyes. In an instant, the Spiritual Energy around her converged above her Golden Core. A trace of the Energy of Great Dao lingered there, and her sword trembled!
Immediately after, a stream of Sword Qi split the falling snow, howling as it shot forth.
Countless lotuses blossomed! Sword Brilliance!
Xiao Ruoching's eyes snapped open. It seemed that today, she had finally gained some insight into Sword Two!
She barely took the final step.
"Sword Two, As If We'd Just Met!"
*If heaven has affections, life is like the first encounter.*
The snowstorm raged. The Fire Dragon's fierce flames hadn't even reached Xiao Ruoching before they dissipated instantly, blocked by a Silver Sword Qi.
The vast sea of fire above everyone's heads suddenly froze. Then, it was pushed back into the sky by the Silver Sword Qi, causing the thick clouds of crimson flame to churn ceaselessly.
Sword Qi rolled, wave after wave, layer upon layer, seemingly endless. A lotus bloomed—a spectacular sight!
This one sword strike seemed to cover the sky and blot out the earth!
Silver light filled the sky; the setting sun seemed to have completely sunk beneath the ground, and a terrifying shockwave swept out for dozens of meters!
A terrifyingly loud explosion thundered.
Dust filled the sky. The heavy snow transformed into a torrential downpour, cascading from the heavens like a waterfall.
Powerful fluctuations spread from the arena platform, instantly brightening the entire area. The spectators instinctively closed their eyes.
For a moment, it seemed as if the world had fallen utterly silent, every sound ceasing!
Then, a figure flew backward, staining the sky with blood. When the crowd got a clear view... it was Hu Jun.
Hu Jun's body crashed heavily to the ground, a mouthful of blood spurting out.
As the dust cleared, Xiao Ruoching stood leaning on her sword, a trickle of blood continuously escaping the corner of her mouth, staining her white dress red.
Her body was extremely weak, completely drained of Spiritual Energy. If not for that Creation Pill, her meridians would have burst the instant the Fire Dragon's attack had struck her.
Everyone stared in shock at this scene.
On the arena platform, the scene was a common one in such competitions, yet it was unusually stirring!
One standing, one lying down!
The next instant, overwhelming applause came flooding over.
"AAAAH! A Half-Step Golden Core just defeated two Golden Core cultivators in a row!!!"
"This must be the biggest dark horse of this year's Twenty-One Provinces competition!"