Chapter 73: The Earth-Shattering Semi-Finals

  "What shall we eat this time?" Zhuge Mingyue and her group walked on the road, discussing while walking.

  "Let's go eat roast duck." Wan Xi Chen said with sparkling eyes.

  "It's been a long time since I've had roast duck, but I wonder how the roast duck in the capital of Nanchu is...” Zhuge Mingyue was speaking when her heart suddenly tightened and her voice stopped abruptly. Because she saw two people in front of her, those two people, she knew them. Now they were on a small alley, this road, for some reason today, there weren't many people, just a few scattered ones. This is the only way to get to the gambling house.

  Those who were called Xiao Ding and Shou Ya by the Blood Wind! These two, when they faced off against the masters invited by Wu's family in Cang Feng City, actually managed to escape unscathed?

  Xiao Ding and Shou Ya obviously had no impression of Zhuge Mingyue and the others, but instead continued to walk towards them head-on.

  Apart from Zhang Sun Ninghao, the other four people recognized the two individuals in front of them. These two people appeared here, was it a coincidence or were they targeting them? To avenge Xiao Qianhe? No, that's impossible, Xiao Qianhe died without leaving any remains, turning into dust, and they didn't even know about her death being related to her, so it's impossible for them to come seeking revenge. Then why did they appear here?

  Soon, Zhuge Mingyue knew why.

  Xiao Ding and Shou Ya seemed to have accidentally missed each other, but Shou Ya's unstable footsteps caused him to stumble in this direction, pushing Zhuge Mingyue aside. At that moment, Xiao Ding made his move. His actions were very quick, his target being Zhuge Mingyue's purse. However, Zhuge Mingyue's movements were even faster. She suddenly jumped back and slapped away Xiao Ding's hand that was stretched out in mid-air.

  Xiao Ding was shocked and disbelieving, staring at Zhuge Mingyue's guarded face. As the backbone of the Blood Wind Thief Gang, he naturally prioritized thievery. His targets rarely escaped his grasp. Yet this time, he had failed, and the opponent was a young-looking, soft and weak girl. How could this be? Regardless of possibility, he had simply failed this time!

  "What do you want to do?" asked Zhuge Mingyue in a cold voice.

  Here on the main street, Xiaoding and Beast Tooth quickly exchanged a glance. This time they didn't succeed in stealing, it would be hard to make another move. They had been waiting here for a long time, just waiting for these few people to go to the gambling den to exchange their betting tickets.

  "Hand over the betting slips." Little Ding drew out the sword he had been carrying on his back and said coldly.

  At this moment, the pedestrians in the alley also suddenly changed, drew out their weapons and surrounded them. If they couldn't steal, then they would rob and kill! They couldn't leave any survivors!

  Zhuge Mingyue heard this sentence and put his heart at ease. It seems that the other party is not here to seek revenge for the Cangfeng City affair, nor do they know that the map is in their hands and come to rob it. Instead, it's the owner of the gambling house who has invited them to rob the gambling tickets in a state of desperation.

  As for Ding's evaluation, Zhuge Mingyue summarized it in three words: very good at fighting!

  At first in the Wu family's hall, she also saw that Xiaoding was covered in blood and swung his long sword with a whooshing sound, and finally managed to escape with all his might. In such a physically exhausted state, he could still escape safely, and now he's as energetic as ever and wants to rob her. Zhuge Mingyue thinks that this person shouldn't be called Xiaoding, but should be called Xiaoqiang instead.

  The Blood Wind people are indeed very strong, at least the few who have come around are all masters. If they were still in Cang Feng City, they would only be revered from afar. But now, their strength is worlds apart from what it was before!

  So at this moment, Xiaoding and his friends are unilaterally suffering at the hands of Zhuge Mingyue! No, they don't even have the opportunity to suffer!

  "Kill!" The Blood Wind and the others' weapons all stabbed towards Zhuge Mingyue's body, concentrating their strength to strike and kill one by one. This was their usual tactic. Under such an unexpected and ruthless attack, even opponents with strength above theirs would often be caught off guard and lose their lives on the spot.

  But this time their tactics didn't work.

  Facing their thrusting weapons, Zhuge Mingyue didn't even bother to glance at them more than once. Slow, too slow, even with her eyes closed, she could easily dodge this seemingly fierce and cruel killing combination. Of course, she didn't need to dodge either, as long as Ling Feiyang was there, at least the enemies in front of her didn't need to be dodged.

  The Blood Wind Xiao Ding and Beast Tooth, who were once powerful and intimidating in her mind, are now so vulnerable in her eyes.

  A flash of sword light, several Blood Wind members covered their throats, staring at Ling Feiyang in disbelief. How could there be such a fast sword in the world? Until their bodies weakly crashed to the ground, their round eyes were filled with confusion and unwillingness.

  Ling Feiyang shook off the blood from his sword, and a tiny drop of blood fell to the ground. "Still not fast enough!" Ling Feiyang sighed silently, his face expressionless, completely different from his usual self. When facing an enemy, he had no mercy or pity whatsoever.

  Apart from Xiao Ding quickly retreating, all the other Blood Wind members fell to the ground. Although Xiao Ding reacted quickly, he was not quick enough to dodge the swift and deadly strike of Pojun's sword. A deep wound stretched from his shoulder down to his chest, with fresh blood constantly gushing out. Under the impact of Ling Fei Yang's powerful and overbearing energy, his internal organs felt wave after wave of intense pain.

  Xiao Ding covered his wound and looked towards Beast Tooth at the back of the team. He saw that Beast Tooth was also staring blankly at him, with endless surprise quickly turning into fear, then into confusion, and finally into a blank expression. His body suddenly fell to the ground with a "thud", and a burst of blood splattered out.

  "Beast Tooth!" Little Ding wailed. Beast Tooth, who had shared countless life-and-death struggles with him, was dead right before his eyes. His heart ached, a tearing pain.

  Looking at his fallen comrades, Xiao Ding's eyes turned red. He never thought that this seemingly easy deal would cost him so many brothers, including his best brother, Beast Tooth! His eyes were bloodshot, and in his heart, there was only one voice shouting loudly for revenge. Must avenge! Must kill this cheap woman and her accomplices!

  But he was very clear that now, with his serious injuries, he was no match for them. Even if he hadn't been injured, he still wouldn't be their match. As the saying goes, "As long as there is a green mountain, one need not worry about firewood." Xiaoding understood this principle better than anyone else. Therefore, what he had to do now was escape! Only by escaping back to Blood Wind would he have the chance for revenge!

  But he knew this principle, wouldn't Zhuge Mingyue and the others know it too?

  Everyone in Zhuge Mingyue's group had secretly made up their minds that they couldn't let this little Ding get away. Otherwise, there would be endless troubles!

  Xiao Ding looked at the murderous intentions in everyone's eyes, and a wave of despair surged up in his heart. Was he really going to die here today?

  Zhuge Mingyue gripped the dagger tightly, just about to move forward, but at this moment, a terrifying pressure enveloped her surroundings, and a chilling feeling surged up, as if she was being stared at by a venomous snake. It wasn't just Zhuge Mingyue who felt this way; everyone else did too.

  Killing intent, just like a tangible killing intent enveloped them. They didn't have the slightest doubt that if they made a move, danger would immediately arise.

  In the moment when Zhuge Mingyue and his group were stalled, Xiao Ding did not receive a threatening aura of killing intent, but instead seized this fleeting opportunity to escape quickly. It was just an instant, but Zhuge Mingyue and his group felt as if a long time had passed.

  Xiao Ding escaped like this, Zhuge Mingyue and the others looked at the front with regret, at this time that terrible killing intent had already disappeared.

  "Leave here first." Zhuge Mingyue said decisively after glancing at the corpse on the ground.

  The figures of Zhuge Mingyue and others quickly disappeared at the end of the alley. After they disappeared, a slender figure appeared silently in the alley. The person wore a large purple robe, with an evil smile on his absolutely beautiful face, that faint smile was captivating.

  "Ah, if everyone were dead, it wouldn't be fun anymore." The man's voice was low and husky, with a magnetic quality that was hard to describe. He was the same demonic man who had appeared in the forbidden area of the Danling Kingdom palace. Next, he stretched out his hand and lightly slapped his palm, and the corpse closest to him on the ground turned into powder, dispersing in the gentle breeze. The other corpses were also destroyed in the same way, completely annihilated. After doing all this, he chuckled softly, the sound of his laughter like a feather gently brushing against the heart. A gust of wind blew, and a leaf spun through the air. His figure had already disappeared from the original location.

  ……

  After Zhuge Mingyue and his group left that quiet alley, they lowered their voices to discuss.

  "What do you think?" Zhuge Mingyue frowned, actually feeling very annoyed. Xiao Ding just ran away like that, and the next thing will be extremely troublesome. This time with Xuefeng is an open feud, and Xuefeng's revenge will not stop until one of them dies.

  "The person who helped him in secret is very powerful." Wan Xi Chen touched his own neck, saying with a lingering fear, his back was still covered in cold sweat.

  "Could it be someone from the Blood Wind?" Xue Zi Hao's eyebrows also furrowed, and he immediately overturned this conclusion. "It's impossible, if it was someone from the Blood Wind, they wouldn't have made their move at the very end."

  "Too strong." Long Suning's tone was calm, but his heart was boiling. The person in the dark just now was ridiculously powerful. He had never felt such a terrifying pressure even from his own master.

  "Why did that person want to save Little Ding? But he didn't show up, and he didn't make a move against us either, just warned us?" Ling Feiyang furrowed his brow, voicing the doubts in his mind.

  "I don't know." Zhuge Mingyue shook her head. "Anyway, this person is not a Blood Wind member. But we will definitely have trouble next."

  "Come one, kill one; come two, kill a pair!" Wan Xizhen's momentum was like a rainbow.

  "They are facing us head-on, and we're not afraid. What we fear is a sneak attack from behind. Be more careful in the future, don't act alone." Zhuge Mingyue cautioned with some concern, but her mind was already thinking ahead. Xuefeng was a thorn in the side of Danling country, and this time they had made enemies again. This thorn needed to be removed, and it must be thoroughly eliminated. Otherwise, there would be endless troubles! At that moment, Zhuge Mingyue saw clearly the intense hatred in Xiao Ding's eyes.

  "But now it seems what we need to do is find someone to settle the account." A cold smile floated onto Ling Fei Yang's handsome face.

  "Not bad." Zhuge Mingyue smiled lightly, but the smile didn't reach her eyes, and her pupils were icy cold.

  ……

  The night is dark and obscure.

  In the gambling house, the boss was in his own study on the second floor, leisurely putting his legs on the table, flipping through a colorful little painting album, looking very enjoyable. This day, Zhuge Mingyue and others did not come to exchange betting tickets, hum, that is to say, the Blood Wind person succeeded? Then when will he send the betting ticket to himself? Anyway, this time won't lose so much money. Just thinking about it, the boss happily hummed a little tune.

  "Your voice isn't bad, have you practiced?" A sudden voice sounded in the study.

  "That's, must have practiced. Thank you for the compliment." The boss subconsciously replied. The next moment, all the hairs on his body stood up, and he suddenly turned his head to see Zhuge Mingyue and five others standing by the window. When did they appear? How did they get up here? Were the guards at the casino all dead?

  "Boss, thank you for your warm hospitality today." Zhuge Mingyue suddenly burst into a brilliant smile and walked slowly forward.

  "You, you, don't come over here!" The boss's heart was racing as he tried to stand up, but unfortunately his legs were propped up on the table and he hadn't adjusted his posture properly, so he directly rolled off the chair and the painting album in his hand fell in front of Zhuge Mingyue.

  Zhuge Mingyue bent down to pick up the album, and exclaimed: "Wow, boss, this album is so realistic... Ah! Give it back to me!" Zhuge Mingyue had only taken a glance when Ling Feiyang snatched it away from him.

  "What are you looking at? You're not allowed to look!" Ling Feiyang's face flushed with a suspicious red color, and he coughed, turning the album behind his back.

  "Hey! Why can't I take a look?" After arriving in this world, Zhuge Mingyue saw such a realistic spring palace painting for the first time. This completely surpasses the adult magazines of her previous life, oh no, it should be said that it's even more excessive. So, she became curious.

  "It's not allowed, so it's not allowed!" Ling Feiyang's face turned even redder, but his tone was firm. Suddenly, he flung the book onto his head, then drew out a broken sword, and a white energy flashed by. And just like that, the entire book turned into snowflakes, fluttering and falling to the ground.

  "Ah, my rare edition..." The boss exclaimed in shock, as if Ling Fei Yang had slashed his treasure.

  Upon hearing his boss's words, Ling Feiyang's face turned from red to black, and he gazed coldly at his boss, letting out a faint smile: "Boss, it seems you've forgotten your current situation."

  "Ah! Someone, save...!" The boss came to his senses and shouted loudly, but immediately stopped. A cold sword blade was pressed against his neck, the skin stinging slightly, a warm flow slowly flowing down his throat. It had been cut open, ahahah! The boss looked at the handsome young man in front of him with a terrified gaze, his eyes cold as ice. He didn't doubt that if he said one more word that displeased him, the sword would pierce his neck! He didn't want to die yet! For some reason, the boss felt that most of the reason for the young man's rage was not because he had sent people to rob their gambling tickets, but because his spring palace painting album had been picked up and seen by that girl.

  "Boss! You're quite bold!" Zhuge Mingyue walked up, looked at the chair that had fallen over and wasn't moving, then Wan Qi Chen ran up, effortlessly picked it up and put it back in place. After that, Zhuge Mingyue plopped herself down into the chair.

  "I, I, I didn't want to find someone to steal your lottery tickets either..." The boss finally realized now that he had kicked an iron plate. The sword blade on his neck seemed to have pierced another two points into the flesh, it hurt so much.

  "I'm too lazy to talk nonsense with you, bring the money." Zhuge Mingyue knocked on the table, she actually knew. This boss didn't have the intention of killing them, he just asked someone to steal back the lottery tickets, and if they couldn't be stolen back then they would be robbed. The development with Xiaoding Beast Tooth was also not this boss's intention.

  "Alright, alright." The boss nodded non-stop, like a chick pecking at grain. "I'll give you the money. Can I ask this hero to let me go first?"

  Ling Feiyang snorted coldly and moved his sword away.

  The boss was covered in cold sweat, mechanically walking to the bookshelf with his hands and feet together, and pulled out a book from the bookshelf. Then the bookshelf moved away from the middle, revealing the wall surface. On the wall, there was a hollowed-out part, inside which was a locked box.

  Xue Zihao went up and saw the boss take out a key to open the box. Inside the box were many crystal cards, precious pearls and jewels, which were worth a fortune at first glance.

  "Hey boss, you're really rich." Xue Zihao smiled with ill intentions.

  "Spare my life, all these are yours. Hero, spare me!" The boss's legs began to tremble.

  "Who wants these things? Are we robbers?" Zhuge Mingyue snorted, "Less nonsense, hurry up and exchange our betting tickets."

  "Huh?" The boss's mind was a bit dizzy, how could he be so easy to talk to? Was it possible?

  "Hurry up and exchange it for us, we still have to go down and place our bets." Zhuge Mingyue urged impatiently.

  The boss burst into tears upon hearing this.

  "Heroine, you mean...you want to continue betting in our casino?" The boss asked, trembling.

  "Yes, a gentleman makes his fortune in a proper way." Zhuge Mingyue said solemnly, "So I've decided to continue betting and buy our own win. I'm warning you, when the time comes for me to cash in the lottery tickets, if no one is willing to exchange them with us, even if you run to the ends of the earth, we'll still catch up with you to exchange them. Of course, don't think about running away, I'll get someone to keep an eye on you."

  The boss's tears, the noodles are as thick as a chopstick. This is more painful for him than being robbed directly.

  Ling Fei swung his hand with the broken kill, a strong air flashed by, and the boss's hair on his forehead was gone! The boss touched his own shiny forehead, only trembling, not daring to say a word.

  After exchanging the lottery tickets with Zhuge Mingyue and others, Zhuge Mingyue opened her eyes wide with interest and looked at the boss: "Boss, do you still have that album you showed earlier?"

  Without waiting for the boss's response, Ling Feiyang's Broken Kill Sword rose high, and this time the boss's hair on his head was gone.

  "It's all gone, really, that's the last one." The boss said with tears streaming down his face, extremely sincere. He was now afraid that he would not be satisfied with his own answer, and Ling Feiyang would directly shave him bald. Being shaved bald wasn't a big deal, what he feared was that his head would be shaved off along with it!

  Zhuge Mingyue turned her head and glared at Ling Feiyang, who averted his face, avoiding Zhuge Mingyue's accusing gaze.

  Finally, Zhuge Mingyue and the others used the money they had won to place another bet. The staff were stunned when they placed their bets. Such a large sum of money was being wagered on Danling Country's second team winning. The registration staff were sweating profusely and didn't dare accept it. So, he let Zhuge Mingyue and the others wait while he went to ask for instructions from his superior. Soon after, his superior nodded with a pale face, telling him to register the bet and accept their wager. His superior's legs were also trembling, and in his heart, he was lamenting that it seemed he would have to change bosses soon. The future of this gambling house, he could already predict.

  After placing their bets, Zhuge Mingyue and her group were in high spirits. As they gazed out at the city's lights, they decided to have dinner and then stroll through the night market. After asking the casino manager which restaurant served the best roast duck in Beijing, they leisurely made their way to the recommended establishment. Upon arrival, they found a steady stream of customers flowing in and out of the entrance, confirming that the manager had not misled them. Above the door hung an old sign that read "Secret Recipe Passed Down Through Generations, Beijing's Number One Roast Duck".

  The little second at the door of the shop saw them and warmly welcomed them up.

  "Is there a private room?" Ling Feiyang asked aloud.

  "I'm afraid we're fully booked today, sir. Would you like me to find a window seat for you in the main hall instead?" The waiter suggested with an apologetic expression.

  "Alright, just bring the dishes quickly then." Zhuge Mingyue looked at the bustling wine house and knew that the waiter was probably telling the truth, so she didn't make things difficult for him. She didn't want to change to another place because as soon as she entered the hall, she smelled the aroma of roasted duck. Judging from her extremely sensitive nose as a foodie, this restaurant's roasted duck must be famous for a reason.

  The young waiter nodded and happily led them to a table by the window in the hall. Zhuge Mingyue and others ordered their usual dishes, and the young waiter went to hurry up the order.

  Wan Xi Chen's nose twitched, and he sniffed the aroma around him, so fragrant.

  "Alas, Old Chen, you have no idea, I'm really exhausted today." A complaining voice came from the next table.

  "Is the contestant injured again?" another voice asked.

  "Yes, this time the imperial physicians are all busy to death. That Taixingguo person is really ruthless with his moves. Every time their opponents are seriously injured, some are left with only half a life. They're working us to death, and the problem is that those above are threatening us, if we don't cure them, they'll take our lives. These days, being a doctor is not easy."

  "Aw, hearing you say that, running into such a ruthless opponent is really annoying."

  "Never mind, forget it, let's just drink."

  "A drink to forget one's worries, let's have a drink first."

  "Don't get drunk. The match against Taixing is coming up soon, and this time the opponent is Danling. I wonder what kind of state the people of Danling will be in."

  "We'll talk about it later, let's drink first."

  ……

  Zhuge Mingyue and his group clearly heard the conversation of the people at the next table, and everyone exchanged a look. It seems that this Tai Xing country is quite ruthless. However, what does it matter? The winners will definitely be them!

  The highly anticipated semifinal has finally arrived.

  Unlike the previous days' matches, today's arena was packed to capacity, with even the aisles filled with people. Looking out at the surrounding area, several tall trees had figures hanging from their branches, swaying gently as they peered into the arena - these were students of Taiyuan Academy, clinging to the treetops and straining to get a glimpse of what was happening inside.

  This is the semifinals of the Zhenlong Competition. This year, due to the strength of the participating teams from various countries being much stronger than before, Nanchu State can no longer occupy an absolute advantage as it did in the past. With the unexpected defeat of the He Cang team, only Zhuo Qiuran's team is left among the four strong teams from Nanchu State. Although the people of Nanchu State are very confident in their players, they can't help but worry at this time. Will this Zhenlong Competition change Nanchu State's dominance in the competition that has lasted for a hundred years?

  Zhuge Mingyue and Ling Feiyang walked calmly into the arena, while in another direction, their opponents, five students from Taixing Country, also walked towards the stage with a look of arrogance and ferocity. The two groups exchanged a glance, seeing the determination to win in each other's eyes. Although the competition had not officially started, the sparks that flew between them had already ignited a fierce flame.

  Looking at the two teams on stage, people are full of curiosity and expectation. The team from Taixingguo can be said to be the biggest variable in this year's Chenlong Games. Originally unknown, they relied on their fierce attacks and tacit cooperation, and surprisingly broke into the top four. Every game was won brutally and violently, even bloody, but also won without dispute.

  And Danling's team, the first opponent collectively went crazy, the second opponent directly forfeited, whether it was luck or a dark plot, there were too many rumors, and people couldn't tell what was real. Their true strength also became the biggest mystery of this year's Chenlong tournament. Was it that they couldn't withstand a single blow or were they hiding something? After the rumor of Dongsheng students being beaten into pig heads appeared, this mystery became even more confusing.

  Anyway, I'll know the result today.

  Due to the mysterious nature of Zhuge Mingyue and others' strength, this match has received even more attention than another match between Nan Chu State and Dan Ling State. Even some people who originally wanted to cheer for their own country's players changed their minds and bought tickets for this match at the last minute.

  "This time Dan Lingguo is going to be out of luck, you see the eyes of those students from Tai Xingguo are even more ruthless than a wolf! Fortunately, I bet on their win this round." A spectator noticed the gaze of several students from Tai Xingguo and said to the audience next to him with schadenfreude.

  "Don't be too happy, I've heard that Danling Country is hiding its true strength. Those young masters from Dongsheng Country who came to pick a fight were beaten like dead dogs." The spectator next to him said with disdain.

  "Even if they hid their strength, what's the big deal? You haven't seen Taixing Country's matches, have you? They're absolutely brutal! Not a single match without bloodshed. The last match against Gaohua Country was almost a massacre - even the summoner hiding in the back got hit twice. In the end, they all had to be carried off the field." Another spectator chimed in, recalling Taixing Country's previous two matches with excitement. Anyway, it wasn't his blood being spilled, he just came to watch the commotion - the more blood flowed, the more worth the ticket price.

  "Is it that fierce?" Another spectator also rushed over excitedly.

  "Of course, you'll know soon enough. Those Tai Xingguo guys are ruthless when they fight. Every move is meant to harm, and with one sword strike, the ground is covered in blood. Especially that Chen Xu Ran, he injured six opponents in two matches, all seriously hurt, it's as if he wouldn't be satisfied unless he killed a few people. If you ask me, they're not here to compete, they're here to kill. You'd better prepare yourself mentally, or you'll likely be scared to death soon."

  "No way, I have a fainting spell, don't scare me." The audience member said exaggeratedly, patting his chest.

  "Well, I think you'd better get out of here as soon as possible, for your own good." The man patted him sympathetically on the shoulder.

  ……

  In the huge arena, the murmurs of discussion filled the air, and every face was lit up with excitement and anticipation. The ruthlessness and cruelty of Tai Xing's moves had already spread throughout the entire South Chu capital, but compared to that kind of high-level competition where one side yields without a fight, the audience still preferred to see thrilling and exciting scenes, the bloodier the better.

  When the Taixing National players stepped onto the stage, the audience erupted in thunderous applause and cheers, a sign of respect for the strong. When Zhuge Mingyue and others walked onto the stage, the cheers were much smaller, but there was no jeering like in the first two matches. Although it's still unclear what their true strength is, the previous two matches have taught people that those who underestimated Danling National before the match and mocked them ended up slapping themselves in the face, they didn't want to slap themselves again.

  At this time, for them, the audience is more curious about what kind of strength this team, which seems to have entered the semi-finals with a rare good luck in a thousand years and has rumors that its strength is unfathomable, will be?

  The moment when all the audience looked up with anticipation was about to arrive as the horn sounded.

  On the arena, Tai Xing Guo's team leader, Chen Xu Ran, slowly stretched out his thumb towards Zhuge Ming Yue and others, then flipped his hand to point at the ground, bursting into loud laughter. His tall and lean body was like a hard piece of iron, emitting endless coldness, as the wind howled by, blowing up his long hair, adding a few more points of arrogance and killing intent, just like a god of death from ancient times.

  Even those cheering spectators felt a chill run down their spines as they sensed the intense killing intent emanating from him, and they couldn't help but shut their mouths.

  And the two swordsmen behind him, simultaneously drew out their long swords, with solemn and cold expressions, their eyes icy cold, without a hint of emotion. Although they were dressed neatly, they seemed to emit a strong bloody smell, making people feel extremely uncomfortable. The archer and summoner at the back of the team had pale faces, if not for the sparkle in their eyes, they would have been almost indistinguishable from corpses, on his body, it seemed that there was no sign of life at all.

  Facing the insulting provocation of Tai Xingguo, Wan Qichen showed no weakness, raised his palm, and lightly wiped it across his neck. Zhuge Mingyue smiled faintly at the opponent, and in an instant, the mysterious power inside her body flowed rapidly, a strong aura burst forth, and a destructive feeling was subtly emitted.

  Chen Xuran gazed at Zhuge Mingyue, slowly withdrawing his hand gesture, and a fierce red color flashed in his eyes, which was the strong fighting spirit and bloodthirsty desire that arose when facing a powerful opponent.

  Although the audience may not be so keen to feel the changes on them, they can understand those two gestures and know that this suspenseful match has already collided with intense sparks at this moment, and the next match will definitely be wonderful.

  The audience erupted in thunderous applause once again, and it was only at this moment that they began to truly take the mysterious students of Danling Country seriously. From Zhuge Mingyue's demeanor, they saw a strong self-confidence, as well as an unyielding ferocity that was in no way inferior to Tai Xing Country's. This was enough to earn their respect, and it also made them even more worth looking forward to.

  The horn ended, a gust of wind whizzed by, chilling to the bone. The originally oppressive racing platform seemed even more desolate. The wind was cold, but the students from Taixing Country on the platform were even colder, emitting an aura that made them seem like lifeless killing machines.

  Every single member of the audience felt a change within themselves, an inexplicable sense of fear, their heartbeats racing out of control with a "thumping" that seemed to be about to burst forth.

  "It's really should have listened to that person and left earlier." The audience who claimed to have a fainting spell covered his chest, turned pale, and started regretting.

  The judge, who was reading out the rules of the competition as usual, couldn't help but shrink his neck, and his voice became much softer. Having been a referee for several sessions of the Chenlong Competition, he still felt uneasy for the first time. Even those teams that won the championship in the past would not give him such a feeling. What's going on with this Taixing National team?

  "You can go now, there's nothing for you here." Chen Xuran said coldly, without a hint of emotion.

  If this had happened in the past, the referee would have been furious, but today he didn't get angry at all. He muttered through the rules and directly announced the start of the game, then slipped away with a sigh of relief.

  Led by Chen Xuran, the three swordsmen of Taixing Country raised their long swords and assumed a strange posture. Their fingers lightly brushed against the blade edges, and a drop of fresh blood seeped out. However, the long swords instantly turned a deep crimson color. The dazzling red glow enveloped the entire team, including the summoner and archer behind them, who were all covered in a bloody aura. Their eyes flashed with cruel and ferocious energy.

  Cold, very cold! Even the sunlight on top of their heads was dull and colorless at this moment. The blood-red glow continued to spread, almost completely shrouding the entire stage. Everyone was stunned by this eerie scene, feeling extremely uncomfortable and nauseous in their hearts, unable to help but cover their mouths to suppress the nausea. The entire arena fell into a deathly silence.

  "It's strange, my spiritual attack seems to have no effect on them at all." Xuzi Mingyue's arms, Ye Xiao poked out his small head, said strangely, looking at the hazy blood-colored light, showing a disgusted expression, and quickly withdrew his head.

  "Blood Swordsman!" The stands suddenly let out a cry of surprise, and then fell silent once more. Everyone was chilled to the bone.

  It turned out to be a Blood Swordsman, and both Zhuge Mingyue and Ling Feiyang suddenly realized. This is a legendary swordsmanship that has been lost for a long time, which can stimulate the potential of the swordsman's body through countless cruel killings and blood baptisms, rapidly increasing their strength. After such a nearly ruthless cultivation, the soul of every Blood Swordsman is tempered as hard as iron, they have no emotions, no friends, no sympathy, and all things that may affect their cultivation are seen as obstacles to be eliminated. They disregard life, and in pursuit of stronger strength, they can even ignore their own lives.

  No wonder Night Charm's spiritual attacks don't work on them, because in their spiritual world, there is no room for anything else except cultivation, how can illusions have any effect on them.

  No wonder the previous match of Tai Xingguo was so bloody, because this is simply a group of madmen who can pursue strength regardless of anything. The audience's gaze towards Zhuge Mingyue and others was filled with sympathy, no matter whether they had hidden their strength before, encountering such opponents, what chance did they have? Just hope that their next match won't be as miserable as the previous two teams, after all, there is a lovely beauty, just thinking about it makes people's hearts ache!

  Just as the audience was worried about them, Zhuge Mingyue and others' expressions didn't change at all. Blood Swordsmen! Humph, it's just an unusual cultivation method, maybe it sounds scary, and the momentum is indeed intimidating, but it can only scare ordinary people, not them! Whether it's the training in the White Ice Plain or the assessment in the forbidden land, which one wasn't a life-or-death struggle? The battle of life and death in that spiritual space, unknown to others, was actually more perilous and frightening than the Blood Swordsmen's cultivation. So facing opponents who relied on bloodshed and slaughter to increase their strength, making themselves lose even the most basic humanity, they had stronger confidence.

  "Today, let's win a beautiful victory!" Zhuge Mingyue drew out his dagger, with great passion and momentum.

  "Alright, let's use our strength to tell everyone who is the real strong one." Ling Feiyang raised his Broken Kill Sword.

  Chang Sun Ning Hao didn't say anything, but his fingers grasping the heavy sword tightened more than usual.

  Wan Xi Chen and Xue Zi Hao also couldn't help but reveal their excitement. Two inexplicable victories, rumors that had spread like wildfire, and the suspicion and even disdain in people's eyes had been suppressing them for too long. Today was the time to finally erupt!

  Giving their opponents no time to prepare, Chen Xuran and the other two Blood Swordsmen launched a simultaneous attack. The blood color flowing on the swords grew thicker, emitting eerie and chilling glows that sent shivers down one's spine. The swords' piercing shriek as they tore through the air was like a series of mournful wails, making one's heart tremble with fear.

  Ling Feiyang and Chang Sun Ninghao stepped forward, two auras as overwhelming as Mount Tai burst forth, and under the pressure of that aura, even the bloody color that permeated the entire arena faded away. Swords drawn, two cold gleams shone like the dawn light before sunrise, piercing through the endless darkness, shining so brightly that it was hard to keep one's eyes open.

  The two Blood Swordsmen on the opposite side were momentarily stunned, subconsciously swinging their long swords to unleash their most exquisite and ruthless sword techniques. However, in the face of that powerful and pure strength, all their skills seemed so pale and weak. With just one sword strike, both of them were heavily knocked off the stage, their bodies flying far away and crashing to the ground, instantly losing consciousness. One of the swordsmen's long swords was even shattered into pieces by Ling Fei Yang's Broken Kill Sword.

  "Soul Swordsmen!" Everyone exclaimed in surprise. Although they had guessed that Danling Country was hiding their strength, no one expected that the hidden strength would be so powerful, and there were even two Soul-level swordsmen. Seeing such momentum, such power, such sword skills, who would still doubt their strength?

  And when they turned their gaze back to Zhuge Mingyue, they were shocked and almost didn't dare believe their eyes.

  Zhuge Mingyue still stood in place, slowly retracting her fist, as if she had never moved at all. But her opponent, Chen Xuran, the strongest of Taixing Academy, was flying. Yes, flying, although it was a painful and helpless flight, he was indeed soaring high into the air, far away from the ground, flying straight towards the sky.

  No one saw how Chen Xuran arrived in front of Zhuge Mingyue, because his speed was too fast, his movements were too strange and unpredictable, making it difficult for people to capture. People only saw Zhuge Mingyue seemingly effortlessly swing her dagger, sending Chen Xuran's long sword flying far away, then with a simple punch hit his chin, directly knocking him into the sky.

  Is this really the strongest swordsman in Taixing Country? Is this really Chen Xuran, who severely injured six opponents in two matches? The Chen Xuran known as the God of Murder?

  If it weren't for the insulting gesture at the beginning, if it weren't for that chilling and murderous aura, people would almost suspect that Dan Ling was on a roll of good luck, and Tai Xing had made a substitution.

  No one could have imagined that the formidable Chen Xuran would fall into Zhuge Mingyue's hands, defeated so cleanly and neatly. No wonder Ling Feiyang and Changsun Ninghao didn't try to block his attack earlier; it turns out that Zhuge Mingyue's strength is actually terrifying.

  The entire audience was in a state of extreme shock, and not only them, but also the summoner and archer from Taixing Academy were stunned by this unbelievable scene. Suddenly, a dull roar sounded on the stage, and a giant beast covered in black steel armor appeared out of thin air, its thick legs stomping heavily on the ground, releasing a massive shockwave that sent the summoner and archer flying off the stage.

  Chen Xuran also fell to the ground at this time, making a "pa" sound. Upon hearing this sound, many spectators who were intently watching the stage couldn't help but shudder violently. Ouch! Although it wasn't a personal experience, one could imagine how painful that must have been.

  Instant kill! It's actually an instant kill!

  Faced with Danling's team's strong attack, the students of Taixing didn't even put up a slight resistance. More than three swordsmen were defeated in one move, and even the summoner and archer were directly blown off the stage by the opponent's summoned magic pets. What is this if not an instant kill?

  Looking at Chen Xuran who was still twitching slightly on the ground, Zhuge Mingyue stretched out her hand, raised her thumb, flipped it over and pointed to the ground. This insulting gesture, she's giving it to him now! It's really exciting, too arrogant, too cool!

  Dead silence, a silence so quiet you could hear a heartbeat. The entire stadium was silent.

  Zhuge Mingyue slowly withdrew his hand and chuckled softly. This chuckle was like the music of the heavens, startling those who were lost in thought.

  It wasn't until now that the audience finally reacted.

  The audience was boiling! Cheers, screams, whistles, and applause resounded through the sky, reverberating on the stage. There were no intense scenes as expected, but those few shocking moments had already been deeply etched in people's minds, unforgettable for a lifetime.

  Digression

  "Hmm, this time I didn't mess up, the semifinals are over! The final is what everyone's been waiting for, it's going to be even more exciting. Tomorrow will be even better, hehe~ Thanks to my sisters who support me by watching the official version, love you guys~ Please give me lots of monthly tickets, thanks~"

  PS: I always write it a day in advance and the manuscript exists in the background. It will be updated at 7 am the next day. If it is not updated at 7 am, something must have happened.