novelsky Chapter 854: This Ends Here
Chapter 854: This Ends Here
...With rainbow clouds as her robe and the wind as her steed, the Cloud Sovereign descends one after another.
The fourth sword technique, Mist Formed from Rainbow Clouds, allows the body to transform into mist and merge with nature.
This Xiahou Ji was indeed treacherous, and his First Battle Technique did indeed bind Li Qingran, but this move, Mist Formed from Rainbow Clouds, directly caused his First Battle Technique to grasp at thin air, allowing Li Qingran to break free and escape.
Xiahou Ji was utterly dumbfounded, his lips trembling. "No... impossible. How could my First Battle Technique be escaped? Even if one transformed into an elemental state, they should still be bound within..."
The next second, he noticed something even more terrifying.
Pointing at the World Ring beneath Li Qingran's feet, he exclaimed in shock, "Bl-black World Ring? A ten-thousand-year World Ring! You... aren't you a Battle Venerable? How can you have a black World Ring!?"
The students watching around the arena were equally stunned.
Xiao Shihao rubbed his eyes, his jaw agape.
He even began to doubt if there was something wrong with his eyes, if he had lost his ability to distinguish colors.
Xiahou Yuan was in a similar state; Su Luyao in his arms suddenly didn't seem so appealing anymore.
A black World Ring appearing on a mere Battle Venerable was far more astonishing than Su Luyao. If such a thing could happen to him, he could do without Su Luyao. After all, with sufficiently powerful strength, what kind of woman couldn't he find?
Sitting in a corner of the spectator stands, Bixixi narrowed her eyes slightly.
"So, she truly has divine favor. A God-bestowed World Ring is directly granted as a hundred-thousand-year ring, but one must pass the deity's trial, something only those at my level or above can even come into contact with... But now, it seems the deity has already begun bestowing God-bestowed World Rings upon Li Qingran.
Right now, Li Qingran is only a Soul Venerable. In the future, won't that deity directly upgrade her World Ring to a hundred-thousand-year, or even... a million-year ring?"
With this thought, even Bixixi, as the Pope, couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy for Li Qingran's treatment.
To gain even a little benefit from the Fallen Angel God, she had to go through immense hardship.
Because she wasn't the only Battle Master vying for the Fallen Angel Divine Position; others were also watching covetously, and the Fallen Angel God would ultimately choose the most outstanding one.
But Li Qingran's situation was clearly already predetermined by the deity.
She had no competitors at all. In fact, the deity seemed afraid she might encounter some accident, hence bestowing the black ten-thousand-year World Ring in advance as a protective measure.
With such doting, Li Qingran's future ascension to godhood was already a certainty.
"No wonder His Eminence the Fallen Angel wanted me to establish a good relationship with Li Qingran in advance... To unify the Canglan World, relying on me alone is truly very difficult, and also..."
A trace of hatred flashed in Bixixi's eyes.
She wanted to become the ultimate ruler of the Canglan World, but there was still a mountain weighing on her head—her master, Qian Yaoji.
Qian Yaoji's Battle Soul was the Seraphim Battle Soul, and she was also one of the inheritors chosen by the deity.
Bixixi's strength was still far from being a match for Qian Yaoji. If she could have Li Qingran's help in the future...
Bixixi's mind began to churn with possibilities.
She wasn't the least bit worried about whether Li Qingran's growth could keep pace with her grand ambitions and revenge plan.
Because from the moment Li Qingran was chosen by the deity, she was destined to be extraordinary, destined to grow at an extremely rapid pace.
And just as Bixixi was contemplating the future.
The battle on the arena stage continued.
"Deception! It must be deception!" Xiahou Ji said with a dark expression. "I understand now. You just want to use this kind of illusion to make me fearful, to make me reveal a flaw?
Right! You're just a Battle Venerable!
How could a Battle Venerable possess a ten-thousand-year World Ring? As long as I shatter your illusion..."
Facing the rambling Xiahou Ji.
Li Qingran didn't respond.
Her figure simply transformed into a wisp of mist, leaving behind a faint afterimage in her original spot.
"Another illusion? Don't let me catch you! Second Battle Technique, Swarm Flame Explosive Bombs!"
Xiahou Ji grew frantic, his eyes reddening. His second World Ring lit up, and dense clusters of fireballs materialized behind him.
These fireballs condensed into the shapes of tiger wasps, buzzing and hissing. This was the World Ring and battle technique he had obtained years ago by slaying a Crimson Flame Tiger Wasp.
This type of battle technique was a large-area attack.
It was also the plan Xiahou Ji felt was most likely to force Li Qingran out of her illusion.
He swung his hand, launching dozens of burning fire wasps that densely blanketed the area toward the mist.
But the fireballs passed right through the mist, only exploding into a shower of sparks, not even touching the hem of Li Qingran's clothes.
Discussions erupted in the spectator stands. The students of the Battle Soul Academy were not inexperienced.
But they truly had never seen such a shamelessly evasive battle technique as Li Qingran's.
"Where is she? How did she disappear?"
"It's a battle technique! That move just now was something like 'cloud'... what was it? Too divine!"
"Is Xiahou Ji just hitting air? How ridiculous!"
...
Sweat beaded on Xiahou Ji's forehead. The third World Ring at his feet lit up. "Third Battle Technique, Purgatory Wall, close!"
Crimson-purple flames instantly erected a circle of fire walls, enclosing himself in the center.
Tongues of flame licked the air, crackling and popping.
He stared intently at every inch of space outside the fire wall, his breathing growing rapid—he refused to believe Li Qingran could keep hiding forever.
The mist flickered outside the fire wall, materializing into Li Qingran's figure, then the next instant merged with the wind, appearing on another side of the fire wall.
"Got you!" Xiahou Ji whirled around, swinging his hand to unleash a soaring blade of fire. "Fourth Battle Technique, Heaven-Scorching Slash!"
Flames tinged with black condensed into a slashing attack, cleaving toward the location of the mist.
However, the mist had already drifted behind him.
"Impossible!" Xiahou Ji roared, turning around and unleashing battle techniques one after another.
Swarm Flame Explosive Bombs, Fire Wall, Heaven-Scorching Slash took turns bombarding the arena.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Violent flames continuously exploded across the stage, almost filling every corner. The spectacle was magnificent.
But Li Qingran's figure was like a ghost, sometimes transforming into mist, sometimes solidifying only to dissipate instantly, always circling around him, yet always elusive.
All of Xiahou Ji's attacks landed on empty air.
"Come out! Have the guts to stop hiding!" Xiahou Ji was completely panicked now. His Soul Power was being consumed frantically, his face turning pale, his eyes filled with despair.
He had exhausted all his battle techniques, at the end of his rope, yet hadn't even grazed a single hair on Li Qingran.
Boos rose from the spectator stands.
"This is just too pathetic. Can't even touch her."
"Did the Xiahou Family come here to make fools of themselves?"
Originally, the fact that Li Qingran was being targeted by the families had already displeased them.
Now, mocking Xiahou Ji and the Xiahou Family naturally came without restraint.
In the spectator stands, Xiao Shihao's face darkened, his fingers clenched so tight they turned white.
Xiahou Ji's performance was even worse than Xiao Yanyao's.
In Xiahou Yuan's arms, Su Luyao's expression turned even more unsightly. She bit her lip hard, her nails digging into her palms.
Even though she had already sacrificed her chastity, lowered herself to grovel and lick Xiahou Yuan's boots, even though the Xiahou Family and the Xiao Family had joined forces, they still couldn't suppress Li Qingran?
Where on earth did she get that ten-thousand-year black World Ring?
Why does she...
Just as Xiahou Ji was on the verge of a breakdown, the mist suddenly solidified behind him.
Li Qingran stood firm, her Su Xian Sword half-drawn from its sheath, a flash of cold light.
"First Battle Technique, Long Wind Breaks Waves."
Her cool voice fell. Sword Qi shot forth like a white rainbow, striking Xiahou Ji's back with precision.
Xiahou Ji only felt a tremendous force assail him. His body lost control and pitched forward.
He flew out of the arena like a kite with its string cut, landing heavily on the ground with a loud 'thud', kicking up a cloud of dust.
Li Qingran sheathed her sword, standing in the center of the arena. The black World Ring slowly faded from view, her expression still calm.
The entire arena fell into dead silence for a moment, then erupted into thunderous cheers. "Long live Goddess Qingran!"
"So cool! Knocked him flying with one sword!"
"This is what a true strong-attack type Battle Master is like! Sharp and decisive!"
...
The Xiahou Family referee, seeing that Xiahou Ji could no longer rise, though inwardly displeased, had no choice but to grit his teeth and announce Li Qingran as the victor.
But immediately after, he didn't even want to give Li Qingran a moment to catch her breath.
He directly announced, "The competition rules are now changed. Two challengers will come up simultaneously!
This is both a test of the defender's strength and to improve efficiency, reducing the time consumption of the arena competition!"
"Change the rules? Two challengers at once?"
As soon as the referee's words fell, the entire competition venue instantly exploded!
"What bullshit rules! This is openly targeting Goddess Qingran!"
A student shot to his feet, pointing at the arena and roaring, his voice filled with fury. "Wasn't depriving her of rest time enough before? Now you're directly changing the rules? Is there any fairness left?"
"Exactly! What's the logic of changing rules mid-competition? Does the Xiahou Family think they can control everything?"
"We protest! This competition is unwatchable!"
Protests and curses rose one after another. Students in the front rows surged forward excitedly. If not for the mentors blocking them, they might have charged onto the arena stage.
Everyone could see clearly: this had nothing to do with improving efficiency. It was blatantly the Xiahou Family, having suffered consecutive defeats at Li Qingran's hands, getting desperate and trying to overwhelm her with sheer numbers!
On the other side of the spectator stands, Xiao Shihao sat upright, a cold smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
He had long known the Xiahou Family would stop at nothing. This was fine too. Whether the Xiahou Family won or Li Qingran won, it was beneficial to him—if the Xiahou Family won, he could reap the benefits; if Li Qingran won, he could use her hand to suppress the Xiahou Family. As for Li Qingran, when she was exhausted, that would be his time to strike.
In Xiahou Yuan's arms, Su Luyao's face finally revealed a twisted, gratified smile.
On the arena, the referee, that Xiahou Family Battle Saint, stood there with a livid expression, turning a deaf ear to the surrounding roars and protests.
In his view, the family's face was far more important than so-called fairness. Today, even if they had to resort to shameless tactics, they must crush Li Qingran.
He stared coldly at Li Qingran and said in a heavy voice, "The rules have been changed, effective immediately! Next group of challengers, step onto the stage!"
Li Qingran stood in the center of the arena, her plain robes fluttering slightly, her expression still calm, but a flash of cold light passed through the depths of her eyes.
She wasn't afraid of challenges, but she detested these unscrupulous, underhanded tactics with no bottom line.
At this moment, she was like someone pushed to the forefront of a storm, bearing the gazes of the entire venue—some sympathetic, some furious, and some coldly watching the spectacle.
Outside the Canglan Mirror, the smile had long vanished from Chen Huaian's face, his eyes as cold as ten-thousand-year ice.
He had originally wanted to see how long these families could keep jumping around, and also wanted to let Li Qingran gain more experience. But now it seemed these people were truly seeking death.
His slender fingertips lightly tapped the tabletop. A faint, almost imperceptible killing intent began to emanate from him.
He was already calculating what method he should use to make these families completely disappear from the Canglan World...
But... why hasn't the Electronic Girlfriend System popped up with any pay-to-win options yet?
Something like Heavenly Thunder Sword Qi, come on, save the day!
He'd buy it no matter the price!
Just at this tense, sword-drawn moment.
From a corner of the spectator stands, a cold and authoritative female voice suddenly rang out.
The voice wasn't loud, yet it resounded through the entire competition venue like a thunderclap, instantly suppressing all the clamor and protests.
"This ends here!"
As the words fell, a slender figure slowly rose to her feet.
...