Free Web NovelChapter 42: Round 2! Battle of Eight!
The morning sun casting elegant rays on the academy grounds. Many groups of people sprawled across the academy grounds. Chen Ming and his family strolled into the academy grounds along with Chen Yu Ming.
"You should win today, Chen Ming," Chen Yu Ming muttered, her hands clutching at her chest. She felt shy. She had never spoken to Chen Ming properly since arriving at the academy. Instead, she had just ignored him. She used to feel a sting of jealousy. Now, she started to admire him after his win in yesterday’s match.
"A-Ah... Yeah I will win, Chen Yu Ming," Chen Ming stammered, smearing the back of his head.
"Where is Lin Yuan? I can’t see that young boy anywhere..." Chen Wenshu sneered, his eyes darting across the academy.
"There he is!" Chen Ming smirked, pointing toward the entrance of the academy grounds. "Lin Yuan... over here!" He waved, standing on his tiptoes to catch Lin Yuan’s attention.
Lin Yuan jerked his head once before glancing toward Chen Ming. Walking over, he sluggishly cupped his fists to greet Chen Ming’s family.
"Good morning, Elder Chen Ruolan and Elder Chen Wenshu!"
"Good morning, Lin Yuan," Chen Wenshu smirked, waving his hand slightly. "I am looking forward to you fighting with my son in the finals."
Lin Yuan just nodded his head politely. Chen Ming’s family climbed up onto the spectators stand, and the victorious disciples ambled to the competitors stand.
"Ahem!! Attention spectators and my dear disciples. Today Round 2 of the Grand Academy competition begins!" Luo Zhen beamed, his voice echoing across the academy grounds. He pridefully climbed the battle stage, catching everyone’s attention. "The winners of the first round are Lin Yuan, Gu Shiyan, Xiao Yanrui, Xiao Lanxue, Chen Ming, Teng Haoran, Lian Nichang, and Yun He."
As he spoke, the heavy, broad wall above the VIP stand shimmered, revealing the altered Round 2 schedule. Infused with Flame Hawk beast essence, the display kept its burning gaze on the battleground to track the winnings. The winners of the first round widened their eyes to read the board clearly:
ROUND 2 OF GRAND ACADEMY COMPETITION.
First Battle: Chen Ming vs. Lian Nichang
Second Battle: Yun He vs. Xiao Lanxue
Third Battle: Xiao Yanrui vs. Gu Shiyan frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
Fourth Battle: Lin Yuan vs. Teng Haoran
"Fuck this schedule. Why am I always last?" Lin Yuan cursed, clicking his tongue. fгee𝑤ebɳoveɭ.cøm
"Sigh... First again?" Chen Ming started, rubbing his temples gently.
"Let’s begin the day!" Luo Zhen’s voice boomed across the academy, cutting through the murmurs. "The first match of the second round is between Chen Ming and Lian Nichang."
Chen Ming and Lian Nichang sauntered onto the battle stage and stood opposite each other. They bowed, cupping their fists at a time. The spectators smiled warmly, touched by the courteous generosity of the disciples on the stage.
"Be ready to lose, Chen Ming," Lian Nichang boasted, taking a battle stance, his silver-white beast essence swirling around his arms.
"Haha... You are dreaming big, my friend. You will never win against me, even in your dreams," Chen Ming sneered, snapping his fingers sluggishly as a faint green beast essence flicked at the tips of his right hand’s fingers.
"BEGIN!" Luo Zhen announced, stepping out of the battle stage.
Chen Ming smiled, lunging forward quickly. His gaze locked onto Lian Nichang’s slightly exposed chest, his hands jolted back to unleash a powerful slash. A claw of falcon formed around Chen Ming’s arm deliberately, growling with a sheer intensity.
"Wolf Fang!!" Chen Ming rumbled, descending his hand quickly onto Lian Nichang.
Lian Nichang ducked sideways and thrust his hand into Chen Ming’s ribs. However, Chen Ming’s reflexes were sharp; he pivoted his weight and instantly grabbed his thrusting hand. Without a chance to dodge, Lian Nichang braced for impact as Chen Ming clenched his right fist and plummeted toward his face. Desperate to avoid lethal damage, Lian raised his other hand, infused with beast essence to shield herself.
BOOM!
The force of the punch slammed him violently into the stage, shattering the ground into a spiderweb of cracks. Lian Nichang groaned in pain, twisting his body vehemently and clenching the hand that had taken the impact.
"Just give up, Lian... I don’t want to hurt you again!" Chen Ming muttered, his eyes shimmering with the gaze of a falcon.
"Damn you... I will win this battle!" Lian Nichang sneered, pivoting to face the ground as she struggled to pull himself up.
Chen Ming did not hesitate. As Lian Nichang struggled to his feet, he drove a devastating punch straight into Lian Nichang’s side ribs.
The impact vibrated throughout the body, the sheer force of the strike overwhelming Lian Nichang’s remaining strength. Lian Nichang’s breath caught as he was knocked backward, his resistance finally breaking under the weight of the blow. His body went limp, and fell back to the ground, losing consciousness as the struggle reached its sudden end. Chen Ming stood over Lian Nichang, breathing vehemently as the silence returned and the dust slowly settled around them.
"The battle is concluded!" Luo Zhen stated, climbing onto the stage. "The winner is Chen Ming!"
The arena erupted into a cacophony of murmurs and applause. Chen Ruolan took a heavy breath, smiling triumphantly.
"I know... my brat will win!" Chen Wenshu bragged, a prideful look shimmering on his face.
Chen Ming carefully supported Lian Nichang by the shoulders and carried him to a medical stretcher for first aid. He then walked toward the competitor stand, glancing at Lin Yuan.
"Yes! The intensity is increasing... The next match is between..." Luo Zhen announced, his voice like a heavy ringing bell. "Yun He and Xiao Lanxue."
"Lady disciples showdown haha"
"I bet on Xiao Lanxue.."
"No, Yun He will grab this win."
The spectators muttered continuously, as Yun He and Xiao Lanxue climbed up onto the stage. They both face each other with sheer anxiety and confidence in their eyes.
"Begin!" Luo Zhen bellowed, waving his hand downward before leaping back from the battle stage
Yun He didn’t waste a single heartbeat. Knowing she was at a disadvantage in the Mid stage, she needed to establish her defense immediately. She slammed her foot hard into the stone ground, her silver-white essence bursting outward in an impactful shockwave.
"Iron Ape Wall!" she roared, the stone tiles in front of her shattered and lifted upward, bound together by her dense silver-white essence to form a three-layered thick wall of earth and rock. And immediately, she concentrated into her aperture. A massive, brown-furred Earth Ape’s silhouette appeared beside her, its eyes shimmering with sheer anger and disdain.
Xiao Lanxue watched the massive wall rise with an unconcerned gaze. Her hands moved in wavery motion, her snow-white essence twisting around her arms like ribbons of solid ice.
"A wall of mud cannot stop the incoming hailstorm," Xiao Lanxue said softly, her voice cold and devoid of emotion. She pointed a finger toward the wall. Instantly, with a dazzling flash of light, her core beast — the silhouette of the Ice Serpent fully manifested in the world. Although its current evolution stage meant it remained a small serpent resting within Xiao Lanxue’s aperture, a cultivator can manifest their beast’s true aura through pure Qi concentration, beast essence and willpower.
It was a beautiful creature, fifteen feet long, its scales made of jagged, diamond-hard ice. The serpent opened its jaws, unleashing a concentrated laser of frost energy straight toward Yun He’s defensive wall.
CRACK!
The moment the frost beam pierced the earth wall, there was a cracking sound echoed through the arena. The moisture within the rocks and soil was instantly frozen solid, expanding rapidly. Within a fraction of a second, Yun He’s massive wall was encased in thick, blue ice and then it shattered into a hundred tiny, harmless crystals and debris.
Yun He’s eyes widened in shock, but her instincts were sharp. With her command, the Earth Ape silhouette leaped into the air, cloaking Yun He’s fists in silver-white essence, and she thrusted her hand down to shatter the ground. But Xiao Lanxue was a Peak Stage genius for a reason. Before the fist could touch the ground, she lightly tapped her foot against the icy floor.
"Freeze!" Xiao Lanxue murmured, her eyes gleaming with icy chill.
The layer of ice that had been spreading across the arena suddenly rushed, turning the stone into an ice surface. Yun He’s fist slammed down, but the moment its feet landed, it lost all force on the ice. She stumbled, her balance ruined as she slid across the stage.
"Hehe... it’s time!" Xiao Lanxue sneered calmly, the snow-white beast essence lunged at a high speed. It glided across the frozen floor like a streak of white lightning, wrapping around the struggling Yun He before she could regain its footing.
"No!" Yun He yelled, struggling to unbound from the wrap. She concentrated every remaining drop of her silver-white essence into her right fist, aiming a punch at the Ice-Serpent’s head.
Xiao Lanxue didn’t even move from her spot. She merely flicked her wrist. A wave of snow-white essence shot forward, forming a slashing tail of ice that slammed into Yun He’s ribs.
Bang!
The impact was heavy and merciless. Yun He was sent skidding across the ice floor, crashing hard against the arena boundary line. Yun He struggled hard to straighten up, but the whip shattered her ribs. She finally collapsed onto the ground immediately.
"The battle has concluded!" Luo Zhen announced, his voice ringing true. "The winner is Xiao Lanxue of the Xiao Clan!"
Xiao Lanxue turned and walked away to the competitor stand, and the medical team took the collapsed Yun He to treatment.
’Such arrogance... Haha... But her control over the essence is truly magnificent,’ Lin Yuan thought, watching Xiao Lanxue strolling toward the stand. ’It’s efficient but she was a mere girl and can’t win against me!’
