One Emperor was calm, and he said nothing of the matter. Instead, he said, "Since he didn't die, announce the results."
"Vast Heaven did not have the power to fight back in this battle, so it's only natural that you won. With that being the case, let's go down. We shan't affect the operations of the competition. We'll continue with the martial arts tournament."
Everyone who had entered the stage left it once the villa master ordered them to. As for Duan Yu, he picked up Vast Heaven and brought him off the stage to rest.
Vast Heaven had experienced life and death, and One Emperor's slash was burned into his mind. He might have recovered and his body was fine, but his expression was still pale. His mind kept repeating One Emperor's slash that was as profound as black lightning. There was just no way he could have dodged it.
It was also that one slash that completely destroyed his chances to seize the title of strongest in the world!
It was the difference between them!
There was a ravine they could not cross!
From the start to the end, the players at the foot of the stage held their breaths. They could not believe it. They had thought that it would be an exciting fight with sword qi moving around the stage freely, so why and how did it end so quickly? It did not even seem to have started…
Only Happy, Silver Wolf, Zhou Yu, Blood Robes, and the others who had already fought against One Emperor had solemn expressions on their faces, and that graveness was one of an unprecedented degree!
One Emperor's slash just then seemed to be his first slash… but it also seemed to have become faster than before!
Chapter 549 - The Lucky Vast Heaven
One Emperor ended his next two rounds just as fast. With just two slashes, he managed to heavily injure both his opponents and reduce them to bloody pieces. They had to be taken down the stage to be treated, and countless people watched him with respect, wariness, and complicated gazes as he walked down the stage.
He won three consecutive rounds, and he did so with ease, giving off a calm and domineering air!
Even Happy camse to see a killing intent and confidence that said that there was no one else in the world except for him who could do it.
One Emperor was still the same One Emperor as in Happy's previous life!
The only difference was that the One Emperor in this life seemed to be flashier and more confident, and he was also a lot more proactive than before!
"Is that guy still human?"
Even Silver Wolf could not help but laugh wanly. It seemed like One Emperor had actually held back a little during their fight, which was the most shocking thing of all
Happy did not answer, but instead recalled the shocking sword slash just then.
It had triggered far too many memories of his past life, and he felt as if he had instantly returned to those days. All sorts of information about that sword slash returned to his mind.
When compared to the sword technique seen through Silver Wolf's eyes, One Emperor just now was much stronger and fiercer.
'Just why is that?' Happy scowled as his mind raced.
Just what was it that allowed One Emperor's sword technique to become faster than before?
As a veteran of the game, Happy did not believe that One Emperor held back when he fought against Silver Wolf. A swordsman could only continuously improve to become faster and stronger, and they would never preserve their strength, for it would bring no benefits in regards to them growing stronger. Having no other thoughts when attacking with the sword was the only way to display the might of one's sword will.
However, the day before, One Emperor's sword technique was still the same as it was before. Then why did it give off a feeling that it was faster and more powerful now? During this period of time, One Emperor did not go outside and just stayed in Hero's Mountain Villa.
It was impossible for him to have improved just by watching the fights.
Happy looked at the area around One Emperor, and his gaze suddenly fixed on the spot behind him. There was a worn-out swordsman sitting on the mat while leaning against a shed, and while his clothes were wrinkled and tight, his gaze was like a sword. His face was also very clean and handsome. Each of his moves gave others a very unique feeling.
His lips moved as if he was talking to someone.
Many of the people near the worn-out swordsman paid attention to One Emperor, who had his eyes slightly shut. His thoughts were hard to judge, but his face was turned to the side, in a posture that suggested that he was listening to someone, but it was not one that others would notice easily.
It was a secret message!
'I see! Looks like I'm not the only person who received a quest in Hero's Mountain Villa and is required to complete it here.'
*****
After One Emperor went on stage, a strange atmosphere appeared around Dragon Tiger Arena.
Not only were the players now reluctant to get on the stage, even many of the normal martial artists began to regard the nameless and young hero in another light.
*****
A few hours passed.
As the sect leaders from various sects continued to get up the stage and fight against each other, the time they spent fighting became incredibly long, and a chilling atmosphere swiftly filled the arena. The people who had originally decided to watch by the sidelines panicked!
It was only then that they came to a swift realization that the martial arts tournament was really just part of the plot. As time passed and the end of the tournament drew near, the people who would go up the stage might no longer be normal Inaction Realm martial artists, but those at the peak of Inaction Realm. In fact, they might even be people who had already surpassed Inaction Realm!
Class One Hall's Dream Clouds, Blood Robes, Zhou Yu, and Monk with Thick Eyebrows had very dark expressions.
By the looks of it now, they had made a stupid move, even if they initially thought that it was good. They did not expect that the martial arts tournament would come to its end so soon.
"We'll give up," Dream Clouds said resolutely. "There isn't much time left. Right now, we're not the only ones who will challenge the arena. The people from Mu Clan, Lu Mingyue, and One Emperor will definitely seize the time to engage in the second round of duels to fight for the spots in the top three and top ten.
"If we attack now, we will only be giving a chance to Mu Clan. Our hopes of getting into the top three aren't great, and the rewards for the top ten aren't good anyhow, so it's best that we give up."
Aside from Zhou Yu, who hesitated a little, Monk with Thick Eyebrows and Blood Robes nodded. The resolution of professional gamers who could make swift decisions was seen very clearly at that moment.
"What's with the situation now? Abbot Kong Xiang of Shaolin Temple is defending the stage to the east, Zhang Sanfeng of Wudang Sect is guarding the south, Zhang Wuji of Ming Cult is guarding the north, and Zhou Zhiruo of Emei Sect is guarding the east. By the looks of it, Zhou Zhiruo seems to be the slightly weaker one. Ahem, oh well, forget I said that."
Little North analyzed the situation, but just when he was about to persuade the people to fight for a breakthrough from the east, he turned his head around and noticed Happy's gaze, and he instantly looked diffident. He coughed and swallowed his words.
Happy shook his head in resignation and explained. "If you want to challenge Zhou Zhiruo, then I suggest that you give up and choose the abbot from Shaolin Temple as your opponent. Zhou Zhiruo practices Nine Yin Manual. She might have just acquired it, but she mastered it quickly, and her strength is much higher than that of Xie Xun, while Kong Xiang is at most at the same level as Xie Xun."
He stopped talking for a moment, then his voice suddenly turned incredibly solemn. "The way I see it, you can give up on Zhang Sanfeng, and you can also give up on Zhang Wuji. You have to choose between Zhou Zhiruo and Master Kong Xiang, and it'll be easier to deal with Master Kong Xiang. He has weaknesses in both strength and personality."
The group said n
othing.
*****
When Vast Heaven saw the change around Dragon Tiger Arena, he, who had already lost pathetically, suddenly laughed madly from the spectator seat.
"Haha! HAHAHAHA! Look at you all dragging this out! Serves you right! I'll see how you can compete against me! I'm the only one with FOUR points! I'd like to see how you can steal the seat of the strongest from me! HAHAHAHA!" All the dejectedness he previously had was now gone, and his conceitedness came to the forefront.
No one at the foot of the stage rebuked Vast Heaven.
"Noisy."
At that moment, a cold voice came from a remote corner. One Emperor walked to the stage from his corner below the stage under the countless gazes from the people in the arena and the netizens watching the livestream.
He looked at the crowd with his back turned toward Vast Heaven, who had shut up abruptly. His voice was cold as it rang through the entire arena. "I won't ever be content with being ranked below someone who has no skill like you… We'll win two rounds first, then we'll fight!"
Right after he finished speaking, a clear and confident response came from the Murong Clan's side. "Haha! Alright!"
A golden figure flew gracefully and landed on another stage on the other side of Dragon Tiger Arena.
Chapter 550 - Battle to the Death, Epiphany!
"Amitabha!" Master Kong Xiang called out the name of Buddha and said to Happy with a smile, "Young Swordsman Happy, you're an outstanding representative of the younger generation of martial artists. I am old now, and I don't want to be the leader of heroes, so how about this?
"If you can withstand one hundred moves from me, I will retreat and surrender." He stopped talking for a while before he added, "But these one hundred moves will not be easy. I will use my full strength. Do be careful."
His words were spoken calmly, but he did imply that he wanted to give guidance to a junior, and it caused quite a number of people at the foot of the stage to feel impressed.
Happy knew that this was not just because of the favor from Eternal Peace Temple, but because he had done quite a lot of quests in Shaolin Temple for a long period of time. He had quite a friendly relationship with Master Kong Xiang, which was why he had this sort of treatment.
"I will definitely work hard and withstand one hundred of your moves," Happy answered in a very humble manner.
Kong Xiang smiled faintly and did not waste anymore breath.
He acted in a subservient manner and pushed his palms together. He then flung his vajra, and the little golden hoops on the vajra instantly let out clear clinging sounds.
After a few steady footsteps, an astonishing presence surged out from his body. His yellow kasaya tumbled backwards even though there was no wind around!
Happy did not dare to be careless. He clenched his fists slightly, and two dragon-shaped vortices instantly appeared from his palms.
At that moment, the dragon-shaped vortices were like two balls of cotton in front of Kong Xiang. They were absolutely harmless!
"Master, please fight me!"
Bang! Bang!
Two fist-generated winds that struck at the air rammed against a spot that was two feet away from Kong Xiang. They formed a faint layer of ripples that vanished without a trace once they were negated by a power that was as gentle as water.
But that did not affect Happy's next move…
He charged forward at full speed and threw his third and fourth punches without stopping. His momentum increased at lightning speed!
Kong Xiang stayed where he was. There was a faint smile on his face as he simply allowed Happy to increase his strength and the momentum of his Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palm.
Happy did not disappoint him.
In the beginning, his fist-generated wind could only form ripples, but soon, it could form pits that were two feet deep. Then, he forced Master Kong Xiang to use the dismantling effect of Demon Subduing Great Art to weaken the force so he could withstand the pressure head-on.
When he arrived in front of Kong Xiang, he had already delivered the ninth move with a loud roar!
A dragon-shaped vortex that was more than two feet thick formed in the air in a wild manner. As Happy threw a heavy punch from above, the true qi surrounding Master Kong Xiang burst apart before the punch even landed. It formed an arc-shaped cover that seemed to have physical form to protect Master Kong Xiang inside.
Happy's fist landed on Demon Subduing True Qi, and the vortex of qi contained in Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palm negated the qi flow formed by Demon Subduing True Qi. With one punch, Happy broke down Master Kong's Demon Subduing True Qi. Then, his fist broke through Master Kong Xiang's basic defense, and for the first time, he forced Master Kong Xiang to attack.
Whoosh!
His vajra let out a clear and fierce sound, and it was as fast as lightning. It instantly arrived in front of Happy's face, and the fierce but even offense caused Happy to feel a terrifying sense of danger. He was almost sure that he could not fight against it head-on.
'This feeling… It's very dangerous!'
An urge screaming at him to dodge and that he could not suppress rose in Happy, but it only lasted for an instant, because an even stronger sense of danger rose in his heart! Suddenly, he realized that his boiling blood seemed to be showing signs of dropping in temperature, and the momentum that allowed him to progress smoothly started showing signs of slowing down and disappearing.
'This is bad!'
The most important part of Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palm was its momentum. If he avoided the attack, not only would all his work come down to nothing, he might also be traumatized by it!
Happy gritted his teeth and quickly circulated his Golden Essence Nine Yang Skill. In a moment, a new force exploded from his Dantian region.
"Open!"
"ROAR!"
Happy went up against Master Kong Xiang's mighty and peerless vajra while tearing through the air with his fist. A terrifying momentum burst out from his body! In an instant, the great dragon behind him swelled up several times its size, and four of its golden claws froze up to gain physical form and release an intimidating glare that crashed straight into the vajra!
BANG!
The fierce crash rang through the arena and shook the ground.
The piercing sound caused the challengers on the other arenas to stop fighting and look over.
The dust that filled the air could not completely hide away the image of a dragon, and One Emperor and Zhang Wuji, too, showed deep shock on their faces.
The impact and crash just then was about the level of the crash when Guo Jing exchanged blows with Zhang Wuji!
Guo Jing stared at the image of the incomplete dragon on the stage while standing below, and he could not help trembling! He simply could not believe his eyes!
'Dragon Fights in the Wild! It's that skill!'
*****
"Ding!
"The fearless soul of a dragon! Fighting in all directions! You understood Dragon Fights in the Wild! When you are faced with danger, you can lose one hundred qi points in exchange for power that will increase your strength by 50%."
The system notification arrived late, but it explained why such powerful strength had burst out from Happy's Dantian region.
Because of its lateness, he had also had the time to witness Master Kong Xiang's shock and puzzlement after he had been forced to the edge of the stage.
"Young Swordsman Happy, your strength is becoming more and more shocking." Master Kong Xiang did not expect that Happy, who had been in his control, wouldt suddenly burst out with strength like that.
He had been certain that he could defeat Happy with his attack, but not only did he not manage to break the momentum Happy had built for himself, he had even been injured lightly in the head-on attack. His kasaya had been slightly torn, and this caused the Shaolin Temple abbot, who had a great status, to feel slightly awkward.
"It's all thanks to you that I achieved this." Happy smiled wanly.
Even though the hit just then was completely unexpected, Dragon Fights in the Wild was too domineering to the enemy and to the user themselves. It made him lose one hundred qi points in one go, and if he used it again, he would drop to Mystical Realm. He could not use such a skill freely and he could only speak a bit while he circulated Golden Essence Nine Yang Skill to swiftly recover some of the qi he lost.
They had only exchanged one move just then, so there were ninety-nine moves left from Master Kong Xiang's promised one hundred moves.
Even though Happy had answered in a very forthright manner to One Emperor's words, it was not very easy to win two rounds in one go!
One Emperor did not have a smooth time as well.
Even though his sword technique had reached a transcendent level, Zhou Zhiruo was not someone who would let him manipulate her easily. Her expression was as cold as her eyes. She held Heavenly Sword and had Nine Yin Manual.
One Emperor had already executed two slashes, but he did not gain any advantages from them. His attacks were negated by a black claw in the air.
But Zhou Zhiruo's expression had become solemn. She noticed that the ridiculously young and nameless boy really had the ability to threaten her.
Chapter 551 - Xiao Feng!
It was difficult!
Master Kong Xiang's attacks were each stronger than the last. He swung his vajra madly, and it tore through the air. Even Happy's dragon-shaped vortex was largely affected. He had a hard time moving forward, and his attacks' range was limited when he tried to push forward.
If it were not for the weakening and anti-shock effect of Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palm, he might have already been struck so heavily that he would have coughed up blood and been defeated.
Master Kong Xiang might look very kind and gentle, but when he attacked, he was like an angry warrior attendant, and everyone who saw him feared him.
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