Xu Zhe appeared gracefully in everyone's sight, his moon-white robe fluttering in the wind, a faint smile on his slightly pale face.
In a short while, he arrived in front of Qin Luo and Su Yaoyue. He first nodded slightly to Su Yaoyue, and then turned his gaze to Qin Luo.
Qin Luo was also taken aback when he saw this effeminate man. When he heard the name "Xu Zhe", he immediately thought of the person ranked fourth on the Fengyun Ranking.
But before Qin Luo could reply, Su Yaoyue frowned and said calmly:
"Xu Zhe, this is my business, you have no need to interfere."
Upon hearing this, Xu Zhe's smile froze for a moment, but he quickly regained his calm and composed demeanor and said softly:
“Yaoyue, I’m just worried that you’re overworking yourself. Besides, I’m also interested in this junior Qin Luo. I want to see what makes this rising star so special.”
As he finished speaking, his gaze seemingly casually swept over Qin Luo, yet it carried an invisible pressure that made Qin Luo's heart tighten slightly, as if he were urging Qin Luo on.
Seeing this, Qin Luo didn't object too much. People who ranked high on the popularity list were always elusive, and now that he heard Su Yaoyue was inside, he thought he could just aim for the top five. He didn't expect that Xu Zhe, who ranked fourth, would also be here.
As for him now, as long as it's not Wu Changkong who's number one and Xiao Ming who's number two, he still believes he has a pretty good chance of winning against the others.
Therefore, Qin Luo slightly bowed and apologized to Su Yaoyue:
"Since Senior Sister Su has just sparred with someone, it would be inappropriate for me to challenge her again. In that case, I will trouble Senior Xu to give me some pointers."
Su Yaoyue frowned even more upon hearing this. Just as she was about to say something, she saw Xu Zhe, who was standing to the side, smile subtly as Qin Luo agreed, a smile that seemed to hold a deeper meaning:
"Junior Brother Qin Luo, please."
After saying that, Xu Zhe took the lead and moved to an open space to the side, his body surging with spiritual energy, as if he was showing off to Qin Luo.
When the crowd saw Xu Zhe hovering in mid-air with his gaze fixed on Qin Luo not far away, they were first taken aback, and then burst into discussion as if a pot had been boiled over.
"Isn't Qin Luo a bit too arrogant? Senior Xu Zhe is the fourth-ranked expert on the Wind and Cloud Ranking, and he's only in the mid-stage of the Spirit Control Realm, right?"
"Who knows? Maybe he's trying to make a name for himself, but I think he's just being delusional."
"Don't say that. Qin Luo must have some skills to win the freshman competition. Maybe there will be some surprises."
"Hmph, a surprise? I think it's more like a shock. Xu Zhe's strength is not something he can contend with. He'll be in for a world of hurt later."
......
Amidst the noisy discussions of the onlookers on the island, Qin Luo moved swiftly, appearing like a ghost not far from Xu Zhe. He landed steadily on his feet, took a deep breath, and then his body began to emit a deep, dark light. The dark light slowly flowed and swirled, gradually enveloping his entire body.
"I hope Senior Xu Zhe will not hesitate to offer his guidance!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the ground beneath Qin Luo's feet suddenly cracked open, torn apart by a powerful force, and his figure appeared in front of Xu Zhe.
The fist whistled and fell with immense force, the resulting shockwave spreading outwards, causing ripples to spread throughout the surrounding space.
Xu Zhe seemed to have anticipated this scene. He remained calm, and his hand seals changed rapidly like flowing water. Instantly, a rhombus-shaped crystal barrier appeared around him, shimmering with a strange light, protecting him tightly within it.
Bang!
However, Xu Zhe underestimated the power of Qin Luo's physical body. A figure was seen flying backward at high speed uncontrollably.
Immediately afterwards, with a muffled thud, the figure slammed heavily onto the ground. In an instant, dust billowed up, obscuring everyone's vision. Only the shockwave from that punch continued to reverberate in the air, demonstrating the astonishing power of the attack.
This sudden turn of events caused an uproar among the onlookers, with many speechless with astonishment.
Even Su Yaoyue's eyes flashed with surprise. She originally thought that although Qin Luo had potential, he was still far behind Xu Zhe. She did not expect that Qin Luo would gain the upper hand as soon as he made a move.
She couldn't help but narrow her eyes, re-examining the figure standing prominently in mid-air, her curiosity about Qin Luo growing even stronger.
As the dust settled on the ground, Xu Zhe's figure gradually became clear.
He wasn't seriously injured by Qin Luo's punch, but the smile that had been on his face faded rapidly at a visible speed.
He snorted coldly, then burst into laughter in anger:
"Good lad, I underestimated you. But from now on, I won't hold back!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a flash of light appeared in Xu Zhe's hand, and in an instant, a blade made of pure crystal suddenly appeared.
The blade was crystal clear, with runes faintly flashing and moving across its surface, telling of its extraordinary nature.
Xu Zhe gripped the crystal blade tightly, slowly stood up, and his spiritual energy frantically gathered on the blade. In an instant, the blade light soared into the sky, enveloping his entire body. The overwhelming aura made everyone around him change color.
Sensing the terrifying sword intent, Qin Luo dared not be careless in the slightest. With a thought, a flash of azure light appeared in his hand, and the Sky-Locking Azure Jade Spear instantly appeared in his hand.
The gun barrel shimmered with a bluish light, exuding an ancient aura.
Qin Luo flicked his spear, the tip slicing through the air with a sharp whistling sound, pointing towards Xu Zhe on the ground below.
"snort!"
Xu Zhe snorted coldly and his figure flashed away.
Then, Qin Luo also flashed, and the two collided instantly.
Xu Zhe charged forward with his sword, the blade flashing like lightning, his fierce sword intent sweeping towards Qin Luo.
Qin Luo remained calm, his Sky-Locking Jade Spear moving with a series of thrusts, parries, sweeps, and deflections, its shadows weaving together to defuse Xu Zhe's attacks one by one.
Sparks flew as the two clashed fiercely, and fluctuations of spiritual energy spread outwards.
Ding ding ding
After another collision, the two separated and gazed at each other from afar.
Xu Zhe's face grew increasingly dark, his once fair complexion now showing signs of ashen.
A storm raged in his heart. He had already reached the late stage of the Soul Separation Realm, and could even be said to have one foot in the Divine Travel Realm. In this sect, apart from those three, he was already the most powerful being.
However, Qin Luo, who was only at the mid-stage of the Spirit Control Realm, was actually locked in a stalemate with him in the contest of spiritual energy and weapons, and the two were evenly matched.
This outcome was something he could neither believe nor accept.
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