Chapter 20
The final is about to begin, and the competition venue is shrouded in an invisible atmosphere of tension.
Outside the venue, however, the crowd was bustling and the atmosphere was lively.
The booths where people placed bets were crowded with people.
A cultivator approached Li Yuan and Song Chu with great enthusiasm, saying with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, why don't you join us? Each bet only costs ten low-grade spirit stones; you might just make a small profit!"
Li Yuan and Song Chu exchanged a glance and, without hesitation, bet on Jiang Liuya to win.
At this moment, a cultivator who had placed a bet frowned and couldn't help but speak up: "I watched the previous matches as well. Miss Jiang is indeed exceptionally strong, and her spells are unpredictable and ever-changing. However, this time is different. Her opponent is a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator. The difference in their cultivation levels is too great. I'm afraid it will be very difficult for Miss Jiang to win again."
As soon as these words were spoken, the people around started to discuss them, and most nodded in agreement.
Li Yuan and Song Chu grew nervous as they listened to the discussions. Li Yuan's eyes showed worry, while Song Chu unconsciously clenched the hem of his clothes.
The stirring sound of gongs and drums brought the tense atmosphere at the scene to a climax.
Besides the judges who maintained order, two Foundation Establishment stage treasure appraisers from Lingbao Pavilion were also present. They stood tall and straight, with cold expressions, exuding an aura that inspired fear.
In the main seat, the two chairs appeared particularly solemn.
A Golden Core cultivator walked steadily forward, his steps firm and powerful, his aura extraordinary, demonstrating his profound cultivation.
The person who sat down with him was actually just a Qi Refining stage cultivator. This incongruous combination drew everyone's attention, and they secretly wondered what the secret was behind it.
The two finalists quietly entered the stage.
Jiang Liuya, the most anticipated female cultivator in this competition, gracefully stepped onto the arena. Although she was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, she had already demonstrated her strength in previous competitions.
Her methods were varied and her moves were fierce; each strike caught her opponent off guard, making her impossible to defend against. However, the most discussed topic among the onlookers was her appearance. Her beauty was indeed so striking that it often overshadowed her strength.
Her opponent this time was a male cultivator in the late Foundation Establishment stage, possessing both fire and earth spiritual roots. The male cultivator was tall and robust, resembling a moving small mountain. From his previous matches, it was clear that his defense was exceptionally strong, as if he were encased in an invisible armor, making him virtually impenetrable. At the same time, his offensive power was not weak either; each strike carried a burst of explosive and frenzied fire and earth energy, seemingly intent on burying his opponent completely.
At the main seat beside the arena, Ning Xuan, though only at the Qi Refining stage, held a very special identity. He was a disciple of the Nine Nether Sect, and unlike ordinary disciples, he had a powerful older brother. The resources and status he possessed were incomparable to those of ordinary disciples.
The moment Ning Xuan saw Jiang Liuya step onto the competition stage, he couldn't take his eyes off her; his gaze was filled with infatuation and amazement. He had no interest in watching the competition anymore; he could only focus on the beautiful female cultivator's every move.
At first, Jiang Liuya was no match. Her opponent's attacks were fierce, the scorching fire and earth energy rushing towards her with overwhelming force. Under the impact of this violent spiritual power, she appeared somewhat disheveled, her body constantly retreating. Every movement seemed extremely difficult, as if she would be completely overwhelmed by this powerful force at any moment.
However, Jiang Liuya was prepared. She knew that her opponent today was extremely strong; his unusual aura and profound spiritual power made her understand that this would be an extremely difficult battle.
Without hesitation, she immediately swallowed a handful of Ascension Pills. Ascension Pills are elixirs that can temporarily boost a cultivator's cultivation level. She had previously refined some under Dan Xi's guidance, and they would come in handy for this competition.
The moment Jiang Liuya swallowed the Ascension Pill, her opponent's face instantly turned ugly. He shouted, "That's unfair! You're clearly cheating!"
Jiang Liuya did not back down. She raised her head slightly and replied, "I am a pill cultivator. These pills are made by myself, so they are naturally part of my strength. What's unfair about me consuming pills I made myself? It's like the cultivation technique you practice; it's also part of your strength. Can you say your technique is unfair?"
Upon hearing this, Ning Xuan, who was seated at the head of the table, nodded in agreement and said, "Miss Jiang is right. Competitions should be allowed to allow people to use all their abilities. Since you are a pill cultivator, pills are naturally a manifestation of your strength as a pill cultivator."
Upon hearing this, the referee stated unequivocally, "The match shall continue."
Although Jiang Liuya forcibly increased her spiritual power with the help of the Shengyuan Pill, the competition remained very close.
The opponent's defense was virtually impenetrable. His earth elemental power was like a layer of sturdy armor, tightly enveloping his body. No matter how Jiang Liuya attacked, she could not break through that defense. Every attack was like hitting cotton, having no effect on him.
Gradually, beads of sweat covered Jiang Liuya's forehead, sliding down her cheeks and wetting her clothes.
The male cultivator opposite him sneered. She was just a young girl in the early stages of Foundation Establishment, yet she dared to try to defeat a seasoned senior like himself by throwing an egg against a rock.
At the critical moment, the hand gestures that Danxi had instructed her to use when refining pills suddenly appeared in Jiang Liuya's mind.
Those hand gestures all embody a precise control over the heat and spiritual energy.
Suddenly, she had a flash of inspiration and regarded the spiritual energy field released by her opponent as a huge "alchemy furnace," and her opponent as the "elixir" to be refined.
She began to use the hand techniques taught by Danxi, concentrating her firepower on her opponent through this invisible "alchemy furnace," attempting to refine him into the shape she desired.
Jiang Liuya rapidly formed hand seals, the gestures channeling spiritual energy into the "alchemy furnace." This spiritual energy, through tearing and squeezing, created a powerful pressure that firmly locked onto her opponent. This pressure seemed to follow him everywhere, no matter what he did, he couldn't shake it off.
The immense pressure felt as if it were trying to crush and flatten his opponent. His expression turned extremely serious, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He tried to break free from this pressure, constantly adjusting his defenses, but under Jiang Liuya's hand gestures, it was as if an invisible net was tightly binding him.
On the sidelines, Song Chu and Li Yuan watched with intense tension, their eyes glued to Jiang Liuya and her opponent in the arena. Sweat beaded on their foreheads, and they dared not breathe. Li Yuan's hands were clenched into fists, as if this could give Jiang Liuya additional strength. Song Chu clasped his hands together, muttering incantations, seemingly praying for his senior sister.
In a distant corner, a monk in blue robes stood silently, his features obscured by shadows. Only a faint smile could be seen on his lips, a knowing expression playing on his face.
On the arena, the male cultivator in the late Foundation Establishment stage suddenly felt a scorching aura penetrate through the earthen wall he had constructed and directly enter his body. This aura was like a burning flame, tightly enveloping him, making him feel as if he were in a giant furnace.
He tried to use his spiritual power to resist the intense heat, but found that he could not get rid of it no matter what he did.
The intense heat grew stronger and stronger, and the male cultivator felt like a piece of meat being roasted over a fire, getting hotter and hotter, with every part of his body being scorched by the flames.
The male cultivator's forehead was covered with large beads of sweat that rolled down his cheeks. His hands began to tremble uncontrollably, and the defensive earthen wall loosened because of his panic.
"What...what's going on?" he cried out in panic.
Gradually, the male cultivator could no longer withstand the scorching heat. He knew he was no longer able to fight, and continuing would only cause him more serious harm.
So he gritted his teeth, raised his hands with difficulty, and shouted, "I...I surrender!"
As the male cultivator conceded defeat, a commotion erupted outside the arena.
Unexpectedly, the beautiful Ms. Jiang won again.
This time, even cultivators in the late Foundation Establishment stage were defeated by her.
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