Volume 1, Chapter 42: Chapter Forty-Two: The Sect Grand Tournament (Part 8)

The two stood on the stage, neither moving for a moment.
Suddenly, both of them moved at the same time.
A sword strike!
Both of them delivered only a single sword strike!
The crowd off stage involuntarily held their breath. A single sword strike would decide the victory—who would win and who would lose?
Gu Mingxi: "Primordial Beginning!"
Xu Chen: "Great Beginning!"
The Primordial Beginning Sword Technique infused with lightning spiritual energy collided directly with the Great Beginning Sword Technique infused with metal spiritual energy.
As the two swords clashed, a violent wave of energetic light instantly erupted, making everyone mentally sigh once more that had the protective barrier not been sturdy enough, everyone present off the stage would have suffered the consequences.
When the intense wave of energy finally dissipated, everyone looked back up at the arena only to find that the arena had actually shattered.
Gu Mingxi was supporting her body with her sword, standing in place, while Xu Chen was half-kneeling on the ground, also using his sword to support himself.
Blood was trickling from the corners of both their mouths. It was obvious they had both sustained severe internal injuries and lacked the capability to continue fighting any further.
Therefore, the outcome could now be decided.
Seeing their respective postures, everyone instantly understood who had won and who had lost.
The referee stepped forward and announced, "Gu Mingxi wins!"
Gu Mingxi smiled slightly, walked slowly over to Xu Chen, and extended her hand toward him.
Looking at Gu Mingxi’s outstretched hand, Xu Chen grasped it without hesitation and used her leverage to stand up.
Xu Chen gazed at Gu Mingxi with burning eyes and said, "You are very strong. I look forward to meeting you again. Next time, I will definitely defeat you!"
Gu Mingxi smiled warmly and replied, "Alright, I'll be waiting for you to come. But next time, you still won't be able to defeat me!"
Xu Chen: "We shall see!"
Gu Mingxi: "We shall see!"
In truth, Gu Mingxi's inner thoughts were not nearly as relaxed as she appeared. Why was there yet another person asking her to fight? She didn't even like fighting!
Won't someone please come and save her!
……
After watching the match between Gu Mingxi and Xu Chen, Heming silently offered an evaluation: "Junior Brother Yuchen, you truly have a worthy successor!"
With their level of cultivation, they could naturally see very clearly from Gu Mingxi and Xu Chen's match that Xu Chen was indeed inferior to Gu Mingxi.
The two of them had merely compared sword techniques. Even if Gu Mingxi's sword technique were inferior to Xu Chen's, Gu Mingxi was not just a sword cultivator; she was also a spell cultivator. Therefore, Gu Mingxi was guaranteed to win this match.
……
After stepping down from the arena, both Gu Mingxi and Xu Chen seized every moment to heal their injuries.
Before the next match began, the injuries on their bodies had to be controlled. Even if they could not recover completely for the time being, they had to keep the conditions within a manageable range.
Otherwise, the moment they encountered a formidable opponent in the next match, defeat would be certain.
Before long, the referee announced the start of the second match: "Contestant Number One versus Contestant Number Four. Will Contestant Number One and Contestant Number Four please take the stage."
I wonder who Number Four is?
After both parties ascended the stage, Gu Mingxi realized that Number Four turned out to be Lan Ci.
Having just faced one direct disciple, another direct disciple appears.
This truly is a case of how coincidences make a novel!
Lan Ci smiled faintly at Gu Mingxi and said, "I have looked forward to this match for a long time. Please enlighten me!"
Gu Mingxi hurriedly replied with modesty, "I wouldn't dare speak of enlightenment. We are merely exchanging pointers—please advise me!"
Both of them were full of smiles, yet the surrounding atmosphere gave people a very fierce and oppressive feeling.
Could it be that when experts exchange blows, they compare their aura first?
Once the referee announced the start, the figures of both people began to move simultaneously.
When they had both arrived at other spots on the stage, the crowd realized that the exact positions the two had just occupied had already collapsed.
These two had actually struck at the exact same moment.
At the same time on the stage, Lan Ci was holding a talisman pinched between his fingers, and Gu Mingxi was also holding a talisman pinched between her fingers.
Gu Mingxi fancied that the talisman Lan Ci was holding appeared to be ice-blue in color.
Ice-blue?
Ice-blue represented a talisman drawn with ice-type spiritual energy!
Just as the talisman Gu Mingxi held was purple, representing a talisman drawn with lightning spiritual energy.
Gu Mingxi vaguely remembered that Lan Ci possessed water spiritual roots, didn't he?!
In the span of three years, he had already converted them into ice spiritual roots?!
The sect's heritage was truly profound; when it came to talented disciples, they were indeed willing to invest heavily.
Haha, actually, Gu Mingxi had misunderstood. This matter was arranged by Lan Ci's master, Yueheng.
As a talisman master, Yueheng also possessed a vast abundance of heavenly treasures.
However, he did not happen to have ice-type heavenly treasures on hand, so he used his own contribution points within the sect to exchange for an ice-type heavenly treasure for Lan Ci.
A year ago, Lan Ci had already successfully transformed from water spiritual roots into mutated ice spiritual roots!
This reminded Gu Mingxi of her younger clansman back in her family who possessed water spiritual roots.
She had been away from home for three years now, and she wondered if his spiritual roots had also transformed from water spiritual roots into mutated ice spiritual roots.
Returning to the battle scene, Gu Mingxi and Lan Ci exchanged a glance and struck simultaneously.
Gu Mingxi was indeed a genius in the Dao of talismans, but Lan Ci's talent was no less inferior to hers.
The talismans of the two met in mid-air and directly blasted into ashes, yet neither could do anything to the other.
The two struck again at the same time, but with the exact same result.
Gu Mingxi frowned. If this continued, the situation would become too stalemated, which was very disadvantageous.
Gu Mingxi directly formed hand seals; she intended to use the Nine Heavens Lightning Descent in conjunction with talismans to inflict damage upon Lan Ci.
And the moment Lan Ci saw Gu Mingxi forming hand seals, he immediately utilized an Ice Shield Talisman to conduct defense.
A single Ice Shield Talisman managed to barely withstand Gu Mingxi's attack.
Lan Ci hurriedly tossed out two more Ice Shield Talismans.
It wasn't that he didn't want to paste a few more on, but rather that his current inventory only consisted of these few.
Ice-type talismans were not easy to draw, and they consumed an extreme amount of spiritual energy. Given his current abilities, being able to procure these few was already quite good.
Meanwhile, the various peak masters seated on the high platform were also engaging in discussion.
Qingmu said with gratification, "Not bad, not bad. Both of them are very good!"
Yuchen propped his head up with his arm and said lazily, "Yueheng, your actions were quite swift. You actually transformed your disciple's spiritual roots into mutated ice spiritual roots a year ago, and the transformation is so flawless!"
Yueheng raised an eyebrow. "Naturally! I've contributed so many contribution points to the sect; using my own contribution points to procure some benefits for my disciple, why ever not?!
That kid Lan Ci does have pretty good luck; the transformation was extremely perfect, and the time it took was very short. It is his destined fate to have this fortune!"
Seeing Yueheng mention fate, Yuchen let out a scoff. "Old enough as you are, and you still believe in such things!"
Yueheng smiled and remained silent.
Regarding something like fate, if you believe in it, it exists; if you don't, it doesn't!
There was really no need to argue over it.
Furthermore, even if fate existed, so what?
Weren't the deeds performed by those of them who cultivate immortality all acts of defying the heavens? If everything were to proceed according to the arrangements of fate, then what would be the point of cultivating immortality?
They might as well just spend a hundred years in the mortal realm with a wife, children, and a warm kang bed.