Chapter 1308 - Second Battle
"You don't get it, Lin Feng. She's using you as a scapegoat. If she defeats you, she can start refusing challenges for a time once more. Most of the rankers accept challenges from weaklings to fulfill that requirement. Liu Xuanxuan must think you're a weakling for being my friend," Liu Wanwan said. There must be a reason Liu Xuanxuan had accepted the challenge so quickly.
"Underestimating me, I see. Then open your eyes wide and watch. I'm going in," Tianming said.
"Fine, go!"
"Want me to beat her up for you?"
"Idiot, this is the wondersky realm. Even if you kill her here, her body won't even so much as itch."
"You’ve got a point." Tianming stretched out his hand toward the battlefield and got sucked in, leaving Lingfeng and Liu Wanwan behind, staring wide-eyed.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Liu Wanwan asked Lingfeng.
"Why should I say anything?"
"Weirdo."
"You're the weirdo."
Liu Wanwan was starting to find that these two were getting weirder by the day. "Maybe he really can pull Liu Xuanxuan down a notch and teach her a lesson she won't forget. I hope she’ll stop going to my mom to tell on me...." With such hopes in mind, she focused her attention on the viewport of Tianming and Liu Xuanxuan's fight.
......
"Since you’re the challenger, you can choose the terrain of the fight."
There Tianming found himself in a blank-white world with nothing in it. It was an empty void. "Anything will do."
"Then, enabling spectator view."
The white world began widening even more. Tianming found himself within the spherical formation. From within, he could see the spectators outside, including Lingfeng and Liu Wanwan. They could also see him inside. There weren't many spectators right now, only around ten thousand, most of whom had come to watch Liu Xuanxuan.
"Interesting...." He marveled at the sight as Liu Xuanxuan appeared in front of him.
When she appeared, she looked at Tianming and nonchalantly said, "It is you after all. What's this about? Are you trying to get in Liu Wanwan's good graces and marry into a good family?"
Stunned, Tianming said, "What's wrong with your eyes? Are you blind? Can’t you tell from a single look that I'm a peak talent? Is my aura not powerful enough?"
"It's so-so. Truly powerful people wouldn't spend time with Liu Wanwan, anyway. There’s far too many wannabes like you around her," she said, rolling her eyes.
Tianming didn't really care about relishing in his underdog fantasy any longer. His prey was already on the hook, so he was more than happy. "Alright, let's not waste time. Let's do this."
Tianming didn't even bother summoning his lifebound beasts. From the information he got about Liu Xuanxuan, he learned that she was a celestial disciple of Mystgod Pavilion, ranking fourth in the entire sect among her generation. She was a fourth-level constellier beastmaster at the age of twenty-two.
He recalled that Lan Feilin of the Blueblood Starocean also seemed to be at the fourth level. However, she ranked in the top twenty of the imperial star ranking, whereas Liu Xuanxuan was ranked around six hundred. That showed the gap of power between Orderia and the Violetglory Star. Though, with all things concerning people under thirty, cultivation level didn't necessarily reflect one's talent. It wasn't necessarily the case that the peak elites of both stars were that far apart in ability, but at the very least, it seemed that the Violetglory ranking was far more competitive than the imperial star ranking.
"Begin!"
The Lifesteal Silverdragon appeared in Tianming's hand. He quickly lashed out with it, sending a silver dragon flying toward Liu Xuanxuan with terrifying speed. She was still summoning her weapon at a leisurely pace as the silver chain pierced through her heart, completely stupefying her.
"If this was the real world, you'd already be dead," Tianming said.
"Are you fucking kidding me?!" Liu Xuanxuan blankly stared at the chain that pierced through her chest.
"Lin Feng is victorious! Your ranks will be swapped. Liu Xuanxuan has lost her privilege to cultivate at the fifth level of the Violetglory Pagoda." The announcement was given before she could even react. Then the two of them were transported out of Violetcloud Battlefield.
Tianming returned to Lingfeng and the rest. Liu Wanwan stared at him, nervously and audibly gulping. "This... what? You... huh?" She couldn't form a coherent sentence.
"Can I challenge the top hundred today?" To Tianming, this was merely par for the course. It wasn't a big deal. He was fully ready to move on to his next goal, having dealt with Liu Xuanxuan. After all, the fifth level of the pagoda was akin to the Azuresky Bridge, so going there was pointless.
"Xuanxuan lost?" Liu Wanwan finally managed to say.
"What's with that delayed reaction? Is there a connection problem with your heavenly locus formation? Yes, she was defeated! What's next?" Tianming gave her head a knock.
She winced slightly from the pain, though she had never felt better from the vindication. She was still reeling with shock, but she managed to say, "Not bad! You actually managed to stand up for me! So, are you going to continue with the challenges?"
"Yes."
"Then, give it a try. Take it easy, though." She felt that Tianming should be able to enter the top hundred, since he had effortlessly managed to take out Liu Xuanxuan. The Mystgod Pavilion is ranked seventeenth among the sects, yet not even we have any disciple that made it into the top hundred. If he succeeds... heavens.... She was starting to panic.
"Liu Wanwan!" someone angrily called out from behind her.
Liu Wanwan knew who it was without turning around. Though she was sheepish, she turned around and said, "What is it this time?"
It was the same group of youths from before, all of whom were menacingly glaring at her. "Where’d you find that person? Did you get him to mess with me? He surprise attacked me! How can you expect me to accept that?!" Liu Xuanxuan snapped.
"Surprise attack? You... forget it. Why do I even try? He's the guy who caused a huge commotion at Perplexity Island with his chain victories against the ancient idols, Lin Feng. Everyone outside is looking for him and trying to get him to join their sect."
"Him?" They finally recalled who he was.
"How'd you get to know him?" Liu Xuanxuan asked.
"I wonder.... Try mingling with ‘lowborn scoundrels’ for a change. You never know who you'll meet."
"Where is he now? Let me negotiate with him. I'll offer him good conditions to join." Liu Xuanxuan's attitude completely changed and she wanted to pull Tianming to her side.
"Forget it. He already has a secret faction he belongs to."
"He only told you that because your persuasion abilities are pathetic. Where is he?"
"He went in again to challenge someone in the top hundred."
"He's doing it again? Will anyone accept?"
"Is your brain a decoration or something? How'd he go back in if nobody accepted his challenge? Ugh, I don't want to talk to you anymore. I want to watch the fight." Liu Wanwan turned to look at the battlefield.
"The fight already started? Wondersky fairy, I want to spectate too!" The entire group approached Violetcloud Battlefield to spectate.
"And who might you be?" Liu Xuanxuan asked Lingfeng, who merely ignored her. She glared at him and said, "Playing it cool in front of me? How impudent!"
"You're now ranked around nine thousand, right? If I challenge you, can I take your place in the ranking?" Lingfeng said.
"Are you messing with me?" Liu Xuanxuan laughed.
"You can, but you won't be able to fight in the Violetcloud Battlefield. Just get the wondersky fairy to arrange a personal duel between the two of you," Liu Wanwan said. She couldn't wait to take things a step further.