Chapter 306: Martial Skills of Ancient Times (III)
After all, she hadn’t been battling against this red skeleton as often as Long Haochen did. Joining hands, Long Haochen and Cai’er gave it another try. Under their cooperation, they surprisingly managed to hold it for nearly five minutes against that red skeleton.
Although these five minutes were filled with an intense pressure and came with a immense consumption for them, it should however not be forgotten that the two of them could recover in the Tower of Eternity. Furthermore, the greater the pressure, the better their progress would be, and that red skeleton wouldn’t even finish them off. Long Haochen persevered for no less than a dozen of battles, before returning back with excruciating pain as if his body was torn into small pieces.
This stadium didn’t even have something like a platform, thus the leaders of the Southern Mountain’s Gate and the Alliance were just all seated in the front.
Seeing that nearly everyone had arrived, Ling Xiao, auxiliary chief of the Priest Temple, entered into the testing ground.
“Distinguished Demon Hunters from Demon Hunt Squads, you all know about the matter here, so we won’t say more than what is necessary before starting. I will just emphasize a point, to the Southern Mountain’s City, you are all saviors. Having gone through the recent battle, you became the cornerstone of our defense over the past month. I want to thank all of you on behalf of the Southern Mountain’s City.”
Ignoring that Ling Xiao’s face stayed stern from beginning to end, with his status as a powerhouse of the ninth step as well as his position as auxiliary chief of the Alliance, all the high ranking Demon Hunters above the commander grade bowed to him with respect. This was how majestic his bearing was.
The Demon Hunters naturally would not lack sincerity, collectively bowing again before Ling Xiao who was standing on stage.
Ling Xiao declared in a calm voice, “In the recent battle, our Southern Mountain’s City was almost destroyed. As the saviours of the Southern Mountain’s City that you are, what is the common thread that connects us? What are we? We are soldiers and comrades-in-arms. The propensity for death within Demon Hunt Squads is something you know better than anyone else. This time, the spiritual stoves inside the Illusory Palace will have a fatal attraction for any of you, but don’t forget that these are in the end no more but external objects. Today’s competition is designed to select the best and the most wise among you, not to stake everything in battling against your opponents. I want to warn everyone seriously that in this competition, no one is permitted to kill each other, or to cause his opponent to become disabled. Otherwise, don’t blame this elder to be merciless. I already informed the Alliance that anyone that will kill his opponent will be expelled from his Demon Hunt Squad.
After this proclamation, although he was a priest, his eyes were filled with dense coldness. The terrifying bearing of a powerhouse of the ninth step made this crowd of nearly hundred people completely silent.
After staying for a moment, Ling Xiao replied, “There’s another rule, and it’s that flight is forbidden. Using the ability of flight inside of the Illusory Paradise will be impossible, thus, all competitors are not permitted to make use of the spiritual wings to soar through the battlefield. Start drawing lots.” With a mere wave of his hand, the official start of this competition was implicated.
The drawing of the lots was very simple: a wooden case was carried on stage, containing numbers, with battles designed between successive numbers. Lots would be drawn at every round, to ensure fairness.
A crowd of a total of a hundred and fifty drawing lots could be considered a magnificent sight. When Long Haochen’s group of seven went on, lined up next to each other, they couldn’t help but think of the moment when they advanced in the Alliance’s Great Competition.
The whole process took no less than a quarter of an hour, before the official start of the competition. It was shockingly a Saint Knight of the eighth step that acted as the referee. Very clearly, although Ling Xiao gave proper warning before, he was extremely prudent as the Demon Hunters on stage could be called the most precious resources of the Alliance. Thus why a powerhouse of the eighth step came to act as a referee, to avoid situation of someone ending up as a cripple or dead.
Long Haochen’s group could be considered as lucky ones in their first draw. At least, none of them drew consecutive numbers, which avoided a tragic internal strife within their own team.
The first match started quickly.
This was a competition between Demon Hunters, nowhere nearly the same as the Demon Hunt Competition. As expected, the competition was extremely intense from its start, the competing Demon Hunters being primarily powerhouses of the sixth step.
Although they didn’t use the flight ability, their battle was still extremely fierce. Intense bursts of spiritual energy erupted on stage, causing even be Saint Knight of the eighth step to have no choice but to release Brilliant Body, making his best preparations to intervene should the need arise.
The battles progressed rapidly, and the difference in strength was as expected the decisive factor; situation with two opponent of equivalent strength encountering each other were after all pretty rare.
The lowest number within the 21st general grade Demon Hunt Squad was actually Chen Ying’er, who was thus the first of them to go on stage.
“35th and 36th are called for the next match.”
The 36th number was Chen Ying’er.
Lin Xin flung back his own hair, giving Chen Ying’er a look, “Just concede if it’s no good, don’t waste magical crystals. Your opponent is after all a powerhouse of the sixth step.”
“Pooh, why would I concede? I’ll be doing whatever I can.” After giving him a provocative stare, Chen Ying’er carried McDull in her arms, entering with him on stage.
The previous battles also involved members from general grade Demon Hunt Squads, but the final victorious were almost only powerhouses of the sixth step from commander grade Demon Hunt Squads. At the moment Chen Ying’er, filled with her innocent charm, entered on stage, a great part of the Demon Hunters were immediately in total shock.
Is this little girl even twenty? Hasn’t she just gotten the wrong way? She should just be in a soldier grade Demon Hunt Squad.
Chen Ying’er’s luck still being fairly good, her opponent was a water element mage, veteran from a Demon Hunt Squad, and whose strength approximated the eighth rank of the fifth step.
The referee gave Chen Ying’er a glance, before giving his announcement in a serious tone, “I will emphasize that overly fierce behaviours are forbidden. Let the match start.” These words he said were entirely directed to that water element mage, making thus clear how he didn’t think highly of Chen Ying’er.
A battle confronting a mage to a summoner involved a distance of fifty meters separating them from the beginning.
Seeing such a young girl, that water element mage was immediately beaming with smiles. Let alone him, even the mates in Long Haochen’s team weren’t optimistic for Chen Ying’er.
On the lounge, Yang Wenzhao’s face looked currently extremely unsightly, as he muttered, “What the hell is Long Haochen doing? How could he let Ying’er participate in such a competition. What it she gets wounded?”
However after the start of the match, these people looking down on Chen Ying’er were rapidly shocked.
As a Demon Hunter, although that water element mage looked somewhat down on Chen Ying’er, he wouldn’t be careless after the start of the match. To a Demon Hunter, being careless was synonym for death, so he prudently chanted a water elemental shield spell from the beginning, before seeing the pig held in Chen Ying’er’s arm leap up, before running in his direction.
Is that little pig a magical beast? It cannot be. That water element mage considered himself as having seen a lot, but didn’t even remember having heard or seen that kind of magical beast.
The Water Elemental Shield having been rapidly completed, a lustering blue radiance enveloped this water element mage. Pointing his staff forward, he sent out an ice arrow shooting at McDull.
There was no choice but to admit that on the level of general grade Demon Hunt Squad, very few were as rich and at ease as Long Haochen’s group was. Thus that water element mage had in his hand a staff that was still at the Spiritual Tier.
At the time of launching an ice arrow, this mage intentionally gave Chen Ying’er a glance, discovering that this young girl wasn’t even chanting any incantation.
This being the first time he encountered such a battle, he indeed felt at a loss.
As the ice arrow was about to reach McDull’s from his front, he stamped his trotters to the ground, suddenly doing a sideways movement and rolling on the ground with his plump body, before throwing himself at this mage’s direction.
The timing McDull chose to jump was extremely good, as this was right when the ice arrow arrived in front of him. This way, even if the ice element mage wanted to control the ice arrow to redirected it on him, he wouldn’t be able to. Crashing on the ground, it shattered to pieces immediately.
“Wah.” The water element mage pointed up the staff in his hand again, immediately launching a spell of Ice Rain of the fourth step. This was the supplemented ability on his staff, which could be used twice a day.
Ice Rain didn’t make drops of ice fall, but cones of ice. A large area of ice cones were surrounding McDull’s little figure.
At that time, thirty meters were still separating McDull from that water element mage.
A scene that shocked all the present people happened. McDull displayed at that time a truly formidable dodging ability, curling up his body and causing his speed to vary, evading the attack on the small spaces between the ice cones. At the most dangerous times, some ice cones even swept past his back.
Mages had their own basis of thinking, and to them, ranged magic with area of effects was impossible to evade. However, McDull gave at that moment a lesson to all mages. Who said spells with area of effect were unavoidable?
McDull was only a third of a meter tall, having not grown in size from the beginning, and even if it was even more concentrated, the ice cones would still show some small spaces between them, or else it would just be huge chunks of ice.
At the same time he dodged nimbly the attacks, he was surprisingly even advancing.
The Ice Cones somewhat disturbed the line of sight of that water element mage, but when he could see clearly the little magical beast so unyieldingly evading his attacks, McDull was already almost only at a distance of ten meters from him.
A sense of unease finally appeared in that ice elemental mage. Since this pig looks so attached to close the distance towards me, he must certainly have some goal in mind. Although he didn’t feel any fluctuation of spiritual energy from McDull, being a Demon Hunter, he was able to react instantly at any time of crisis.
This time came an Ice Wall, covering a diameter of three meters and erected right in front of McDull, blocking his path. Seeing the opponent being about to clash against the Ice Wall, the ice elemental mage showed his understanding and control over ice magic. In succession, he instantly cast three more Ice Walls, sealing the other three directions and making a sturdy prison of ice, imprisoning McDull that was still a bit more than ten meters away.
Right as the ice mage finally loosened his breath, a fear suddenly appeared to his heart. Following next, an intense bursting sound could be heard from the ice walls.
An immense figure brazenly came out, and two weapons similar to spiked cones were aimed on his chest.
Launching Resisting Ice Ring, the water element mage was in a panic, instantly unleashing the latter spell. But unfortunately, what he was facing couldn’t possibly be blocked by a mere Resisting Ice Ring.
Pop–
The ring of ice and the elemental shield were smashed to pieces successively, and reaching three meters of height, a Bloodthirsty Berserk Demon already arrived in front of him.
Roar–