Chapter 274 Dragon and Phoenix Competition's Final!
While still discussing Jin Yuelin, the attention soon shifted to the Main Event, the Dragon and Phoenix Competition Final!
The thunderous murmur of the crowd rose to a fever pitch as Yan Minglan, in golden ceremonial robes, stepped onto the center of the stage.
His voice boomed across the coliseum like the roll of thunder.
"Honored guests, mighty cultivators, and citizens of the Empire-today, you shall witness the pinnacle of this generation's genius!"
His words ignited another wave of cheers. Drums thundered in the distance, accompanied by the long cry of a ceremonial horn.
The arena itself seemed to tremble under the weight of expectation.
"The Dragon and Phoenix Competition has been fierce!"
Yan Minglan continued, his voice carrying with practiced cadence.
"From one hundred and twenty-eight contenders, through sweat and blood, through endless battles of skill, endurance, and willpower... only two remain!" He paused, letting the silence stretch, before lifting a hand high.
"Two names that have shaken the world, two geniuses whose fates were once intertwined-yet now stand as rivals destined to clash!"
The crowd roared so loudly it seemed the heavens themselves might split.
"First! With unmatched ferocity, defeating every opponent placed before him! Nie Fengzhuo!"
From the west, a figure strode forth.
Nie Fengzhuo's robes of black and crimson flowed behind him like a storm wind.
His sharp eyes gleamed with a cold fire, every step steady, unshakable.
A powerful aura pressed outward from him-domineering, fierce, suffused with the unyielding intent of one who had endured humiliation and clawed back his pride.
Despite that, there were still signs of injuries that he had sustained from the fight with Chu Ziyan.
Not to mention that he had used Heaven-Rending Breakthrough, whose side-effects wouldn't just be erased after only three days of rest and a few pills. But still, he seemed ready to fight!
The audience erupted in cheers and chants of his name, though mixed within were jeers and whispers of doubt.
But Nie Fengzhuo's face betrayed no emotion-his gaze was locked solely upon the stage.
"And facing him!" the announcer's voice cut through the roar, rising higher still. "She, the daughter of destiny, the one who held the title of Number One genius for so many years! Will she prove it once and for all? With talent unmatched, strength undeniable, and will indomitable, she stands here once more-Bai Xueqing!"
Bai Xueqing emerged, her walk calm and composed without much emotion on her face.
The audience rose to their feet, their shouts deafening.
Many cried her name, others bowed in reverence, and more still whispered with awe-this was the true phoenix of their generation.
The announcer's voice thundered once more, raising both arms high as though presenting the heavens' chosen.
"Nie Fengzhuo! Bai Xueqing! Two fated rivals, two unparalleled geniuses! But today, only one shall ascend the peak... only one shall claim the title of Champion... only one shall stand as the undisputed number one beneath the heavens!"
The final declaration echoed like a war drum, reverberating through every
chest.
The coliseum shook with the collective roar of tens of thousands.
"Let the Final of Dragon and Phoenix Begin!"
***
The thunder of the crowd faded into a distant hum.
On the vast stage, amid banners and blazing light, the world shrank until there were only two figures-Nie Fengzhuo and Bai Xueqing.
Their eyes locked.
One gaze was cold, sharp, and heavy with years of humiliation.
The other was calm, proud, yet with a flicker of something deeper.
Nie Fengzhuo's lips curved into a thin smile, but it held no warmth.
His voice was low, cutting across the stage though thousands roared around them.
"Tell me, Bai Xueqing... am I still the same trash you thought I was two years
ago?"
The words struck like a blade, heavy with bitterness, but steadied by his
unyielding pride.
Bai Xueqing did not flinch.
"You've proven yourself," she said softly, her voice carrying not only across the stage but into the ears of every listener.
"I was wrong to look down on you. For that, Nie Fengzhuo, I apologize."
The crowd stirred-many shocked that the ever arrogant Bai Xueqing would
ever apologize.
But she did not lower her head. Instead, her voice grew firmer, her aura burning brighter as golden flames coiled faintly around her frame.
"Yet-what I did, I would still do again."
Nie Fengzhuo's eyes narrowed, but he did not interrupt.
"I will not be shackled by an engagement, by a promise made by others," Bai
Xueqing continued, every word crisp and resolute.
"Naïve as I was, perhaps reckless... but it was my choice. What I desire, I will pursue, no matter the consequence."
Her words were not cruel, but neither were they soft.
They were simply her truth-unyielding as she was.
The air between them grew heavy, charged with the weight of past and
present.
Nie Fengzhuo's smile widened, but the fire in his eyes burned fiercer than ever.
Nie Fengzhuo's eyes gleamed, cold and piercing, yet there was a hint of a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
"Indeed..." he began, his voice low but carrying across the arena like a blade through silk, "you do not care about consequences, Bai Xueqing. You speak of desire, of pursuing what you wish... yet it is not you who had to bear the burden of your choices."
A hush fell over the crowd. Even the air itself seemed to hold its breath.
"It was I-Nie Fengzhuo-and the Nie Clan who suffered because of your selfish decision. Because of your naivety, your ignorance of what the world demands."
He let the words hang, sharp as poisoned needles.
"But..." his tone shifted slightly, softer, yet laced with the same unwavering pride, "I do not expect you to understand. Nor am I here seeking your understanding. I am here-to prove to the world, once and for all, that I, Nie Fengzhuo, am no longer the trash it once scoffed at!"
His gaze locked onto Bai Xueqing, unwavering, unflinching. "Perhaps I should thank you as well. For it is only because of you that I learned
the harsh reality of the world and because of that, I stand here today, on this
stage."
Nie Fengzhuo's aura flared outward, sharp and commanding, coiling like a black dragon ready to strike.
He gave a small, final nod, his eyes glinting with equal measures of challenge
and amusement.
"Well... enough reminiscing," he said, his voice rising to cut through the tension
like a war horn.
"Let us see whp is stronger. Let's fight!"
The coliseum erupted into a deafening roar, tens of thousands of voices surging
like a storm.
The two stood tall, their auras beginning to surge-dragon and phoenix
colliding before the battle even began.