Yu
Chapter 514 The Gathering Storm
On the green field, within the sturdy iron cage, Xing Yan, number 81, swung his massive axe, locked in a fierce battle with Chen Lin, the King of Soldiers from Xiangnan Military Academy.
After nearly seven minutes of probing, they had entered a life-or-death struggle!
Aggressive! Fierce! Violent!
Defense seemed to be a word missing from Xing Yan's dictionary. His clothes, torn by sword energy, were covered in blood, revealing glimpses of his bulging pectoral muscles with his every movement.
But more striking than his blood-soaked attire was the constellation emblazoned on Xing Yan's chest.
It was the first time Jiang Xiao had seen a dual-weapon constellation!
Most Star Warriors possess only one type of constellation, such as Han Jiangxue's white flames or Xia Yan's greatsword.
But Xing Yan's constellation was a massive beast-faced shield, with a long-handled axe laid diagonally in front of the rectangular shield.
Twenty-seven star slots!
The cyan-gray beast-faced shield and axe resembled unearthed bronze artifacts.
The combination was unique. Although somewhat blurred, the beast face on the shield was undeniably ferocious, its head tilted, the long handle of the axe clutched in its gaping maw, as savage as Xing Yan himself.
Judging from his constellation, it was clear that he wasn't incapable of defending, but had simply abandoned it.
Clang!
Xing Yan was sent flying, a good twenty meters.
He flipped in the air, landing heavily, his feet digging two pits in the ground as he coughed violently: "Cough, cough."
Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, but Xing Yan's eyes remained fixed on his opponent, like those of a hungry wolf.
Across from him, the King of Soldiers, Chen Lin, stood in tattered camouflage, sword in hand, bearing far fewer wounds than Xing Yan. He wasn't a reckless brute and would choose to defend when appropriate.
"Tch," Xing Yan spat out a mouthful of blood. He suddenly gripped the axe with both hands, and at the same time, he viciously swung downwards!
A cyan-black arc of axe energy shot out diagonally, incredibly fast, tearing through the turf beneath his feet and carving a path forward.
But even with its speed, the twenty-meter distance gave Chen Lin ample time to dodge.
Xing Yan, realizing this, didn't stop. He gripped the giant axe with both hands, swinging again and again, sending arc after arc of axe energy hurtling forward.
Chen Lin dodged left and right, feeling the attacks growing faster and faster. Xing Yan had transformed from a close-quarters combatant into a long-range artillery cannon!
Contestants in the singles competition had virtually no weaknesses!
"Aaaaaah!" With the tenth swing of the giant axe, Xing Yan roared, veins bulging on his face, his eyes glowing with a dark cyan light as the sixteenth star slot in his constellation suddenly lit up!
Beneath the tattered brim of his training cap, Chen Lin's expression changed drastically. Sensing the gusts of wind around him, he retreated rapidly, but his body suddenly lurched, narrowly avoiding a wind blade from behind.
He dodged the first, but there was a second, a third…
In an instant, the area within a twenty-meter radius of Chen Lin was filled with cyan-black arcs of axe energy!
Long-range output! And an area-of-effect skill at that!
Chen Lin had nowhere to retreat. His body stiffened, turning a golden color like one of the Eighteen Bronze Men of Shaolin.
Clang!
A cyan-black arc of axe energy struck Chen Lin's right shoulder from the rear, producing a jarring metallic clang.
Clang... clang... clang...
One after another, abruptly appearing arcs of axe energy formed a truly savage storm of blades!
Within this cyan-black vortex, Chen Lin stood motionless, as if frozen, the marks of blades and axes deepening on his body.
The crowd stared, wide-eyed.
Chen Lin's body was lifted into the air by the wind blades, tossed and tumbled within the cyan-black storm, creating a spectacular and shocking scene!
This all-encompassing, inescapable storm of axe energy lasted at least fifteen seconds.
Finally!
With a scream from Chen Lin, the golden color faded from his right leg, and his calf was swiftly torn apart!
One strand moves the whole body. Under the pain of his severed, sliced calf, the golden light faded rapidly from Chen Lin.
"Stop! Halt!" The referee's voice suddenly rang out.
"Hah... hah... hah..." Xing Yan gasped for breath, his face covered in sweat and blood. His right leg buckled, and he knelt on the ground, the cyan-black giant axe vanishing without a trace.
If Chen Lin had held on just a little longer, perhaps the outcome would have been different?
But there were no "ifs" in this world. Several staff members rushed to Chen Lin with the severed leg, cut into three pieces.
Jiang Xiao believed the staff here were high-level medical Star Warriors. After all, these contestants were the pillars of the nation, and even a single injury was a significant loss.
Xing Yan, the first of the top sixteen, was born!
He seemed to be trying to stand, swaying and staggering as he took a step. His massive body crashed to the ground like a collapsing mountain of gold, staining the green turf red.
The first match had been so brutal!
The scene and the outcome seemed to offer a perfect commentary on the meaning of qualifying for the top sixteen: Trade your life for it!
This was the kind of belief a true national team member should have!
Zhao Wenlong slowly stood and left the stands.
The pairings were decided by the little hand of a six-year-old child, and Zhao Wenlong's match against another King of Soldiers from Xiangnan was the second of the day.
Even after witnessing the brutal match, the crowd was even more excited about the upcoming competition.
This wasn't just a contest between the Star Warriors of the Imperial Capital and Xiangnan Military Academy, but a direct confrontation between fist-and-foot masters!
Almost all of the top thirty-two contestants were skilled in unarmed combat.
But only three of them could be called "fist-and-foot masters."
Xing Aiyang of Xiangnan Military Academy, Zhao Wenlong of the Imperial Capital Star Warriors, and Xie Yan of Central Plains Star Warriors.
"Aiyang! Go! Aiyang! Go!" Zhu Fengyu shouted, cheering Xing Aiyang on. The tall Xing Aiyang took a deep breath and stepped into the arena.
Seventeen minutes later, amidst shouts of "Ata~ Ata~," the referee announced the end of the match.
Zhao Wenlong raised his right fist, the once-white hand wrap stained red with blood.
Hou Ming curled his lips, as if in disdain, or perhaps to express that this was how it should be.
Zhao Wenlong won the second match!
Jiang Xiao stood abruptly, grabbed the giant blade leaning against the seat beside him, and strode down.
As he passed Zhao Wenlong, who was leaving the arena, they bumped fists lightly.
Zhao Wenlong, breathing heavily, his voice strained and deep, in poor condition, said, "Don't think she just crawls around. She's fast, faster than you can imagine."
Jiang Xiao brushed past Zhao Wenlong, his voice serious: "I know."
Zhao Wenlong nodded. Among the Imperial Capital Star Warriors, Jiang Xiao was the one he worried about the most.
Although Jiang Xiao had won every time, his flamboyant style and unexpected actions always made him hold his breath.
The little hand of a six-year-old child had created the current situation.
The two Kings of Soldiers had been stopped in the top thirty-two, leaving everyone sighing in dismay. The fall of the traditional powerhouses seemed to give other students a chance, but the land of China was filled with talent. To select only eight national team members was virtually impossible to allow someone to get through by muddling.
Zhu Fengyu clenched her fists and vigorously tossed her short, shoulder-length hair, muttering to herself, as if offering some psychological suggestion.
She was a typical Beijing girl, lively and cheerful, slightly brash. Although she went to Xiangnan Military Academy, her Star Techniques retained a distinct Tianjin and Yanzhao style.
There was no choice. The Shadow System was too dominant in Tianjin and Yanzhao, and nimble combatants from surrounding provinces would come to learn from them.
Zhu Fengyu was a typical Shadow System nimble combatant, and more specifically, a stab-combatant rather than a brawl-combatant.
"Only seedling, only seedling! Must win!" Zhu Fengyu muttered softly as she opened the small iron door and ran into the green field.
If the traditional powerhouse members were all stopped in the top thirty-two, and none were selected for the national team roster, it wouldn't just be a story, but an accident.
Zhu Fengyu didn't want to see the headlines the next day:
"Southwest Singles King Forcefully Defeats Xiangnan Soldier King."
"The Imperial Capital Star Warriors Double-Kills Xiangnan Military Academy."
Zhu Fengyu pressed down on the brim of her training cap, her beautiful eyes looking towards Jiang Xiao on the other side of the arena.
The boy held a giant blade, his eyes staring intently at her.
The fun-loving Zhu Fengyu was unusually focused, and had no disdain for Jiang Xiao.
She had seen the Imperial Capital Star Warriors tryouts, seen Jiang Xiao's exquisite and outrageous blade skills, and seen him chase Fang Xiao all over the field.
Zhu Fengyu bent her legs slightly, preparing for battle.
I am not that useless Fang Xiao.
Can your blade really be faster than me?
"Both contestants ready!" The referee's voice came through the microphone, "Begin!"
The instant the words left his mouth, three faint shadows emerged from Zhu Fengyu's body.
At the same time, Zhu Fengyu ran swiftly, dodging left and right, her movements clearly aimed at avoiding Blessing!
She waved her fair hand, and a Shadow Blade flew rapidly towards Jiang Xiao!
"Cough." Zhu Fengyu coughed suddenly, feeling lightheaded and unsteady on her feet. The second and third Shadow Blades in her hand vanished without a trace.
This was clearly the Sound of Silence!
Jiang Xiao held his blade in one hand, deflecting the rapidly approaching Shadow Blade, and extended the other hand, aiming at the rapidly dodging stab-combatant.
Platinum Silence,
This is my most polite opening.
Platinum Blessing?
Might hurt your pride.