Chapter 180: Imposing Killing Moves

The Climax!

In the mirror, two distinct figures were no longer visible; only one remained. The view rapidly zoomed out, revealing both figures once more within the wider scope. They now stood separated on an open patch of ground, confronting each other. With the Xuanzhou forces arrayed around the base of the mountain as spectators, everyone watching the mirror image suddenly realized what was about to unfold.

The formation they had taken was too obvious; anyone with a clear mind could see what was intended.

From the prime viewing platform, someone asked doubtfully, "Is Mulan Qingqing going to compete with Shi Chun, or is it a duel—"

Another person remarked, "It's clearly a duel. Didn't Shi Chun kill her fellow disciple?"

Yet another person interjected, "No, don't you think this is too amicable? It doesn't look like an act of revenge for a fellow disciple. Would one really seek revenge through such a duel?"

Their point resonated. Chi Rang, the Domain Lord of Xuanzhou, furrowed his brow in thought, while Wei Mo, the Domain Lord of Shengzhou, rubbed his beard so vigorously he nearly pulled it out.

Inside the training grounds, the Sect Master of Suyuan Sect was absent; Elder Ji Qinghe continued to preside.

Unlike the others, Ji Qinghe and the two Suyuan Sect disciples beside him discerned something different.

The disciple on the left tilted his head and whispered to the one on the right, "When Shi Chun sparred with Junior Brother Chao earlier, he was likely probing the techniques of our Suyuan Sect. Will Junior Sister Mulan be alright?"

The disciple on the right tilted his head to the left and softly replied, "Against Junior Brother Chao, he still had to injure him first just to barely cope. Against Junior Sister Mulan, he has absolutely no chance of winning."

Mulan also steeled her resolve and dared not be careless. She revealed her ability to break these networks with her first move out of necessity, as the opponent's body, when augmented by these networks, became too secure.

Such a perverse technique, however, also had a significant flaw: the limited attack power of Du Qian's assassins.

The networks were denser and more expansive than any Mulan had seen before. At that moment, the woman and the man's gazes met across the distance.

From the outside, amidst the exploding chaos, over a dozen figures of Shi Chun suddenly materialized. This terrifying sight left the motley crowd trembling in fear, secretly thinking their leader was finished.

Inside the building's window, Young Master Nan suddenly rubbed his hands vigorously, then patted his face to rouse himself, staring wide-eyed at the mirror image.

However, these sword edges did not push back Mulan's body. Catching her breath slightly, Mulan swiftly retaliated, her chaotic blade artistry unfolding like a storm, sword light instantly sweeping in all directions.

The crucial point was that Shi Chun's assassins were not hindered by distant magical power and could strike silently from the void. Such an all-angle assassination was truly bizarre and sudden; let alone others, even if Mulan could see them, she couldn't evade them.

He had personally witnessed how the assassins Shi Chun commanded could instantly launch an assassination. There were seventeen such assassins, and it was unknown if that demonstrated their full strength at the time.

The light dimmed, and the killing moves burst forth at that instant. No one could answer him, but it didn't impede the vision of his left eye.

Mulan cast a spell and replied loudly, "Du Mo, even if I wished to fulfill your desire, I couldn't do it this way. You know I dislike deceit. Since I am fighting with the expectations of so many brothers on my shoulders, I cannot act selfishly, otherwise I would be unworthy of those who fought and died at my command. What you just said is actually what I wanted to say: it's still not too late to admit defeat now!"

Could it be that he dislikes that junior sister?

In Mulan's left eye, seventeen streaks of light flashed out from Silverglow Qingqing's body, and, following the three-dimensional networks, instantly flashed towards her.

Miao Dingyi shook his head slightly. "He understands me better than you... The entire focus of the Sky Rain Meteor Assembly's interests revolves around the Worm Crystal, I'm afraid..."

Silverglow Qingqing's pupils, however, suddenly contracted. Her perception of her own magic domain far exceeded Chao Zhilin's.

The open ground, surrounded by mountains, was called 'open' but was actually covered with undulating mounds of earth and stones. In front of the training ground's mirror, countless people held their breath. Miao Yilan was so scared she covered her mouth. Junior Brother Chao's disciple wore a mocking expression, seemingly ridiculing Mulan for overestimating herself and for bringing about her own misfortune. Others couldn't see the assassination formation of Shi Chun's assassins, but Du Qian could.

Facing an opponent with such restrictive abilities, ordinary moves would likely be ineffective; to win, she could only employ a killing move.

Little did they know, these were all short-sighted individuals, unaware that the two had already exchanged blows in secret.

This made her suddenly realize that her opponent wasn't just talking nonsense, and that Chao Zhilin's defeat at their hands was no accident. She felt increasingly as if she faced a great enemy.

Under the sudden accumulation of so many gazes, Xiang Lan'er realized something, but was unable to express anything. She could only continue to feel dejected, pretending not to notice.

Guan Yingjie looked disgusted, shot him a warning glance, and remained silent.

What was the use of having previous experience if he didn't use it? He would be foolish not to. Why had he gone to such lengths to probe Chao Zhilin's abilities earlier?

His was a theory based on self-interest, which might not apply to everyone, so he wasn't entirely sure and didn't finish his sentence. However, Lan Qiaoyan understood.

The surrounding spectators were noisy, and mountain winds frequently swept into the gully, causing Silverglow Qingqing's snow-white robes and flowing dark hair to flutter occasionally.

Seventeen Shi Chun figures simultaneously emerged from the damaged parts of the three-dimensional network, rushing into the exploding chaos and white mist, assassinating Mulan simultaneously from above, below, and all four directions.

Such heartfelt words deeply moved the motley crowd.

In others' eyes, Mulan's seemingly physical movements were, in her perception, detected as destructive acts. She felt Du Qian's blade easily severing her magic domain's perception network, creating a perception void at Mulan's location.

Neither in the speed of commanding assassinations nor in the number of Shi Chun's assassins commanded could Chao Zhilin compare.

Mulan surveyed the arena, landing about seventy zhang away from Silverglow Qingqing. Feng Chi, cloaked, clenched his fists in anticipation. Mulan knew the truly dangerous moment was at hand. Ji Qinghe's expression, however, was not as optimistic as theirs. His greatest worry was that Mulan didn't know Shi Chun had killed Chao Zhilin, and what Mulan herself intended to do. Looking back, he found some feuds seemed rather inexplicable. What kind of misunderstanding could lead to such a situation?

Mulan declared, "Since that's the case, let's fight to the death. Regardless of who loses, our engagement will be dissolved here and now. Anyway, we never liked each other."

The standoff distance was kept slightly wide; this strategy was a lesson from her battle with Chao Zhilin. Junior Brother Chao's attack speed had been too slow, so being too close was not advantageous for her.

On the viewing platform, Lan Qiaoyan tilted her head and asked her husband, "What is he going to do?" Wu Jinliang wore a smirk but didn't laugh aloud. Mulan, having already probed the opponent's limits, had a counter-strategy. She used her blade and arms to protect her head as much as possible, and tried to dodge attacks with her head and legs. Under such a dense onslaught, it was impossible to completely avoid everything. She would rather sacrifice less vital body parts and prioritize protecting her head and feet. The precise interwoven nature of the killing moves was indeed not something she could fully control. Crucially, Mulan was also leading thousands of troops to seize the Worm Crystal.

This was not an exaggeration; she knew how terrifying the killing move she was about to unleash would be. Once deployed, within the same cultivation realm, she could almost be considered unrivaled.

That is to say, the opponent could also perceive her magic domain, and being able to break it naturally meant they could restrain it.

Silverglow Qingqing suddenly cast a spell and declared, "Wang Sheng, if I truly unleash this, I might not be able to control it. It's still not too late to admit defeat now!"

In his left eye, Silverglow Qingqing had already silently unfolded her magic domain. Unlike Chao Zhilin, who still had a vertical three-finger starting stance, it was clear that this woman's mastery was even higher.

Silverglow Qingqing replied, "You're overthinking it. Junior Brother Chao's disciple won't admit defeat like that."

Seeing this, Du Qian slashed his blade towards the ground. At the moment the earth and rocks burst open, he flipped his hand to reveal a powder pouch he had prepared in advance for this battle. He cast a spell to make it explode, using the force of the ground explosion to create a white mist, which, along with the flying earth and stones, enveloped him.

Many unconsciously looked towards Xiang Lan'er. It was undeniable that this woman was indeed beautiful. Did Wang Sheng perhaps have a fondness for this type? But wasn't she already compromised?

Mulan dared not underestimate him. She had heard about his feat of suppressing thousands of people, preventing them from taking to the air with a single sword stroke during the Worm Crystal scramble, when news was exchanged between both sides. Combined with having personally witnessed the terrifying instant kills of Shi Chun's assassins, how could she still underestimate the enemy?

Her fighting spirit surged, yet she didn't underestimate the enemy, her gaze fixed on Du Qian's every move, as if facing a great foe. As a result, most of the sword edges from Du Qian's assassins struck her body. The surrounding spectators grew slightly restless, curious why the two, having decided to compete, were delaying so long.

A chorus of astonished gasps rose from all directions. Clearly, no one had expected things to escalate to this extent, nor that he would be so serious. Now, it would be impossible for anyone to doubt whether either of them would hold back.

When the fabricated engagement was mentioned publicly, Silverglow Qingqing responded indifferently, "Precisely my intention!"

He naturally had to first break the surrounding networks to prevent those assassins from having the possibility of launching instant kills against him. Only by maintaining a slightly dangerous distance would he have room to maneuver.

Some were astonished, wondering what kind of woman Brother Wang Sheng liked, given his apparent disinterest in such an excellent and beautiful one.

Precisely because she understood, her gaze, as she turned to Du Qian, revealed horror. Wan Dao Xuan and the eight others looked at Guan Yingjie. Tang Zhen asked softly, "Brother Guan, is this appropriate?"

Jumping into the air to dodge would be even more suicidal. The speed of the flashing streaks and the instant arrival of Shi Chun's assassins were absolutely faster than Mulan's jumping speed. They could instantly withdraw and intercept her, and being intercepted and killed in mid-air would be even worse. He had personally witnessed how Hu Yan Dao died.

The situation suddenly took this turn, and those with discernment could see that Mulan was not quite right.

The person standing with hands behind their back, robes fluttering, was beautiful. Yet, an invisible and formless killing intent spread densely from her, extending across the entire area. Countless thread-like white floccules, like numerous three-dimensional chessboard grids, rapidly spread and enveloped the entire competition ground, towering above the surrounding peaks.

On Wukang Mountain, the eight grand elders watched with bated breath. After a long while, Bian Jixiong finally asked, "What does he want to do—"