Chapter 182: One Strike, One Hit

A critical moment!

From the prime viewing stands, a domain lord, after observing the mirror for a time, turned to Wei Mo beside him and remarked, "Mulan Qingqing's consecutive killing moves have failed to subdue Shi Chun. Given her current cultivation level, it seems she's in for a tough fight."

Wei Mo offered no reply.

However, anyone familiar with the Suyuan Sect's methods could discern that Mulan Qingqing's strength lay in her two signature killing moves, which excelled in their deceptive nature and astonishing speed. Should these relied-upon advantages fail to incapacitate her opponent, the tide of battle could swiftly turn.

The domain lords present, being seasoned observers, recognized the gravity of the situation. Without needing to witness the outcome, Mulan Qingqing's prolonged inability to overcome Shi Chun signaled that she was encountering a significant obstacle. Their engagement had reached a critical juncture, and the question remained whether either could break through.

Chi Rang frowned, his lips pressed thin. Ji Qinghe and the others seated with the Suyuan Sect wore grave expressions that refused to lift.

Nevertheless, to most onlookers, Mulan Qingqing's spell-casting still clearly dominated the fight, leaving Shi Chun with only enough strength to parry, unable to counterattack. Those concerned for Shi Chun felt considerable anxiety. Yet, Shi Chun, enveloped in the swirling white, remained unperturbed. He deftly evaded the incoming flying swords, not merely through speed, but by anticipating their trajectories and moving a step ahead of their intended path.

In essence, he simply spun in place to dodge, meticulously defending his own space and preventing any breaches.

He had long analyzed the strengths and weaknesses of both sides. He would never "kick high"—ascend into the air—unless it was absolutely necessary or he had absolute certainty of success. "Losing three points before even leaving the ground" was a maxim he held for himself. The methods he'd prepared weren't limited to that vast white ash. He also had many killing moves ready, waiting for the opportune moment to unleash them.

“...” Wan Daoxuan and the others nearby were dumbfounded. Even those on their own side felt that Mulan Qingqing, too, was accustomed to such rough tactics, so it didn't really matter.

She glanced down at her chest, still unnerved, realizing that had it not been for that protective vest, her life would have been forfeit.

The stone statue had been crafted by Wu Jinliang, following Mulan's specifications. The resulting form, however, was quite indistinct. Wu Jinliang, confident in his artistry, believed one needed a discerning eye to appreciate its abstract beauty; those who found it unappealing simply lacked appreciation.

“Heh heh…” Wu Jinliang chuckled with satisfaction. Meanwhile, on the mountainside, the spreading white ash had just reached its target.

Still daring to pursue Mulan Qingqing, Shi Chun unleashed another blast with a wave of his hand. Dense plumes of smoke and dust erupted once more, and he swiftly concealed himself within them to evade. The dust cloud that erupted again this time did not continuously enhance Shi Chun's concealment, leading to the retrieved stone statue becoming faintly visible.

She quickly raised a hand to wipe away the trace of blood at the corner of her mouth. Though her waist ached faintly and her internal organs felt discomfort, she knew the injury was not severe. Mulan Qingqing, turning her head at the sound, was nearly scared out of her wits. She clumsily raised her bare arm, frantically waving to halt the action, and shrieked hysterically, "Stop!"

Mulan Qingqing, fleeting past, was abruptly halted by silk-like threads drawn taut as a bowstring. Turning back, she witnessed Shi Chun's dust cloud erupting again. Before annoyance could set in, her eyes instinctively brightened, catching sight of the shifting silhouette within the dust. The icy gleam of the sword, lunging into the dust cloud and aimed at the figure, possessed enough power to annihilate anything in its path.

"Since I lack the strength of a mighty tiger, I shall act as a cunning wolf, constantly observing, wearing down, and ever ready to seize an opportunity." There was no alternative; if that strike failed to connect, the same technique wouldn't work a second time. It had to be a decisive hit.

"How could our senior sister, usually as graceful as a goddess, be in such a disheveled state if not severely injured?"

“Cough, cough.” She had already learned her lesson, understanding Mulan's insidious tactic of hiding within the dust. For her junior brother to rush in so blindly was simply suicidal. The stunning Xiang Lan'er shook her head slightly.

From a window in the small building, Young Master Nan instinctively lifted a leg and hooked it over the sill, so agitated he wanted to clamber out and jump.

Mulan's form was also instantly and unmistakably revealed, as if she had been stripped bare in a flash. This demonstrated the immense speed of the combat within the arena. Some matters, as you yourself stated, once she unleashes a killing blow, it's incredibly difficult for her to control. The speed is too immense; with her current cultivation, there's no time to alter the move. This was, by nature, a fatal strike. They were all forged in the Land of Exile, a place where people had no luxury for trivial niceties.

Yet, it was too late for any further reaction. The hunting blade, almost at the very instant she struck the stone statue, also cleaved into her waist.

The figure (Shi Chun), who had thrown out the bait and lay on the ground, now moved. Suddenly, he bent at the waist and sat up, wielding his blade with both hands and lashing out furiously. "Once the opponent loses their advantages of stealth and precision, and is forced into close-quarters combat, that's when my own advantage truly emerges."

The eight grand figures from Mount Youkang were utterly bewildered.

Clang! With a flash of her sword, the stone statue shattered into dust. Mulan Qingqing, successful in her strike, immediately sensed something was amiss. How could she mistake the sensation of striking a person for that of striking stone?

“What in the world are you shaking out, cough, cough.”

Those caught in the affected area were taken completely by surprise, and anyone who failed to cast defensive spells in time found themselves choking and coughing. When they looked up again, their hair was disheveled, and their outer garment had been diagonally ripped in half, exposing a bare, white arm. Beneath, a golden, silken vest was visible.

Shi Chun scanned his surroundings, seeing that Mulan Qingqing's magic domain had been breached. He raised his blade, ready to seize the opportunity to rush in and exploit his close-combat advantage, but was startled by a shout from Guan Yingjie. He quickly glanced aside, spotting the opponent's formation resembling a spiderweb, and was instantly shocked and enraged. This was supposed to be a fair contest; bringing in helpers was unacceptable!

Once his artistic muse was unleashed, Wu Jinliang found himself unable to curb his creative urges, crafting numerous statues of various forms. What everyone else perceived as a grave crisis, Mulan saw as her long-awaited opportunity to strike! Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd; the entire venue was stunned. This 'White Mist' fellow had actually caused his fiancée to be publicly exposed! This was simply outrageous! Did he truly have no desire for this fiancée anymore?

He instantly cast aside the rules of the competition, immediately levitating. Briefly hovering beneath the rising invisible spiderweb, he transformed into a phantom and launched himself forward. This move was naturally not aimed at Mulan Qingqing but directly at the 'White Mist' (Shi Chun), because seeing 'White Mist' pursuing his senior sister, he naturally had to intervene in such a critical situation.

A colossal, barrier-like gust of wind swept through, instantly clearing the vast, swirling white area.

Mulan, despite her successful strike, also sensed something was off. After hitting the target, there was no sensation of her demonic blade cutting into flesh, no feeling of a target bursting apart. The target she had swiftly grazed, due to its unexpected resilience, nearly wrenched the blade from her hand, tearing the web between her thumb and forefinger raw, causing blood to gush forth.

What the onlookers failed to see was that, under the cover of the exploding earth and stones, Shi Chun had immediately rolled over and lain down. He swiftly pulled out a humanoid stone statue from his spatial artifact, which was already clothed in garments stripped from a corpse. Discerning eyes could tell that had it not been for her protective treasure armor, the outcome would have been settled, and Mulan Qingqing would have lost her life. That single blade strike, infused with her full cultivation, similarly offered no escape to her opponent. The demonic blade's momentum promised to shatter its target into dust.

She instantly transformed into a phantom and shot out. The explosive speed of her cultivation, combined with the bowstring-like propulsion, sent both her and her sword hurtling forward with astonishing velocity, seemingly capable of ending everything.

Mulan Qingqing also realized that maintaining such a vast magic network was unsustainable with her current power, so she had no intention of drawing out the fight. After a series of continuous attacks proved fruitless, she immediately changed tactics. A flying sword shot towards her, which she caught in her hand, then she herself launched forward like an arrow from a bow, her body a phantom, her sword a streak of light. Watching from the sidelines, Guan Yingjie gasped in shock after his initial surprise. His senior sister's public exposure had already caused him considerable distress, and seeing her kneeling on one knee, wiping blood from the corner of her mouth, he mistakenly believed she had sustained a grave injury.

The moment the vast whiteness was swept away, Shi Chun immediately brought his blade down again, causing the exploding earth and stones to once more erupt into a dense, white cloud. Wu Jinliang grinned widely, knowing that Shi Chun had an abundant supply of white ash. That sword strike, Mulan Qingqing gave no quarter to her target. Guan Yingjie, intent on saving his senior sister, charged forward without hesitation. “...” The crowd was speechless.

Glancing at the wound on his hand, already healing, Shi Chun, settled within the dissipating dust, looked up at Mulan Qingqing on the ground, his heart filled with shock. "What the hell? Such a devastating blade couldn't even kill her?"

Miao Dingyi turned to his wide-eyed wife and said, "Your understanding of him, it seems, is not as deep as you thought."

Wan Daoxuan and the eight others were even more utterly dumbfounded. To have beaten Mulan Qingqing into such a disheveled state, this 'White Mist' fellow's strength was truly formidable. It was fortunate they hadn't gotten involved; otherwise, they might never have known how they died. If he could be so ruthless to his own fiancée, what would he do to them?

Clang! Another explosive sound ripped her clothes into shreds, sending them flying. The elusive opportunity had finally arrived! Guan Yingjie was instantly overjoyed, realizing his senior sister's killing move could now be employed. He had indeed anticipated the possibility of his deceptive spell being cleared. If he could utilize white ash, he naturally had to consider the consequences should it prove ineffective.

All the spectators recognized Mulan's precarious situation, but also her safety. Wei Mo, who had been leaning against the armrest in front of the mirror with his hand supporting his cheek, swiftly clenched his hand into a fist, pressing it against his nose in frustration.

"As long as I can maintain this standoff, I hold the advantage. I don't believe the opponent can sustain such a vast magical domain indefinitely."

"I am very clear: once a stalemate is established, it's a matter of who reveals a weakness first. I've already discerned the flight pattern of that constantly darting sword, but I'm in no hurry to strike it down. I will continue to wear her down. The more moves my opponent makes, the more impatient she will become, and the more impatient she becomes, the more she will rush for a quick victory, and the more she rushes, the more likely she is to expose a flaw."

From the prime viewing stands, Wei Mo, the domain lord of Shengzhou, sneered, "A Primordial Treasure Armor? That's exceptional patronage from the Suyuan Sect."

Therefore, he neither fled nor leaped; he simply maintained his position within his own domain, wearing her down.

Mulan Qingqing's figure, emerging from the dust, was clearly disoriented; she didn't fly out smoothly but seemed to be thrown off course, hitting the ground with a thud, sending earth and stones flying. Ji Qinghe and the eight others from the Suyuan Sect were so startled they sprang to their feet, their faces pale with alarm and deep concern.