CHAPTER 147: CHAPTER 15: BATTLE AGAINST YUN JING [SECOND UPDATE]

He never expected that Gu Qingqing would be so beautiful, even someone like him who never cared about a woman’s appearance was amazed!

This distraction immediately caused him to be injured by Gu Qingqing’s Spiritual Power, forcing him back several steps, and even spitting out a mouthful of blood.

This time the injury he sustained was quite severe, his face visibly turned pale, and his body swayed, as if he was about to collapse.

Gu Qingqing didn’t stop because his face had turned pale, her Mixed Immortal Silk directly wrapped around his neck.

"How about it? Admit defeat?" She raised her eyebrows at Zhou Qi, holding the Mixed Immortal Silk, and asked.

Zhou Qi looked at the Mixed Immortal Silk around his neck; he knew it looked soft but could instantly cut his neck.

"I admit defeat." He was someone who, in such matters, had his own choices, a loss is a loss, never deny it.

Gu Qingqing looked at the referee, who was still in a daze, and immediately reacted when she looked over.

"This match, Gu Qingqing is the winner!"

After the referee announced the result, Gu Qingqing retracted the Mixed Immortal Silk and cupped her fists towards Zhou Qi, "Thank you for letting me win."

After speaking, she flew off the platform and returned to Si Lin and the others.

"Little Qingqing, the match just now was superb." Rong Ye gave Gu Qingqing a thumbs up.

"Thank you, Fifth Senior Brother." Gu Qingqing’s face showed a smile.

"Qingqing, come over, let me treat your wound, and check if you are injured." Mu Chen’s eyes were fixed on Gu Qingqing’s wound, he said worriedly.

"Fourth Senior Brother, my injury isn’t serious, you don’t need to worry." She said while walking to Mu Chen’s side.

Mu Chen first applied some homemade potion to her external wounds, watching the wounds heal quickly, he felt some relief, then grabbed her wrist to check her body’s condition, and was completely reassured after finding that she indeed wasn’t injured, just heavily depleted Spiritual Power.

He took an elixir for restoring Spiritual Power and gave it to her, then he was satisfied.

"Alright, it’s fine now." He stepped back a bit, smiling and nodding.

Seeing this from Mu Chen, they knew Gu Qingqing was unharmed, and everyone else was also relieved.

"Is Sister Yun’s side not finished yet? Let’s go find Sister Yun first." Gu Qingqing looked beside her, the platform where Yun Ran was wasn’t far, she could still see the ongoing battle, she said to Si Lin and the others nearby.

Si Lin and the others naturally had no objections, and the group directly went to the viewing area of Yun Ran’s platform to watch, waiting for Yun Ran to come down.

They were well aware of Yun Ran’s strength, and in recent times, Gu Qingqing also gained an understanding of the strength of the younger generation in Huazhou City. As long as she didn’t encounter Zhou Qi and the other two, there would be no problems, even if she did encounter them, Yun Ran might not necessarily lose!

The final result was not beyond her expectation, although Yun Ran suffered some injuries, she still won the match, becoming one of the final four.

Yun Jing and Zhao Cheng’s matches ended almost simultaneously with Yun Ran’s, with each securing first place in their respective platforms.

The final four consisted of Gu Qingqing, Yun Ran, Zhao Cheng, and Yun Jing, who would then draw lots to pair off for duels, with winners advancing to the final.

Gu Qingqing and Yun Jing were drawn into one group, and Yun Ran and Zhao Cheng into another. The competition would continue the next day, and Gu Qingqing and Yun Ran left the arena together and returned to their residence.

...

"Qingqing, will you leave Huazhou City after the match?" Yun Ran had already learned about Gu Qingqing’s sect’s existence in the Sub-immortal Realm and knew her master was waiting for her to return, but she was still reluctant to part with Gu Qingqing.

"Yes, Master is still waiting for me in the Holy Land, I’ve delayed a lot of time." Thinking of her master’s demanding nature, Gu Qingqing couldn’t help but smile.

"I really don’t want you to leave. We haven’t seen each other for five years, and now we’ve only been together for such a short time." Yun Ran hugged Gu Qingqing’s arm, resting her head on her shoulder, acting coquettishly.

"Then, Sister Yun, come with me! After all, your cultivation has reached the eighth stage, and your position in the Yun Family is quite stable, it’s just like going out for training." Gu Qingqing didn’t want to part with Yun Ran either and directly suggested.

Yun Ran was stunned for a moment, then immediately became excited, "Yes, how could I forget, I can go with you, I’ve been in Huazhou City for so long, I haven’t been out to train for ages."

Ever since ascending to the Sub-immortal Realm and realizing how different it is from Xuantian Continent, she’s been diligently cultivating, striving to advance quickly to become someone capable. For years, she hadn’t left Huazhou City and almost forgot she was free to go out and train!

"Exactly, you can come with me, and after we deal with things at Lingxi Sacred Land, we can travel the Sub-immortal Realm together, and taste all the delicious food in the world." Seeing Yun Ran’s interest, Gu Qingqing continued.

Yun Ran’s eyes sparkled, and she stood right up, "Wait for me, I’ll go talk to the head boy right now."

With that, she ran out without waiting for Gu Qingqing’s agreement, making Gu Qingqing chuckle.

The next morning, when they were going to the competition, Yun Ran told Gu Qingqing that she had decided to leave with Gu Qingqing after the match, and Yun Jing also agreed, she was thrilled, knowing that even if she might lose to Zhao Cheng, nothing could stop her joy!

To allow the people of Huazhou City to better watch the final matches, today’s two matches were not held simultaneously, but sequentially.

The first match was between Yun Ran and Zhao Cheng, both well-known in Huazhou City, with many supporters, the audience was so lively they almost started fighting, providing quite the spectacle for Gu Qingqing and the others.

The strength of Yun Ran and Zhao Cheng was quite close, with nonstop exchanges of Sword Qi and Spiritual Power on the ring, the newly restored platform from last night became pitted again, adding much excitement to the match, ending with Zhao Cheng’s sword pointed at Yun Ran’s neck.

In the past two days, Gu Qingqing also gained notoriety in Huazhou City, first for reaching the 196th floor in the Trial Tower, which drew everyone’s attention, and yesterday’s victory over Zhou Qi cementing her fame in Huazhou City.

As Gu Qingqing and Yun Jing stood on the platform waiting for their match to start, people in the audience were discussing her.

"This is the legendary Gu Qingqing? She just looks like a frail little girl, could she really be that powerful?"

"Think about how strong Zhou Qi is first, and she defeated Zhou Qi, so do you think she’s powerful?"

"Well, she indeed is powerful, Zhou Qi is one of the three young masters of Huazhou City, so if she’s up against Yun Jing now, isn’t it possible she might win too?"

"That’s hard to say, Young Master Yun Jing may appear weaker, but in terms of actual strength, he’s not inferior among the three young masters, it’s just that no one has seen him go all out, Gu Qingqing is not necessarily stronger than him!"

"Why overthink it? Once the two of them finish their fight, we’ll know who’s stronger?"

"You’re right. Let’s just enjoy watching the match. Yun Jing has an eighth-level cultivation, and Gu Qingqing is said to be the same. Battles of this level are rare and an opportunity for us!"

"..."

"Miss Gu, I will give it my all in the match later, and I hope you do the same!" Yun Jing said politely before the match started.

Even though he knew that Gu Qingqing was the disciple of the Spirit Fox Saint Master and had five formidable senior brothers, Yun Jing’s desire to battle Gu Qingqing had not diminished. Instead, after learning she had defeated Zhou Qi, his desire intensified.

He had been competing with Zhou Qi and the others for so many years, and since they weren’t mortal enemies, they never went all out. However, they understood each other well. Gu Qingqing’s victory over Zhou Qi indicated she was indeed formidable, and he needed such a strong opponent!

"Of course." Gu Qingqing was still wearing a veil today. Her lips slightly curved as she spoke indifferently.

The battle with Zhou Qi yesterday reignited her long-lost competitive spirit. Facing Yun Jing today, she was equally excited.

Their gazes met, and it felt like sparks were flying.

"Clang!"

As the gong sounded, the match began, and Gu Qingqing and Yun Jing moved simultaneously.

The Mixed Immortal Silk appeared in Gu Qingqing’s hand. She flicked it, and the silk instantly lengthened and charged toward Yun Jing. Yun Jing’s body flickered, dodging the attack, and the silk struck the ground behind him, leaving a large pit.

As Yun Jing rushed towards Gu Qingqing, he swung his sword, and Sword Qi snaked along the ground towards her.

Gu Qingqing lightly tapped her toes on the ground and her body rose into the air, evading the Sword Qi. The marble tiles on the ground behind her shattered into pieces.

Yun Jing’s sword was already in front of her, and she used the Mixed Immortal Silk in her hands to block in front of her.

"Clang!"

The sword tip hit the Mixed Immortal Silk, making a crisp sound, but couldn’t advance any further. They exchanged a glance, seeing the battle intent in each other’s eyes. Gu Qingqing pushed back forcefully, and Yun Jing’s sword was deflected.

The Mixed Immortal Silk in her hands slithered like a Spiritual Snake, winding towards Yun Jing.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Yun Jing’s sword repeatedly blocked the Mixed Immortal Silk, preventing it from getting close to his body.

Gu Qingqing lightly tapped her toes, rising into the air again, and infused Spiritual Power into the Mixed Immortal Silk, swinging it down towards Yun Jing from above.

Yun Jing’s body shifted, and the silk grazed past his cheek, hitting the ground. His cheek stung with a burning pain from the scratch, but he couldn’t care less, as Gu Qingqing’s next wave of attack was already approaching.

The Mixed Immortal Silk repeatedly grazed past his body, striking the ground, leaving the surface behind him riddled with craters and covered in dust. A lock of his hair was cut off, and another wound appeared on his cheek and left shoulder.

At this moment, he looked nothing like the gentleman he was before, appearing somewhat disheveled!

Of course, he wasn’t idle either. The sword in his hand never stopped, and waves of Sword Qi flew towards Gu Qingqing.

Gu Qingqing also dodged Yun Jing’s attacks repeatedly, sustaining a wound on her shoulder as well. Her face remained stern, but the light in her eyes grew increasingly bright.

As she evaded Yun Jing’s attacks, the world in her eyes began to change again.

Initially, Yun Jing’s speed was about the same as hers, and each time she dodged an attack, it was dangerously close. But as the fight went on, Yun Jing’s speed appeared to slow down in her eyes, so much so that she could predict the trajectory of his Sword Qi and easily evade it.

As her opponent, Yun Jing was the first to notice Gu Qingqing’s change, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. He hadn’t expected Gu Qingqing to undergo a breakthrough even during the match. Of course, it wasn’t a breakthrough in cultivation but a breakthrough in movement technique!

He could feel that Gu Qingqing was dodging his attacks with increasing ease and was growing faster. Sometimes, she evaded before his Sword Qi even arrived, something he encountered for the first time, and he was both surprised and excited.

Consequently, his speed increased too, eager to see how far Gu Qingqing could go.

Below the stage, Si Lin and the others also noticed Gu Qingqing’s transformation.

"Little Qingqing always surprises others pleasantly!" Nan Hua said with a smile, slightly surprised as he fanned himself.

"Qingqing’s battle talent is genuinely strong, almost matching the senior brother!" Mu Chen said somewhat enviously beside him.

Due to his Innate Sword Body, Si Lin had a strong innate combat awareness, with many of his advancements occurring in battle, and belonged to the type that grew stronger with each fight. Gu Qingqing clearly belonged to the same category as Si Lin.

"That’s good. It ensures she can better protect herself." Because Mu Chen likened Gu Qingqing to himself, Si Lin surprisingly showed a slight smile and spoke deeply.

"Exactly, the stronger Qingqing is, the better!" Yue Zhao agreed as well.

Due to his proficiency in Divination, he had divined for Gu Qingqing many times. Although close relations often made divination results elusive, he had gained some insights. Gu Qingqing’s future was destined to be extraordinary, so in his view, the stronger Gu Qingqing became, the better she could face the trials ahead.

"Qingqing is amazing!" Yun Ran had already become Gu Qingqing’s fan.

She had fought against Yun Jing before and lost miserably. If it wasn’t just a spar, she might have nearly died. Hence, she understood how strong Yun Jing was. Watching Gu Qingqing handle Yun Jing’s attacks with ease and even counterattack, she was naturally impressed!

Most importantly, she knew Gu Qingqing’s most powerful skill was her Word Spirit Technique, which Gu Qingqing hadn’t even used yet!

...

On the stage, Gu Qingqing was unaware of everyone’s thoughts. She was immersed in this marvelous sensation, discovering weaknesses in Yun Jing, who had previously seemed almost flawless in her eyes. However, she didn’t attack immediately.

Her body landed on the ground, dodging Yun Jing’s Sword Qi. Suddenly, she flickered and disappeared, reappearing behind Yun Jing.

She raised her palm, circulating Spiritual Power, and struck towards Yun Jing’s back.