novelSoul Battle (2)
| ← Ch.018 | Ch.020 → |
A group of men's appearance brought a lull to the noisy soul battle arena. Walking first was a thin and tall man, followed closely by some men in green cloth holding glaze trays. The chief on the high platform took over the trays with great care. Never underestimate those small wooden tokens on them. Whoever lost wooden tokens would be disqualified immediately.
"Chuya, the thin and tall man is the chief in charge of the five Meets in succession. Right?"
Xiao Nai asked at the top of his thin and acute voice. Shen Chuya nodded in agreement.
Wuyou thought that it mattered little to her. What she was eager to do now was to jump into the soul battle arena to take a close look in order to check how formidable the Evil Spirit in Shen Chuya's words was. Looking at the main venue encircled tightly by iron chains, Wuyou only hoped that night fell quickly. She had no way of retreat in Fairy City, and Xiao Qi would not keep a person good-for-nothing. To win, she had to get a clear picture of the arena's terrain. Only by doing so could she have more chance to win.
Little Fox, Shen Chuya and Xiao Nai were in a group. A man in black cloth named Li Fu led them. Wuyou and Shen Chuya held the quilts while Xiao Nai gave some help beside.
Li Fu took a glimpse and found Shen Chuya and Xiao Nai engaged, so he picked up some waist tokens and threw to them. Wuyou leaped and accept the waist tokens. Li Fu turned around and walked to his residence. Xiao Nai followed him, intending to ask him about the competition system tomorrow, but was stopped by Shen Chuya.
Wuyou looked around along the road and could not still make it clear even after she arrived at her dwelling place. Shen Chuya nudged her arm to bring her to come to herself. But Wuyou had forgotten how many forks she had walked and how many houses she had passed by.
Standing at the door, Li Fu explained the rules and regulations to Shen Chuya. As for the battle tomorrow, the order would be determined by drawing lots. And the competition would begin at 7 a. m. Li Fu hoped everybody could take a good rest.
"Nai, is this Phoenix's?"
Shen Chuya picked up a puppet. Xiao Nai turned over and got out of bed, but could not find any trace of her by the door."How can she know we live here?" Xiao Nai was thinking when some more figures turned up by the door. With clearer sight, Xiao Nai's eyes brightened, since his Prince, Xiao Linggong was standing ahead of him. Xiao Linggong shot a glimpse at Wuyou and fixed his eyes on Shen Chuya. And Xiao Nai squeezed to the front of Shen Chuya, eager to shake hands with Xiao Linggong, but Xiao Linggong rejected ruthlessly. Seeing it, Wuyou shook her head.
"Xiao Nai, where can you hide?"
Xiao Nai hiding behind Shen Chuya was pulled over by Phoenix. Wuyou thought, "This girl is so energetic, and she must have the parents who love her very much."
At the hours of the rabbit, Wuyou woke up. When getting up, she found Xiao Nai and Phoenix were still sleeping while Xiao Linggong and Shen Chuya dwelling near the door had not been there. Sure enough, some people got up earlier than Wuyou.
After washing and dressing up, Wuyou set out to the soul battle arena. Viewing from afar, Wuyou found a number of people had gathered there, so she flew through the breeze to the soul battle arena. When landing, she saw Xiao Linggong and Shen Chuya. It appeared that some people were more anxious. Xiao Linggong was standing beside, as if he was waiting for someone else. Shen Chuya walked toward Wuyou, whom Wuyou did not like.
"Little Fox, you come very early. There is no need to come so early on the first day."
"Brother Chen, aren't you early, too?"
Shen Chuya smiled in embarrassment. Xiao Linggong took a glance at Wuyou and whispered to Shen Chuya. At the sight, Wuyou walked away from them.
On the stone steps, a steward in green cloth tipped the compote over carelessly. Wuyou helped him to pick it up.
"Little demon, you are very clever."
Li Fu looked Wuyou up and down, and something occurred to him. He patted his head.
"You are the little demon who received the waist token yesterday."
"Yes, I am. Uncle Li, so many people attend soul battles. Will the king come?"
"You've asked the right person. Not only will Fairy King come, but also various kings will attend it. At the hours of the dragon, the King will blow the whistle for the battle in person."
"Uncle Li, the most influential and powerful man must be Fairy King."
"Little demon, why are you asking it?"
Wuyou chuckled. Li Fu pulled Wuyou to an obscure corner.
"In Fairy Kingdom, the most influential and powerful man is King of Virtue, Xiao Yan. He is the father of that man." Following the direction that Li Fu signaled, Wuyou found that it was Xiao Linggong!
"Thank you, Uncle Li, I help you to take it."
Li Fu was deeply pleased with the little demon in front, thinking that this girl was truly considerate and sensible.
"Uncle Li, my friend is coming. I have to go."
Apparently, Xiao Linggong made full preparation for the competition. But since his family boasted dominant power, it was not easy for him to get the military talisman, because interests of all parties needed to balance, and no one expected to see Xiao Yan of absolute supremacy. In fact, the soul battle arena was also a place for authority struggles, and no one was willing to go off stage easily. In order to own this military talisman, they would fight to the death. Xiao Linggong and Shen Chuya were serving for the interest of a certain party, and Wuyou herself was not an exception.
From afar, Fairy King had a pair of phoenix-like eyes and a Grecian nose, wearing an imperial robe with golden piping around it. The dress could fully display the royal majesty in his presence. When Xiao Yan entered the arena, Fairy King's face widened into a brighter grin.
Xiao Linggong's eyes did not leave his father."Is he Xiao Yan?" thought Wuyou. He looked like coming from a picture, debonair and refined. Compared with Xiao Linggong, Xiao Yan appeared more courtly and cultivated. Wuyou paid more attention to Xiao Yan, guessing that in the position of high authority, he would tend to usually keep a lower profile.
Xiao Nai and Phoenix had already squeezed their way at some point.
Kings in luxurious clothes took on an air of harmony and kindness. Xiao Yan seated himself in an unattractive place and had some free talks with them. Wuyou looked around and found no trace of Xiao Qi. It seemed that Xiao Qi did not hope others to know where he was.
When Fairy King Xiao Yi lit the spiritual flame, the competition drew the curtain with impressively beating gongs and drums.
The first battle was between Phoenix Tribe and Hui Tribe. Phoenix was the first to take up the battle, so she spread her wings and flew to the soul battle arena. The girl from Hui Tribe wagged her long tail and soared up into the air.
Wuyou looked at the girl from Hui Tribe. She looked young but her Spirit Power was strong. Her swaying long tail swept continuously over Phoenix, forcing her to fall back tens of meters. And then the girl brandished her talon to pounce at Phoenix. Phoenix down thrust toward her opponent, and her seven-colored feather turning into steel knives, stabbing to the Hui-Tribe girl. Then, the girl changed into a small flood dragon and sneaked into the clouds. Phoenix ascended into the sky in the wake of her. Wuyou got rid of her soul and hurried her way through the crowd to follow the steps of Phoenix. Wuyou would not fling away any chance of knowing her competitors, even if her opponents were Phoenix and the girl from Hui Tribe.
On the clouds. Phoenix spread her wings, seven-colored feather dazzling in the snow. On the other side, the Hui-Tribe girl was encased in silver armor, one of her hand holding a silver whip. The Spirit Power concentrated along her silver whip, and then she waved the whip to Phoenix's wings. At the sight, Wuyou was quite worried about Phoenix. If the situation went on like this, Phoenix would undoubtedly lose the battle. The Hui-Tribe girl had good endurance, so the longer the competition dragged on, the more benefits she could gain. Another person appeared on the clouds when Wuyou was worrying about Phoenix. The person was nobody but the chief judge of the Soul Battle.
Enlaced tightly by the silver whip, Phoenix made several attempts to escape but was hindered by its strong binding power. Her feathers were being peeled away. Wuyou began worrying about Phoenix. Just at the moment, raging flames outspread Phoenix's wings. The Hui-Tribe girl took it as a chance to sweep to Phoenix with her silver whip again. Phoenix's eyes shone with spirit light and her flaming colored feathers glittered with gold in the firelight. Wuyou was shocked that Phoenix rose from the ashes in the fire.
Wuyou could not help exclaiming that Phoenix was worthy of the title of "King of Birds". Phoenix with golden feathers cried, her incisive steel talons charging at the Hui-Tribe girl regardless of the attacks from the silver whip. The girl dashed downward to the soul battle arena, but was intercepted by Phoenix's golden feathers. The moment the golden swords were about to penetrate the girl, Phoenix retracted her Spirit Power. Looking at the shell-shocked girl, Wuyou let out a sigh.
The chief judge held Phoenix's hand and flew into the soul battle arena. With a look at the disappointed Hui-Tribe girl, Wuyou restored her soul to her physical body. In the opening battle, Phoenix won. Xiao Nai could not believe it somewhat. When the chief judge's announcement sounded in the soul battle arena, Xiao Nai leaped high both for Phoenix herself and the whole Phoenix Tribe.
| ← Ch. 018 | Ch. 020 → |