novelThe Nine-Ringed Silver Saber
| ← Ch.0607 | Ch.0609 → |
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
"That's great!" Tang Wulin leaped high into the air and caused the pedestrians around him to shoot him sidelong glances,
As she felt his genuine excitement, Gu Yue could not help but smile wider. She enjoyed looking at his happy face as he leaped with joy.
The area around the Star Luo Coliseum was packed with people, and many streets had already been closed. Gu Yue and Tang Wulin had gone through quite some trouble before they finally made it to the exclusive contestant passageway with their electronic contestant and made their way in.
They had just stepped into the coliseum when they felt the excitement emanating from the atmosphere in the spectator stands.
Cheers could be heard from every part of the crowd, making it sound like waves were crashing. The loud sound made it difficult for those who stood next to each other to even hear what their companions were saying.
This was the power of a hundred thousand people cheering!
Within the coliseum were competition rings erected adjacent to each other, each with their own exclusive soul barrier as protective measures against the possible interference between different matches due to energy leakages.
When they stepped on site, Tang Wulin's eyes lit up immediately when he saw the competition stages.
Just as the competition rules stated, the contestants were allowed use of any and all abilities in the solo matches. They also had to sign a death waiver before proceeding. Although the chances of there being any casualties were rare because the referee would stop the competition when the need arose, they still had to sign a death waiver before they continued. Still, this was Tang Wulin's first time witnessing an all-out fighting competition such as this.
There were not many who actually brought a mecha with them to the competition since the area available for each stage was limited from fifty of them being set up at the same time. A mecha would have insufficient space to maneuver itself on the competition stage with only fifty meters being available. It would have become a hindrance to the contestants instead.
However, Tang Wulin saw a contestant using soul tools in combat. An assortment of lights burst forth like fireworks from the different competition stages. For quite some time afterward, it dazzled everyone's eyes.
"This is truly a place that makes your blood boil! Gu Yue, are you really sure that you don't want to enter the solo competitions?" Tang Wulin asked Gu Yue who stood beside him since her registration was already submitted.
Gu Yue shook her head, "Forget it, I'm not that interested in it. I'm only accompanying you for the two-against-two match."
"Alright then, " Tang Wulin fished out his electronic card and had a look. Judging by the current progress of the competition, he would have half an hour at most before he would be called up for his match. Aside from knowing his opponent's card number as 631, he had no other information available to him.
"I wonder what kind of an opponent I'll be facing, " Tang Wulin said with a faint smile.
Gu Yue replied, "No matter who your opponent is, he or she wouldn't be able to stop your advancement. Do your best. Although I can't become one of the Shrek Seven Monsters, I'm sure you can. However, never underestimate your opponent. Based on what I've heard from those in the Royal Star Luo Academy in the Star Luo Empire, their most powerful academy was the Monster Academy. They mimicked Shrek Academy in many ways. After all, we're still young so combat with a battle armor master would still spell trouble for us."
"Mmhm." Tang Wulin nodded."Don't worry, I have my own plans."
Shortly after, Tang Wulin's number was called to enter the coliseum. He waved at Gu Yue and left for the registration area to register himself.
"Competition stage number 33, contestant number 333!" When Tang Wulin went up the competition stage, he could not help but feel like his lucky number today was the number 3. How much of a coincidence was this?!
The feeling of actually getting on the competition stage was starkly different from the feeling one got when watching from below. When he was below the stage, he did not feel a particularly strong feeling aside from his eyes being dazzled by the bright display of lights. However, when he actually got on the competition stage, he could still hear cheers that sounded like roaring mountains and raging tsunamis before the soul barriers were erected. As he felt the excitement in the atmosphere surrounding him, even he could not help but feel his blood boil over although he was one of the more composed ones among his peers.
'Thousands... No! Tens of thousands of years ago... There must've also been a competition as intense as this. '
When he was immersing himself in the atmosphere, a figure entered the stage from the opposite side. As the person walked onto the stage, he knew without the slightest doubt that this person was his first opponent in the Continental Young High-Ranking Soul Masters Elite Competition, number 631.
The person was a teenager who looked to be about seventeen or eighteen of age. However, the young man had an impressive stature and a well-balanced figure, giving off an aura of stability.
Tang Wulin had immense combat experience so he immediately became more alert just by looking at the appearance of his opponent. He did not feel for a moment that his opponent would be one that would succumb easily to defeat.
On the grandstand, the two elders sat together and conversed softly. If anyone moved closer to them, they would notice the cacophony of noises from the outside world being completely cut off as they entered the vicinity.
"Wuxie's competition is about to begin. Elder Lin, this is only the preliminary rounds, do you have to come and witness it in person? I see you're very concerned about this beloved disciple of yours!" the emaciated elder on his left said with a hint of humor.
The one who was referred to as Elder Lin by him was an old man of great stature and had a dignified appearance. Elder Lin said with a poker face and a deep voice, "A lion uses its full strength even when wrestling with a rabbit. Although it is difficult to encounter a strong opponent in the preliminary rounds, I'd still like to see if Wuxie has taken my advice to heart. He's already eighteen, and this is his final chance of entering the Continental Young High-Ranking Soul Masters Elite Competition. He can't afford to make any mistakes! At the very least, he has to make it into the top eight."
The emaciated elder said with a faint smile, "You've set quite a high goal! I seem to recall Wuxie already being a one-word battle armor master, right? A five-ringed one-word battle armor master... It won't be easy for him to meet someone who can take him toe-to-toe throughout the entire competition. Even the elite students from Monster Academy can only do so much. I think this preliminary competition will be over in an instant. Who knows, maybe Wuxie has the chance of fighting for the top three spots."
Elder Lin replied, "Let's hope things will turn out that way. However, I'm actually more worried about the preliminary competitions. The pairings are done randomly so if he was incredibly unlucky, it wouldn't be too far fetched to say that he could be placed with the little monsters of the Monster Academy. In that case, it'll be troublesome since the preliminary competition is a knockout round. He won't have a second chance.."
The emaciated elder said with a faint smile, "At least that's not the case for the first match. It's only a young fellow with a very unfamiliar face. He doesn't look too old either. I reckon he's only here to cross the stage so I think we can prepare to leave now."
"Mm." Elder Lin nodded.
The light barrier rose slowly as the electronic voice said, "The first round of the knockout competition, number 333 versus number 631. Ready! Counting down! Five! Four! Three! Two! One! Begin!"
There were no rules in this competition. The referee only observed from outside the stage and the match would end once the outcome was made clear.
Upon hearing the announcement to begin the match, Tang Wulin tapped the floor with the tips of his toes, took a great stride, and rushed toward his opponent. He did not release his martial soul at the first chance, yet.
Contestant number 631 was Ling Wuxie. He was born of an ancient sect and had entered the competition this year with the intention of making his mark with his first shot.
Three years ago, when Ling Wuxie was only fifteen years old, he entered this competition. During that time, he performed outstandingly but alas, he only managed to enter the top-64. He had been painstakingly cultivating for the past three years to obtain a good result in his final Continental Young High-Ranking Soul Masters Elite Competition.
When he saw Tang Wulin rushing toward him, Ling Wuxie could not help but frown slightly. 'What? This opponent isn't even releasing his martial soul? Could it be that he's too nervous and had forgotten about it?'
With a competition at a scale as grand as the Continental Young High-Ranking Soul Masters Elite Competition, there were many who made mistakes from being too nervous.
However, Ling Wuxie did not let his guard down. A light flashed within his eyes and five soul rings rose from beneath his feet, climbing onto his body — two yellow and three purple. This could be considered the cream of the crop when it came to a combination of soul rings.
His martial soul was also made visible at the same time as a ray of bright light burst forth to land in the center of his palm. It was a long saber with a blade more than four feet long. It sported nine metal rings which had the same silvery white color as the blade. The instant the Nine-Ringed Silver Saber appeared, the five soul rings on Ling Wuxie's body suddenly flew upward and merged with the saber.
The five silver rings of the Nine-Ringed Silver Saber immediately took on the color of the soul rings he had conjured earlier.
A tool soul! Tang Wulin's squinted his eyes slightly. He recognized his opponent's martial soul with a single glance. The effects of his soul rings were directly applied to the Nine-Ringed Silver Saber. He reckoned that this martial soul would be quite strong.
'Ah, such bad luck for him. ' This was Tang Wulin's first reaction. 'A five-ringed Soul King! This is only the first match of the preliminary competition! How come everyone else is only fighting two or three-ringed soul masters while I'm faced with a five-ringed soul master in my first match?!'
There was no need to mention the depression Tang Wulin had in his heart. However, he still had to do what he had to do so he continued rushing forward.
Although Tang Wulin did not release his martial soul, Ling Wuxie did not let his guard down. The Nine-Ringed Silver Saber in his hand slashed at the air in Tang Wulin's direction. The first soul ring on the blade flashed, and a gleam almost a meter long shot out like lightning from the blade and flew toward Tang Wulin.
Tang Wulin went over his footsteps one at a time as he attempted to sidestep the slash. However, the gleam changed its angle mid-air as it gave chase to him from his back. Clearly, this was a soul skill that could lock into its opponents and continue changing directions as it pursued its target.
There was no way Tang Wulin could have evaded it, so he struck out with a punch.
A ball of white light condensed on his fist as it collided with the gleam from the blade. He was not using his martial soul. Instead, he was using pure soul power.
| ← Ch. 0607 | Ch. 0609 → |