Chapter 1172: A Friendly Duel
Chapter 1172: A Friendly Duel
On top of the watchtower in front of the military camp.
Fiona lowered the monocular she had been holding up and turned to Su Yu with a slightly surprised expression. "What, Tina wants to duel me?"
"That's right. Seven days from now, at the Oran City Grand Arena."
"But Tina is only a Fourth Rank, how could she possibly defeat me?" Fiona's face turned cold. Was this an insult?
"Oh, I forgot to mention," Su Yu placed his hand over his chest, speaking with exceptional politeness. "This morning, Tina successfully advanced to the Fifth Rank, making her a Fifth Rank powerhouse."
"What?!"
Fiona was taken aback. The monocular slipped from her hands and shattered on the floor.
"Tina has reached the Fifth Rank? This... this..."
Fiona could hardly believe her ears. In just a few days, Tina's strength had advanced another rank!
Fifth Rank powerhouses were not as common as cabbages. In the entire Golden Finch Empire, including its affiliated kingdoms and duchies, with a population of 130 million, there were only about 1,500 Fifth Rank or higher powerhouses.
And with Tina's age and cultivation speed, advancing to the Sixth Rank Saint Domain or even the Seventh Rank Legendary Domain was only a matter of time.
No wonder the Guardian Deity favored her—this was terrifying!
However, Fiona was not keen on accepting Tina's duel invitation.
Clearly, Tina had advanced to challenge her and establish her authority.
But for Fiona, defeating Tina would bring no benefits. She couldn't reclaim her position as the legion commander.
Losing to Tina would be even worse, and she might face ridicule from her colleagues.
There were no advantages to winning or losing, so why should she accept the challenge?
With this thought, Fiona flicked her hair and said coldly, "I have no interest in this duel. Please leave."
She turned her back to Su Yu.
Su Yu, of course, knew that Fiona might refuse. Who would willingly do a thankless task?
But he was prepared.
Su Yu took out a golden mana crystal card from his backpack. The card displayed a bright white number—200,000.
This money wasn't Su Yu's, but Tina's.
During the recent attack on the Milton caravan, Su Yu had obtained the Auction House blueprint and some equipment and potions. Tina, on the other hand, had taken the mana crystal card from Milton, which contained 8,830,000 psychic coins.
So this money came from Tina.
Su Yu held up the mana crystal card and smiled. "If you agree to participate in this duel, this will be your appearance fee."
Fiona turned slightly, glancing at the mana crystal card in Su Yu's hand.
When she saw the number on the card, her expression changed.
"Cough."
Fiona cleared her throat, walked over to Su Yu, took the mana crystal card from his hand, and asked, "I'll accept Tina's duel request. Do you want me to go easy on her during the duel?"
"No need." Su Yu shook his head. "Tina has just advanced, and she is eager for a worthy opponent. If possible, try to prolong the battle. It will be most beneficial for her growth."
"I understand your meaning." Fiona put the mana crystal card in her pocket.
Then, she looked at Su Yu with a predatory gaze. "Is there anything else? Would you like to come to my room for a sit-down?"
Su Yu: "..."
Seven days later, at the Oran City Grand Arena.
Today, the grand arena was bustling with people, and the stands, which could hold 30,000 spectators, were packed.
The audience waved their flags excitedly, eagerly awaiting the start of the duel.
This was a duel between Fifth Rank powerhouses!
Fifth Rank powerhouses were all renowned figures, and the last time the grand arena hosted a duel between Fifth Rank powerhouses was 20 years ago.
A 20-year rarity, and everyone was here to witness it. How could they not be thrilled?
Amidst the cheers, the stands were filled with discussions:
"John, what are the odds today?"
Chapter 1.4
"1.4: 2.52, Tiana is the favorite with odds of 1.4."
"That doesn't make sense. Didn't Tiana just advance to the next level? Why are her odds lower than the opponent’s?"
"How should I know? I just bet on the other side."
"I bet on Tiana. Last time, she won against a stronger opponent. This time should be no different."
"Guys, Tiana is here!"
"Sure enough, it’s Tiana! Go, Tiana, go!"
At that moment, Tiana, clad in golden armor and riding a unicorn, emerged from the eastern side door.
Tiana’s new golden armor was not the same one she wore at the fourth stage; it was a brand-new set of equipment that cost her over 300,000 psychic coins.
Seeing Tiana emerge, the audience erupted into thunderous cheers, everyone urging her on with their voices.
On the northern side of the arena, the two thousand unicorn knights of the Unicorn Knights Corps were all present, their eyes fixed on their commander below.
On the southern side, the vice-commander Gracy and the other high-ranking knights sat there, their faces slightly troubled, though they remained silent.
Meanwhile, Fionna, clad in silver armor, also rode a unicorn and entered from the western gate. Her demeanor was calm and composed, waiting quietly for the duel to begin.
Three minutes later, the duel officially commenced.
Tiana’s aura was brimming with fierce energy.
This time, she didn’t charge forward on her unicorn; instead, she flew off its back.
After advancing to the fifth stage, the unicorn’s role had diminished, and aerial combat was more practical.
Fionna was equally unperturbed, leaping off her unicorn to face Tiana in the air.
She also followed Su Yu’s advice, starting the duel without full power, instead engaging in a more measured exchange to prolong the battle.
Tiana, too, was calm and collected, treating Fionna as a whetstone to hone her combat skills.
The two fifth-stage warriors clashed in the sky above the arena.
The space around them vibrated, and the protective dome overhead creaked under the strain.
However, their duel was remarkably restrained, their swords clashing repeatedly as if it were a sparring match.
Below, the two unicorns had nothing to do, standing there with large eyes staring at each other. Eventually, they wandered to the edge of the arena, leisurely grazing on the grass.
Tiana and Fionna exchanged blows, the duel lasting a full 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, the duel was decided: Fionna’s energy was depleted, and she could no longer fight, while Tiana still had a bit of strength left, declaring her the victor.
The final judge announced: "Tiana wins!"
Seeing Tiana’s victory, the stands erupted into cheers once more.
However, the cheers were not as enthusiastic as before.
Amid the cheers, some discussions mixed in:
"This battle was more advanced, but it wasn’t as exciting as last time."
"True, both sides fought with restraint, unlike the life-or-death struggle last time."
"But Tiana did indeed outperform, proving she is the chosen one by the Guardian God!"
The fact that Tiana was chosen by the Guardian God had gradually spread, and now most of the city knew.
On the stands of the Unicorn Knights Corps and the high command,
Seeing Tiana’s true strength, the knights and high command’s respect for their commander increased.
Regardless of whether Fionna held back, Tiana’s displayed combat prowess clearly qualified her for the role of commander.
The knights and high command stood up spontaneously, applauding for Tiana.
...
Faced with the cheers and applause from all around, Tiana did not respond, nor did she rush to leave the arena.
She stood there for a moment, catching her breath, then pulled out a stack of letters from her chest, her expression becoming unusually serious.
(End of Chapter)
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