Chapter 148: Three Consecutive Defeats of Level 9 Qi Refiners, Who is This Person?

Chapter 148: Three Consecutive Defeats of Level 9 Qi Refiners, Who is This Person?

"A low-level magical artifact? No way!"

"A Level 8 Qi Refiner against a Level 9 Qi Refiner, I thought he had some hidden tricks up his sleeve. I didn't expect him to directly take out a low-level magical artifact."

"He's probably just going through the motions. Once the official match is announced, he'll concede."

...

The murmurs of the crowd on the viewing platform drifted down to the two people on the arena stage.

Chu Ning maintained his composure, while Ye Guoxin, the Level 9 Qi Refiner, wore a disdainful expression.

Up in the Flying Rainbow Island's viewing platform, the three members of the Jiang family watched the stage intently, their eyes glued to the proceedings.

When they saw Chu Ning take out a basic magical artifact, the disappointment on their faces was palpable.

"Brother, did you say that Chu Ning might be hiding his true skills?" Jiang Gang mumbled.

Jiang Hongguang sighed softly but didn't respond.

At that moment, Cen Wenquan, seated on the high platform, saw that both contestants had taken their places on the stage and announced, "Let the match begin!"

"Fellow Daoist Chu, do you concede?" Ye Guoxin asked, his tone indifferent as he stood there without even bothering to take out a magical artifact.

Chu Ning turned his head, feigning contemplation for a moment before replying seriously, "I haven't thought about it!"

As Chu Ning finished speaking, he swung his sharp thorn and unleashed a fireball that whistled through the air toward Ye Guoxin.

Ye Guoxin was taken aback by Chu Ning's response and sudden attack, leaving him momentarily stunned.

However, when he saw that it was just an ordinary fireball technique coming his way, he breathed a sigh of relief.

There was no time to retrieve a magical artifact or a talisman, so he stirred his spiritual power, immediately forming a layer of green protective shield around himself.

This Level 9 Qi Refiner cultivated wood-attribute techniques.

"You've got to be kidding me! He actually made a move!"

"But using a fireball technique against a Level 9 Qi Refiner... That's a bit much, isn't it?"

Many in the crowd chuckled at the scene unfolding on the stage.

However, Ye Guoxin's expression changed slightly.

As the fireball rapidly approached him, he sensed something amiss.

"This doesn't seem like an ordinary fireball technique."

But there was no time to think anymore.

"Bang!"

A faint explosion rang out.

The fireball struck Ye Guoxin's green protective shield.

In the next moment, the green shield shattered.

The explosive flames then hit Ye Guoxin's body.

The impact of the blast sent Ye Guoxin flying.

"Boom!"

The unprepared Level 9 Qi Refiner collided with the stage's restriction barrier before falling back down.

Thankfully, he finally reacted and activated another layer of defensive shield, softening his fall.

Even so, he still ended up in a rather embarrassing state.

"Whoosh!"

The crowd erupted in an uproar.

The other cultivators stared at the stage in astonishment.

"What... What just happened?"

"Ye Guoxin was too careless. His defenses were completely inadequate."

"But that fireball technique of Chu Ning's seems quite powerful."

"It's because Ye Guoxin was too careless. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been knocked flying like that..."

Hearing the discussions around him, Ye Guoxin's face turned even uglier as he rose to his feet.

He took out a magical artifact from his storage bag and was about to speak when Cen Wenquan's voice rang out.

"The winner of this match is Chu Ning of Flying Rainbow Island!"

In these trials of a thousand lakes and islands, the rule was to stop at the first sign of defeat to avoid serious injuries and bitter enmities that would disrupt the peace of this place.

As Ye Guoxin knew this rule, he glared at Chu Ning resentfully before flying back to his own platform.

At that moment, many people finally realized what had happened.

The three members of the Jiang family stared at Chu Ning, standing on the stage, with a mix of shock and disbelief.

"D-Did we just win a match?" Jiang Lan's face lit up with delight.

Although she had previously doubted Chu Ning's words, she couldn't hide her joy at their unexpected victory.

Jiang Hongguang, on the other hand, wore a grave expression.

"Fellow Daoist Chu took him by surprise just now. The next match might not be so easy."

Jiang Hongguang's words were not mere speculation.

Just then, another cultivator flew out from the Quiet Spring Island's platform.

It was yet another Level 9 Qi Refiner, younger than the previous one.

"I'm Xu Jianlong of Quiet Spring Island. Please give me some guidance, fellow Daoist from Flying Rainbow Island."

The newcomer eyed Chu Ning with hostility but didn't rush to attack.

Cen Wenquan spoke up, "Flying Rainbow Island, do you wish to change your representative?"

Chu Ning shook his head. "No change!"

"Let the match begin!" Cen Wenquan declared upon hearing Chu Ning's response.

With that, both contestants launched their attacks simultaneously.

Chu Ning once again used his sharp thorn to cast a fireball, but this time, he also sent a fireball from his left hand.

As for Xu Jianlong, he seemed to have a defensive artifact in hand, and a faint yellow light shield enveloped his body.

It appeared to be an earth-attribute defensive artifact, a lesson learned from the previous match.

To Xu Jianlong's surprise, the shield, which had considerable defensive power, shattered with a "bang."

Seeing the fireball hurtling toward him, he had no choice but to focus on reactivating his defensive shield.

But at that moment, another fireball shot forth from Chu Ning's sharp thorn.

And so, the scene that unfolded next left the audience gaping in astonishment once more.

Yet each time he defended, a fireball effortlessly shattered his protections.

When the sixth fireball broke through, Xu Jianlong resorted to layers of golden light shields.

Apparently, he was a metal-attributed cultivator.

However, it was clear that he wasn't adept at defense either, as the golden light shattered upon impact. If he hadn't dodged quickly enough, the residual fireball would have struck his body.

Nevertheless, when Chu Ning's seventh fireball approached, Xu Jianlong's defenses finally failed to keep up, and he watched helplessly as the fireball was about to hit him.

Xu Jianlong immediately retreated, quickly moving outside the arena stage.

The fireball struck the stage's restriction barrier, emitting a faint explosion.

At that moment, Cen Wenquan promptly announced the outcome of the match.

"The winner of the second match is Flying Rainbow Island!"

"Flying Rainbow Island wins again!"

"This guy actually won two consecutive matches against Level 9 Qi Refiners!"

With that, the gazes of the audience towards Chu Ning changed.

They had just witnessed Chu Ning forcing a Level 9 Qi Refiner to concede by continuously bombarding him with fireballs.

"I think Xu Jianlong was too careless. If he had gone all out with a fierce attack from the start, he definitely wouldn't have been so passive."

"True, after all, there's a whole level of difference between them."

"But those fireballs Chu Ning cast were a bit peculiar. Ordinary cultivators' fireballs aren't usually that powerful."

...

Murmurs rippled through the crowd, and on the central grandstand, the gazes of the Foundation Establishment cultivators towards Chu Ning were also filled with a different light.

"What exquisite fire control."

The words of admiration came from Cen Xianzi, who stood beside Cen Wenquan.

However, her voice could only be heard on the main platform, as it was protected by a restrictive spell. Unless someone like Cen Wenquan deliberately used a special method, sounds wouldn't carry beyond the platform.

"Cen Xianzi has a good eye," a fifty-something-year-old Foundation Establishment cultivator standing beside her praised.

"This Chu Ning from Flying Rainbow Island is only a Level 8 Qi Refiner, yet he can merge three fireballs in an instant and increase their power severalfold when casting them. This fire control technique is truly something I've never seen before."

Indeed, the Foundation Establishment cultivators' powers of observation were far superior to those of Qi Refiners. After Chu Ning repeatedly used his merged fireballs, they noticed the difference.

Hearing the elderly cultivator's words, Cen Xianzi smiled at him.

Even though her face was veiled, her eyes seemed to be smiling, and the warmth in her gaze caused many young disciples on the main platform to turn their heads.

This momentarily drew their attention away from Chu Ning.

While this was happening on the main platform, the situation on the other viewing platforms was different.

Especially on the Flying Rainbow Island's platform, where the faces of Jiang Hongguang and the others were filled with delight.

"Fellow Daoist Chu really didn't deceive us. He really does have a way to deal with those Level 9 Qi Refiners," Jiang Hongguang said, his voice unable to hide his excitement.

After all, if they could successfully defend their position, it meant that their family would be able to cultivate in a second-grade spirit vein. How could he not be nervous and thrilled?

Yu Yuanxiu, who usually didn't talk much, also had a happy look on her face as she said, "Husband, does this mean we have a good chance of winning this round of trials?"

On the other hand, Jiang Lan, who had been quite talkative earlier, stared at Chu Ning in the arena with a stunned expression.

She didn't say a word, evidently shocked by Chu Ning's performance, whom she had initially thought to be mediocre.

Hearing Yu Yuanxiu's words, Jiang Hongguang's joyful expression faded slightly. "We'll have to wait for the next match to know for sure. The strongest person in Quiet Spring Island isn't these two, but their island master, Zhao Yuanwei."

As Jiang Hongguang spoke, Xu Jianlong had already returned to the Quiet Spring Island's platform.

His face bore a shameful expression as he said to a middle-aged burly man, "Island Master, I failed your expectations. That Chu Ning's fireballs are truly strange."

The middle-aged man nodded calmly, then stood up and flew out from the platform, landing on the arena stage.

"I am Zhao Yuanwei of Quiet Spring Island. Please give me some guidance, fellow Daoist from Flying Rainbow Island!" Zhao Yuanwei said.

As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Ning replied, "I am Chu Ning from Flying Rainbow Island. Please guide me, Island Master Zhao."

He had learned about these two islands beforehand and knew that the man before him was the strongest cultivator from Quiet Spring Island.

Upon hearing Chu Ning's respectful response, Cen Wenquan, who had been about to ask if they wanted to change their representative, refrained from doing so.

Instead, he immediately announced, "Let the match begin!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Zhao Yuanwei launched his attack.

A sharp axe appeared in his hand, and at the same time, a layer of defensive shield enveloped his body as he charged straight towards Chu Ning.

"So he really is a body cultivator?"

Seeing Zhao Yuanwei's actions, Chu Ning's heart stirred.

He had heard Jiang Hongguang mention before that this island master of Quiet Spring Island was a rare body cultivator.

Now that he saw it with his own eyes, it was indeed true.

Although he thought this, Chu Ning's movements were not slow.

Raising his right hand, Chu Ning unleashed two fireballs in quick succession.

At the same time, he swiftly activated a talisman in his left hand, adding a layer of protective shield around his body.

However, Zhao Yuanwei was agile, his figure flashing as he dodged both fireballs in an instant, and in the blink of an eye, he was already in front of Chu Ning.

The next moment, the sharp axe in his hand chopped down towards Chu Ning with tremendous force.

"Ah!"

Seeing this, Jiang Lan, who was on the Flying Rainbow Island's platform, couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

Chu Ning's consecutive victories had truly made her view him as one of their own, and so when she saw him in danger, she couldn't help but voice her concern.

However, in the next moment, a dark shield suddenly appeared in front of Chu Ning.

"Clang!"

Accompanied by a clashing sound, Zhao Yuanwei's sharp axe was blocked.

"A high-level defensive artifact!"

Zhao Yuanwei, the island master, was slightly startled, and finally realized what had happened.

The others present also wore similar expressions of realization.

"No wonder this guy dared to face several 9th Layer Qi Refiners consecutively. He actually has a high-level defensive artifact."

"Look..."

Just then, the situation on the stage took a sudden turn.

Zhao Yuanwei's sharp axe was blocked by Chu Ning's dark shield, and before anyone could react, Chu Ning's right hand, holding the sharp thorn, stabbed towards Zhao Yuanwei.

Even before the thorn reached its target, a fireball was already unleashed.

If this had been a life-or-death battle without any spectators, Chu Ning would have directly used a Heaven-Shaking Fist at this moment, severely injuring his opponent.

However, Chu Ning did not want to expose his full capabilities yet, so he refrained from doing so.

Nevertheless, knowing the power of Chu Ning's fireballs, Zhao Yuanwei did not dare to block it directly and quickly dodged to the side.

But this move put him in the same predicament as Xu Jianlong before him, instantly putting him on the defensive.

As his opponent retreated, Chu Ning swung his sharp thorn, sending a barrage of fireballs towards Zhao Yuanwei.

If it had been just fireballs, that would have been manageable.

But then, Chu Ning retracted his dark shield and waved his left hand, instantly unleashing a multitude of tiny fireballs from a talisman towards Zhao Yuanwei.

In an instant, countless large and small fireballs filled the air, completely engulfing Zhao Yuanwei and leaving him no avenue of escape.

What surprised everyone the most was that not only was Chu Ning's speed of casting with his right-hand thorn incredibly fast...

...but the fireballs from his left hand, created by the talismans, seemed endless. Each wave of his hand released over a dozen fireballs.

The spectators below winced at the sight, feeling the pain in their wallets.

Amidst the sea of fireballs, Zhao Yuanwei had no choice but to keep dodging, unable to get close to his opponent.

"How does this guy have so many talismans?"

"Although they're all just low-level inferior fire talismans, this is still too much.

In just a few breaths, he must have used up a hundred or so, that's 200 spirit stones worth!"

"I remember now, didn't this guy sell talismans in the market before? He's a Talisman Master!"

...

The crowd was bewildered, and Zhao Yuanwei, in the midst of the fireballs, was feeling extremely frustrated.

Seeing that he was completely enveloped by the fireballs and couldn't even see Chu Ning's figure, Zhao Yuanwei finally gritted his teeth.

He activated a defensive talisman and charged through the wall of fireballs.

As expected, the defensive barrier shattered as soon as it came into contact with the fireballs.

Some of the fireballs even hit his body, causing signs of injury on his Triple Tempered Body.

However, Zhao Yuanwei was delighted because he had finally gained the initiative.

As long as he could get close to Chu Ning, he believed victory would be his.

Just then, Zhao Yuanwei had a bad feeling.

A thick column of fire suddenly appeared in front of him.

Before he could react, the fire column struck him directly.

Then, without any defense or preparation, Zhao Yuanwei was sent flying and collided with the stage's restriction barrier.

"The winner of this match is Flying Rainbow Island!"

As soon as Cen Wenquan's announcement ended, Zhao Yuanwei stood up, still a bit dazed.

He didn't quite understand what had just happened.

However, voices from below quickly filled him in.

"How did this Chu Ning from Flying Rainbow Island know that Zhao Yuanwei would forcibly break through the fireball attack?

He actually set up a powerful fire column in advance and hit him at the moment when his defense was weakest and he had no way to dodge!"

"Could it be a coincidence?"

"How could that be a coincidence? He clearly anticipated it, what a formidable fighter..."

Hearing these discussions, Zhao Yuanwei's gaze turned to Chu Ning, who stood calmly on the stage.

Chu Ning smiled at him and bowed, "Thank you for the match, Island Master Zhao."

"I did not concede, I admit my defeat. You are indeed superior, Chu Ning," Zhao Yuanwei said with a helpless shake of his head.

"Fellow Daoist Chu, with your 8th Layer Qi Refiner cultivation, not only have you cultivated such exquisite spells, but your combat experience and techniques are also remarkable.

To think that you are also a Talisman Master.

I never expected Flying Rainbow Island to have someone like you join their ranks..."

After speaking, Zhao Yuanwei sighed softly.

Then, he looked towards the main platform and loudly announced, "I concede this challenge. Quiet Spring Island admits defeat."

"Whoa!"

As soon as Zhao Yuanwei conceded, the venue erupted into an uproar.

"Quiet Spring Island actually admitted defeat!"

"What else could they do? Their three strongest 9th Layer Qi Refiners have lost. What else could they hope for?"

"What is the background of this Chu Ning? How could an 8th Layer Qi Refiner defeat three 9th Layer Qi Refiners? He's too formidable."

At this moment, no one in the crowd doubted Chu Ning's strength anymore.

After all, even Zhao Yuanwei had praised him.

"Flying Rainbow Island wins this challenge! For the next three years, Quiet Spring Island will be responsible for their tribute payments."

As Cen Wenquan's announcement ended, Chu Ning bowed towards the main platform.

At the same time, Chu Ning felt a spiritual sense sweeping towards him from the main platform.

Although Chu Ning did not release his spiritual sense, he could sense that it was coming from Cen Xianzi, who was seated next to Cen Wenquan.

Pretending to be unaware, Chu Ning flew back towards the Flying Rainbow Island platform.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end