Chapter 406: Battling Wang Hailong

Chapter 406: Battling Wang Hailong (Requesting Monthly Vote)

"Phhh~"

A black lightning bolt erupted before Kong Ruoxuan's eyes, its spear tip radiating icy coldness as it pierced through her chest in a familiar style she recognized all too well.

Blood erupted like a geyser, splashing across her vision.

So fast!

That spear strike was just too fast!

"Boom!!"

Her body flew backward like a skewered candy apple, crashing heavily onto the arena floor. She rolled several times, her bloodied form dissipating into the air after coating itself in dust.

[Match #10: Lin Qi (Sophomore) wins!]

The automated voice announced the result without a trace of emotion above the arena.

Both Lin Qi and Kong Ruoxuan instantly reappeared on the audience stands.

Kong Ruoxuan sat there stunned, her mind still frozen in the shock of her sudden death.

She looked at Lin Qi in the distance, her heart pounding.

They had agreed to a friendly spar, hadn't they?

She had learned nothing, only experiencing Lin Qi's overwhelming power. His terrifying strength had crushed her like a wrecking ball.

How could there be such a massive gap?

It wasn't just her who was stunned - the entire Minghai Martial Institute delegation looked equally shocked.

Back during the Global Freshman Competition, Lin Qi had to work hard to defeat SS-Rank opponents.

But now he could effortlessly annihilate SS-Rank geniuses?

Yu Zhuoran and Wan Ming were also taken aback.

Wan Ming couldn't help exclaiming, "Wow, the fight ended that fast?"

Yu Zhuoran smiled, "Two moves and it was over!"

Chu Yu, ever the fiery type, grinned as he looked at Lin Qi.

"Your strength exceeds even our expectations!"

Lin Qi remained calm as always, "Just standard procedure."

...

Meanwhile, in another section of the audience stands, two to three dozen middle-aged men and women sat together, their auras radiating immense power.

Deputy Dean Xu Wenji chuckled as he stroked his beard after watching the match.

"Lin Qi has grown even stronger!"

"In just a few months, his mastery over his Special Ability [Golden Edge] has reached a level of perfection."

"SS-Rank geniuses of his same grade are no longer his match."

"He might even be starting to chase the footsteps of Sss-Rank geniuses."

Dean Liu nodded in agreement. He wasn't surprised by Lin Qi's performance.

After all, their institute had always viewed Lin Qi as someone who could raise the standard for SS-Rank geniuses.

But he still needed a breakthrough to reach Sss-Rank status. Without an explosive power increase, advancing to Sss-Rank Genius would remain extremely difficult.

...

The tournament continued, but Lin Qi chose to log out temporarily for spear technique training in his swimming pool.

His spear techniques had hit a bottleneck - he only needed to grasp a Killing Move to break through.

Mastering his first Killing Move would significantly enhance his combat strength.

...

The Azure Firmament Grand Tournament's first round lasted a full day with 90 matches in total.

Thanks to enhanced stamina from the arena stages, physical body improvements, and protective special abilities, some matches lasted long durations.

But cases like Wang Hailong and Lin Qi's instant victories were rare.

"Ladies and gentlemen!"

Deputy Principal Xu Wenji projected himself again at the tournament venue.

"After a day of intense battles, the first round has officially concluded. Congratulations to those who've advanced to the second round."

"You will receive 500 kilograms of level-seven Disaster Beast flesh."

"Furthermore, the 46 competitors who directly advanced to the third round will receive 1000 kilograms of level-seven Disaster Beast flesh!"

This announcement drew envious gazes from those who didn't advance.

Especially from Kong Ruoxuan, who wore a bitter expression. If not for matching against Lin Qi, her strength might have allowed her to reach the third round.

But Lin Qi's single spear strike had shattered her third-round dreams.

Lin Qi surveyed his surroundings. Their sophomore grade had the most participants among the four grades - SS-Rank and Sss-Rank geniuses outnumbered other grades.

After one round alone, two-thirds had been eliminated.

Unfortunately, there were too many S-Rank geniuses. When juniors or seniors faced them, they often lost.

Both Chu Yu and Du Shanyan had easily advanced to the second round.

"Now, the second round of the Azure Firmament Grand Tournament will officially begin."

Xu Wenji waved his hand, manifesting a dazzling galaxy of stars in the air.

He reached in and pulled out a radiant star mark that transformed into a name.

[Bye: Meng Yuxuan (Junior)!]

At the automated announcement, countless eyes turned toward a junior section of the audience stands, settling on a girl with glossy black hair in a ponytail.

She had an elegant tall figure, healthy wheat-colored skin, and a panther-like aura.

Her striking features included full red lips.

She was Meng Yuxuan, Minghai Martial Institute's junior Sss-Rank Genius and one of the top four in the Disaster Beast Trial Tower rankings.

Lin Qi noticed she shared the same aura as instructors Jiang Tao and Liu Ran, though Meng Yuxuan had greater potential as a future Nine Realms Titleholder contender.

Seeing her bye advancement, Meng Yuxuan crossed her arms, accentuating her curves.

"A bye is fine!"

As an Sss-Rank Genius ranked fourth in the Disaster Beast Trial Tower, she only wanted to challenge the top three.

The rest weren't worth her time.

...

Simultaneously, countless hands reached into the stellar galaxy, pulling out 90 star marks that formed the second round's 45 match pairings.

Lin Qi stared at his opponent with a stunned expression.

[Match #2: Lin Qi (Sophomore) vs Wang Hailong (Freshman)]

...

His expression turned odd - he'd face Wang Hailong in round two already.

Both Sss-Rank geniuses had terrible luck with their match pairings!

Wan Ming exclaimed upon seeing the bracket, "Wow!"

"Brother Qi, how come you're facing Wang Hailong already!"

Others also showed surprise. Wang Hailong was a formidable Sss-Rank Genius.

"Looks like a titanic clash of titans!" Chu Yu chimed in excitedly.

The mild-mannered Pei Jiu frowned, "Trouble ahead for Brother Qi!"

"Wang Hailong ranks just below him in the Disaster Beast Trial Tower."

"Both have broken through to Fifth Realm Organ Cultivation Stage and mastered Minor Divine Abilities."

"Their capabilities are closely matched. Victory won't come easily."

Others nodded. Sss-Rank geniuses were practically hexagonal warriors.

This "hexagon" referred to possessing no weaknesses in six areas: physical talent, awakened special ability, spiritual power cultivation talent, combat talent, innate talent, and possession of a Minor Divine Ability.

As Sss-Rank geniuses, both must have cultivated Minor Divine Abilities.

Comparing Lin Qi and Wang Hailong, their similarities ensured an epic confrontation.

Wang Hailong, seeing his matchup against Lin Qi, actually smiled.

Perfect! He had been looking for Lin Qi!

In the Disaster Beast Trial Tower, he had always been overshadowed.

In actual combat, however, he feared no one.

He was supremely confident in his physical constitution.

He would defeat Lin Qi in one decisive strike!

……

[First match competitors, please step onto the stage!]

The mechanical voice announced, marking the official start of the Azure Firmament Grand Tournament’s second round.

Lin Qi observed the ongoing battle, particularly the techniques used in the Special Abilities. There was still much to learn.

Competitors who made it to the second round were no pushovers—aside from a few surprises, nearly everyone was at the Fourth Realm’s peak or even the Fifth Realm.

Yu Zhuoran had successfully broken through to the Fifth Realm three months ago. Though his breakthrough had only occurred days prior, his speed was already impressive. As he put it himself, he hadn’t expected such rapid progress.

Not everyone possessed top-tier innate talent like his, achieving Fifth Realm mastery in just four months.

[Next, the second match competitors will now take the stage!]

Unbeknownst to them, the first battle had ended in just four minutes. Now it was Lin Qi’s turn!

He and Wang Hailong, standing far apart, simultaneously shot upward in twin crimson pillars of light, landing on the stage.

The dry air above the concrete ground grew suddenly humid as Wang Hailong stepped out of his light beam.

This was Lin Qi’s first close-up view of Wang Hailong, whose refined features and sleek, athletic build radiated elegance.

Clad in a blue battle suit, Wang twirled a long blue spear in one hand.

Just like his name, he resembled a mighty sea dragon.

He grinned confidently at Lin Qi.

“Senior Lin Qi, I’ve been looking forward to this duel.”

“I’m not Kong Ruoxuan. I hope you’ll give it your all—otherwise, you’ll be the one losing.”

Lin Qi’s lips curled upward. No wonder Wang Hailong was an Sss-Rank Genius. His aura radiated overwhelming self-belief.

[Countdown: 3, 2, 1…]

[Match two begins now!]

The emotionless mechanical voice echoed overhead as the audience’s curious gazes turned toward the stage.

This was no ordinary battle. Wang Hailong, one of the five Sss-Rank Geniuses, was already a major draw. But Lin Qi was no ordinary competitor either—a top-tier SS-Rank Genius who’d defeated an Sss-Rank opponent before even Awakening, winning the Global Freshman Competition. Both had climbed to the thirties in the Disaster Beast Trial Tower rankings within three months.

Many juniors and seniors couldn’t match these two!

……

In the audience stands, over two dozen academy leaders watched with keen interest.

“This is interesting—Lin Qi versus Wang Hailong!”

“A shame they met so early. This battle will eliminate one exceptional talent,” someone sighed.

The speaker, a middle-aged man in a blue robe with a posture as vast as the ocean, had sharp features and a rugged jawline. He chuckled at Wang Hailong.

“Hailong is an Sss-Rank Genius and my son. His master is none other than the Nine-Realm Titleholder Martial Artist, the Sea King.”

“He’s been a prodigy since birth—his physical strength and flexibility far surpass others his age. He Awakened at sixteen, mastering a Minor Divine Ability to become an Sss-Rank Genius.”

“While Lin Qi is a top-tier SS-Rank Genius, he might have the edge in martial techniques, but he can’t rival Hailong’s physical constitution.”

Wang Yunpeng smirked confidently.

Dean Liu glanced at him. Wang was the deputy principal of Minghai Martial Institute and Wang Hailong’s father. As for why Wang Hailong attended Azure Firmament Martial Academy instead—it was because the Sea King, a Nine-Realm Titleholder, belonged to Azure Firmament.

Clad in a flowing robe, Xue Zhou shook his head.

“Old Wang, that’s not necessarily true.”

Wang Yunpeng frowned.

“You think Lin Qi can win? SS-Rank and Sss-Rank are in entirely different tiers.”

Xue Zhou shrugged. “Let’s watch. The result will speak for itself.”

“Boom!!”

Both combatants erupted with explosive energy. Wang Hailong’s Special Ability, Flowing Water, activated simultaneously.

It was the same ability as Kong Ruoxuan’s—but his presence was far more overwhelming. The difference was like comparing an ordinary water snake to a shark.

Wang Hailong swung his blue spear, his eyes blazing with fierce blue light.

Intricate blue patterns surged as droplets materialized in the air, coalescing into streams that wrapped around him in a swirling water dragon.

With a sweep of his spear, it surged forward like a tsunami.

Rather than launching a ranged attack, he merged Flowing Water with his spear techniques, amplifying its power.

Lin Qi felt the air grow damp. He erupted in golden light, his black spear cloaked in radiant gold.

“Swoosh~”

He shot forward like a golden lightning bolt, his golden edge extending outward as countless invisible blades materialized around him.

“Buzzzz!!”

The spear’s hum resonated as the terrifying Golden Edge power merged with his Vital Force, channeling into the weapon. Golden blades sliced the air.

He gripped the spear, arms straining with bulging veins.

A terrifying surge of power coursed through the weapon.

With a sudden upward thrust, the strike erupted like a collapsing mountain and splitting earth.

River and Mountain Spear Techniques—Mountain Pillar Seal!

Wang Hailong countered with his newly learned Haiyue Spear Techniques, a Realm-level martial art.

His Vital Force surged like a tsunami, the spear slashing through Flowing Water in a sweeping arc before crashing downward like a collapsing tidal wave.

Haiyue Spear Techniques—Tsunami Collapse!

“Hoo!!”

The collision of Flowing Water and Golden Edge sent shockwaves rippling through the air, creating violent gusts.

Their spears clashed mid-air, explosive energy waves radiating outward in violent tremors.

Lin Qi felt an oceanic surge crashing against him, the Flowing Water continuously battering his Golden Edge defenses, attempting to breach his defense while forcing energy back into his body.

The impact sent him staggering backward, his boots carving deep footprints into the concrete as he channeled Vital Force into the ground to stabilize himself.

Wang Hailong’s face stiffened. The Golden Edge shattered his Flowing Water like blades slicing through armor.

“Boom!!”

The explosion of power sent tremors through his body, shaking his very muscles.

The Golden Edge’s force combined with immense Vital Force, striking like a mountain collapsing upon him.

His Haiyue Vital Force shattered into fragments, the shockwaves rippling through his muscles, bones, and organs. His protective water armor was pierced, golden blades piercing his body like arrows.

“What… kind of power is this?”

His body lost control, spinning like a kite with its strings cut.

“Boom!!”

He crashed like a cannonball into a massive boulder.

……

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end