Chapter 40: 40 - The inner disciples selection (02)
"Attention!" Elder Tian stopped on a large platform above the arena.
To his left, a female elder who appeared to be in her fifties; to his right, a male elder with a powerful and imposing body.
His aged eyes swept over everyone there, pausing briefly on Qingyi before an approving smile played on his lips.
He didn't like the way that woman clung to the young man, but Feiyan had proved herself worthy, awakening an alchemy spirit root and becoming one of the sect's most important disciples.
Shaking his head, he continued with his duty.
"There are many outer disciples challenging the selection for the inner disciples, but I must warn you that only ten will pass. The tests will be done in one-on-one combats.
These fights will end when one of the disciples dies or when one of the elders intervenes because he thinks that one of the disciples is incapable of continuing to fight.
The moment an elder intervenes, the fight must stop immediately. Killing a brother disciple in this case will lead to severe punishment."
"Does everyone understand?" The elder asked, and the whole arena responded in unison.
"Good." He laughed, looking at the scoreboard that bore the names of the two hundred disciples who would try to become inner disciples.
"Long Qingyi and Lei Feng, one step ahead!" He roared.
"I'm sorry, Brother Feng, but I think you'll only have a chance to become an inner disciple next year," Qingyi laughed lightly.
"Don't think so much of yourself. You're still my junior, and I've come up with a new technique that will make even you tremble," Lei Feng laughed back.
"I'm excited to see it."
The two of them jumped into the arena, standing on opposite sides.
Qingyi drew the Thunderclouds sword, electric lightning dancing across the blade as a powerful aura spread through his body.
Lei Feng gripped his bow tightly, but didn't place any arrows.
In reality, he just pulled on the empty string and, in the next moment, a stream of Qi surged from his fingers, forming a bluish arrow between them.
Qingyi couldn't help but be surprised by this. Was it some kind of combat technique? He had never seen anything like it.
"Begin!" Elder Tian's voice snapped him out of his stupor.
Lei Feng pulled the bowstring tight, a new layer of light dancing across the arrow before he released it towards Qingyi.
The Qi projectile tore through the air, splitting into three separate projectiles that flew at strange angles.
"That's dangerous!" Qingyi gritted his teeth, turning his body. One of the arrows passed through his face, drawing a single, painful trickle of blood.
The second arrow hit the ground behind him with a thud, while the third collided with his sword.
A metallic clang echoed. Qingyi's feet dragged on the ground as he contained the powerful Qi of the arrow.
When he finally won the clash and the Qi arrow disappeared, Lei Feng already had another one ready.
'It's going to be problematic,' Qingyi sighed before stopping for a brief moment, circulating his draconic Qi and sending it towards his eyes.
They had improved to the intermediate level when he made another breakthrough in his bloodline, but he hadn't fully tested them yet.
Lei Feng released his arrows and the world seemed to slow down for Qingyi as he advanced towards his opponent.
His blade, covered in the Qi of the Lightning Sword, tore through the air with a piercing whistle.
He didn't face those arrows directly, cutting towards one of the arrows, pushing it aside and causing it to hit the ground behind him.
His sword moved in a split second, perfectly deflecting the second and third arrows as he got closer and closer to Lei Feng.
"Damn it," Lei Feng took a step back, pushing all his Qi into his arms.
That was an expensive technique, but Qingyi was dealing with it without even using his movement technique. How was it possible?
He had to finish that battle as quickly as possible if he was to stand a chance.
Gritting his teeth, his eyes flashed, meeting Qingyi's eyes as he pulled the bowstring.
The bow trembled in his hands, the wood crackling and the string so tense that it felt like it could break at any second.
Every moment he maintained this tension, a new wave of energy entered the Qi arrow, transforming its blue from a light translucent to a deep, almost palpable hue.
Qingyi stopped his steps, sensing the danger. If it hit him in the wrong place, he would be dead, he knew that.
He focused even more draconic Qi into his eyes, he could already feel his meridians burning, but he ignored the sensation.
The world seemed to slow down even more as Lei Feng released the bowstring.
A bang echoed as the arrow broke through the sound barrier, splitting into more than a dozen pieces, each flying towards Qingyi at a different angle.
"So that was your card up your sleeve?" Qingyi smiled. If it had been anyone else, they would probably have been doomed, but he was not intimidated.
His body glowed as he activated the Lightning Steps.
The moment before the arrows hit him, he leapt forward, towering over Lei Feng.
Lei Feng's arrows hit nothing but empty air, some flying towards the audience and eliciting startled cries, only to be stopped by the arena's protective array.
"Ugh..." Lei Feng grunted as he abandoned his bow, parrying Qingyi's blade with double daggers.
A metallic clang echoed as he tried unsuccessfully to stop his opponent's sword.
"Damn, you win!" He surrendered, feeling the heat of the Lightning Sword Qi coming close to his face.
"You fought well," Qingyi said with a smile, helping him to his feet before he jumped back towards his Feiyan.
The tanned beauty immediately surrounded him with care, putting a recovery pill she had made herself into his mouth.
"Mmm, thanks," he murmured, feeling the warmth of the pill spread through his body.
"Lucky bastard," Lei Feng said between his teeth as he walked away, but he couldn't help shuddering when Bao Zhang's deadly gaze fell on him.
"First fight, Qingyi advances!" Lord Tian's voice caught everyone's attention again.