Chapter 106: The Azure Lotus Treasure Lamp

“I wonder how much of his true power Long Wushuang already used. The destructive force of this sea of flames is terrifying; Red Dust White Hair only held out for five seconds.”

Ye Rong’s expression turned slightly solemn. Facing an opponent like this, he wasn’t certain he could win either.

The remaining four people were divided: Manzhu Lver was facing Ethereal Green Robe, while Ye Rong was up against Changkong Wuhen. He was quite satisfied with this arrangement; it was much better than encountering Manzhu Lver early on.

“That Ethereal Green Robe is sly and has many hidden tricks. The moment you step onto the stage, activate the spell attached to Huan Xisha. Don’t bother with pleasantries.”

“Understood!”

Manzhu Lver nodded firmly. Ethereal Green Robe rarely appeared within the sect, so she knew less about him than Ye Rong, who had cooperated with him before.

“I hope Lver can win.”

Ye Rong wasn’t overly confident in Manzhu Lver’s chances. Though she had Huan Xisha, Ethereal Green Robe’s combat experience undoubtedly far surpassed hers. The last time she fought an Emei Player to a draw on the stage was only because he had deliberately held back; the entire process had been under his control.

Against someone so deeply scheming and meticulous, Manzhu Lver was still too inexperienced.

Manzhu Lver lightly stepped and flew onto the dueling stage like a swift swallow, her movements graceful and agile. Following Ye Rong’s specific instruction, she wasted no words and didn’t test the opponent with her flying sword. She immediately activated the spell attached to Huan Xisha.

“No Escape for Falling Flowers!”

Manzhu Lver pirouetted gracefully, dancing like a celestial maiden. From her, a myriad of flower petals scattered downwards, blanketing the entire dueling stage in a rain of blossoms. The scene was fantastically beautiful, like an immortal realm, making people unwittingly intoxicated and unable to free themselves.

Hidden within the flower rain was a lethal threat though, unavoidable, insidious, and incredibly powerful.

Petals rained down from the sky, vastly more than thousands in number. Moreover, under Manzhu Lver’s control, a large part of the flower rain consciously fell towards Ethereal Green Robe, practically turning it into an ocean of flowers.

Unlike ordinary Magic Treasures or Dao Spells that could be blocked with Sword Light or dodged by shifting position, these tiny petals were everywhere unless you left the dueling stage entirely. Unless you possessed a full-body protective shield like a Defensive Magical Treasure, it was impossible to ward off every single one of these attacks.

-12, -12, -12…

Petals that seemed gentle and harmless, dealing seemingly low damage, bloomed upon Ethereal Green Robe with frightening rapidity. A flicker of panic crossed his face as several consecutive defensive methods failed. Neither Sword Light nor Magic Treasures could adequately shield him against the overwhelming, unpredictably swirling storm of petals.

Ethereal Green Robe took a deep breath. A greenish hue flashed across his face as the three Azure Lotus Treasure Lamps on his shoulders spun rapidly. Each emitted a beam of azure light that descended onto his left shoulder, right shoulder, and head. These lights first formed three cyan-colored lotus flowers, then blurred into a dazzling azure light, merging to form a gigantic blue-green lotus, large as a water jar.

This colossal lotus bloomed layer by layer, shooting forth brilliant azure radiance. Petals still airborne dissolved into nothing before they could even touch Ethereal Green Robe, failing to inflict even the slightest bit of damage.

“What a formidable Dao Spell! It completely counters Lver’s Flower Rain, rendering it utterly useless!”

Ye Rong shot up from his bamboo chair. The sky full of petals gradually dissipated, returning to normal.

Moreover, the water-jar-sized azure lotus wasn’t just for defense. Under its illumination, Ethereal Green Robe’s speed became astonishingly fast, nearly doubled from before.

Seeing one of her strongest spells utterly ineffective, Manzhu Green Robe began to panic. She wielded Huan Xisha’s sword art, but her dreamlike, mist-like Sword Light only blocked a few attacks before Ethereal Green Robe shattered her defenses with a sudden burst of azure light, killing her instantly with one sword strike.

Emerging from the Resurrection Point, Manzhu Lver’s eyes were red, tears welling up, ready to spill over. She felt deeply aggrieved; she hadn’t even gotten to use her other powerful spell, Swallows Return, before Ethereal Green Robe cut her down.

Spotting Ye Rong watching her from below, Manzhu Lver rushed over, burying her face and starting to sob quietly.

“It’s okay. Watch me cut Ethereal Green Robe down in the next round!”

While Ye Rong was comforting the tear-streaked Manzhu Lver, the victorious Ethereal Green Robe, who had advanced, didn’t look much better.

“Damnable woman! She forced me to use Divine Firmament Azure Lotus!” he muttered fiercely under his breath, his face a furious greenish tint. “That ultimate move has a two-day cooldown! I was saving it for the final match!”

“Thankfully, the Divine Firmament Azure Lotus lasts an hour. Though using the Ten Thousand Zhang Lotus Platform to block that flower rain used up that effect, the remaining buffs are still active. I just hope the other matches finish quickly, before my Divine Firmament Azure Lotus fades!”

“It’s my turn. Watch me clear this round and avenge you in the next match!”

Manzhu Lver nodded, wiping away her tears. Her small hand tugged at Ye Rong’s sleeve. “You absolutely must win!”

Ye Rong chuckled softly, mounted his Sword Light, and entered the dueling stage where Changkong Wuhen was already waiting.

“Master Withered Flourishing, it’s been a while.”

Changkong Wuhen greeted Ye Rong with a smile, profound sentiment in his heart. This Yijian, the least remarkable figure in the cooperative team exploring the Water Mansion back then, had now become a strong contender for Qingcheng’s top spot and was considered a top-tier figure across the entire Far Shore.

“You’re not doing badly yourself, Changkong. That flying sword’s potential seems even greater, doesn’t it?”

“I’d rather go with the crowd and call you Yijian. Master Withered Flourishing is too strange of a name.” Changkong Wuhen paused briefly, raising the five-colored Flying Sword in his hand. “You are correct. Besides controlling various Five Elements Spells, this Five Elements Sword seals five Dao Spells. But currently, I’ve only unsealed the Evergreen Divine Wood among them. The other four element spells are still unusable.”

“I already used my Evergreen Divine Wood earlier. Against you? Fighting means loss, not victory. Yijian, do me a favor? Give me face and let me hang on for ten minutes?”

A peculiar smile appeared on Changkong Wuhen’s face as he launched his attack. Coiling rings of Five Elements Sword Light layered upon each other, descending heavily towards Ye Rong’s head.

Ye Rong unleashed his black-and-white Sword Light. On the first clash, he discovered the opposing Sword Light was extremely weak; he could shatter it with one blow. He instantly understood Changkong Wuhen’s intention.

He knew he stood no chance of winning; it was better to do Ye Rong a favor and not waste energy fighting seriously. He would just use the Five Elements Sword Light to put on a show for the rest of the players watching below.

Ye Rong, of course, was happy to oblige. Even if Changkong Wuhen’s strongest spell was expended, a real fight would force Ye Rong to exert significant effort. He might even have to reveal another hidden ace, which would be extremely disadvantageous.

The two exchanged blows fiercely, creating an intense spectacle. They used only Flying Swords, nothing else. Brilliant Sword Lights crisscrossed the stage. Since Ye Rong’s swordsmanship was genuinely more refined than Changkong Wuhen’s, hardly anyone could tell they were faking the fight.

Dragging it past the fifteen-minute mark, Ye Rong finally combined both his swords. The black-and-white Sword Lights intertwined, effortlessly obliterating Changkong Wuhen.