Chapter 194: Situation

The behavior of the Priestess quickly attracted the attention of many spectators and surrounding competitors.

Well, there’s no denying that the number of women in this martial arts competition was already quite low; among these hundred participants, there were probably less than one-fifth. With her perfect game-inspired facial features, combined with her unique long black hair and priestess robes, she stood out as delicate, with slender arms and legs, making her look particularly strange amidst this crowd of people.

What was even more bizarre was that this seemingly weak little girl, who looked like she had no combat ability, casually wandered through the chaotic crowd of towering, muscular competitors clad in armor or wielding formidable weapons, completely unarmed.

Every now and then, she would send someone flying off the stage with a kick, and when she shattered an opponent’s weapon with a single blow, it would cause waves of gasps from the audience and looks of astonishment and caution from the surrounding contestants.

After all, the impact of her diminutive appearance contrasted with her actual performance was quite overwhelming.

However, even so, those contestants who formed small groups or had substantial strength to survive in the chaos did not band together as one to eliminate the strongest enemy. Instead, they hurriedly distanced themselves from the Priestess like avoiding a plague, trying to avoid confrontation with her as much as possible.

Gradually, even the flying daggers and arrows deliberately avoided her vicinity, forming a sort of strange, empty area around her, almost like a vacuum, which left onlookers in awe.

Of course, it wasn’t that these contestants were truly too cowardly to clash; it was just the preliminary round. There were a whopping ten spots available for advancement from this hundred-person melee, and no matter how strong Vilyric was, she was but one person. They only needed to eliminate the other weaker contestants and avoided the risk of confronting an enigmatic strong enemy.

It’s common sense to pick soft persimmons when you want to squeeze, and smart people naturally understand this simple principle.

However… there’s always an exception.

At some point, a sword-wielding girl stood in front of the Priestess like a lonely hero from a storybook facing the Dark Lord.

The black-haired girl paused, curiously looking at her opponent.

Vilyric had already noticed her; her strength was quite remarkable, and among the competitors on the field, she stood out as one of the few who had reached the Third Realm【The Peak】or higher.

Moreover, compared to those hodgepodge fighters, this girl’s swordsmanship was mature and exquisite, revealing a certain grace and poise typical of a well-trained fighter from a prestigious lineage.

What caught attention even more was that her long hair, tied into a ponytail with cloth, was not the prevailing pale green of Dongyuanzhi Kingdom but a pure light gray, suggesting she was from the Spirit Kingdom.

How did someone from the Spirit Kingdom end up here in Dongyuanzhi Kingdom for the competition?

Of course, trade among the four countries of the Ancient Spirit Realm is frequent, and there are many instances of travel, relocation, and marriages, so it’s not particularly surprising.

However, this girl who appeared to be in her early twenties, captivated and sharp with her sword, made Miss Vilyric feel an odd sense of familiarity, yet she could firmly assert that she had never seen her before.

The opponent slightly bent her knees and placed a hand on her sword hilt, taking a stance towards the black-haired girl.

She had not drawn her sword, even during previous fights; that magnificent sword remained sheathed, and when she occasionally drew it with lightning speed to defeat an enemy, she would instantly return it, as if the act of drawing the sword itself was part of her swordsmanship.

…She practiced the art of drawing the sword.

Watching her, Vilyric couldn’t help but recall hearing about a niche sword technique during her travels.

The sword-wielding girl’s courageous act of stepping forward had already drawn loud cheers from the onlookers, who seemed eager to witness a duel between these two equally young newcomers.

“What does this mean?”

The gazes of both parties met briefly, and the Priestess tilted her head.

“…It obviously means battle. We’re on the competition stage together; what’s wrong with that?”

The girl’s voice wasn’t particularly clear but possessed a low, slightly husky tone that wasn’t unpleasant, instead radiating a unique charm of steadiness and seriousness.

“Oh? You don’t seem worried at all about being eliminated.”

“I’m only worried that my sword will lose its edge from fear. Besides, why do you think you already have the victory in your hands?”

“~”

Vilyric didn’t continue the conversation; she just smiled and took a step forward.

“Zheng!”

Like suddenly intruding into a forbidden domain, a chilling wind accompanied by fierce sword aura surged forth. The sword had yet to be drawn, yet that magnificent sword intent became substantial, causing the girl in white robes to flutter, and even producing a series of explosive sounds as if sharp blades sliced through the air!

“Boom!!!!”

Yet another violent explosion erupted from the distant battlefield.

The chaos never paused for a moment; competitors were ruthlessly knocked out or eliminated due to loss of power, and the cries of despair mixed with furious roars echoed, making one feel as though they were in an ancient arena of hundreds of warriors. However, the tiny space where the two girls stood had bizarrely transformed into a vacuum area, with no outside competitors daring to intrude on their standoff.

Strong contenders engaged in one-on-one clashes, devoid of opportunities to attack others, which was exactly the scenario most contestants hoped for.

Although the fierce sword aura blasted forth, seeming to promise shredding anyone who moved forward, the calm expression on the black-haired girl remained unchanged, and her steps never faltered.

She steadily approached the sword-wielding girl, closing the distance between them, and lightly laughed.

“What’s wrong? Why haven’t you drawn your sword yet? Come on, hit me.”

“……”

The lovely brows of the girl knitted tightly, her long and powerful fingers gripping the hilt of her sword, slowly tightening. The overwhelming sword intent only expanded like a ferocious beast ready to break free from its cage, bringing a heavy sense of impending storm.

Yet, she still did not draw her sword.

The surging sword intent radiating from her felt like the furious waves and gales of a seasstorm, while Vilyric showed not the slightest hint of resisting that overwhelming aura, completely engulfed in the sword intent, with a smirk that seemed more like a smile mixed with amusement, venturing into the bizarre.

As if unable to bear this absurd atmosphere any longer, or perhaps Vilyric was simply too close, the sword-wielding girl gritted her teeth!

“Stop! The match is over!!!”

The head judge’s booming voice sudden halted the storm of conflict.

It turned out that while they were confronting each other, the final batch of chaos had quietly come to an end, successfully deciding the ten contestants who could stand out from this hundred.

Naturally, among them were still standing Vilyric and the sword-wielding girl.

“!!!”

Having not engaged in any actual battle with the Priestess, the moment the head judge’s voice made her instinctively retract her sword intent, the sword-wielding girl involuntarily let out a groan and nearly stumbled backwards, almost losing her balance!

“Be careful.”

Unknown when she had appeared, the Priestess raised a hand to support her, feeling the cold sweat soaking her back. Within the girl’s slightly astonished gaze, Vilyric shook her head in exasperation.

“Don’t look at me like that. The preliminary round is just a formality; it doesn’t matter who stays or goes for me. You did well; it’s a bit of a shame to see you eliminated like this~”

   

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