Chapter 210: The Aesthetics of Violence

Hong Yan might be the sister or direct relative of the Soul, which led Miss Vilyric to associate many things.

First, during the “trial” of the Soul on the Saint Perkore Mountains, his teammate, the Ferryman, bluntly stated that the former was a descendant of the Four Saints. Although Miss Vilyric didn’t understand what the Four Saints were back then, things are different now.

The Soul is a native being of the Ancient Spirit Realm, and combined with his companions all having gray hair, the identity of being a “descendant of the Four Saints” and their obviously extraordinary recovery ability both point towards a highly probable fact.

He might be surnamed Yuan, one of the bloodlines of today’s Holy Monarch family in the Western Ling Kingdom.

Then, for the seemingly his sister, Hong Yan, her true name and identity…

It seems like I’ve discovered some interesting secret, but let’s not reveal it for now.

As expected, Hong Yan effortlessly secured this victory, advancing to the next round.

Of course, it’s not that there was such a huge disparity in strength between her and her opponent; it’s just that this final held within Qiguo was more of a performance, although still important, losing would merely mean fewer rewards. So many did not wish to engage in a life-and-death struggle here and preferred to reserve their status and strategies for the upcoming and completely unknown Four Nations Finals.

Hence, the intensity of this match wouldn’t be too high. Although the final rankings would have some reference value, they aren’t absolute, after all, for most martial artists, reaching Lingyin Fairy Island to refine their strength is what truly matters.

It’s a simple truth: if one could break through to a higher realm with the help of fairy luck, the benefits and temptations of gaining at least a thousand years of lifespan would naturally surpass mere external possessions.

The matches continue with randomly drawn lots, unfolding amidst the audience’s thunderous cheers. Soon, it was Miss Vilyric’s turn to appear.

“Shall we accompany you?”

In response to Miss Cat Daughter’s kind inquiry, the Black-haired Girl simply stood up and shook her head.

“It’s just a formality, not a formidable enemy or anything. I’ll be back shortly.”

Sitting cross-legged on her mat, the ever-prepared Murong Yun opened his eyes and couldn’t help but reveal a slightly helpless smile.

“Looking across the entire tournament, you might be the only one who dares to say such confident words. Just going through the motions, aren’t you afraid of encountering some hidden master…?”

“Haha, I’d actually hope to meet a powerful guy for some fun. Don’t worry, I won’t let my guard down… Enough talk, I’m off.”

“Good luck~”

Temporarily bidding farewell to the three, Miss Vilyric exited, following the path designated for the contestants, progressing in the direction she had come from.

Soon, the surroundings became brightly lit; she had arrived at the external venue for the competition.

The noise immediately hit her.

“Oh! Look! A young and cute girl! This peculiar style of dress, which region’s culture is it from?”

“Her hair is actually black, is it a Yuan vein? So rare…”

“W-what… She looks at most fifteen or sixteen? Even younger than that Hong Yan girl, could she be some kind of aging-defying old monster?”

Hey, hey… you’re the old monster, take a punch.

Under the light pouring down from the open-air competition arena, the cheers and discussions of tens of thousands of spectators rushed in like waves, instantly filling every corner of the girl’s sight and hearing, making her heart surge, battle spirit boil, and, at the same time… feel a bit awkward.

“Well, this is a first experience for me.”

To be honest, it wasn’t bad.

Even for Vilyric, who has a personality that’s warm on the outside yet cool on the inside and relatively indifferent, the atmosphere stirred a desire for expression and an impulse to showcase her skills on the stage.

As the Black-haired Girl stepped onto the platform amidst the crowd’s gaze, the commentator’s vibrant voice resounded throughout the venue.

“Ladies and gentlemen! The next matchup features the participants: the master of Feihong View from Heshan County, Xuanmen Daoist, and the mysterious outsider traveler from the Ling Kingdom, Miss Vilyric!”

“Everyone knows that Xuanmen Daoist ranks fifty-fourth on the Ancient Spirit Realm’s Power List, a master skilled in various formations, known as an established powerful figure—his strength is beyond question!”

“Although this Miss Vilyric is relatively unknown, her previous performances have shown astonishing capability and are highly anticipated!”

“By the way, both of these individuals directly qualified for the second round through the preliminaries, having reserved their strength for a long time. This rare initial showcase is bound to be very intense; let us all keep our eyes peeled!”

“Hmm?”

Listening to that fellow’s explanation, Miss Vilyric, who hadn’t paid much attention to her opponent’s identity, suddenly realized.

Xuanmen Daoist… isn’t he the chatty old guy from the Open Heaven Gate ruins in the Endless Ruins Sea? Turns out he participated in the Four Saints Selection Tournament right after that—what a narrow road between enemies.

Miss Vilyric looked up at the gray-robed, white-bearded old Daoist walking from the opposite side; he had evidently recognized her as well, his expression somewhat subtle, though it didn’t seem to convey fear.

“Oh, it’s you, little girl. Last time, you and… cough, your associates snatched my opportunity and suddenly vanished. I hadn’t figured out how to settle the score with you yet. What a fortunate chance! Today, I’ll see what benefits you brought back from that secret realm!”

“What exactly do you mean by my opportunity…”

To be precise, Miss Vilyric did obtain some remnants of the Spiritual Fox Priestess legacy from that Abyss, but that was due to her clearing out all the Feather of Destruction within and releasing part of Ming Xi’s marks left behind.

Honestly speaking, even if others barged in through the spatial rift, without the power of a Divine Spark, they wouldn’t have been able to handle the concept of Destruction; any discussion of opportunity is rather far-fetched, to say the least.

But the Daoist across clearly didn’t know or didn’t care about such matters; he seemed to feel that the Black-haired Girl was merely feigning ignorance. He snorted coldly, assumed what looked like an angry battle stance, and raised his voice.

“Please guide me!”

The referee responsible for determining the victory and ensuring the contestants’ safety stepped forward, emphasizing the rules to both participants, which were basically similar to those of the previous hundred-person melee. Miss Vilyric nodded in acknowledgment.

Seeing both had readied themselves, he retreated to the edge of the arena.

“Three, two, one! Begin!”

The commentator’s voice surged even higher, resonating throughout the whole venue.

“It’s begun, it’s begun! We can see Xuanmen Daoist immediately opting to create distance!”

“As the fifty-fourth expert on the Power List, his strategy usually hinges on various formations to restrain and control his opponents. He’s not very good at close combat; this move is likely to amplify his strengths while avoiding weaknesses, aiming to test the opponent’s combat power and strategy!”

“Indeed, as an established powerful figure, Xuanmen Daoist is very cautious! Now let’s see how this more mysterious contender responds!”

“Oh! She’s running! Is this a charge? In stark contrast to Xuanmen Daoist, she wants to close the distance with her opponent! It appears this Miss Vilyric is a close combat expert; the outcome of this battle will likely hinge on whether she can successfully initiate close-range combat!”

“Such speed! Miss Vilyric’s speed is astonishing! When she runs, it’s almost like a phantom! The distance between the two combatants is nearly negligible; can she make it into close combat!?”

“Oh! A trap! Xuanmen Daoist left a hidden formation on his retreat path; when did he do that! Miss Vilyric is caught! Just as expected of an experienced old master! Are the scales of victory beginning to tilt towards Xuanmen Daoist!?”

“We can see Xuanmen Daoist is preparing a new formation, and this time likely possesses formidable lethality, but Miss Vilyric remains trapped in the formation without any movement. It seems she’s encountered some trouble; what will she do next?”

“Oh, she’s striking out… huh?”

“Oh my! Oh my!!! Did everyone see that! Miss Vilyric tore apart the formation’s constraints with her bare hands! It’s my first time witnessing such a simple and brutal method of breaking out!!!”

“Simply unimaginable! What horrifying strength lies hidden within her petite body! It’s truly astonishing! Moreover, it seems she intentionally waited until Xuanmen Daoist began charging before she made her move! How confident!”

“The distance between the two is rapidly closing again! Yet Xuanmen Daoist’s formation has yet to be prepared; he can only keep retreating. Could it be that he didn’t anticipate that Miss Vilyric could dismantle the trap so quickly?”

“Close combat! She’s made it to close combat! The speeds are on entirely different levels! Xuanmen Daoist can’t dodge in time!”

“Oh oh oh! Xuanmen Daoist took a hit!! Oh my! He was launched just like an arrow pulled back on a bowstring!!! Just how immense is the power contained in that kick! Xuanmen Daoist was actually sent flying out of the arena!”

“The winner has been decided!!!!”

   

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