Chapter 225: Actually… I’ve wanted to hit you for a long time!

The fierce battle between Miss Baihong and Han Shan immediately sparked heated discussions in Xingyuan City.

Though in reality, they only exchanged a single blow before determining the victor, the weight of that attack could be said to have completely outclassed over ninety-nine point nine percent of past matches.

Whether it was the fiery roar akin to the Eastern Holy Beast, Bai Ze, descending upon us, or the shocking feat of Miss Baihong blocking all attacks with just one hand, both left the citizens, who revered strength, exhilarated and excited to talk about it.

This single battle brought a wave that almost swept away the effects of the recent chaotic events, and despite those being significant incidents just days before, hardly anyone was still discussing them now.

In their place, the names of Baihong and Vilyric were thrust into the spotlight, with people speculating and debating who would ultimately claim the championship in this unexpected surge of dark horses, which even evolved into arguments and factional disputes, adding a sprinkle of fiery sparks to the competition.

Following that, as expected, Vilyric went on to win two more consecutive matches, defeating a peak Seeker Sect leader and another long-hidden old powerhouse, gaining fame and successfully advancing to the finals.

One must admit, those who made it to the end really had some skills. Although their raw power was still a bit lacking, their finesse and technique were so exquisite that even the Priestess couldn’t help but secretly commend them.

Especially the opponent in the final four: although her victory was well-deserved, it was later that Miss Vilyric found out that this was actually a roaming powerhouse, ranked fifth on the Ancient Spirit Realm’s top hundred list and already famous for over four hundred years, known as the “Wandering Master.”

This guy hadn’t shown his face in the world for nearly fifty years. His participation in the Four Saints Selection Tournament had been eons ago, and this time, one wondered what prompted him to pop back up all of a sudden.

Before Miss Baihong and Silver Cat started to shine, he had already been recognized as the strongest contender for this Qiguo division, even being the only “designated” choice.

At that time, he was cleverly hiding his realm using a rather sophisticated sensation-concealing technique, and all his attacks were automatically defended by “Feather Garb: Glarya.” The Priestess only thought this guy was quite agile and had a sturdy build, managing to take several hits from her without falling down, which lasted quite some time…

Who would have thought he had such a grand background?

But regardless of the high and mighty origin or title the opponent had, a loss is a loss, and now standing before Vilyric was only the final opponent she had anticipated.

At noon, amidst the cheers of an already packed venue, the announcer’s loud voice echoed through the crowd.

“Everyone! The moment we’ve all been waiting for, the peak showdown! The finals of the Four Saints Selection Tournament for the Dongyuanzhi Kingdom are reaching their climax! The final two standing before you, having emerged from a million contestants, are none other than the renowned Miss Vilyric, the ‘Baihong,’ and Miss Xiao Kong, the ‘Silver Cat!'”

“This edition of the Four Saints Selection Tournament can truly be said to be teeming with dark horses and surprises! Neither of the two finalists ranked in the Ancient Spirit Realm’s top hundred, and practically no one knew them before this, but they have proven their strength with battle after battle, truly standing as real powerhouses!”

“Who will be the ultimate victor of this grand contest, claiming the title of champion in this Qiguo division? Let us—stay tuned!!!”

“Ohhhh!!!!”

The crowd cheered together, chanting the names and titles of both girls. Although Vilyric had received covert support from the Holy Sect and her earlier oppressive combat had indeed been more intense, there appeared to be quite a number supporting Silver Cat too, as banners and slogans appeared in the audience, forming two distinct factions.

The tension and sense of conflict reached an absolute peak at this moment, and under such a brilliant and eye-catching tournament, almost no one paid attention to the earlier trivial matters anymore.

Standing on stage, the two girls were about to duel…

“Why do you seem a bit eager and excited… itching to hit me? Did I offend you somewhere before?”

On the opposite side of the arena, Miss Cat Daughter grinned widely, revealing her shiny cat claws.

“Of course, this is a rare opportunity ~~”

The latter half of that sentence should have been—“Normally, I find it quite difficult to come up with a good reason to fight you…” It seems she had been plotting this for quite some time.

“Ha… fine, fine.”

To be honest, Vilyric still didn’t quite understand the true level of Xiao Kong’s strength; the latter was clearly vague on that subject, and with her rarely taking the initiative to attack, the Priestess’s impression of her ability was still stuck at “related to space, convenient for teleporting, and most people can’t defeat her” level.

Actually, Vilyric had watched Xiao Kong’s matches leading up to this point. Each one was more or less similar; although Xiao Kong couldn’t take damage like Vilyric did, relying on her artifact’s defense, she simply needed to gather a silver, shield-like halo around her hand to effortlessly absorb all the opponents’ attacks and counterattack.

Even her opponent in the semifinals, a super powerhouse who reached the same level of lifespan and felt no less powerful than Mu Ze, couldn’t do anything against that mysterious halo. The match ended even faster than Vilyric’s, leaving the Priestess quite curious.

Now was the perfect chance to try things out; this was the last fight in the Dongyuanzhi Kingdom, so why not enjoy it a little more?

She raised her hand and summoned the “Eternal Staff: Heart of the World,” which fell into the hands of the black-haired girl.

“Come on, don’t be shy.”

“Heh heh, be careful!”

“Match—start!!!”

“Swish!!!!”

Silver light burst forth, and in the instant the word “start” fell, the Cat Daughter, previously several meters away, suddenly appeared right in front of the Priestess, her claws slashing down in a dazzling silver arc!

“Radiant Protection!”

Vilyric wasn’t foolish enough to take on an unknown opponent’s attack with her body; radiant light surged forth, instantly forming a heavy and glorious barrier, blocking the cat claw’s razor edge.

“Zzzzzzzzzzzz…”

Like a high-speed spinning cutter grinding away, enormous golden sparks erupted from the “Radiant Protection” barrier, its light flickering precariously, cracking and reforming, but ultimately, it still held its ground against this attack.

This was the undeniable gap in strength; just a casual claw from Xiao Kong already exceeded the power of the attack Shangguan Hong had unleashed with all his might. At the very least, Vilyric’s low damage immunity from “Feather Garb: Glarya” couldn’t withstand it.

In other words, Xiao Kong’s overall attributes were at least above level 90.

However, what surprised Vilyric even more was that—

Seeing her attack blocked, Miss Cat Daughter remained calm, smiling at the black-haired girl in mid-air.

“Hey, I’ve seen this move before!”

As soon as the words fell, the light on her claws turned suddenly illusionary.

That nearly always reliable golden barrier appeared to ripple like parting water, instantly intertwining and passing through to invade the interior!

“Try my fiery wrath, you bastard!!!”

   

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