"Senior Brother Qi, don't give this kid any face, beat him up!"
The audience erupted in chatter and shouts, but Qi Hao and Li Ling still showed no intention of making a move!
Qi Hao gave Li Ling a deep look and said, "Junior brother, you've been a disciple for five years, and this is the first time we've had a formal competition!"
“That’s true!” Li Ling said leisurely, “I only received guidance from Senior Brother Qi once before. Speaking of which, Senior Brother Qi should make the most of this opportunity.”
At this point, Li Ling's lips curled up slightly as he said, "Because this is probably the time when our cultivation levels are closest. If you don't seize this opportunity, the gap between us will only widen in the future, and you won't have another chance to surpass me!"
Upon hearing Li Ling's words, Qi Hao's previously amiable expression turned ugly, and his tone suddenly became somber: "It's truly astonishing that you've reached a level comparable to mine in just five short years."
"If I don't completely shatter your confidence today, you might really surpass me very soon. It's a pity you're too arrogant. You dare to compete with me before you've even grown strong enough. Today I'll let you know that what Master said back then, 'You won't be able to compete with me within ten years,' was no empty words!"
"disease!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Qi Hao didn't want to waste any more words. He let out a long shout, and a long sword as blue as snow suddenly appeared in front of him. It was his Frost Immortal Sword, forged from ten thousand years of ice.
"Sizzle~ Sizzle~"
Qi Hao silently formed a sword-finger seal with both hands and chanted a profound incantation. Suddenly, the Frost Immortal Sword emitted a great deal of cold air, and a thick layer of frost instantly formed on the arena.
A true expert's skill is immediately apparent upon making a move! Qi Hao's move immediately astonished everyone in the audience, and their eyes were filled with apprehension as they looked at him.
"Not bad!" Dao Xuan glanced at it, a hint of appreciation flashing in his eyes, and exclaimed, "Junior Nephew Qi's move is exquisite, at least at the ninth level of the Jade Purity Realm. He will probably break through to the Upper Purity Realm soon. To have such cultivation at such a young age, it seems this boy has a chance to be number one!"
Li Ling was also slightly surprised: "I didn't expect Qi Hao to be so formidable. Perhaps he was really spurred on by me. In just two years, his cultivation has actually broken through again and directly entered the ninth level."
"If I hadn't gone down the mountain earlier and obtained the Heavenly Book and the Profound Fire Mirror, my cultivation level would probably not have caught up with his!"
Ignoring the astonishment of the crowd below and the praise and appreciation of the leaders on the high platform, the frost continued to gather, and in a short while, a huge layer of ice, more than half a meter thick, formed under their feet.
"Click! Click!"
As the sound of ice shattering rang out, thick ice spikes spread out from the ice beneath their feet.
Despite facing Qi Hao's astonishing attack, Li Ling remained unfazed. He suddenly retreated rapidly, and several ice spikes sprouted from the spot where he had just stood. The ice spikes continued to appear, chasing after Li Ling, and shattering after missing their target.
Unfortunately, even though the ice spikes appeared extremely fast, Li Ling was also quite fast. Although Li Ling did not fly, his light footwork was incredibly skillful. No matter how profound Qi Hao's Taoist magic was, he was still unable to let the ice spikes hit him.
Of course, Qi Hao's actions were not entirely in vain. As more and more ice spikes appeared, they shattered into smaller pieces, and gradually the entire arena was covered with ice dust and frost.
"ha!"
Seeing that the time was ripe, Qi Hao shouted loudly, released the Frost Immortal Sword in his hand, and held it with both hands as if he were holding the heaviest thing in the world. His wrists even trembled slightly!
As his wrist trembled, the ice dust and frost flowers in the air seemed to sense their master's call, and suddenly solidified, changing from their previous light and aimless floating in the air.
"Hiss hiss hiss hiss!"
As if sensing their enemy, the icy dust and frost flowers instantly shot towards Li Ling in the center of the arena from all directions, completely surrounding him and leaving him no way to dodge! (The text then repeats "All Heavens and Myriad Realms Wishing Star" multiple times, which doesn't need to be translated but can be left as is.)
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Chapter 343: Suspense Abounds
"hold head high!!"
Accompanied by a faint dragon's roar, the Dragon Slayer Sword was suddenly drawn, bringing forth a clear, bright blue sword light.
Li Ling made a sword gesture, and the azure sword light seemed to instantly transform into thousands of forms, protecting him so thoroughly that even the most icy dust and frost could not harm him in the slightest.
"It is impolite not to reciprocate. Senior Brother Qi, take a look at my sword strike! Hurry!"
As Li Ling spoke, the Dragon Slayer Sword suddenly shone with a bright blue light, and a terrifying heat emanated from its blade, quickly forming a giant in the shape of flames.
This giant, with a beast's head and a human body, covered in red scales, with fire snakes piercing his ears and a fire dragon under his feet, was none other than Zhu Rong, the ancestor of fire.
"roar!!"
With a roar, the giant pounced on Qi Hao, shattering the thick ice below as it hurtled directly towards him.
"drink!"
Taking a deep breath, Qi Hao roared, and the Frost Sword in his hand suddenly shone brightly, transforming into a giant sword tens of meters long, which he then slashed down at the fire giant below.
"BOOM!!"
With a loud bang, a deafening roar rang out, and the densely packed crowd below the stage all paled, feeling a violent tremor throughout their bodies, utterly shocked!
Are these really two disciples sparring? Are you sure they're not two elders?
Dao Xuan on the high platform was taken aback by this sight: "I never imagined that A-Ling has already reached the ninth level of the Jade Purity Realm, and it seems that she is even slightly better than Junior Nephew Qi. This talent and ability are truly astonishing, even compared to those of back then..."
At this point, Dao Xuan's expression darkened again, while Cang Song's eyes flashed with a hidden resentment.
At this moment, the two exchanged blows, which actually brought the magically enhanced arena to the point of near collapse. Li Ling breathed a sigh of relief. Just now, Qi Hao had shattered his fire giant with a single sword strike and even used the momentum to send over an extremely cold spiritual energy.
However, Li Ling was prepared. He unleashed his Qiankun Sword and blocked the attack. Qi Hao had cultivated for a hundred years, and although Li Ling had many advantages, his accumulated spiritual power was indeed somewhat inferior to Qi Hao's. However, Li Ling was confident that he would soon surpass Qi Hao.
Qi Hao was even more surprised. His face turned pale. It was clear that although he had not been directly injured by the fire giant's mouth, he had been careless and injured by the scorching heat emanating from the fire giant while splitting it open. Fortunately, he had used a spell to protect himself in time and was not seriously hurt.
The two exchanged a glance, and the next moment, the two white figures suddenly rushed together. The two sword lights in Li Ling's hand, one turquoise and the other chaotic, collided with Qi Hao's white sword light.
"Bang bang bang bang!"
The sounds of swords clashing were incessant, and the spiritual energy scattered from between the two after countless collisions.
In this close combat exchange, Qi Hao originally thought that Li Lingxiu only had five years to cultivate the "Taiji Xuanqing Dao" to the ninth level, and how much free time he would have left to learn magic and swordsmanship.