Chapter 28

(P.S.: The new book has climbed up the new author chart, but it needs more support from everyone. I'm asking for favorites and recommendations. It seems unlikely to make it to the homepage's new book chart this week, but what about next week? I hope for a steady accumulation of support, and more votes and favorites.)

With Ling Wufeng's active concession, the top four duels naturally came to an end. Lu Yuling went down to rest, and the next duel for third place was between Ling Wufeng and Lei Potian.

Originally, with Lei Potian's strength, he had a good chance of defeating Ling Wufeng. However, the battle with Zhuge Xiang left him in a severe state of weakness. The two only tangled for a moment before Lei Potian was quickly defeated by Ling Wufeng.

Lei Potian, who was originally the biggest favorite to win the championship, ended up not even making it into the top three. This outcome was indeed unexpected by everyone. When he was finally defeated by Ling Wufeng, it was unclear whether it was due to his injuries or the shock of the defeat, but Lei Potian fainted directly.

The final eight rankings of the grand competition had already been decided, and only the last overall final duel was left to bring it to a perfect close. Zhuge Xiang versus Lu Yuling, who would win?

When Zhuge Xiang defeated Lei Potian, the spectators all thought Zhuge Xiang was a sure winner. His strength was unmatched. However, the strength Lu Yuling displayed in the previous battle made Zhuge Xiang's position as the champion uncertain. The final showdown was sure to be the most exciting, and everyone was watching with wide eyes.

"To be honest, the first time I met you, you hadn't even comprehended Qi. In such a short time, you've come this far. Looking back, it seems you are the greatest genius of this session. I look forward to battling you."

Standing in front of Zhuge Xiang, Lu Yuling's face showed a touch of nostalgia and emotion, no longer as cold as usual. Because of Zhuge Xiang's straightforward and decisive personality and their shared goal of cultivation, Lu Yuling felt at ease with him, and their relationship could be considered that of friends.

"To be honest, standing here and catching up with the pace of geniuses like you, I feel a great sense of achievement. This shows my progress," Zhuge Xiang said with a straightforward and genuine smile.

Lu Yuling smiled. Zhuge Xiang was always so direct and decisive. From any perspective, Zhuge Xiang's words were indeed true. To catch up with geniuses like them in half a month, it was equivalent to half a year of hard cultivation for him. He had every right to be proud.

If you have something to be proud of, be proud. Don't be shy. This was Zhuge Xiang's character—practical, decisive, and direct. It was also the character that disciples of the Demon Dao Sect should possess.

The words exchanged between Zhuge Xiang and Lu Yuling clearly showed that their relationship was more than just acquaintances. They seemed to have a good rapport. Lu Yuling's face, which usually had a cold and distant look, now showed a smile. This made the disciples of the Asura Sect below whisper that Zhuge Xiang and Lu Yuling indeed had a deep friendship. However, Zhuge Xiang had proven his strength, and most of those who had harbored hostility towards him had now given up their thoughts.

"I also look forward to battling you. I wonder if your Ice Heart Sutra and the state of mental clarity can withstand my attack." With a fierce battle spirit, Zhuge Xiang stared intently at Lu Yuling, his Blood Refining Saber in hand. He decisively activated the Blood Thirst Technique, and a blood-colored Qi aura emerged, casting ghostly shadows. With a powerful step, he lunged forward at full speed, the Blood Refining Saber slicing down.

The Blood Thirst Technique, the Star Chasing Boots, and his third-layer Qi Cultivation all made Zhuge Xiang extremely fast, almost like a bolt of lightning. The fierce Blood Refining Saber, carrying a rolling wind pressure, was not only fast but also powerful. This was Zhuge Xiang's strength. One strike was enough to prove that his advancement to the final was no coincidence.

However, Zhuge Xiang's strike was dodged by Lu Yuling. As soon as Zhuge Xiang attacked, Lu Yuling's body had already moved. The state of mental clarity allowed Lu Yuling to perceive Zhuge Xiang's attack route.

Although her speed was not particularly fast, she could predict the enemy's moves and dodge Zhuge Xiang's attack. Lu Yuling raised her hand, and threads of Ice Silkworm Silk emerged from her gloves. At the same time, she used the Clear Wave Palm. Although Zhuge Xiang was not a moth but a sparrow, as long as the spider silk was strong enough, even a sparrow would not be able to fly away...

Seeing the threads assisting the Clear Wave Palm, Zhuge Xiang, who knew the power of the Clear Wave Palm, narrowed his eyes. The stone slabs under his feet cracked, and with a burst of speed, Zhuge Xiang seemed to teleport several meters away, out of the range of the Clear Wave Palm. This was the skill of the Burst Step. Although he dodged, his feet felt a sharp pain.

"Indeed, this is the state of mental clarity. Indeed, it's troublesome," Zhuge Xiang muttered to himself as he dodged Lu Yuling's attack.

He finally understood Ling Wufeng's helplessness. His close combat was manageable, but Ling Wufeng's flying knives, with their tricky angles and ability to change trajectory upon collision, were hard to control mid-flight and were suppressed by Lu Yuling.

No matter who it was, even Zhuge Xiang, would find Ling Wufeng's flying knives very challenging, and there might not be a sure win. However, Lu Yuling's mental clarity was precisely what countered his flying knives.

After a brief exchange, Zhuge Xiang and Lu Yuling stood a few meters apart, seriously facing each other. Both could sense the difficulty of the situation. For Zhuge Xiang, his attacks could be dodged, and once he got close, Lu Yuling's Clear Wave Palm was a significant threat.

As for Lu Yuling, she was also clear that to win, she had to entangle Zhuge Xiang with the Clear Wave Palm. Otherwise, with his speed, she would be helpless.

The cooldown time for the Burst Step was 10 seconds. For safety, Zhuge Xiang waited for the cooldown to end before making his next two attacks. However, both attacks were easily dodged by Lu Yuling. Without the Burst Step, he would have been trapped and unable to retreat.

Frowning, after several Burst Steps, he had wasted over 20 seconds. Each Burst Step consumed 10 points of Qi, and he only had 130 points in total. So far, three Burst Steps had consumed nearly a quarter of his Qi.

Although the Burst Step was powerful, it had a 10-second cooldown and consumed a significant amount of Qi. More importantly, his Blood Thirst Technique could only last for one minute. Time was already halfway through, and if it dragged on, once his Blood Thirst Technique ended, his strength would drop, and he would suffer a terrible weakness effect. At that point, he would be in a difficult position.

Looking at Lu Yuling seriously, her mental clarity allowed her to perceive his attacks and routes, indeed making her a tough opponent. Lu Yuling could even react before he did, but mental clarity only allowed her to perceive his attacks; it did not increase her speed.

If he launched a series of high-intensity, high-speed attacks, even if she could perceive his attacks, her body's speed would not keep up with his rhythm. Yes, it seems that to defeat Lu Yuling, this is the only way...

"These two are in a tough battle," many people thought, watching Zhuge Xiang constantly probing and Lu Yuling standing still, waiting to counter. It seemed that Zhuge Xiang's attacks could not hit, and Lu Yuling's speed could not catch up with Zhuge Xiang. It was indeed a tough battle.

However, geniuses like Ji Wuxue and Ling Wufeng were very clear that, although it seemed evenly matched, Lu Yuling had the advantage.

Although Zhuge Xiang's speed was fast, he seemed to have consumed a lot of Qi. Clearly, that terrifying movement skill was very energy-consuming. Moreover, the Blood Thirst Technique could not be sustained for long. Lu Yuling only needed to wait and counter, and once Zhuge Xiang's Blood Thirst Technique effect ended, she could secure victory.

Therefore, although the situation on the duel platform seemed evenly matched, Lu Yuling appeared relaxed and composed, while Zhuge Xiang looked serious. Both were clearly aware of this.

Time could not be wasted; a quick and decisive battle was needed. High-density attacks would make her body unable to keep up with his movements. Checking the remaining time of his Blood Thirst Technique, which was down to about half a minute, Zhuge Xiang's expression turned serious. He reached into his pocket and took out a pill, about the size of a bodhi seed, emitting a strong aura. It was a Super Spirit Secret Pill.

Super Spirit Secret Pill: Requires first-layer Qi Cultivation. Consuming it grants immense power, with all system skills having no cooldown and no consumption, lasting for 30 seconds.

This Super Spirit Secret Pill was obtained from the last battle against a one-star medium-grade demon fox, which also dropped the Burst Step skill. Zhuge Xiang had never used it before. After all, with the system skills having no cooldown and no consumption, he only had the Blood Thirst Technique and Blood Thunder Slash. Now, with his breakthrough to the third-layer Qi Cultivation, Zhuge Xiang finally had the Burst Step skill.

"Lu Yuling, your mental clarity is indeed strong, and you can perceive all my attacks. However, your own speed does not increase. Under my high-density attacks, I wonder if your body can keep up with my movements?" Staring at Lu Yuling seriously, Zhuge Xiang spoke, and as he did, he put the Super Spirit Secret Pill in his mouth.

A pill? Seeing Zhuge Xiang take the pill, Lu Yuling's brows furrowed slightly.

No one had stipulated that pills could not be used in battle. After all, whether it was a magical artifact, martial skill, or pill, they were all part of one's strength. At this moment, Zhuge Xiang taking a pill clearly indicated that it was beneficial to the current situation.

"Ding, consuming the Super Spirit Secret Pill, the Burst Step skill has no cooldown and no consumption, lasting for 30 seconds."

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