Di Guxue's chest heaved with every breath, her eyes darting around the encroaching storm of sword lights. She realized that if she tried to block this onslaught with her silver hammer again, it would surely shatter, and she would be defeated.
Bai Xingyan's move had put considerable pressure on her. In the face of such danger, a blush surprisingly crept onto Di Guxue's pretty face, her eyes shining with excitement. She closed her eyes, and long water sleeves emerged from within her robe.
Whoosh!
Her water sleeves fluttered.
Facing the oncoming storm, Di Guxue began to dance gracefully, her body moving with the sinuous grace of a serpent. An elegant tremor traveled from her left finger to her shoulder, then throughout her body, finally concentrating on the tip of her right finger.
Around her dancing figure, a radiant red light enveloped her. As the tremor reached the tip of her right finger, she thrust out her water sleeves with the force of thunder, striking the approaching storm of swords.
The sharp winds of the storm couldn't penetrate her water sleeves, instead producing a resonant clang.
Then, Di Guxue took nimble steps, conveying the rhythm of her dance throughout her body. Each time the rhythm reached her fingertips, her water sleeves, glowing red, struck out at the storm. The delicate sleeves kept the fierce storm at bay. But she wasn't done. She spread her arms wide, spun quickly in the opposite direction to the storm.
Her water sleeves became continuous, forming a green-red tornado around her, clashing with the golden storm.
Suddenly, with a shake of her arms, the green-red tornado erupted with the thrust of her sleeves.
The storm of swords dissipated immediately. The four swords were blown away, humming and shaking in the air.
Di Guxue swiftly retracted her sleeves, returning to her elegant dance.
Her slender, snowy arms gracefully emerged from her water sleeves, her swan-like neck twisting beautifully.
Bai Xingyan, watching her graceful dance, couldn't help but gasp. This wasn't the time to admire her dance; his Clear Bright Spiritual Eye discerned that as Di Guxue danced, the spiritual power around her was compressing and focusing.
From outside the arena, Shu Han saw the signs and asked, "Is this the Instantaneous Blink Technique?"
Wei Haolong, admiring Di Guxue's dance, smiled smugly, "Yes, and no! She hasn't reached the Foundation Establishment stage, so she can't learn the Instantaneous Blink Technique yet. So, using the core essence of the spell, I designed a dance for her called 'Flowing Robes and Fiery Cloud Dance'. Old Yu, as profound as the sword formation you provided your disciple is, the water and fire sleeves I forged for her are no less exceptional! Paired with this dance, she can stand unbeaten in the early stages of Foundation Establishment!"
"You really have too much time on your hands!"
Wei Haolong laughed heartily, "Same to you!"
Shu Han chuckled, "Let's see which is stronger, your 'Flowing Robes and Fiery Cloud Dance' or my 'Four Forms of the Quadrant Heavenly Sword'!"
On the stage.
Di Guxue's gaze was sharp, her waist sometimes straight, sometimes bending. On her tiptoes, her sleeves rose and fell rhythmically as she danced towards Bai Xingyan.
Bai Xingyan wasted no time, recalling his scattered Quadrant Heavenly Swords. Using the Sky-aspiring Sword Technique, he aggressively charged at Di Guxue, not letting her build momentum.
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"Third move — Song of the Flying Geese!"
Holding one of the Quadrant Heavenly Swords, Bai Xingyan accelerated with his streaming boots, stepping in the Cloud Walking Step, leading the charge against Di Guxue.
The other three Quadrant Heavenly Swords, like geese following their leader, had their own patterns and flanked Bai Xingyan, charging at Di Guxue.
The two clashed closely, swords and sleeves intertwining, making it hard to discern an advantage.
Now, Bai Xingyan seemed to have the upper hand, his swords finding gaps everywhere, forcing Di Guxue on the defense.
However, Shu Han noticed that Di Guxue's dance steps were methodical, using retreat as advance, slowing down Bai Xingyan's attacks, all the while storing power and waiting for the right opportunity.
Her dance was exquisite, even amidst the fierce battle, a pleasing sight to behold. In contrast, Bai Xingyan was pragmatic, with broad strokes and gestures, showing a hint of roughness.
Wei Haolong tutted, "The spells you crafted are as crude as you are. There's no aesthetic to them."
On this point, Shu Han really couldn't refute.
The 'Flowing Robes and Fiery Cloud Dance' was indeed intricate, embedding every move within the dance. The fiercer Di Guxue's moves, the more captivating her dance, which had Wei Haolong nodding in approval.
Shu Han grumbled, "Only you have such whimsical ideas! Who cares if a secret technique looks good? Isn't effectiveness the main point?"
Wei Haolong sighed as if lamenting, "Oh, why did I get to know such a crude fellow?"
Shu Han thought to himself, "...Perverted old man! It's clear you just wanted to watch your disciple dance! All those excuses! No wonder she usually wields a giant hammer as a weapon just to annoy you!"
The battle on the stage intensified, attracting the attention of disciples watching other fights.
Di Guxue was fighting in high spirits, gradually starting to counter-attack Bai Xingyan.
As she waved her sleeves, dissipating Bai Xingyan's sharpness, she also accumulated sufficient spiritual power. With each move, she started to push Bai Xingyan to the brink.
Bai Xingyan was forced to the edge of the stage, and Di Guxue's momentum grew even stronger.
In such a pressing environment, Bai Xingyan fused spiritually with his four swords. A hint of thunder started to circulate on the swords. Suddenly, he lifted his sword, and the four Quadrant Heavenly Swords merged into one, transforming into a golden gigantic sword, thrusting toward Di Guxue.
"Heaven Breaking!"
A blinding golden light radiated, forcing Di Guxue to shut her eyes. She felt an unprecedented sense of danger and instantly arched her body, channeling all her condensed spiritual power into her fiery and watery sleeves. With a sudden burst of energy from her arched posture, the spiritual power flowed into her sleeves. Both sleeves shot out, confronting the gigantic Heavenly Sword.
A thunderous explosion echoed.
Everyone's heart skipped a beat.
In the mingling of the green-red and golden lights, a figure was seen flying out. It was Di Guxue.
She was blasted from one corner of the stage to another, reminiscent of a butterfly with broken wings. Her hair was disheveled, her gaze dazed, her face flushed, breathing heavily, looking like she might collapse.
Her vision started to blur as she felt herself falling backward off the stage.
"I lost..."
Suddenly, a trembling hand grabbed her slender wrist, pulling her back onto the stage.
Di Guxue sat on the stage in a daze, looking at the crouching Bai Xingyan. His face showed signs of deep concern, anxiously asking, "Senior Sister, are you alright?"
Biting her lip, Di Guxue thought of her initial promise to her master to win the top spot. The heartache of only reaching the promotion match was intense. Seeing Di Guxue's teary eyes, Bai Xingyan became even more flustered.
Wiping away a tear, Di Guxue fiercely grabbed Bai Xingyan's collar and whispered angrily, "Listen! Just because you've beaten me today doesn't mean you'll have peace in the future! Even if you claim the top spot, there are still three years until the Fire Cloud Baptism. In these three years, I will challenge you relentlessly until I defeat you and claim the top spot! No excuses, no avoiding!"
Bai Xingyan, unsure of what to do, simply replied, "Okay... Okay! I'll do whatever you say, Senior Sister."
Both of them flew down from the stage. As Di Guxue saw Wei Haolong, she couldn't hold back her tears. Wei Haolong gently patted her shoulder, casting a threatening look at Bai Xingyan.
Shu Han jokingly added, "Miss Di, there's no need to cry if you're less skilled. It's not really your fault but rather that your master didn't teach you well! In the future, you're welcome to continue challenging Xingyan."
Wei Haolong glared, "Old Yu! Are you crazy?"
Wiping her tears, Di Guxue looked defiantly at Shu Han and said, "Uncle Master Yu, I may not be as good as your disciple, but that doesn't mean my master is inferior to you! Master, you must defeat this man in the Heavenly Fire Leaderboard!"
After saying this, Di Guxue turned and left.
"Ah?"
Wei Haolong hurried after her, whispering, "Xue'er, don't just set targets for your master carelessly. Your Uncle Master Yu is a bit... weird."