Chapter 68 - Lian's Victory
Duan Long and Lian stood face to face in the center of the vast banquet hall. Everyone's eyes were glued to the two young youths. On one side, there was a big martial artist who exuded strength and power from every pore of his body. On the other side, there was a beautiful girl with blue hair whose figure was thin enough to seem as if she would be dragged away by the wind and emanated elegance and elusiveness.
The people around weren’t attracted only by the enormous contrast between the two - it was a clash between the disciples of the two big sects of the kingdom. Although before Cao Su had fought with Duan Long, it was true that he had spent a considerable part of his energies, and it was no surprise the victory of the Tree Sect representative.
However, this time, it was the number 2 in the inner members ranking of the Flower Sect. Moreover, she had always been present in the various episodes that involved the strange boy who could easily tame spirit beasts. So everyone was curious about what the young girl could do.
The sect leader was also eagerly awaiting the start of the battle. During the time spent by the two youths in her sect, she had interacted mainly with Hei, and each time he had pulled a surprise after the other. Since Lian had always been by his side all the time, the sect leader thought there was no way that Lian didn't have excellent skills, like Hei. The same also applies to the two elders and personal disciples who wanted to see the abilities of the girl who had overcome them.
Duan Long took his hammer with both hands and positioned himself. Lian, however, remained standing without taking the guard. Her eyes were staring blankly at the opponent in front of her. In her hands, she was holding the silk ribbon given to her by Bao Bei.
Seeing no change from Lian after some time, Duan Long, still irritated due to the previous episode, couldn't wait any longer and charge toward the girl at full speed with the hammer raised high in the air and hit down on her head.
Lian didn’t panic and waited for the last second, when the hammer was already downhill, to make a small jump backward and thus avoid the blow. However, the attack didn’t end there. Duan Long did indeed continue his offensive by changing the trajectory of his hammer and directed it forward, hurling powerful blows in succession.
But despite the speed with which the hammer was moving, none of his blows were hitting Lian. She always managed to dodge every move by the skin of her teeth using the slightest movement. From her actions lightness, it seemed as if she were dancing on her toes, uncaring of the danger she was facing.
The Tree Sect disciple began to lose more and more calm with every evasion of the girl - how could he let himself look an idiot by allowing a younger girl with a lower cultivation stage to dodge all his blows effortlessly?
Duan Long, therefore, increased the intensity of his hammer attacks, which became even faster and more powerful. Of course, this was detrimental to his energies as it was unthinkable he was able to swing such a large hammer forever at such a rate.
Lian, in turn, accelerated the speed of her movement. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she had already made another shift in another direction. Strangely, as she moved, she was slowly approaching the enemy.
When she found herself in front of her enemy, Lian kicked his face, but Duan Long easily dodged by moving his head. However, Lian's attack hadn’t ended there - suddenly bending her leg, she made it turn back to wrap it along the neck of the Tree sect disciple.
Although he felt the softness of Lian's leg wrapping around his neck, Duan Long had no time at all to enjoy that feeling. Soon after, the young girl martial artist had jumped up and was about to wrap her other leg on his neck. Her goal was to strangle him until he loses consciousness.
Duan Long, who immediately realized the danger, let go of the hammer and try grabbing on Lian's leg wrapped around his neck with the intent to break it, using their difference in strength and stage of cultivation. Moreover, if he caught her, the fight could be defined as concluded.
Nevertheless, Lian had also calculated that move. Leaving her grip, she descended from the body of the enormous Tree Sect disciple while her hands were holding her white silk ribbon. That was wrapped around the neck of Duan Long, replacing her leg.
Duan Long, realizing the increasingly suffocating sensation, tried to destroy that silk ribbon that was strangling him, but, in spite of himself, he discovered that it was more resistant than he thought. His full power could not even tear a piece of that ribbon.
Having no other solution, he tried to hit Lian, whirling around and throwing blows at full power. But each time the girl dodged easily, using his massive body as a point of support and each time she made a knot that would increase the pressure on his throat.
The spectators present were speechless - a slender girl was fighting with a giant two or three times her size as if she were playing. He was also not just any martial artist, but one of the Tree Sect geniuses. Furthermore, her strange ribbon was so resistant that even without spirit power imbued, it was able to resist the power of a fifth stage spirit apprentice.
"Mother, that move ...?" Hei muttered.
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‘Yes, it looks like the submission techniques I taught you. In a sense, the lotus style incorporates some aspects of the spider and snake styles. However, if in those two styles, the martial artist uses his body to attack, external objects are used in the lotus style. You can think of the ribbon as the roots that support the flower exposed to the outside. Regardless of how much wind and other weather factors can shake the flower, as long as the roots are firmly anchored to the ground, the flower will remain in place. Therefore, as long as the root that supports Lian is firm, she will never fall to the ground. Remember it well, because you are that root. As long as you are firm, she can continue to dance even amid this cruel world.’
"I understand, mother. I will do everything possible to support Lian. "
Meanwhile, the clash could now be declared concluded. Duan Long, no matter how hard he tried, couldn’t hit Lian or free himself from the ribbon that enveloped his throat. Every second that passed, his amount of spirit power diminished while Lian's consumption was almost zero since she was merely dodging.
At one point, the voice of one of the Tree Sect elders resounded.
"The Tree Sect declares defeat."
Hearing this, Lian didn’t immediately stop her grip but turned to Hei as if to ask him how to act. Hei nodded yes with his head, and she instantly let go, taking her ribbon back and returning to her seat.
Duan Long, once freed from the grip of the ribbon, fell to his knees on the floor gasping. In his eyes, there was a murderous fury towards that young girl who had made him lose face in front of everyone.
Without warning, he picked up his hammer from the ground and prepared to spring for Lian, who had her back to him. However, even before moving, another voice rang out from the Tree Sect group.
"You lost, come back. Or do you want us to lose even more face? "
To speak was another member of the Tree Sect younger generation. He had an average height with short green hair. At his side was a beautiful girl with purple hair and fair skin, who was affectionately embracing the green-haired young man.
"Ren, I ..."
"Enough, do as I said. Or do I have to stop you myself? If you had stayed calm and fought as always, you wouldn't have been so severely defeated. So close your mouth and come back here. "
The voice of the young man called Ren was flat as if he was talking about something trivial. However, in the ears of Duan Long, those words assumed a completely different meaning, and without retorting, he returned to the Tree Sect group.
At that point, there was a strange silence in the banquet room. Both of the two big sects of the kingdom had withdrawn their representatives and seemed to have no intention of sending another one. At the same time, the disciples of the other sects didn’t want to fight, at least not after the performance of the disciples of the two big sects.
So the king could do nothing but close the sparring contest there and declare the banquet concluded. With the last greetings to the guests, he let them return to their rooms to rest so that they could leave the next day at dawn.
However, it had to be said that the competition had ended there not because the members of the two big sects younger generation didn’t want to fight. Actually, after Lian's match, the Tree Sect disciples were even more curious about the strength of the number 1, Hei. Those belonging to the Flower Sect, instead, wanted to prove that they were superior to the girl and boy couple despite them occupying a higher position in their sect ranking.
But both sect leaders had forbidden to continue fighting. The reason: to preserve their cards available in view of future events. With the order from the sect leaders, the members of the younger generation could only accept and retreat silently.
*
In the room assigned to Hei and Lian, the two youths were lying side by side on the large double bed. In the center, Ye and Xing were already sleeping peacefully while Bao Bei was slowly nibbling at the leftovers from the dinner they had secretly taken. Bao Bei didn’t like to eat in front of strangers, and therefore she would always eat later if her children had dined with other human beings.
"Nice job before Lian, you have become strong," Hei said as he turned his head on the pillow to look at the girl.
Lian, listening to his words, turned her head as well, to reciprocate his gaze. Although she said nothing, Hei could see gratitude in her eyes. Therefore, Hei raised his right hand and gently stroked her head for a while before turning to his mother.
"Mother, now what do we do? Are we going back to the sect, or do we go directly to the parents of the little elephant?"
Bao Bei, at her son's question, raised her head from the pear that she was nibbling and paused for a moment to think before answering.
‘If you go back to the sect, you will at least have to wait a week. The information about those elephant parents is confidential, but there is no guarantee that someone won’t find their position during this period. But if you go directly there, you will have to leave Shui, Mi, and the others with the sect leader. You choose my child. I told you. Whatever you decide, it's fine for me. I will always be there to support you.’
Hei smiled at his mother's words but then kept thinking about the matter.
‘Leaving Shui and the others with the sect leader and directly accompany the little elephant from his parents? What mother said is true: the sooner, the better. If something happened to his parents because we didn't go right away, I wouldn't know what to say to the little elephant.’
Before deciding, he asked his mother again.
"Mother, would it be stressful for your body to go to the place where the adult elephant pair is?"
During his reasoning, Hei had thought that he could take advantage of his mother's speed to reach the place quickly. But, although he didn't like the idea of having to tire his mother, it was the best solution he was able to come up with.
Bao Bei simultaneously blinked all her eight eyes and replied chuckling,
'Of course not. Don't underestimate your mother so much. If it's just running, I can take you there and then take you back to the sect.’
Hei smiled again at his mother's words and answered.
"I am not underestimating you, Mother. For me, you are the strongest being in this world. I don't want you to get too tired, that’s all. All right, you will take us on the outward journey; but on the way back, we can go more slowly. Now I have to warn Shui, Mi, and the others. They probably won't be pleased, but I know they will understand. "
‘They will surely understand, don't worry. But now go to sleep, Hei, Lian. It's late. We will leave tomorrow morning at dawn, but first, you must notify the sect leader about this.’
"Isn't it a problem to leave in daylight? The other times we have always traveled at night. "
‘Don’t worry; I recovered enough energy to travel by day. Since there are more beings active during the day, we must always proceed with caution, so I preferred to travel at night. But now there is no need. Let's go to sleep now, my little ones.’
"Good night, mother."
"Good night, Bao Bei."
So also, Hei and Lian closed their eyes and let themselves be lulled by the dream world waiting for tomorrow's journey.