Heavenly Jewel Change

Zhou Weiqing said solemnly: “For the first fight, I want you to just put up a token struggle, make use of all your most powerful abilities as soon as possible and deal as much damage as you can before you surrender. Your main job is to ensuring that you remain uninjured before you surrender.”

Zhou Weiqing could sense everyone’s shock, disappointment, puzzlement, confusion, and even anger, and he said earnestly: “IF our target today was just to simply defeat the Bai Da Empire, and to enter the top eight, then I believe with Leader’s original plan we have the power to do so. I do not doubt that at all. However, is our main target just the top eight? No! Our target is to enter the top four, to enter the Heavenly Jewel Island. As such, we need to make use of strategy and tactics against the Bai Da Empire. There is still some time before our fight starts, so I’ll explain my idea simply. If everyone thinks it is workable, then we shall go ahead with it. If not, I’ll return the command to Leader.”

“My plan goes like this…”

…

Very quickly, the entire Fei Li Battle Team Rest House fell silent. While explaining his plan, Zhou Weiqing put up his Spatial Shackles in order to totally prevent anyone from listening.

If any outsider could look into the Fei Li Battle Team Rest House, they would see each and every team member with strange, and changing looks on their faces… From puzzlement… To shock… To excitement… And finally fanaticism! Their looks at Zhou Weiqing slowly changed from ‘looking at a lunatic’, to praise and even awe.

The 3rd day of the Heavenly Jewel Tournament finally began. However, the audience were not extremely interested in the fight in front of them, as everyone waited for the highlight match to start. It was rumoured that today’s bets had totalled an hitherto unheard of amount, especially on the Fei Li Battle Team vs Bai Da Battle Team match. Of course, no matter which side won, the ZhongTian Empire officials was the biggest winner!

As match after match ended, the crowd grew more and more excited. When the judge finally announced the long awaited match had begun, the crowd erupted into a deafening cheer.

Even in the ZhongTian Empire, the number of Heavenly Jewel Masters paled in comparison to the sheer number of citizens. Percentage wise, it was pretty much the same around the entire world. Of course, with their prosperity and power, most of the citizens were still relatively familiar with world of Heavenly Jewel Masters, and their knowledge and ‘eyes’ were definitely better in comparison to other Empire’s regular citizens, and they were eager to watch some high level fights. Alas, the top fights of the Heavenly Jewel Tournament were usually held in the Heavenly Jewel Island, and they were unable to watch those. As such, they were extremely happy and eager whenever the preliminary heats had such exciting matches. Both the Bai Da and Fei Li Empires were famous large empires, and well known for their enmity; how could the audience not be excited?

Ye Paopao stood up and walked slowly towards the stage. As the representative member, his face was calm, his eyes expressionless and he walked steadily ahead.

As for the Bai Da Battle Team, their representative for this match was a young lady looking to be around twenty six years old. Her looks were average, perhaps even a little premature aging, with withered yellow hair; not very attractive at all. However, her eyes were very unique, a strange deep darkness within them. Her movements were soft and graceful as she walked up the stage, not making a sound, as if she were a spirit floating up the stage.

Looking at the young lady, Ye Paopao’s heart gripped in warning; at the same time, he couldn’t help but feel admiration for Zhou Weiqing’s arrangements. Without question, this young lady was one of the top powerhouses in the Bai Da Battle Team. Just like Lin TianAo said, facing such a fight, both he and Lang Xie were lusting for victory, and were especially determined to get the first one.

Alas, this time, the leader of the Fei Li Battle Team was Zhou Weiqing, not Lin TianAo.

When Lang Xie saw that the enemy member on the stage was Ye Paopao, his face changed. He was clear that usually the first fight between their two empires were usually between at least five-Jeweled Heavenly Jewel Masters. However, Ye Paopao had shown his cultivation level in the previous matches, and was only a four-Jeweled Heavenly Jewel Master.

However, that surprise only lasted for a moment before Lang Xie dismissed it. After all, the pair of Zhou Weiqing and Crow, who were both merely three-Jeweled Heavenly Jewel Masters, had already shown their powers earlier. Perhaps this Ye Paopao had also some hidden strength that was comparable to the five-Jeweled cultivation level… could he have some secret techniques?

Lang Xie had done a lot of research on the Fei Li Battle Team members, and in his eyes, the greatest threat was naturally the leader Lin TianAo. He knew he was pretty much equal to Lin TianAo, or perhaps even slightly weaker. After all, three years ago, he had also attended the previous Heavenly Jewel Tournament, and he had seen Lin TianAo then as well. At that time, Lin TianAo had just reached the four-Jeweled cultivation level, but his Assembly Set Shield had definitely left a deep impression on the members of the Bai Da Battle Team of that time. Alas, the two empires had not met in combat three years ago, as such he did not have a clear understanding of Lin TianAo’s exact powers.

Lang Xie was a careful person, as such he planned to consider Lin TianAo’s match as a writeoff. However, he was still determined to take the first victory. As the leader, he would not be the first to take the stage, and he believed that both sides would definitely fight all the way to the fifth fight. The final two rounds were definitely their final determining fights, and as long as he managed to clinch two victories in the first three fights, he would be able to force Lin TianAo to fight the fourth fight. Even if they lost that one, he could take the last fight and secure a win easily.

However, Lin TianAo’s arrangement had surprised him. Could this Ye Paopao with his four-Jeweled cultivation level be more powerful than expected?

As Lang Xie pondered to himself, the fight officially started.

“Fei Li Battle Team. Ye Paopao.”

“Bai Da Battle Team. Qing Qian.”

The young lady from the Bai Da Battle Team had a rather unique name indeed.

As the judge proclaimed the start of the fight, Ye Paopao did not hesitate in launching his attacks. He did not have any strategies or even thoughts of conserving energy, and right from the beginning he launched everything he had.

The temperature of the air fell dramatically as Ye Paopao released a freezing skill towards Qing Qian. Such an area of effect skill which affected temperature of the surroundings was not something that could be dodged. Under Ye Paopao’s maximum effort, the temperature dropped swiftly. At the same time, three ice shields formed in front of him as he flew backwards, his Physical Jewel Consolidated Equipment all coalescing around him, including the staff in his hands, bringing his combat power to the maximum as he gathered all his Heavenly Energy.

In any ordinary Heavenly Jewel Master’s eyes, Ye Paopao’s actions were pretty decent. Facing an unknown opponent, he had spent the least amount of time in launching both an attack and defense, moving back and giving himself time to react.

However, in the eyes of skilled fighters like Lang Xie, only one term could be used to describe Ye Paopao’s actions. Worthless. The reason was simple – such actions from him were just too draining towards Heavenly Energy.

Facing Ye Paopao, Qing Qian had already released her Heavenly Jewels. Towards Ye Paopao’s actions, she was not worried at all; although the freezing skill would affect her a little, as long as she was circulating her Heavenly Energy to block out the cold, it would greatly reduce the effect on her. This was especially so since there was a gap between their cultivation levels, as she was a five Jeweled Heavenly Jewel Master after all.

As the five Dragonstone Jade Physical Jewels swirled around her wrist, the Agility Attribute stones glowing with a dim green light, Qing Qian looked at ice shield around Ye Paopao with scorn as she lifted her left hand. A dark, shadowy glow flew towards Ye Paopao instantly, almost like a bridge as it connected the two of them.

The Cursing Arts. Although Ye Paopao did not know exactly what Skill Qing Qian had used, it was definitely one of the cursing arts of the Darkness Attribute. Without question, this young lady had one of the greater attributes, Darkness.

A strange expression appeared on Ye Paopao’s face, and his following actions were puzzling and almost unfathomable to the watching audience. Lifting his right hand, the three Ice Shields started sliding towards his opponent, as he totally ignored the curse and did not even attempt to defend himself. By this time, his Freezing Skill had already caused a layer of ice to form around the entire stage, and that allowed his ice shield to slide along at a rather swift rate.

As the black shadow quickly enveloped Ye Paopao, he felt his body turn cold, as if the connection between him and his Consolidated Equipment was diminished, and his entire body slowing down a little.

The entire audience could see that after being afflicted by the curse, a black symbol appeared on Ye Paopao’s forehead.

In the Rest House, Zhou Weiqing muttered to himself: “Curse of Sluggishness. Slowing down the opponent’s physical speed, and also speed of circulating Heavenly Energy. A 5 Star Rated Darkness Skill, a decent control skill indeed.”

Of course, this Curse of Sluggishness was not comparable to his own Curse of Doom.

Seeing the three ice shields sliding towards her, Qing Qian gave a cold humph. Her leg struck the ground as she flew into the air; her Physical Jewels were the Agility Attribute after all, and her speed and jumping abilities were definitely top notch.

However, nobody else expected what came next. Just as Qian Qing jumped into the air, the three Ice Shields suddenly exploded, shattering into an icy mist that rose into the air. The reverberation of the explosion also sent Qing Qian to spin uncontrollably for a moment, just sufficient time for the icy mist to envelop her.