Chapter 300 - 179: Fusion of Paths, a New Miracle Technique

Chapter 300: Chapter 179: Fusion of Paths, a New Miracle Technique

Ever since the scissor kick, everything had happened too quickly, too bizarrely. Xiao Buping suddenly erupted with terrifying brute force, as if he’d become a different person. Everyone was left dumbfounded, and the arena fell silent.

Iron Maiden went rolling to the edge of the platform, whip and all, and spat out a mouthful of blood.

For a long moment.

The silent Dugu Xiang ordered someone to strike the Copper Gong.

GONG!

"Xiao Buping is the victor!"

The Knights were in an uproar.

The outcome was completely unexpected.

"What on earth happened to Iron Maiden?"

"That Bandit Xiao got lucky!"

Some could see that Iron Maiden’s techniques were off; she’d lost her composure and failed to perform at her usual level. They concluded that Xiao Buping had just gotten dog-shit lucky.

But that explanation was instantly met with scorn.

"Luck? Why don’t you take a good look inside the ring."

Zheng Xiu dispelled the Projection, his muscles contracting by an imperceptible amount. ’It’s a good thing I’m wearing so many layers.’ He cupped his hands in a salute and walked off the Sword Inquiry Platform.

It was then that someone, after Zheng Xiu had left, noticed the center of the platform—the very spot where he had just stood up.

A clear footprint, sunk a full fist’s depth into the stone!

That was the footprint Zheng Xiu had left when he unleashed his power!

In the hard stone slab!

"Hssss..."

Zheng Xiu put away his Luohe Brush and, waving a fan, walked back to Xiaotao’s side under everyone’s stare.

"Young Master, you..."

Xiaotao’s eyes went wide as she stared at her young master, shining with excitement. "Young Master, you were so mighty!"

"It was nothing."

Xiaotao would never question why her young master had suddenly become so powerful. She certainly wouldn’t ask when he had mastered such a divine technique. In her eyes, anything that happened to her young master was a matter of course, perfectly reasonable. Her gaze held only pure adoration, and a deeply hidden love.

Iron Maiden staggered to her feet, wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth. She looked badly hurt, but the injury was more superficial than it appeared. She shot a hateful glare in Zheng Xiu’s direction, but when she saw that he wasn’t even looking at her, a complex emotion flickered in her eyes. She could only walk off the Sword Inquiry Platform in silence.

"Xiao Buping’s" sudden burst of power left everyone stunned. However, it wasn’t enough to become a lasting topic of conversation. Most people simply concluded that Xiao Buping had been hiding his true strength and that there would be earth-shattering changes to the Weapon Manual in the future. But such is the Martial World; tales of hidden strength and unexpected victories are but a Fleeting Appearance, mere idle gossip to be replaced by ever newer stories.

The tournament continued, and just as one might expect, the third round pitted Xie Luohe against Zheng Xiu.

The Knights saw that it was the "number one villain" versus the vile Bandit Xiao with his terrifying hidden strength. Seeing them matched up by a twist of fate, the crowd instantly perked up. They had the disciples of the Dugu Family bring fresh tea and more melon seeds, settling in to watch a grand, tangled drama of love and hate between a man and a woman.

On the Sword Inquiry Platform, Xie Luohe stood with a Longbow slung over her back. A gust of wind rustled her clothes, making her silhouette seem somewhat forlorn.

"Have you had your fun?"

Xie Luohe asked, her voice laced with cold laughter.

With everyone watching, Zheng Xiu couldn’t ask Xie Luohe any pointed questions, but he still managed to subtly express his displeasure. "What exactly are you trying to do?"

Xie Luohe lowered her head, placed her hands over her heart, and closed her eyes for a moment.

Beneath her mask, the corners of her mouth suddenly curled up, then just as suddenly fell—joy one moment, sorrow the next.

In that instant, Zheng Xiu once again saw a shadow of Feng Bei in Xie Luohe.

It seemed that ever since Xie Luohe had learned to "impersonate Feng Bei," Zheng Xiu found it increasingly difficult to distinguish whether it was Xie Luohe or Feng Bei standing before him. He figured that one day, if the real Feng Bei ever showed up, he would probably still greet her with a wary kick and demand, "Xie Luohe, are you done playing games yet?"

Xie Luohe smiled faintly.

"I, Xie Luohe, forfeit!"