Chapter 58: Zhang Xue vs. Strong Cyan Tiger

Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Zhang Xue vs. Strong Cyan Tiger

In the two seconds the Strong Cyan Tiger paused its attack, Zhang Xue used the pull of the ribbon to leap out of its encirclement!

Once clear of the encirclement, Zhang Xue gripped the ribbon with both hands and gave a mighty heave. The entangled Strong Cyan Tiger was yanked clean off the ground!

Li Heng, who was watching this, couldn’t help but sigh with emotion for the first time in a while. ’She looked like a fairy just a few minutes ago, but now she’s a total tomboy!’

But being a tomboy was one thing. Among Soul Masters, such labels didn’t matter. Strength was the only thing that truly counted.

Li Heng could also tell that this girl, Zhang Xue, was a force to be reckoned with. ’With that kind of physical and wrist strength, if she were to hone her skills further...’

’...that seemingly delicate ribbon could absolutely shatter a Strong Cyan Tiger’s skull in a single strike!’

Li Heng wasn’t the only one who thought so. When they saw Zhang Xue lift the Strong Cyan Tiger, both Lin Jiangang and Wang Junde nodded slightly, their eyes filled with satisfaction.

But despite their satisfaction, neither of them made any comment. Li Heng had not yet begun his "competition."

They both considered that any comment at this point might distract Li Heng.

This was a competition for numerous honors and rewards, and both students were exceptional talents. Though Lin Jiangang and Wang Junde each had their private hopes, they would never gamble with the futures of these young people.

Zhang Xue hadn’t lifted the Strong Cyan Tiger with her ribbon just to show off her wrist and physical strength. She intended to use the beast as a "Meteor Hammer"!

After five straight minutes of combat, it wasn’t just Zhang Xue who felt her stamina draining; the four soul beasts were also severely fatigued.

Their attacks were no longer as swift and fierce as they had been at the start. But Zhang Xue had steeled herself; she didn’t care if she collapsed from exhaustion or broke a few bones.

She had to win this fight. There was no more time to waste!

"Hah! All of you can just die!"

Zhang Xue took a deep breath. Betting everything on what could be a turning point in her life, she channeled all her strength into her wrists and began to swing the Strong Cyan Tiger on the end of her ribbon!

The Strong Cyan Tiger was the head of the Meteor Hammer!

The ribbon, its chain!

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

...

After Zhang Xue’s great roar, the crowd was treated to the sight of the "hammer head" repeatedly soaring through the air and crashing down, smashing into the other three Strong Cyan Tigers!

"Well... Director Wang, it seems your niece is usually quite the quiet one!"

Lin Jiangang, who had planned to remain silent, simply couldn’t hold back after witnessing this scene, and directed a comment at Wang Junde.

The latter grunted softly. "In this day and age, a girl has to be like Zhang Xue to be considered a proper young lady."

Watching the style of the fight suddenly shift from a graceful fairy to a muscle-bound Barbie, Li Heng was taken aback.

’Who could imagine a girl with the face of Lin Daiyu doing the work of Zhang Fei?’

’At first, seeing her use a ribbon, I thought she was a girl who cared a lot about appearances, but I never expected her to have such a fierce, powerful kind of beauty.’

’But to be fair, while both are flexible weapons, the "Meteor Hammer" seems to suit Zhang Xue much better than a simple ribbon.’

She swung her "Meteor Hammer" for a full minute. The energy she expended was by no means small, but thankfully, her frenzied bombardment left all four Strong Cyan Tigers on the brink of death.

The unfortunate "hammer head" itself had broken bones all over its body and lay on the ground, its breathing shallow.

"Huuuh..."

Gazing at the four fallen Strong Cyan Tigers, Zhang Xue let out a long sigh of relief. But her hands had begun to tremble uncontrollably, and it felt as if she’d lost all control of her right wrist.

Even though the four Strong Cyan Tigers had lost their ability to fight, the battle wasn’t over. Her soul qi pet was still locked in combat with the final Strong Cyan Tiger.

Her own condition was terrible, but healing—or anything else—would have to wait until the fight was completely over.

The two soul beasts had been evenly matched, but with Zhang Xue joining the fray, the tide of battle turned quickly.

Thirty seconds later, Zhang Xue’s ribbon constricted around the last Strong Cyan Tiger, strangling it.

"Five minutes and forty seconds!"

With all five Strong Cyan Tigers dead or incapacitated, the battle was officially over. A staff member stopped the timer and announced the result aloud.

As soon as the time was called, the medical staff on standby rushed forward to check on Zhang Xue and provide aid.

Wang Junde was very satisfied with this result. For someone in the Soul Pupil Realm, taking on three soul beasts at once was considered excellent.

Even though she had used her soul qi pet, if you looked at it closely, his niece had effectively taken on four soul beasts by herself.

Her only injuries were a minor wound on her back and some exhaustion. As for an evaluation, she undoubtedly deserved the word "exceptional"!

Moreover, from what he had just witnessed, Wang Junde felt Zhang Xue’s skill with flexible weapons was commendable. With a bit more refinement, she could be expected to achieve a decent level of mastery!

At this point, Wang Junde found himself subconsciously comparing Li Heng to his niece.

’Based on the information available,’ he thought, ’this Li Heng has high talent in the Sword Way, but he’s only been through two secret realms, and he didn’t even last the full seven days in the second one.’

’Logically, his experience fighting soul beasts should be less than Zhang Xue’s, especially when it comes to fighting multiple opponents at once!’

’Plus, trying to gain an advantage against a pack of soul beasts with a Longsword is harder than using a flexible weapon like a ribbon.’

’If it were a one-on-one duel, or even one against two...’

’...Wang Junde didn’t doubt for a second that Li Heng would be rock-solid and would probably end the fight very quickly!’

’But one against many? The outcome is truly hard to predict. If Li Heng wants to win, he’ll have to fight five Strong Cyan Tigers at once and finish in under five minutes and forty seconds.’

’And it seems... he doesn’t even have his own soul qi pet.’

’Tough.’

’Very tough.’

’This isn’t something that sheer talent in the Sword Way can make up for. While technique is important, fighting multiple opponents requires more than just skill.’

’Body Technique and weapon proficiency are just the entry requirements. What’s needed most is experience.’

’Of course, if you possess absolute power, then experience and all that becomes irrelevant.’

’But clearly, in Wang Junde’s opinion, Li Heng’s physical constitution was merely approaching that of a Soul Warrior. He wasn’t a true Soul Warrior, just a very strong Soul Pupil.’

’Therefore, he doesn’t possess the strength for an absolute, crushing victory.’

’So, for this competition, the outcome is really up in the air, and his niece’s chances of winning are quite high!’

"Good luck, Li Heng! No pressure!" Though his thoughts were one thing, Wang Junde still offered Li Heng words of encouragement.

Li Heng offered his thanks. Gripping his Cyan Blade Longsword, he said nothing more, quietly waiting for Zhang Xue to finish her medical treatment and leave the arena.

Seeing Li Heng’s calm and composed demeanor, Lin Jiangang didn’t bother with pleasantries and asked him directly, "How many?"