Chapter 52 - 52 48 Mountain Barbarians!

52: Chapter 48: Mountain Barbarians!

52: Chapter 48: Mountain Barbarians!

“The competitors, Lin Zhengli from Wangjiang City, Zhao Tiehe from Sanshan City.

Begin!”

At the referee’s command, both sides began to form seals with dizzying speed.

The only difference was that Lin Zhengli stood his ground, his expression calm, while Zhao Tiehe cast seals and advanced simultaneously.

This was a clash of two completely different styles; before the collision, no one knew the outcome.

The Earth Row Vitality gathered, and sharp stone spikes burst from the ground.

Starting with the same earth spike tactic, Yang Xingyong used it for defense, but Zhao Tiehe used it for offense.

A wave seemed to materialize out of nowhere, lifting Lin Zhengli into the air, just narrowly avoiding the attack of the earth spikes.

This was the Wave Surge, a top-tier Ding grade Dao Technique used for movement with Water Tactics Vitality.

Zhao Tiehe had completed his Seal Technique; with a lift of his hands, those earth spikes were uprooted and shot towards Lin Zhengli in the air!

Unlike Yang Xingyong, who used brute force to launch a second phase of attacks with the earth spikes, Zhao Tiehe’s was a complete manipulation of the Dao Technique itself for the second change, a true innovation of the technique!

Lin Zhengli, still in the air with the Wave Surge already used, seemed to have run out of options.

Yet, with a sudden flick of his fingers, the wave carrying him surged violently, and another wave rose from within, whisking Lin Zhengli away from the earth spikes’ barrage just in time.

He likewise revealed the second phase change of the Wave Surge!

The battle between Zhao Tiehe and Lin Zhengli was truly a showcase of the power of Dao Techniques.

The advancement of both Dao Techniques also reflected the depth of the Daoist academies of Sanshan City and Wangjiang City, as revolutionizing such basic techniques is essential for the true enhancement of an academy’s overall strength.

Lin Zhengli kept evading, but Zhao Tiehe’s offensive was relentless.

With a tap of his foot, he shot up from the ground.

From below, he threw an uppercut punch, but that fist was already covered in layers of stone, a Covered Stone Fist!

He nearly replicated Yang Xingyong’s Dao Technique in response to Lin Zhengli’s earlier remark about “weaklings pecking at each other.”

Lin Zhengli had yet to land and seemed to have nowhere to dodge, but his fingers flicked once more.

Within the waves, new waves formed, propelling him once again away from the attack.

Triple Wave Layer!

A mere Wave Surge, a common displacement Dao Technique, was exhibiting its third phase change today.

If the second phase change of the earth spikes pushed that Dao Technique to the limit of a top-tier Ding grade, then the Triple Wave Layer had actually elevated a Ding grade technique to the level of a C grade technique.

This was a qualitative improvement!

Zhao Tiehe missed with his Covered Stone Fist again.

He had no time to be shocked, for Lin Zhengli’s counterattack had already arrived.

Relying on the Triple Wave Layer as his ace in the hole, he unexpectedly evaded again and again, and finally, at that moment, he completed his Dao Technique.

All the Water Tactics Vitality in the arena suddenly erupted, water surged, and waves roared.

From all directions, violent waves crashed towards Zhao Tiehe, who was too slow to evade and was struck by a wave right on the spot.

He was sent flying uncontrollably, as if hit by a heavy punch, blood spitting from his mouth.

Then, another wave hit him in mid-air, sending him flying even further, blood spraying.

The forceful waves collided, and Zhao Tiehe was battered back and forth like a broken sandbag, emitting muffled sounds.

This was a bare display of C grade Dao Technique, Raging Waves!

Lin Zhengli’s expression remained composed, gone was any trace of frivolity from before the fight; instead, there was a sense of everything being under control.

His hands swiftly formed seals, and at the moment the Raging Waves ended, he whipped out a very long vine whip, lashing it with a whoosh.

Zhao Tiehe, almost powerless in the Raging Waves, simply huddled and curled into a ball to minimize the attack surface.

The instant the Raging Waves subsided, his body unfurled, and he suddenly reached out to grab the vine whip.

Blood still dripped from the corner of his mouth, his clothes were torn and tattered, revealing his bruised body.

Yet, he seemed to feel no pain, as if all cultivators from Sanshan City possessed this kind of toughness.

He grabbed the vine whip forcefully, intent on pulling Lin Zhengli towards him!

But Lin Zhengli released his grip, and the vine whip turned back, wrapping around Zhao Tiehe’s body like a serpent, binding him tightly.

It turned out that the Dao Technique Lin Zhengli had just used was not the mid-grade Ding Vine Whip, but the top-grade Ding Entangling Vine Technique!

He had utilized the Entangling Vine Technique not to bind his enemy at first but disguised it as a Vine Whip, to lead Zhao Tiehe into grabbing it and thus ensnare him perfectly.

It could be said that from the start of the battle, every move of Zhao Tiehe had fallen into a trap.

Even his earlier words to Zhao Tiehe before the fight might have been foreshadowing.

By this moment, Lin Zhengli was ready to reap the fruits of his victory.

He completed his Seal Technique with ease, and now, truly whipping out a Vine Whip, he struck fiercely at his bound opponent.

But the entangling vine that bound Zhao Tiehe suddenly exploded, and with a roll on the ground, he avoided the merciless lash.

Only then did people notice the fresh blood trailing down Zhao Tiehe’s body and the multitude of gaping wounds.

On the ground lay a mess of broken stones and remnants of vines mixed together.

Zhao Tiehe had covered himself with a layer of stone armor as soon as the raging waves ended, Lin Zhengli might not have noticed, or perhaps he had noticed but did not care.

After all, the stone armor technique was merely a Dao Technique to increase defense, and it was not helpful in escaping the entangling vines.

But the stone armor exploded.

In an instant, Zhao Tiehe was blasted open, his skin ripped and flesh burst asunder, as well as the vines wrapped around him.

The scene was extremely gruesome, many people couldn’t bear to watch anymore, Ling He even stretched out a hand to cover Jiang Anan’s eyes.

Yet Zhao Tiehe, dragging his bloodstained body, charged at Lin Zhengli once again.

Nobody knew why he still wouldn’t give up, why he still persisted.

Was it not just a Dao Technique battle?

It wasn’t the grand examination of the county academy in November, it had nothing to do with one’s future!

This was a battle among first-year cultivators, with all the other competing cultivators watching from the sidelines.

Sun Xiaoman stared intently at the field, not blinking even once.

Lin Zhengren turned to look at her, “At this point, do you still want to fight on, Miss Xiaoman?

Someone could die.”

“Whether he chooses life or honor, I cannot decide for him,” said the red-footed girl, without even turning her head.

“Smack!”

This time, Zhao Tiehe couldn’t dodge the whip.

A deep lash mark appeared, his skin ripped, and flesh burst open.

But it seemed he had no intention to dodge; instead, he took the opportunity when the whip was withdrawn to grab hold of the tip!

With several spins, he wrapped the green vine whip around himself.

Dragging the whip, he approached Lin Zhengli, and on his fist, stone slowly gathered.

The speed was much slower than before, but it was still the same move, the Stone Covering Fist.

Lin Zhengli had no choice but to let go of the whip, abandoning the Dao Technique-crafted weapon.

He leaped backwards, retreating as he said, “Surrender!

If you keep going like this, you’ll really die!”

“Surrender?” Zhao Tiehe looked at Lin Zhengli, his smile growing, “We people from Wangjiang City can’t be looked down upon like this by you all!”

He suddenly charged forward a few steps; the Stone Covering Fist smashed down!

Boom!

Lin Zhengli leaped away from the spot, and the stone fist slammed into the ground, creating a deep pit.

“You’re seeking death!” Lin Zhengli, still in midair, rapidly formed Seal Techniques with his hands.

He didn’t want to admit that he had started to feel fear in this battle, but he was determined to use a more ferocious Dao Technique, even if he couldn’t control it, even if…

it might kill his opponent.

As the Dao Technique began to take shape, he just happened to land.

The timing was so perfect he almost praised himself.

But, for some unknown reason, a pit had appeared on the ground, one that he didn’t know how or when had formed.

It was a trap Zhao Tiehe had set long ago, guided by Earth Row Vitality, causing the ground to sink.

It was a low-level Dao Technique, of the lowest grade, named simply “Pit.”

But it was so perfectly timed.

Lin Zhengli stumbled, his posture collapsing and the Dao Technique he was preparing fizzled out.

Although he immediately twisted his body to avoid falling, he did not hit the ground.

But Zhao Tiehe, like a wild beast, pounced over, pinning him solidly to the ground.

Being so close, any Dao Technique aside from instant spells lost its meaning.

Thud!

That was the sound of a fist smashing onto a face.

“I am not a barbarian from the hills!”

Thud!

Thud!

“I am…

from Zhuang Country, Qinghe County!

A cultivator from Wangjiang City!

Zhao, Tie, He!”

Thud!

Thud!

Thud!

Zhao Tiehe threw punch after punch.

Lin Zhengren outside the ring twitched, as if each punch was landing on his own face.

“Surrender!” he shouted.