The eight finals seats settled. The plaza's atmosphere not only didn't relax but grew increasingly tense, like a fully drawn bow. All gazes focused on the central largest main arena. The four finals contest ahead, each battle would be a dragon fighting tiger, sufficient to determine this conference's final landscape.
After brief recuperation, the draw determining matchups began. The eight cultivators representing the current cultivation world's pinnacle of the younger generation approached one by one, drawing fate-determining jade lots from the container.
When the matchup results were announced by the presiding elder one after another, suppressed exclamations and discussions rang across the plaza.
"First battle—Crimson Star Sacred Land Mu Xue versus Clearness Void Sect Tang Xiaoqi!"
The voice fell, as if dropping a boulder into a calm lake, stirring a thousand waves.
"What? Immortal Mu Xue versus Tang Xiaoqi?"
"The two co-first place holders on the Ascending Heaven Ladder actually met early in the four finals!"
"This will be interesting! Will Immortal Mu Xue continue her crushing dominance, or can dark horse Tang Xiaoqi create another miracle again?"
"Unfortunately, whoever loses will mean a top talent stops outside the top four."
Discussions boiled. This confrontation was undoubtedly the most watched of the four finals. One side was the deeply-backed, unfathomably strong sect heir publicly acknowledged as championship favorite. The other was a (appearing out of nowhere) dark horse with endless means and repeatedly bringing surprises. The two's shared history of co-first place on the Ascending Heaven Ladder added countless topics to this confrontation.
Yan Feng stood in the shadows below. Seeing this matchup result, an extremely complex expression appeared on his face. He both wanted Mu Xue to teach Tang Xiaoqi a lesson, draining his resentment, yet also had a twisted reluctance to see Xiaoqi lose to anyone else. Shui Wu Hen, Liu Xu and others also showed solemn expressions. Whether these two won or lost, they would both be enormous obstacles to their pursuit of better rankings.
Zhao Tiezhu nervously gripped his fists, constantly muttering: "Little Seven brother, fight! You can't lose to that cold ice girl!" Mu Qingfeng, Liu Yun and other Cleanness Void Sect disciples also showed worry. The strength Mu Xue displayed was too terrifying. Though Xiaoqi progressed rapidly, what were his chances against her?
When Xiaoqi heard his opponent was Mu Xue, his heart also slightly stirred. What must come, will come. He raised his head, gazing at that cold-snow-like moon-white figure not far away.
Mu Xue seemed unsurprised by this result. Her cold gaze met Xiaoqi's, slightly nodding as a greeting.
Under countless watching eyes, the two slowly ascended the central main arena.
The arena was wide, paved with the hardest Bluegang Stone, inscribed with complex reinforcement and protective formations, sufficient to withstand any impact below Nascent Soul level. At this moment, this arena seemed to become an independent stage. All light and attention gathered here.
Mu Xue stood on one side of the arena, her posture graceful, aura ethereal, as if an otherworldly Fairy of Guanghan (Moon Palace). She didn't deliberately (emit) imposing presence, yet that naturally flowing coldness and nobility, plus the terrifying record of ice-sealing the arena with a wave, formed an invisible powerful aura, making people awed.
Xiaoqi stood on the opposite side. His blue robe slightly moved, his form upright. His aura was restrained, not as eye-catching as Mu Xue, yet in those composed eyes was contained steadfastness like rock and (sharp edge) tempered by battles. He was like a silent mountain—seemingly ordinary, yet internally harboring power sufficient to shake heaven and earth.
The two faced each other—one like ice, one like mountain. The atmosphere was subtle and solemn, as if even air stopped flowing.
Below the arena, dead silence. Everyone held their breath, awaiting this peak confrontation's beginning. Would it be ice-sealing thousand miles, freezing everything? Or mountain immovable, impenetrable to all laws?
The presiding elder looked at this golden boy and jade girl-like opponents on stage, eyes also showing a trace of emotion, then announced loudly:
"Four Finals Battle One—Crimson Star Sacred Land Mu Xue versus Cleanness Void Sect Tang Xiaoqi! Begin!"
No anticipated instant eruption, no verbal sparring.
After the announcement, the two still stood in place, gazes meeting in mid-air.
Mu Xue looked at Xiaoqi. Her cold voice first sounded on the arena, like ice spring dripping onto a jade plate: "Your movement technique is quite interesting. I hope you won't disappoint me."
Xiaoqi responded calmly: "Immortal Mu Xue's ice-type Dao techniques also make me gasp with admiration. Please."
After brief dialogue, Mu Xue moved.
She didn't deploy that ice-sealing thousand miles technique. Instead, she raised her delicate hand. Fingertips floated with dot-like ice-crystal cold light. As her fingers traced, countless tiny diamond-star-like ice shards (formed) in the air, making pleasant yet lethal soft chimes. Like a guiding hand, they transformed into abrilliant (brilliant) yet icy river of stars, flowing toward Xiaoqi.
This move, seemingly less spectacular than ice-sealing the arena before, was actually more condensed, more precise. Each ice shard contained extreme cold and penetrating power, sealing all angles Xiaoqi could possibly dodge.
Xiaoqi's eyes narrowed. He could feel the terrifying power within that ice shard river of stars. He didn't choose to block head-on, nor immediately deploy "Emerging Dragon from the Abyss" to forcefully break through.
The Swimming Dragon Nine Turns movement technique naturally flowed. His body seemed to transform into a boneless swimming dragon. Within those dense ice shard gaps, he made all manner of incredible twists, swings, slides. Each time at the narrowest margin, he avoided the ice shard's piercing by a hair's breadth. His movements were fluid yet uncanny, as if dancing on a knife's edge—dangerous yet carrying a strange beauty.
Ice shards struck the arena floor or protective barrier, exploding into clusters of ice mist, making soft "pu-pu" sounds, leaving deep holes.
First round probing, Xiaoqi relied on extraordinary movement technique to receive it, unharmed.
Mu Xue's eyes flashed with a trace of faint surprise. She seemed to have more intuitive understanding of Xiaoqi's movement technique's exquisiteness. Her fingertip seal slightly changed. That flowing ice shard river of stars suddenly accelerated and rotated, transforming into a massive, continuously shrinking ice crystal vortex. Cold increased sharply, suction emerged. She wanted to thoroughly devour and freeze Xiaoqi!
The four finals contest, just beginning, already displayed far higher level and danger than any previous confrontation. Everyone understood—this battle absolutely wouldn't end easily. The true contest had just raised its curtain.