Tang Xiaoqi's voluntary concession, his elegant bearing winning everyone's hearts, though stopping at the top eight, his reputation not only didn't fall but rose. Yet the conference's progress didn't pause because of this. More intense battles unfolded among the remaining celestial talents.
Mu Xue advanced to the finals without suspense, defeating another top four contestant. Her opponent, as everyone expected, was Situ Hong, that refined sword techniques master steadily ranked in the top fifty of the Hidden Dragon Chart. In the other semi-final, after an arduous battle, Situ Hong (relied on) superior sword Dao cultivation and steadfast will, barely defeated that female cultivator from overseas who wielded strange shell artifacts.
Thus, this Heavenly Axis Ask-the-Heavens Conference's finals lineup was officially set—Crimson Star Sacred Land Mu Xue versus Wave-Touching Sword Sect Situ Hong!
One was a deeply-backed, ice-method profound, unfathomably strong sect fairy. The other was from a sword Dao family, sword techniques reaching perfection, a renowned sword genius. This confrontation was truly the ultimate collision of spear and shield, also the peak clash of two different cultivation paths, attracting everyone's attention.
The finals were arranged last, preceding which was the ranking battles for places fifth through eighth, and the most watched third-fourth place match.
Xiaoqi's opponent in the third-fourth place match was that overseas female cultivator who had narrowly lost to Situ Hong in the semi-finals, named Lan Xi. This woman's cultivation was also Foundation Establishment late stage. She controlled a pair of spiritually intelligent seven-colored shell artifacts, integrating offense and defense. Especially skilled in sonic and illusion attacks, extremely troublesome.
However, after the tempering of that "gentlemen's battle" with Mu Xue, Xiaoqi's mindset and control over his own power had elevated to a new level. Facing Lan Xi's strange and changeable sonic illusions, his Guardian Sword Heart was clear as a mirror, unmoved. Though those seven-colored shell artifacts were wondrous, before Xiaoqi's already great-circle Swimming Dragon Nine Turns, they seemed somewhat clumsy, hard to lock onto his true position.
Xiaoqi didn't even draw the Red Flame Sword. Relying solely on movement technique and that mysteriously elusive wok, within thirty moves, he found an opening and cut into Lan Xi's defense circle. A precise "wok bash" struck her protective shell. Though not using heavy force, that uncanny vibration penetrated her body, instantly disrupting her spiritual energy circulation. She became dizzy, defeated.
The entire process was clean and decisive, displaying absolute superiority.
"Tang Xiaoqi wins! Ranks third in this conference!" The elder judge announced loudly.
Warm applause and cheers rang from below arena. Third place! For a young cultivator from Cleanness Void Sect attending such a grand assembly for the first time, this was already glorious enough to be recorded in history! Zhao Tiezhu, Mu Qingfeng, Liu Yun and others were especially excited, honored.
Xiaoqi was quite satisfied with this result. Third place not only won him tremendous reputation and upcoming rich rewards, but more importantly, laid a solid foundation for Cleanness Void Sect's name in Central Plains cultivation world. He descended the arena, gaze calmly toward that central largest main arena where the ultimate peak confrontation was about to begin.
After brief rest, the much-anticipated finals finally arrived!
Mu Xue and Situ Hong ascended the main arena.
Without superfluous words, both were resolute-minded people, knowing well the other was a formidable opponent. From the start, neither held anything back.
Situ Hong deployed his "Light-Splitting Shadow-Separating Sword" to the extreme. Sword lights differentiated—not nine, but reaching an astonishing eighteen! Eighteen sword lights, real and illusory interweaving, forming an impenetrable death sword net. Sword qi tore the long sky, making sharp whistles, instantly covering most of the arena. His sword intent's sharpness, sword momentum's magnificence, far surpassed when he fought Xiaoqi. Clearly he hadn't used full strength before either.
Facing this sword net sufficient to make any Foundation Establishment cultivator despair, Mu Xue's expression remained as cold as snow. She didn't deploy that wave-to-ice-seal-thousand-miles area technique. Instead, both hands formed a mysterious seal. Her body cold aura fluctuated with a strange rhythm.
The next moment, before her, countless tiny ice crystals condensed out of thin air. Not scattered for attack, but rapidly combined and condensed, actually forming multiple rhombus ice mirrors of varying sizes and angles! These mirrors didn't stay still, but rotated slowly around her. They refracted the arena's light and the incoming sword lights.
"Mirror Flowers, Water's Moon—Thousand Mirror Domain!"
The eighteen (sharp) sword lights, whether solid or illusory, the moment they invaded this Thousand Mirror Domain, actually seemed to have entered a maze of light! Sword lights were repeatedly refracted, deflected, even colliding with each other by the countless ice mirrors. The originally impenetrable sword net instantly became chaotic, power greatly reduced, unable to approach Mu Xue within three zhang of her body!
Situ Hong's expression slightly changed. His sword seal changed again. The eighteen sword lights suddenly merged as one, transforming into a condensed-to-extremity gray fine line, as if able to cut through space, stabbing toward the Thousand Mirror Domain's center, toward Mu Xue!
"One Sword Breaks Ten Thousand Laws!"
This was his ultimate sword Dao condensation!
Mu Xue's gaze tensed. All ice mirrors before her instantly converged, layer upon layer, condensing into a massive ice shield several chi thick, light flowing.
"Mysterious Ice Guardian!"
The gray sword line fiercely struck the ice shield's center!
"Ding—!!!"
A sharp-to-extremity collision sound rang, making below audience's eardrums ache!
The ice shield vibrated intensely. Fine cracks appeared on its surface, but it wasn't completely pierced through! And the gray sword line also exhausted its power, collapsing.
Situ Hong's strongest sword, actually withstood by Mu Xue!
Before Situ Hong could catch his breath, Mu Xue's seal changed again. That cracked ice shield exploded. Not dispersing, but transforming into countless cold-glittering ice crystal swords, like living things, forming a (dense) sword formation, reversely trapping Situ Hong within! Attack and defense switched in an instant!
Situ Hong fell into the ice crystal sword formation, immediately feeling pressure multiply. His surrounding sword qi clashed intensely with the countless ice swords, metallic and clashing sounds unending. Though his swordsmanship was superb, before Mu Xue's nearly perfect defense and counterattack, and her endless, exquisite ice techniques, he gradually fell behind.
Mu Xue's control over ice laws had reached an astonishing realm. She seemed to be ice itself, ice's sovereign.
The intense battle continued for nearly half an incense stick's time. Situ Hong exhausted all means, even deploying some life-essence-consuming secret technique, forcibly elevating sword power, once tearing the sword formation. But Mu Xue always responded with more exquisite, stronger ice methods. Her spiritual energy seemed inexhaustible. Her control over battle rhythm was perfectly calibrated.
Finally, Situ Hong's spiritual energy was overly consumed. One careless moment, a silently condensed extremely cold ice chain caught his ankle. His form stalled. Countless ice crystal swords instantly (hovered) at his body's vital points around. Cold sword tips radiated chilling cold.
He smiled bitterly. Dispelling his surrounding sword qi, he (calmly) said: "Immortal Mu Xue's Dao techniques are profound and unfathomable. Situ... loses."
Mu Xue slightly nodded. Her jade-like hand waved. The (skyful) ice crystal swords and cold aura instantly vanished, as if never appearing.
"Generous."
The presiding elder took a deep breath, suppressing the shock in his heart, announced loudly, voice spreading in all directions:
"Finals winner—Crimson Star Sacred Land—Mu Xue! Wins this Heavenly Axis Ask-the-Heavens Conference's championship!"
"Situ Hong ranks second!"
"Tang Xiaoqi ranks third!"
Above the plaza, after an initial silence, erupted into earth-shaking cheers and applause! Regardless of outcome, this wonderful finals, and the bearing and strength displayed by all celestial talents throughout the conference, were enough to make people reminisce for a long time.
Mu Xue, as expected by public sentiment, crowned champion!
Tang Xiaoqi, dark horse style, bravely won third place!
This Heavenly Axis Ask-the-Heavens Conference thus concluded perfectly. And a new legend was born.