Chapter 570: Chapter 568: The Final Moment!

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM…

A thousand streams of Sword Qi formed a massive, swirling Qi Force, descending ferociously, as swift as lightning.

Luo Feng stood in the shadow of the Yuan Qi mountain formed by the Profound Weight Qi Field and said with a laugh, “I never imagined that the combination of the Profound Weight Qi Field and the Broken Flow Sword Technique could be this fast underwater.”

Due to increased resistance, the deeper a martial artist descended, the slower they would become.

However, the Broken Flow Sword Qi repelled all water currents. Coupled with the Profound Weight Qi Field, Luo Feng and his companions’ descent speed was nearly ten times faster than when they had first entered the lake water!

Luo Feng had initially intended to give up on competing for the Rotary Solidification Pill, but now hope rekindled in his heart.

He Qin’s scarlet lips curled into a slight smile as she said, “Actually, it’s not easy. The Broken Flow Sword Technique and the Profound Weight Qi Field are very difficult to cultivate. Throughout the entire Blue Moon School, perhaps only ’Breaking Wave Sword’ Xu Tao and ’Stone Man’ Xue Fei can achieve the realm of Thousand Swords Broken Flow and a Qi Field Manifesting a Mountain.”

“Then it seems we’ve had some unintended success this time,” Luo Feng couldn’t help but laugh upon hearing this.

At this speed, they could not only make up for the time they had just lost but also shorten the gap between themselves and the other young experts.

“Luo Feng, look quickly…” Bing Ruolan suddenly pointed to the side.

Luo Feng followed the direction she pointed and saw Luo Lie’s corpse, which was gradually sinking, its descent clearly accelerating.

“It looks like we’re approaching the exit,” Luo Feng said.

He Qin nodded. As if a thought struck her, her eyebrows knitted slightly, and she said, “The people from Chongyue School are ruthless. Killing Luo Lie is no small matter.”

Luo Feng wasn’t concerned. “We’ll deal with threats as they come. If I hadn’t killed him today, he would surely have come to kill us in the future. It’s better to settle it once and for all.”

There was something else Luo Feng didn’t say. He wasn’t afraid of the people from Chongyue School, not even Yi Wuxue and Xie Xuantong, two of the top ten young experts.

“Mm,” He Qin nodded. She wasn’t pitying Luo Lie; she was merely worried for Luo Feng and silently resolved to help him if real danger arose. With her strength, plus Luo Feng, they should be able to put up a fight even if they encountered Yi Wuxue and Xie Xuantong.

At this thought, He Qin slowly exhaled, her bright eyes gazing downwards, and she said no more.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM…

While the three were conversing, the Broken Flow Sword Qi reached its limit, shattered, and vanished. The water surged back, causing the mountain-shaped phantom to tremble violently.

“Careful, the Profound Weight Qi Field is about to reach its limit!” Luo Feng warned.

He Qin and Bing Ruolan nodded, each deploying their Protective Gang Energy.

“Who is that?” Bing Ruolan, whose underwater perception was surprisingly acute, suddenly pointed downwards and asked.

Hearing this, Luo Feng looked down.

As they descended, the exit grew larger. Below was a curtain of hazy white light, and all the water currents were surging into it.

Above the white light curtain, the faint silhouette of a young man was vaguely visible.

The young man wore a dark cyan uniform, his face obscured. He was enveloped in a python-shaped current of water, spiraling downwards at great speed.

He Qin recognized the martial art the young martial artist was using and said, “That’s the Water Kui Python Skill. He must be ’Double-headed Python’ Chen Kui from Purple Water School in the Xiushui Domain.”

Bing Ruolan’s fine eyebrows knitted, a hint of doubt in her beautiful eyes. “Double-headed Python, Chen Kui? I’ve heard of him too. His strength should be comparable to Xue Fei’s. How did he get here so quickly?”

“Every ruler has its shortcomings; every inch has its strengths. The Water Kui Python Skill from Purple Water School is a water-manipulating martial art, making one very fast in water.” As the top new talent from the four great academies last year, He Qin was the most knowledgeable of the three.

Just then, Chen Kui’s figure plunged into the light curtain and vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye.

“We’re about to reach the exit,” Luo Feng noted, observing this.

RUMBLE!

At that very moment, the surrounding water suddenly began to churn violently. As they neared the exit, the chaotic currents grew more than ten times fiercer.

The mountain-shaped phantom groaned and creaked, seemingly on the verge of collapse.

Luo Feng’s brow furrowed. “Careful!” he warned.

BOOM!

Almost as his voice faded, the Profound Weight Qi Field, strained to its limit, instantly collapsed. A surging undercurrent swept ferociously towards the three of them.

BUZZ!

The undercurrent was extraordinarily powerful, possessing an immense force that battered Luo Feng’s Protective Gang Energy, causing it to distort violently.

Feeling the turbulent currents, Luo Feng’s heart sank. This is bad! The Profound Weight Qi Field had collapsed, and all the water instantly crashed down with incredible power!

He glanced to the side and saw that, just as he’d suspected, both Bing Ruolan and He Qin were unable to maintain their balance against the current and were being swept away. This was especially true for Bing Ruolan; with her weaker cultivation, her Protective Gang Energy was already on the brink of collapse.

Luo Feng took a deep breath, his palm a blade as he chopped out. “Sever!”

SWISH!

A thick beam of Saber Qi parted the surrounding curtain of water. Luo Feng activated Teng Dragon’s Step and darted to Bing Ruolan’s side.

Reaching out, he wrapped an arm around Bing Ruolan’s slender waist. Then, using Saber Qi to part the currents again, he flashed to He Qin’s side and grabbed her with his left hand.

With two soft, fragrant, jade-like bodies in his arms, Luo Feng had no romantic thoughts. He looked at the exit below and said quickly, “Hold on tight to me! I’ll get us out!”

A faint blush touched the pretty faces of Bing Ruolan and He Qin. After a moment’s hesitation, they did as Luo Feng said and clung tightly to him.

Luo Feng’s palm became a blade, chopping downwards to part the water below. “Skyfall Thunder!”

Without pausing, Luo Feng spun and threw a punch behind him. “Great Wilderness Flame Explosion!”

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM…

Instantly, a ferociously domineering fist energy surged out, exploding continuously. Using this repulsive force, Luo Feng shot downwards, his figure leaving a white wake in the current as he plunged headfirst into the light curtain.

「Skyridge Plaza.」

The spectator stands around the plaza were filled with prominent figures from the martial world and leaders of various forces.

All the spectators from Mysterious Rock Square had gathered here, awaiting the final results of the first round of assessment.

As time ticked by, the entire plaza gradually grew restless. Many people stared wide-eyed at a jade-colored stele in the center of the plaza, discussing it in low voices.

The stele was approximately ten meters tall and over sixteen meters in both length and width. It was engraved with complex, hollowed-out patterns that lent it an air of enigmatic mystery, and embedded with thousands of Spirit Stones.

At this moment, the carvings on the stele emitted a soft white glow, and a mountain-shaped phantom hovered above it.

The mountain phantom was nearly thirty-three meters tall, the color of emerald jade, and surrounded by a hazy white mist through which one or two small dots occasionally darted.

Upon closer observation, one would discover that this mountain phantom and Sky Cloud Peak, where Skyridge Plaza was situated, were identical in scenery—every flower, tree, broken cliff, and stream was exactly the same.

Those fist-sized dots flitting about in the air were birds weaving through the clouds, their feathers and talons clearly discernible.

In a corner of the plaza, Luotian stared at the enormous mountain phantom hovering in the center, his eyes wide with shock as he exclaimed, “What is this? It can actually display the scenery of the entire mountain peak!”

Yang Qing was equally bewildered.

Zhou Zhiyun, sitting beside them, explained with a smile, “This is the Thousand Eye Mother Array. The entire Sky Cloud Peak was set up with this formation before the assessment began. Through this sub-array, we can observe all changes on the entire mountain.”

Luotian nodded slightly, still looking awestruck. “Truly divine craftsmanship.”

Yang Qing’s thoughts weren’t on the marvels of the formation. Gazing at the mountain phantom, she asked, “Dean Zhou, does this mean we can see Feng Er and the others on it?”

“That’s right. The final part of the assessment is to reach Skyridge Plaza. They will definitely appear there,” Zhou Zhiyun replied with a smile.

Hearing this, Yang Qing tightly gripped Luotian’s broad hand. A hint of nervousness touched her dignified, pretty face as she murmured, “I wonder where Xiao Er and Feng Er are now…”

The top ten young experts had also arrived at Skyridge Plaza by now.

The students who ranked highest in the first round of the assessment would be formidable opponents in the next two rounds. This was an opportunity to observe their rivals’ strength, one they naturally wouldn’t miss.

「In the Xiushui Domain section.」

A pretty female student from Jade Sword School, looking at the mountain phantom in the middle of the plaza, turned to the exceptionally beautiful young woman beside her and asked, “Senior Sister, who do you think will take first place in this round of the assessment?”

The exceptionally beautiful young woman was none other than Ye Siyi, leader of the top ten young experts. She gazed at the mountain phantom, her lips curved in a faint smile that seemed to brighten the very air around her. Shaking her head, she said, “Many young experts are participating in this assessment. I’m not sure who will take first place.”

Hearing this, the pretty student said with dissatisfaction, “Senior Sister, you’re always like this, with that detached air, as if nothing in the world concerns you. No wonder Yi Wuxue and the others show you no respect.”

Ye Siyi smiled faintly and said, “Honor and status aren’t things you fight for; they are earned through true strength.”

“Giggle… I understand! Thank you for your guidance, Senior Sister.”

The pretty student giggled. Noticing Ye Siyi staring intently at the mountain phantom, she asked, “Senior Sister, are you worried about Little Sister Xiao Shuang?”

“Mm,” Ye Siyi nodded.

The pretty student raised her delicate eyebrows and said, “Senior Sister, you don’t need to worry. Little Sister Xiao Shuang is already at the peak of the eighth stage of the Meridian Wheel Realm. Passing the first round of the assessment will surely be no problem for her.”

A smile appeared on Ye Siyi’s face, and she let out a soft sigh. “That girl Xiao Shuang’s strength is indeed good, but she’s too innocent and naive, making her susceptible to being taken advantage of. I worry…”

“Senior Sister, don’t worry. Little Sister Xiao Shuang is so beautiful; if she encounters danger, some young hero will definitely step in to help. Who wouldn’t cherish such a beauty?” the pretty student chuckled.

Ye Siyi’s lips curved slightly upwards into a faint smile, but her expression held no trace of ease. “Let’s hope so.”

Having roamed the pugilistic world for many years, she knew its dangers all too well. There were many who would kick someone when they were down, but very few who would offer a helping hand in times of need.

「Next to the Xiushui Domain’s spectator area was that of the Black Cloud Domain.」

In the crowd, a youth in blood-red robes and a burly, dark-faced youth were particularly conspicuous.

They were none other than Yi Wuxue, ranked second among the top ten young experts, and Xie Xuantong, ranked fourth.

Xie Xuantong crossed his arms, looking impatient. “Why is Luo Lie so slow? He still hasn’t appeared. Don’t tell me he died in there!”

Yi Wuxue smiled faintly, his sinister gaze sending a chill through the hearts of many martial artists nearby. He said, “In the first round of assessment, very few can threaten Luo Lie. With his temperament, it’s a blessing he hasn’t killed anyone. Who would dare provoke him?”

“Of course, I know that! I just want this assessment to end sooner so I can go down the mountain, find a tavern, and have a good drinking session,” Xie Xuantong grumbled, his voice gruff and tiger-like.

As the two were talking, the image of a hundred-zhang waterfall on the mountain phantom suddenly changed.

SPLASH!

Upstream of the waterfall, water splashed high as a figure burst forth from the water!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep