Merging with Demon Spirits

Chapter 386: Chapter 289: Get Up Here

This battle made everyone’s blood boil, even more than the previous match between Ye Qiu and Ye Xing, and got the fans even more hyped.

It wasn’t that the fight itself was more spectacular, but it was all about the suspense.

The previous matches barely had any suspense.

The fights were intense, but all the spectators knew that the professional players were holding back to some extent. Even if they could instantly defeat their opponents, they would drag out the match for two or three minutes, exchanging blows, giving the new rookies a chance to show off.

But this time, it was pure contest of attack speed—no soul skills or martial skills allowed. Facing the Six-armed Celestial Demon Possession, Zhan Tianyu with his six arms, even Cloud Shadow Mantis-possessed Double Blade Yun Tianqi, famed for speed, had to go all out—no margin for error, let alone holding back.

This was the most suspenseful fight among the 42 challenge matches so far.

There was no shortage of spectators who believed Zhan Tianyu could win.

Sparks flew as continuous attacks hammered down like torrential rain, the sound of clashes of metal ringing nonstop—within a single second, there were a dozen or twenty consecutive clangs.

Speed—ultimate speed.

Zhan Tianyu, under the Six-armed Celestial Demon Possession, was like a demon god, six long blades flashing in his hands, the sight left everyone in awe.

Yun Tianqi, nicknamed Double Blade, was unrivaled at fast blade techniques; now, under Ghost Shadow Mantis Possession, his forearms turned into scythe-like blades, thin as cicada wings, yet unbreakable. Demon Spirit Possession gave his attack speed an almost unimaginable boost.

At first, the two probed each other, but soon enough, they both transitioned to giving it their all.

If not for slow-motion playback, even front-row spectators couldn’t keep up with their attacks using the naked eye.

In the slow motion, it was clear Yun Tianqi had the edge in attack speed.

At the outset, Zhan Tianyu might’ve been gauging his gap with Yun Tianqi—using only two arms to attack. But he was completely overwhelmed by Yun Tianqi, with zero chance to resist.

Soon, two more arms joined the fray, yet he still couldn’t keep up. Finally, all six arms attacked at once, just barely catching up to Yun Tianqi’s tempo.

This fight didn’t display dazzling soul skills—both fighters stood their ground, neither dodging, neither evading; it was pure contest of attack speed.

To the live audience, unable to see the exchanges clearly, it might even seem a bit dull—only the instant replay delivered the true thrill of the battle.

This match was wild. Neither fighter held back, both were all in—until, in one instant, everything suddenly stopped.

Zhan Tianyu and Yun Tianqi halted their attacks almost at the same time.

The whole fight lasted less than a minute, and the result was quickly announced.

Neither was injured; for a moment, it wasn’t obvious who had won—until Yun Tianqi exited his demon transformation and spoke: ”I lost!”

He had given it his all in this battle, but no matter how fast his attacks or how quick his blades, he only had two arms and two blades, not six.

Yun Tianqi admitted defeat, and this result caused an uproar among the crowd; then, cheers and screams filled the arena again.

Despite the huge suspense in this challenge, most people still thought Yun Tianqi would win.

The rookie challenges were past halfway—this was the first time a rookie succeeded, and the target was one of the All-Star Ten, Double Blade Yun Tianqi.

”Double Blade actually lost! This is the first time anyone has beaten him in attack speed.”

Over at the Juxing Team’s section, seeing Yun Tianqi admit defeat, several teammates sighed.

Originally, everyone thought this was just for show—who’d have thought a rookie would actually win?

And the one defeated was Yun Tianqi.

In the Glory Alliance, there are only a handful who can face Yun Tianqi head-on.

One is their captain, Berserker Ye Xing, and the rest of them are nowhere near being his opponents.

”Did the Zhan Family offer a nice deal, or ask for endorsements, to give him such face?”

Xie Yixiao couldn’t help but laugh, a trace of sarcasm in his voice.

Yun Tianqi, called the fastest blade, but challenging Zhan Tianyu’s Six-armed Celestial Demon Possession for speed was asking for trouble.

Well, asking for trouble is one thing; as a senior player, showing a bit of respect to a rookie and letting them shine isn’t so bad. But Yun Tianqi would rather admit defeat than dodge—frankly, that’s kind of dumb.

Ghost Shadow Mantis is called Ghost Shadow, not only for attack speed, but also for its movement speed. Among Ninth Grade demon spirits, it ranks at the top for speed.

Yun Tianqi’s speed ranks top ten among professional players.

He could have easily used his mobility to defeat Zhan Tianyu, and no one would have blamed him, but he stubbornly clung to his idea of fairness—in Xie Yixiao’s eyes, that’s laughable.

Most martial artists could see this point, but for the audience, a loss is a loss.

Glory Alliance abounds in talent and strength, but the All-Star Ten has always included, and only, ten individuals.

Each is the top specialist in their role.

Like Number One Berserker Ye Xing.

Number One Assassin Li Ning.

Number One Fast Blade is Yun Tianqi’s label, but now that he’s lost, people will start to question that nickname.

Commercially, today’s loss is costing him dearly.

”This is Yun Tianqi’s style, this is just how he is.”

In contrast to Xie Yixiao’s contempt, Ye Xing couldn’t help but sigh.

Yun Tianqi, originally Yun Qi, added a character to his name after entering Glory Alliance, ending up with a name that was downright arrogant.

Tianqi—

Matching the heavens.

Just like the arrogance of that name, he himself was extremely proud. But it was not just egotism, it was about inner conviction.

Maybe that’s exactly why he could rise from the slums, grow stronger step by step, and finally become one of the All-Star Ten.

Unlike Xie Yixiao’s disdain, Ye Xing genuinely admired that pride.

People with such pride all have their own boundaries.

If he were your teammate, you’d feel at ease.

The end of this fight surprised not only the audience, but also Zhan Tianyu himself.

Zhan Tianyu exited his demon transformation too, and said to Yun Tianqi with a bitter smile, ”You didn’t lose. You let me win on purpose.”

He was confident, but also knew that if Yun Tianqi used speed to evade, he wouldn’t stand a chance.

”Haha.”

Seeing Zhan Tianyu’s wry smile, Yun Tianqi also smiled slightly. Though defeated, his demeanor was reflective, not frustrated, and his smile was carefree. He patted Zhan Tianyu on the shoulder: ”Since it was a contest of attack speed, then that’s all it is. You’re still young, inherently disadvantaged. If you reach my age, maybe you’ll win even easier.”

”Six-armed Celestial Demon, a perfect demon spirit—I envy you for it. You’re lucky, and you’ve got talent. Don’t waste it.”

Yun Tianqi spoke with feeling.

He didn’t know how the Zhan Family obtained such a priceless divine-level demon spirit, but since it’s unique to Divine Martial Continent, the cost must’ve been huge.

Maybe even paid in blood and lives.

”I know. This demon spirit is going to shine brightly in my hands.”

Zhan Tianyu could sense Yun Tianqi’s envy and expectations, and nodded, looking over to where Lin Feng stood.

Lin Feng’s special ability, plus his family’s power, gave Zhan Tianyu the confidence to make that claim.

He would do all he could to develop the Six-armed Celestial Demon and absorb powerful soul skills.

”Today’s battle was extraordinary. I look forward to fighting beside you one day.”

Yun Tianqi finished, reached out, lifted Zhan Tianyu’s right hand, looked around, and said: ”Glory Alliance is full of spectacle—the cheers, the fame, it’s all nice. But this is just a phase. Our real goal is the battle for glory. Don’t get lost in this. Your future isn’t in the Alliance—it belongs to Glory!”

With those words, Yun Tianqi walked off the stage, leaving Zhan Tianyu standing alone, deep in thought, basking in the tsunami of the audience’s cheers.

The following challenge matches reverted to being exciting but somehow lacking intensity.

Red Cloud Team’s Dong Yunan and Yue Mingming stepped up to challenge as well; neither was strong, and neither challenged any of the All-Star Ten—they picked average opponents.

Even so, average opponents who make the pro circuit and are mainstays on their teams are terrifyingly strong; both lost without any surprises, and their performances weren’t memorable.

In contrast, Yu Qiao had an impressive showing—his sneakily annoying attack style nearly let him beat Juxing Team’s main warrior Li Wenbo.

Yu Qiao’s performance caught the attention of many clubs. This was the first time they noticed this clean-cut, but infuriating, fighter.

Red Cloud Team’s four main players had all taken the stage, and now all the spectators were waiting for one name to appear.

”Lin Feng!”

”Lin Feng!”

As the whole arena erupted with waves of cheers, the eagerly-waited name appeared.

”Been waiting forever—finally he’s up!”

”Lin Feng’s track record is legendary, recognized as unbeatable among the Sixth Grade. Other than the Red Cloud University King’s Challenge, we’ve never seen him fight—today we finally get to watch for real.”

”The challenge matches are about to end and he’s the final act! This honor—no wonder he’s the strongest rookie in history!”

”Lin Feng loves to stir things up—will he cause a scene again this time?”

”Stir what up? He’s challenging a pro today. No matter how strong Lin Feng is, he can’t possibly beat a pro.”

Amid the spotlight and chatter, Lin Feng, clad in a pitch-black tracksuit, walked calmly onto the stage.

”He’s up, he’s up!”

In the audience, Feng Yining grabbed Ya Ge’s hand excitedly.

The challenge matches from Yun Kai and others were great, but she most looked forward to Lin Feng.

Partly because of Ya Ge, partly because of Lin Feng’s fame.

”Come on, you’re not even his fan, why so excited?”

Seeing how excited her best friend was, Ya Ge was speechless. She let the manic Feng Yining be and turned her gaze back to the stage.

”Two years—and you’re really standing on the national stage.”

Looking at the dazzling Lin Feng on stage, Ya Ge’s eyes showed a trace of confusion and emotion.

In that moment, she recalled the Awakening Day two years ago.

She remembered the wild, ridiculous words he said back then.

Now, those words have become reality.

Two months ago, with Ju Xing’s help, Enchanting Butterfly evolved into Enchanting Demoness, Ya Ge regained her confidence, thinking she could catch up with Lin Feng.

But now, looking up at the figure shining on stage, she saw that the gap between them hadn’t narrowed—it had grown wider.

”You still care so much about him?”

Xie Yixiao’s brow furrowed, shifting his attention from Ya Ge to Lin Feng.

In the earlier challenge matches, although he toyed with Yun Kai and left him badly injured, Xie Yixiao wasn’t at all sure Lin Feng would actually challenge him.

”Better not challenge me, or I’ll make you lose face before the whole nation!”

Onstage.

”Lin Feng, who’s the pro you want to challenge?”

Chen Xiaodi asked, unable to hide her excitement.

At this opening ceremony, lots of shining rookies had grabbed fans’ attention: Yun Kai, Ye Qiu, Zhan Tianyu, Huang Tianze—they’d all taken the stage and delivered outstanding performances, living up to expectations; now, only one was left.

Compared to Yun Kai and the rest, Lin Feng’s talent might not be as dazzling, but his record was the most striking.

Invincible among those of the same tier.

This challenge match, he was also dubbed the strongest rookie!

The person he would challenge was the hottest topic.

His name: Lin Feng.

A name that seemed synonymous with miracles and hype.

Even Chen Xiaodi was dying of curiosity about this challenge match, about who Lin Feng would pick.

Under all those expectant eyes, Lin Feng didn’t hesitate. He looked toward the Juxing Team’s direction, where a certain figure was looking at him too.

Their gazes met—between Xie Yixiao’s disdainful yet provocative stare, Lin Feng slowly said, ”Xie Yixiao!”

The target of Lin Feng’s challenge left everyone stunned. Before the audience could react, what Lin Feng said next made the fifty-thousand-strong Glory Arena explode!

”Xie Yixiao, get your ass down here!”