Chapter 117: What Use Is Being Faster!
He retrieved the card.
Without glancing at Shi Jinyong’s headless corpse, Su Jingxing turned to face Li Linzhou and said calmly, “Next.”
Silence.
At that moment, the entire arena fell into a deathly hush.
So fast…
Too fast!
Among the hundred thousand spectators, not a single soul saw Su Jingxing’s drawing of the blade clearly.
Especially since Su Jingxing was still ten meters away from Shi Jinyong.
Ten meters apart, yet Su Jingxing severed Shi Jinyong’s head with a single strike—what kind of swordsmanship was this? What level of mastery?
Silence.
More than half a minute of complete stillness.
Then—
A tremendous roar suddenly erupted from the vast arena, waves of cheers surging higher and higher, shaking the dome above.
On both sides of the arena hung enormous display screens, allowing the audience to watch every move of the fighters in the ring.
But this time, nothing was shown; everyone was stunned and horrified.
“Is this really a Fourth-Rank? This is incredible!”
“More than incredible—it’s unbelievable! That strike was lightning-fast!”
“Haha, well done, well done! The Shi family deserved that!”
“Tsk, the Shi family must be clueless now. The Lin family sent out their trump card right away—a Fourth-Rank in the first match. If the Shi family doesn’t respond, the rest won’t even matter. They’re sending themselves to their deaths.”
“They’re ruthless. Lin Tuotian has borne humiliation for thirty years; clearly, he’s going all out against the Shi family this time. No respect for the Lin ancestors if he doesn’t.”
“…”
All around, the crowd in the stands buzzed with excited chatter.
…
In the VIP section,
The Li family members listened to the heated discussion with smiles on their faces.
“Heh heh, let’s see how Shi Jinnian responds now.”
“Exactly. The Lin family’s first appearance is with their ace—a Fourth-Rank who took down Shi Jinyong with a single strike. If the Shi family can’t match that, the rest is hopeless.”
“They’re brutal. Lin Tuotian has endured so much, and now he’s determined to finish the Shi family—no holding back.”
“…”
…
At the Wang family’s area,
The burly Wang Tiedao was holding a strikingly handsome young man with porcelain skin, patting his thigh excitedly and shouting, “Good, good, good! This brother is too handsome—I like him!”
“What, Brother Dao, have you taken a fancy to him again?” The handsome man teased softly in her arms.
“Of course! A man like this—how could a woman not like him?” Wang Tiedao said longingly, licking her lips. “Once the tournament ends, I’m proposing to him!”
“…”
…
In the Zhou family’s section,
“Ha! That old Shi Jinnian tried to drag us Zhou family into this mess before. Now look—he sends out a Fourth-Rank right from the start. Let’s see how he handles this!”
“What else can they do? Of course, they’ll also send a Fourth-Rank. They’ve recruited quite a few Fourth-Rank warriors in recent years.”
“Really? I didn’t know the Shi family had recruited several Fourth-Rank fighters.”
“Two, isn’t that several? Three, isn’t that several?”
“…”
…
At the Qi family’s area,
“See, I told you coming here to watch in person is thrilling. What a start—truly a spectacular show!”
“It’s a good show, but I’m more curious about that masked guy. Where did he come from? Everyone knows the Fourth-Rank experts in Qinghe City. Who is he?”
“Why ask? Obviously, he’s from out of town. Or maybe he was from Qinghe City but was persecuted by the Shi family and had to leave. After reaching Fourth-Rank, he returned to take revenge on the Shi family.”
“Hmm, that makes sense. You should be a writer!”
“Get lost!”
…
In the family waiting area on the left side,
“Hahaha! Good, good, well done!” Xiao Chengyue jumped up cheering, “What fierce tiger of the Shi family? One slash and the great master’s already off with his head. Tigers my foot!”
“I hope every match from now on is a one-strike kill,” Zhang Jun applauded.
“It’s not that simple,” Jiang Tianhao said gravely. “Shi Jinyong is only Sixth-Rank. It’s natural for a senior of higher cultivation to take him down in one blow. But once the Shi family sends out a Fourth-Rank, it’ll be more difficult for the senior to succeed again.”
“Right, it’s still uncertain now,” Shen Qian agreed. “If the senior ever reaches exhaustion, we’ll step in immediately!”
“Understood.”
“Don’t worry, Sister Qian.”
“…”
Those nearby echoed their sentiments.
Lin Tuotian sat in the corner, clenching his fists tightly as a fierce light flashed in his eyes.
One slash to behead Shi Jinyong?
Not enough—not nearly enough!
…
In the family waiting area on the right side,
The Shi family members were silent, their faces dark and grim.
Shi Jinyong being beheaded in a single strike was brazen beyond belief.
This hidden Fourth-Rank expert behind the scenes had not even glanced at them, the Shi family.
That was why he personally stepped into the ring from the start!
“Clan leader, let me deal with him.”
A bald, burly elder broke the silence, saying, “He’s skilled with a swift blade, but my hard power can counter that.”
“Good,” Shi Jinnian responded sternly. “Then we’ll trouble you, Mr. Ji.”
“No trouble at all. I’ve just been wanting to try out a newly learned technique—the Bright Palm—and see its true power.”
The bald elder grinned, rubbed his head, stood, and strode toward the ring.
“Swift blade? Ha! It can’t break through my Golden Body Shield. No matter how fast, it’s useless!”
Speaking as he did, he pushed off the ground with his toes, leapt into the air, and glided through the open entrance, landing on the stage.
“Next match: Shi family versus Ji Min. Lin family’s Eliminator.”
Li Linzhou called out at the perfect moment, “The duel continues!”
“No matter who you are, reaching Fourth-Rank isn’t easy. Today, you just met your bad luck.”
Bald elder Ji Min rubbed his head again, a sinister smile on his face as he stared at Su Jingxing.
The codename “Eliminator” was Su Jingxing’s public alias.
In these family duels, guest warriors and attendants could participate, using either their real names or codenames.
But codenames were rarely spoken aloud.
As Ji Min was a Fourth-Rank attendant of the Shi family, he naturally wouldn’t use one.
The moment Li Linzhou announced the start, Ji Min immediately activated his martial skill.
Protective qi swirled around him in thick golden layers, forming a visible shield that enveloped his entire body.
In the next instant, he planted his foot firmly and summoned massive surges of qi in both hands, condensing into palm imprints.
“Bright Palm!”
Boom—
The air exploded with sound.
Ji Min’s figure moved like lightning, radiating a terrifying aura as he lunged at Su Jingxing.
In midair, two metallic-colored palm imprints shot forth, racing toward Su Jingxing.
Swish—
Whoosh!
Su Jingxing’s form flickered as he swiftly shifted position.
He unleashed the “Eight-Step Ascending Dragon,” accelerating to the utmost speed, leaving no afterimage behind.
The golden palm imprints, naturally, struck only empty air and landed on the dividing barrier, causing it to shake violently.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
Ji Min growled, eyes flashing as he sensed his surroundings.
Suddenly—
Boom!
The air in front of him exploded with forceful energy swirling wildly.
Swish—
A dazzling blade flash blossomed behind him.
Su Jingxing wielded his treasured weapon, empowered by an immense force of a hundred thousand jin, and with a swift, fierce strike, brought the blade down upon Ji Min’s neck…