binnovel Chapter 57 Final 1
Chapter 57 Final 1
Around 2 PM, Li Chenglong and everyone except the necessary on-duty staff arrived at the stadium to watch the game. Since there were only 16 participants, two matches would start simultaneously, each lasting 15 minutes. Military daggers were permitted as weapons, and all other rules remained unchanged. Furthermore, to celebrate this grand event, Li Chenglong decided that everyone attending would receive a 250g bag of sunflower seeds or peanuts, but drinks would require points to redeem.
With Li Chenglong's command, the competition began immediately. The 16 participants were randomly drawn by computer. The first and second matches were: Wu Gang, a level 5 fire and wind dual-type ability user, versus Ma Qi, a level 4 speed-type ability user; and Song Tie, a level 4 water-type ability user, versus Sun Youcai, a level 4 wind-type ability user. Ma Qi, a member of the First Battalion, wanted to give up upon seeing Wu Gang, as he was currently the weakest in terms of pure strength. Wu Gang, however, insisted on fighting. Less than three minutes into their exchange, Wu Gang defeated Ma Qi, winning the match first. The match between Sun Youcai and Song Tie was extremely intense. Not only were they of the same level, but their Martial Power Tower reserves were also roughly equal. They fought in close combat for over a hundred rounds without a clear winner. Seeing that a victor was unlikely in the short term, Sun Youcai realized that once the 15-minute mark was reached, the winner would be decided by a vote of the dozen or so base leaders on the platform.
Song Tie flashed to a distance and launched the first attack: "Raging Waves!" A giant wave shot out from Song Tie's hands, rushing straight at Sun Youcai. Sun Youcai was shocked and immediately countered with "Whirlwind Slash." He swung his right hand forcefully, and a gust of wind also rushed towards the giant wave, splitting it in two. Song Tie had already rushed through the split wave and was fighting Sun Youcai again. Now, both of them were using their superpowers. Song Tie was emitting blue energy, while Sun Youcai was emitting cyan energy. Zheng Yong nodded and said to Li Chenglong, "These two are evenly matched. I wonder who will win." Yun Lan took a sip of water, her right eye already activated with the Fiery Phoenix Eye: "From what I can see now, Song Tie should win. Sun Youcai still lacks combat experience and was a bit too aggressive at the beginning, while Song Tie's energy is decreasing much more slowly." As soon as Yun Lan finished speaking, Song Tie feigned an opening, and Sun Youcai, thinking he had the upper hand, immediately gave chase. Song Tie shouted, "High-pressure jet!" Two streams of water shot out from his palms, directly knocking Sun Youcai off the designated ring. Wu Gang and Song Tie advanced in these two matches.
The third and fourth matches were Zheng Aiguo, a level 5 earth-type dual-awakened power user, versus Yang Xuelin, a level 4 speed-type ability user, and Qi Guoan, a level 5 earth-type ability user, versus Liang Hong, a level 4 water-type ability user. The difference in strength between the two sides was significant in both matches, with Zheng Aiguo and Qi Guoan defeating their opponents in under 8 minutes. The fifth match was an internal battle within the third battalion: Hao Dahai, a level 4 fire-type ability user, versus Zhao Gang, a level 4 water-type ability user. The sixth match was Liu Dongliang, a level 4 power-type ability user, versus Zhao Rui, a level 5 power-type ability user.
The fifth match was also quite intense. Hao Dahai and Zhao Gang were from the same battalion and knew each other's abilities very well. Upon meeting, they first fought using military combat techniques, battling for seven or eight minutes without a clear winner. Later, they each unleashed their special abilities, but still remained evenly matched. After 15 minutes, the referee stopped the match. Following a vote by the 17 people on the platform, Hao Dahai advanced to the next round with a 9-8 advantage. Zhao Gang, despite being eliminated, wasn't discouraged and cheered for Hao Dahai. The match between Liu Dongliang and Zhao Rui was uneventful, with Zhao Rui winning easily.
The seventh match was between Yang Liu, a level four wood-type ability user, and Wan Dahai, a level four water-type ability user. The eighth match was between Wang Shuang, a level four dark-type ability user, and Liu Jianye, a level four strength-type ability user. "This group is interesting. Wan Dahai might lose," Li Chenglong said, watching the match intently. Yun Lan nodded in agreement: "Among our ability users, we have the most water-type ability users. Just among the level four water-type ability users, there are five: Yun Qian, Zhao Gang, Wan Dahai, Liang Hong, and Song Tie. Wood-type ability users are relatively effective against water-type ability users. Let's see how Wan Dahai handles it." On the other side, Zhao Liying led Han Xiaoling, Cao Yuechan, and the other girls from the special forces team to cheer for Yang Liu. When her name was called, Yang Liu breathed a sigh of relief. As long as she wasn't facing those level five users, she could still hold her own against the others.
Wan Dahai walked to the arena area, first bowing to Yang Liu, then said, "I, Wan Dahai, have never fought a woman before in my life. This is my first time. Please forgive me if I do anything wrong." Yang Liu raised her right fist: "No problem, bring it on." The battle between the two was about to begin. Yang Liu knew that she would be at a disadvantage in close combat, so she didn't use close-quarters fighting and instead created distance from the start. Wan Dahai shouted, "Water Jet!" He touched his two thumbs together and then shot out a jet of water that shot straight at Yang Liu. Knowing that she wouldn't be able to dodge it with her speed, Yang Liu immediately shouted, "Vine Binding!" Two huge green vines rushed towards the water jet.
Thick vines clearly slowed the water's flow. Before Wan Dahai could react, Yang Liu unleashed another attack: "Poisonous Thorns." A layer of thorny plants sprouted from the ground, severely hindering movement. The sharp thorns meant that any accidental contact would result in a poisonous sting. Wan Dahai, seeing the thorns covering the ground, dared not move. If he were a fire-type ability user, he could easily burn them, but as a water-type, using his ability would only be watering them. Seeing Wan Dahai unable to move, Yang Liu chuckled, covering her mouth: "How about surrendering?" Wan Dahai, pondering how to break free from the skill, replied, "This is nothing! I still need to advance!"
Li Chenglong and Yun Lan watched the scene unfold in the arena intently. Yun Lan asked Li Xue, "Xue'er, you're a water-type awakened being, how are you going to handle this situation?" Li Xue shook her head, "The method I'm using is completely useless against Wan Dahai. If I were to use a few extremely cold ice arrows, those vines would be frozen to dust. Besides, Sister Yang Liu's vines couldn't possibly attack my ice shield. I also have innate purification power and super-strong perception; these skills will keep me safe." Li Chenglong also smiled and said, "Awakened beings are inherently stronger than ability users. At the same level, their attributes are higher, and they have more skills, so they have many more ways to handle the situation."
Meanwhile, on the field, Wan Dahai suddenly had a flash of inspiration. Generally, the larger the range of an ability, the greater the consumption of one's own energy. Now that Yang Liu had released such a large area of poisonous thorns and was also constantly releasing vines to attack him, her own energy must have been depleted considerably. Moreover, considering the time it took to level up, when he reached level four, Yang Liu was only level three, and his Martial Tower had a much larger reserve. With this in mind, Wan Dahai changed his tactics. He used his water-based ability to create a water shield for himself and also advanced towards Yang Liu. Yang Liu's original intention was to take advantage of Wan Dahai's inability to move freely and use her vines to quickly push him out of the arena. However, Wan Dahai withstood several attacks, and she was starting to feel the strain from continuously releasing her abilities; the density of the poisonous thorns was also decreasing.
Seeing Yang Liu showing signs of fatigue, Wan Dahai was overjoyed and shouted, "Raging Waves!" A massive wave of water immediately crashed down on Yang Liu. Caught off guard, Yang Liu hurriedly dodged to the side. Just as she hit the ground, Wan Dahai's second skill arrived, "Water Jet," a rapid stream of water rushing towards her and shoving her off the field. The referee, seeing Yang Liu knocked out of the arena, immediately declared Wan Dahai the winner. Zhao Liying and several female special forces soldiers rushed over and helped Yang Liu up: "Captain Yang, are you alright?" Yang Liu rubbed her slightly aching chest and waved her hand, saying, "I'm fine, I just need a rest." Wan Dahai then stepped forward, taking out a yellow level-four crystal and handing it to Yang Liu: "Sorry I hit a little too hard. I redeemed this crystal with my points; it's a gift." Yang Liu snorted: "No need. Let's spar again next time; I definitely won't lose." Wan Dahai: "Okay, I'm always ready."
This match ended relatively late, while the other match had already finished long ago. Although Wang Shuang launched several sneak attacks using her dark-elemental abilities, this was, after all, a competition arena with nowhere to hide, making it very unsuitable for her combat style. Liu Jianye found an opportunity and defeated her, sending her off the arena. With Wang Shuang's defeat, the round of 16 to 8 was complete, and the advancing contestants were Wu Gang, Zheng Aiguo, Qi Guoan, Zhao Rui, Wan Dahai, Liu Jianye, Hao Dahai, and Song Tie. For the 8-to-4 round, to ensure fairness, Li Chenglong announced that everyone would have a 30-minute rest period and could use crystals to recover. The crystals for restoring energy didn't need to be high-grade; white crystals could also restore energy, but their effect was relatively poor for those at levels four and five.
The draw results were then announced: Wu Gang vs. Song Tie, Zheng Aiguo vs. Hao Dahai, Qi Guoan vs. Liu Jianye, and Zhao Rui vs. Wan Dahai. Upon seeing the results, Shen Menghua was surprised: "It seems Wu Gang and Zheng Aiguo will meet early, as they are both in the upper bracket and will face each other in the next round. The probability of two level-five individuals meeting in the lower bracket is also very high." Li Xue asked, "Brother, you made an exception and allowed them to use crystals to recover. Isn't that too disadvantageous for level-four ability users? They already have much less stamina." Before Li Chenglong could speak, Yun Lan shook her head and said, "Actually, this was for the sake of the level-four users. If they weren't allowed to use crystals to recover, like Wan Dahai and Hao Dahai, who advanced after fierce battles, even with a thirty-minute rest period, they wouldn't recover much and would be eliminated immediately."
Li Xue finally understood her brother's meaning and remained silent. Since there was still some time before the competition began, Li Chenglong picked up the microphone and said, "Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, this martial arts tournament is held to showcase the defensive strength of Dawn City, to allow us combat personnel to test our own abilities, and to increase communication among us. There are still 30 minutes until the quarterfinals. Vice City Lord Yunlan, Vice Medical Minister Li Xue, and I have decided to put on an exhibition match." Yunlan, upon hearing this, said unhappily, "No, no! You're already level 6, your attributes are so high, it'll be too easy for you to beat me and Xue'er. I don't want to!" Li Xue, however, was somewhat excited because she hadn't had much proper combat since reaching level 5, mostly fighting level 4 or lower zombies and zombie beasts.
Li Chenglong laughed and said, "I won't use teleportation or the Demon-Slaying Bow, nor will I use the Eye of the True Dragon. You two can use your abilities however you like, is that alright?" Yun Lan thought for a moment, feeling she had a chance of winning, and said, "Okay, but if I find out you're using teleportation, Li Xue and I will make you wash our feet for a week when you get home tonight." With Li Chenglong's announcement, enthusiastic applause and shouts erupted from the crowd. Many soldiers of the Dawn Army and ordinary residents of Dawn City shouted the three people's names. The ability users all began to concentrate intently. A battle between level 6 and level 5 was extremely rare, let alone Li Chenglong versus Yun Lan and Li Xue.
Li Chenglong stood on the left side of the stadium, while Yun Lan and Li Xue stood on the right side, about 20 meters apart. Wu Gang, Zheng Aiguo, Qi Guoan, and the others loudly reminded the other superhumans and non-superhumans to watch this rare spectacle.
High-level duels usually don't drag on for too long unless the difference in strength between the two sides is extremely small. With a whistle from referee Zheng Yong, the match officially began. Li Xue immediately used her enhanced perception and shared it with Yun Lan, and several extremely cold ice arrows shot out. With Li Xue reaching level five, the power, number, and range of the ice arrows had all increased significantly. Even from a distance, the spectators could feel the bone-chilling cold. However, Li Chenglong knew this was Li Xue's only offensive skill at the moment. He immediately drew his Dragon Emperor Sword and retreated. However, the area covered by the ice arrows was simply too large; he would probably have to retreat outside the stadium, otherwise he would definitely lose.
Li Chenglong took a few steps back, then stopped and unleashed a powerful strike: "Sky-Splitting Dragon-Phoenix Slash!" A dragon and phoenix sang in unison, a sword aura slashing directly at the countless ice arrows. Wherever it passed, the ice arrows instantly turned into water droplets on the ground. However, just as the ice arrows disappeared, a rain of fire began to fall—Yun Lan's Meteor Shower. Li Chenglong remained calm, using his Galaxy Starburst technique. Six orbs of light shot into the sky, blocking the meteor shower. The six orbs propelled the meteor shower to a great height before exploding. Even from a great distance, the explosions were like thunderclaps, sending chills down the spines of the audience.
Then Li Chenglong charged forward, sword in hand, while Yunlan, wielding the Dragon and Phoenix Spear, and Li Xue, gripping the Azure Staff, also joined the fray. Li Chenglong, fighting two against one, showed no weakness, remaining calm and composed. All the onlookers saw were golden, red, and aquamarine beams clashing against each other. Wu Gang shook his head: "Even if I'm level five now, I probably still can't beat Li Xue." Zheng Aiguo and Qi Guoan nodded in agreement. The three individuals' powers clashed, slowly creating waves of different colored energy in the stadium. Zheng Yong shouted, "You guys better decide the winner quickly, or you'll tear the stadium apart!"
The three then separated again. Li Chenglong smiled and said, "Let's decide the winner in one move, shall we?" Yun Lan and Li Xue stood together and said in unison, "Okay!" Li Xue immediately cast a stamina recovery spell on Yun Lan to restore her strength. Yun Lan then began to gather her supernatural power. The red supernatural power on her body slowly expanded, emitting bursts of gold in the center, and the Dragon and Phoenix Spear in her hand began to flash red light intermittently. Wu Gang and the others were also shocked: "This is too strong!" Li Chenglong smiled crookedly. He placed his arms at his sides, clenched his fists, and slowly began to gather his supernatural power as well. His right hand emitted a red light, gradually forming a red sphere of light, inside which a fire phoenix was flying. His left hand gradually formed a golden sphere of light, inside which a golden dragon was soaring.
Yunlan's energy was fully replenished, and she was now completely enveloped in a reddish-golden aura: "Explosive Dragon-Phoenix Charge!" As the dragon and phoenix sang in harmony, a fire phoenix, with a dragon circling beside it, flew straight towards Li Chenglong. Li Chenglong, however, seemed to have gathered little energy, his body only radiating a faint golden light: "Dragon-Phoenix Heaven-Shaking Fist!" Li Chenglong crossed his fists and unleashed a punch. A giant golden dragon and a massive fire phoenix circled each other, charging directly towards Yunlan. Li Xue had already erected several ice shields. The powerful Explosive Dragon-Phoenix Charge was directly shattered by the Dragon-Phoenix Heaven-Shaking Fist, then struck Yunlan again, shattering several ice shields as well.
A massive explosion ensued, the shockwave from the Dragon-Phoenix Heaven-Shattering Fist tearing the stadium's turf away. Fortunately, Li Chenglong had made prior arrangements; he had Wu Gang organize a group of ability users to form an ability defense network around the field, preventing the force from injuring the spectators. Three minutes later, as the smoke cleared, everyone saw Li Chenglong with his right arm around Yun Lan and his left hand holding Li Xue's. The crowd erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers. Li Chenglong instructed the earth-element ability users to repair the field, while he, Yun Lan, and Li Xue returned to the podium.