XIAO SHUXIANG'S
296 - Challenger 'Protective Guardian'
Xiao Shuxiang tried to dilute the atmosphere with a slight tease towards Ling Qing Zhu, but the girl's facial expression did not change at all.
...
Long waited at last Ling Qing Zhu ventured to look at Xiao Shuxiang, "You.. Don't die,"
!
Xiao Shuxiang blinked a few times as he had not expected to even get such a remark from Ling Qing Zhu.
He had not yet spoken back, the white long-haired girl had already walked away.
"The White Cat.. He was too talkative and could not express himself. Well yeah.. Maybe that's why we're really a match" Xiao Shuxiang snorted softly, he then closed the door of his room and began to get ready.
Ling Qing Zhu's father as well as the chairman of the Ling Clan and the Grand Elder of the Sky Pagoda Sect were currently meditating in order to conduct a routine Heart Demon Cleansing.
He couldn't meet his daughter's Guardian Guardian let alone watch the fight today.
Just like usual, the first gate of the Sky God Sect would be open to the public on the day of the fight. Swordsmen, cultivators, as well as ordinary humans could watch this fight head-on.
About five hours passed, the seats available outside the arena battle stage were already more and more filled.
There were two three-story buildings where one was the place of the challengers, while the other was the place for the representatives of the core families of the Ling Clan and their special guests.
"Brother Xiao where? I haven't seen him since this morning.."
Jing Mi and Yi Wen watched everyone who came after hearing Hou Yong's words. They had yet to see Xiao Shuxiang either.
Currently, Hou Yong, Xiao Lu, Hu Li, and the others were on the second floor of one of the buildings. They stood on the edge of the ledge as their eyes continued to circulate looking for Xiao Shuxiang.
Lan Guan Zhi himself was seen sitting quietly while holding onto Lan Xiao who had transformed back into a tiger the size of a kitten.
He was not as good as Xiao Lu, Yi Wen, and Hou Yong. This was because to him, Xiao Shuxiang would definitely come, his friend was not a young man who liked to run away from responsibility.
Nyawn~
"You can play with him later,"
Lan Guan Zhi rubbed the head of the Moon Tiger, on the top floor where he was sitting right now.. It looked as if Ling Lang Tian was together with Ling Qing Zhu.
Some of the people among them were these Patriarchs, Grandmothers and Mother Ling brothers. All of them numbered around ten people, with some seats still empty.
It seemed that someone could not attend and watch the fight, whereas today was the first appearance of the true Guardian Protector.
Ling Lang Tian was in charge of opening the event. He greeted the family representatives, challengers and also the spectators present. He also explained the rules of this fight.
".. 'The 'Protective Guardian' was not allowed to surrender, but his opponent could do just that. If the challenger was not a cultivator, then the 'Holy Guardian' would be given a Qi locking seal on him. The use of poison is not allowed in the arena of battle.."
Ling Lang Tian used Qi so that his voice could be clearly heard by everyone in this place. On the bleachers, Nie Shang, Mo Huai, and Siu Yixin were seen listening to the remark from Ling Lang Tian while their gazes were fixed on the arena stage.
Xiao Shuxiang had just come with a disciple of the Sky Pagoda Sect. Before the female disciple explained the rules of this fight, she was actually quite surprised when she first saw Xiao Shuxiang, the young man walking beside her looking like an angel of darkness.
Xiao Shuxiang was currently wearing three layers of clothing, the inside was red, and the outer two layers were black. She wears a black waist belt and a long red ribbon that is used to tie her hair.
"Young Master, you just walked right into the arena stage.."
Xiao Shuxiang nodded, he no longer walked together with the disciples of the Sky Pagoda Sect. He walked so calmly while occasionally circulating his gaze around.
"This atmosphere reminds me of the past.. The Life and Death Arena.."
There was a referee standing in the middle of the stage, he looked like a 42-year-old man with white hair. He was blue-eyed and his stature was slightly similar to Ling Hao Yu, Ling Qing Zhu's uncle who had been killed by Xiao Shuxiang.
!!
The spectators who had just first seen Xiao Shuxiang looked boisterous, they were shocked when a young man dressed in black walked up onto the stage so calmly.
The challengers who were on the second floor of another building were indeed not a serious audience, but it was clear they were jolted at Xiao Shuxiang. Moreover, they all sensed that there was a mysterious aura to the young man.
["Who is he.?"]
["I don't know either, I just saw her for the first time.."]
The two swordsmen behind his back who had large swords appeared to be talking, they were none other than Surya Loka and Raksa Geni, respectively, the swordsman who came from the Beheading Sword Party was also a challenger to Guardian Ling Qing Zhu.
!!
Surya Loka and Raksa Geni gasped as the young man they were talking about looked at them. Not only the two, but the other participants also felt that way.
The atmosphere in the building changed drastically to gripping. For some reason, they seemed to have been targeted into the prey of a savage beast. The eyes that looked at them looked bright reddish even if only a fraction of a second.
Xiao Shuxiang did not give off any aura at all, nor did he just give an ordinary look to the warriors who had dared to pose a challenge to him.
He was obviously not going to give up his place to anyone, this was because to stop being the Protective Guardian of the White Cat was tantamount to giving up his life to that person he did not know.
The referee who was on the arena stage started to take over when he was welcomed by Ling Lang Tian. He had first introduced Xiao Shuxiang as the 'Protective Guardian' who had been waiting for a long time.
The people who heard it clearly showed different expressions, but what was clearly visible was their surprise.
"The piercing look.. He's my dream man!"
"He's staring here!"
Xiao Shuxiang though was quite a distance away, yet he could see the female disciples of the Sky Pagoda Sect who seemed to be boisterous because of him.
"Is my appearance too extraordinary for them?" Xiao Shuxiang exhaled softly, his ears catching the cries of the audience, especially the women who called him handsome.
"Young Master, since your first opponent is not a cultivator, then I should give you a restraint seal. Are you ready?"
Xiao Shuxiang nodded softly as the referee named Ling Dong Hun spoke to him. The man began to touch his forehead and the next second a bird wing mark began to form.
Ling Dong Hun then called out the name of the swordsman who would be Xiao Shuxiang's first opponent, that person was Surya Loka.
While waiting for Surya Loka to take the arena stage.. Ling Dong Hun again explained some simple rules to Xiao Shuxiang.
".. You can kill an opponent if he doesn't say 'surrender', but when the opponent says so.. You should stop immediately. On the table there are various types of weapons, you can choose one of them,"
Ling Dong Hun said that Xiao Shuxiang was not allowed to use any personal heirloom weapons. The long-haired young man took it all in.
Surya Loka now walked onto the stage, her eyes re-encounter with Xiao Shuxiang. Compared to this young man, he was clearly more muscular.
[".. Looking closely, he was mediocre. Then the mysterious and gripping aura that I felt earlier came from where?"]
"Young Master Xiao, please choose your weapon,"
"All right,"
Xiao Shuxiang walked to one corner of the arena stage, the place where a long table made of wood was located. There are a variety of weapons, ranging from chains, swords, to whips. He felt nothing was right.
"Young Master Xiao?" Ling Dong Hun called Xiao Shuxiang, he asked if there were any other weapons the young man wanted to use.
Xiao Shuxiang did not answer Ling Dong Hun's question, he just stared at Surya Loka and measured the young man's ability.
His eyes then looked at the five trees that were under the arena stage, about 15 meters away from where he stood.
"I'll take my gun," Xiao Shuxiang started walking down, he got a look of astonishment from Ling Dong Hun and Surya Loka.
Lan Guan Zhi who was upstairs watching his friend come down from the stage was smiling faintly. He knew what his friend was going to do.
What Lan Guan Zhi thought was right. Xiao Shuxiang picked up a tree twig that was as long as an arm to use as a weapon.
The twig looked ordinary and Xiao Shuxiang also chose the smallest one, according to him facing Surya Loka only needed this weapon.
The fight had now begun, Ling Qing Zhu who was sitting beside her brother continued to stare towards the arena stage. One of his family started asking about Xiao Shuxiang's identity.
"Is that young man from the Black Stream?"
The old woman with an age that looked like 70 was the first to ask Ling Qing Zhu.
"No.."
"Do you like her..?"
?!
Ling Qing Zhu looked at the long black haired woman upon hearing the question just now. He paused for a moment and then directed his gaze to the arena stage.
".. L'm.. Don't know either,"
The only thing Ling Qing Zhu knew was that he did not hate Xiao Shuxiang. He actually knew what the young man was like as a child, Xiao WeiWei told him everything, he also got information from Jing Mi, Hou Yong, and Xiao Lu.
"You don't have to think about it too much,"
Ling Qing Zhu nodded slowly. Many of the core families of the Ling Clan had a habit of hiding emotions, they always had flat expressions and spoke only a few words.
The cultivator of the Ling Clan was arguably worse than the place in the Sky Sword Sect, a person like Xiao Shuxiang would likely not be as strong to handle such.
THE TRAANG!
["Son, you'd better change your weapon while I'm still warming up"]
Surya Loka seemed able to push back Xiao Shuxiang. They had just fought and the black-clothed young man had already nearly been pushed off the arena stage.
Xiao Shuxiang himself did not understand what Surya Loka was saying, it was likely that he was being overwhelmed with harsh words right now.
The 27-year-old jumped back and then responded to Xiao Shuxiang's attack. He was still measuring the abilities of this young man.
THE TRAANG!
["Son, do you understand what I'm saying?"]
Surya Loka asked Xiao Shuxiang to speak, but his opponent did not say a single word at all, he only saw his opponent's forehead shrivel a little.
Ling Dong Hun also noticed, he finally knew Xiao Shuxiang did not learn the language of the inhabitants of the Middle Continent, whereas this language should be quite familiar to the ears of the people of the Eastern Continent.
"It seems like he's a young man who doesn't like learning.." Long Dong Hun finally translated what Surya Loka said, and clearly this made the look on Xiao Shuxiang's face change.
"Aahs.. I thought you were swearing at me,"
"So you don't understand what I said?"
Xiao Shuxiang flinched as Surya Loka turned out to be able to speak like her own language. He somehow started to feel upset.
"I don't want to exchange weapons, you don't deserve to be dealt with by a sword,"
"Broast, you better keep your head from falling,"
THE TRAANG!
After the weapons clashed against each other, Surya Loka and Xiao Shuxiang leapt back simultaneously, the next second they were only seriously fighting, this time both using their respective Breathing Techniques.
Surya Loka had a beheading sword that was equal in height to Xiao Qing Yan, the size of the sword was large and heavy when it was lifted. But he seems to have no trouble doing it.
Surya Loka inhaled a deep breath, she then darted and started swinging her greatsword while exclaiming.
"Dark Breathing Techniques.. Separator Attack..!"
Xiao Shuxiang darted and received the attack that came with his Water Breathing Technique. He was wearing the Eighth Stream, the Slash of the Waterfall.
It was not their weapons that clashed, but rather the attacks of both. The Dark Breathing Technique with the Water Breathing Technique was equally powerful.
The impact of the attack produced artificial rain accompanied by strong winds that washed over the audience and the arena stage.
The rain and wind only lasted for about 30 seconds, and during that time Surya Loka continued to exchange attacks with Xiao Shuxiang.
THE TRAANG!
"Do you think Ling Qing Zhu is a fight reward? You shouldn't have posed this challenge to me,"
Xiao Shuxiang swung the twig in his hand like he was wearing a sword, despite not using Qi.. He can be balanced with the opponent.
"Isn't Miss Ling worth fighting over?"
THE TRAANG!
"I don't like men like you. White Cat.. He's not a contestable thing,"
Xiao Shuxiang aimed at Surya Loka's wrist with his kick, the young man leaped back and then avenged Xiao Shuxiang's kick.
"Dark Breathing Techniques.. Killer Lacing..!"
"Water Breathing Techniques.. Seventh Stream.. Waves Attacker..!"
!!
The spectators were again drenched in the rain, but this time they felt a tremor from the ground.
Nie Shang, Siu Yixin, Mo Huai and the other spectators heard voices from underground. The next instant an explosion was created and made the arena stage fall apart.
!!
Xiao Shuxiang and Surya Loka both set foot on the rubble of the arena stage. While Ling Dong Hun floated about ten meters off the ground, he was also actually shocked by the attacking effects of these two youths, unexpectedly the impact was much greater than the fight he was used to.
Surya Loka was not an expert in Deep Power Engineering, but he was quite confident in his Breathing Technique. During his life, Xiao Shuxiang was the third person who managed to make him expend a lot of energy. The young man who stood seven meters away from him should not be underestimated.
!!
"Xiao 'Er..!"
Xiao Lu exclaimed when he saw the blood spurting on his sister's left shoulder. Not only was he shocked, but Hu Li, Xiao Qing Yan, and their other friends were as well.
Xiao Shuxiang seemed to be hit by a slight attack from Surya Loka, he could feel the bone on his shoulder being scratched deep enough, it was painful but he tried to remain calm.
"You're good too,"
Xiao Shuxiang touched his shoulder, he then licked a little of his own blood while muttering something.
Not only was he injured, but also Surya Loka. The young man from the Beheading Sword Party spewed out thick blood while holding his stomach, he felt pain in his internal organs, this would be bad if it was not completed immediately.
Surya Loka rubbed her mouth, her clean and fierce-looking face started to dart back, this time faster than before.
Xiao Shuxiang gently patted his right shoulder, the next second he greeted Surya Loka's attack while waiting for his wound to close again.
The regeneration of his body felt extremely slow, this was probably due to the influence of Ling Dong Hun's Restriction Seal.
".. It hurts.." Xiao Shuxiang attacked even lower, as if aiming for Surya Loka's knees and ankles. ".. This guy has a great weapon.."
THE TRAANG!
The clash of Surya Loka's sword with a twig belonging to Xiao Shuxiang produced a loud sound accompanied by a shock wind. Xiao Shuxiang accidentally broke his branch and jumped back quickly.
The Surya Loka Sword instantly hit the ground. The loud thumping sound accompanied by the ground shaking made some of the standing spectators almost lose their balance.
!!
Surya Loka is back under attack. Quickly he floated both of his legs to fend off the attack, both of his hands resting on the sword.
The two legs of Surya Loka clashed with Xiao Shuxiang's kick. The youth with the red ribbon hair tie twisted the body and gave an attack on the knee folds of Surya Loka.
Ling Dong Hun was still keeping an eye on him. Surya Loka's evasive movements were so fast. He had previously felt that Xiao Shuxiang's kick had already made Surya Loka's leg loose, it turned out that the young man could still stand up.
"I don't know how you can become Guardian Protector Miss Ling. This strength of yours is under Young Master Lan, he is a difficult person to hurt,"
From Surya Loka's words, he clearly offended Xiao Shuxiang. In his opinion, Lan Guan Zhi was a more suitable person to be the Guardian Protector of Ling Qing Zhu.
"Lan Zhi was a crybaby young man. He doesn't like his clothes to get dirty, he's different from me. This Xiao Shuxiang.. I love to see his own blood.." Xiao Shuxiang grinned and started to toy with the twigs in both hands.
".. But from all of that.. I'd much rather see your internal organs,"
!!
Surya Loka was surprised when Xiao Shuxiang was suddenly in front of him, he dodged too late until his chest was hit by a stab from a twig belonging to Xiao Shuxiang.
Surya Loka tried to retreat, but he remained attacked without pause, this time his opponent seemed to not give him time to breathe, let alone moan in pain.
!!
Raksa Geni, the sister of Surya Loka, also looked surprised. He knew Xiao Shuxiang was standing far away in front of his brother, but only one blink of an eye.. The black-clothed youth had been close to Surya Loka.
THE TRAANG!
Due to the shock attack from Xiao Shuxiang, Surya Loka got an unfortunate position. He continues to be pushed and made to be in a defensive position.
The destruction of the arena stage did not make the fight end, this was because there had not been any of the two youths who had surrendered or died.
"White Cat is a pretty girl, but she's not up for grabs. I'm sorry, but I'm not giving up my place,"
A BAAAM!
Surya Loka bounced far enough and only stopped when she hit the ground, she felt her breastbone and back crack. He growled and instantly shot out at a speed that matched Xiao Shuxiang.
THE TRAANG!
No matter what pain Surya Loka was in, he retaliated against all the attacks he got. Now it is his turn that puts the opponent in a defensive position.
TRANGS!
TRANGS!
"It's like you don't want to admit defeat,"
Surya Loka snorted, "I'd rather die than have to admit it..!"
"Govern for me,"
TRANGS!
The gazes of the eyes of all the spectators could not escape the all-out fight between Surya Loka and Xiao Shuxiang. Both of them were unconcerned with the effect of their attacks which created rain and ground vibrations.
"Dark Breathing Techniques.. Dark current..!"
"Water Breathing Techniques.. Tenth Flow.. Water Splitter Freedom..!"
!!
***
