Chapter 0406: Light and Metal

The Earth Fiend Stage was divided into three tiers.

Fiend Palace Tier.

Fiend Body Tier.

Fiend Finisher Tier.

When resonance cultivators made it to the Earth Fiend Stage, they grew even more attuned to worldly natural energy, allowing them to draw on a special variety of it known as Earth Fiend Energy.

Absorbing Earth Fiend Energy helped one's resonant palace expand and strengthen, which increased one's resonant power capacity.

That was why it was called the Fiend Palace Tier.

Once the resonant palace reached a critical level of reinforcement, Earth Fiend Energy would overflow and pour out of it, strengthening one's physical body. That was the intermediate tier, the Fiend Body Tier.

Each tier even had a unique color, called the Silver, Gold, and Glass Fiend Tiers respectively.

A common ceiling for many was the Gold Fiend Tier. Reaching the Glass Fiend Tier was exceedingly difficult because physical body reinforcement was an unfamiliar concept that many cultivators struggled with. Bringing it to the final level was a feat that not many could accomplish.

This was why Zhao Huiyin's Glass Fiend Tier reveal was such a big surprise.

After the Fiend Body Tier was the Fiend Finisher Tier, the final tier of the Earth Fiend Stage. This stage was also defined by a fresh injection of power. One's body would produce a special type of energy by itself, known as Fiend Dipper Energy. This was the greatest and most recognizable mark of the Earth Fiend Stage.

"Jiang Qing'e, I hear you're at the Glass Fiend Tier as well. Show me, then! Show me how different a ninth-grade light resonance Glass Fiend body looks." Zhao Huiyin laughed, crooking a finger at Jiang Qing'e. With a quick flick of her sword, she sent a powerful attack flashing out at her opponent.

The arc of golden light flashed up into the sky, then a rain of swords began.

Jiang Qing'e raised her lovely face to the sky of swords summoned by her opponent's metal resonant power. It was a deadly attack, enough to pierce rock itself, and the metallic clangs of swords on the ground all around her was deafening. Zhao Huiyin was quite strong indeed.

Still, this attack was nothing to Jiang Qing'e.

She raised a hand and bent just two fingers.

BOOM!

A curtain of light descended from the sky, threads of light resonant power circling through it at speeds too fast for the human eye to see.

Ping! Ping!

The light weave stood strong, as though the blades were puny birds flying headlong into a cliff. They exploded into dust.

The light weave looked pristine.

Zhao Huiyin's eyes widened at the exquisite control and strength of the light resonant energy. It was truly masterful handling, on a clearly higher level than her metal resonant power. A ninth-grade light resonance was really a miracle to behold.

There was not much time for gawking. The light screen suddenly expanded, shattering into pellets of light that flew out like a hail of bullets.

They were fast enough to outpace most defenses.

But Zhao Huiyin was prepared. Raising her hand again, she gathered her metal resonant power into a flat, golden shield in front of her. It had barely formed when the bullets arrived, slamming into the shield with enough velocity to leave lumpy indents. The zinging sound of bullets was all that was heard for a few moments.

The impact of the light bullets punched Zhao Huiyin back step by step, and her flimsy shield was beginning to crack.

She had not been given sufficient time to properly reinforce her shield, and so it cracked very quickly.

When it gave way, Zhao Huiyin leaped backwards defensively.

Jiang Qing'e moved forward, appearing before her like magic. Her fingers jabbed out towards Zhao Huiyin's chest.

What speed!

Her attacks were already strong enough that they were hard to defend against. On top of that, Jiang Qing'e used her preternatural speed to overwhelm her opponents, outpacing them before they could even summon their best defenses.

Zhao Huiyin continued to back away hurriedly. "Qing'e, are you attacking me there because you're jealous?" She laughed.

Jiang Qing'e smiled mildly and then moved again, fingers jabbing out with enough force to tear the air.

Zhao Huiyin's own curled fingers answered, gleaming in a metal cast. They smashed into Jiang Qing'e's fingers. [1]

Ping!

A tinny sound pinged out from the two girls, shrieking uncomfortably against eardrums.

Around them, nearby rocks were smashed from the impact.

A fissure had even opened up in the ground.

Neither girl backed down. Both attacked with full ferocity, leaving blurry after-images in their wake as they maneuvered around to attack the other's weak points.

Light and metal engaged and disengaged over and over in flashes of gold.

Holes were left behind in the ground, dark with depth.

It was a thrilling fight that took one's breath away. Both were in great danger throughout.

Although both were girls, they fought even more ferociously than the guys.

Ping!

Another terrific clash left a spider web-shaped crack on the ground.

Zhao Huiyin gave a soft cry as she stumbled backwards. She had taken the first hit, her right hand shining with light resonant energy left over from her opponent's attack. Her fingers burned with a searing pain.

Jiang Qing'e's own hand was glittering with metallic power from Zhao Huiyin's attacks as well, but she nullified the metal resonant power swiftly and easily.

A ninth-grade light resonance had the advantage in resonant power quality.

A moment later, Jiang Qing'e was fully recovered. "Looks like my light resonant energy is stronger."

She walked towards Zhao Huiyin, gathering light resonant energy again in her hand like a mini-sun.

Zhao Huiyin's face tightened in fright as Jiang Qing'e moved towards her with steady steps. She scrambled backwards.

But Jiang Qing'e was too quick. Her measured steps were deceptively quick, and in a few short moments, she was in front of Zhao Huiyin. The fistful of light resonant energy smashed down.

Just as Jiang Qing'e lifted her hand, the fear on Zhao Huiyin's face vanished, replaced with a wily smile.

Her cherry-red lips parted, pink tongue now coated with a pale-gold power. On its tip was a golden, conical object.

"Golden Tongue Drill!"

1. TN: Why are these girls fingering each other... what happened to weapons… ☜