Chapter 0408: I am a Fiend Finisher

When Zhao Huiyin leaped out with the pole scimitar, the whole audience shouted with excitement.

"What? What?! Her resonant power is even stronger than before!"

"Look at her eyes! There's something wrong with her eyes!"

"Must be her trump card. Jiang Qing'e's pushed her to her limit now!"

"Trump card, frump card. My belief in Sister Jiang will not be shaken!"

"Of course! Senior Jiang has never been beaten ever since she entered the Astral Sage College!"

The Astral Sage College students shouted excitedly, still rallying behind their champion.

"Leader, she looks like a completely different person... like me when I'm researching spirit liquids and purifying lights," Bai Mengmeng said thoughtfully.

"Indeed." Li Luo agreed. "I think she must have cultivated some secret technique to seal off her emotions. Her eyes look real dead right now. In return, it pushes her to some sort of super state that enhances her strength."

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

"Can Senior Jiang deal with it?" Bai Mengmeng asked worriedly.

Zhao Huiyin looked inhuman right now. Bai Mengmeng was right to be worried.

Li Luo looked over at Jiang Qing'e. She was watching the transformed Zhao Huiyin closely as well. She looked surprised and curious to test her opponent, but there was no fear to be seen.

Zhao Huiyin posed a little bit of interest in her advanced state.

"Not even I know how much power Jiang Qing'e is truly hiding. When her opponent is on the same cultivation level... I'm not sure anyone in the whole East Divine Continent could beat her." Li Luo grinned. Although an unprecedented change in circumstances was always unsettling, he just didn't see Jiang Qing'e losing.

He might not know the extent to which she kept her power concealed, but he had a good idea of her potential.

Even he, chasing with all his might and powered by his dual resonances, sometimes despaired when he thought about catching up to her. She was truly a monster.

He sometimes wondered if his parents had purposely found this plump swan monster-genius and brought her back to spur him onwards.

Jiang Qing'e ignored the oohs and aahs of the crowd. She bent her finger again, eyes still locked on Zhao Huiyin.

Above her head, the light mirrors again shot a ray of fiery light.

Zhao Huiyin took two small steps and leaped up into the air, pole scimitar swishing down in a grand strike that called forth a crescent slash of power several dozen meters long. It crashed into the fiery light.

BOOM!

Like fireworks, they exploded with sound and fury.

This time, Zhao Huiyin managed to block the fiery light successfully.

She did not stop there, rushing Jiang Qing'e as she charged her weapon with metal resonant power. The long weapon swept out in a wicked slash.

With a flick of her wrist, Jiang Qing'e summoned her own heavy sword.

Bringing the broad blade up expertly, she angled it perpendicularly and took the impact head-on.

Clang! Clang!

They were locked in a furious clash of weapons, exchanging dozens of breathless strikes and parries. They bent and swayed accordingly, perfect footwork supporting perfect form as they weaved in and out of their deadly dance.

Zhao Huiyin had not dared to attack Jiang Qing'e before, but her special state had elevated her to a comparable level.

Neither seemed inclined to outclass their opponent with any form of advanced tactic. They threw raw power at each other, brutal clash after brutal clash that showed no signs of slowing.

Everything in their path was destroyed.

The students could not take their eyes off the fight. They barely dared to breathe or make a sound as they watched the spellbinding fight unraveling before them. Even though the last two matches had been between higher level cultivators, the First Princess' match had been a one-sided attack, while Gong Shenjun's match had been even less of a show, over in one attack.

Zhao Huiyin had been handily crushed at the start, but now she had revealed new power that seemed to put her on par with Jiang Qing'e.

"Zhao Huiyin's true strength is very close to the third substage, the Fiend Finisher Tier." The elders agreed among themselves.

"The Blue Abyss Sage College's foundations run deep indeed. Such a fine young student has a bright future ahead of her."

"But Jiang Qing'e is fighting with restraint. She's dealing with Zhao Huiyin's aggression efficiently. It seems like she still has skill and power to spare... just how deep do her capabilities run?"

"She seems to be relishing the fight, enjoying the little bit of entertainment that Zhao Huiyin provides... What a fearsome girl, Jiang Qing'e."

"This situation won't last long. The competition time is almost up. Jiang Qing'e will probably not allow a draw against Zhao Huiyin."

While the elders discussed the fight, the two girls were increasing the pace, smashing their environment around them into gravel in the process.

Clang!

Another hard clash.

Jiang Qing'e effortlessly swung her gigantic sword in an attack powerful enough to crack the ground. Zhao Huiyin parried, the shaft of her pole scimitar wobbling dangerously as if it were about to break. The latter was sent flying backwards, her cold eyes surveying her opponent constantly.

"Time is almost up. Is that all you have?" Jiang Qing'e asked serenely. A small smile, almost a smirk.

The Zhao Huiyin from the start of the battle would have said something back, some banter, some taunt perhaps... but she was all business now. Her hands tightened on the pole scimitar's shaft.

Shifting one hand up, she deliberately cut her finger on the blade, allowing fresh blood to seep into it. There was a deep, golden gash on the blade, almost like a golden eye.

Clearly, this pole scimitar was also a gold-eye treasured artifact. No wonder it was so strong.

With the addition of blood, the pole scimitar shuddered as if awakening. Thin, crimson lines were starting to emerge, running across the blade and down the shaft.

There was a new frequency to the vibration of the worldly natural energy as it rushed to Zhao Huiyin's weapon. An even bigger pole scimitar silhouette appeared behind Zhao Huiyin, an image hundreds of meters tall that wavered in the air.

It was so high that it even reached the clouds, the blade glittering gold in the blue sky like a sun.

Sword qi filled the air.

Many of the Fiend Finisher Tier Four Star Hall students watched in amazement. Many of them were at the same level. They were supposed to be the strongest students, just below the Seven Astral Pillars.

But even they could sense the immense threat of that attack.

Zhao Huiyin was only at the Fiend Body Tier, and yet she was dangerous even to them!

She opened her mouth to release a metallic hiss.

Her eyes glittered coldly, and she began the chop down.

"Jiang Qing'e, this attack can even cleave Fiend Finishers."

Weng!

As her blade clashed down, the image of power behind her descended as well.

An eerie whistling sound accompanied the falling weapon, which gathered more power and speed as it fell.

Even before it landed, the aura of energy around the blade was denting the ground.

Jiang Qing'e waited below, looking insignificant in comparison.

Jiang Qing'e looked up, almost admiring the attack. This attack was indeed the best Zhao Huiyin had. Even ordinary Fiend Finisher cultivators might be finished off by this move.

Defeating an enemy above your tier was always the mark of a genius.

But still...

This was all that Zhao Huiyin had.

Jiang Qing'e raised her own heavy sword, her lips curling up in a smile.

"Can even cleave Fiend Finishers...

"I am a Fiend Finisher. And you cannot cleave me."

A wild burst of light energy spilled out of her giant sword as Jiang Qing'e swung it up in a ferocious swipe.

Swoosh!

A column of fiery light roared up from the ground!

Even the elders gasped at this attack.

They could sense that Jiang Qing'e's attack was packed with great skill.

There was a macabre-green tint to the light, a new power not seen up till now.

That was... Fiend Dipper Energy!

Jiang Qing'e had already reached the Fiend Finisher Tier!