Chapter 0558: Fight at the Top

Lan Lan's team stared at the First Princess, Jiang Qing'e, and Li Luo from across the gates of the gray, corrupted city.

All six students had guarded expressions, and even the usually calm Lan Lan had narrowed eyes, making them even smaller than usual.

The two leading squads of the mixed-level competition had finally met.

The tension in the atmosphere was palpable.

"Hello there. It seems like we were the ones who arrived first." The First Princess' opening salvo went out.

"Friend Gong, you know that matters not in this competition," Lan Lan replied tersely.

"Oh? Was it that sort of barbaric competition?" the First Princess asked mildly.

She was the kind of person who wielded both charm and force with equal skill, choosing whichever approach would serve her best. A less experienced opponent would be easily swayed.

Not Lan Lan, master of the Enlightened Sage Scripture. "Friend Gong, your squad is topping the leaderboards," he said with an easy smile back at them. "How about you give this city to us?"

The First Princess' amiability vanished. "An impertinent request. You think the Enlightened Sage Scripture allows you to do whatever you please?"

"I fight for my school and not my pride," Lan Lan said, shaking his head. "If this were anywhere else, I would let you have it without a second thought."

"Pretty words," the First Princess said coolly. "But we are not dealing with anywhere else. The usual rules it is."

Meaning they would fight for it.

"We are not the only ones fighting for this place," Lan Lan said calmly. "Look around you. The cunning bastards are all flocking like vultures." There were many other squads trying to remain hidden while the two strongest squads fought.

"Perfect. Then they will know to fear us."

"Are you that confident?" Lan Lan laughed. "We even fought in the hall-level competition."

"Things are different now," the First Princess replied testily. "Your Enlightened Sage Scripture is very strong, but I can definitely hold you for some time. Then my two squad mates will finish yours off. I'm sure you know what the outcome will be then."

"Hold me for some time?" Lan Lan repeated. "In the time that the Enlightened Sage Scripture takes to prepare? It is such a short time... Junior Jiang might be unparalleled in the Three Star Hall, but I'm not so sure Lu Jinci will hold out for less time than you can. And as for Junior Li Luo, he only clinched a pyrrhic victory over Jing Taixu. I don't foresee a quick win there either."

A threatening edge crept into his voice now. "What I see is that the Enlightened Sage Scripture will be prepared first, and then you will pay the price, Friend Gong."

The First Princess smiled thinly in response, flicking her jade scepter and summoning her resonant power in the form of seven heavenly pearls.

She moved with no hesitation at all, jade scepter flashing out with void-breaking power.

The green resonant power formed the shape of a green luan, soaring out like a star chasing the moon as it swooped down on Lan Lan.

With a soft sigh of resignation, Lan Lan began to gather his own powder-blue water resonant power with almost boredom in his movements. A huge hand rose up from within the ocean of water to face the green luan.

Boom!

The two cultivators met in an epic clash of energies that shook the corrupted energy some distance away in the city.

Jiang Qing'e had moved at the same exact instant, a streak of light bearing down furiously on Lu Jinci.

Lu Jinci paled, focusing all his energy into running away.

Li Luo hefted his Onyx-Elephant Blade and landed lightly before Jing Taixu.

"So we fight again," he remarked casually.

Jing Taixu looked at Li Luo consideringly. His loss in the hall-level competition had haunted him until now. If he had just held out a bit longer, it would have been Li Luo who lost.

And he would have been the strongest One Star Hall student.

"Don't waste your strength, Li Luo. We would not fight for long anyway. The key now is if Senior Jiang can defeat Senior Lu before the Three Kowtows of the Enlightened Sage can take effect. We should just watch quietly from the sidelines," Jing Taixu reasoned.

Li Luo stared at him in surprise. "You don't think there's another possibility? Like maybe I could defeat you first and then threaten Lan Lan to surrender?"

Jing Taixu stared at him in disgust. "Looks like someone's gotten cocky after the last win."

Li Luo merely smiled, pointing his Onyx-Elephant Blade at Jing Taixu.

"Alright," Jing Taixu hissed. "Let's see what you have to back up that big mouth of yours!" His green plantain fan swept out, wind roaring to life behind it.

...

While the two squads fought, many eyes were watching them.

Gong Shenjun's squad was one of them.

"Senior Gong, why aren't we going to help?! Together, the two of you can definitely beat Lan Lan!" Duze Honglian said urgently.

"Lan Lan's squad is the greatest enemy of our school. We can't let this level three city fall into their hands, or they'll overtake us."

Duze Honglian regarded all of the Astral Sage College’s squads as one and the same in this competition. They should definitely join forces.

Gong Shenjun shook his head slightly. "We can't move. I can sense that the other squads have locked on to our position. If we join the fray, more squads will fight as well. They would rather not have this delicate balance upset."

Duze Honglian hung her head.

"Don't worry," Gong Shenjun said with a reassuring smile. "Luanyu's squad might not lose. If she can hold out for a while, Junior Jiang might well catch Lu Jinci."

"I hope it is as you say." Duze Honglian sighed.

Midasthefloof's Thoughts

Ahem, a triple release as apologies for the late chapters.

Sorry for the wait my fellow readers :P