Chapter 93 - 91: Opening the Meridians
[Crystalization]
[Effect: You can generate a layer of crystalized skin over a small area on your body, increasing your Defense Power.]
A thought crossed Lin Ye’s mind.
He raised his left hand and stared at the back of it.
The next moment, a deep violet light seeped out from under his skin and quickly solidified.
A hexagonal piece of miniature armor, as if carved from amethyst, silently covered the center of the back of his hand.
Its magnificent color and mirror-smooth texture were completely indistinguishable from the crystal wall the Crystal Spirit Race fledgling had used for defense.
The instant the Crystal Armor formed, a distinct feeling of fatigue washed over him from both a physical and spiritual level.
Lin Ye immediately checked his attribute panel.
His Energy Value and Physical Strength Value were dropping at a visible rate.
Just maintaining this small, hexagonal patch of crystalized skin for a few seconds consumed nearly a third of his energy and physical strength.
Lin Ye dispersed the Crystalization.
Although he hadn’t had a chance to test the skin’s actual Defense Power, he was already quite satisfied with the result.
Through a stroke of luck, he had managed to bite and shatter the Crystal Spirit Race fledgling’s core in the most primitive way at the last moment.
He had fulfilled the strictest devouring condition of the [Taotie] mechanic.
He had even triggered the extremely low probability of successfully plundering an exclusive skill.
Lin Ye also coveted the Crystal Spirit Race’s terrifying spiritual pressure and their ability to conjure amethyst longspears out of thin air.
He just wondered if the [Crystalization] skill could evolve into those powerful forms after being enhanced further.
The two-and-a-half-hour rest period passed in the blink of an eye.
Following an announcement that echoed throughout the entire venue, Lin Ye and Zhang Yuqing both emerged from their respective lounges.
The tournament committee briefly announced the rules for the second round. After the panel of judges took a solemn oath, the competition officially began.
Guided by the staff, all the advancing contestants re-entered their Virtual Pods.
The online matches were highly efficient, with all bouts set to take place simultaneously.
The organizers also distributed lightweight virtual headsets to all accompanying personnel, allowing them to watch any fight they were interested in from the best possible viewing angle.
Lin Ye’s vision went black.
When his vision cleared, he found himself standing on a wide arena made of pure white metal.
The arena’s surface was a standard 15 by 15 meters.
For the sake of fairness and to best showcase the contestants’ individual raw power, the battle map for the second round was no longer random. Everyone’s battlefield was now identical.
Just as Lin Ye’s figure solidified, light flickered at the other end of the arena, and another silhouette emerged.
It was a young man half a head taller than Lin Ye.
He had a straight, tall posture and could be considered handsome, but his eyes held a cold indifference that kept everyone at a distance.
He didn’t intentionally show any emotion, yet his calm gaze naturally carried a sense of condescending scrutiny.
It was as if, in his eyes, everything in the world could be simply divided into "strong" or "weak."
Yan Hui.
The ace of Dongjiang Experimental Middle School, their undisputed number one.
The weapon in his hand was a long saber, archaic in design yet radiating a sharp edge.
The blade was slightly curved, giving it a powerful arc. At the hilt, the two words "Hundred Refinements" were inscribed.
This long saber, named Hundred Refinements, was just like Zhang Yuqing’s Rain Listening—a product of Dongjiang City’s top Weapon Workshop, with a base value of at least five million.
Neither of them spoke.
But the moment their gazes met, an invisible battle intent began to clash in the air.
Lin Ye could clearly sense that this opponent was strong.
Unlike any opponent he had faced before, Yan Hui showed no trace of gaudy arrogance—only the purest, most absolute confidence in his own power.
The level indicator above Yan Hui’s head was clearly visible.
LV18.
"Your guidance, please."
As per the rules, the two exchanged a simple bow.
Then, on the virtual screen directly above the arena, the countdown hit zero!
The fight began!
Lin Ye did not choose to defend passively.
He pushed off his feet, his figure moving like a phantom as he seized the initiative and launched the first attack.
His longspear struck like a dragon, a straight thrust at Yan Hui’s chest—the purest form of a probing attack.
Faced with Lin Ye’s preemptive strike, Yan Hui’s reaction was simplicity itself.
He also took a step forward, swinging his Hundred Refinements saber in a clean, simple arc from bottom to top to meet the tip of Lin Ye’s spear.
CLANG!
The sharp sound of metal on metal exploded through the air!
Lin Ye felt a colossal, utterly unreasonable force surge madly from the tip of his spear!
The force was terrifyingly immense!
He slid backward uncontrollably for three or four steps before he could barely dissipate the terrifying impact, leaving two glaring white scratches on the arena floor beneath his feet.
From the very first clash of weapons, the difference in their strength was obvious.
However, Yan Hui’s fierce assault gave Lin Ye no chance to breathe or regroup.
Pressing his advantage, he strode forward, his body following the saber. A second slash followed instantly, the blade stirring up intense wind pressure as it chopped down from above!
Lin Ye’s pupils contracted. He instantly switched his spear stance.
[Roaming Dragon Style]!
He gave up on meeting force with force. With a flick of his wrist, the spear’s shaft trembled, transforming into a nimble, roaming dragon that coiled around Yan Hui’s heavy, powerful blade. Using softness to overcome hardness, he redirected the domineering Slash to the side.
Lin Ye could clearly tell that every one of his opponent’s attacks was still in the probing stage.
Although he himself was also testing the waters, the gap in their raw power and base stats was immense.
「Outside the arena, in the spectator stands.」
When they saw Lin Ye actually manage to parry more than a dozen of Yan Hui’s storm-like attacks without being immediately defeated, many teachers from other schools showed expressions of surprise.
"This Lin Ye kid has some skills! He can actually trade blows with Yan Hui?"
"Dongjiang First Middle School really struck gold this year..."
Only Chen Meng, standing beside Wang Zhengguo, had an expression so grim it looked like water could be wrung from it.
To be honest, he was more nervous than Lin Ye.
This Yan Hui, and the Experimental Middle School next door, were truly like two massive dark clouds hanging over their Dongjiang First Middle School.
"Mengzi, what do you think?"
Wang Zhengguo paid no mind to the others’ comments, asking Chen Meng in a low voice.
Chen Meng crossed his arms.
A hint of predictable pity appeared in his eyes.
"Lin Ye is already at a complete disadvantage."
"He’s relying entirely on his spear technique, which has already reached the Third Realm of Slaughter, just to hold on."
"But this is a chasm between realms. It’s not a gap that can be bridged by skill alone."
"Besides, that Yan Hui’s martial technique has definitely reached the Third Realm as well. He just hasn’t shown it yet."
Chen Meng’s words were like a precise prophecy.
The moment he finished speaking, the situation on the arena changed dramatically!
After a series of unsuccessful preemptive attacks, Yan Hui suddenly changed his move.
He switched from a one-handed grip to two hands, raising the long saber above his head.
In an instant, every hair on Lin Ye’s body stood on end!
His combat instincts screamed their most frantic warning!
’I can’t block this slash!’
The next moment, Lin Ye saw Yan Hui’s seemingly slow Slash suddenly accelerate several times over!
The blade cut through the air, producing not the sound of wind, but a sharp shriek, as if space itself was being torn apart!
The force behind it also exploded, completely unlike a full-power strike that a regular Martial Artist could deliver!
An invisible, intangible blade aura detached from the saber, slashing forward with a thunderous roar at a speed that surpassed perception!