102: Chapter 102 Two Battles

On the arena, Xiao Huo and Chen Tianxiao were still confronting each other.

Xiao Huo moved slightly, taking the greatsword wrapped in black cloth from his back into his hand. With a light wave of his left hand, the black cloth fell, and the blade of the greatsword shimmered brilliantly under the sunlight.

"Can you tell what grade that kid's weapon is?" an Integration Venerable in the spectator stands asked his friend beside him.

This friend was also an Integration Venerable, and at the same time, an Artifact Refiner.

He stared at the greatsword in Xiao Huo's hand for a long time before finally shaking his head. "I can't tell. Either it's a special Magical Artifact, or it's just a broken sword."

"Or..." the Artifact Refiner narrowed his eyes slightly. "This sword has already birthed a weapon spirit!"

After Xiao Huo took out the greatsword from his back, the Soul inside had been buzzing in his ear the whole time.

"Kid, are you crazy? This is the Prodigy Tournament; someone might notice something amiss."

"Put it away quickly. If you happen to run into one of my old opponents, you might not even make it out of this Tianji City alive."

"Kid, love will naturally come once you are strong enough; there is no need to rush."

Xiao Huo did not speak, simply looking at Chen Tianxiao.

Chen Tianxiao's mouth moved. "Fine! Then let me see how much you have truly improved!"

Suddenly, flames erupted everywhere. In an instant, half of the arena was illuminated in a scorching golden-red by the flames. Chen Tianxiao's long fire-red hair fluttered violently in the heatwave.

He clenched his right hand in the air, and the flames filling the arena, as if receiving an irresistible command, whistled from all directions into his palm. Compressing layer by layer and condensing continuously, they finally formed a burning flame greatsword in his hand.

"Come!" Chen Tianxiao raised the greatsword, and the surrounding flames shot into the sky in that instant.

"Come!" Xiao Huo was not to be outdone, his eyes devoid of any fear. The moment his words fell, pale blue flames also shot into the sky around him.

Unlike the flames around Chen Tianxiao, these flames seemed to have no heat; in fact, the moment they appeared, the surrounding temperature dropped by several degrees.

The two moved in an instant.

Almost at the same moment, the two swung their swords simultaneously, and the two greatswords collided in an instant.

The flames on the arena also merged in an instant.

Golden-red and deep blue, scorching heat and icy cold.

Fire and frost exploded in that instant. The golden-red scorching flames were sent scattering, while the deep blue cold flames fell like ice crystals. The protective array on the arena flickered violently from the shockwave.

"Hahaha, hahaha!" Xiao Huo flew into the air, laughing continuously. "That day when we first met, I was only at Qi Refining, while you were already at Golden Core, and now forty years have passed."

"Chen Tianxiao, we two are finally standing in the same Realm!" Xiao Huo raised his longsword above his head. "I love you, more than anyone else loves you."

"Chen Tianxiao!!!"

A bone-chilling cold erupted instantly, rippling outwards from Xiao Huo as the center.

"Forty years is enough to change many things." Chen Tianxiao's tone was calm. "Let's talk about those matters after this battle ends."

Suddenly, Chen Tianxiao's tone rose, and orange flames rippled outwards from him at that moment.

"Xiao Huo! Do you really think that you are stronger than me!!!!!"

Chen Tianxiao and Xiao Huo first met forty years ago. At that time, Chen Tianxiao had already reached the Late Stage of the Golden Core Realm and was preparing for his Breakthrough to the Nascent Soul Realm.

That was when he was using the Sect's teleportation array to go to a certain place for training, and then he encountered Xiao Huo, who was being besieged by Yao Beasts.

"Well, my name is Xiao Huo. That was right after I had been kicked out of my family. As for the reason, it was very simple: I didn't want to marry the Young Miss of the Liu family. Don't misunderstand, there was no 'broken engagement' plot; I simply don't like women."

"The Young Miss of the Liu family is a good girl, and I didn't want to delay her. More importantly, to pledge my life to a woman? I'd rather be killed."

"When my father learned of this news, he was very angry and kicked me out of the family."

"In order to survive, I planned to go to the Great Forest of Demonic Beasts to hunt Demonic Beasts to see if I could sell them for some money. Perhaps my luck was bad, or perhaps it was too good; the first time I entered, I encountered a precious sword. But when I pulled that greatsword out, a beast tide occurred."

"Then, I met a god; at least, he was a god in my heart at that time."

"What is your name?" I asked.

He had red hair; he turned his head, his face delicate. "Why should I tell you?"

"My name is Xiao Huo, I like you!"

He was clearly stunned for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Chen Tianxiao, my name is Chen Tianxiao. Kid, I like you a little bit too!"

On the arena.

"Chen Tianxiao!"

"Xiao Huo!"

Chen Tianxiao gripped the flame greatsword with both hands, the golden-red light on the blade shining to a blinding degree.

The spiritual power within his body was no longer held back, all of it poured into the sword. Flames shot up from the blade, condensing into a giant flame sword shadow above the arena. The sword shadow tilted slowly, locking onto the youth holding the black sword across the arena, as if heavenly punishment were descending.

Xiao Huo took a deep breath. Pale blue flames spread up along his arm, shrouding his entire body in a layer of cold blue light. He did not look at the flame sword shadow above his head that was enough to split half a mountain in two; he simply lowered his head, looking at the pitch-black greatsword in his hand that had accompanied him throughout his entire cultivation journey.

"I love you! These forty years, my mind has been full of you!" Xiao Huo raised his greatsword and shouted!

"Is that so?" Chen Tianxiao also burst into laughter. "So I'm that charming!!!"

"Boom—"

Red and blue merged together.

Half of the arena was scorched red-hot by Chen Tianxiao's golden-red scorching flames, the surface of the stone bricks covered in fine cracks; the other half was covered in a thin layer of frost. The deep blue cold flames licked silently over the ice crystals, each flicker causing the air to condense into tiny ice shards.

The two were both supporting themselves with their greatswords, looking at each other, and laughing.

"You won!" Chen Tianxiao said.

Then the golden-red color on the arena faded.

Xiao Huo listened to the cheers around him, even somewhat doubting if he was dreaming.

From the beginning of the Prodigy Tournament until now.

The first Prodigy to successfully challenge had appeared.

Regardless of what kind of history they had, and regardless of what kind of relationship they had.

The cheers around them rose and fell.

The cheers of the arena came quickly and left just as quickly.

The next match: the tenth-ranked on the Heavenly Pride Ranking, Su Qinghe, challenged the first-ranked, General Zhou Muxue.

When Su Qinghe went up to the arena, his hands were trembling slightly.

General Zhou Muxue was the Disciple of the Sect's Old Ancestor, True Immortal Qinglan.

He was very fortunate to be born in the same era as such a Prodigy, but sometimes he also felt sorrow, because there was such a Prodigy always above him; no matter how hard he tried, he could only see her back.

"Senior Sister Zhou—"

Su Qinghe had just opened his mouth when he was interrupted by the person opposite him.

"Senior Sister Mu Xue." General Zhou Muxue, opposite him, said with a candy in her mouth, "Don't call me Senior Sister Zhou."

"Yes, Senior Sister Mu Xue," Su Qinghe said. "Please enlighten me, Senior Sister Mu Xue."

Su Qinghe did not know why Senior Sister Mu Xue hated her surname so much. He clearly knew about this matter; he had clearly just reminded himself to call the other party "Senior Sister Mu Xue," but for some reason, when it reached his mouth, it turned into "Senior Sister Zhou."

Senior Sister Mu Xue opposite him turned her head somewhat listlessly.

Su Qinghe only felt that his breathing was trembling.

Fear, fear, fear. How could one possibly defeat the three words "General Zhou Muxue"?!

"I'm coming, Senior Sister!"

Su Qinghe took a deep breath and drew his sword.

He was the tenth on the Heavenly Pride Ranking, with a cultivation of the Middle Stage of Soul Transformation. In any city or any Sect, he was a Prodigy that attracted all eyes. His swordsmanship had never known defeat among his peers in the Sect, and everyone said he was a genius of the Dao of the sword.

Until that day, when True Immortal Qinglan brought back a girl from the outside; her name was General Zhou Muxue.

He attacked. No probing, no holding back; the moment he made a move, it was his strongest sword technique. Sword Qi surged like a tide, one wave after another, rushing toward Mu Xue in an overwhelming manner.

He knew these could not hurt her; he only hoped to force her to be a little serious. Mu Xue stood in place, her body slightly to the side, dodging the first wave of Sword Qi. The second and third waves followed closely, and she tapped her toes on the ground, her figure drifting among the Sword Qi like a willow catkin.

Su Qinghe's sword became faster and faster, so fast that even some Return to Void Cultivators could no longer see the trajectory of the sword blade, but Mu Xue remained in that indifferent attitude.

Why, why? When I first met you, you were clearly only a Qi Refining Cultivator.

Since when did I become unable to even see your back?

Please, let me touch you once!!!

Su Qinghe gritted his teeth, pouring all his spiritual power into the sword. A blinding white light lit up at the tip of the sword, a full-force strike, betting all his pride.

He did not seek to defeat Mu Xue; he only sought for her to look at him, to look at this sword strike of his.

This is a sword technique that appeared for you!!!

The white light approached, and Mu Xue finally raised her hand. Not to draw a sword, not to make a move, but simply to extend a finger and flick his sword blade lightly.

"Hum!"

On the arena, the girl held a lollipop, her eyes indifferent.

The youth opposite her still had a smile on his lips, the longsword in his hand dissipated, and his body fell straight down.

Regardless, he had done it; he had made Senior Sister Mu Xue make a move.

But... but...

I am truly sorry for not being able to make Senior Sister Mu Xue enjoy herself.