Chapter 188: Seizing the Crown

On the cloud platform, Zhou Muyun's eye corner twitched.

As the Heavenly Pride of the Purple Sky Dao Palace and a favorite to seize the crown at this Immortal Sprout Tournament, he actually has to face on the stage a Immortal Academy student who advanced by luck.

Immortal Academy students are all a bunch of riff‑raff who only know basic Dao techniques.

If he fights them and wins, it won't be much glory.

Losing? Of course losing is impossible.

Just as Zhou Muyun was silently cursing, Zhang Xingyu's voice drifted into his ear.

"One hundred thousand lower‑grade spirit stones, I bet on my own victory!"

That riff‑raff actually bets on his own win.

Has he never watched my matches before?

Does he not do his homework before placing a bet?

I am at the early Golden Core stage; my cultivation is surely a whole realm above his.

I practice the Purple Sky Dao Palace's inherited technique "Purple Sky Descent," which ranks as a lower‑grade Heavenly Tier art, and it will easily outclass his trash technique by miles.

My gear is a full set of sixth‑rank upper‑grade attire, with extremely high defense, surely impervious to his junk flying sword.

In my hand I wield a seventh‑rank upper‑grade flying sword, with tremendous attack; a single strike will finish him.

He actually dares to spend a hundred thousand spirit stones to bet on his own victory.

You riff‑raff, later I'll make you lose so miserably it's unbearable to watch.

Zhang Xingyu places his bet, turns, and mounts his sword onto the cloud platform.

"Senior Brother Zhou, sorry to keep you waiting. Let's begin right now,"

Zhang Xingyu bows his hands to Zhou Muyun, proposing the duel to start.

Zhou Muyun nods slightly and first activates the defense on his gear.

A pale yellow light shield rises around him.

Zhou Muyun relaxes, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

With this defense, that riff‑raff opposite only has a chance to get beaten.

According to information the academy teachers supplied before the match, Zhang Xingyu, besides his god‑like luck, also wields an ultra‑fast flying sword.

In his previous contests, he basically relied on luck and the sword's speed to win.

But he's just a riff‑raff from a mortal Immortal Academy; what good sword could he possibly have?

His sword is probably only a third‑ or fourth‑grade weapon.

A speed‑focused flying sword usually sacrifices attack power.

Given my full gear, his sword's attack is surely insufficient to breach my defense.

Zhang Xingyu draws the Fire Dragon.

His mouth twitches slightly as he silently chants, and the Fire Dragon transforms into a streak of light that darts toward Zhou Muyun.

Zhou Muyun commands his flying sword to meet it.

Unfortunately, his sword misses.

In an instant, the Fire Dragon swoops to his front.

Immediately after, the defensive light shield around him shatters.

The Fire Dragon, blazing, hovers before his forehead.

Zhou Muyun feels a tightening in his heart.

His whole body stiffens; he dares not move a muscle.

The pressure from the Fire Dragon penetrates deep into his spirit.

His spirit trembles.

He senses that any slight motion will cause the Fire Dragon's flames to incinerate him to ash.

"Senior Brother Zhou, I accept your concession!"

Zhang Xingyu bows to Zhou Muyun again and casually sheaths the Fire Dragon.

Below the cloud platform, a pin drop can be heard.

All the spectators watching are left dumbfounded.

That luck‑based guy actually defeated the crown‑favorite Zhou Muyun!

Is this person truly a riff‑raff from Nan Hua Immortal Academy?

After a while, Dean Su Gaoxuan of Su Yang Immortal Academy snaps out of his daze and says to the equally stunned Xu Yun Lao Dao, "Old Xu Yun, your disciple is no ordinary one!"

Xu Yun Lao Dao strokes his long beard and slowly says, "I never expected it, truly never expected it!"

A bronze gong sounds overhead the cloud platform.

"Immortal Sprout Tournament semi‑finals: Purple Sky Dao Palace's Zhou Muyun versus Nan Hua Immortal Academy's Zhang Xingyu, Zhang Xingyu wins!"

The dust settles.

Zhang Xingyu floats off the cloud platform with a scorched‑face grin, leaving a crown‑dream shattered Zhou Muyun on the stage, tears streaming down his face.

Next is the performance time of Qin Rushuang and Shui Yunyan.

Zhang Xingyu sits in a chair, takes a sip of Spirit Liquor, and watches the match.

Xu Yun Lao Dao stands behind him, gently massaging his shoulders.

"Zhang Xingyu, go for it! Fight to win the championship for the academy!"

Zhang Xingyu doesn't turn his head and says, "Dean, seizing the crown isn't impossible. It's just that dueling people is very taxing; each bout drains a lot of my spirit energy."

"Since you can contend for the crown, you must take it. As for spirit energy consumption, ask for any reward you want!"

A drunken‑like flush appears on Xu Yun Lao Dao's face.

The old Daoist felt excited!

Winning the championship! Winning the championship at the Xianlin Conference!

No one before, no one after!

What a great honor this is!

If this kid really wins the championship, even I, the Dean, might go down in history!

"I want one thousand Five-Grade Spirit Pills!" Zhang Xingyu raised a single finger.

"Ah!" Xu Yun Lao Dao was stunned.

A moment later, he asked weakly, "Zhang Xingyu, could you reduce it? You know, the academy is poor."

Zhang Xingyu shook his head, "No bargaining!"

On the cloud platform, the competition had entered a feverish stage.

Shui Yunyan activated her strongest Daoist technique, "Misty Rain".

In an instant, the cloud platform turned into a misty rain world.

Qin Rushuang, seeing this, also unleashed her signature skill, "Vast Frost Snow".

A moment later, the cloud platform became a frost‑snow world.

The misty rain washed the frost snow, while the frost snow froze the misty rain.

In the end, the misty rain could not defeat the frost snow.

Shui Yunyan was defeated.

Zhang Xingyu stared at Qin Rushuang on the stage, silently calculating in his mind.

Qin Rushuang is no ordinary woman!

Her technique is at least a lower‑grade Celestial Step.

Her cultivation should have reached the early Golden Core stage.

When I fight her later, I can only use a swift‑strike‑and‑finish tactic.

I must not let her act, nor compare spiritual power with her.

Clang!

The gong sounded: "Xianmiao Grand Finals: Lijiang Sword Sect's Qin Rushuang versus South Hua Immortal Academy's Zhang Xingyu."

Zhang Xingyu rode his sword and flew onto the cloud platform.

"Sister Qin, you just finished a match; want to rest half an hour to recover your spiritual power?"

"No need!"

"Better to rest. If we fight now, you'd be at a disadvantage!"

"No need!"

"Sister Qin, you should still rest. If we just compete like this, even if I win it won't be glorious!"

"No need!"

"Better to rest. If we clash like this, Fifth Senior Brother Cheng Haonan will blame me!"

"He won't!"

"Since that's so, junior brother, I will offend you!"

As soon as the words finished, a Fire Dragon had already flown in front of Qin Ruyan.

Below the cloud platform, everyone was once again dumbfounded.

A moment later, Su Gaoxuan said to Xu Yun Lao Dao, "Old Xu Yun, your disciple is far too cunning!"

Xu Yun Lao Dao shook his head: "This is called 'strategy that never tires of deceit.' In a duel, the false becomes real, the real becomes false; false‑false, real‑real, real‑false, false‑real—it's the simplest tactic."

Su Gaoxuan nodded: "Old Xu Yun, you've taken a good student. Congratulations to your South Hua Immortal Academy for taking first place in this Xianlin Conference. This record, in South Zhanzhou, is truly a one‑of‑a‑kind scorpion‑poop rarity. This achievement will let you, Xu Yun Lao Dao, boast for hundreds of years."

Xu Yun Lao Dao also nodded: "The old Daoist was lucky! South Hua Immortal Academy was lucky! My South Zhanzhou Immortal Academy was lucky! From now on, who dares say that the students taught by our academy are all useless?"