Chapter 404

Two utterly formidable slashes of blade-light and sword-gleam streaked across the sky, then collided with a thunderous boom.

Countless gazes converged upon them; everyone held their breath, for they all knew the outcome would be decided in this instant.

Zhao Zhao Huiyin's previous slash had been earth-shattering, but no one expected Jiang Jiang Qinge's counterattack to be even fiercer and more brutal—she revealed a portion of her true strength.

Extreme Sha Realm!

That sword, infused with killing aura, seemed to cleave heaven and earth apart.

Zhao Zhao Huiyin's slash was said to be capable of slaying an Extreme Sha, but that only applied to ordinary Extreme Sha cultivators—clearly, Jiang Jiang Qinge did not belong to that category.

Boom!

Amidst the stunned exclamations of countless students, the two attacks collided, unleashing a deafening roar; violent spiritual-force shockwaves, laced with razor-sharp blade-light and sword-gleam, swept outward, obliterating everything in their path.

Even the spectator stands were caught in the backlash, forcing countless students to scramble in alarm.

But at this moment, Instructor Zi Hui intervened, swiftly erecting layer upon layer of defenses to block the surging spiritual-force shockwaves and slashing blade-light.

Yet most eyes remained undistracted, locked firmly on the midair battlefield.

There, two fierce and powerful blade-light and sword-gleam pulsed with astonishing energy, warping the very void beneath their erosion.

But this stalemate lasted only briefly, for the luminous spiritual-force sword, swirling with azure killing aura, proved far stronger and more piercing—after several breaths, Zhao Zhao Huiyin's massive blade-light began to tremble, faint cracks appearing along its surface.

Jiang Jiang Qinge's gaze dipped slightly.

She knew the battle was over.

Crash!

The golden blade-light let out a mournful cry before shattering explosively.

Shhh!

The sword-light infused with azure killing aura retained its full might, slicing straight through the heavens with an unbearably fierce posture, hurtling toward Zhao Zhao Huiyin.

Zhao Zhao Huiyin's petite frame appeared tiny and helpless beneath the colossal swordlight.

The gale from the sword-gleam whipped her hair into wild disarray; the coldness and golden light in her eyes rapidly faded.

Gazing at the swordlight slashing toward her face, she bit her crimson lip, revealing a hint of helplessness.

Crash!

Yet just as the sword-aura was about to descend, Jiang Qingge suddenly clenched her jade hand—suddenly, the sword-light, fierce enough to cleave open a mountain, shattered outright; violent spiritual force spilled in all directions, forming a shockwave that sent Zhao Zhao Huiyin's slender body flying backward.

She cried out in surprise, but before she flew far, she felt her arm seized.

Zhao Zhao Huiyin looked up to see Jiang Jiang Qinge standing before her, one hand gripping her wrist.

"You..." Zhao Zhao Huiyin's gaze was complex; she hadn't expected Jiang Jiang Qinge to intervene and save her.

Jiang Jiang Qinge released her, letting Zhao Zhao Huiyin land, and said coolly: "You lost."

Zhao Zhao Huiyin murmured with a hint of pout: "You were already in the Extreme Sha Realm—why didn't you say so earlier? If I'd known your strength, why would I have endured this beating? What a waste of feelings."

Jiang Jiang Qinge said: "You're not bad. Better than Du Ze Duze Honglian from our academy—at least you gave me some real fighting interest."

Zhao Zhao Huiyin was speechless—so she'd merely been treated as a warm-up sparring partner? The gap between them was immense; Jiang Jiang Qinge hadn't even been trying her hardest, just playing along.

She sighed, then looked at Jiang Jiang Qinge with complex eyes: "If only you were from our Blue Abyss Sacred Academy."

Zhao Zhao Huiyin stepped closer, her voice sweet and alluring: "Jiang Jiang Qinge, you've truly made my heart flutter. Why not kick Li Luo to the curb and seize control of the Luo Lan Mansion? If you became its lord, once I graduate from Blue Abyss Sacred Academy, I'll come serve you!"

Jiang Jiang Qinge glanced at Zhao Zhao Huiyin: "You haven't been beaten enough yet?"

Zhao Zhao Huiyin pouted: "So fierce! I'm not joking this time—Li Luo that brat isn't good enough for you. A toad trying to eat swan meat is just plain ugly."

"I'll bet you—he won't beat Lu Cang from our Blue Abyss Sacred Academy."

Jiang Jiang Qinge said coolly: "You're not the first to underestimate Li Luo. You'll find plenty of kindred spirits buried in graves."

Zhao Zhao Huiyin shrugged: "Fine, we'll wait and see."

Jiang Jiang Qinge had no interest in further debate on the matter; she turned to face Instructor Zi Hui on the high platform overseeing the match.

At this moment, the overseeing instructor, having assessed the battlefield and confirmed Zhao Zhao Huiyin could no longer fight, nodded and announced loudly across the arena: "First match of the Third Star Division—victor, Sacred Zhu Xuan Star Academy, Jiang Jiang Qinge!"

"Woo!"

"Jiang Zhong Jie is mighty!"

"Jiang Zhong Jie is invincible!"

From tier upon tier of spectator stands, thunderous cheers erupted; countless students stared at Jiang Jiang Qinge with awe and admiration—this battle had been spectacular, and Jiang Jiang Qinge's invincible bearing was utterly intoxicating.

After this battle, Jiang Jiang Qinge's prestige within the academy would rival that of the Princess and Gong Gong Shenjun.

At one section of the stands, Gong Gong Shenjun, the Princess, and others watched the battlefield intently.

"Jiang Xue-mei is truly formidable."

Gong Gong Shenjun gazed at that peerless, radiant figure and couldn't help but sigh: "At this rate, she might even break through to the Heavenly General Rank by year's end—then I wonder which poor Seventh Pillar will catch her eye."

The Princess smiled faintly: "Jiang Jiang Qinge has the ability to compete for the title of strongest Third Star Division student in Outer Shenzhou. If she truly claims the Sacred Cup, it would be the first time in Sacred Zhu Xuan Star Academy's history."

Gong Gong Shenjun paused thoughtfully: "I've heard other Sacred Academies have prepared carefully for this Sacred Cup. While Nine-Pin Xiang is rare, it's not unique to Outer Shenzhou—but regardless, Jiang Xue-mei is certainly among the strongest contenders."

The Princess nodded, her phoenix eyes fixed on Jiang Jiang Qinge's figure, brimming with admiration.

Such a person, given a few more years, would inevitably become an astonishing figure in the Great Xia—no, if fortune favored her, even the Great Xia might not be able to contain her steps.

Though Xiang rank alone doesn't determine future achievement, Jiang Jiang Qinge wasn't merely advantaged by rank—her character and relentless effort had been witnessed by all these years. When the Luo Lan Mansion teetered on collapse, it was she alone who shouldered its burden, yet she never neglected her own cultivation. From every angle, Jiang Jiang Qinge was a figure the Princess admired immensely.

"You've been getting quite close to Jiang Xue-mei lately," Gong Gong Shenjun said suddenly with a smile.

The Princess laughed: "Of course I want to be friends with Jiang Jiang Qinge."

Then her gaze turned toward him, sharp with meaning: "Brother, are you still harboring feelings for Jiang Jiang Qinge?"

Though Gong Gong Shenjun had always been restrained, never overstepping, the Princess knew his heart.

Gong Gong Shenjun smiled: "A graceful lady—every gentleman desires her. Isn't that natural?"

"Jiang Xue-mei is so outstanding. As a man, it's no surprise I'm drawn to her."

The Princess replied coolly: "You've observed Li Luo for over half a year—his bond and feelings with Jiang Jiang Qinge are far deeper than you imagine."

Gong Gong Shenjun fell into a brief silence, his palm gently patting the railing before him, strange light swirling in his eyes.

He had to admit he had underestimated the bond between Li Luo and Jiang Jiang Qinge; at the very beginning, he thought their engagement held little significance, but after observing them for over half a year, he found the emotional tie between Jiang Jiang Qinge and Li Luo far exceeded his expectations.

Jiang Jiang Qinge usually appeared approachable, calm and composed, yet everyone could sense a certain distance—neither too close nor too far—whenever they interacted; one could converse with her, but to go any further was utterly impossible.

Especially for the opposite sex.

To this day, numerous outstanding students had attempted to pursue Jiang Jiang Qinge in various ways, but the final result was that those who had once been mere acquaintances could not even remain simple friends afterward.

This was the main reason Gong Gong Shenjun had remained inactive for over half a year, able only to exchange brief words when they occasionally met at the academy, making it difficult to advance their relationship.

And all of this was clearly due to Li Luo's arrival.

Jiang Jiang Qinge cared deeply about his feelings.

"This junior Li Luo is truly someone to be envied," Gong Gong Shenjun said slowly.

The Princess agreed wholeheartedly, saying, "Indeed, his House Luolan Mansion is not worth envying, but having such a fiancée is truly enough to make one envious to the point of jealousy."

She paused, then smiled at Gong Gong Shenjun: "Brother, you probably have no hope with Jiang Qinge; it is better to give up now and seek another beauty."

Gong Gong Shenjun smiled but said nothing.

The Princess's phoenix eyes held a meaningful glint; such advice to a man often had little effect and could instead stir his competitive spirit, and with someone as outstanding and of such status as Gong Gong Shenjun, that competitive spirit would be even stronger, so urging him to stop might only backfire.

But if that were the case, the Princess would be even more pleased.

Because if Gong Gong Shenjun truly acted a bit too aggressively, then given Jiang Jiang Qinge's personality, she would most likely sever ties with him immediately, which would be a good thing for her.

After all, she did not want to see Jiang Jiang Qinge grow close to the Regent's faction.

Of course, Gong Gong Shenjun was also deeply scheming, so her words might not work, but with a few casual remarks that cost her no effort, the Princess did not mind delivering a subtle blow.

The Princess refocused her mind, gazing at the arena; the ticket match had reached this stage, and Shengxuan Star Academy had already gained the upper hand, but from now on, their advantage would begin to wane, so it depended on whether their remaining representatives could hold firm; if they could stabilize the situation, then in this ticket match, Shengxuan Star Academy should be secure.