Chapter 618: Challenging Zhong Taiqiu

When Jiang Jiang Qinge announced her challenge target, an uproar immediately swept through the plaza; countless people wore looks of shock, and voices rose one after another.

"My heavens, did I hear wrong? Jiang Jiang Qinge is actually going to challenge Zhong Taiqiu?!"

"Zhong Taiqiu's strength among the Seven Star Pillars ranks third! Only below Gong Gong Shenjun and Gong Gong Luanyu!"

"Zhong Taiqiu is a Six-Star Tian Zhu Jing, extremely powerful with an incredibly deep foundation. Why would Jiang Jiang Qinge pick such a tough nut as her challenge target?!"

"This is really a bit reckless!"

"..."

All the students were chattering in astonishment; clearly, Jiang Jiang Qinge's choice of target was far too unexpected.

And not only the others—even Li Luo couldn't help a jolt of shock when he heard it. Although he had long suspected that Jiang Jiang Qinge wouldn't choose the weakest person as her challenge target, because that wouldn't quite suit her character.

But at most he had guessed she might pick Qiao Yu or Wang Chao, the two whose foundations among the senior students were slightly weaker. As for Zhong Taiqiu, he truly hadn't given it much thought.

Because that person's strength was extremely formidable; he had once been the strongest in the previous term's Four Star Court.

Even during the period when Gong Gong Shenjun and Gong Gong Luanyu had just entered the Four Star Court, Zhong Taiqiu had been the strongest Seven Star Pillar.

No one would doubt Zhong Taiqiu's strength.

So even Li Luo, who was full of confidence in Jiang Jiang Qinge, was slightly taken aback when he heard she was going to challenge Zhong Taiqiu.

"Is it for that so-called nurturing of Qi..." Li Luo's gaze flickered. Jiang Jiang Qinge wouldn't do anything pointless; choosing this way now must have her own plan.

"Captain, is Senior Jiang raising the difficulty to this level the moment she arrives?" Bai Bai Mengmeng beside him was somewhat dumbfounded.

Lü Qing'er hesitated, then also said: "Although directly challenging Senior Zhong Taiqiu is quite shocking, wouldn't it be a bit too aggressive? With Senior Jiang's talent, if she broke through to Tian Zhu Jing before challenging, it should be much safer."

Li Luo spread his hands and said: "There's no use telling me either."

The others, hearing this, could only shake their heads helplessly.

"Don't you underestimate Jiang Jiang Qinge either." The one speaking now was actually Mentor Xi Chan. She gazed at that matchlessly elegant figure in the plaza and said with a faint smile: "In the eyes of us Purple Radiance mentors, if there's still any student in the academy who leaves us somewhat unable to see through, I'm afraid it can only be her."

"I've said before that Jiang Jiang Qinge's cultivation is a bit peculiar. She should be practicing some kind of secret art, a secret art that has kept her suppressing her cultivation speed. She is like a volcano, constantly holding back the eruption of lava, but this suppression isn't permanent. When one day she completely releases this suppression, this volcano will naturally erupt with extremely terrifying power."

"Looking at Jiang Jiang Qinge's cultivation progress overall, during her time in the One and Two Star Courts, her speed compared to ordinary people wasn't slow, but compared to her own talent, it could only be called somewhat ordinary. Yet by the Three Star Court, she crossed the Three Earth Sha Realms in just one year, reaching the Extreme Sha Realm directly. That cultivation speed was already somewhat astonishing."

"In my view, her cultivation speed during the Three Star Court period should be because her suppression was about to reach its limit."

"The secret art she cultivates is no simple matter; it must have been left by Li Taixuan and Dantai Lan... I'm actually quite curious too—when she completely releases this suppression, just how far will she leap? But I think that day probably isn't too far off."

When she said this, Mentor Xi Chan glanced at Li Luo. Jiang Jiang Qinge's years of suppression and accumulation must be aiming at something significant, and calculating the time... perhaps it was for that estate sacrifice at the House Luolan Mansion.

Jiang Jiang Qinge had been preparing for this day all these years.

Hearing Mentor Xi Chan's words, the Yu Lang, Bai Bai Mengmeng, Lü Qing'er, Qin Qin Zhulu and others present were all somewhat moved, then gazed with complex and admiring expressions at that breathtakingly beautiful figure in the field. From every angle, Jiang Jiang Qinge was indeed a prodigy of stunning brilliance; she could be considered the most outstanding student in Holy Mystic Star Academy in the past century.

Especially if her challenge today succeeds, she will create an academy legend.

The field was in constant uproar, and the figures atop those seven starlight stone pillars also wore traces of surprise on their faces.

This result was equally beyond their expectations.

"Jiang Qinge..." The Eldest Princess knitted her delicate brows slightly. She gazed at that breathtakingly beautiful figure holding a heavy sword, looking dashing and heroic, and felt some worry. If Jiang Jiang Qinge had stepped into Tian Zhu Jing at this point, then choosing Zhong Taiqiu would be only natural, but judging from the resonant force fluctuations emanating from Jiang Jiang Qinge's body, she was still at the Extreme Sha Realm.

Yet Zhong Taiqiu was a Six-Star Tian Zhu Jing.

This one, before she and Gong Gong Shenjun had risen to prominence, had once been the strongest Seven Star Pillar.

Zhong Taiqiu was no easy opponent.

But this was Jiang Jiang Qinge's choice, so although she was somewhat worried, she could only wait and see for now.

Gong Gong Shenjun's gaze flickered slightly. He was wondering what reliance Jiang Jiang Qinge actually had, to dare directly challenge Zhong Taiqiu. From his understanding of Jiang Jiang Qinge, she shouldn't be that reckless type, so her current actions must mean she has something to rely on.

"Sigh."

Si Si Tianming breathed a sigh of relief at this moment, then smiled bitterly. His Seven Star Pillar position was preserved, but it also left a slightly bitter taste, because Jiang Jiang Qinge hadn't chosen him. This meant that the current Jiang Jiang Qinge didn't even consider him a challenging opponent anymore.

"There's really no chance at all now." Si Si Tianming shook his head bitterly.

The other Seven Star Pillars all wore strange expressions. They stared at that extraordinary, breathtakingly beautiful figure in the field ahead, their gazes somewhat complex. If her challenge succeeded this time, Holy Mystic Star Academy would probably welcome the most terrifying Seven Star Pillar in its history.

And amid the uproar filling the field, Zhong Taiqiu, as the one being challenged, after a brief moment of stunned surprise, slowly stood up.

Zhong Taiqiu's appearance could only be called ordinary—narrow, squinting eyes, a perpetually gentle, soft smile on his face. Yet despite such an unremarkable exterior, he had once earned the title of the strongest Seven Star Pillar. However, as new talents replaced the old, with the emergence of even more outstanding and dazzling successors, he concealed his former brilliance, quietly enjoying the resources in the academy, waiting to leave here completely after the end of this year.

"I originally planned to end my academy cultivation with the glory of a Seven Star Pillar, but now it seems it's not that easy after all." Zhong Taiqiu said with a smile.

As he spoke, he had already stepped forward; resonant force fluctuations flashed past, and his figure appeared under the gaze of ten thousand eyes, ten-plus zhang in front of Jiang Jiang Qinge.

"Junior Jiang, you are undeniably the most outstanding student in the academy in the past century. But I don't want to leave the academy as a loser either, so choosing me might not be that wise a decision." Zhong Taiqiu said softly.

Jiang Jiang Qinge's countenance was calm; within her golden eyes, waves seemed to surge secretly.

She didn't say much, just slightly lowering her gaze: "Senior Zhong, please enlighten me."

Zhong Taiqiu gave a faint laugh. The next instant, an extremely astonishing, ferocious resonant force, like a hundred-zhang giant wave, swept directly outward from within him. His resonant force appeared pale green, carrying a faint pungent fishy smell. Wherever the resonant force spread, even the air began being transformed into a pale green hue.

That was snake venom.

And amid the surging, rolling resonant force, a massive phantom of a demonic python gradually emerged behind him.

Lower Eight Grade, Demonic Python Aspect.

Accompanying it were six resplendent Tian Pearls.

Heaven and earth energy, like an inverted torrent of the Milky Way, surged forth wildly.

The astonishing resonant force pressure swept across the entire field, giving the countless watching students a suffocating sensation.

Zhong Taiqiu's pupils also turned into vertical slits like a python's at this moment; his gentle, soft face gained several degrees of sinister coldness. His body slowly rose into the air, looking down at Jiang Jiang Qinge from above, as a soft, yielding voice rang out: "Junior Jiang, show me your trump card. If you're only at the Extreme Sha Realm, today you may not be able to take the Seven Star Pillar position from me."

"One move." Jiang Jiang Qinge gazed at the heaven-spanning resonant force behind Zhong Taiqiu, her red lips parting slightly.

"What?" Zhong Taiqiu's eyes narrowed slightly.

"If Senior Zhong can withstand one move from me, I will concede defeat in this challenge." Jiang Jiang Qinge's voice was unhurried.

Zhong Taiqiu stared at Jiang Jiang Qinge and laughed: "It's because Junior Jiang only has the strength for this one move, isn't it?"

Then his gaze flickered, and he gave a faint laugh: "Since Junior Jiang has said so, as a senior student, I naturally have no reason to back down. Moreover, I very much want to see just how dazzling the most outstanding student in our Holy Mystic Star Academy in the past century can actually be."

As the former strongest Seven Star Pillar, Zhong Taiqiu also possessed his own pride. If Jiang Jiang Qinge were his equal, he would naturally avoid her sharp edge, but the current Jiang Jiang Qinge was only at the Extreme Sha Realm, while he was a Six-Star Tian Zhu Jing!

lingdian.

He did want to see just what confidence Jiang Jiang Qinge had, daring to claim one move would decide the victor!

"Then, Junior Jiang, after you."