Chapter 137: The Sixteen Finalists (III)
Bzz
The halo stopped shining, and the sixteen people in Long Haochen’s group looked at the brilliance on their own bodies.
The five auxiliary hall masters in the halo opened their eyes simultaneously. Excluding Ruoshui, the four other secondary hall masters had looks that seemed as if they were rejoicing in the misfortune of someone else. At the same time, Han Qian’s look became an incomparably ugly sight to behold.
It had already been completed, and even without the five other auxiliary hall masters, no one could possibly question the fairness of this process.
Among the five competitors of the Knight Temple, unexpectedly, there were four of them that fell against other knights as opponents. In other words, no matter how the matches took place, there were now only at most three people from the Knight Temple who could enter the top eight.
Two knights of the fifth step, unfamiliar with each other, ended up against each other. The light on their body was completely identical, and on the other sides, Long Haochen and Li Xin, brother and sister, ended up against each other.
Long Haochen’s look instantly became shocked, as he turned toward Li Xin, with an ugly look on his face. How could he have thought that he would be so unlucky. With a probability of one eighth, he still drew his big sister as his opponent.
The Saint Mage Tutor Lin Chen coughed, before patting Han Qian’s shoulder and saying, “Brother Han is indeed worthy of being an emissary of light, this draw was indeed fair and equitable. It has the approval of our Mage Temple.”
Ying Suifeng and Han Qian were the most familiar, and he was the one who laughed in the most lividly fashion, “Old Han, your Knight Temple is indeed formidable, but in regard to luck, tss tss…”
Han Qian’s complexion changed completely, fiercely opening his two eyes widely.
The War Emperor Ren Wokuang laughed as well, “Child Ying, you shouldn’t speak like this. These drawing results were very advantageous to the Knight Temple: that way they will have at least two people in the top eight. Wouldn’t this enormously increase the probability of getting someone in the top three?”
Sanshui, the summoner at the step of Spirit Emperor coldly snorted, “You guys, what can you do except from taking joy in other people’s misfortune? In the first place, try to have five of your people enter the top sixteen. Old Han, thank you! Nobody from our Spiritual Temple ran against each other, what a great luck.”
Outside of the Knight Temple, the second fameseeker of these selections was the Spiritual Temple. Excluding the fellow who couldn’t even predict what she was going to summon through the Creature Summoning Gate, Chen Ying’er, there were surprisingly three outstanding summoners who managed to enter the top 16. In addition, amongst them, two were only at the fourth step. Clearly, they were powerful summoners. In the process of the drawing that just happened, these three summoners didn’t end up against each other, so it was no wonder that the normally cold-faced Sanshui was in such a good mood.
Han Qian’s blood was boiling in fury. The knockout competition hadn’t started yet, but the Knight Temple had already lost two people. Furthermore, in front of them, he couldn’t break out like that. With a face partly red and partly pale, he said, “Looking at you, each and every one of you look like you are quite enjoying yourselves. You should take example on Ruoshui’s calm and collected appearance.”
Ruoshui sighed helplessly, and said, “How could I be calm and collected! None of the people from my Priest Temple entered the top 16! These drawing results don’t affect me much…”
“Hic…”
Han Qian became immediately speechless, and ruthlessly said, “Go back to the lounge. According to the colors of the lights on your bodies, the matches are about to start. The first pairing may stay on the ground.”
As he finished to speak, he furiously headed back to the platform without even turning his head. That enormous golden halo slowly rose, not entering in the dome.
“Sis, I…” Long Haochen wanted to say something to Li Xin, but Li Xin immediately shook her head with a smile and said immediately, “Stupid little brother, what are you doing!? What is there to feel awkward about? ”Could it be that you really think I could proceed by meeting someone else as my opponent? It was thanks to Cai’er’s help that I could enter the top 16. I am already satisfied with that. Originally, I didn’t even have the idea of trying to enter the top 16. Drawing you as my opponent is actually the best thing that could have happened to me, since I’m going to lose anyways, isn’t it the best if I can send you to the top 8 in the process?”
“But…” Long Haochen still wanted to say something, but was immediately interrupted by Li Xin.
“Fool, what is there to ‘but’? Could it be that you really think, I, at the fourth step, can beat you who’s at the fifth step? Or that my Rose can win against that little freak Hao Yue, after his evolution?”
The other competitors had already gone back to the lounge, but Cai’er was still waiting by Long Haochen’s side, listening the conversation of this sister and her brother.
“Hic… Ehm… The first match doesn’t involve you, does it?” A somewhat speechless voice resounded from the side.
Long Haochen and Li Xin turned around to take a look, seeing Yang Wenzhao and a female summoner who gave them a strange look. These two were the ones that had the most shallow light shining on their bodies. That female summoner was wearing a magic gown together with a staff, and was currently lowering her head so there was no way to see her face clearly.
“Oh. Apologies.” Long Haochen nodded at them before hurriedly heading back to the lounge together with Li Xin and Cai’er.
Recognizing them, Yang Wenzhao kept a low profile. At least, he didn’t draw Long Haochen or Cai’er as his first opponent. Even if he wasn’t so haunted by her shadow as previously, these two opponents were the hardest to deal with, for him.
“Cai’er, who is your opponent?” Li Xin asked Cai’er, who was at Long Haochen’s side.
Cai’er shook her head and answered, “I cannot see, so I don’t know.”
Hearing her words, Long Haochen immediately felt a strong surge of self-culpability. He had looked after her for a so long time, but had forgotten that she couldn’t see. Full of regrets, he took her little hand, “Don’t worry, I will ask a staff member.”
At the time Long Haochen went to ask to the staff member, the first match to go from the top 16 to the top 8 started.
As before, Yang Wenzhao didn’t summon his mount, and spread a pair of heavy sword, dashing like a lightning bolt toward the opponent summoner. During a match between a knight and a summoner, both parties were at a distance of 50 meters. Yang Wenzhao’s opponent grasped a green cane, and chanted at great speed. At the same time, she didn’t stay motionless and rapidly retreated back.
Yang Wenzhao’s charge was extremely rapid, but even if it was the case, as he arrived at a distance of 20 meters, the female summoner had already completed her first summoning.
A green dot of light was emitted from the summit of her staff, falling into the ground in the next instant, and a green halo accordingly appeared, emitting ripples around it. Immediately, a thick vine came out from the ground, immediately spreading forward. This was a botanical summoner!
At this moment, if Yang Wenzhao didn’t feel like clashing against that plant, he would have to take a detour. Naturally, Yang Wenzhao wouldn’t make such a choice. Charging forward with honor and determination, his two heavy swords shone with a glitter of golden light. Quickening his pace further, he made his [Charge] evolve into [Assault], as he waved the two swords in his hands, launching two [Light Thorns] simultaneously as he slowly jumped off the ground.
Although that vine was tough and durable, in front of these [Light Thorns] it seemed incredibly frail, as it instantly turned into naught.
Yang Wenzhao’s valiant character undoubtedly manifested at that moment. Brazenly rushing into this group of vines, without the use of any skills, he waved these heavy swords, passing through them while appearing like wind and rain and instantly twisting and breaking any of these vines. Only his speed dropped slightly, but this irresistible force passed through these vines without a hitch.
And at this moment, the opposite female summoner completed her second summoning spell.
In front of Yang Wenzhao’s charge, this summoner didn’t panic the slightest bit. This time, it was a dark green-colored rippling light that appeared, and immediately, wide thorns came out from the ground, not only blocking Yang Wenzhao’s path but also launching sneak attacks on him.
A loud sound resounded, as Yang Wenzhao’s charging figure was abruptly stopped. These numerous thorns looked slimmer than the vines but as hard as iron. Although, as before, it had no way to contend against the attacks coming from Yang Wenzhao’s pair of swords, he had no way to charge forward with [Assault] anymore, and could only advance forward step after step.
At that moment, Long Haochen already inquired the staff member and got the confirmation that Cai’er’s opponent was another summoner. His attention was immediately attracted by this match.
Summoners were the vocation Long Haochen was the most unfamiliar with. The only fight of involving summoners that he had ever seen was the ones involving Chen Ying’er and her Creature Summoning Gate.
But the opponent of Yang Wenzhao was a lot more dependable than this Chen Ying’er, to have launched two summoning spells in a row and at such a speed.
“Dang”
But at this very moment, Yang Wenzhao’s feet suddenly stopped completely. A violent strike sounded, as his body was swayed for a bit, and unexpectedly became motionless.
Long Haochen’s vision was quite good, so he could clearly see that a one foot long red thorn was shot at Yang Wenzhao’s direction, obviously attacking him by surprise.
Because he was in the front of the lounge, Long Haochen could see that this summoner was, as before, in the middle of thistles and thorns, protected by them as she kept drawing back. At her side, a fantastic plant with the height of a person was standing.
This plant’s entire body was made of thorns, and a large flower atop. It was from its body that these red-colored thorns appeared previously.
Long Haochen knew clearly Yang Wenzhao’s strength. For a thorn to be able to push him back, he could easily imagine how powerful it was.
Long Haochen focused on this scene. He could clearly see that the mysterious plant trembled violently, before rapidly forming deep red-colored thorns that he surprisingly gathered together, turning them into a foot long needle that was violently shot out, targeting Yang Wenzhao. Wow. So botanical summons can actually be used like that? Long Haochen unconsciously opened his eyes wide.
“Dang”
Another sound of collision could suddenly be heard. While blocking Yang Wenzhao once again, the surrounding iron-like thistles and thorns approached him from all directions. From the looks of it, this summoner currently held the advantage. The female summoner’s incantations didn’t stop at all, and at her side, a pod of plants gradually grew, until becoming absolutely enormous, several times larger than the previous thorned flower plant. How they aimed to attack Yang Wenzhao was unknown: they slowly bent over, and simultaneously threw themselves at great speed. Each of the green beans in this pod had the size of three big human heads that were about to smash on Yang Wenzhao.