Excluding the Yin Corpse, the enemy has four people, while we have three. We're outnumbered, but we have the advantage in quality.
Tian Xia Gui Huo has already been eliminated by me. As long as we take out either Qing Songzi or Tone Deaf, victory will tip in our favor.
Between Tone Deaf and Qing Songzi, Tone Deaf's spirit servant is restrained by Sun Miaomiao and me, and his "sonic" attacks are countered by the Earth Deity's helmet. If we break his chest armor defense, we can eliminate him. Qing Songzi, on the other hand, excels in close combat, is agile, and has seemingly endless stamina. Plus, he's inherited Tian Xia Gui Huo's blade, making him more troublesome than Tone Deaf.
But Zhang Yuanqing believes we should eliminate Qing Songzi first, because only Qing Songzi and Yuan Ting's reporting function can be used in the arena. Putting ourselves in the enemy's shoes, they would definitely try to eliminate the Earth Deity, who only has one point left, in the most cost-effective way.
Yuan Ting has been turned to our side. If we eliminate Qing Songzi, the Earth Deity will be safe for half an hour, which is more than enough time to end this battle.
After weighing the pros and cons, Zhang Yuanqing stepped back and whispered with his hand covering his mouth, his voice barely audible:
"Sun Miaomiao, you hold off Yuan Ting and Zhao Chenghuang. Earth Deity, you take on Tone Deaf, take him down if you can. I'll deal with Qing Songzi." Dividing the battlefield and defeating them one by one is the best strategy.
Sun Miaomiao recalled the scene where Tian Xia Gui Huo shattered Yuan Shi Tian Zun's weapon with a single strike and glanced at the narrow-bladed long knife in Qing Songzi's hand, frowning and murmuring softly:
"Can you handle it? I have to tell you, I can't hold off Zhao Chenghuang for long."
The Earth Deity also cast a doubtful look.
As one of the top eight contenders, Qing Songzi was no pushover. Although definitely not on par with Yuan Shi Tian Zun, as a nimble and agile Wood Sprite with a razor-sharp weapon, his combat power was significantly enhanced. Sun Miaomiao couldn't possibly delay for long, and while Yuan Shi Tian Zun might be able to defeat Qing Songzi, eliminating him quickly through brute force would be difficult.
Neither Sun Miaomiao nor the Earth Deity believed Zhang Yuanqing could do it.
"One minute, I'll eliminate Qing Songzi within one minute," Zhang Yuanqing said, covering his mouth to prevent the enemy from lip-reading. One minute... The Earth Deity and Sun Miaomiao raised their eyebrows in surprise.
Yuan Shi Tian Zun's words were filled with unparalleled confidence. Could it be that he hadn't been going all out in the previous matches? But how could that be possible?
As the two were astonished, Zhang Yuanqing's body vanished from everyone's sight, while his Yin Corpse, Wraith Number One, charged towards Qing Songzi. Is he targeting me? Qing Songzi was alarmed, retreating with his knife while shouting:
"Attack!"
At the same time, Qing Songzi felt a surge of intense anger. Did Yuan Shi Tian Zun think he was an easy target? He felt insulted. Tone Deaf immediately raised his bamboo flute to his lips and began to play a mournful tune.
The piercing, sorrowful sound waves penetrated everyone's eardrums and brains, causing soul-shaking pain. A Transcendent musician has three skills: soothe, inspire, and hypnotize.
Find the original at "pawread dot com".
But Tone Deaf didn't use any of them because his bamboo flute could only play one tune that directly harmed spirits, and coupled with the musician's sonic damage, it was so powerful that even the strong Night Touring Ghost couldn't withstand it.
There was no need to use the musician's professional skills.
The ground beneath Tone Deaf suddenly bulged, and two large hands made of dark brown soil formed and grabbed his ankles. The Earth Deity, dressed in leather, charged forward like a runaway horse, unstoppable, and his direct sonic attacks had no effect on him.
Seeing this, the flute's melody became more urgent, and two hazy figures emerged from the bamboo flute—one graceful, the other burly. The two spirit servants howled as they emerged, crossing paths to meet the Earth Deity.
The sonic attack was useless, but the essence of the spirit servants was to disrupt the body, not the soul, a capability the helmet couldn't block.
The two spirit servants collided with the Earth Deity's body, fighting for control.
The Earth Deity's bullish momentum halted, and he stood rigidly in place.
The Earth Deity "huh"ed, took a deep breath, and held it in his chest and abdomen. The cigar in his mouth glowed red as he drew on it.
"Whoosh!"
He blew out a dense, thick fog towards Tone Deaf several meters away, covering him and cutting off the flute's sound, replaced by Tone Deaf's violent coughing. He was poisoned.
On the other side, Qing Songzi quickly calculated his options.
Tone Deaf was protected by chest armor, and while the Earth Deity had strong defenses, his attacks were weak; the fight could go either way for a while.
He then looked towards Zhao Chenghuang and saw two Night Touring Ghosts darting back and forth, sometimes charging forward, sometimes retreating, but always returning to their original spot. Not far from them, Sun Miaomiao's eyes were pitch black, and she stood with a nightgown-clad female ghost behind her, struggling to maintain the illusion.
Sun Miaomiao was actually able to trap both Zhao Chenghuang and Yuan Ting of the same profession. She was indeed a formidable top-three contender, but she couldn't trap two peers indefinitely... Qing Songzi observed the situation and knew what he had to do.
Stall for time!
Wait for Yuan Ting and Zhao Chenghuang to break free and join the fight, outnumbering the enemy to turn the tide. Qing Songzi's feet sprouted a burst of greenery that quickly spread, forming an eight-meter diameter circular lawn with him at the center.
This move was similar to sprinkling flour on the ground to track an invisible person.
It was an effective defense against the Night Touring Ghost's attacks.
The grass remained undisturbed; Yuan Shi Tian Zun hadn't come... His Yin Corpse was watching from the sidelines, not attacking... Qing Songzi wasn't panicked.
The interruption of Tone Deaf's flute had disrupted Yuan Shi Tian Zun's attack rhythm, and now, without the flute's interference, he still wasn't attacking?
Not attacking was good; stalling was to our advantage.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, Qing Songzi's face suddenly emitted black smoke, his reason rapidly deteriorating amidst negative emotions. He screamed in agony, clutching his head, his eyes bloodshot like a madman, like a wild beast. Thump, thump, thump... The Yin Corpse started moving, charging into the lush green circle, muscles rippling like a hunting leopard.
Suddenly, Qing Songzi, still clutching his head with one hand, grabbed a three-inch tall wooden figurine from his inventory with the other.
The wooden figurine's head emitted black smoke, hissing continuously, the smoke growing thicker, while the black smoke on Qing Songzi's face grew fainter. "Crack!"
The wooden figurine split open.
The black smoke on Qing Songzi's face disappeared, and his reason returned.
Facing the Yin Corpse close at hand, Qing Songzi revealed a cold smile.
Yuan Shi Tian Zun had used this tactic against a Maoshan sorcerer before. In his assessment, it was one of Yuan Shi Tian Zun's trump cards, far stronger than his other methods and difficult to defend against.
Therefore, Qing Songzi prepared a consumable item specifically against this tactic, a consumable from the Witch Doctor profession.
Among the lawful professions, only high-level Water Ghosts and high-level Night Touring Ghosts could break curses and contamination, with Scouts being a partial exception. But these weren't available to Transcendent items.
He couldn't access or use items of the Saint realm.
After much thought, he decided to fight fire with fire.
He managed to buy a consumable called "Substitute Doll" from an elder at the branch through connections. When the user is attacked by filth, corruption, curses, etc., the doll can take one hit on behalf of the user. Qing Songzi casually tossed aside the split doll, holding the narrow-bladed long knife as he charged forward to meet the Yin Corpse.
He wanted to catch Yuan Shi Tian Zun off guard.
He wanted to rely on the sharpness of his battle armor weapon to incapacitate Yuan Shi Tian Zun's Yin Corpse.
He seemed to see Yuan Shi Tian Zun's pained and angry expression. Qing Songzi, sprinting at high speed, defied the laws of physics with his climber's agility, shifting his weight to dodge the Yin Corpse's straight punch.
With a twist of his ankle and a spin of his body, facing the side of the Yin Corpse, Qing Songzi roared as he thrust the narrow-bladed long knife forward, using the weapon's sharpness and the Wood Sprite's brute strength. "Puff!"
The knife tip struck a layer of hazy light, indenting the barrier, ready to burst at any moment, but it still held. This Yin Corpse had the defensive traits of an Earth Fiend; Qing Songzi's face paled.
At that moment, he saw tender green grass being trampled, the bent blades forming footprints rapidly approaching him.
Yuan Shi Tian Zun's attack was coming.
At the same time, the Yin Corpse beside him let out a beast-like growl and lunged forward. With Wraith Number One's hand-to-hand combat ability, even an agile Wood Sprite couldn't retreat easily.
Qing Songzi didn't back down, calmly sheathing his knife and grabbing a wooden stick with his left hand. The rigid stick suddenly softened and spun like a propeller, forming a wooden shield. "Bang!"
Qing Songzi raised the wooden shield, braced his stance, and blocked the Yin Corpse's heavy punch, his gaze fixed on the approaching footprints. As they reached him, his right arm, holding the narrow-bladed long knife, tensed.
The knife swept horizontally, creating a chilling whoosh. He was confident this strike would force Yuan Shi Tian Zun back. In past battles, Yuan Shi Tian Zun had never used defensive items.
And if Yuan Shi Tian Zun insisted on trading blow for blow, he wasn't afraid. Night Touring Ghosts had strong vitality and decent self-healing abilities, but how could they compare to a Healing Sorcerer?
Puff!
The blade felt like it had cut through something, but without resistance, more like it had sliced through... water?
In a second, Qing Songzi saw the splashing water droplets and Yuan Shi Tian Zun, who had revealed himself upon being attacked. He wore a dark robe with red flame embroidery on the hem and cuffs and silver waves on the chest.
The Night Touring Ghost ignored the knife's sweep, thrusting a forty-centimeter-long wicker into Qing Songzi's chest. He had the skills of a Water Ghost; he possessed Water Ghost profession items... The intense pain contorted Qing Songzi's face.
He kicked Yuan Shi Tian Zun away and blocked two punches from the Yin Corpse, dropping the narrow-bladed long knife and quickly retreating. Even with a pierced heart, his movements remained agile and flexible, like a climbing monkey.
Blood poured from Qing Songzi's chest, and a green light gathered at the wound, attempting to heal it, but even with all his effort, he only managed to slow the bleeding:
The Bloodthirsty Blade's bleeding effect countered the Wood Sprite's healing.
I haven't lost; I still have one "revival" chance. When I'm on the brink of death, I can revive in full health.
...In the following moments, relying on his agility, he dodged attacks from Yuan Shi Tian Zun and the Yin Corpse, waiting for "revival."
Qing Songzi remained calm in the face of danger, quickly devising a strategy. He discarded the narrow-bladed long knife, which was too heavy and would affect his agility in this situation.
The Wood Sprite's agility was now his only reliance.
Suddenly, two thuds sounded from behind, and Qing Songzi's shoulder blades cracked, and he stumbled forward.
Attacked? He looked back in shock and anger, only to see a pair of brand-new, exquisite Red Dance Shoes a few meters behind him, eerily rising and falling as if an invisible person was wearing them and stepping in place.
A Night Touring Ghost profession item? Staring at the creepy Red Dance Shoes, Qing Songzi's face twisted again. A thought screamed in his mind: Why does he still have items!
How can he have so many items!!
Tap, tap, tap...
The Red Dance Shoes approached with rapid steps.
Qing Songzi unfurled the coiled wooden shield, turning it into a whip. With a flick of his right arm, snap, the whip cracked, striking towards the Red Dance Shoes.
The two items "collided" mid-air, neither hindering the other, as if they existed in separate spaces.
No physical form? No, if it had no physical form, how could it have kicked me just now? After tumbling to the ground, Qing Songzi continued to roll...
...Qing Songzi lunged to the side, avoiding the Red Dance Shoes' stomp towards his chest.
Bang, bang, two impacts left craters where he had rolled.
Zhang Yuanqing, in sync with the Red Dance Shoes, unleashed a series of attacks. Although he didn't hit the agile Wood Sprite, the tightly connected assaults left Qing Songzi struggling to cope.
Just as Qing Songzi sprang up, a pair of fists appeared before him.
He tilted his head slightly, narrowly dodging a punch, then felt a sharp pain in his chest as the Red Dance Shoes stepped on his wound.
Qing Songzi's vision darkened, and his consciousness vanished abruptly.
After a series of strikes, the Wood Sprite with strong vitality finally ran out of energy and entered a dying state.
The next second, a powerful life force surged from his weakened body, like parched land welcoming fresh water.
His mind cleared, feeling strength in every limb.
I've revived!
Qing Songzi's face showed exhilaration, then he heard the spiritual realm notification:
【Ding! You have died, you have been eliminated!】
In Qing Songzi's final view, he saw his own neck spurting blood, Yuan Shi Tian Zun standing with a blade, bathed in blood. Qing Songzi's body dissipated into white light. The second contestant was eliminated.
Under Yuan Shi Tian Zun's relentless pursuit, this blade-wielding Wood Sprite lasted less than a minute before being eliminated. The Earth Deity stopped his "beating" of Tone Deaf, his face showing surprise: "It really wasn't even a minute, you've been hiding your strength."
Sun Miaomiao turned around just in time to see Qing Songzi vanish.
So strong... Sun Miaomiao's confidence and pride as a top-three contender were shaken.
Until now, she had always believed she was stronger than Yuan Shi Tian Zun, but now, she felt he was a very dangerous opponent.
The coliseum's spectator stands finally broke their silence, no longer quiet, with cheers and applause rising and falling.
This is what a top-eight match should be, this is exciting!
"Stripping off pants as a fighting tactic, is that something carbon-based life forms can come up with?" "So strong! Qing Songzi lost too quickly."
"The rhythm is all on Yuan Shi Tian Zun's side; does it feel like he suddenly got stronger?"
"It's not sudden; he just hadn't been going all out. Damn, was he holding back in the past few days' battles?"
"Doesn't that mean Yuan Shi Tian Zun could easily rank in the top three even in a tournament?"
"That's an exaggeration. He was holding back, but not by much. Those dance shoes and robes don't seem particularly strong; they're just fine items. Fine items can't threaten the top three contenders."
Proofreader&Editor:Lotas