Chapter 562: Great Immortal Has a Worthy Successor

"This..." Xiao Yulu no longer knew how to begin; of the six powerhouses personally handpicked by Mr. Mu, five had already fallen.

It would have been acceptable if they had broken their halberds on the path to the championship, but now... every single one of them had failed to even advance past the group stage!

Glancing at Mr. Mu beside him, he could see the man was feeling thoroughly miserable.

Now, of the "Six Great Powerhouses," only Nalan Mingxue remained.

"Well then, what everyone is currently watching is the final match of Group Four in the World's Number One Martial Arts Tournament's F1 Heaven King Championship, featuring Nalan Mingxue—our very own Big Sister Chuxue—against Jiang Xiaoyue!" Xiao Yulu spoke in his customary manner. "Does Mr. Mu have confidence in this contestant?"

"I must have confidence," Mr. Mu said, steadying his mind. "A few accidents occurred earlier, but this humble one still has immense faith in his own judgment. I need not say more on this; everyone should know just how powerful our Big Sister Chuxue is, correct?"

Whether from the audience stands at the venue of 'My Space' or the main audience stands where the host was situated, a thunderous roar erupted:

"Two-time champion!"

"Super genius!"

"Big Sister Chuxue will surely secure her three-peat championship!"

Hearing such cheers, Jessica, sitting beside Boss Fang, finally gained a bit of confidence: this match was a sure win.

Then, Xiao Yulu added, "Actually, Xiaoyue is still very cute, but to speak objectively, these two should both be old acquaintances of ours, right, Mr. Mu?"

"Indeed," Mr. Mu agreed. "Contestant Nalan is almost flawless in terms of both experience and mindset. By comparison, although Xiaoyue is also not bad, she still lacks a little something; after all, her age is simply too young."

"Will Mr. Mu consider... the possibility that Boss Fang taught Xiaoyue a few hidden, ace-in-the-hole tricks?" Xiao Yulu asked, shaking his head.

Mu Donglai replied, "Naturally, I have considered this. However, Boss Fang explicitly stated that he himself has never played a Battle Mage. There is no need for him to lie to us about this, so he could only guide her in the basics. Unless the great God Ye whom Boss Fang spoke of—the one who wields the Thousand Chance Umbrella—were alive and came to teach her in person, it would be impossible to play a decisive role in a tournament arena like this."

Xiao Yulu teased, "If that were the case, I'm afraid we might see the Dragon Raising Its Head on the stage, but..."

Xiao Yulu spoke again, "What if... I'm just saying what if Mr. Mu happens to be wrong again this time?"

"Then I am a poison milk—!" His words were spoken with resounding force.

By this time, with the presence of the Paladin, a healer class, combined with the influence of Boss Fang, they were no strangers to such terms.

"Alright, without further ado, let us look at the final match of Group Four. This match will also determine who advances to compete for the final champion, runner-up, and third-place titles!"

"Who is this God Ye anyway?" Beside Boss Fang, several outsiders appeared utterly bewildered.

Could there actually be someone even more formidable?

"Hey! We're asking you a question!"

Boss Fang had completely lost all desire to pay attention to these people.

"You—!"

Jessica had no choice but to look toward the surrounding crowd.

"You don't even know this?"

"Are you perhaps from the countryside?"

"Which tribe of the West Polar Region are you from?"

"Pah! Disgraceful!"

The few outsiders: "..."

These natives actually dared to say they were from the countryside?!

And looking at those faces full of disdain... it was enough to drive them mad with rage.

Meanwhile, on the arena stage at this moment.

Nalan Mingxue: "Xiaoyue, is older sister usually good to you? Do you want me to go a bit easy on you?"

"...Pah!" Jiang Xiaoyue glared back furiously. "The boss instructed me that I shouldn't believe a single word of the ghost stories you say on the stage!"

"Uh..." Nalan Mingxue's face stiffened.

"Watch this move!" Jiang Xiaoyue's figure was like a bolt of lightning as she already charged forward.

"The match has begun, and we see Jiang Xiaoyue opening with an off-axis Sky Assault, executed with extreme decisiveness! Giving the opponent no time to summon the Demon Sword."

The off-axis Sky Assault was an advanced opening technique for Mages. An ordinary person's Sky Assault moved in a straight line, but the off-axis version allowed one to shift angles mid-way through an extremely rapid dash, making it incredibly flexible and unpredictable.

"Contestant Nalan's playstyle is exceptionally fluid, using Wave Sword and Swift Shadow Triple Slash to keep the opponent at bay from a distance. Once in close quarters, whether it is the Whirling Dance Slash or the Thundering Thousand Army, the execution leaves the opponent with absolutely no desire to attack."

If the Sword Saint focused on drilling the ultimate limits of various sword arts, then what the Sword Sect mastered was even greater power and destructive force. On the large screen before them, sword qi crisscrossed violently. If it were a regular opponent, they would have virtually no ability to catch their breath under such suppression!

"In truth, it is still very dangerous for Xiaoyue to transform now. If the Sword Sect unleashes the Space-Time Slash while the Teana Form is unable to use the Substitute Straw Doll to escape, it might truly be difficult to handle," Xiao Yulu explained. "The instantaneous burst power of the Space-Time Slash is something even the Teana Form dares not face head-on."

"However, Nalan Mingxue also dares not blindly use the Space-Time Slash; the consumption is too great. If it misses and she encounters the Teana Form afterward, she will undoubtedly lose!"

"Let's see how Xiaoyue handles this. The opponent uses a Greatsword, which is incredibly domineering. The body-protecting astral qi (Super Armor) is too fierce, making it often impossible to break through. Furthermore, what has descended is the Ice Demon Sword. Once frozen by the Demon Sword, I won't even need to watch the rest of this match," Xiao Yulu evaluated.

"This Sword Sect is truly so powerful..." The neighboring Jessica watched while hungrily devouring her melon. Right now, Jiang Xiaoyue was clearly being suppressed to death by Nalan Mingxue.

Boss Fang glanced at Jessica: "..."

"What are you looking at?" She shot Boss Fang a look of pure disdain, thinking to herself that this native had no melon to eat, and very happily continued eating.

Boss Fang silently pulled out a bottle of Iced Red Tea.

He dropped a few ice cubes inside, gave it a shake, and took a blissful sip.

Next, Boss Fang pulled a bag of potato chips from his storage space.

In the past, he had always leeched off Jiang Xiaoyue; today, taking advantage of Xiaoyue's absence, he opened a bag for himself.

Crunch, crunch...

A sip of Iced Red Tea, a bite of potato chips, eating while watching—it was pure enjoyment.

Carl, who was eating a thousand-year spiritual melon and drinking spiritual wine nearby: "..."

Faced with these spiritual items we are consuming, how does this native still have the face to eat such dregs?!

Just then, a burst of loud shouting came from the commentary side: "Whirling Dance Slash, it hit! Cloud-Piercing Void-Breaker! Heavens, Xiaoyue is in danger!"

"The doll! The Substitute Straw Doll has been used! We see Nalan Mingxue directly chasing after her with a Rapid Shadow Slash! Is the Space-Time Slash coming?! Xiaoyue's situation is extremely perilous!"

Mu Donglai said, "The doll has been baited out; contestant Nalan Mingxue has practically secured victory!" Mu Donglai laughed heartily. "What did I say? Didn't I say contestant Nalan could win the championship?"

Xiao Yulu nodded. "Yes... Oh my goodness!"

Suddenly, a wave of startled cries erupted from the entire audience. In the flash of lightning as Nalan Mingxue charged over, her entire person was suddenly launched into the air! Immediately following that, a dragon-patterned great pole-spear resembled a hidden dragon emerging from the abyss!

"The Circular Dance Staff broke the Rapid Shadow Slash?!" The speed of the Rapid Shadow Slash was exceptionally fast. If one wanted to break it, it required a reaction and speed faster than the move itself, as well as extremely precise judgment!

"Sky Assault and Chaser straight into the Rising Dragon Spear?!"

"How can she counterattack even from this?!" Jessica was practically driven to madness and wanted to kill someone. The thought that losing meant surrendering an immense treasure to this native beside her made her wish she could rush up to fight herself!

"How is that possible?!" Mu Donglai wailed, "Don't fight like this! Give me at least one person who advances!"

"It's over; contestant Nalan Mingxue was clearly a bit careless."

"Ah—! Nalan Mingxue hasn't lost yet! Nalan Mingxue has counterattacked! The carelessness was only temporary! Contestant Nalan Mingxue's strength remains beyond doubt!"

"Swift Shadow Triple Slash! Wave Sword! One strike landed! Nalan Mingxue decisively rushed forward, connecting with a Rising Dragon! Although her health status is already extremely poor, contestant Nalan Mingxue's counterattack rhythm is fantastic! We see that contestant Jiang Xiaoyue is already completely incapable of fighting back!" Mr. Mu and Xiao Yulu shouted in excitement, looking as though they were about to embrace each other.

"It's a win! This match is won! Jiang Xiaoyue's health is extremely low, and Contestant Nalan's sword still hasn't stopped, pinning her to the corner. Space-Time Slash! It's out! This match is secure!" It had not been easy, but of the six handpicked powerhouses, one had finally won!

Jessica could no longer care about eating her melon, crying out on the spot, "I won! I won this match!"

It was blindingly obvious that, at this critical juncture, if the Space-Time Slash so much as grazed Jiang Xiaoyue, her defeat would be absolute.

The terrifying strike sheared directly through the fabric of space, leaving a succession of ghastly sword scars rent across the entire arena!

Even the outlanders gasped in unison, stunned by the sheer horror of such swordsmanship.

The shattering of space was a spectacle of pure terror.

Yet, precisely at that moment, an equally formidable power began to ripple outward.

"How is Xiaoyue unharmed?!"

"Good heavens, she used the immense surge of magic from the exact instant of her transformation to deflect those strikes!"

Though the Battle Mage suffered catastrophic damage the moment space fractured, she did not immediately collapse.

"Thunderous Thousand Army Break! Nalan Mingxue has added another strike! The Battle Mage is finished!" A colossal, terrifying spirit sword descended from the heavens, instantly dissolving into countless roaring, exploding waves of sword qi that immediately submerged the grievously wounded Battle Mage.

"Is it over?!"

Amidst the fiery tempest of sword strikes, a brilliant golden blade light suddenly flashed.

As the smoke cleared, both figures lay prone upon the ground.

"Who on earth won?!" Mr. Mu was frantic with anxiety. "Nalan Mingxue has to win! I cannot bear the blame for jinxing this!"

Jessica looked ready to leap straight out of her seat.

"Let us watch the replay! Let us watch the replay!" Xiao Yulv hastily interjected.

In the slow-motion playback, Xiaoyue’s Heaven and Earth Tyrant Shatter struck Nalan Mingxue first; only after Nalan Mingxue bit the dust did the secondary impact of the Thunderous Thousand Army Break find its mark on Jiang Xiaoyue.

By the narrowest, most microscopic of margins, Jiang Xiaoyue snatched a narrow victory.

"Ah—!" Jessica was driven to the brink of madness.

Evidently, they simply did not comprehend the true, ruinous power of an esports jinx.

"The great immortal Xudong has found his successor..." Boss Fang muttered under his breath.

On this day, everyone bore witness to the six Venerable-level masters who had been utterly undone by the fatal curse of the esports jinx.