Chapter 206: Second Player Eliminated

Chapter 206 The Second Contestant Eliminated

Not counting the Yin Corpse, the enemy had four people, our side had three; we were outnumbered, but we held the advantage in quality... Tianxia Guihuo had already been eliminated by me. As long as I took out one more—either Qingsongzi or Yinchi—the scales of victory would tip in our favor.

Between Yinchi and Qingsongzi, Yinchi's Music Slave was a spirit body, countered by both me and Sun Miaomiao. His "Sound Wave" attacks were also countered by the Earth God's helmet. As long as his breastplate defense was shattered, he could be eliminated.

Qingsongzi, on the other hand, excelled at close combat, was agile, possessed seemingly bottomless stamina, and had inherited Tianxia Guihuo's saber, making him far more troublesome than Yinchi.

But Zhang Yuanqing believed Qingsongzi should be eliminated first, because within the arena, only Qingsongzi and Yuan Ting retained the use of the Report function. (Note 1)

Putting himself in their shoes, the enemy would surely try every means to eliminate the Earth God—who had only 1 point left—using the most cost-effective Report method.

Yuan Ting had already been turned. As long as Qingsongzi was eliminated, the Earth God would be safe for half an hour, and half an hour was enough to end this battle.

Having weighed the pros and cons, Zhang Yuanqing took a step back, raised a hand to cover his mouth, and lowered his voice to a whisper:

"Sun Miaomiao, you hold off Yuan Ting and Zhao Chenghuang. Earth God, you pin down Yinchi; kill him if you can. I'll deal with Qingsongzi."

Dividing the battlefield and defeating them one by one was the optimal strategy.

Sun Miaomiao recalled Tianxia Guihuo, the image of him shattering the Primordial Heavenly Venerable's weapon with a single slash, then glanced at the narrow, long saber in Qingsongzi's hand, frowning as she murmured:

"Can you do it? I have to tell you, I can't stall Zhao Chenghuang for long."

The Earth God also cast a doubtful gaze his way.

As a Top Eight contestant, Qingsongzi was no soft persimmon to be pinched at will. Though he certainly didn't measure up to the Primordial Heavenly Venerable, once a nimble, agile Wood Demon gained a blade that could sever hair blown against its edge, his combat power would skyrocket.

And Sun Miaomiao couldn't possibly stall for long. The Primordial Heavenly Venerable might beat Qingsongzi, but to eliminate him by force in a short time? The difficulty was extremely high.

Neither Sun Miaomiao nor the Earth God believed he could pull it off.

"One minute. Within one minute, I'll eliminate Qingsongzi." Zhang Yuanqing kept his hand over his mouth, preventing the enemy from reading their lips.

One minute... The Earth God and Sun Miaomiao both raised an eyebrow.

The Primordial Heavenly Venerable's words brimmed with unparalleled confidence. Had he not gone all out in the previous matches?

But how could that be possible.

As the two stared in astonishment, Zhang Yuanqing's body vanished from everyone's sight into thin air, while his Yin Corpse, Corpse Walker No. 1, sprinted madly toward Qingsongzi.

Targeting me? Qingsongji was greatly alarmed. He retreated while gripping his saber, shouting:

"Move!"

At the same time, a fierce anger surged in Qingsongzi's heart. The Primordial Heavenly Venerable treats me like a soft persimmon? He felt insulted.

Yinchi immediately raised his bamboo flute, brought it to his lips, and began to play a wailing melody.

Shrill, mournful sound waves pierced the eardrums and brains of everyone present like steel needles, bringing a soul-trembling agony.

At the Transcendent stage, a Musician had three skills: Soothe, Inspire, and Hypnotize.

But Yinchi used none of them, for his bamboo flute could only play a single tune. It could not soothe, hypnotize, or inspire. This melody directly damaged spirit bodies, and stacked with the Musician's inherent sound wave damage, its power was so great that even a Level 3 Night Wanderer—renowned for a resilient spirit body—could not withstand it.

There was simply no need to use his professional Musician skills.

Bang! Bang!

The earth beneath the Tone-Deaf One’s feet suddenly heaved, dark brown soil coalescing into two massive hands that clamped around his ankles.

The Earth God, clad in leather jacket and trousers, hunched low and sprinted forward, like a warhorse breaking its tether, leaving all others in the dust.

He treated himself as a battering ram, reckless and tyrannical, crashing toward the frail youth in the distance; the soul-piercing sound waves had no effect on him whatsoever.

At the sight, the flute music abruptly quickened; two hazy figures drifted from the bamboo flute, one lithe and graceful, the other hulking and massive.

Two Music Slaves howled forth, crossing paths as they rushed to meet the Earth God.

Though the sonic assault was useless, the Music Slaves’ essence was spiritual; their possession ability interfered with the body, not the soul—a capability the helmet could not block.

The two Music Slaves plunged headlong into the Earth God’s body, vying for dominance over the flesh.

The Earth God’s bull-like charge faltered, freezing rigidly in place.

The Earth God let out a sharp "Heh," sucking in a deep breath, his chest and abdomen heaving violently; the cigar clamped in his teeth flared a bright, burning red.

"Puh!"

He exhaled forcefully toward the Tone-Deaf One several meters away—not white smoke, but a thick, dense, rolling fog.

The fog enveloped the immobilized Tone-Deaf One; the flute music cut off, replaced by the Tone-Deaf One’s violent coughing.

He had been poisoned.

On the other side, witnessing this, Qingsongzi rapidly calculated the odds.

The Tone-Deaf One had a breastplate for protection; the Earth God’s defense was strong but his offense weak—the battle would not be decided quickly...

He glanced toward Zhao Chenghuang’s direction and saw the two Night Patrollers charging left and right, sometimes advancing, sometimes retreating, yet always inexplicably returning to their starting points.

Not far from the duo, Sun Miaomiao’s eye sockets were pitch black; the female ghost in a nightdress stood behind her, straining to maintain the illusion.

Sun Miaomiao could actually trap two peers—Zhao Chenghuang and Yuan Ting—simultaneously; truly worthy of a Rank Three powerhouse. But she couldn’t hold two fellow disciples forever... Observing the situation, Qingsongzi knew exactly what he had to do.

Stall for time!

Wait for Yuan Ting and Zhao Chenghuang to break free and join the fray; turn the tide with superior numbers.

A patch of green sprouted beneath Qingsongzi’s feet and rapidly expanded, forming a circular lawn eight meters in diameter with him at the center.

The principle was similar to scattering flour on the ground to track an invisible man by his footprints.

It could effectively prevent the Night Patrollers’ ambush.

The grass surface remained undisturbed; Yuanshi Tianzun had not come... His corpse puppet watched from the sidelines, not attacking... Qingsongzi did not panic.

The Tone-Deaf One’s flute music had interrupted Yuanshi Tianzun’s attack rhythm earlier; now that the interference was gone, why did he still not attack?

Not attacking was good; stalling benefited his side.

The thought had barely flashed through his mind when black smoke suddenly rose from Qingsongzi’s face; his reason rapidly deteriorated amid negative emotions, he clutched his head and screamed in agony, eyes bloodshot, like a madman, like a wild beast.

*Thud thud thud...* The corpse puppet outside the lawn moved, sprinting wildly into the verdant circle, muscles rippling as it ran, like a leopard hunting prey.

Suddenly, Qingsongzi clutched his head with one hand, while the other fished a three-inch wooden figurine from his inventory.

Black smoke puffed from the figurine’s head with a continuous *hiss*; the smoke grew thicker, while the black smoke on Qingsongzi’s face grew thinner.

“Crack!”

The wooden figurine split apart.

The black smoke vanished from Qingsongzi’s face, his reason returning.

Gazing at the Yin Corpse mere inches away, Qingsongzi revealed a cold smile.

Back when dealing with the Maoshan sorcerer, the Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning had used this very move; in his assessment, it was one of the Venerable’s trump cards, far superior to other methods.

And impossible to guard against.

Therefore, Qingsongzi had prepared a consumable item specifically to counter this move.

A consumable originating from the Witchcraft Gu Master profession.

Among the Lawful professions, the means to dispel curse corruption belonged only to high-level Water Ghosts and high-level Night Wanderers; Scouts counted as half, but none of these were capabilities possessed by extraordinary-stage artifacts.

Saint-realm artifacts were beyond his reach, and unusable even if he had them.

After much deliberation, he still had to learn from the barbarians to control the barbarians.

Thus, he pulled strings to buy this consumable from a branch elder; its name was “Substitute Puppet.” When the user suffered filth, depravity, or curse attacks, the puppet could withstand one attack in the user’s stead.

Qingsongzi casually tossed aside the cracked puppet, gripping the narrow-mouthed longsword as he strode forward in great steps, meeting the Yin Corpse.

He would catch the Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning off guard.

He would rely on the keen edge of his battle armor and weapon to cripple the Venerable’s Yin Corpse.

He seemed to see the Venerable’s expression—heartbroken and furious.

Amidst his high-speed sprint, Qingsongzi, leveraging the Climber’s agility, suddenly shifted his center of gravity, dodging the Yin Corpse’s straight punch with a turn that defied the laws of physics.

*Creak...* Ankle twisting, body rotating, now facing the Yin Corpse’s flank, Qingsongzi let out a low roar and thrust the narrow-mouthed longsword, wielding the weapon’s keenness, the wood demon’s monstrous strength.

One sword to sever the corpse.

“Pfft!”

The blade tip pierced a hazy gray light screen; the screen dented under the thrust, on the verge of shattering, but ultimately held firm.

This Yin Corpse possesses the Earth Monster’s defensive trait... Qingsongzi’s face changed drastically.

At this moment, he saw tender green weeds being trampled, bent blades forming footprints rushing toward him at high speed.

The Celestial Venerable of the Primordial Beginning’s attack had arrived.

Simultaneously, the Yin Corpse at his side let out a beast-like roar, its body lunging fiercely.

With the melee prowess of Dead Man No. 1, even the agile wood demon could not hope to retreat calmly.

Qingsongzi did not retreat; calmly sheathing his sword, his left hand snatched a wooden stick. The hard stick suddenly softened, spinning like a propeller, weaving itself into a wooden shield.

“Bang!”

Qingsongzi raised the wooden shield, sinking his waist and lowering his stance, blocking the Yin Corpse’s immensely heavy punch. His gaze remained fixed on the rapidly approaching footprints; the moment they reached him, the right arm gripping the narrow-mouthed longsword swelled with muscle.

The long blade swept horizontally, tearing through the air with a mournful, piercing howl.

He was confident this slash would force Yuanshi Tianzun back; in the past several battles, Yuanshi Tianzun had never once used a defensive artifact.

And even if Yuanshi Tianzun insisted on trading injury for injury, he did not fear it. The Night Wanderer possessed tenacious vitality and decent self-healing, but how could that compare to a Restoration Specialist?

*Pfft...*

The blade seemed to have struck something, yet met no resistance. It did not feel like a solid object, more like he had slashed into... water?

In the next second, Qingsongzi saw the splash of water, saw Yuanshi Tianzun materialize from the attack. He wore a long robe of dark black, its hem and cuffs embroidered with crimson flames, its chest with silver waves.

This Night Wanderer ignored the horizontal sweep of the saber, thrusting the forty-centimeter willow-leaf blade straight into Qingsongzi’s chest.

A Water Ghost’s skill; he possessed an artifact of the Water Ghost profession... Agony twisted Qingsongzi’s features.

He kicked Yuanshi Tianzun away, blocked two punches from the Yin Corpse, discarded the narrow-bladed saber, and retreated rapidly. Even with his heart pierced, his movements remained agile and nimble, like an ape adept at climbing.

Blood gushed from Qingsongzi’s chest; emerald light condensed at the wound, attempting to repair the damage, but even with all his might, he could only slow the bleeding.

The Bleed effect of the Bloodthirsty Blade countered the Wood Demon’s regeneration.

I haven't lost. I still have one "Revival" chance. Once I reach a near-death state, I can resurrect at full condition... In the time that follows, relying on my agility trait, I will dodge the attacks of Yuanshi Tianzun and the Yin Corpse, stalling until "Revival" activates...

Qingsongzi remained calm in the face of danger, swiftly formulating a strategy.

And he discarded the narrow-bladed saber; it was far too heavy, and in this situation, it would hinder his agility.

The Wood Demon’s agility was now his sole reliance.

Suddenly, two dull thuds struck his back. Qingsongzi’s shoulder blades cracked, and he stumbled forward.

An ambush? Shocked and furious, he whipped his head around. A few meters behind him, a pair of brand-new, exquisite red dancing shoes rose and fell eerily, as if an invisible person were wearing them, marching in place.

A Night Wanderer profession artifact? Gazing at the terrifying, bizarre red dancing shoes, Qingsongzi’s face twisted once more.

A single thought screamed in his heart: Why does he still have artifacts!

How can he have so many artifacts!!

*Tap tap tap...*

The red dancing shoes rushed forward with urgent steps.

Qingsongzi shook out the wooden shield coiling around him, letting it transform into a long whip. He flicked his right arm; *crack*, the whip lashed out with an explosive report, striking at the red dancing shoes.

The two artifacts "collided" in mid-air, neither hindering the other; they seemed to exist in different dimensions.

No physical form? No, if it had no form, how did it kick me just now... Qingsongzi threw himself sideways, dodging the red dancing shoes stomping toward his chest.

After falling to the ground, Qingsongzi continued to roll.

*Bang bang.* The ground he had rolled over was left pockmarked with craters.

Zhang Yuanqing, coordinating with the red dancing shoes, unleashed a combo. Though he failed to hit the agile Wood Demon, the seamless chaining of attacks left Qingsongzi exhausted just coping.

Qingsongzi had just sprung up when a pair of fists filled his vision.

He tilted his head slightly, narrowly dodging one punch, then a sharp pain seized his chest—those red dancing shoes had stomped squarely on his wound.

Darkness swallowed Qingsongzi’s vision; his consciousness abruptly dissipated.

Under the relentless onslaught, the wood demon, tenacious of life though it was, finally ran dry of oil and lamp, slipping into the throes of death.

In the next second, a surge of formidable vitality welled up from its enfeebled frame, like rain newborn upon cracked, parched earth.

His mind cleared in a flash; he felt only power flooding his four limbs and hundred bones.

I am resurrected!

Qing Songzi’s face lit with elation—then, he heard the Spirit Realm’s notification chime:

[Ding! You have died. You have been eliminated!]

The last thing in Qing Songzi’s field of vision was the fountain of blood spurting from his own neck, and Yuanshi Tianzun standing blade in hand, bathed in that crimson rain.

Qing Songzi’s body dissolved into white light.

The second contestant eliminated.

Under Yuanshi Tianzun’s relentless pursuit, this blade-wielding wood demon endured for less than a minute before being eliminated.

In the distance, the Earth God ceased his “beating” of the tone-deaf one, wearing an expression of surprise:

“It really wasn’t a minute. You hid your strength, kid.”

Miao Miao whipped around, catching the exact moment Qing Songzi dissipated.

So strong… As a top-three contender, Miao Miao’s confidence and pride suffered a blow.

Until now, she had always firmly believed herself stronger than Yuanshi Tianzun, but now, she only felt he was an exceedingly dangerous opponent.

…

In the Colosseum, the stands finally broke their silence, their stillness; cheers and applause rose and fell in waves.

Now this is the quarterfinals, now this is exciting!

Is a fight style like "Pants-Down Threat" something a carbon-based lifeform could conceive?

"So strong! Qing Songzi lost too fast."

"The tempo is entirely in Yuanshi Tianzun’s hands. Feels like he suddenly got stronger?"

"Not suddenly stronger—he just wasn't going all out before. Holy crap, was he sandbagging in his fights these past few days?"

"Doesn't that mean, even in the Arena, Yuanshi Tianzun has top-three level strength?"

"Not that exaggerated. He did sandbag, but not by much. Those dancing shoes and robe don't look particularly strong either, just Exquisite grade. Exquisite artifacts can't threaten top-three players."

…