Chapter 651: This is My, Bai Zhen Zhen's, Choice (Two-in-One)

Chapter 651: This Is My Choice, Bai Zhenzhen (Two-in-One)

It was not only Wen Wuya who noticed the anomaly in Kuang Tianqing; in fact, the countless spectators watching the battle at this very moment had also perceived it.

"Has Kuang Tianqing lost her mind? What is she waiting for? Hurry up and obliterate Bai Zhenzhen completely to win this match!"

"Damn it, Kuang Tianqing, is she throwing the fight?! I bet my entire fortune on her winning before this exact moment!"

"Make your move! What are you just standing there for?"

While countless people in the Spirit Realm were passing judgment on the battle, a fierce storm of conflicting thoughts was raging within Kuang Tianqing's mind.

The very moment those words left her lips, she had already sensed that something was amiss.

It was much like how many people, the instant a remark slips out, immediately realize they have misspoken.

Kuang Tianqing was no exception; indeed, she felt not only that she had misspoken, but that her very line of thinking had gone gravely astray.

"What am I doing?"

"Letting Bai Zhenzhen prepare on her own?"

"Waiting for her, allowing her to calmly unleash her final strike to kill me?"

"Why... why would such thoughts surge through my mind?"

"Thoughts so utterly detrimental to myself?"

"Is it the influence of those memories upon me?"

Kuang Tianqing wanted to overcome this mindset, to strike immediately, to end the Bai Zhenzhen before her right now, and to conclude this battle.

Yet a voice in her heart made her unwilling, resentful, and even ashamed to do such a thing.

This internal clash of thoughts bred hesitation within her, stripping away the decisiveness she had always possessed.

It was as if someone, even knowing full well that eating filth was beneficial, would still feel a surge of hesitation when actually about to consume it.

At this moment, an irrepressible hesitation rose within Kuang Tianqing's heart.

Yet what set her apart from ordinary people was that, upon discerning right from wrong, she could swiftly steel her resolve and forcibly suppress the insidious thoughts in her mind.

"This is the Top Ten Tournament, deciding the future trajectory of the world, determining the immortal paths of countless souls, and dictating how far I myself can walk upon the path of immortality."

"How can I hesitate at a time like this?"

"How can I be swayed by those backward, nonsensical, and insidious ancient thoughts lingering in my mind?"

The very instant Kuang Tianqing steeled her ruthless resolve, her body was already in motion.

"No hesitation."

"Not only must I not hesitate, I must strike by surprise! I must seize the initiative! I will leave the opponent absolutely no opening..."

"This is the true resolve of Kuang Tianqing."

As the Level 20 Pill Fall Great Art circulated, the light of a shattering Golden Core flickered once more within Kuang Tianqing's body.

Harnessing the power of the shattered Golden Core to drive military-grade martial arts once again, Kuang Tianqing flashed like a fleeting shadow to Bai Zhenzhen's side, unleashing the fierce strikes of the Netherworld Disintegration Method, attacking the vital points of Bai Zhenzhen's body with terrifying force.

Faced with Kuang Tianqing's lightning-fast assault, Bai Zhenzhen launched her counterattack without the slightest hesitation.

Or rather... having severed her emotions with the Seven Emotions Sword Dao, Bai Zhenzhen had been in a constant state of combat all along, never letting her guard down against her enemy for even a fraction of a second.

Now, having cast aside all emotions, Bai Zhenzhen held but a single intent in her heart: to utterly destroy her opponent.

Propelled by this intent, black sword qi pierced through her body, ravaging her flesh, her meridians, her bones... destroying everything that made up her physical form.

Yet even in this state of self-destruction, even though she was already an arrow at the end of its flight, Bai Zhenzhen did not stop.

For the Bai Zhenzhen of this moment, perhaps only death itself could extinguish her fighting spirit and her will to battle.

Amidst the violent collisions, the black sword qi was gradually suppressed by Kuang Tianqing.

Gazing at the Bai Zhenzhen before her, Kuang Tianqing sneered, "Bai Zhenzhen, this strike of yours is even weaker than the last."

"As expected, your body simply cannot sustain the maximum output of the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao."

"Beyond the peak lies the abyss; when your most supreme strike failed to defeat me, your defeat was already sealed."

"Now it is my turn to reap the fruits of victory."

With that, Kuang Tianqing opened her mouth and spat, sending a crystal shooting straight toward Bai Zhenzhen.

In an instant, the magical power coursing through Bai Zhenzhen's entire body trembled slightly, as if entirely drawn to the crystal.

The earlier Kuang Tianqing wanted to wait for her opponent's final strike? To show her respect?

The Kuang Tianqing of now... the more she thought about how such words, words so utterly detrimental to herself, had actually come out of her own mouth, the more furious she became.

And at this moment, not only would she not wait for her opponent, nor grant any semblance of respect, but she would strike by surprise, crush her utterly, and drain every last drop of her power.

"The power of the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao! I shall take it all!"

As the crystal landed on Bai Zhenzhen's forehead, Kuang Tianqing fiercely activated the Great Rhapsody of Heaven and Earth Yin and Yang, intent on extracting the sword qi within Bai Zhenzhen's body.

"Bai Zhenzhen, let me drain every ounce of your strength through the art of dual cultivation."

Kuang Tianqing smiled wickedly, "Enjoy it well; the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao you pushed to your absolute limit will ultimately become my stepping stone, contributing to my ascent to the first place in the Top Ten Tournament."

In the Spirit Realm, countless spectators watching this scene erupted into a unified cheer.

"Now that is the true bearing of the Heavenly Demon Top Student!"

"She's back, Kuang Tianqing is back! She's stopped playing the fool and delivered a beautiful finishing blow!"

"The victor is decided, cleaned out to the bone! I hereby declare in advance that Kuang Tianqing has taken the championship!"

Amidst the roaring cheers of countless people in the Spirit Realm, a trace of clarity gradually emerged in Bai Zhenzhen's eyes.

Looking at Kuang Tianqing, who was frantically draining her power, Bai Zhenzhen thought to herself, "This woman... she even extracted the sword qi severed by my Seven Emotions Sword Dao, which restored my emotions and brought me back from that state."

But this restoration did not make Bai Zhenzhen stronger; instead, it weakened her condition, leaving her even more powerless to resist Kuang Tianqing's extraction.

Feeling all this, the figure of Zhang Yu suddenly surfaced in Bai Zhenzhen's mind.

"Yu should be able to beat Tian Shenggong, right?"

"I failed to stop Kuang Tianqing..."

"That means the opponent he will face in the finals is Kuang Tianqing; how can I let her... use my power against him?"

"Senior Sister..." Bai Zhenzhen spoke slowly to the sword spirit within the Yuhuan Sword, "Lend me your strength."

Lian Yuhuan, as the daughter of the Seven Emotions Divine Lord, this daughter of a Spirit Transformation cultivator once harbored a visionary idea: to shatter obsessions, unite the orthodox and the unorthodox, and merge the paths of dual cultivation and extreme emotion to forge a new Extreme Emotion Sword Dao.

But evidently, she ultimately failed, and her body, like those of countless other practitioners of the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao, transformed into a flying sword.

Yet unlike the flying swords formed by other practitioners, perhaps due to her cultivation of the immortal techniques of the Hehuan University, the Yuhuan Sword possessed a power that united human and sword, allowing for dual cultivation between the wielder and the blade.

The trend of many students at the Heavenly Sword University engaging in dual cultivation with sword spirits originated from this very practice, much to the deep resentment of the Seven Emotions Divine Lord.

And at this very moment, accompanied by a series of sharp cracking sounds, Bai Zhenzhen's body began to twist, her bones and sinews starting to deform.

"Kuang Tianqing's dual cultivation technique is designed to target the human body."

"The best way to counter it... is to cease being human."

Embracing the Yuhuan Sword, Bai Zhenzhen wrapped her body around the flying blade, gradually transforming into a pure white, spiraling longsword.

Witnessing this scene, Kuang Tianqing’s gaze sharpened: "Unity of man and sword?"

Then she gave a cold snort and reached out to grasp the flying sword: "Excellent! Bai Zhenzhen, become my blade and help me change the world!"

But in the very next instant, Bai Zhenzhen’s figure materialized behind the spiraling longsword.

Kuang Tianqing’s eyes narrowed as a rapid succession of thoughts flashed through her mind: "A soul cultivator? Is that Bai Zhenzhen’s soul? Has she entrusted her soul to the flying sword, temporarily becoming its sword spirit?"

At the same time, Bai Zhenzhen, standing behind the spiraling blade, lightly flicked her sword fingers, sending ripples of electric light surging through the steel.

Even in her soul form, Bai Zhenzhen could still command her physical body through the deformed dharma relics within her flesh, the electrical discharge of her thunderous mana, and the surging signals of the spirit realm, wielding the sword with her very soul.

Simultaneously, at this very moment, waves of pure white sword qi erupted from the void, coursing through the spiraling longsword.

In this instant, having shed her mortal flesh to achieve the unity of man and sword, Bai Zhenzhen suddenly comprehended deeper mysteries of the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao.

"In the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao, the realm surpassing destruction... is sacrifice."

"Using extreme emotion to drive emotionlessness, and from emotionlessness, birthing extreme emotion anew..."

Bai Zhenzhen felt as though all this was like the yin and yang of the Taiji diagram, spinning in an endless, ceaseless cycle of infinite profundity.

Her mastery over the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao reached an unprecedented zenith, her spirit erupting with a torrential surge of white sword qi.

Bai Zhenzhen’s thoughts accelerated endlessly, as if everything around her had slowed to an agonizing crawl.

Just then, she lifted her head to glance at the morning sun rising in the sky.

"How nostalgic..."

Gazing at the dawn, Bai Zhenzhen seemed to return to her high school days, her mind drifting back to her past.

"Since childhood, I possessed absolutely outstanding talent, but due to poverty and insufficient immortal dao potential, I could only trudge through the mud on the path of cultivation; compared to the wealthy, one could say I lost at the very starting line."

"My life was originally destined for failure, but Zhang Yu’s help changed my fate."

"Together with him, I passed the Foundation Establishment certification, applied for the Top Ten, and achieved unprecedented results."

"Without realizing it, Zhang Yu became the most important person in my life." "Entering university, my divine spirit root caught the eye of a Deity Transformation master who took me as a disciple, vastly increasing my immortal dao potential."

"Step by step, I pushed my cultivation to the peak of Foundation Establishment, confident enough to face any opponent; even in today’s battle against Kuang Tianqing, I fear nothing, wishing only to give my all and fight for that one in a ten thousand chance."

Her gaze sweeping once more over Kuang Tianqing before her, Bai Zhenzhen sighed inwardly: "Yet in the end, I have been defeated, and my physical body shall perish completely."

"And is this defeat, this death, merely born of the gap in wealth and resources between Kuang Tianqing and me?"

"No, if I had been willing to dual cultivate, willing to use various methods to enhance my immortal dao potential, perhaps my chances of victory would have been higher."

"If I hadn't staked everything on a single throw, but instead withdrawn in time and fought with the mindset of certain defeat, perhaps I would not be dying."

"But this is my choice, it is my nature."

"I simply refuse to dual cultivate, refuse to change my gender, and refuse to use all sorts of messy secondary methods to boost my immortal dao potential."

"I simply refuse to give up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; I want to fight for first place, I want to perfect the Extreme Emotion Sword Dao."

"So I fight with everything I have, burning my last ounce of strength, my last breath of life, marching toward the end I have chosen for myself."

"And in the final moment of my life, I no longer fight for victory."

"I will wager my very life to pave the way for Zhang Yu, to place him upon the throne."

"Because I believe, I believe that if Zhang Yu stood where I am today, he would make the exact same choice for me."

"This is the choice of Bai Zhenzhen."

At some unknown moment, Bai Zhenzhen’s phantom had already grasped the spiraling longsword, murmuring faintly in her heart: "It is time..."

She looked at Kuang Tianqing before her: "One must not keep an opponent waiting any longer."

Watching Bai Zhenzhen strike with the spiraling longsword, Kuang Tianqing felt an unprecedented threat.

Within her eye relics, countless warnings from dharma relics formed a dense cascade of red information, like a waterfall threatening to completely flood her vision.

But as Bai Zhenzhen’s blade descended inch by inch, Kuang Tianqing felt her entire body paralyzed, unable to move even a fraction.

"Move!"

"Make it move!"

Mana, spiritual energy, astral qi, blood vitality... everything seemed to plunge into a dead silence.

Only Bai Zhenzhen’s blade, in Kuang Tianqing’s eyes, fell inch by inch, drawing ever closer to her skull.

Boom!

As the blade collided with Kuang Tianqing’s forehead, the dharma relics throughout her body activated autonomously, the Cursing Heaven Myriad Demons Throne spun to its absolute limit, and her figure flickered violently between the tangible and the ethereal.

Roar!

Kuang Tianqing’s will seemed to break through some unseen restriction, the power within her body erupting wildly, unleashing the radiance of a shattering Golden Core.

And it was not just her own power, but the accumulated energy within the yin artifacts, the power of top scholars from Heavenly Demon University, Netherworld University, Hehuan University, and White Bone University.

In this moment, Bai Zhenzhen and Kuang Tianqing unleashed every last reserve of their hidden strength, colliding and striking with earth-shattering battle intent and power.

With no more tricks, no more reservations, both cast aside all scruples, aiming everything into a single, all-out strike, using the strongest, most ferocious, and most absolute power to utterly obliterate and defeat the opponent before them.

When the light and shadows faded, the dust settled, and the earth ceased its trembling, the victor and the vanquished of this battle were decided.

Kuang Tianqing raised her head, looking at the spiraling longsword thrust into the ground before her.

At the same time, Bai Zhenzhen’s phantom stood with hands clasped behind her back beside the spiraling blade, facing away from Kuang Tianqing.

Gazing at Bai Zhenzhen’s back, Kuang Tianqing thought to herself: "Bai Zhenzhen, if I hadn't had the aid of eight Deity Transformation masters, the supreme arts of four universities, and the power of so many top scholars to wear you down, perhaps in this battle... the victor would have been you."

"And if today we were not standing on the battlefield of the Top Ten Tournament, perhaps I would have been willing to acknowledge your victory."

"But the Top Ten Tournament is of grave importance; for the stability of the world, for the prosperity of the immortal dao, for my ascent to the pinnacle... I must win."

Having said this, Kuang Tianqing gave a light wave of her hand.

Accompanied by a surge of spirit realm signals, Bai Zhenzhen’s connection to the flying sword was completely severed, and the phantom she had become dissolved into the atmosphere.

Looking toward the waiting area, Bai Zhenzhen’s shattering phantom formed a faint smile before vanishing completely from the material world.

Meanwhile, as Kuang Tianqing walked toward the spiraling longsword and was about to reach for it, a cascade of seven-colored light descended from the heavens, enveloping and protecting the blade.

"The Seven Emotions Divine Lord?" Kuang Tianqing’s mind stirred as the seven-colored divine light swept the sword into the sky, vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

...

Bai Zhenzhen: Yuzi, I leave the rest to you.

In the waiting area.

After defeating Tiansheng Gong, Zhang Yu returned here to watch the battle between Bai Zhenzhen and Kuang Tianqing.

Reading the final message Bai Zhenzhen had sent him during the battle, Zhang Yu couldn't help but reply: A-Zhen.

Zhang Yu: A-Zhen, how are you?

Zhang Yu: I'm coming to get you right now.

But no matter how many messages Zhang Yu sent, there was no reply, and even her avatar had darkened, indicating she had already gone offline.

Watching this, Zhang Yu grew increasingly anxious and directly contacted the Seven Emotions Divine Lord, asking: How is A-Zhen?

Seven Emotions Divine Lord: She has burned herself out.

Zhang Yu was startled by the news: Burned out?!

Lord of Seven Emotions: Her account balance is now zero.

Lord of Seven Emotions: Her Spirit Realm data has been completely exhausted.

Lord of Seven Emotions: Let her rest for now; do not let her expend more mental energy in the Spirit Realm. I will top up her account later.

Hearing this, Zhang Yu breathed a slight sigh of relief, but the thought of the spiraling longsword that Bai Zhenzhen had become tightened his heart once more, and he hurriedly asked: What is A-Zhen's current state, and how much will it cost to resurrect her?

Zhang Yu knew all too well that the spirit coins required for resurrection varied greatly, differing for each person and every circumstance.

Often, the more powerful one's strength and physical body, the more spirit coins were needed for resurrection.

And the more severe the damage, the greater the destruction to the flesh, the higher the cost of resurrection.

Considering Bai Zhenzhen's final union of human and sword in this battle, Zhang Yu felt the price would be exorbitant no matter how he looked at it.

Lord of Seven Emotions: There is no rush regarding the resurrection.

Lord of Seven Emotions: Let us first discuss your next battle.

Zhang Yu: What does that have to do with my next fight?

Zhang Yu: Whether I win or lose my next match, I am going to resurrect A-Zhen.

Lord of Seven Emotions: Boy, Bai Zhenzhen wagered her very life on that final strike.

Lord of Seven Emotions: Had she won, then victory would have been hers.

Lord of Seven Emotions: But having lost, that strike was the foundation laid for you to seize first place.

Lord of Seven Emotions: It was a sword stroke cleaved to place you upon the throne of the strongest.

Gently brushing his palm over the spiraling longsword before him, the Lord of Seven Emotions sighed and replied: She wanted to fight alongside you.

Lord of Seven Emotions: She hoped you would use her to defeat Kuang Tianqing and ascend to the seat of the Top Ten Strongest.

Lord of Seven Emotions: Have you forgotten her last will? Half of this sword belongs to you.

Reading the Lord of Seven Emotions' reply, Zhang Yu was slightly taken aback, the image of that white spiraling longsword flashing through his mind as he thought to himself: "A-Zhen... wanted to fight by my side?"

The Lord of Seven Emotions then sent another message: Boy, I will not judge Bai Zhenzhen's choice.

Lord of Seven Emotions: But since it was a decision made by my disciple at the cost of her life,

Lord of Seven Emotions: I am willing to respect her resolve.

Lord of Seven Emotions: Therefore, I can temporarily lend you the ownership of the other half of her remains.

Zhang Yu: I understand.

Taking a deep breath, Zhang Yu watched Kuang Tianqing being enveloped in layers of divine light and sent back to the waiting area, his fighting spirit soaring higher than ever before.

As if sensing Zhang Yu's gaze, Kuang Tianqing looked over, a playful smile curling on his lips.

Kuang Tianqing thought to himself: "I will never accept the Choice of Ten Thousand Laws. I will never stand by and watch the Law Realm destroy my lifetime of cultivation; I will use life-extension technology to reach the pinnacle of the Immortal Path."

Zhang Yu thought to himself: "A-Zhen, in the next battle... we will defeat her together."

Feeling the surging undercurrents of clashing auras between the two, Tian Shenggong secretly rejoiced nearby, thinking: "Excellent, it seems Zhang Yu has temporarily forgotten our agreement."

Before the battle began, Tian Shenggong and Zhang Yu had made a verbal wager.

According to the terms of the bet, if Tian Shenggong lost to Zhang Yu, he would no longer be allowed to equip the Extreme Tiger Law Remains.

Thus, after his defeat, Tian Shenggong had been troubled by this; although no contract was signed and it was merely a verbal agreement, reneging would bring a host of troubles.

Especially since he had just been defeated, if Zhang Yu were to livestream and humiliate him, he would be utterly powerless to fight back.

Yet Tian Shenggong never expected that upon returning to the waiting area, Zhang Yu seemed to focus all his attention on the battle between Kuang Tianqing and Bai Zhenzhen.

And the sheer brilliance of that battle had indeed far exceeded everyone's expectations, drawing a massive amount of attention away from Tian Shenggong.

Tian Shenggong thought to himself: "Just don't remember it, at least not before we leave the waiting area."

After a moment of clashing gazes with Kuang Tianqing, Zhang Yu received a new message from the Lord of Seven Emotions: For the next seven days, I will take Zhenzhen back for some repairs.

Lord of Seven Emotions: I will lend her to you for one more battle in the finals seven days from now.

Zhang Yu's mind, however, recalled Bai Zhenzhen's entrustment and the contents of her will, and he hurriedly said: Can I see A-Zhen one more time?

The other party did not reply, and as Zhang Yu was pondering how to swap back the true spirit root in his belly, the match concluded, and he was sent out amidst waves of divine light along with the crowd.

At the same time, Lord Anzhen sent a message to Zhang Yu: Get ready, the Principal wants to see you.

Zhang Yu's heart trembled: Which principal?

Lord Anzhen: The Divine Lord of Heavenly Evolution.

Zhang Yu: When?

Lord Anzhen: Now. The Principal is already waiting for you in the Spirit Realm; hurry and prepare.

Zhang Yu: I have some matters to attend to right now; can it be a little later?

Lord Anzhen: Make the Principal wait for you? What were you thinking?

Lord Anzhen: Whatever matters you have can wait; come with me to pay respects to the Principal first.

Lord Anzhen: This concerns your arrangements for the upcoming matches.

Looking at the Spirit Realm connection request sent by the other party, Zhang Yu sighed helplessly, found his Spirit Realm visor, put it on, and selected agree.

In an instant, his consciousness had traversed the myriad layers of the Spirit Realm.

Accompanied by flowing shifts of light and shadow, when Zhang Yu regained his senses, he found himself in a place akin to a fairyland.

Emerald peaks soared into the clouds, while pure white mists rolled and flowed like ocean waves around the mountainsides.

A figure with the appearance of a youth stood before Zhang Yu, looking at him with a faint smile as he asked: "Zhang Yu, if you were given the choice, what kind of immortal sect technique would you choose?"

(End of Chapter)