From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 398 Fierce Battle on the Field, Dangerous Situation

I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay conscious. The excruciating pain in my lower abdomen felt like a dull knife churning inside, making me almost scream.

But I can't shout, I can't let Ling Yun laugh at me.

The wind howled in my ears, mixed with gasps from the audience. A faint smell of blood filled the air—the blood I had just spat out. The stench of earth seeped into my nostrils, clearing my head a little.

"Xiao Yao, are you ready?" Xuanfeng Immortal's voice was deep and steady, like a boulder pressing on my heart.

He stood in the center of the field, his gray robe billowing slightly in the wind, his eyes as cold as a frozen lake in winter.

I glanced up at him and forced a smile: "Of course, Immortal Venerable, just wait and see the show." In my heart, however, I cursed him inwardly. This old guy was clearly impartial and showed no mercy whatsoever.

No sooner had the words left my mouth than the competition bell rang out with a resounding "dong—" that made my eardrums buzz.

Before I could even catch my breath, the arrogant face of Immortal Venerable Lingyun appeared before me.

A contemptuous smile played on his lips. With a flick of his finger, a golden light burst forth from his palm, heading straight for my face.

The golden light was as fast as lightning, accompanied by a piercing whistling sound, tearing the air in a visible ripple.

My heart started racing, and my body almost instinctively rolled to the side. Mud and gravel grazed my face, stinging painfully.

"Boom!" The golden light slammed into the spot where I had just been standing, blasting a crater half a person deep. Dust flew everywhere, making me cough several times.

I knelt on the ground, panting heavily, squinting at the pit, cursing inwardly: That bastard, he really went all out!

He's clearly trying to cripple me in one fell swoop, without even giving me a chance to warm up.

"Xiao Yao, is this all you've got? You want to be a Celestial Venerable? Keep dreaming!" Ling Yun's voice came from the smoke and dust, carrying an air of arrogant superiority.

I looked up and saw him standing in mid-air, his golden robe billowing with spiritual energy, making him look as if he were coated with light, which stung my eyes.

His hand moved again, this time not a golden light, but a barrage of light blades that rained down on me like a storm.

The light blades were as dense as a swarm of locusts, emitting a sharp "whoosh" sound, and the air was filled with the smell of burning.

I gritted my teeth, pushed off with my feet, and my body lunged to the side like an arrow.

But there were just too many light blades. No matter how fast I dodged, a few still grazed my arms and legs.

The sensation of my skin being torn open came instantly, and warm, sticky blood flowed down my skin, making me gasp in pain.

My clothes were torn in several places, and cold wind blew in, making me shiver.

"Tsk, what a mess." Ling Yun hovered in the air, arms crossed, grinning with an irritating smile.

He probably thought he had already won, after all, I'm in such a state now that I can't even stand up straight.

But I was burning with anger inside. It hurt, but I wasn't ready to give up yet.

I glanced down at the blood on my arm and secretly began to circulate that special technique.

The spiritual energy flowed through my body like a gentle stream, slowly transforming into another kind of power, warm and comforting, like the spring sunshine, gently repairing my damaged meridians.

"Xiao Yao, pay attention to the rules!" Elder Wu's stern voice suddenly came from the side.

When I looked up, I saw him standing at the edge of the arena, frowning and glaring at me, holding a dark token in his hand.

I guess he caught me red-handed because I let a trace of my aura slip when I was practicing my technique.

My heart tightened, and I quickly withdrew my spiritual power, but put on an innocent smile: "Elder, I didn't break any rules, please don't wrong an innocent person!"

Elder Wu snorted coldly and said nothing more, but his eyes clearly warned me: if I dare to play any tricks again, he will directly eliminate me from the game.

I secretly rolled my eyes, thinking to myself that this old man was really stubborn. All he knew was rules, rules. He didn't even see that I was about to be riddled with bullets!

Ling Yun clearly wasn't going to give me a chance to breathe; he raised his hand and unleashed another killer move.

This time it wasn't a light blade, but a huge golden dragon phantom that roared out from behind him.

The dragon opened its blood-red maw, its scales gleaming coldly, and its roar shook the ground.

All I could hear was that deep rumble, like countless thunderbolts exploding in my head.

The moment the golden dragon pounced, the air became heavy, carrying a foul stench that rushed straight to my face.

My heart was pounding like a drum, but my feet didn't stop. I leaped backward and narrowly avoided the dragon's claw attack.

But when the dragon's tail swung, it still struck my side.

A tremendous force struck me, and I was thrown to the ground like a kite with a broken string. The pain was so intense that my vision went black, and I almost fainted.

A metallic taste filled my mouth, and I coughed up a mouthful of blood. My chest felt heavy, as if a stone was pressing down on it.

"Xiao Yao!" A scream suddenly came from the audience. I squinted and saw that it was Fairy Mingyue.

She stood up, her face full of anxiety, her hands tightly gripping the hem of her clothes, as if she wanted nothing more than to rush down and help me.

My heart warmed, and I gave her a forced smile to indicate that I was alright.

But before the laughter could finish, Ling Yun's annoying voice rang out again: "Oh, you still have the mind to care about others? Looks like I went too easy on you!"

As he spoke, he slowly descended from the air, his toes lightly touching the ground, and walked towards me like a cat playing with a mouse.

The smile on that face just looked so smug.

I gritted my teeth, pushed myself up, and my palms ached from the rubble, but I didn't care.

The more smug Lingyun became, the more unwilling I was to admit defeat.

Didn't he think he had the victory in the bag?

Then I'll show him what a comeback looks like!

I quietly circulated that transformed power, feeling it leaping through my meridians like a restless little flame.

The rules forbid me from using spiritual power, but they don't say I can't use other methods!

I lowered my head to hide the cold light in my eyes, pretending to breathe weakly, and muttered to myself, "Ling Yun, is that all you've got? I thought the battle for the glory of the Immortal Venerables would be much more exciting."

"Hmph, stubborn as a mule!" Ling Yun was indeed fooled. His face darkened, and with a flick of his wrist, another golden light hurtled towards me.

I was prepared, and with a nimble step, I narrowly avoided the golden light that grazed my hair and burned my scalp.

But I didn't retreat. Instead, I took advantage of the moment when he was using the same old moves and rushed forward, slamming the hidden force in my hand into his chest.

With a muffled thud, I struck Ling Yun squarely, his face instantly turning pale, and he staggered back two steps.

He stared at me with wide eyes, as if he hadn't expected me to have the strength to fight back.

I was panting heavily, grinning, with blood smeared at the corner of my mouth, which probably looked quite frightening: "How is it, Immortal Venerable? Does it taste good?"

The audience erupted in cheers and exclamations, surging in like a tidal wave.

Fairy Mingyue clapped her hands excitedly and shouted, "Xiao Yao, well done!" Even the cold face of Immortal Venerable Xuanfeng twitched slightly, as if he hadn't expected me to last this long.

Ling Yun clutched his chest, his eyes so dark they could drip water.

He glared at me through gritted teeth, and his palm began to gather spiritual energy again, clearly preparing to unleash a powerful attack.

My heart was pounding even faster, and my mind raced as I calculated my next move.

Just then, I caught a glimpse of Elder Wu out of the corner of my eye. He was frowning, and the token in his hand was glowing slightly, as if he was warning me something.

"Lingyun, didn't you say I looked pathetic?" I panted, my voice hoarse but defiant. "Come on, let's keep playing and see who falls first!" I staggered to my feet, my hands clenching tightly, the force in my palms beating even more wildly.

Ling Yun sneered, and golden light suddenly exploded behind him, like a dazzling little sun that made it impossible for me to open my eyes.

The moment he raised his hand, I suddenly felt a familiar tension emanating from the edge of the arena.

Sweat mixed with blood smeared on my face, sticky and unbearably itchy.

I was panting heavily, my lungs felt like they were on fire, and my throat was burning dry.

Ling Yun's golden light was so dazzling it hurt my eyes, and I saw stars everywhere, but I kept my eyes glued to him, not daring to relax for a second.

That old bastard is cunning and treacherous; he might pull another dirty trick at any time.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught sight of Guard Lin at the edge of the arena. He was pacing back and forth, his brows furrowed, his sharp eyes scanning back and forth between me and Ling Yun like a hawk.

I know what he's worried about. Everyone knows what kind of person Ling Yun is.

But Guard Lin can't openly help me, so he can only worry helplessly. This feeling is probably even worse than being beaten.

In the center of the arena, Immortal Venerable Xuanfeng still maintained his cold and aloof demeanor, standing there like a statue with his hands behind his back.

He appeared calm and collected, but I could sense the faint fluctuations of spiritual energy emanating from him, indicating that he was constantly monitoring the situation on the field.

Although this old guy is rigid, he is fairly fair. As long as Ling Yun doesn't do anything underhanded, he shouldn't interfere.

I took a deep breath and tried to suppress the surging blood in my chest.

The current situation is very unfavorable for me.

Ling Yun is indeed strong; I definitely can't beat him in a head-on fight.

We can only outsmart them.

Rules, rules... Elder Wu's rigid face and the dark token in his hand flashed through my mind.

The rules are my breakthrough point!

I pretended to be exhausted, staggering back a few steps, forcing a weak smile: "Ling Yun, you... is this all you've got? I... I thought the battle for the glory of the Immortal Venerables would be much more exciting..."

"Still being stubborn even when you're about to die!" Ling Yun was indeed fooled. He snorted coldly, and golden light gathered in his palm, growing brighter and brighter, as if it would devour me.

etc.

It's now!

A cold glint flashed in my eyes, and the power I had secretly accumulated within me erupted like a volcano.

This power is different from ordinary spiritual power; it is more primal, wilder, and more difficult to control.

I didn't dare use it before because I was afraid that Elder Wu would find out and kick me out of the game.

But right now, I can't care about that anymore!

I suddenly raised my hand, palm facing Ling Yun, and an invisible wave of power spread rapidly outward from me.

The airflow above the stadium suddenly became turbulent, with howling winds, as if something was about to burst forth from the ground.

"You..." Ling Yun's expression changed drastically; he seemed to have sensed something.

A cold smile curled at the corner of my lips as I whispered, "Ling Yun, take this! This is something I prepared especially for you!"

I suddenly unleashed the force from my palm, heading straight for Lingyun.

At the same time, I felt an unusual fluctuation coming from the periphery of the stadium, and even further away.

The fluctuations grew stronger and stronger, as if something was about to burst out of its shell, carrying a heart-pounding sense of oppression.

My heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition welled up inside me.

What... what is this?

"Stop!" Just then, a sharp voice pierced the air, filled with intense fear and anger.

I turned my head and saw Elder Wu's face was deathly pale. He was pointing at me, his fingers trembling and his lips quivering, as if he had seen a ghost.

I ignored his shouts and stared intently at Ling Yun, watching as he was struck by my force and sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground and falling still.

"You...you actually..." Elder Wu pointed at me, speechless for a long time.

The guard behind him, Lin, also looked shocked, staring at me as if I were a monster.

I was panting heavily as I slowly lowered my hand, the warmth of that force still lingering in my palm.

I looked up at the sky, and the strange fluctuations grew stronger and stronger, filling the air with a suffocating sense of oppression.

I licked my chapped lips and whispered, "This is just the beginning..."