What no one knew was that within Bright Glimmer of Hope, the only domain wielders reaching the second rank of the ninth step were actually Long Haochen and Caiâer .
Although Chen Yingâer and Wang Yuanyuan possessed a domain of their own, they had actually only reached the first rank of the ninth step of cultivation . Their own domain was comprehended in the process of over four years of deep meditation, brought about miraculously . But beyond that miracle, the shortage in their cultivation was still a clear thing .
Otherwise, Chen Yingâer may not necessarily have lost to Li Zhengzhi, or at least have inconvenienced him to an even greater degree .
As the Templesâ Great Gathering did not even permit any equiment, Bright Glimmer of Hopeâs shortages became even more visible .
Thatâs why Wang Yuanyuan took a different approach from the beginning, by choosing to go for another type of battle . She was standing motionless, but actually maintained all her thoughts in the battle, looking for a hole in the opponentâs strategy to bring her a victory in one blow .
The powerful spatial domain started to compress Wang Yuanyuanâs residing space, the spatial cracks growing more and more numerous . From outside the barrier, it appeared that over thousands of spatial gaps had appeared in the field, seemingly crushing anything in their contact instantly .
So, whatâs to be done? What response will Wang Yuanyuan choose? A lot of spectators had these same questions arise in them .
Finally, a first spatial crack made contact with Wang Yuanyuanâs Blood Domain . With a swishing sound, like that of ice melted by a red-hot piece of iron, Wang Yuanyuanâs Blood Domain bubbled up violently, and that spatial crack disappeared immediately . But by paying attention, one would notice that those spatial cracks were ripping away some of the blood energy released by the Blood Domain .
This was just a beginning . Following that first one, even more of these headed towards Wang Yuanyuan .
Swishing sounds kept resounding, one spatial crack after another disappearing swiftly after contact with the Blood Domain . But it was apparent that Wang Yuanyuanâs Blood Domain was rippling violently, losing its might .
The other party used a mix of magic and domain, while she only kept defending passively through her domain . The contrast was rather obvious .
The two partiesâ domains kept clashing, during which a lot of spectators were already shaking their head . Even Li Zhengzhi had a smile appearing on his face, muttering aloud, âIs this girl looking for an opening? How could she even find one? Old Yuâs domain gave him the title Master of Constant Changesâ . Thereâs no set rule at all . She wants to rely on her domainâs explosive force to make a surprise attack, but her pains will only get deeper and deeper . â
With the thought of having one more powerhouse from the Mage Temple to make it through, Li Zhengzhi couldnât help but get into a better and better mood . Maybe his spiritual energy will really be replenished completely by the next round as well . However, because of his use of two great Domain Techniques, recovering to his peak by then would be really challenging .
Time passed second-by-second , during which Wang Yuanyuanâs Blood Domain was still very powerful even when faced against an attack combining spatial domain and magic, enduring tenaciously . At least several thousand cracks had already disappeared in front of the Blood Domain .
Caiâer let out a light sigh, âIâm afraid that Yuanyuan wonât be able to find an opening in the opponentâs attack . This mage is very careful; look, when attacking through his domain, he really launches extremely irregular attacks, variating between single ones and swarms . And the thickness of the cracks only keeps growing . Now if Yuanyuan goes on the offense, sheâs even more likely to get trapped . This old mage is just too cunning . Upon realizing what Yuanyuanâs plan was, he immediately made a countermeasure . If this lasts, Yuanyuan wonât hold out for much longer . â
Haochen patted Caiâerâs hand, declaring, âTrust in her . Yuanyuan is not just stubborn but also clever . Her innate gifts may be the lowest, but she has still achieved extraordinary success . For her to have obtained her own domain before even reaching the second rank of the ninth step shows her intelligence and wits plentifully . â
Thinking of that, Long Haochen couldnât help but recall his previous teacher Asura Ye . He really had not met him for a very long time . Who knew where the Knight Temple had sent him . Long Haochen had formerly asked his grandfather, but Long Tianying did not even breathe a single word of it, only telling him that Ye Hua was carrying out an extraordinarily important mission . So, Long Haochen had yet to find the opportunity to pay his respects to his teacher .
In the field, Wang Yuanyuanâs Blood Domain which originally extended to three meters was gradually compressed to a diameter of one meter, barely enough to protect her body .
âJust concede, young girl . I donât want to injure you . â The old mageâs voice reverberated in all directions, his offense slowing down slowly . This being the Templesâ Great Gathering, a domainâs compression was a really dangerous thing . In case something went wrong, Wang Yuanyuanâs life may very well be endangered .
But the instant the counterpartâs domain slowed down, she finally made her move .
Her speed was really immense: all the spectators only saw a flash of blood light, as she unexpectedly passed through the spatial gates instantly .
The whole stage was immediately in a state of surprise .
In fact, these spatial cracks were all spatial instabilities created through spatial magic, preventing any teleportation . Not only was the space extremely unstable, but furthermore could crumble at anytime, all the spatial cracks being filled with an extremely strong swallowing force . Absorbing things was none other than one of its greatest powers . Throwing oneself inside is simply akin to suicide .
But who could expect Wang Yuanyuan to make such a choice? This girl was just too staunch . Could it be that she would stake her own life rather than get defeated at the hands of the Mage Temple? After all, based on the Templesâ Great Gatheringâs rules, killing oneâs opponent would automatically get oneself eliminated .
Even Li Zhengzhi had a look of complete shock upon catching sight of this scene . But the next instant, everyone here realized their own mistake .
In a flash of blood light, Wang Yuanyuan already appeared in another spot . This very instant, the numerous surrounding spatial cracks started to get more and more chaotic .
Because the whole field was filled of spatial cracks to the brim, when Wang Yuanyuan disappeared, only indistinct flashes of red could be seen in their midst . But something no one could see was occuring at that very moment .
The spatial cracks started to disappear one after another, gradually revealing the situation in the center of the grounds .
Then a breathtaking sight came . Wang Yuanyuan calmly stood there, her palm pressed onto the old mageâs head . The latter did not utilize further magic, only looking at Wang Yuanyuan full of incomprehension .
âHow did you achieve that?â The old mage asked, full of incomprehension, âThis was inside my domain, my domain, and with so many spatial cracks around . You cannot possibly have used any teleporting ability . I know that you have a spiritual stove enabling teleportation, and it is something for which I have already accounted . I donât understand how you could pass through the spatial cracks, and end up right in front of me . My domain and magic are completely devoid of any regular pattern . â
Wang Yuanyuan calmly answered, âThere is no ability devoid of the slightest flaw . It is because your spatial cracks were boosted thanks to your domain that so many of them had appeared simultaneously . It is indeed as you say, these spatial cracks are devoid of any regular patterns . But you have forgotten that they come from the same domain, and that is their common point . â
âAll of these cracks that were created from the same domain, are all linked to each other, with spatial channels able to link them instantly like a spider web . What I did was all calculated: I picked a spatial channel that could connect me right in front of you, and that was all I needed . â
Wang Yuanyuan had said that as if it was very simple, but the old mage was greatly shocked, âHow could that be possible? That would require a massive amount of energy . Most of all, with just a little mistake, you would be torn in the midst of spatial ripples, or drifting in an endless space . â
âNo, this couldnât happen to me . Right, as you say my spiritual stove cannot be used in your domain . But I can protect myself in a fixed spot by using my domainâs defenses . This is also why I remained purposefully unmoving for so long, or else,
by placing myself with my back facing the outside defensive barrier, I would have lasted for even longer . But I did not move in order to maintain my spiritual stoveâs positioning . That way, even if I ended up unable to pass through your spatial cracks, I would be able to trigger my connection with the spiritual stove, and return to the previous spot with the protection of my domain . Could it be that you didnât realize that when I was teleporting, the blood fog at the other side was maintained for some time? Why do you think it only disappeared when I arrived near you? It only lasted for one second, but that was enough for me to be decisive . So even if I had miscalculated, it would only have ended in failure, with no possibility of death .
The old mage looked at Wang Yuanyuan, totally blank and remaining speechless for a long moment .
Wang Yuanyuan retrieved her hand, and performed a warrior salute to him, turning back and walking out .
âA moment . â The old mage suddenly shouted to Wang Yuanyuan .
Wang Yuanyuan turned her head to him, âIs there some other matter?â
The old mage solemnly declared, âI have lost and am thoroughly convinced in my defeat . You may have won with your cleverness, but in this world, people capable of such intelligence and steadiness are you are far too few . You are bound to be respected in the future Warrior Temple . â
Saying that, the old mage solemnly bent to Wang Yuanyuan, before turning back with a smile on his face .
When she came out from the stadium, the first thing that welcomed her back was Chen Yingâerâs warm hug .
âWon, Youâve won! Yuanyuan, youâre really awesome . â Chen Yingâer spiritedly hugged Wang Yuanyuan, who swayed visibly, shutting her eyes in her embrace, and muttering in a feeble voice, âHelp me get moving . â
This fightâs whole process looked really simple, but only Wang Yuanyuan and the old mage knew how pressuring the battle was to her .
How about the process of the massive pressure brought upon her? Under such a pressure, she had to perform continuous calculations to get closer to her goal . Though her spiritual stoveâs position was fixed before she tore through the spatial crack, that was still in no way devoid of danger to her life! Since she wanted to beat the enemy and achieve victory whilst paying attention to her own safety, all these factors together meant her burdens were far too many .
So far, out of three of the six battles, Bright Glimmer of Hope had already achieved two victories, and occupied two seats in the top six .