"Linji's about to lose..." Longyu Dao folded his arms and grimly muttered out. Beside him, a gorgeous woman sat on her luxurious chair, legs crossed and head thrown back. Her grey hair was tied up into a bun with a jade whale hairpin, and her small face made her a pleasant sensation for the eyes. Though, not many would dare to underestimate her from her looks.
As the Spirit Saints had washed their hands off matters human realm, the top governing official in the Lantis Republic was an elected Spirit Venerate, who would serve the nation as their Chancellor. If the High Council were the governing body of the Republic, then the Chancellor would be the face of the country. She was the one that signs bills into law, represents the Lantis Republic in foreign affairs and in times of crisis, was the martial commander of the country. That was the Chancellor, Jingyu Shenxian.
"It can't be helped… Your new Prince is quite the stud," replied the Chancellor, her hands shaking the goblet of wine in her hands. "All of the moves thus far were under his calculations. Really, that young man fights in the same manner that Saint Longyu Tian does..."
Back in her day, Jingyu Shenxian had been an ultimate general that ravaged the high oceans and destroyed fleet after fleet with ease. She looked no older than forty, but her actual age had exceeded three hundred, making her the same generation as Longyu Tian. Jingyu Shenxian had seen the way that Longyu Tian fights. With her cheat-like ability to peek into the future, the Saint of Time was able to counter all of her opponents' techniques through masterful planning and precision fighting. It was highly reminiscent of what Shin was doing, just that the youth didn't have any Time-Elemental capabilities.
"No wonder your Clan's Saint likes him so much," Jingyu Shenxian chuckled and eyed down the Longyu Clan Master.
"It doesn't matter what the Saint thinks… If the High Council could just bring Shin straight into the Trial, all of this could have been avoided..." Longyu Dao had one nostril raised, and his eyes began to twitch. Evidently, he was still pissed off that they had to go through all of this hassle for a deed that was rightfully Shin's.
"Haha, you're right." Jingyu Shenxian didn't deny it. In fact, she felt a little sympathy for the Longyu Clan, Shin particularly. "Having him prove his loyalty is just an excuse to deter his potential Spirit Evolution as long as possible. Honestly, politics can be such a drag sometimes."
Who stood the most to gain if Shin wasn't able to take the Trial? Wasn't it the other seven Clans who wanted to curb the influence of the Longyu Clan? The Jingyu Clan didn't want their hegemony to be questioned, and the weaker clans didn't want to see the Longyu Clan gain yet another Spirit Saint. Other than the Meijing Clan, who was allied with the Longyus, none of the Elders in the High Council was thrilled about the idea of Shin taking the Trial.
"Even now, the Jingyu Clan is scrambling to find an excuse to postpone Shin's eventual baptism. Hah… I wish that everyone could be a little more open-minded..." As she thought about her brethren back in the Clan, Jingyu Shenxian couldn't help but sigh heavily. She came from a military background, and her mindset was extremely straightforward. Compared to the dirty minds of the politicians, the Chancellor was just a novice.
Longyu Dao shared the same sentiment as his compatriot. Sighing, he said, "Would the Eight Ancient Clans ever be truly united?"
"Unless the Lady of Water resurrects from her grave, I highly doubt so," replied Jingyu Shenxian. "We have been at loggerheads since time immemorial. Even though we formed the Republic, each Clan still lives and dies by its own mantra. All of our forefathers that tried to quell the competition had all failed miserably. Perhaps, only the Celestial Dragon itself could bring the entire Republic back into one shape."
The Lantis Republic had always stayed out of foreign affairs, even if it meant that they would be losing out. Why? Because of the constant strife between the Eight Clans of Water. Their warring ways were laced down in their blood as they had been battling out for generations now. Though the Lantis Republic had joined the Eight Ancient Clans together, some bad blood still remained. Why would they concern themselves with others when they were just a few conflicts away from an entire civil war?
"Hah… Those assholes..."
"Watch yourself, Dao..." Hearing the man's coarse language, Jingyu Shenxian frowned and offered the man a word of advice. "The Longyu Clan has been treading on thin ice ever since the Summit. The others aren't happy that the Saint of Time had dragged us into a treaty that favoured the Longyu Clan only. The Zhangyu, Shenshe and Jingyu Clan had all began to side with one another. It's only a matter of time before the Longyu Clan would be isolated by the rest."
"..." The Clan Master didn't reply. He looked down at the adjacent box, where the vast majority of the High Elders were seated. They were all frowning at Shin's magnificent performance. Each time Shin pushed Linji to a corner, they would bite their nails to hold back their frustration. And when Linji gushed out from a tight spot, they clenched their fists ready to cheer the Luminary on. Evidently, they weren't thrilled about the prospect of Shin winning. If anything, they wanted the youth to lose on the spot, so that he would be forced to sit back for five years.
Longyu Dao groaned, "It really is a pity..."
The match between Shin and Linji had long devolved into a one-sided brawl. Shin's Infinite Tsunami spear was pushing the Luminary back inch by inch, and Linji was about to reach his breaking point. In terms of martial arts, Linji was superior to Shin. He hits harder, moves more fluidly and even has the better footwork. However, Shin had the assistance of his created water and the Golden Dragon Needles flying about. In the end, it was the superior numbers that Shin boasted which locked Linji in place.
'He should be making a mistake right about now...' Shin frowned. In his plans, Linji should have lost all control twenty moves back, enabling Shin to land a fatal blow that would incapacitate the Luminary. Alas, Linji's persistence and resilience held firm, even when he had been pushed back since the beginning of their match.
Shin was the aggressor, but he couldn't keep it up for long. The physical toll it took on the man was tremendous, and his arms and lower body began to hurt. In theory, the Infinite Tsunami Spear could last forever. However, there were many a time where theory would fail in the practical realm. Shin's body wasn't suited for the technique and at most, he could keep it going for a minute longer. When his momentum died, Shin needed to leap back to take a breather before he could begin his new assault. It was the perfect chance for Linji to turn the tables on the youth.
The match needed to end, and it needed to end now. Shin grunted and changed the direction in which the Spear of Aiglos spun. It was a risk, changing the momentum from one side to the other, but it was a compromise that Shin was willing to take. The Golden Dragon Needles covered for him as he made the switch, but that slight change was enough for Linji to smell blood in the water.
"ARGGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" The Luminary let out a battle-cry, jolting Shin's shoulders back. The Darkness Water that Shin had under control was now unleashed with full fury, as Linji leapt straight forward, throwing caution into the wind.
"I'M NOT GOING TO FUCKING LOSE TO YOU!!!" Linji roared. All of the resentment that he had bottled up was unleashed, and the man threw his strongest punch yet. The Golden Dragon Needles all rained down, piercing through his thick scaly skin, but that didn't stop Linji's attack. In fact, for some mystical reason, the punch seemed to become all the more terrifying in Shin's eyes. With no time left, Shin spun the Spear of Aiglos around and held it straight in front of his chest.
BAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGGG!!!
Shin's Infinite Tsunami Spear momentum had been broken and worst of all, the Spear of Aiglos, which should have been as tough as diamonds, had now shattered into a thousand pieces.
"OOOHHHHHH!!!" The crowd got up in cheers. The first part of the bout had been dominated by Shin and Linji barely had the chance to counter. Now, it was a different story. Were they about to see a reversal in the tides?
Of course, it wasn't just Shin who had been injured. Linji's sudden explosive attack that ignored any sort of defence allowed the Golden Dragon Needles to pierce through some of the Luminary's meridians. Unfortunately, Shin didn't completely seal the young man up, and Linji was able to cast his Substitute again. He was in a whole lot of pain, but Linji didn't care. Now that Shin was on the other foot, there was a chance for him to end the brat that dared to challenge the hierarchy.
Everything was thrown out of the window. Linji only had one plan. Rush Shin down until he landed a clean hit. Shin didn't have the raw power that Linji had, and one punch would be sufficient to break the youth's bones and pierce through his organs. But Linji needed to land that hit.
Shin retreated, sending even more Golden Dragon Needles in hopes of deterring Linji's advance. However, the Luminary was having none of that. He couldn't care less about defence now. Linji wanted to tear the brat running away from him, limb from limb and there was nothing on earth that could stop him now.
Half of the Golden Dragon Needles connected with their target and before Shin could complete the Divine Needle Binding technique, Linji cast his Substitute again. Typically, the Luminary would use that life-saving card that he had sparingly, but the man wasn't thinking straight. As he was, Linji had transformed into a berserker that lusted for Shin's blood.
Again and again, the pattern continued. Shin ran from Linji, while the man charged forward like an angered bull, ready to destroy anything in his path. The Golden Dragon Needles all failed to bind Linji as he kept using Substitute and his Darkness Water to push forward. Eventually, the Luminary's determination had finally paid off.
"ARGHHHHHHH!!!" Linji yelled out. He was now just inches away from Shin's body. One more hit would do it. He had expended a considerable amount of his mana, using Substitute consecutively, but he was finally here. One more hit… One more hit to end Shin and show the world who was the top dog in the Longyu Clan…
There was no hesitation. The gauntlet on Linji's right arm trembled in pure jubilation as he unleashed his fist. Golden Dragon Needles were sticking out of his flesh, and a dozen more were flying down, hoping to catch the Luminary before it was too late. Alas… It was too late.
"DIEEEE!!!" Linji screamed out his inner thoughts. He didn't want Shin defeated, he wanted Shin dead. His fist piledrived through the air and penetrated Shin's chest. Linji's arm shot out from the other side as everyone in the audience gasped out in complete horror.
The Prince of Water was about to be killed!
The shockwave of Linji's punch didn't stop after piercing through Shin's flesh. A crater formed underneath the two young Spirit Spectres, sending all sorts of dirt and earth flying about. Though no one cared about the damage. They only wanted to know if Shin was alive or not.
'I finally did it! You fucker! I'm the Longyu Clan's Luminary! Not you!!!' Linji cheered internally as he watched the lifeless eyes of the body he punched through. They had turned entirely white, and liquid was flowing out from its sockets. His limbs were now inanimate, dropping down on each side. Shin was completely still… Too still, in fact…
'Wait a second...'
As his adrenaline died down, Linji started to notice something odd. The liquid that was flowing down his arm wasn't the crimson blood that every living being had. The 'corpse' in front of him was melting quickly until eventually…
SPLAT!!!
'Shin' turned into a blob of water, leaving Linji with nothing but wetness and shock. Shin wasn't dead! What he did was something much more sinister…
'He used… Substitute?!'
Linji hollered out internally, unsure of what had just transpired. The ability that he was known for, the one spiritual ability that allowed him to reign supreme as a martial artist… Had just been copied and executed by Shin. Linji's mind blanked out, and so did many of the spectators. However, there was one mind that was as lucid as can be.
TSSSKKTT!!! TSSSKKTT!!! TSSSKKTT!!! TSSSKKTT!!! TSSSKKTT!!!
Shin reappeared behind of Linji, his fingers filled with every single Golden Dragon Needle that he could find. Without mercy, the young man took advantage of Linji's confusion and executed his signature Divine Needle Binding, completely sealing the movements of the young Luminary. His mana exhausted and meridians sealed, there was nothing that Linji could do but stand frozen like an ice sculpture, turning into one of Shin's prime dolls for toying with.
"Hah… Hah…" Shin huffed and puffed, taking two seconds to catch his breath. Up till the very last moment, the Black-Haired Tyrant didn't dare to slack off. Only when Linji was completely immobile, did the young man finally hold up the V sign.
"Sorry, but I win..."
✵✵✵
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