Elder Ouyang announced the next match as he read the ballot, "Nangong Yu versus…Cheng Wuzi!"
"Omg! It is the clan two strongest core protégés that will be fighting against each other!"
"Forget about the fight that is between Senior Brother Lu and Zhang Gang…this is more exciting than anything else!"
"Who do you think will be able to win?"
"I'm betting all my everything on Nangong Yu to reach the finals…"
"I'm supporting Senior Brother Cheng Wuzi!"
"This is the second round only and they are already having a showdown. Whoever wins this fight will ultimately be the ultimate winner…"
"Don't forget that there is still the comeback ballot after the second round. Who knows…"
"I think that Nangong Yu is more handsome…"
"Cheng Wuzi has the maturity and looks trustworthy…"
"Erm…this is a martial competition and not a match-making competition…"
"I've heard that Senior Brother Cheng Wuzi is looking for a personal attendant…"
"Fourth realm core protégés are allowed two personal attendants, you know…"
"I would rather be Senior Brother Qingyun's personal attendant. He looks much friendlier…"
"But he is a good-for-nothing cultivator too…"
…
…
…
Nangong Yu was smiling as he pointed his sword at Cheng Wuzi, "In the last core protégé martial competition, it was a draw between us. I have been waiting for this day for a long time."
Cheng Wuzi smiled wryly, "Indeed. How long was that? Ten years ago? Time really flies fast."
Nangong Yu replied coldly, "To cultivators like us, it is only a passing of a moment."
Cheng Wuzi nodded, "We were still third realm experts back then. We have been through so many of these ten years cycle that I have lost count on how many times that we have dueled."
Nangong Yu smiled coldly, "18 martial competitions. Out of the 18, we have fought 6 times. You have won three times and I have won 3 times."
Cheng Wuzi smiled, "You seem to have a good memory."
"It is because I have regarded you as my opponent and only you are worthy of being my opponent." Nangong Yu coolly replied.
"I have the exact same sentiments as well," Cheng Wuzi returned a cold smile as he brandished his sword. "Please give me your pointers!"
Nangong Yu shouted, "Please give me your pointers!"
The brief formalities had been exchanged and they were ready to fight with each other.
The killing intents from the two were intense and could be felt off-stage. It was well known that Nangong Yu and Cheng Wuzi did not have much fondness for each other.
Nangong Yu raised his sword and the air was shimmering with his sword energies. His intention was clear. He was going to unleash his fourth realm sword energies on his opponent.
"Sword energies!" the common protégés were all grasping with anticipation.
"Only a fourth realm expert who has grasped the core principles of the energy level can display sword energies…"
"Senior Brother Nangong Yu is indeed a monstrous genius…"
"Not anyone who has reached the fourth realm cultivation level will be able to use sword energies…"
"Celestial Shi Guanyin is also a good master to have instructed such a genius cultivator like Senior Brother Nangong Yu…"
"It is really rare for an initial fourth realm expert to be able to use sword energies before the middle fourth realm level…"
Cheng Wuzi smiled coldly when he saw the wavering force that was at the tip of Nangong Yu's sword, "I didn't think that you have really mastered the sword energies level and is now a sword energies practitioner…"
As he praised Nangong Yu, Cheng Wuzi had manifested his profound aura through an outburst of energy."
"What a strong profound aura!" the common protégés were exclaiming aloud.
"Senior Brother Cheng Wuzi has such a strong aura…"
"Do you think that Nangong Yu's sword energy would be able to bypass Cheng Wuzi's profound aura?"
"One party excels in offense and the other excels in defense…this is going to be exciting!"
"The two strongest martial halls are about to clash against each other!"
Celestial Kong Guxin was smiling as he said to Celestial Shi Guanyin, "Our core protégés are about to duel with each other now. But I think that your Nangong Yu will lose."
Shi Guanyin laughed softly, "Why do you say so? I say that my Nangong Yu will definitely be able to win. In terms of sword strength, Nangong Yu is probably the best swordsman among all the core protégés."
Kong Guxin laughed heartily, "That may be the case but I'm afraid that he is not going to defeat Cheng Wuzi."
Shi Guanyin said unhappily, "We shall see about that!"
Kong Guxin turned to look at the other grand elders and Qin Keqin, "What do you all think about it?"
Qin Keqin said casually, "Mm…that Nangong Yu looks really formidable…"
Kong Guxin: …
Shi Guanyin was laughing, "See, even sect leader says so!"
Ouyang Xue said, "I think that this time Cheng Wuzi may be able to win."
Kong Guxin laughed heartily, "I have a supporter now. Grand Elder Ouyang Xue, what makes you think so?"
Ouyang Xue replied, "It is only a guess. I don't know their exact mental and physical state. But from what I am seeing now, Cheng Wuzi is probably waiting for Nangong Yu to make the first move and he will try to exhaust him with his profound aura. He is betting hard that Nangong Yu will not outlast his profound strength."
Shi Guanyin said, "Maintaining one's profound aura isn't as simple as it seems. It is even more taxing than using sword energies. Sometimes the best defense is offense. My Nangong Yu will surely win this round."
She laughed before she turned to Yin Shisi to ask, "Elder Yin, so what do you think?"
Yin Shisi causally replied, "I've no idea." Her eyes were not at the stage at all but at where Lu Qingyun was now resting.
Shi Guanyin smiled weakly, "At least sect leader is on my side. Why are the rest so quiet?"
Yun Xing laughed, "This is between you and Kong Guxin. We don't want to get involve."
Mu Han and Wang Ming were both laughing heartily as they said, "That's right."
Yun Xing chuckled, "It is starting…pay more attention to the stage below…"
Mu Han teased her with a wry look, "Yes, grand elder."
Yun Xing: …
"I didn't know that I got such an ugly protégé in my martial hall." Yun Xing returned a teasing remark.
Mu Han: …
Below the stage Nangong Yu had made his first move by swinging his sword as he aimed at Cheng Wuzi by imbuing his sword with his profound energies.
There was a sudden martial force that had suddenly flown and exploded over Cheng Wuzi who had raised his sword to shield himself and to reinforce his profound aura.
Nangong Yu's first strike was rendered invalid by a simple move that was made by Cheng Wuzi!
Cheng Wuzi dare not be complacent; even though he knew that his profound aura would be able to protect him from most martial forces but he dare not be careless. Sword energies were known to have more penetrating power than most martial forces as this invisible force was a condensation of one's profound energies. Moreover Nangong Yu was on the same level as him, therefore he had to guard against all his moves.
Nangong Yu smiled as he flashed to a side. The fact that his first strike had failed did not surprise him at all. It was because his opponent was Cheng Wuzi and that was only a warm up attack.
As he flashed, he was channeling his profound energies again and this time his sword was enveloped with his deadly profound energies.
Cheng Wuzi had shifted his standing position to face him when Nangong Yu had suddenly released three sword bursts that exploded its martial force over Cheng Wuzi and forcing him to take two steps back!
"Nangong Yu has broken Cheng Wuzi's profound aura!"
"What is this?! What is this that Nangong Yu has just used?!"
"That isn't a sword energy, am I right?"
"It is but this one is extremely complicated to master," an elder commented and explained to the astonished common protégés near him. "Even I cannot do it. Sword energies are powered by the practitioner's profound energies via their profound strength while most martial strokes are powered by the practitioner's martial power via their profound strength. What he did just now was to form his sword energies and at the final release point, he had converted his sword energies into martial power again. This dual converting is not easy, not easy to accomplish!"
Another elder nodded and commented, "Nangong Yu must have realized that he needs to damage a wider area in order to weaken Cheng Wuzi's profound aura in the shortest amount of time. Therefore only an outburst of martial power can accomplish this task. Although this sword bursts are weaker than a single sword energy but this feat alone is extremely impressive."
The elder that had first commented nodded, "Indeed and this sword technique has a name to it, the Sword Energy Bursts."
When the common protégés had heard the elders, they were all muttering. "Genius. Monstrous Genius. Surely Nangong Yu is the son of the heavens and he should be the Senior Brother of the Heavens Ridge Villa…"
High up the stage, even Ouyang Xue was forced to admit. "It seems that I have underestimated Nangong Yu…"
Below the stage, just as Cheng Wuzi had just renewed his profound power to restore his profound aura, Nangong Yu was suddenly within pointblank of him as he swung his sword with great mastery and with just a few sword strokes, he had forced Cheng Wuzi back with his martial power.
Before Cheng Wuzi knew what was happening, Nangong Yu was already pointing his sword at his forehead.
Nangong Yu smiled, "You didn't think that I will be using range attacks all the time, do you? I am equally good with my martial power sword strokes as well, you know."
Cheng Wuzi sighed softly, "I have lost. Your sword techniques have indeed caught me by surprise."
Nangong Yu smiled. In the past, he would not hesitate to put down on Cheng Wuzi. But ever since they had fought together in their night attack against the Solitary Manor, he had only grudging respect for Cheng Wuzi.
So he said, "Next time, we will fight again. You are my greatest rival and I am sure you will be doing your own improvements to best me."
Cheng Wuzi was smiling as well, "You have won fair and square. I have a lot to catch up with you."
Elder Ouyang announced loudly, "Nangong Yu has won!"
The thousands of protégés were all screaming joyously. This duel was a real opening to their eyes.
"Senior Brother Nangong Yu is simple too dashing!"
"He is my new idol…"
"I've thought it is Senior Brother Qingyun?"
"That is before. Now is after."
Lu Qingyun who was quietly watching the duel, was impressed by the martial display of both Nangong Yu and Cheng Wuzi. He was quietly visualizing their fights in his mind over and over again…
Above the stage, Shi Guanyin was smiling. "I told you so that my Nangong Yu will be the winner of this duel."
Kong Guxin had an ugly countenance as he sighed, "If Cheng Wuzi's opponent is not Nangong Yu and Nangong Yu has shown his trump card on the other opponents first then Cheng Wuzi may not lose."
Shi Guanyin laughed, "Maybe he will be lucky enough to get the lucky loser ballot for the third round."
She turned to smile at Qin Keqin, "Sect leader, how did you guess that my Nangong Yu will be winner of this duel?"
Qin Keqin chuckled, "I didn't know. I've only thought that he looks formidable. I will rather that he loses so that my Yun'Er will have a chance later. Alas, why didn't Nangong Yu loses…"
Shi Guanyin: …