A mysterious and powerful force surged from his abdomen, permeating every corner of his body. It infused his bone marrow and hair with the energy of the Super Spiritual Energy Elixir. Simultaneously, the skill icon representing Violent Steps in the skill tree radiated a bright light.
Originally, the more he used the Super Spiritual Energy Elixir, the stronger its effect would be. After all, he only possessed Violent Steps as a system skill now. It seemed wasteful. However, Zhuge Xiang was determined to win the championship in a regular duel.
Although there was only a slight difference between the first and second place, the difference was significant.
To illustrate, if someone asked which peak was the world's highest, everyone would instinctively answer Mount Everest. But if someone asked which peak was the second highest, how many people could respond?
Although Zhuge Xiang did not know what the so-called Mount Everest was, he was very clear about this principle.
To gain the sect's attention and obtain better resources, he had to fight with all his might for the championship. Without the Super Spiritual Energy Elixir, he would have no hope at all. Admitting defeat was one thing, but with the elixir, it meant he still had the strength to fight. As long as there was hope, he could not give up. This was especially true in battles. This was Zhuge Xiang.
Violent Steps!
With a command from his heart, Zhuge Xiang activated Violent Steps. His speed, four times that of an ordinary cultivator at the third level of the Qi Nourishing stage, exploded, transforming Zhuge Xiang into an imperceptible shadow.
Violent Steps. Zhuge Xiang had been using this skill to escape from Lu Yuling's attack range. It was the first time he had used Violent Steps to attack. Everyone held their breath, knowing that the final winner of the competition was about to be revealed.
Although Violent Steps was incredibly fast, almost impossible to react to, Lu Yuling was able to see through all of Zhuge Xiang's movements with her mind reading. She had prepared herself to dodge. However, Zhuge Xiang did not stop there. After evading, his feet made an explosive sound as he continued to activate Violent Steps and rushed towards Lu Yuling…
Lu Yuling's eyes widened, her pupils constricted. Until now, Zhuge Xiang had only managed to use Violent Steps once with great difficulty, needing to rest afterward. This was the first time she had witnessed Zhuge Xiang using Violent Steps continuously. Moreover, Violent Steps consumed a substantial amount of energy. How was his Qi Force circulation so smooth?
Whether it was footwork or martial arts techniques, a move that consumed a significant amount of Qi Force would undoubtedly weaken it. Continuous usage would be impossible. Yet, in this moment, Zhuge Xiang seemed to defy this common understanding.
"Could it be because of that elixir?" Lu Yuling, astonished by Zhuge Xiang's continuous use of Violent Steps, regained her senses and speculated that it was due to the Super Spiritual Energy Elixir.
Although Lu Yuling sensed Zhuge Xiang's movements and quickly made the most appropriate dodge, Zhuge Xiang's slash still tore a small hole in her dress.
"It's working! Again!" Though the cut on her dress was minuscule, it gave Zhuge Xiang hope. He realized his hypothesis was correct.
Even if she could anticipate his moves, it was futile if her body could not keep up. She could only watch as his attacks landed on her.
Violent Steps! Violent Steps! Violent Steps!
With Violent Steps requiring no consumption or cooldown for 30 seconds, Zhuge Xiang would not waste a moment. Moreover, only half a minute remained for the Bloodthirst Technique. Zhuge Xiang understood that victory or defeat would be determined within these 30 seconds. If Lu Yuling could withstand this duration, Zhuge Xiang would undoubtedly lose. Once the effect of the Super Spiritual Energy Elixir wore off and the Bloodthirst Technique weakened, he would no longer have the means to turn the tide.
One after another, the Violent Steps were executed continuously. Cracks formed on the green stone slabs of the dueling platform. Afterimages of Zhuge Xiang's movements were left behind. Zhuge Xiang's speed had exceeded what ordinary people could perceive with their naked eyes.
Disciples who had comprehended Qi Force could only catch glimpses of Zhuge Xiang's shadow flash before them. Those who hadn't grasped Qi Force were astounded by the afterimages on the arena. The old afterimages hadn't yet vanished before new ones appeared…
"Gasp, what terrifying speed! Is he really only at the third level of the Qi Nourishing stage?" Zhuge Xiang's speed left everyone in shock.
Hua Nongying, who was standing below the stage, widened her beautiful eyes and pouted immediately. It was evident that she was unhappy that her pride in speed had been surpassed by someone else. "Is Zhuge Xiang a monster? Even if I've perfected the Ghostly Steps, I don't think I can be this fast, right?"
"It's not unjust that I lost to him," Ji Wuxue coldly remarked as his eyes flashed. If he were to face such an unusual speed in a duel, he wouldn't be able to last long before succumbing.
"With such speed, even my flying daggers can't lock onto it," Ling Wufeng frowned and said in a low voice. Obviously, when one's speed reached the extreme, it was also a very terrifying power.
Zhuge Xiang's shadow moved like a ghost. Although Lu Yuling could read minds and observe Zhuge Xiang's movements clearly, she still struggled to deal with his onslaught of attacks.
It was just as Zhuge Xiang had surmised. Even with the ability to read his mind, Lu Yuling could use the most appropriate techniques to block or counterattack against an opponent with fast movement speed. However, when her opponent's speed reached a terrifying level, her body couldn't keep up, despite her mind-reading ability.
As the Blood Refined Saber moved at high speed, it became as agile as a dagger. Despite Lu Yuling's best efforts to defend, Zhuge Xiang's Blood Refined Saber left several wounds on her body. Lu Yuling's injuries grew more and more severe.
"Senior Lu, it's better for you to admit defeat. With my current speed, you're no match for me," Zhuge Xiang stated without hesitation, his Blood Refined Saber poised.
It was a rare friend. Although Zhuge Xiang needed this victory, Lu Yuling no longer had a chance to turn the tables. Zhuge Xiang was unwilling to let her suffer more injuries for no reason.
"Admit defeat?" Lu Yuling didn't agree with Zhuge Xiang's words. She simply smiled at him and said, "I'll make one final move. If I still fail, I'll admit defeat."
At that moment, Lu Yuling waved his palm, causing the Ice Silk Gloves to disintegrate into tenacious threads that wrapped around him, preventing Zhuge Xiang from launching casual attacks, in case he got entangled in them.
After setting up a defensive layer with the ice silk, Lu Yuling gently brushed his fair palm against his belt, summoning a shadow in front of him.
It appeared to be made of special materials, a puppet. The puppet's body was adorned with blood-red lines that formed numerous array formations. Standing before Lu Yuling, it took the shape of a fox. Surprisingly, the puppet emitted a powerful aura that was not much weaker than Zhuge Xiang.
"What is this?!" Zhuge Xiang, along with the spectators observing the battle below, had their eyes widened upon seeing the mechanical puppet materialize out of thin air.
"Originally, I couldn't create a mechanical puppet as it requires demon cores or spirit stones as energy sources. However, I carved 108 formations using the blood of the demon beast. Additionally, the Asura Sect possesses a large spirit gathering formation to gather spirit qi. That's how I managed to create this mechanical puppet. Based on the spirit qi I've gathered so far, it should last for a few minutes," Lu Yuling explained while presenting the mechanical puppet, maintaining a serious gaze on Zhuge Xiang. As he spoke, the fox-shaped mechanical puppet sprung into action, swiftly pouncing toward Zhuge Xiang.
"I see." Seeing the fox-shaped mechanical puppet pouncing over, Zhuge Xiang was enlightened.
No wonder Lu Yuling desired to collect the heart blood essence of the Demon Fox upon its demise. It turned out that she intended to utilize the blood essence of those demon beasts to carve array formations and gather spiritual energy, serving as the puppet's power source. Zhuge Xiang had not expected that someone as young as Lu Yuling, only 14 or 15 years old, possessed such profound knowledge of array formations.
However, Zhuge Xiang had no time to dwell on these thoughts. With the mechanical puppet's assistance, the pressure on him intensified. The Bloodthirst Technique would last for only about twenty seconds…