Chapter 5188 — Drawn Against One of Their Own

From beginning to end, this duel had been a setup, a con directed by Wei Zhao and starring Qiu Lingshan.

The most dreaded asset of the Snow Sword Sect was none other than the snow momentum; once it took shape, it was well-nigh impossible to stop. Even Xin Yi'an could see that much at a glance, to say nothing of Wei Zhao, who had made a point of studying the Snow Sword Sect's cultivation methods. And besides, he had Leng Leng at his side—even had he overlooked it, Leng Leng would have spoken up to remind him.

Knowing this, the most conventional response would naturally be the one Xin Yi'an had in mind: seize the initiative, break the momentum, and do everything possible to keep the opponent from completing the snow momentum. But in Wei Zhao's view, such a response was merely by the book at best—it had nothing at all to do with brilliance. And given the gap in strength between Qiu Lingshan and Luo Shasheng, how could playing by the book possibly win?

If Qiu Lingshan truly threw everything into seizing the initiative, it might indeed throw Luo Shasheng off balance and make it hard for him to complete the snow momentum. But in doing so, she would inevitably expose considerable openings, and since she was already at an absolute disadvantage in strength, if openings started appearing one after another, there would be no contest left to fight.

So the strategy Wei Zhao had taught her this time was this: feign weakness, let the opponent complete the snow momentum unchecked, and thereby magnify without limit that little seed of contempt for the enemy hidden in his heart. When the opponent could scarcely wait to unleash the snow momentum, it would mean the contempt had reached its peak—and that would be the perfect moment for a single counterstrike to finish him.

Of course, numbing the opponent's mind alone was nowhere near enough. Throughout the process, Qiu Lingshan also had to deliberately slow herself down bit by bit—which was why her dodging had grown more and more labored as the fight wore on. All of it had been an act.

In this way, Qiu Lingshan's speed had imperceptibly shaved off thirty percent of itself, and once Luo Shasheng unleashed the snow momentum, it shaved off another thirty. That was why that bizarre, almost slow-motion scene had unfolded a moment ago.

Luo Shasheng, contemptuous and careless, had not noticed in the slightest that his opponent was acting. He had taken Qiu Lingshan for a weakling utterly defenseless against his snow momentum, and so he had confidently brought out the Snow Slaughter Strike, bent on taking her life.

The Snow Slaughter Strike—this move was exceedingly dangerous. Its power was enormous, but it also left the wielder with considerable openings, and so no disciple of the Snow Sword Sect would use it rashly unless the opportunity was all but certain. Even in taking the risk, one would have to tread with the utmost care, ready at any moment to withdraw the strike and fall back on the defensive. Unfortunately, Luo Shasheng, convinced there was no room for failure, had flung all of that to the back of his mind.

Everything Qiu Lingshan had done from start to finish had been for the sake of this one opening, and she had waited for it.

One step back, one step forward—with the speed she had hidden away and now unleashed all at once, Qiu Lingshan not only evaded the onrushing Slaughtering Blade, she pressed the advantage further and in a single motion closed to within twenty centimeters of her opponent. Then, giving him not the slightest chance to react, she drove her elbow straight into his throat.

Luo Shasheng could not even manage a howl of pain. He dropped on the spot.

Gazing at Luo Shasheng lying motionless on the ground, the whole crowd fell into a dead silence. This twist had come far too fast and too suddenly; they simply could not process it.

It was not until Xin Yi'an announced that Qiu Lingshan was the victor that the crowd finally looked at one another in belated realization, each of them staring at Qiu Lingshan with astonished, incredulous eyes. To turn the tables and win in a single move even after her opponent had completed the snow momentum—this woman was truly no simple matter!

"Well? How did I do?" Qiu Lingshan ran over to Wei Zhao's side to claim her due.

"Passable, I suppose," Wei Zhao said with a smile.

"Sister-in-law Lingshan is that strong and it's only 'passable'? Leader, your standards are far too high!" Wu Chengtian and the others clicked their tongues in disbelief. True, Qiu Lingshan's absolute strength could hardly be called formidable, but over the course of that whole duel, the control of rhythm she had displayed had gone far beyond the ordinary, a veritable model of overcoming strength with weakness.

"High? I don't think it's high at all. It wasn't a challenge above her rank—just one opponent of the same level. This should be a matter of course. Otherwise, what would all that preparation beforehand have been for?" Wei Zhao chuckled. Qiu Lingshan's execution had indeed been strong, but by his standards, several points in that duel had not been handled perfectly. She was still too green.

"Wow, Brother Wei Zhao, you can't keep holding us to your own standards! Just look at those people—you could stuff a whole duck egg into their mouths. That shows how amazing Sister Lingshan's performance just now was!" Ying Ziyu wrinkled her nose and protested on her behalf.

At least in the eyes of those outsiders, Qiu Lingshan's performance just now had been nothing short of stunning. Even Xin Yi'an felt his eyes light up. It was only that Qiu Lingshan had broken through so recently and lacked foundation; otherwise, given the strength she had displayed, she might well have attempted a challenge above her rank.

Wei Zhao waved it off with a smile, then turned to Qiu Lingshan and said gravely, "That fight just now was an extremely precious experience for you. Don't be in such a hurry to celebrate—sit down and go over it carefully, recollection by recollection. What you did right and what you did wrong, you should reflect on and study for yourself. Only then will you truly improve, and grow stronger with every battle."

"Mm, don't worry," Qiu Lingshan nodded, and promptly went off to one side to sit in meditation.

Over here, everyone was rejoicing for Qiu Lingshan; over there, Xue Jianming was grinding his teeth in fury. In his view, Luo Shasheng against Qiu Lingshan should have been a sure thing, and he had never expected such an outcome. He was truly left speechless.

"Useless trash!" Xue Jianming spat viciously at Luo Shasheng, who had been dragged out more dead than alive. Then he fixed his eyes on the second drawing that Xin Yi'an was presiding over. It was a pity they had not managed to kill Qiu Lingshan while they had the chance, but there would be plenty of opportunities to come—he was not discouraged in the least.

Sure enough, the second drawing produced another of Wei Zhao's people. This time it was Ying Ziyu who was drawn. Xue Jianming's heart leaped with joy at the news. This little girl looked even weaker than Qiu Lingshan by far; even the weakest early-Foundation Establishment disciple of the Grand Antiquity Alliance should be able to dispose of her with ease. And given his connections and standing in the Grand Antiquity Alliance, a small favor dangled before any early-Foundation Establishment disciple would ensure that not one of them would fail to do him this courtesy.

But when Xin Yi'an read out Ying Ziyu's opponent before the crowd, Xue Jianming was struck dumb on the spot. Ying Ziyu's opponent was none other than Yu Bing—another of Wei Zhao's own people... (To be continued.)