Jiang Jingwei vs. Zhao Chenghuang

"The matches will officially begin at eleven o'clock sharp. The environments will be randomized. All contestants, please adjust your condition and prepare thoroughly." The comments section below blew up in an instant. *Crossing-River Pawn!* Looking at the bracket competing for the top eight, Zhang Yuanqing grimaced. Just a few days ago he had remarked that the guy specialized in Insight and was a tricky opponent, never expecting they would collide right in the fight for the top eight. Yet the moment he saw "Jiang Jingwei vs. Zhao Chenghuang," he suddenly felt his luck wasn't bad after all. As tough as Little Qingyang was, there were at least ways to target him. It was far better than drawing one of the abnormal monsters in the top three. *Poor Jingwei...* Zhang Yuanqing held a few seconds of silent mourning for her in his heart before browsing the comments beneath the post to see the opinions and attitudes of the official walkers. [Wangfei: Here's my prediction. Out of the top ten, only two pairs matched against each other. Jiang Jingwei definitely isn't Zhao Chenghuang's match; she's probably out of the running for the top eight. As for Yuanshi Tianzun against Crossing-River Pawn, His Venerable Tianzun has the better odds. The other top ten contenders are facing people outside the top ten, so they shouldn't run into much trouble.] [Lairifangzhang: Today's main events are those two matchups. Jiang Jingwei really has a steep hill to climb against Zhao Chenghuang; the gap is just too wide. But as for Crossing-River Pawn versus Yuanshi Tianzun, the person above jumped the gun. The matches don't start until eleven, giving them three whole hours. This is an open invitation for the contenders to go prep props or tactics specifically counter to their opponents.] [Betel Nut with Cigarette Grants Boundless Power: Yuanshi Tianzun practically showed his whole hand against the Maoshan Daoist. On the other hand, Crossing-River Pawn won his earlier rounds effortlessly. Yuanshi Tianzun is at a clear disadvantage there. If I were Crossing-River Pawn, I'd already be off borrowing props. As long as an item isn't more than two levels above the user, there's no limit on quantity.] [Please Call Me Queen: But using props comes with a price—you can't just borrow a mountain of them. If I were Crossing-River Pawn, I'd borrow a ranged prop with high damage output, or something specifically targeting Yuanshi Tianzun's helpers. @Yuanshi Tianzun] *The Queen makes a good point...* Zhang Yuanqing sat down at his desk, spread out a notebook, and began formulating a plan to deal with Little Qingyang. First, he listed his own strengths and weaknesses, then put himself in Crossing-River Pawn's shoes to analyze the situation. *"With Insight specialization, my close combat and marksmanship are both top-tier. I wouldn't fear the opposing Night Wanderer using stealth for an ambush—in fact, that would play right into my hands. The issue is that Yuanshi Tianzun owns a prop pistol whose firepower far exceeds ordinary bullets.* *"As a Scout, my defense is lacking. If he pins me down with a yin corpse while his main body uses Night Walk to take potshots from afar, that's a real threat to me. So I need to bolster my defense or recovery capabilities.* *"Yuanshi Tianzun's yin corpse has strong close-quarters combat abilities, but isn't an overwhelming danger to me. The spirit servants, however, are tricky and require a counter..."* Zhang Yuanqing jotted down: *Recovery or defensive prop; prop to counter spirit servants.* He then switched back to his own perspective. *"Facing an opponent like Crossing-River Pawn, close combat puts me at a disadvantage and could easily lead to an upset. In a ranged firefight, if he brings defensive props, the threat of the Burst Pistol drops significantly. There is one surefire way to win: summoning the Red Dancing Shoes. But the downsides are, first, I'd have to dance awkwardly in front of countless spectators. Second, it exposes that trump card far too early."* Zhang Yuanqing pondered for a moment, and an idea struck him. *"I can apply to borrow props from the White Tiger Guards! It's a guild perk, so why shouldn't I take advantage of it?"* He saw nothing wrong with relying on props. Since ancient times, the entire history of human warfare had been a history of weapon upgrades. From stone to bronze, bronze to iron, and eventually the development and application of firearms. Humanity had always used tools to amplify their own strength. It was no different for Spirit Realm walkers. A profession was singular, with natural limits no matter how strong one grew, but props were varied and plentiful, offering endless combinations of tactics. At the Transcendent stage, props were vital. Upon reaching the Saint stage, the number of usable props shrank drastically while their costs surged; aside from a few exceptionally wealthy Spirit Realm walkers, most Saints could manage no more than three props at a time. *Actually, even at the Transcendent stage, props are precious. It's just that the official factions are filthy rich. Borrowing a few from superiors or colleagues is effortless. Freelancers and civilian organizations don't get that kind of luxury.* With that in mind, Zhang Yuanqing opened the White Tiger Guards' guild storage and submitted a request to the guild master to view prop attributes. [Ding! Fu Qingyang has granted you partial access.] *Partial access—does that mean only Transcendent-stage props?* Zhang Yuanqing eagerly browsed through the items. After a dozen minutes, he picked one and sent an application to the guild master. [Ding, application approved. Please check the item in your inventory.] Zhang Yuanqing opened his inventory and retrieved the prop. It was a compact mirror polished from blue crystal, cool to the touch, its surface rippling with watery patterns. [Name: Mirror Water Moon] [Type: Mirror] [Functions: Clones, Water Purification] [Description: A mirror carved from the essence of water, capable of purifying water quality. Staring into the mirror for more than three seconds summons a mirrored clone that duplicates all skills of the main body, lasting ten minutes.] [Remarks: Lacks a sense of direction and suffers from clumsy limbs. Doesn't that sound kind of cute?] Zhang Yuanqing had originally considered an item capable of generating water mist to blind Crossing-River Pawn's Insight. But Scouts were known as living wards; Transcendent-stage mist might not obscure the man's vision. He had settled on a clone-producing prop instead, adding to Crossing-River Pawn's cognitive load. Keeping eyes on one person versus three was entirely different in difficulty. Time flew by. When eleven o'clock arrived, a chime sounded in his ear: [Entering the Spirit Realm in 30 seconds. Your Spirit Realm instance this time is 'Lava Pool,' Index: 1233.] [Difficulty Level: B] [Type: Multiplayer] [Main Quest: Endure the searing trial of flame and defeat the lava monster.] [Remarks: Non-Spirit Realm items may not be brought inside.] Zhang Yuanqing entered the instance with his yin corpse. Above his head stretched an azure sky, white clouds frozen in place. He stood inside a volcanic crater, the scorching air laced with the pungent stench of sulfur. Whenever a gust swept through, the heat rolled in suffocating waves. Two meters beneath him lay churning, bubbling molten magma, studded with stone pillars half a meter in diameter that rose roughly a meter above the liquid surface. *This must be a Fire Master instance. The quest is so straightforward—endure the searing fire and beat the monster beneath the magma. Classic Fire Master instance, utterly brainless...* Zhang Yuanqing pulled his gaze back and looked around. He didn't bother searching for Guan Ya this time. The space was too vast; the crater spanned nearly a hundred meters across, easily accommodating thousands of people, and members of the official organization were scattered around its rim in clusters of two and three. *A Scout's vision is better than mine. If Guan Ya wants to find me, she'll come over on her own. If she doesn't, I'm cutting ties with her...* While he was thinking, a red-haired young man leaped down into the lava pool, landed steadily atop a stone pillar, and announced the rules in a booming voice. "The flames will erupt every twenty seconds, and the monsters beneath the magma will emerge once every minute." "Now, will the first pair of contestants please take the field." His voice echoed across the crater. Under the watchful eyes of the spectators, Earth God and Changjiang Polang leaped into the lava pool at the same time. Changjiang Polang was an effeminate young man with delicate features and gentle eyes, looking somewhat soft at first glance. He looked across at Earth God and sighed helplessly. "Old man, drawing you was bad luck enough, but getting randomized into a Fire Master instance? What a curse. Guess I'll just treat this as a day out." As a Water Ghost, landing in an environment like this was terrible. His water manipulation was practically nullified, reducing him to relying purely on physical might. Still, that was the nature of random stages; it simply came down to rotten luck. "What's wrong with a Fire Master instance? Did Fire Masters eat your family's rice or something?" someone hollered from above. Earth God chuckled around his cigar. "Fire Master instances are actually pretty comfortable." In the Five Elements, fire generated earth; an Earth Monster could tap into even greater strength in a setting like this. The red-haired young man in the corner called out, "Begin!" There was no suspense in this match. Changjiang Polang lasted only twenty seconds. During the first eruption of magma, as he scrambled to ward off the searing splashes, Earth God—completely unfazed by the high temperatures—closed the distance and planted a fist against his forehead, prompting an immediate surrender. Ten minutes later, the red-haired youth announced, "Second group, take the field." The moment his voice fell, a tongue of fire shot out from a bursting bubble in the lava pool, coalescing into the form of a red-haired girl. She perched atop a stone pillar with her arms crossed and chin held high, flashing a carefree, grinning grin full of teeth, utterly radiant and carefree. *This girl doesn't seem to feel an ounce of pressure facing the number one seed...* Zhang Yuanqing thought. Just then, he heard approaching footsteps. Turning his head, he saw Guan Ya. The veteran flirt was back in her professional goddess attire—black stockings, a pencil skirt, and a white blouse. It was worth noting that in the battle for the top sixteen, she had lost to "Golden Armor." Guan Ya's rifle was a lethal weapon at the Transcendent stage, but tournament restrictions on firepower barred its use. Golden Armor was an Earth Monster, and though Guan Ya possessed exceptional close-combat skills, she simply couldn't break through his defenses. "You're here?" Zhang Yuanqing smiled in satisfaction. Guan Ya looked him over with a playful smile. "What, pleased with yourself?" Without waiting for his answer, she smoothly changed the topic. "This round will be spectacular. A lava pool is home turf for a Fire Master. Jingwei can bring out her full strength here, which won't be fun for Zhao Chenghuang." Zhang Yuanqing raised an eyebrow. "You favor Jingwei?" If Jingwei could win, she would be the undisputed dark horse of the year. Guan Ya shook her head. "Hard to say, but one thing is certain: if Zhao Chenghuang wants to beat her here, he'll have to use his yin corpse. Watch closely and learn his fighting habits. As for his trump cards, that depends on how much Jingwei can force out." In the earlier elimination rounds, Zhao Chenghuang hadn't even deployed his Level 4 yin corpse. Zhang Yuanqing nodded. Looking at the brash, carefree Jiang Jingwei in the ring, he mused, "Sometimes I really envy Fire Masters. Pure thoughts, zero stress." While they spoke, two figures dropped into the volcanic crater. Zhao Chenghuang wore an all-black outfit, looking aloof with arrogance written across his brow. The other figure was bare-chested, clad in black trousers. Muscles like molten steel bulged across his frame, hard and full, his gaze vicious and feral, devoid of intellect. Around the crater, chatter surged abruptly into a loud clamor. The two biggest highlights of today's fight for the top eight were Jiang Jingwei versus Zhao Chenghuang, and Yuanshi Tianzun versus Crossing-River Pawn. "Match begin!" Jiang Jingwei, who had long grown impatient, flung her arms wide and hoisted them violently upward. In an instant, globes of fire condensed from magma surged out of the pool, floating lazily around Zhao Chenghuang. *Snap!* Jiang Jingwei snapped her fingers with flair, and a fireball howled through the air toward Zhao Chenghuang. Zhao Chenghuang stood motionless. The yin corpse automatically stepped in to shield its master, intercepting the fireball's trajectory and giving it a casual squeeze with an outstretched palm. *Bang!* The fireball burst apart, magma dripping down the yin corpse's palm without causing the slightest harm from the heat. Amidst the swelling flames, Jiang Jingwei's figure materialized. With a crisp yell, she drove a fist cloaked in fire straight toward the yin corpse. The yin corpse's fist also ignited with flames, and the two clashed knuckle to knuckle. With a thunderous boom like a C4 charge detonating, the magma beneath their feet sank sharply before surging into brilliant waves. The yin corpse stumbled back a step, while Jiang Jingwei flew backward with a grimace of pain. Zhao Chenghuang raised an eyebrow. His yin corpse had been refined from a Level 4 Fire Master; this girl's raw strength was startling. "You're tough! I can't beat that thing," Jiang Jingwei said, shaking out her arm before fixing her eyes on Zhao Chenghuang. "So I'll just beat you!" The moment she spoke, a fireball several meters behind Zhao Chenghuang exploded. Jiang Jingwei arrived via Fire Walk, her slender waist unleashing tremendous torque as she whipped an airborne kick around. *Whack!* Zhao Chenghuang brought up his arm to block, only to be launched into the air by the sheer impact, leaping toward an adjacent stone pillar. The yin corpse wheeled around to protect its master, lunging straight at Jiang Jingwei. *Boom!* Two meters to Zhao Chenghuang's flank, another fireball burst. Jiang Jingwei appeared, plunged her hand into the magma pool, and dragged out a whip dripping with liquid fire. She lashed it forward with all her might. Zhao Chenghuang leaped somewhat hurriedly to a pillar on the left. The whip struck the surface of the pool, sending bright lava splashing outward. *Sizzle...* The magma splattered onto him, burning several holes through his clothes and leaving him looking rather disheveled. Giving him no room to breathe, Jiang Jingwei's third assault arrived in a flash. At the rim of the crater, Zhang Yuanqing watched Jiang Jingwei use the floating fireballs to repeatedly execute Fire Walk, driving Zhao Chenghuang into a defensive scramble. Meanwhile, every attempt by the yin corpse to intercept her ended with it staring helplessly as she dissolved back into flames. He remarked, "A clever strategy. It effectively prevents a two-on-one, but it drains stamina fast. Zhao Chenghuang might look battered, but he dodges every strike with minimal effort. "He's intentionally running down Jingwei's stamina. He'll counterattack soon." Sure enough, after failing to land a decisive blow, Jiang Jingwei stopped chasing Zhao Chenghuang with Fire Walk. Instead, she darted toward the yin corpse like a leopard cub, slipped past its straight punch, seized its arm, and yanked hard to pull it down into the magma. Her logic was clear: divide and conquer. If she couldn't take down Zhao Chenghuang, she would deal with the yin corpse first. Though the yin corpse had been a Fire Master in life and retained high fire resistance, it had lost most of its active skills. Jiang Jingwei was confident she could finish it off submerged in the lava, whereas Zhao Chenghuang, as a Night Wanderer, could never follow them down. Just then, Jiang Jingwei's shoulders sank abruptly. Her breathing grew ragged, and a sudden weakness washed through her limbs. Seizing the opening, the distant yin corpse shattered its stone pillar with a stomp and rocketed forward like an artillery shell. *Thud, thud, thud...* Flaming fists pounded down one after another, kicking up dull shockwaves. Like a boxer driven against the ropes, Jiang Jingwei raised both arms to guard, taking the savage punishment blow after blow. Several times she attempted to escape via Fire Walk, but the moment flames flared, the onslaught broke her focus. Her face paled at a visible rate, yet the ferocity in her eyes only intensified, burning hotter and angrier as fury stacked within her. Outside the ring, only Night Wanderers could see the pale-eyed, black-lipped resentful spirit draped across Jiang Jingwei's shoulders, leeching her vitality. Non-Night Wanderers could only deduce that Zhao Chenghuang had deployed a spirit servant. *This servant has the same power as the shoulder-clinging resentful spirit from the Mountain God Temple, just an upgraded version. Zhao Chenghuang definitely has more than one servant; let's see if Jingwei can force out more of his hand...* Zhang Yuanqing watched intently. So far, as ferocious as Jingwei's offense looked, it hadn't forced Zhao Chenghuang to get truly serious. *Crack!* At last, under the Level 4 yin corpse's torrential assault, the sound of bone fracturing came from Jiang Jingwei's forearm. At that precise instant, Zhao Chenghuang vanished. The spectators along the crater held their breath, eyes glued to the arena. Evidently, having held back for so long, this number-one prodigy had finally engaged his Night Wanderer abilities and made his move. The next second, a thunderous roar erupted as scalding magma surged into the air, blasting three to four meters high—the volcano was erupting. Barely two or three meters from Jiang Jingwei, the ambushing Zhao Chenghuang was blasted out of Night Walk in disarray, a hazy yellow halo enveloping his body to fend off the sheet of descending magma. At the same time, Jiang Jingwei's fury crested its limit, bursting forth all at once in tandem with the volcanic surge. A power far more violent than the erupting magma exploded from her slender frame. Her red hair stood on end strand by strand, and deep within her eyes, literal flames seemed to burn. Beside him, Zhang Yuanqing heard Guan Ya gasp in shock: "A Rager?" Near and far, similar exclamations rippled through the crowd. *A Rager—the signature ability of a Saint-stage Fire Master?* He froze in surprise, followed quickly by a surge of excitement. *This should definitely force out Zhao Chenghuang's trump card.*