NOVEL NEXT Chapter 214: Grand Competition XIII
Mu Chen stepped in to follow up.
But Ling Qingxue recovered instantly.
Her hand shot forward.
THUD.
A palm strike hit Mu Chen in the stomach.
The force pushed him back, boots scraping across the frozen ground.
He gritted his teeth, cold mist leaking from his mouth.
He formed a wall of ice between them.
Ling Qingxue didn't slow down.
She punched straight through it.
CRACK.
Shards flew everywhere.
Mu Chen raised his arms to block, coating them in thicker ice.
Her next palm hit—
CRACK—THUD.
His ice armor split.
Mu Chen slid back again.
He tried to widen the distance, sending a spray of frost across the ring.
The ground froze over instantly.
Ling Qingxue stepped on it like it was normal floor.
No slip. No hesitation.
She closed the gap again.
Mu Chen formed multiple ice spikes around himself, pointing outward.
Anyone stepping close would be pierced.
Ling Qingxue stopped just outside their reach.
Then she leaned in, body flowing sideways, slipping between the spikes without touching them.
Mu Chen's eyes widened—
her movement didn't make sense.
She reached him.
Her palm hit his ribs.
BAM.
Cold shot through Mu Chen's body.
Not her cold—his own cold, turned back on him from the impact.
He staggered.
His legs trembled.
Ling Qingxue raised her hand for another strike.
Mu Chen forced himself to act.
Frost Heron wings burst open.
A wave of freezing air exploded outward.
Ling Qingxue slid back a few meters from the force.
Mu Chen bent forward, breathing hard.
He could still fight… but barely.
Ling Qingxue straightened herself.
She didn't look tired at all.
She approached again.
Mu Chen lifted his arm for one more attack—
but his body didn't respond fast enough.
Ling Qingxue stepped in.
Her palm stopped just an inch from his chest.
She didn't need to hit.
Everyone understood.
Mu Chen let out a long breath.
He lowered his hands.
He couldn't continue.
Tian Lei raised his hand.
"Winner: Ling Qingxue!"
The crowd erupted.
"She beat Mu Chen without a weapon…"
"Her control is insane!"
"Is she even tired?!"
Mu Chen bowed to her with respect.
"You win."
Ling Qingxue nodded lightly and walked away, silent as always.
Han Yi scratched his head.
"She's something else…"
Lei Feng sat down with a sigh.
"She's going to kill me when it's my turn."
Yue Shanshan shrugged.
"It's fine. You've died before."
"I HAVEN'T!"
Tian Lei checked the board again and spoke loudly:
"Next match—
Lei Feng vs Mu Chen!"
Both boys froze.
Han Yi muttered, "Good luck surviving…"
Mu Chen and Lei Feng looked at each other with the exact same expression:
"…Why us again?"
Tian Lei didn't care.
"Step into the ring."
Lei Feng groaned and forced himself up.
"Sigh… if I die, avenge me."
"You're not dying," Mu Chen muttered, standing as well.
"But this will hurt."
They walked into the ring, both moving slower than before.
Lei Feng stretched his shoulders.
"I'm warning you now… I barely have any lightning left."
Mu Chen wiped his mouth.
"I barely have any strength left."
Han Yi shouted from the side,
"Then just fall down together!"
"SHUT UP!" both yelled.
Tian Lei dropped his hand.
"Begin!"
Lei Feng charged first, lightning flickering weakly around him.
It wasn't the roaring storm he had earlier.
More like sparks from a dying fire.
Mu Chen raised an ice shield out of habit—
it cracked the moment Lei Feng punched it.
BOOM—
Both staggered from the recoil.
Lei Feng shook his hand.
"Ow."
Mu Chen shook his arm.
"Ow."
It was pathetic.
The crowd didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
Lei Feng tried again, throwing a kick.
Mu Chen blocked with an ice-coated arm.
CRACK.
The ice shattered.
Lei Feng's ankle hurt.
Mu Chen's arm hurt.
They both took a step back.
"This is pointless…" Mu Chen muttered.
"Yeah… but we have to keep fighting… for points…" Lei Feng sighed.
So they kept going.
Punch.
Block.
Ow.
Kick.
Counter.
Ow.
At some point even Tian Lei pressed a hand to his forehead.
Yue Shanshan folded her arms.
"They're idiots."
Han Yi nodded seriously.
"Big idiots."
Even Ling Qingxue blinked once, as if confused.
Finally, after exchanging equally weak blows, Lei Feng slipped on a patch of leftover frost.
"Wai—WAAAH—!"
He fell forward.
Mu Chen tried to catch him out of reflex.
Big mistake.
Lei Feng hit Mu Chen.
Mu Chen fell too.
They both crashed onto the ground in a pile.
Silence.
Then Tian Lei exhaled through his nose.
"…Winner: Mu Chen. Lei Feng hit the ground first."
Lei Feng raised a hand from the floor.
"Unfair ruling…"
"No," Tian Lei said. "Completely fair."
Mu Chen rolled over and lay flat, exhausted.
"I can't feel my legs."
Lei Feng groaned.
"I can't feel my soul…"
Han Yi clapped.
"Great match! Very educational!"
Yue Shanshan smacked him.
"Don't mock them."
Ling Qingxue watched quietly, then looked away.
Tian Lei lifted the board again.
"Next match—
Ling Qingxue vs Han Yi."
Han Yi froze.
"…I was joking earlier. I want to live."
Han Yi stood there like a statue.
Lei Feng waved weakly from the ground.
"Goodbye… brother…"
Mu Chen added, "You were a decent person."
"STOP SAYING FAREWELL!" Han Yi snapped, voice cracking.
Tian Lei pointed at the stage.
"Get up there."
Han Yi walked forward like a man being dragged to execution.
Ling Qingxue was already waiting in the ring, standing calmly with her hands behind her back.
She looked completely fine.
Han Yi swallowed.
"Uh… can we talk about this?"
Ling Qingxue blinked once.
"No."
Tian Lei raised his hand.
"Begin!"
Han Yi moved first—mostly because he knew if she moved first, he'd die.
He dashed forward with a punch.
Ling Qingxue stepped to the side.
Just one small step.
Han Yi missed completely and stumbled past her.
She tapped his back with a palm.
THUD.
Han Yi crashed onto the ground face-first.
The crowd winced.
Han Yi pushed himself up, groaning.
"O-Okay… I was not ready. That one doesn't count—"
Ling Qingxue kicked lightly.
Not hard.
Just enough to send him rolling three meters.
"WHY DID THAT LIGHT KICK FEEL SO HEAVY?!" Han Yi shouted as he rolled to a stop.