Chapter 64: The Duel Begins

Tensions on the Arena

On the arena, Zi Xing and Ye Sheng stood on opposite sides, gearing up for the duel to begin.

“Ye Sheng, today I’ll settle our grudge. I’ll make you understand that framing others comes with a price,” Zi Xing declared, conjuring a metal blade in her hand, her eyes glinting with cold resolve as she stared at Ye Sheng.

“Hmph.” Ignoring her provocation, Ye Sheng merely sneered, summoning his own ability in response.

Seeing their fiery determination, the teacher acting as commentator spoke up. “It looks like both are raring to go! No more delays—this is the first match, Student Council President versus Ye Sheng. Begin!”

A Clash of Abilities

As soon as the words fell, Zi Xing swiftly hurled her metal blade at Ye Sheng. Simultaneously, new blades rapidly formed around her.

“This is the Student Council President Zi Xing’s ability, shaping metal into various forms. Her control is masterful! She’s turned metal into razor-sharp blades, striking at Ye Sheng with unstoppable force!” the teacher narrated.

Facing the incoming blades, Ye Sheng calmly extended a hand. A circular light shield materialized before him, effortlessly blocking Zi Xing’s thrown swords.

“Oh! Ye Sheng counters! As a rare light-element ability user, he’s created a shield to perfectly block the president’s attack—and with ease!” the teacher exclaimed.

Zi Xing clicked her tongue, annoyed by the chatty commentary. “Tch, so noisy.”

Watching Ye Sheng casually deflect her blades, Zi Xing’s lips curved upward. She hadn’t expected to defeat him so easily—this was merely a test of his ability’s strength.

She casually grabbed a metal sword, weighing it in her hand with a satisfied smile.

A Fierce Advance

In the next moment, she charged forward like a cannonball, her momentum overwhelming as she reached Ye Sheng in an instant, swinging her blade swiftly.

Caught off guard by her sudden approach, Ye Sheng instinctively raised his light shield to block. But when the shield met Zi Xing’s blade, it shattered like paper, offering no resistance.

Stunned that Zi Xing’s strength could so easily slice through his ability, Ye Sheng had no time to dwell. He quickly conjured a light orb and hurled it at Zi Xing’s face, then summoned a faint shadow beneath his feet, retreating to a safe distance.

Due to a system glitch, his shadow ability proficiency was nearly reset, but basic movements were still within his grasp.

“Pretty quick escape,” Zi Xing taunted lightly.

“Escape? Take a look around.”

A Trap Unveiled

At Ye Sheng’s words, Zi Xing instinctively scanned her surroundings. Countless glowing arrows hovered in the air, poised to strike her.

“Oh! The president fell for Ye Sheng’s trap! He deliberately lured her close to ensnare her, then used a tracking light orb. The tides have turned—will the president fall here?!” the teacher’s voice boomed.

Zi Xing glanced down, spotting a golden light clinging to her body. The arrows were locked onto her because of it.

“So talkative,” she muttered.

Seeing that Zi Xing had noticed, Ye Sheng didn’t hesitate, activating his prepared trap.

“Light Arrow Rain!”

With his command, the glowing arrows descended like rain toward Zi Xing. Yet, Ye Sheng didn’t believe this alone could win. Even with his system, defeating a higher-tier ability user like Zi Xing wouldn’t be that easy.

Zi Xing’s Counter

Ye Sheng stayed vigilant, light gathering in his hand to form the outline of a long spear—his true trump card.

As he expected, Zi Xing remained unfazed by the barrage of arrows. She swiftly conjured dozens of metal blades around her, spinning them rapidly to deflect the onslaught.

Standing her ground, Zi Xing showed no fear, fully trusting her control over her ability. The sword in her hand grew larger, transforming into a giant blade. She raised it and thrust it into the ground.

Boom—

The massive metal sword slammed into the arena, sending a shockwave that shattered the airborne arrows.

Ye Sheng’s light spear, however, was still incomplete, its form imperfect.

“If that’s all you’ve got, this ends now,” Zi Xing said, gripping her giant sword with an indifferent expression, uninterested in waiting for him to finish.

“Hmph…” Ye Sheng merely sneered, his hands continuing their work.

“Is that so? Then goodbye.” Seeing Ye Sheng’s refusal to yield, Zi Xing charged with her giant sword, kicking up debris as its weight shook the arena.

Ye Sheng’s Trump Card

Watching her approach, Ye Sheng remained calm, a faint smile on his lips.

“Unlike you, I’ve got my childhood friend waiting for me down there!”

With a confident grin, he shouted, “Transform and fight for me, my Knight Legion!”

As his words fell, figures made of pure light, resembling holy knights from tales, appeared before Ye Sheng, blocking Zi Xing’s attack.

‘Ability Manifestation’—a reward from the system for pursuing Yu Zifei, and one of Ye Sheng’s trump cards. It was enough to stall Zi Xing, giving him time to prepare his true ultimate move.

Zi Xing was indeed halted by the light knights. Individually, they were far inferior to her in speed and strength, but their coordinated teamwork, like a trained knight legion, kept her from reaching Ye Sheng.

A Frustrating Standoff

Zi Xing swung her giant sword, but each strike was blocked. The knights worked together, deflecting at angles to minimize impact, making her attacks feel like hitting cotton.

As Ye Sheng’s ultimate move neared completion, Zi Xing realized she couldn’t break through the knights’ defense. She leaped back, putting distance between them.

“Hm?”

To her surprise, the knights, which had been relentlessly pursuing her, didn’t follow. They stood motionless near Ye Sheng.

“So that’s how it is…”