Chapter 618: The Guqin and the Matrix

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

In the battle arena, the 16 experts took their places. The Alchemy Casino had Sage Plane experts creating defenses around the area. Although the arena was huge, battles of such scale would often cause huge damage to surrounding areas. Even if both parties controlled their attacks, it would still reach their surroundings, so it was natural to set up barriers.

The geniuses of the Holy Zhi Palace versus the elites of the Barren State. Who would be the victor of this battle?

Countless people held their breaths and stared at the battle arena. This battle would definitely cause a commotion in Alchemy City. It was extremely rare for a battle of such a scale to take place before the Alchemy Conference.

Li Futu’s reputation was renowned in the region, Di Zhou was the younger brother of Di Gang. Although he did not have as much potential as Di Gang, he was still extremely strong. Yu Ming was one of the favorites for this time’s Alchemy Conference and the others were also experts who had taken part in the Holy Zhi Palace’s admission examination. On the other side, the first and second in the admission examination three years ago, Ye Futian and Huang Jiuge, as well as the savage Yu Sheng, the Tingxue House’s Xu Que. This match was really a sight for sore eyes.

As ray after ray of brilliant light glowed, the Spiritual Qi in the air started to rampage, multiple colors illuminating the area. Everyone released their aura at the same time and all kinds of powerful Life Spirits appeared. These elite geniuses were extremely strong in one-to-one combat, but they all held their positions and did not move recklessly. Evidently, they would not underestimate their opponents and knew that the people they were facing were also equally strong.

“Become chess pieces as you land.” Yu Ming stepped forward. His Life Spirit was a huge golden chessboard, and the chessboard projected itself on the spacious battle arena. Golden lines intersected, turning the area into a game of chess, and the eight of them on his team each took up a square on the board like they were pieces in a game of chess. The chessboard rapidly evolved and turned into matrices. Although they did not move, they felt as though they were moving simply by standing on the chessboard, due to the developments of the chessboard.

Ye Futian’s group felt dizzy, like they were constantly being displaced. It was as though they were battling on a moving chessboard.

What a peculiar control-type Life Spirit, Ye Futian thought to himself. In front of him, his Guqin Spirit appeared and he sat cross-legged, strumming the strings on his Guqin. A melody sounded, giving off an unrestrained feeling. It was loud and clear and appeared arrogant, resounding in the air. Every melody appeared to have a unique power of its own, causing others to be drunk in the melody, and their Spiritual Energy appeared to be affected as it moved to the music.

“This matrix can change one’s direction, causing our perception to be affected. I’ll control this battle,” Ye Futian said, continuing to play his melody. His team felt as though the melody caused them to integrate as one as all of them were in the imagery created by the Guqin melody. The feeling was indescribable, yet felt especially apparent, like they were no longer individuals, but an entity with Ye Futian as the core.

He actually has that kind of ability! Huang Jiuge was surprised. Was this the charm of a Musical Sorcerer? As he thought that, he no longer resisted the intrusion of the melody but assimilated into the imagery. He naturally trusted the strength of someone who had defeated him once. To doubt Ye Futian’s strength was to doubt himself.

As for those who followed Ye Futian from the Holy Zhi Palace, they were also the same. The melody was thundering and had a haughty undertone, with the courage to take on the world. Huang Jiuge and the rest felt their Spiritual Energy becoming stronger, as though they had been stimulated by the melody. The blood in their body was boiling and their aura became even more robust; even their perception was becoming sharper.

“What an arrogant piece, what is that piece?” Sage Plane figure stared at Ye Futian and asked.

“The Holy Zhi Palace has a Guqin Valley, which was where the Nine-fingered Guqin Demon Liu Kuangsheng stayed when he was alive. Ye Futian had once wagered the Guqin Demon’s Guqin and Guqin piece, so this means that he had received Liu Kuangsheng’s inheritance. If I didn’t guess wrongly, that Guqin piece should be the High Song.” There was a Sage Plane figure who was extremely well-learned and managed to guess the name of the piece.

“High Song, the rumored Guqin piece that can allow people to share their Spiritual Will and Spiritual Energy to strengthen all of their abilities?” the first Sage Plane expert asked.

“That’s right. Under the Guqin melody, the eight of them have become one,” was the reply he received, causing many people to have glints in their eyes. If that was so, was Ye Futian using his Guqin to repel Yu Ming’s chess matrix?

Li Futu and his team could also feel that the accumulation of might had ended. They started to launch their attacks. Bing Yi’s ice spell descended upon the other team, a frigid aura enveloping them, turning into an ice dimension. It attempted to drag the other team into an illusion of a world filled with ice.

As the Guqin melody sounded, Phoenix could feel Ye Futian’s intentions through the melody. She made her move, and with a crisp sound, a shadow of a brilliant Divine Phoenix appeared, blocking out the sun. The shadow formed a veil around the eight of them and kept the frost out. Following that, Xie Ji’s destructive flame lotus assailed them along with Xiang Zhiyan’s thunderbolt spell. The two spells rushed towards them, striking the protective veil wildly, shattering it. The thunderbolt and flame lotus reached them at the same time, but at that moment, Yun Shuisheng shut her eyes and a frigid Will engulfed the area, causing the area to freeze and the flame lotus to turn into an ice lotus. The thunderbolt spell was also greatly weakened.

“The Edgeless Great Sword!” Yan Jiu bellowed as nine blades crashed down towards them. At the same time, numerous blinding spears shot out from behind Nan Hao. Behind Di Zhou, a golden space appeared and many terrifying tripods appeared, striking towards Ye Futian’s team.

Li Futu raised his hand and made a huge palm print appear. The flaming red palm print melted everything in existence, crushing down on Ye Futian’s team and attempting to destroy them.

Ye Futian continued to play his Guqin piece, but it was like his team could understand what he was thinking. Yi Xiaoshi flew into the air and his Emperor’s Vine rapidly sent vines forward while Xu Que wielded his sword and slashed forward, using offense as a defensive measure. Yu Sheng let out a roar and his body wildly absorbed Spiritual Qi, creating dark golden Devil Halberds that pierced forward. Yuan Zhan also used a terrifying rod technique while Huang Jiuge struck out with his fist, which crunched through the air like a battle chariot.

In an instant, the two forces collided and an exceedingly horrifying destructive current swept past, causing the air to look like an explosion had occurred. The chessboard matrix under both teams’ legs glowed even brighter. Next, Huang Jiuge and the rest could feel their bodies changing positions, like the ground below them was moving. Not only that, but there was also a dreadful force that was constricting them, causing them to feel especially heavy.

“Attack,” Yu Ming said. The matrix had shown its might. As he finished, Li Futu’s team launched an attack again. Ye Futian’s Guqin melody acted like strands of wire, connecting the eight people on his team, causing them to gather near him. The seven of them did not attack this time, but set up defenses in the area around them, allowing the enemy’s attacks to land.

“Open a path,” Ye Futian said as he played the Guqin. As his voice landed, Huang Jiuge’s Renhuang Bow Life Spirit emerged, and nine arrows shot forth with blazing light, as though they had Ye Futian’s spell enhancement on them. They flew with the wind, tearing through the air like nine bolts of lightning.

Li Futu raised his arm and caught two of the arrows. Yan Jiu slashed out with a stroke of his sword, Nan Hao pierced forward with his spear and blocked the remaining arrows. However, at that moment, Xu Que’s body rushed towards them like the wind at breakneck speed. At the same time, Yu Sheng and Yuan Zhan also stepped forward, causing the earth to quake.

They actually initiated the clash. The experts in the crowd were stunned. Both parties originally occupied one side each, but now Ye Futian’s side was not content with simply defending, and initiated a clash, daringly breaking the deadlock.

“Matrix change,” Yu Ming said. In an instant, a gold veil surrounded the people on his team.

“Rise,” Ye Futian said. As his voice landed, his body flew into the air. In front of him, Xu Que, Yu Sheng, and Yuan Zhan stepped into the air above the other party. Huang Jiuge, Phoenix and the rest also leaped into the air and they promptly reached the area above the other team in the same formation.

Li Futu raised his head and looked above him. He stretched out both hands, each with a formidable flame force. On his right hand, there was a golden flame with a dreadful destructive ability. On his left hand, there was a black flame that was rapidly devouring the Spiritual Qi in the air around him. A huge pair of flame wings appeared behind him, it was a pair of brilliant Spiritual Vermillion Bird wings. His crimson red hair swayed and his body floated in the air. It was as though his extreme destructive force could erupt at any time.

The other people also prepared themselves. Once the defenses were breached, they would attack vigorously.

In the air, Huang Jiuge held the Renhuang Sword and slashed downwards. Xu Que’s blade then sliced through, following the path that he had made. In an instant, a crack appeared in the veil, then blasted open the next second.

Hummm. A figure flew upwards, then towards Ye Futian at lightning speed. That lone individual rushed towards them with no fear. This arrogant feat could only have been made possible by Li Futu.

Behind Ye Futian, a figure stepped forward and the area was immediately covered in frost. The surrounding people felt as though time had stopped still. The flow of air, blood and the burning flames all seemed to have slowed down in that instant. Ye Futian was shocked. He had not given Yun Shuisheng any orders, but she had already stepped forward. Ye Futian had no choice but to assist her with his Guqin melody. A robust Spiritual Energy rushed towards Yun Shuisheng, causing a fearsome snowstorm to appear around her. Her palms headed straight for Li Futu’s flame palm prints, no intention of avoiding him.

Asking for trouble, a thought appeared in Li Futu’s head as their palms collided. The two of them were then knocked back. Li Futu looked at his palms. The flames had been extinguished. On Yun Shuisheng’s end, the horrendous flames had not burned her and had only torn her sleeves apart, revealing her fair skin.

“Descend,” Ye Futian said. They descended amidst their opponent’s forceful attacks. The location they chose to land at was where Yu Ming was!