Miss Witch Doesn't Want to be a Diva-Chapter 617 - 261 Flowers and Silhouettes on the Hillside
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Compared to the hustle and bustle and sunshine of the outside world, the inner gorge was lush and verdant, with buildings erected along the cliff sides. The canyon floor in the middle was largely left open, serving as a training and combat ground.
Walking on the small path between the green stones and bamboo, Tilan and Mel could hear the training shouts coming from below in the valley, and occasionally there was the boom of the air being split, as if testing some powerful moves.
"Welcome, Miss Hexia and Miss Mel. It wasn’t appropriate to directly use your names outside," said the woman leading the way as she introduced the surroundings to the two of them.
"My name is Guan Yuan, the board secretary of the Academy, and I am also in charge of external affairs."
"The board has already informed me of the purpose of your visit. I will do my best to provide convenience and care. Please feel free to speak up about anything you need during your time here."
"I don’t know what Miss Hexia has planned for today, but if nothing, I could start by showing you and Miss Mel around the Academy," Guan Yuan offered.
"Then we’ll trouble you, Sister Guan Yuan," Mel nodded.
Afterward, they headed toward the bottom of the valley, and the sounds of the air being split and the shouts they had heard earlier became clearer. Here, many students could be seen training on the green stone plaza in the valley, practicing their power output and martial arts techniques.
They must be first-years, Hexia observed, noting that these students, dressed in loose blue-green clothes, were mostly at Sequence 2-3, still showing some childishness.
Passing through the palace corridors within the valley, the three came to a grand hall on the side of the cliff. The interior was cooled by the moisture seeping through the mountain stones. Inside the hall, a teacher was instructing the students in the knowledge of the Transcendent Sequence. On the high stage, there was a semi-transparent golden human model, with various magical power designs and flowing routes, explaining the techniques of harnessing and circulating magical power.
This batch of students must be second-years, among whom Sequence 3 was the majority, with a few scattered at Sequence 4.
After listening outside the grand hall for a short while, the three continued forward, turning past several buildings and reaching a deeper part of the valley. Here, some students could be seen sparring with each other on the ground, including not a few elite Sequence 4 students and a handful of Sequence 5 geniuses.
These must be the third-year students, Tilan nodded slightly.
Eventually, the three arrived at the innermost part of the valley, where the mountainsides gradually converged, and in the middle lay a huge slope leading up to the sky.
The slope was covered with light green and purple flowers and grass. As the wind swept through the valley, the ripples of these swaying plants spread towards the horizon.
There were no paths here, and the three wove through the waist-high grass, heading towards the top. When they reached the highest point of the slope, there were a few students engaging in combat.
Gusts of wind swept across as the young people in white were enveloped in transparent currents of air. They rose rapidly and moved with divine speed, sometimes darting across the sky and quickly returning. It seemed that even flying was no longer a hindrance for them, but they could still exert their full strength in ground combat.
The exchanges of blade-hand and palm-strike, the invisible Qi Blades that they wielded, either lifted layers of soil or cut through nearly a hundred meters of flowers and grass, or flew past their sides towards the sky, becoming dissipating tornados.
The dozen or so young people here all possessed Sequence 5 strength, robust in build. The majority were male, but there were also a few females among them, and their combat was marked by the intense whooshing of their blows and the occasional sharp sonic booms.
If barehanded combat without armor were to be promoted, these individuals would probably stand out as exceptionally brilliant fighters.
Unfortunately, the current Federation had not embraced such a trend. Ever since the demise of Master Er Long, such excitement had cooled, and nowadays, few paid attention to it.
About 20 minutes into watching the fight, an elder called a halt, and the group of students ceased their efforts to rest. Some began to heal themselves, while others sat in the grass resting, and some discussed the insights from their recent fights.
Soon, the elder walked through the students and came to one side of the slope. Upon seeing Tilan, his steps slowed, his gaze sharp and discerning as he scrutinized the girl.
"A fine prospect, with footsteps light and natural, seemingly frail but ready to move at a moment’s notice, full of sprightliness. From which faction did you learn?" he asked.
He was certain this girl hailed from a renowned school; such skill could not be achieved by casual practice.
"Green Lotus Sword Washing Palace," the girl responded softly. In fact, she had learned from many systems, but what the elder referred to must be related to combat physical techniques.
Upon hearing this answer, the elder’s eyes brightened, seemingly quite pleased.
"Though we are not of the same path, the ancient name does bring comfort to one’s ears. How about you spar with me for a few moves? I can teach you a few unique secret techniques," he proposed.
Seeing his invitation to battle, Guan Yuan, standing aside, wanted to intervene, but Tilan stepped forward before her.
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"That’s fine, but if this grandfather loses, can you tell me some things about your faction?"
"Hahaha, you’ve got spirit, and I like that. It’s rare to see youngsters these days who are full of momentum without being arrogant. To tell you such things is nothing to fuss over."
Having said this, he lifted both hands, and then with a slight sink of his footsteps, one in front of the other, it was the standard starting stance. Such moves, Tilan had also seen in the annals of the Green Lotus Sword Washing Palace, often used to lay the foundation for disciples in the past.
Although she knew a bit of unarmed combat, it was far less frequent and handy than using a weapon, and at this moment, she had no intention of fighting empty-handed.
With a gentle lift of her hand, the flowers and grass on the hillside that had been cut off began to dance and swirl, then wrapped and condensed together to form a jade-green sword, its hilt resembled green wood, while the blade shone like glass emerald, held in the girl’s hand.
After holding the sword, the girl didn’t move immediately but slightly closed her eyes, her gaze softly focused on the opponent across from her. At this time, a breeze blew across the hillside, scattering black hair and a few purple petals in the air.
Then, the young girl leaned forward with a three-step stride, as light as stepping on the surface of water, gliding through the sea of flowers toward her opponent.
The emerald lucent sword cut through the sea of flowers, lifting some greenery and petals, and amidst the chaos, struck towards the opponent. In response, the old man countered with a deep voice, and as he let out a loud shout, his fist unleased a mighty force like the roaring of a tiger and the pealing of thunder, blowing apart the sword blade and flowers before him. The exploded airwave opened the sword from the side, deflecting its swinging direction. Then the old man, swift as lightning, sidestepped and swept his leg towards the silhouette among the flowers, seemingly prepared to kick her directly without restraint.
However, faced with this situation, Tilan was unfazed and nimbly flipped her body to dodge, then, holding her sword, she soared through the sky with ease like a flowing cloud or a flying swallow.
"Azure Bird’s Inheritance: Verdant Fall Luminous Shadow Sword."
This set of swordsmanship wasn’t particularly deadly, it was just highly effective against soul forms. Another major benefit was its ability to ride the wind for flight, allowing for supremely agile and light movements.
Facing Tilan standing in the air, the elder below furrowed his brows. Although he was skilled in hand-to-hand combat techniques, his aerial combat paled in comparison to the girl’s agility, confined to straightforward moves. Once off the ground, his strength would be compromised.
After several attempts, he still struggled to even touch the corner of the girl’s garment.
Seeing the old man becoming visibly irate, Tilan thought it best not to upset him further, so she decided to descend and engage him on the ground again. This time, he charged directly at her with extremely forceful punches and kicks, apparently eager to discipline the proud and conceited young generation.
The sword blade, like flowing light, easily parried the old man’s assault. Tilan’s sword edge was not sharpened, so unless she intended to stab or cleave purposefully, there was little worry of inflicting injury upon her opponent.
Minutes of relentless attacks passed, and the elder began to breathe heavily. Although the power of his moves increased—occasionally the empty force of his punches shattered the mountainside rocks opposite him—he was still unable to land an effective strike on the girl. She either dodged or used the sword wind to shatter his blows, stirring only a few strands of hair and the hem of her garment.
As it became apparent, the elder felt he was losing face, so he began using core moves from his faction.
"Sky-Breaking Secret Technique: Fixed Mountain Fist!"
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Suddenly, with eyes wide open, he shouted mightily. Invisible airwaves targeted the opponent, causing the normally light movements of Tilan to falter. Then, withdrawing her right fist, she compressed the airwaves around it, and with a vigorous swing, unleashed a punch that seemed to shatter the atmosphere, instantly penetrating her opponent’s body and hitting the mountain wall a hundred meters behind, causing countless stones to tumble.
Facing such an attack, the girl only felt a constriction in her chest. A dull and crushing sensation erupted, causing a trace of blood to seep from the corner of her mouth.
It was a lapse in attention. If only she had sped up sooner, he wouldn’t have been able to lock on to her, and the battle could have concluded within three to five seconds, with no chance for the elder to fully execute his move.
Blinking her eyes, Tilan wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth, then pressed on her chest. Her internal injuries healed swiftly, and she returned to normal. Then, jumping up, she escaped the elder’s attack range from below and rapidly dove down once more.
Like a verdant streak of light passing through the atmosphere and sky, after one exchange with the sword, Tilan stood on the other side of the hillside, dissipating her sword blade into shattered green petals and leaves fluttering away.
On the other side, the elder now bore nine fine cuts on his brow, neck, wrists, shoulders, and legs, from which beads of blood oozed, staining his white garments red. Though these precise cuts to the epidermis did not reach the organs or flesh, they still evidenced the attacker’s tremendous strength and a deep understanding of both her own reactions and the control of forces.
The impromptu battle thus drew to a close. Despite possessing the strength of Sequence 6, the elder had misjudged the situation, failing to assert his authority among the younger students and forced into an awkward conclusion.
Regarding this, Miss Guan Yuan, dressed in a neat suit, approached with resignation and leaned close to the elder to introduce the young girl’s identity. Only then did he bend forward with an uncomfortable face full of apology, clasping his hands in a fist-and-palm salute.
"This old man has offended Miss Tilan."
Afterward, the crowd gathered around curiously, and only then, organized by Miss Guan Yuan, did they listen to her as she introduced the young girl’s identity and purpose. At that point, everyone truly understood that this young girl was the famously renowned Hexia Tilan, the dazzling songstress of Four-leaf Crystal Star Domain.
