Luo Feng vs. Candace

After system verification, Luo Feng and Candace's wagered battle was scheduled to begin at 9:15 AM on July 29th. July 29th. The morning already carried a hint of mugginess. Inside Jiangnan Pavilion. “Luo Feng, Luo Feng!” Zhao Ruo’s clear voice echoed through the entire Jiangnan Pavilion. “Senior Sister,” Luo Feng appeared on the second-floor balcony of the pavilion, looking down at Zhao Ruo. “Calling me so early, is something wrong?” “Something wrong? You’re so calm, as if nothing’s happening?” Zhao Ruo’s eyes widened. “I just heard it at breakfast in the dining hall—you and that Candace are having a wagered battle this morning… and you, you’re betting 10 billion?” 10 billion—that’s a massive sum even for a War God. While these geniuses were courted by various nations and organizations and were extremely wealthy, they still needed to spend money on secret techniques, combat suits, and other gear. If one wasn’t confident, who would dare to bet 10 billion? “Quick, tell me, is this true or false?” Zhao Ruo urged. “It’s true.” Luo Feng nodded. “Damn it!” Zhao Ruo stared at Luo Feng, as if looking at a madman. “Crazy, truly crazy.” “Senior Sister, I need to meditate and prepare for this morning’s life-and-death battle.” Luo Feng quickly retreated to his meditation room. Facing this boisterous Senior Sister, tougher than any man, Luo Feng found it better to just hide. In the meditation room. Sandalwood incense permeated the air as Luo Feng sat cross-legged, his mind as still as water. As a veteran who had fought 36 consecutive battles in July, Luo Feng knew very well that in a life-and-death struggle between two evenly matched opponents, the outcome was unpredictable. For instance, if one was in a low emotional state or poor condition, they could be instantly killed by their opponent. Conversely, in peak condition, they could easily defeat them. Condition! The optimal condition was a mind as still as water, a state of complete emptiness. Yet, how many could truly achieve such a state, devoid of any distracting thoughts? … Two hours later. In the grand hall on the ninth floor of the Elite Training Camp’s largest building, the Ninefold Tower, over a hundred people had gathered. The entire training camp had 183 students, and even with the War God instructors, the total barely exceeded 200! Yet, over a hundred were here now, far more than had been drawn to Luo Feng’s previous battle with William. A 10 billion wagered battle! It was rare for the training camp to see such a massive bet in an entire year! And the opponents were Candace Polenas, a model excellent senior student, and Luo Feng, a rapidly rising new student. “In this battle, Candace has a slightly higher chance of winning.” Among the students from the European Union faction, a handsome, elf-like youth, surrounded by a crowd like stars around the moon, offered his assessment of the battle. “Luo Feng shows great intuition and insight in life-and-death battles; his chances of winning are not small.” On the Huaxia Nation side, Shi Jiang also gave his assessment amidst a group of young men and women. “Candace will win.” Among the America faction students, a petite Black girl, like a saintess, calmly and directly declared her definitive judgment. “Candace has a 70% chance of victory. Luo Feng, 30%!” From India, a tall, bald, muscular man, built like cast iron, resembling a Buddhist Arhat, slowly stated. … One by one, the prominent figures within the entire Elite Training Camp offered their respective judgments. Even the weakest of these prominent figures had the strength to contend for the top ten; any one of them could easily defeat Luo Feng or Candace! Luo Feng’s previous battle with William hadn’t attracted many such figures, but today’s battle drew a massive crowd! After all, both Luo Feng and Candace were strong, and the stakes were incredibly high! “Candace Polenas, Luo Feng, enter the challenge room!” An electronic voice echoed through the ninth-floor hall. Luo Feng, who had been meditating with closed eyes at the edge of the Huaxia faction’s crowd, opened them. “Luo Feng, good luck.” Instructor Jiang Fang encouraged him from beside him. Luo Feng looked at Instructor Jiang Fang, then at his Huaxia compatriots nearby, nodded, and walked directly towards the challenge room. Candace also stepped out of the crowd and headed for the challenge room. Click! The challenge room door opened. Luo Feng and Candace entered one after another, and then the door automatically closed. Luo Feng lay on the sofa, picked up the dark blue helmet, and couldn’t help but glance at Candace beside him. Candace also turned to look, his azure eyes fixed on Luo Feng. If looks could kill, Luo Feng would have been sliced into dozens of pieces by now. “Luo Feng, don’t lose too badly; that would be utterly boring.” Candace licked his lips, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue. Luo Feng grinned and put on his helmet. Candace also put on his helmet. … In the virtual space. Luo Feng and Candace quickly donned their combat suits and selected their weapons. Then, as the lower-ranked participant on the Heilong leaderboard, Luo Feng chose the battle scenario: a dilapidated city under a torrential downpour. Splash! Splash! Splash! Splash! Rain poured down, each drop violently striking the long-abandoned city. Skyscrapers had long since decayed, some even collapsing. On one of the four-lane, two-way streets, numerous rusted, overturned cars lay scattered. At this moment, two figures appeared simultaneously on the street. Luo Feng, Candace! “You chose a rainstorm battle scenario?” Candace, clad in a black combat suit, observed Luo Feng from dozens of meters away. Luo Feng’s gaze was icy. His Pili blade technique, imbued with a hint of the Pili concept, was something he had comprehended by observing lightning flashes before a downpour, then diligently practicing during rainy nights! Luo Feng had also noticed that when practicing his blade technique, his Pili blade technique flowed more smoothly in rainy conditions. “Battle, begin!” An electronic voice echoed above the desolate city. Whoosh! Candace’s figure blurred, seemingly merging with the torrential rain as he rapidly charged towards Luo Feng. “Clang!” Luo Feng drew his blade like lightning, also charging forward swiftly. Swish! The Blood Shadow Battle Blade flashed like lightning, sweeping upwards from the side, its cold gleam slashing diagonally towards Candace’s neck. Candace’s eyes were chillingly dark, his entire being like a venomous snake in the downpour. His longsword, like a snake’s flicking tongue, thrust directly at Luo Feng’s head. Simultaneously, a tearing sound filled the air—a shattered piece of steel from a car! The steel shard shot towards Luo Feng’s Blood Shadow Battle Blade! The sharp sword lunged at Luo Feng’s head! “Retreat!” Luo Feng made an instant decision. With his perfect-level movement technique and control over his surroundings, he naturally understood that he was at a disadvantage the moment the steel shard flew towards him. As he rapidly retreated. A snowy white blade light flared! With a 2.8x power burst, the Blood Shadow Battle Blade’s gleam was indeed captivating, like electricity and mist, appearing even more ethereal in the torrential rain. It not only grazed the steel shard but also deflected the incredibly fast thrust of the longsword. Blade Technique—Pili! “Clang!” “Clang!” With two consecutive clashes, Luo Feng, exerting his full strength, had retreated over thirty meters. “Perfect-level movement technique?” Luo Feng looked at Candace in the distance. “Hmph.” A cold snort sounded. Candace, clad in black in the distance, said coldly, “Surprised? Most senior students in their fourth or fifth year at the Elite Training Camp, unless they’re utterly useless, have mastered perfect-level movement techniques! Some have even reached the concept-level! No matter how good you are, you’re still just a new student.” Having said that, Candace charged again! Whoosh! Whoosh! As Candace’s blurred figure approached, it instantly seemed like two distinct figures. “Boom!” Luo Feng kicked a nearby dilapidated car. The force of over twenty tons instantly shattered the entire vehicle, sending a shower of car parts flying towards Candace’s charging direction. “Die!” Luo Feng instantly charged, actually catching up with the flying car parts. Swish! As the snowy white blade light flared, streaks of blade light rapidly enveloped Candace. Yet, Candace, like a venomous snake hidden in the night, dodged with eerie movements, his longsword effortlessly parrying Luo Feng’s relentless waves of blade attacks, occasionally launching counterattacks. Clang! Clang! Clang! Around them, every car part and fragment became a tool for influencing the other. Every step, every body movement, maximized the use of the environment, ensuring the car parts didn’t hinder themselves while disrupting the opponent’s movements! Perfect-level movement technique versus perfect-level movement technique! Luo Feng’s blade technique was like continuous flashes of lightning, relentless. Candace’s sword technique, however, was also continuous, sometimes defending against every attack with eerie flexibility, and other times launching sudden thrusts. “Slice!” A dark shadow clung to the edge of the hexagonal shield. The slender longsword actually bent, arcing around, its tip circling onto Luo Feng’s left arm, which held the shield, and lightly sliced! Slice! From the elbow, the section of the arm still encased in the shield dropped directly to the ground. “Ah!” Luo Feng’s figure seemed to teleport, retreating dozens of meters away. “My left arm is severed.” Luo Feng’s expression was grim. “Luo Feng, my punching power is 2.5 times, and in terms of speed and strength, you are a notch above me.” Candace sneered, walking closer step by step, like the grim reaper in the rain. “Unfortunately, my sword technique, combined with my movement technique, far surpasses yours.” Although Candace’s Chinese wasn’t very fluent. But Luo Feng’s face turned pale, partly from blood loss, and partly from realizing the core problem. Candace’s movement technique was perfect-level, and his sword technique had reached the ‘harmonious blend of hard and soft’ stage, a realm higher than his own blade technique. Moreover… a hint of the concept within Candace’s sword technique was eerily serpentine. And Candace’s movement technique was also of that eerie, elusive kind. Both his movement and sword techniques were uncanny, and their combination yielded an even greater effect! “Without your shield, you’re dead for sure.” A hint of madness gleamed in Candace’s eyes. Finally, he could exact his revenge. “Hmph.” Luo Feng rapidly retreated, darting into a nearby street-side shop. “Useless.” Candace also walked in, step by step. The dilapidated street-side shop was leaking under the torrential rain. A puddle had formed on the floor inside, and water droplets occasionally fell from the ceiling. The surface of the puddle, like a mirror, reflected Luo Feng’s image nearby. Luo Feng looked down at his reflection in the water. A single drop fell, and the once mirror-smooth surface instantly rippled, sending out waves. “Mirror, ripples?” “Ninefold Thunderblade’s power exertion?” Luo Feng frowned slightly. “Mirror! Mirror?” Luo Feng’s expression was somewhat dazed. “Mirror!” Luo Feng’s face lit up with surprise. At this moment, Candace, strolling into the shop like a gentleman attending a dinner party, approached Luo Feng with a slender sword in hand, smiling. “Luo Feng, these 10 billion are mine. No need for thanks.” With that, his body darted forward like a phantom, and the black slender sword in his hand traced an eerie arc, slashing towards Luo Feng’s neck. “You’re giving me 10 billion!!!” Luo Feng roared. His body suddenly lunged forward! Whoosh! His speed reached a terrifying level, allowing him to evade Candace’s dreadful sword thrust. Simultaneously, a flash of snowy white blade light appeared in the shop like a bolt of lightning from thin air, moving too fast for Candace to retreat. “Thwack!” A head directly tumbled and flew into the air. Luo Feng’s charging figure, however, had already appeared on the street, under the torrential rain, more than ten meters behind Candace. Thud! Candace’s headless corpse crashed to the ground!