Abbotess Zhang was not as long-winded as Abbotess Li. In a short speech, she emphasized the importance of the four classics to the Order and why this duel mattered. Singing and dancing were different but also the same. They utilized a sacred daughter's innate physical gifts to embody purity and perfection. Through one's voice and movements, one could cultivate the great Dao.
After a short introduction of the contestants, she explained the rules. As Chen Wentian expected, there were some changes.
The duel was between two sacred daughters at the Lesser Realm of Spiritual Growth. Thus, they were allowed to fight each other directly. No restrictive outfits needed to be worn. It would be a fair match.
As this was the finale of singing and dancing, the contestants were allowed to use whichever they liked. Wei Shuangshuang's specialty was her voice. Her dancing was mediocre. This gave Long Yifei a slight advantage as her singing was just as good as her dancing. It was just that she didn't have an opportunity to show it before.
The last rule was the unexpected one. For this duel and this duel alone, the sacred daughters were allowed to use any and all gifts they had received from their acolyte. The reasoning was that gifts were also a part of the sacred daughter's strength. After all, it was a partnership between a sacred daughter and her acolyte. Using gifts during the fight showcased this fact to the world.
"Master?" Long Yifei looked to Chen Wentian questioningly after these rules were announced.
He nodded seriously, "It will be troublesome. Use the Shangyang Sky Slippers and do your best."
"Yes."
Long Yifei walked onto the arena, her every step leaving behind a slight gust of wind. This was the first time fully showcasing the might of this set of immortal items. It would greatly improve her speed, agility, as well as grace. It was the best gift for dancers.
Her opponent stepped up at the same time. Taking a position ten steps away, her feet were also covered by familiar swirls of wind. It was another pair of Shangyang Sky Slippers.
"What? Are you surprised?" Wei Shuangshuang asked smugly, "These slippers are quite comfortable. I saw them at an auction a few years ago. I wanted them so Brother Wu bought them for me."
Her words made it seem like these slippers were easy to obtain. Perhaps, they were easy to obtain for someone of her status and her acolyte who was a famous alchemist. But ordinary sacred daughters could only dream of wearing such slippers.
Hearing no response from Long Yifei, Wei Shuangshuang wasn't discouraged. "Hehe, Sister Long, I always knew we would face each other in the finale. I knew you were special from the moment we met. It's a pity…"
She sighed dramatically, "I tried to warn you. But you didn't listen. Please don't misunderstand our duel today and the inevitable outcome. It's not you but your acolyte. He doesn't deserve you."
She bowed deeply, "I hope we can still be friends in the future, when he is no longer around."
Long Yifei bowed to her opponent and said, "Sister Wei, I never asked to be anybody's friend. All I wanted was to quietly cultivate and live peacefully with my acolyte. Is that too much to ask?"
Wei Shuangshuang smiled, "Yes, it is. For someone like you… that was never going to happen."
There was a tinge of frustration and jealousy in her words. It was obvious why. Wei Shuangshuang was the princess. She was beautiful, talented, and had the perfect background. She should have been the number one from the start. Yet, Long Yifei came out of nowhere and eclipsed her. The only thing Long Yifei didn't have, she would use it to completely crush her today.
The bell rang.
And the final duel began.
Wei Shuangshuang took in a deep breath and began to sing. Her voice was high and sharp. But it was also clear and strong. Light sparkled around her figure, forming countless tiny stars.
This was a unique song of her Starry Wei Clan. Known as the Starry Night Ballad, it was a strong offensive secret art that created countless stars through one's voice which would follow the cultivator's will.
Long Yifei had never heard this song before. She could not match it so she sang Reflections Beside an Icy Stream. Her icy powers took shape and formed a barrier around her. Her voice was cold but mellow. It was like a gentle breeze that bore hidden strength. There was a sense of depth, a sense of familiarity but also instant attraction.
This was vocal talent and it made many people sigh in admiration. Xuan Xina, in particular, watched Long Yifei with a conflicted expression.
A few breaths later, Wei Shuangshuang was the first to act. Her voice shifted with her song, entering an offensive stance. An array of stars around her shot forward like tiny arrows of light.
Pu!
Pu!
Pu!
Faint sounds of energy piercing through the ice were heard.
Wei Shuangshuang's attack easily pierced through Long Yifei's defense. It was as if the icy barrier was made of cotton. Long Yifei would have suffered serious wounds if it were not for the additional layer of snow created by her Flawless Snowfrost Earrings.
"Fei'er, her starry spiritual energy is too strange. Don't take them head-on." Chen Wentian warned.
"Yes, master." Long Yifei replied, shaking her head and clearing her thoughts.
Wei Shuangshuang paused her singing and laughed, "What's wrong, Sister Long? Already using a second gift? Does your singing only amount to this?"
Long Yifei responded by changing her song, opting for the far more powerful Alone in Winter. In a previous singing duel, she had not been able to showcase the full strength of this song due to outside interference. This time, nothing was stopping her.
A torrent of ice and snow materialized around her as her voice gained strength. Spiritual energy reverberated, carrying her song to everyone's ears. The audience could only watch in stunned silence. It was too beautiful, seeing this white-robed goddess surrounded by snow and hearing her heavenly voice.
Alone in Winter was similar to Reflections Beside an Icy Stream but it was several tiers higher. The control of ice attribute spiritual energy rivaled that of an immortal art like Winter's Snow Dance. The might displayed was completely different.
Woosh!
A gust of icy wind swept over the arena, carrying a wall of snow toward Wei Shuangshuang. Against her sharp, starry voice, the best counter was sheer might.
In an instant, her side was buried under a layer of snow and Wei Shuangshuang had been turned into a snow figure, like the ones children make for fun.
Pa!
The snow covering Wei Shuangshuang was blasted clear by starry light, revealing an intricate array of tiny stars covering her body. She was unharmed, unaffected by the snow. Her face, however, was slightly red. Whether that was from the cold or exertion was unclear. She glared at her opponent as if she had suffered a great offense.
"Very good, Sister Long, very good! I won't hold back from this point onward." She said.
Her opponent's response was another gust of snow.
"Hmph! Fine!"
Wei Shuangshuang's sharp voice returned to her song as a continuous barrage of star arrays pierced the wall of snow, seeking her target.
This time, Long Yifei didn't stay in one place. Taking advantage of the snowstorm, she was constantly moving even as she continued to sing. This kind of skill represented a higher realm of singing. For it was not just simple movements such as moving side to side, advancing or retreating. From the audience's point of view, she was dancing.
"Combining song and dance… how is she able to do that already?" Xuan Xina muttered in surprise, voicing what was on everyone's minds.
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