The last time Lan Jue had fought with the Barber, she had won his Rainbow Silver. She had some understanding of the Barber's strength.
In terms of speed and explosive power, the Barber was very strong.
In particular, his control of the wind and his affinity with the wind were quite strong.
In addition, he was still young and had a lot of room for growth in the future.
However, the last time they fought, the Barber had said that the Wind Element couldn't be cultivated to rank nine. Naturally, Lan Jue didn't agree with this.
Wasn't Lan Qing a wind ability user?
The Barber didn't try to compete with Lan Jue in speed. He didn't know that Lan Jue's cultivation had dropped to the first rank of the ninth rank.
He waved both of his hands at the same time. Instantly, countless wind blades filled the air and flew towards Lan Jue.
It was the same wind, but there were different ways to cultivate it.
Previously, the short man mainly used the wind to increase his speed and control it at the same time.
It was precisely because of this that he needed to find another way to increase his attack power through acquired machinery.
In order to achieve a combination of attack and control, he would become stronger.
What he did wasn't wrong, but once he became a Discipline User, his body would no longer be complete. His bloodline would be incomplete, and it would be extremely difficult to break through to Paragon.
In the history of mankind, the Terminator was the only one who had ever done so.
When the Terminator first broke through, he had to rely on some special methods. Coupled with the fact that his own Discipline was related to machinery, he had taken a risk and succeeded.
Therefore, although the hairdresser was not as well-rounded as the short Adept, there was clearly more room for improvement in his future training.
Thus, Adepts were often faced with a choice.
Should he choose to become stronger in a short period of time, or should he choose to have the potential to continue improving?
Just like the situation with the little ability user from before, it was likely that he had encountered a bottleneck that he could not break through, so he chose to take another path.
Normally speaking, a talented Metahuman would not be able to do so.
He would never choose to become a modified Esper so easily.
Of course, it was not like the modified Espers had no advantages at all. At the very least, they could use the power of machinery and technology to strengthen themselves in a short period of time.
In the words of the Northern Alliance, this was a controllable power.
The lower the level of the ability user, the more willing they were to choose the path of transformation.
This was because they knew that there was no hope for them to improve, so of course they hoped that they could become stronger.
Modifying the body was one of the simplest ways.
After all, the genetic agents in the Western Alliance were much more expensive than body modification, and there were more uncertainties as well. The only difference was that he did not need to cripple himself.
The Wind Blades converged into a sea of Wind Blades that covered the entire arena.
The barber was worried that Lan Jue would use his lightning speed to attack him.
He had never thought of defeating Lan Jue.
He just hoped that she could hold on a little longer, because he knew that Lan Jue's cultivation had broken through to the ninth level, seventh rank.
When he saw Lan Jue on the stage, his expression was so ugly because of this.
Facing the sea of wind blades, Lan Jue moved. His speed was not particularly fast. With a wave of his right hand, a violet spear condensed from lightning appeared in his palm.
The spear stabbed forward.
Streaks of light flashed through the air, piercing through the blades of wind. Then, he steadily made his way towards the Barber's direction.
The barber was stunned.
He had thought that Lan Jue would use an ultimate move like the Forest of Lightning. If that was the case, his Wind Blades would not be able to withstand it. He had even thought of a backup plan.
He did not expect that Lan Jue would use such a method to fight him.
Does he want to spar with me in close combat?
The barber was touched. His opponent had chosen to fight in close combat despite being far stronger than him.
While saving face for himself, it was also a way to teach him a lesson in close combat.
The Wind Blades retracted.
They returned to the barber's hand, and a long spear appeared.
The green spear emitted a faint buzzing sound. It was completely formed from wind elemental energy.
The barber shouted, "Kill!"
In a flash, he appeared in front of Lan Jue. The spear in his hand transformed into ten spear auras, each aimed at ten different spots on Lan Jue's body.
His aura was at its peak.
Lan Jue swept out with the Lightning Spear in his hand, creating a curtain of spears to block his opponent's attack.
The two spears collided, releasing a powerful energy wave.
Lightning had a powerful explosive power, but it could also spread.
Wind had a powerful cutting and penetrating power, and could cover a large area.
Both sides were competing in control of technique, as well as the control and use of energy.
For a moment, the two spears clashed, releasing blinding light. The fight was abnormally intense.
The barber gradually entered the zone. He felt as if he had become one with the wind, as if he had become a part of it.
His attacks also gradually became gentle from the initial ferocity.
But this gentle wind was even more frightening. It was like a needle hidden in silk, ready to explode with powerful piercing power at any moment.
Lan Jue was as steady as a mountain. Facing the barber's attacks, his eyes flashed with lightning. The Lightning Spear in his hand flashed continuously, appearing and disappearing like a ghost.
He was also immersed in his understanding of lightning.
Lightning was extremely unstable among the elements, and it was highly uncertain.
And when this uncertainty was used in battle, it would be ever-changing.
Extreme speed versus change, wind versus thunder.
The two forgot about the fight, and lost track of time.
The continuous collisions made this battle seem like the most evenly matched battle in the second round of the competition today.
"Time's up!" The electronic voice suddenly rang out, interrupting the match.
Lan Jue and the Barber retreated at the same time, looking at each other.
Lan Jue's expression was hidden behind the mask, but the Barber's expression was one of satisfaction. He shouted, "That felt good! I surrender!" With that, he jumped off the stage and left without looking back.
Lan Jue couldn't help but smirk as he watched his friend's back.
Although his cultivation was only at the first stage of the ninth rank, it wouldn't be difficult for him to defeat the Barber.
After all, he was a dual Adept. His understanding and mastery of his Discipline far surpassed the Barber's.
Throughout the fight, he had been the one in control. Through his own understanding of the elements, he had guided the Barber into the same state.
When an Adept reached ninth rank, the first thing they needed to do was understand the deeper aspects of their Discipline.
Wind Adepts understood the essence of the wind.
When they reached the peak of ninth rank, they needed to understand the connection between themselves and heaven and earth.
They needed to understand the protogenia of their body.
That was the only way to become a Paragon.
If the Barber returned home and focused, it would be a great boon to his cultivation. At the very least, it would save him a great deal of time.
He didn't say anything, but the grudge he held against Lan Jue was gone.
Lan Jue withdrew his spear, and glided down from the arena.
He hadn't learned as much as the Barber, but this was the first time he'd been able to truly understand the mysteries of lightning since he'd dropped to first stage ninth rank.
His current state was vastly different from when he'd first stepped into ninth level.
Now that he had comprehended the lightning at the pinnacle of the ninth level, he could feel the lightning at the first rank of the ninth level more clearly. This was very beneficial to him in stabilizing his foundation.
With a solid foundation, breaking through to Paragon in the future would be easier.
What he'd just experienced had pushed him back to the peak of first stage ninth level. It felt like he'd taken another step forward, and the second stage was within reach.
They'd finished when the time was up, so they were the last to go.
At the end of the competition, the 1,700 participants were cut in half again, leaving only 800 participants to enter the third round.
Starting from the next round, there would be changes to the arena.
It would still be an elimination round, but each arena would be larger.
The number of Adepts in each group would be reduced.
This would ensure the audience could see the matches more clearly, and the Adepts would be able to use their full strength.
Lan Jue followed the competitors out of the Major League Arena. Zhou Qianlin was waiting for him a short distance away.
The two of them had the Spirit Caller gem, and their combined Discipline. They didn't even need to greet each other. Within a certain distance they could vaguely sense each other's location.
"Come on, let's go back." Lan Jue grabbed Zhou Qianlin's hand and turned to leave.
He was on the verge of a breakthrough, and had to return to meditation.
What Lan Jue didn't see was that the Pharmacist was holding Jun'Er's hand from a distance. She watched the scene unfold.
Fortunately, Jun'Er had removed her helmet.
Disappointment flashed in the depths of the Pharmacist's eyes. She shook her head, as if remembering something.
"Mom, where's dad?" Jun'Er looked up at her mother.
The Pharmacist smiled. "He has some business to take care of. He'll be back when he's done."
"Mom," Jun'Er said worriedly, "I used the helmet Uncle Big Guy gave me. Won't he be unhappy?"
The Pharmacist smiled. "Of course not. The helmet Uncle Big Guy gave you is even more advanced. It won't hurt Jun'Er much. If dad knew, he'd be so happy."
Jun'Er's gift from the Terminator was a brand new helmet, custom-made for her.
It was made with the most advanced technology from the Northern Alliance.
With the Terminator's approval, they didn't skimp on the cost.
Jun'er wore the helmet today. Not only could she see more clearly, but the helmet itself would also cause less damage to her body.
Back in their hotel room, Lan Jue turned to look at Zhou Qianlin. Her eyes were inquisitive.
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Asking for monthly votes.
(To be continued)