Water Curtain Celestial Blossom
\Behind the water curtain, a wave surged seven to eight meters high, with Ning Xian's enchanting figure standing atop it like a fairy of the blue waves.
The crowd gasped in amazement. Ning Xian was already beautiful, and with this backdrop, she looked like a fairy descended to the mortal realm.
Mo Qingkuang did not marvel at Ning Xian's beauty. He was fully aware that he was still in a duel, though he did acknowledge her worthiness as an opponent.
High above, with a solemn expression, Ning Xian recognized the swiftness of Mo Qingkuang's assault. If she hadn't been prepared, she might have been easily subdued in the last exchange.
This handsome young man, who appeared a few years younger than her, was not a braggart but truly had the strength to match his words.
But Ning Xian was no pushover either. Since Mo Qingkuang had the strength, she would fight him with all her might.
Seizing the moment before Mo Qingkuang could react, Ning Xian raised her long sword high, pointing it towards the sky.
The sky changed colors, with dark clouds gathering in an instant. The air grew increasingly humid, and many felt water droplets condensing on their faces.
"A celestial phenomenon! It's a Heavenly-rank martial skill!" The crowd was astonished.
The Blue Flame Royal Academy's foundation was far superior to the Tianxuan Empire. Five hundred years ago, Tianxuan's upper echelon's combat strength was lost, causing many high-level martial techniques to be lost as well. Even if some existed in isolated households, they were rare.
But the Blue Flame Royal Academy had at least one Heavenly-rank martial skill for each of the five major attributes available for study. As the eighth seat, Ning Xian naturally had learned the academy's Heavenly-rank water attribute martial skill.
"It seems Fairy Ning is serious now! The Water Curtain Celestial Blossom, what a grand display," Ji Han finally smiled.
Seeing Ning Xian unharmed made him happier than anyone else.
Ji Han prided himself on his understanding of Ning Xian, believing no one knew her better. Ning Xian standing on that wave gave her the high ground advantage in battle. Grandmasters couldn't fly, so they could only attack her from the ground.
And in any situation, attacking from below was always at a disadvantage.
"Why did it suddenly get dark?" Mo Qingkuang was surprised but quickly realized, "No, it's a Heavenly-rank martial skill!"
Without hesitation, Mo Qingkuang stepped as if walking in the air, moving towards Ning Xian. As he ascended, he flicked his fingers, sending waves of finger force towards her.
After reaching the Grandmaster level, Mo Qingkuang's understanding of air currents deepened significantly.
Ning Xian's move might work wonders against ordinary Grandmasters, but not against him. He was a wind spirit, capable of short bursts of flight even as a Grandmaster!
"What? He can also fly!"
Ji Han's shock was evident, and even Xu Kong, usually calm and composed, showed signs of surprise.
Not every wind spirit could understand the wind to this extent. Mo Qingkuang had clearly reached an extraordinary level of comprehension.
This allowed him to hover briefly using wind power, and his speed wasn't slow either.
Thus, Ning Xian's high ground advantage was nullified.
Seeing Mo Qingkuang rising towards her, Ning Xian's face changed. She hadn't expected him to be so difficult to deal with, now able to chase her even in mid-air.
She had hoped to use the high ground to create a safe environment to unleash the Blue Flame Royal Academy's most powerful Heavenly-rank martial skill, the Water Curtain Celestial Blossom.
As several finger winds approached, Ning Xian was at a critical moment in her technique.
Fortunately, having taken the initiative, she was almost done casting the Water Curtain Celestial Blossom.
With a thought, another wave surged from the ground, dissipating the finger winds sent by Mo Qingkuang.
Mo Qingkuang had used the Flower-Picking Finger, which had strong penetrative power but not enough to break through. The waves burst into several sprays, but Ning Xian managed to block them.
However, this still delayed her slightly, and that was enough!
Mo Qingkuang had reached a certain height, his eyes focused, and he stepped on the air again to gain momentum.
As he stomped down, the air made a 'bang' sound, like a bubble bursting.
Using this force, Mo Qingkuang's speed increased dramatically, soaring towards Ning Xian like a giant bird swooping down on its prey!
His move shocked the crowd once again. He could accelerate even in mid-air, using the force of his legs to propel himself with powerful thrusts.
Ning Xian is in danger!
Seeing Mo Qingkuang accelerate towards her again, Ning Xian's eyes widened with surprise, but she did not panic. The Water Curtain Celestial Blossom was already poised to strike!
The sky grew darker, densely packed with black clouds, suffocatingly oppressive.
Just as Mo Qingkuang was about to reach Ning Xian, the clouds above suddenly burst open, and it began to rain!
No, it was more like a waterfall!
The dark clouds in the sky tore open a massive gap, and a tremendous torrent of water poured down like a breached Milky Way, forming a spectacular waterfall.
This was the Water Curtain Celestial Blossom!
The waterfall cascaded from the heavens, accelerating with gravity, growing faster and stronger!
It finally descended just before Mo Qingkuang could touch Ning Xian!
Mo Qingkuang's hand stopped less than an inch away from Ning Xian's elegant neck. Gritting his teeth, he performed a swift somersault in mid-air to retreat.
He had no choice; with the Water Curtain Celestial Blossom cascading down, if he insisted on attacking Ning Xian, he would undoubtedly be swept away by the technique.
This wasn't like the waterfall in the inner courtyard's back mountain; this was the ultimate manifestation of water element qi, a Heavenly-rank martial skill designed to kill!
Mo Qingkuang dared not take it head-on and had to retreat. Even if he could injure Ning Xian before the Water Curtain Celestial Blossom hit him, the consequence would be that he would suffer more severe injuries. It wasn't worth the trade-off, so he had to abandon his attack.
Seeing Mo Qingkuang retract his hand, Ning Xian finally felt a sense of relief. Mo Qingkuang's speed far exceeded her expectations.
She had thought she could secure victory with the Water Curtain Celestial Blossom, not realizing Mo Qingkuang could reach her before the technique fully deployed.
Luckily, Mo Qingkuang chose to retreat rather than exchange injury for injury. With his retreat, Ning Xian had secured her opportunity for victory.
Did he think the Water Curtain Celestial Blossom was just a simple waterfall, and that evading it once would allow him to attack again?
How naive! If that were the case, it wouldn't be worthy of being called the Blue Flame Royal Academy's strongest martial skill.
The Water Curtain Celestial Blossom wasn't just a powerful descending waterfall; its strength lay in its continuous flow!
As long as Ning Xian's true qi wasn't exhausted, it could persist indefinitely.
Moreover, the descending water wasn't a chaotic torrent; it was like a ferocious beast, devouring everything within its domain.
The terrifying part was that its direction could be controlled by Ning Xian.
From now on, Mo Qingkuang would no longer pose a threat to her. He could only be engulfed by her relentless waves!