Chapter Thirty-two: The Final Showdown

  After returning to the dormitory, I kept thinking about what Tian's words would be like. Intuitively, this seemed more like a big circle, and I was walking into it step by step, unable to refuse. However, my intuition told me that I had to go, which was very important for me. Since I had made up my mind, I didn't think about anything else. I lay on the bed, took a deep breath, and thought: when you get to the mountain, there will be a road.

  After resting for a while, I walked out of the room and slowly made my way to the competition venue. Along the way, I ran into many students who kept sneaking glances at me, to be honest, it didn't feel very good.

  "Xi Meng, stop right there." What a coincidence, I ran into the one and only Huo Shan. I think I'll just slip away quietly, don't want to get burned again if I provoke her once more.

  "Hey! I've seen you!" No way out now, she said as she blocked my path.

  "Is anything wrong?"

  "You, what are you hiding?" Huai Shan looked at me with an uncomfortable expression. It's strange, she doesn't seem as fierce as before, and this is the first time I've heard her speak without being so sharp-tongued.

  "What's wrong? What's going on?" It got me pretty anxious too, really.

  "Hey, you seem to be afraid of me. Actually, I came looking for you today because there's something I need to talk to you about. Ugh, this is so frustrating, how do I even say it?" Huo Shan scratched his hair and paced back and forth a few times before suddenly stopping and staring straight at me.

  "You say." I swallowed a mouthful of saliva, what's wrong with her?

  "That's it, forget it, nothing to say, I'm leaving first." Huo Shan sighed and then whispered another sentence, "Good luck with the competition." Then he disappeared instantly.

  I'm confused, never mind her then. I shook my head and walked towards the playground.

  "You're here, Xi Meng." Oh, it was that girl from our team who spoke up. I still don't know what her name is until now, she looked at me with a friendly gaze.

  "Ah, right, I still don't know your name, sorry about that."

  "Oh, yes, I forgot to introduce myself, my name is Xiao Xi."

  "Hello, Xiao Xi." I said with a smile.

  "Xi Meng, you're here, come over for a bit." Nian was calling me. I nodded to Xiao Xi and said: "Let's chat again next time we have a chance." Then quickly walked towards Nian.

  "What's wrong, Nian sister?"

  "Let's just forfeit this game, winning is important but neither of us wants anything to happen to you."

  "It's okay, didn't my sister give me a book? It's similar to the dark power of that student from Dark Night Academy. I think they're from the same place. If that student's strongest ability is only this, then I still have some confidence."

  "You mean you've already started cultivating that dark power? How is that possible so quickly? What level are you at now?"

  "I can only play the first tune, and it's already very difficult to learn." I didn't tell Nian about the big problem I encountered, I was afraid she would worry.

  He took a deep breath, smiled and said to me, "It seems that I don't have much to worry about in the last game. Do you think everyone is as lucky as you? Just one of the powers inside your body is enough for people of your age to digest, even the elders wouldn't dare to try easily, not everyone is suitable, let alone getting two at the same time."

  "By the way, did you tell Grandpa Langda about that thing I talked to my sister last time?" I suddenly thought of it, if Ni Tian really has some plan, I'm afraid I'll have a hard time getting rid of him in the future.

  "I told you, Lord Landa said that after so long, he's used to it. He wants you to focus on the competition and will take care of everything else once it's all arranged."

  "Go on, just hurry up."

  Nian seemed to have some doubts about what I said, but she didn't have time to say anything before the final round of the competition began with the host's appearance.

  "Ladies and gentlemen, let's warmly welcome the last finalist to the stage. They are Kuroba from Dark Night Academy and Xi Meng from Dou Huang Silver Palace!" A wave of enthusiastic applause, I calmed my tense mood and walked onto the stage.

  "After discussion among all colleges, the final champion will receive a reward. As for what the prize is, it will be kept secret for now and announced after the competition ends. So, let's start the game!"

  "Xi Meng." I spoke first.

  "Kurozu." He nodded.

  "I advise you not to use that dark power again, your body can't take it." I didn't choose to attack from the start.

  "Hmph, I was born for it. Without it, I would perish." Kuroba's voice had a hint of pain in it, had he already sacrificed his own soul? It seemed that he had been manipulated for life.

  "Don't look at me with that gaze. 'Sing for you', please enjoy it slowly." Kurosaki started to chant with a gloomy smile. I was still hesitating about what to do, previously I had thought of using the power of darkness against him, but his expression just now seemed somewhat off.

  "Defense, Golden Brocade." I chose to defend. Kuroba just smiled and shook his head, as if saying: You're too naive.

  As expected, defense is ineffective against sound, and can only defend against physical attacks.

  "Alright, 'The Smile of the Shore Flower'." I can only play this tune, I won't be foolish enough to hurt myself. A black aura instantly envelops me, my consciousness is left with only the opponent in front of me, the screaming voice in my heart, kill him! Everything turns blood red.

  Kurosawa's pupils suddenly enlarged, looking at me in incredulity, and stopped chanting. It was clear that he was afraid, but I couldn't stop. The intense killing intent I had couldn't be contained, and could only be countered by the pure sound. Kurosawa closed his eyes, struggling painfully. My soul power was three levels higher than his, and in this situation, he would inevitably lose.

  At this time, the ravens were silent. Everyone was staring at the two figures on the stage, even the elders were stunned. They could all see that having two powers at the same time represented something. If such a disciple couldn't be used for their own benefit, then some of the venomous ones had already started thinking about how to swallow this power. At this time, the three elders and Langda whispered a few words, and the faces of all the elders became even more unsightly, but they dispelled all their previous thoughts.

  "Want to be a hunting target of Dou Huang Silver Palace? Try it, I'll make his whole family extinct." The Third Elder said viciously.

  "The little girl was brought here by the great lord, and I will protect her at all costs." Compared to the three elders' voices, Landa's seemed softer, but the mention of that great lord made everyone present shudder.

  At this moment, I am the most painful one on stage. I completely lost control of myself, my whole body is filled with murderous intent. I clearly feel Blackwood's pain and his weakening life force. Who can stop me? It's as if I split into two selves, 'she' is very brutal. Although I'm clear-headed now, I still can't control 'her'.

  Until Kuroba fell like Chiba before him, the match was declared over without applause or cheers. They were all scared, weren't they? Even I myself was scared. Slowly, I began to calm down and my body returned to my control, looking at Kuroba in front of me, my consciousness kept reminding me: it was you who killed him, you killed him. Just like I had killed someone in the human world, a terrifying tremble ran through my entire body.

  "Go and save him, you can." Whose voice is it? My brain was still in a daze, until Nian Chuang rushed over and shook me hard. I looked at her with a confused gaze.

  "Don't be afraid, Xīmèng. This is the price you must pay for growing up. From now on, the only way to survive is by killing." Nian said as he hugged me tightly.

  I slowly approached Kurosawa's side, his eyes closed and his life force weak. I tried to calm my inner turmoil, but my trembling hands betrayed me. The Pure Sound rotated, a soft white light covering his body, and the dark energy was also absorbed back into my body. But I felt terrible, really terrible. Unlike the previous situation with Chiyoda, Kurosawa had been attacked by me and then suffered from his own backlash. I don't know how much time passed until he slowly opened his eyes. He just looked at me like that.

  "Sorry." I said softly and ran away. He survived but would never be the same again, which meant that everything he had was ruined by me, becoming the lowest level of ghost. The male host behind announced the victory of Dou Huang Silver Palace, followed by a burst of applause. It turned out that only I cared, here life is not taken seriously, only the strong ones. I didn't go back and didn't attend the closing ceremony.

  "Xi Meng student, go to the Elder's Hall immediately." A male ghost who seemed like a mentor suddenly appeared beside me.

  "Alright, I know." I wasn't interested in asking him why, it seemed to be about the game just now.