Chapter 408: Ten Holes Rotate, Dual Wheels Unite

Mapeier's attacks were mercurial and relentless, while Zhao Ziyue's style was unrestrained and overwhelming. No matter how many tricks Mapeier employed, he countered with a single thrust of his spear!

Not only were his attacks formidable, but the Eternal Spear itself was no ordinary weapon—it was a mid-tier soul artifact renowned throughout the League of Blades! Infused with soul power, its edge sliced through Mapeier’s threads like butter.

Golden wheels came—blocked by the spear; spider silk came—severed by the spear. As the Eternal Spear swept through the air, streaks of silver spear energy crisscrossed, shooting in all directions. The hidden spider silk threads scattered across the ground were severed long before they could form any effective trap.

Let’s be real—Zhao Ziyue was a beast. Mapeier had already pushed to her limits, yet she was gradually forced from an offensive stance into a defensive one. Fortunately, the spider silk on the ground bought her just enough breathing room to keep from immediate defeat.

Around them, the cheers of the Western Peak disciples grew louder with each passing moment. Anyone could see that Zhao Ziyue was adapting more and more to the woman’s fighting style, his assault gaining momentum. It seemed only a matter of time before he secured victory.

But Zhao Ziyue’s face only grew grimmer.

His dominance was only skin-deep. His opponent knew full well that the hidden spider silk traps were of limited use, yet she still burned through soul energy to lay them—just to buy time. And the purpose of that time? Those damn wheels, growing stronger by the second!

As the focal point of the assault, only he could clearly sense it—those golden wheels seemed to accumulate power with every strike, as if absorbing the soul energy from their clashes. Each time they returned, their force was greater than before!

At first, he could easily deflect them with a single-handed sweep of his spear. But now, every time he repelled them, his whole arm buzzed with strain.

What the hell were these things? If he allowed this to drag on, would the golden wheels continue stacking power indefinitely?

"Old Wang, since when was she this OP?" Winnie was stunned. She had suspected the well-endowed girl had some skill, but never imagined she could hold her own against Zhao Ziyue like this—and in a direct fight, no less! If this were an assassination, she felt Zhao Ziyue wouldn’t stand a chance.

Her aura and appearance were both highly deceptive—the hallmarks of an assassin.

"The key, the key is the wheels. That was this genius’s brainchild." Old Wang watched from the sidelines, admiring his masterpiece with delight.

No one understood Mapeier’s strengths better than he did—perhaps even more than she did herself. Her spider silk could alternate between rigidity and flexibility, allowing for precise, multi-threaded control. She was an absolute master of assassination, but her weakness was the lack of a finishing move. Against true experts, she struggled to shine and was easily countered, no match for brute-force brawls.

That was why, back when he saw her fighting the Blood Demon Manku in the Dragon City ruins, Old Wang had already conceived the idea of the golden wheels. This pair of wheels was a soul artifact he had meticulously crafted for Mapeier, inspired by the Twin Rings. Leveraging the rotational nature of the rings, their attacks weren’t infinitely stackable—but they could amplify force several times over, perfectly compensating for Mapeier’s lack of frontal assault power.

KA-BOOM!

The terrifying golden wheels spun back once more.

Zhao Ziyue no longer wielded his spear one-handed—now he gripped it with both hands, sweeping it horizontally. As if crossing the threshold from quantitative to qualitative change, the blunt edges of the wheels gouged the Eternal Spear, spraying sparks like a grindstone!

The two golden streaks were deflected once again, but in that moment, Zhao Ziyue’s eyes flashed with kill intent. He channeled all his soul power into the spear’s tip.

Enough stalling. He had already deciphered all her tricks. This spear thrust would decide life and death!

The golden wheels were knocked away, and his opponent switched from a one-handed spear grip to two—clearly straining. And in that slight shift of stance, Mapeier seized the chance to close the distance to within a single body length!

To a dagger assassin, closing the gap was second nature.

In the blink of an eye, Mapeier had reached the optimal striking range for her dagger. But just as she thrust it halfway, her instincts screamed DANGER. Without hesitation, she abandoned the hard-won proximity, using the golden wheels’ pull to flip backward midair, forcibly withdrawing and relinquishing her advantage.

"Now that’s reflexes!" Fu Changsheng and Zhao Feiyuan on the high platform grew even more impressed. To suppress one’s instincts in the heat of battle—such a person couldn’t merely be described as talented. She was practically a born war machine!

Zhao Ziyue let out a cold snort, his two-handed spear whirling in a wide arc.

HUM—

The tip of the Eternal Spear trembled, unleashing a ripple of silver energy. Zhao Ziyue’s long hair, adorned with silver rings, whipped like a storm as his soul power surged to its peak in an instant.

The momentum was set. Ignoring Mapeier’s retreat, Zhao Ziyue stomped his right foot hard into the ground at an angle.

HUM! HUM! HUM!

The earth shook. The sheer force of his step made even the solid steel-reinforced floor tremble, the vibrations lingering in the air. He pulled back the spear, spinning it in a wide arc. His stance was as steady as a mountain, his movements appearing slow—yet in that instant, the Eternal Spear in his hands became a blinding arc of light!

The terrifying power, even before fully thrusting out, had already caused the surrounding air to tremble, surging outward like shockwaves in all directions—just like Hei Wukai's sword strike that slew the Blood Demon Manku, shattering the limits of Tiger Peak—a dimensional-level combat technique!

Zhao Feiyuan on the high platform slightly parted his lips, while Fu Changsheng suddenly roared, "Hold your—!"

Before "mercy" could escape his throat, the spear had already shot forth like lightning, fast as a bolt of lightning.

The killing move—*Eternal Dragon Flash*!

An old technique, yet its power had more than doubled since his battle with Hei Wukai in Dragon City. Zhao Ziyue had his pride—losing to Hei Wukai might have seemed fine outwardly, but inwardly, he'd been grinding his teeth. How much more against a nobody like Mapeier?

ROAAAR!

In that instant, tiger roars and dragon cries seemed to echo as a silver dragon materialized, surpassing the spear's two-meter reach and hurtling toward Mapeier with lethal intent!

Below the arena, Winnie and the others, along with the Frost Spirits and Fire God Mountain spectators, held their breaths, hearts in their throats. Anyone could see—Zhao Ziyue's strength had jumped a whole tier since Dragon City! How could anyone counter such terrifying power?

Block it? Don’t make me laugh. This was a killing move on par with Hei Wukai's sword strike against Manku. Even among the Holy Sanctuary's current top ten, not all could withstand this fully charged thrust!

Dodge?

The spear’s energy was locked onto her, its momentum unstoppable. That silver dragon wouldn't cease until it struck its mark. This was Zhao Ziyue's answer as one of the top ten—a death sentence. Even Zhao Feiyuan and Fu Changsheng wore pitying expressions, yet in Mapeier's eyes, a razor-sharp glint flashed.

Flick! Flick! Flick!

Her fingers moved like blurs, vibrating at inhuman speeds—ten strands of spider silk! Each connected to near-invisible holes on the golden rings. Two rings, ten holes, intersecting at the 'X'-shaped center, linking every rune groove. As energy surged, the runes blazed to life, the array spiraling open!

The spider silk wasn't just for pulling—it enabled surgical precision. Only Old Wang could craft such a weapon, and only Mapeier could wield it. Below the stage, Old Wang wore a proud papa smile.

When the ten holes aligned—

Whirrr—CLACK! CLACK! CLACK!

Mechanical clicks rang out as the two golden rings mid-flight merged into one. Their dull red rune grooves now complemented each other, transforming into a blinding mini-sun in an instant.

What seemed slow lasted barely a blink.

Murderous intent ignited in Mapeier's eyes. Her retreating body twisted into a U-turn, hands yanking down like a marionettist.

*Cross Judgment—Sunset Reincarnation*!

BOOM!

The golden mini-sun accelerated violently, intercepting the spear mid-flight just a meter from Mapeier and colliding with the *Eternal Spear* in a cataclysmic clash.

BOOM!

Light detonated in midair, gold and silver erupting outward. A visible shockwave rippled across the arena at lightning speed, followed by—

SKREEEEE! GRIIIND!

An ear-shredding metallic screech filled the combat hall, making twenty thousand spectators turn ashen. Weaker attendees clawed at their ears in pain, screaming.

The clashing energies dissipated, revealing the merged golden ring whirling like a buzzsaw against the spear's tip.

GRIND! GRIND! GRIND!

Sparks flew as the ring dead-stopped Zhao Ziyue's unstoppable thrust?!

The crowd gaped. Spiders, as a rare insectoid breed, were tough, sure—but since when do bugs brawl head-on? So... what the hell just happened?

That was the peerless and indomitable Eternal Spear!

Shock was written all over Zhao Ziyue's face. What astonished him wasn’t just that his ultimate strike had been blocked by that woman—it was that the golden discs behind it still carried overwhelming momentum, their power far from reaching its limit! Yet his right hand gripping the spear trembled violently, almost losing control of the Eternal Spear.

What kind of freakish strength was this? What kind of messed-up move is this?!

The merged golden discs weren’t just a simple sum—their power had instantly tripled or quadrupled!

Zhao Ziyue’s eyes bulged with rage. Any thought of a mere spar had vanished, replaced by the desperate survival instinct of a life-or-death battle.

*Crack!*

His other hand joined the struggle. Zhao Ziyue’s eyes blazed with fury, veins like cords bulging on his forehead and the backs of his hands. He pushed his soul force past the breaking point, forcibly entering an overdrawn state.

Hold on… Hold on!

"RAAAAAH!" Zhao Ziyue roared madly, silver light erupting from his body. The *Long Zhui Shan* seemed to let out a death cry as the Eternal Spear bent slightly under the immense opposing force—yet it began to push back!

But it was all futile…

The runes on the golden discs had been personally designed by Old Wang. Through continuous rotation, they accumulated both physical and soul power to unleash their strongest attack. Of course, maintaining this required extreme multitasking and soul power stability—not to mention the elastic spider silk. This was a weapon custom-built for Mapeier.

To put it simply, anyone who couldn’t instantly kill Mapeier would eventually be shredded by her golden discs.

What was *Sunset Reincarnation*? When the blazing sun sets, all things in the world must cycle anew!

His desperate resistance, that fleeting illusion of a counterattack—it was nothing more than a last gasp.

*Boom!*

Silver light scattered as the nearly bent Eternal Spear was suddenly flung away.

Horror and despair flashed across Zhao Ziyue’s face. His palms split open at the seams, blood streaming down. The silver glow around him instantly dissipated—yet the golden discs’ momentum didn’t stop, hurtling straight toward his chest!

*Boom!*

In the blink of an eye, a golden *soul* barrier around Zhao Ziyue shattered, followed by a silver one. The golden discs had broken through at least two layers of terrifying defense in that instant.

...The *Heartguard Soul Mirror*. Though not on the level of the *Golden Bastion*, it was indeed a life-saving treasure for Holy Sanctuary disciples—though most disdained using it. After all, not everyone had Old Wang’s thick skin; such items were rarely brought to sparring matches.

The golden discs’ power had weakened, but it was still beyond what the already exhausted Zhao Ziyue could withstand.

*Boom—Splat!*

An arc of blood filled the air as Zhao Ziyue flew backward like a ragdoll, crashing to the ground dozens of meters away.

The arena fell into stunned silence. On the high platform, Zhao Feiyuan sat stunned. He knew Zhao Ziyue’s strength better than anyone—after the Dragon City expedition, his skills had soared, making him worthy of a Top Ten spot. Yet now…

Zhao Ziyue, collapsed on the ground, had already lost consciousness. No announcement was needed—Three-one, Rose had won!

The disciples of Xifeng Holy Sanctuary couldn’t believe their eyes. Some gaped in shock, others cursed in outrage, and a few even broke down in tears. The honor of the Ten Great Holy Sanctuaries was the pride and faith of every Xifeng disciple. Yet today, that pride had been shattered—trampled into the dust by a woman they’d written off as eye candy.

"W-We won?" Winnie stammered at the edge of the field, equal parts shocked and thrilled. Just moments ago, she’d feared for Mapeier’s life—yet this was the outcome.

"Holy shit, that stacked chick’s a beast! Damn!" Aota nearly jumped in excitement.

The Fire God Mountain squad was equally dumbfounded. They’d thought their previous loss to Rose was partly due to holding back—but now, it seemed Rose had been the ones going easy. If a fighter like this hadn’t even stepped into the ring back then, Fire God Mountain might’ve needed body bags...

Everything had gone according to plan. Wang Feng wasn’t particularly surprised by the result—though the people around him seemed a little too excited, giving him the side-eye.

"Calm down, calm down!" Old Wang's face was smiling but trying to stay composed as he said lightly, "It's just Xifeng Holy Sanctuary, all routine operations... no big deal!"

But before he could finish, he was already being lifted and tossed by Kela and Winnie.

"We won! We won!"

………………

Far away in Rose, thousands of miles distant...

It was the morning after the match, just as dawn broke. Below the Potions Academy dormitory, a student yawned as he picked up the first copy of the Holy Sanctuary's Light for the day. He absentmindedly glanced at the front page, then his eyes suddenly widened in shock.

Underdog Rose Unstoppable, Takes Down Xifeng 3-1!

We... we won?

Frankly, Rose wasn't unaware that Old Wang Squad was facing Xifeng Holy Sanctuary yesterday. But given how the Holy Sanctuary's Light usually operates, unless it was urgent news that shook the very foundations of the Holy Sanctuary, they'd typically hold the report for a day. On one hand, important articles had to pass the Holy Sanctuary's review—political clearance—and on the other, it was to ensure synchronization with outlying regions.

Like when they faced the Beastmasters, Fire God Mountain, or Londom, the reports always came a day late. But this time, it was published the very next morning?

The potions student couldn't believe his eyes. He rubbed them hard, then frantically flipped through the first few pages, only to find them filled with reports about yesterday's battle.

'Zhao Ziyue Severely Injured, Ma Suo Badly Wounded, Mortrel Dead! Xifeng Holy Sanctuary Gave Their All Yet Still Suffered Heavy Losses—Just Where Is Underdog Rose's Limit?'

'Rose's Four Deadly Warnings! Don't Flaunt Your Status with Winnie Lee, Don't Let Wang Feng Release Ice Bees, Don't Let Fatso Drink, and Don't Engage Mapeier in a Direct Fight!'

'Infinite Wheel Slash—Deciphering the Secrets of the Golden Wheel in Combat!'

'A New Top Ten Rises—Rose's Underdogs Turn the Tables!'

...News flooded the pages, every article related to yesterday's battle. The potions student's eyes lit up, his entire body trembling with excitement!

Suddenly, he jumped up, bursting with excitement. It was still early morning, yet he yelled at the top of his voice beneath the dormitory: "We won! We beat Xifeng Holy Sanctuary! Three to one! Three to one!"

Lights came on in many rooms, sleepy eyes peering out from half-opened windows.

Truth be told, ever since defeating Londom and setting their sights on Xifeng Holy Sanctuary, the past two weeks had everyone at Rose on edge. Despite Old Wang and the others racking up four straight 3-0 wins before, facing one of the Top Ten Holy Sanctuaries—Xifeng—that legendary, unbeatable reputation engraved in every Rose disciple's heart made it impossible to stay optimistic.

As they say, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. The closer they got to this moment, the more nervous the Rose disciples became. After all, this wasn't just about Rose's honor—it determined the future of every Rose student. Just days ago, some had gotten the dates wrong or nearly gone mad waiting, rambling deliriously. This wasn't the first time it had happened at Rose.

Someone yawned, lazily pulling their blanket tighter in bed: "Jesus, another crazy one..."

"Dude, cut it out. Just yesterday someone was shouting downstairs that we'd beaten Xifeng three to zero, and now you're yelling three to one... Even the fastest news wouldn't have results until tomorrow, for God's sake."

"Is it real? Could it actually be true?"

"Like hell it is! Let people sleep! Have some decency! It's the crack of dawn, and you're screaming like a banshee!"

Curses erupted from the dorms, while others leaned out their windows—some annoyed, some disdainful, some curious or half-doubting.

"Shut the fuck up!" The potions student waved the Holy Sanctuary's Light excitedly, the newspaper rustling loudly in the wind. "Call me a liar and I'll eat this paper! Come see today's Holy Sanctuary's Light yourself!"

The dorm fell silent for a second or two. Some hesitated, some were skeptical, but soon, the slap of slippers pattering downstairs came in waves.

Pattering feet, rustling newspapers. After a brief silence, the place erupted in cheers and whoops.

"Hahaha! We won, we really won!"

"No way, even Zhao Ziyue got wrecked! Only lost one match, and that was because Wu Di got outplayed by their strategy—completely countered!"

"Old Wang didn't even play this time! Unreal, just unreal! Hahaha, three to one! Hell yeah, Old Wang Squad is on fire!"

It wasn’t just the Potions Department that saw today’s special edition of Holy Sanctuary's Light—soon, the Martial Arts Department, the Firearms Department, the Exorcism Department, the Forging Department… the entire Rose Holy Sanctuary’s dormitories exploded with cheers!

Everyone was shouting in exhilaration, runners spreading the news to every corner of Rose Holy Sanctuary.

Rose won, defeating one of the top ten, Western Peak! God! Just imagine the days when they’d wait for news of Luo Lan and his crew getting knocked out in the first round of the Hero Tournament—compared to that, the people of Rose now felt like they were practically in heaven.

"Old Wang Squad rules! Rose Holy Sanctuary rocks!"