In the next instant, she held the staff firmly with both hands, one in front and one behind, her footsteps suddenly shifting as she exerted force from her waist to twist, a condensed power flowing from the soles of her feet through to the tip of the staff!
She didn't chant any spells but instead, in the manner of a Berserker, swung the staff in a wide arc!
A peerlessly fierce horizontal sweep aimed straight at the shadow that had just appeared!
A Sweep of a Thousand Armies!
This sweep was domineering and absolute, covering all the space behind her!
The pink staff cut through the air, creating a dull wind pressure and a whistle, precisely sealing off all of Li Yue's dodge angles and heading straight for her waist and abdomen!
Li Yue's pupils shrunk to pinpoints in an instant, her brain crashing because of this logic-defying scene!
This priest's reaction speed was not only beyond her understanding, but the staff was taller than the person herself!
And this violent momentum in the swing—where was there even a hint of a caster's fragility!
This was clearly the fierce strike of a Berserker!
In her haste, she couldn't think at all and could only give up on the backstab, her body instinctively tensing its muscles as she crossed the two poisoned daggers in front of her!
"Clang—!"
A deafening metallic explosion resounded throughout the arena!
An irresistible force came from the daggers, splitting the skin between Li Yue's thumb and forefinger and numbing her arms.
Her entire person was directly sent flying by a tyrannical force, her Stealth state forcibly broken, her figure staggering back seven or eight steps before she barely managed to steady herself without falling!
On her face, there was nothing left but pure shock and bewilderment.
This power, this momentum—is this a priest?
And that staff, this pink thing—why could it clash head-on with steel daggers?!
Below the stage, there was a deathly silence.
A second later, the crowd completely boiled over!
"Holy crap! Such a long staff? Wait, why did it sound like metal when the staff and daggers collided?!"
"That move just now! I didn't see it wrong, did I? An assassin was sent flying by a priest in one move?!"
"She had her eyes closed! How did she know the assassin was behind her to the left?"
"The most ridiculous thing is that staff! It's bubbling with pinkness, as cute as a toy, but it hits like a battering ram? What on earth is that!"
In the corner of the system interface that only Celeste could see, lines of prompts flashed by: [joy value +1 +1 +1...]
A flash of surprise also crossed the referee's eyes, clearly not expecting this situation at all.
Li Yue was both shocked and enraged; after steadying herself, her eyes became incredibly sinister.
She completely set aside all contempt, her figure swaying as her daggers swung out in a series of afterimages, actually turning into several clones that pounced on Celeste from different directions!
Assassin skill, [Shadow Clone]!
Celeste stood steadily with her staff, the essence of the Millelith spear technique flowing rapidly through her mind.
Unhurriedly, that pink staff seemed to come alive in her hands, becoming an extension of her arm.
At times, the end of the staff was like a dragon emerging from its cave, precisely shattering the pouncing phantoms one by one.
At times, the staff body was like a mountain range standing across, steadily blocking the lethal thrusts of the main body.
Amidst the whistling wind of the staff, she actually neutralized all of the assassin's swift and eerie attacks, and could even seize fleeting gaps to counterattack fiercely, forcing Li Yue into a frantic retreat.
That skillful staff technique, that steady footwork, that sharp gaze—where was there any trace of a priest left?
"Is... is this really a priest? Did I read the class board wrong?" Someone below the stage couldn't help but rub their eyes, their face full of daze.
"My cousin is a priest; forget about using a staff for melee, he thinks holding a slightly longer staff is too heavy! This one on stage is an anomaly!"
"Look at her footwork! Advancing and retreating with measure, offense and defense in one; she's definitely trained!"
"The best part is that staff. Could this be the legendary 'the pinker the color, the harder the hit'?"
The more Li Yue fought, the more alarmed she became.
The speed and agility she took pride in could not be utilized at all in the face of the opponent's heavy yet skillful staff.
The wind from the staff made her cheeks sting, and every block caused her wrists to ache as if her bones were about to be smashed.
She wanted to get close! Long weapons are most afraid of close-quarters combat!
But Celeste's combat rhythm was controlled perfectly; besides the wide and powerful staff moves, she could always predict Li Yue's dodge routes. That pink staff seemed to have eyes, always suppressing her three steps away!
Li Yue was forced to the edge of the arena by a heavy overhead strike. Seeing she was about to lose, a flash of madness crossed her eyes.
She decided to go all out!
Risking taking a hit, her body twisted at a bizarre angle, her daggers glowing with a ghostly light as she used her trump card skill—[Shadow Strike]!
Her speed suddenly exploded, her whole person turning into a residual shadow difficult to discern with the naked eye, forcibly tearing through the blockade of the staff shadows and pouncing straight into Celeste's arms!
As long as she got close, she would win!
Facing this life-risking strike, Celeste's eyes narrowed, and she raised her hand to cast a spell.
[Veritas: Shield]!
A layer of solid platinum light shield instantly covered her whole body!
Almost at the same moment the shield formed, Li Yue's daggers also arrived!
"Screech! Screech!"
Two piercing friction sounds as the daggers stabbed hard against the shield, stirring up intense energy ripples, but ultimately failing to break the defense!
Now!
Using the opponent's forward momentum, Celeste flipped her wrist, pulling the staff back and then suddenly thrusting it forward!
A simple and powerful Returning Horse Spear!
No, it was a Returning Horse Staff!
"Bang!"
A dull, heavy sound.
That huge red ruby staff head slammed solidly into Li Yue's side waist!
Li Yue's body was like a kite with a broken string, flying out uncontrollably and crashing heavily onto the soft mat outside the arena, her two daggers also flying out of her hands and clattering to the ground.
The entire venue was as silent as the grave.
Then, a clamor more intense than any time before erupted!
"She won?! A priest! Using a staff! Suppressed an assassin from start to finish, and finally swatted her away with one hit?!"
"She even put a shield on herself just now! Such accurate spell pre-reading!"
"So priests can be played like this? I've attained enlightenment!"
The referee was stunned for two seconds before reacting and announcing loudly: "Winner—Celeste!"
Celeste slowly retracted her staff, which dissipated into bits of light in her hand.
Her breathing was steady, as if she had just done a simple warm-up exercise.
She glanced at the dumbfounded audience below and at Li Yue, who was struggling to get up with a face full of self-doubt, her heart feeling no ripples.
[Ding! Task "Don't Bully the Poor Damselette" completed! Reward issued: venti trial card (24 hours) x1, joy value +200!]
In her mind, the system prompt sounded at the right time.
venti trial card?
That's the God of Slacking and Drinking from Teyvat!
A ripple finally appeared in Celeste's heart.
"Sis! You were so cool!" Selene was the first to rush to her side, dancing with excitement.
"You didn't see their expressions, hahaha, they were all stunned! Especially your pink staff, the contrast was amazing!"
At this time, several classmates also gathered around, asking one after another:
"Qingyue, that staff technique you used was so powerful. Is it a family heirloom?"
"When you talked back to Li Yue just now, it was also super cool! Did you know you could beat her all along?"
Celeste looked at the curious gazes around her, her mind racing.
The "Joy System" must never be exposed, and the staff and combat skills also needed a reasonable explanation.
She showed a slightly mysterious smile and spoke vaguely: "This... consider it a fated opportunity. It's not convenient for me to go into details."
This answer obviously couldn't satisfy everyone, but seeing her unwilling to talk more, no one pushed further, though their gazes toward her were filled with a bit of inquiry and curiosity.
Celeste remained calm on the surface, but her mind had already drifted to the newly acquired trial card.
The power of the Anemo Archon... what would it be like?
She had to find a place with no one around to study it properly.