"Begin!" Elder Tianâs voice echoed through the arena.
"Please instruct me well, Senior Brother Xiaohu." Qingyi clenched his fists, his body filled with a cloud of electric sparks before he advanced.
Xiaohu responded with a smile, his body surrounded by a sea of burning flames.
âHe also has a movement technique?â Qingyi blinked in surprise.
That kind of technique was rare, usually only inner disciples possessed it. He hadnât expected to see someone with an ability similar to his own.
Unfortunately, he didnât have much time to think about it.
Xiaohuâs body disappeared in an explosion of embers as he ran around Qingyi, his speed no slower than the lightning steps.
The next moment, a fireball appeared in his hand, tearing through the air towards Qingyi.
Qingyi stopped his steps momentarily, feeling a wave of heat hit his face before brandishing his sword.
The Thunderclouds Swordâs blade cut through the fireball, causing the flaming Qi to spread out in sparks that narrowly missed his body, falling a few meters behind and raising a thick curtain of smoke.
Taking advantage of the smoke cover, Qingyi activated his draconic eyes and could clearly see Xiaohu launching a relentless sequence of attacks at him.
"That bastardâs Qi is infinite?" Qingyi grunted, halting his steps and activating the lightning steps.
He launched himself towards Xiaohu while turning his body and swinging the thundercloud sword.
"Youâre fast!" Xiaohu laughed, lowering his body.
Qingyiâs sword passed inches from his back, tearing only a piece of fabric.
"You too," Qingyiâs eyes cooled. "But itâs time to get serious."
Without waiting for an answer, Qingyi activated the lightning steps, channeling all his Qi into his legs.
His body turned into a blur, the Qi of the thundering sword dancing around him as he easily overcame Xiaohuâs movement technique.
"Shit!" Xiaohu tried to dodge, but it was too late.
Qingyiâs sword hit his shoulder and he was thrown violently to the ground.
Qingyi did nothing more, just stepped on Xiaohuâs chest and directed his gaze at Elder Tian.
The disciples reacted with astonished murmurs as they watched the scene.
Xiaohu, the most powerful fire cultivator among the sectâs outer disciples, had been defeated by Qingyi, who was two cultivation levels below and supposedly had far inferior talent.
How could that even be possible?
"Xiaohu loses, Qingyi advances," declared Elder Tian with an approving smile.
Qingyi then returned to Feiyanâs side.
After their second battle, things flowed smoothly.
In his third fight, Qingyi faced a beautiful ice cultivator, but he wasnât fooled by her delicate appearance.
With a precise and powerful kick, he threw her out of the arena without hesitation.
In the fourth battle, he fought against a cultivator wielding a heavy, large axe.
Qingyi dueled with him for long minutes until he managed to drive his sword into his opponentâs belly, ending the fight.
By the time he had reached the fifth battle, he had gained total respect among the sectâs outer disciples.
A young man with no background who had received the golden token, conquered an incomparable beauty and was now successively defeating opponents with a higher cultivation than his.
"I surrender!" The young swordsman in front of Qingyi declared, bowing his head before leaping out of the arena.
He had only gotten this far by luck, facing weak opponents.
It was better not to fight Qingyi now and simply focus on the battle for the last remaining spots after the semi-finals.
Qingyi ignored the young man and just waited for the semi-finals. His eyes briefly met those of Tianming, who had just finished his own battle.
It wasnât long before it was Qingyiâs turn to fight again in his sixth battle.
Her opponent was an ordinary-looking girl of delicate stature, carrying an ornate golden fan.
âAn enchantment arts cultivator...â Qingyi smiled slightly.
He had seen this girl fight before, using a strange pinkish Qi to deceive her male opponentsâ senses and sneak up on them.
"Senior Brother Qingyi, please have mercy," she smiled seductively, revealing her cleavage as she assumed a seemingly fragile position.
âGood tactic... but that wonât work on me.â Qingyi laughed, and the girlâs face distorted in astonishment as he advanced rapidly towards her.
He didnât even draw his sword; the scabbard would suffice.
A crash echoed as he thrust towards her face, hitting one of her cheeks and sending her flying with a few teeth missing from her mouth.
Many male disciples cast angry glances in Qingyiâs direction as they watched the delicate girl being taken to the sectâs medical pavilion.
Didnât that man respect beautiful women?
Returning to the stands, Qingyi exchanged glances with Bao Zhang.
"Then Iâm the cruel one," Bao Zhang shook his head. "At least I had a good reason."
Qingyi laughed at those words. He had indeed been cruel; he could have aimed for the belly or the chest.
Going straight for the face had certainly been merciless.
But he didnât think about it for long, his gaze taking on a cold expression.
"Be careful of Tianming. Heâs promised to kill me, and the mere fact that youâre by my side could make him take aim at you too. Surrendering isnât a bad idea," Qingyi warned Bao Zhang.
"Worry more about yourself, junior brother. I can handle myself," Bao Zhang replied, sprinting towards the arena.
He had seen Tianming fight and, although he wasnât sure of victory, he trusted that he would at least be able to protect his own life against a one-eyed man.
"Are you a friend of Long Qingyiâs?" Tianming asked, his voice calm and composed.
A faint smile took over his cold face, his black robes fluttering as his remaining eye twinkled softly as he stared at Bao Zhang.
"Weâre acquaintances," Bao Zhang replied, taking up a battle stance.
"Good!" Tianmingâs smile intensified, his voice almost animated before changing completely, taking on an icy tone charged with murderous intent. "Itâll be quick, donât worry."
The moment Tianmingâs voice fell silent, Bao Zhangâs eyes went wide.
He seemed to be floating...
Why could he see his own body?