Unsurprisingly, eight of the top ten slots in the resurrection matches were swept by disciples of the Five Great Sects. Among them was even an inner disciple from Ten Thousand Beast Mountain at the Mid Golden Core stage, who had likely encountered Ji Xuerou while gathering points.
The second round of the competition was about to begin.
Under the guidance of Xia Lingshuang and Sun Elder, Wu Yan and the others returned to the Piaomiao Sect’s preparation area.
The floating Martial Arts Platform was still surrounded by a sea of spectators, their shouts and cheers filled with anticipation. The second round was a drawing-based arena tournament, so the audience was even larger than in the first round. After all, no one wanted to miss the chance to see the various Heavens’ Favorites engage in life-and-death duels.
“Su Qianqian, you are a disciple of Medicine Peak, and your offensive methods are somewhat lacking. Therefore, I will give you some offensive talismans to ensure you have a chance to fight if you encounter a powerful enemy.”
Sun Elder was writing and drawing in a small notebook.
“As for the others, everyone will be equipped with one Golden Light Protection Talisman and one Ice Condensing Talisman.”
After the six of them received the talismans from Sun Elder, they returned to their seats to wait for the opening of the competition. Accompanied by a *whoosh* of breaking air, a massive wheel fell from the sky and landed directly in the center of the Martial Arts Platform.
“This round will be conducted as a drawing-based duel.” The host was still the Sect Master of the Taiqing Sect. “This drawing will follow the rule of high-ranking seeds drawing low-ranking seeds, based on the rankings from the first round.”
“Additionally, since fifty-one players advanced in both the Golden Core and Foundation Establishment groups, one player from each group will be drawn to receive a bye and proceed directly to the next round of drawings.”
“Now, let the matches begin!”
As the announcement fell, the wheel in the center of the Martial Arts Platform began to spin rapidly, finally stopping on a name.
Liuyun Sect, Zhao Lingfeng.
Then the wheel spun again, stopping on a name familiar to Wu Yan.
Piaomiao Sect, Zhao Wuji.
‘I didn’t expect the Piaomiao Sect to lead the first match of the second round,’ Wu Yan thought as she watched Zhao Wuji walk toward the arena.
She had a deep impression of Zhao Wuji. During the previous Sect Grand Competition, both his cultivation and that Myriad Swords Return to Origin technique of his had put considerable pressure on her. Moreover, his cultivation was at the Mid Golden Core stage, which definitely counted as an above-average combat power in this Five Sects Tournament.
On the stage, the two opponents had already begun their confrontation.
On the left, Zhao Lingfeng of the Liuyun Sect was dressed in green robes, holding a folding fan and wearing a jade pendant at his waist, exuding the air of a noble young master.
Standing across from him, Zhao Wuji wore the plain-colored disciple uniform of the Piaomiao Sect. Although the clothes were simple, they were neatly pressed and straight, with the cuffs bound meticulously. He had a resolute face and regular features. Standing there, he looked like a tall, straight pine tree, radiating an extremely upright and disciplined aura.
The sword at his waist was completely different from the one he had used when competing against Wu Yan. It was a silver-white longsword. The blade was sharp and the Spirit Chi was restrained; it was clearly a high-quality spirit tool. It seemed he had made ample preparations for this tournament.
“Fellow Daoist Zhao.”
Snap!
Zhao Lingfeng opened his folding fan with a flick of his wrist, his tone full of superiority. “For the sake of us sharing the same surname, I don’t want to hurt you. Be honest and withdraw on your own. Otherwise, if you’re defeated without even touching the corner of my clothes, I’m afraid you’ll lose a lot of face.”
Compared to Zhao Lingfeng’s arrogance, Zhao Wuji appeared much steadier. Perhaps his previous battle with Wu Yan had left such a deep impression that he no longer looked down on any opponent, regardless of who they were.
“Please advise,” he said in a low voice, his hand gripping the hilt of his sword.
“Hmph, putting on an act!”
Zhao Wuji’s polite and stable manner made Zhao Lingfeng’s previous behavior look crude. The latter snorted coldly and snapped his fan shut.
“Since you want to be a target, I’ll fulfill your wish!”
Before he had even finished speaking, Zhao Lingfeng’s figure suddenly vanished from the spot.
One, two, five… In the blink of an eye, a full eight Zhao Lingfengs appeared simultaneously around Zhao Wuji. Some struck downward with fans, while others hid blades in their sleeves. Every movement was incredibly lifelike, making it impossible to distinguish the real from the fake.
Such a miraculous scene drew continuous cries of surprise from the audience.
“Is… is this an afterimage?”
“Idiot! It’s just because his speed is too fast that he’s creating residual images.”
Faced with Zhao Lingfeng’s offensive, Zhao Wuji did not even move his feet.
“Is it over here? No! Is it from above? No! It’s on your left!”
“Too slow! Too slow! Can you even keep up with my speed?” Zhao Lingfeng’s mocking words rang in Zhao Wuji’s ears.
At that same moment, all the Zhao Lingfengs moved. Attacks rained down on Zhao Wuji from all directions.
In the midst of this chaotic offensive, Zhao Lingfeng’s true body had actually used the momentum to quietly slip into the blind spot behind Zhao Wuji.
“It’s over!”
Zhao Lingfeng struck toward Zhao Wuji’s shoulder pressure point. If this strike connected, half of Zhao Wuji’s body would instantly go numb, his sword hand would lose its strength, and Zhao Lingfeng would follow up with a kick to knock him off the stage.
However, just as the folding fan was about to touch his shoulder, the statue-like Zhao Wuji moved. He did not dodge; instead, he made an extremely simple movement.
He dropped his shoulder, twisted his waist, and swept.
Accompanied by the explosive power of the unity of his stance and waist, the longsword in his hand slashed directly behind him. In that instant, it felt as if the air was being compressed and exploded by the sword strike. A terrifying, invisible pressure erupted outward from Zhao Wuji’s body as the axis.
“What?!”
The smile on Zhao Lingfeng’s face froze. He felt as if he were not facing a person, but a mountain. That overwhelming wave of air did not bother with techniques; it simply slammed into him with brute force.
Immediately afterward, Zhao Lingfeng was swept up by the air current. Completely unable to control his body, he flew backward.
“Ugh!”
He let out a muffled groan as his protective Spirit Chi surged violently. Zhao Lingfeng flipped in the air and finally landed on his feet, but due to the momentum, he staggered back another seven or eight steps before he could barely steady himself. By then, he had already been knocked off the Martial Arts Platform.
“Huh? How did he know Zhao Lingfeng was behind him?”
“That sword strike was so cool! I want to learn that too!”
“This Zhao Wuji has some skill. Both his cultivation and his ability to find opportunities in battle are quite outstanding. He might be a formidable enemy!”
Discussions and exclamations continued to rise from the audience and the viewing area.
On the stage, Zhao Wuji slowly sheathed his sword. He turned around, cupped his hands toward Zhao Lingfeng below the stage, and said in a steady tone, “Junior Brother Zhao, thank you for the match.”
Zhao Lingfeng’s face instantly turned red, looking as if he might burst into a curse the next second. But in the end, reason triumphed over impulse. He had already lost the match; if he lost his dignity as well, he wouldn’t be able to show his face in public again.
“I have learned much. Senior Brother Zhao’s cultivation is profound. I lost.”
“Piaomiao Sect, Zhao Wuji, wins!”
As the referee made the announcement, thunderous applause erupted from the crowd.
—
At the Piaomiao Sect’s seats, Su Qianqian jumped up in excitement, clapping loudly. “Senior Brother Zhao is so cool!”
Compared to the match against Wu Yan, Zhao Wuji’s sword had undoubtedly become even steadier.
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