Chapter 234: Ye Lingling’s Thoughts
On the arena stage.
Jiang Li’er clapped her hands together and cast a glance at Tang San, who was lying on the ground.
Then, she turned her head to look at Liu Fanghua and the others.
Startled, Liu Fanghua and her companions’ expressions changed instantly, and they hurriedly retreated.
You’ve already beaten Tang San; surely you can’t beat us up too!
Liu Fanghua took a deep breath, striving to steady her nerves.
She looked at Jiang Li’er, her voice trembling: "We... concede."
The referee, who had been waiting for this moment for a long time, finally raised his flag: "The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect—victorious!"
...
In the spectator stands.
Ning Fengzhi sat in his chair, his face ashen.
His hands gripped his cane tightly, his knuckles turning white.
In this team battle, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect had not only been utterly crushed but had also lost every shred of face.
He took a deep breath, suppressing the fury raging within his heart.
...
At the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect’s seating area.
Jiang Li’er skipped back, bouncing with energy and looking utterly triumphant: "Well? How was that? Wasn’t I amazing?"
Jiang Bai smiled, reaching out to ruffle her hair: "Amazing. Truly amazing."
Jiang Li’er narrowed her eyes, looking just like a kitten being stroked affectionately.
Shui Bing’er and Ye Lingling walked back and took their seats in the second row.
Shui Bing’er’s eyes were filled with longing and aspiration.
A Titled Douluo...
She thought to herself in silent awe.
Ye Lingling remained silent.
Yet, her heart was far from calm.
I want to become strong, too... I want to fight on my own...
She thought silently to herself.
Sigh... What a pity. The Nine Hearts Begonia can only heal—granting the power of life to others.
If only... if only it could also drain the life force from an opponent...
The thought flashed through her mind, but she was immediately startled by her own sudden impulse.
What am I thinking?
She hurriedly suppressed the thought.
Yet, deep within her Sea of Spirit, the Nine Hearts Begonia continued to flicker and glow with a faint, ethereal light.
Bi Ji sat nearby, offering a gentle, serene smile. The Ice Emperor crossed her arms over her chest and gave a disdainful snort: "What are you so smug about? You’re nothing special."
Jiang Li’er immediately widened her eyes: "What do you mean, ’nothing special’?! I’m clearly incredibly powerful, thank you very much!"
The Ice Emperor curled her lips in a slight sneer but offered no verbal reply.
The Snow Emperor remained as cool and aloof as ever, yet the corners of her lips curved upward ever so slightly.
...
The competition continued.
In the subsequent team battles, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan faced off against the Black Tiger Sect.
Yu Luomian personally led his team, crushing their opponents with sheer, overwhelming power.
The Elephant Armored Sect went up against the Wind Sword Sect and likewise secured an effortless victory.
The Fire Leopard Sect faced...
...
Three days later.
The team battles concluded.
Ultimately, seven sects advanced to the final "Battle of the Strongest"—the stage that would determine the ultimate ranking of the sects.
The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, the Elephant Armored Sect, the Black Tiger Sect, the Fire Leopard Sect, and the Rock Antelope Sect.
The Wind Sword Sect, the White Tiger Sect, and the Wasp Sect—having failed to earn any points in the first stage and failing to secure a victory in this second stage—were eliminated outright and disqualified from participating in the Battle of the Strongest.
Another three-day recess followed.
...
Three days later.
The final Battle of the Strongest began.
The morning sunlight spilled across the competition arena, illuminating the entire Soul Fighting Colosseum as brightly as if it were high noon.
The stands were packed to capacity, with tens of thousands of spectators leaning forward in eager anticipation.
Today marked the final showdown.
The ultimate battle that would determine the rankings of the "Upper Three Sects" and the "Lower Four Sects."
The atmosphere was even more tense—and far more solemn—than it had been in the preceding days.
The Sect Masters and Elders from every participating sect were present in person.
Ning Fengzhi and the Sword Douluo, Chen Xin, sat in the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect’s designated seats, their expressions calm and composed.
Yet, within Ning Fengzhi’s eyes, a complex glint flickered.
Yu Yuanzhen sat in the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan’s section; his hair and beard were pure white, and he exuded an aura of commanding authority without needing to display any anger.
His gaze settled upon the seats occupied by the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
Jiang Bai sat there, his demeanor utterly serene.
Jiang Li’er sat beside him, her crimson eyes brimming with eager anticipation.
...
The rules governing the Battle of the Strongest were even more intricate than those of the previous two stages.
This stage of the competition does not utilize a standard bracket system; instead, it employs a "Ring Defense Challenge" format to determine the final standings, thereby establishing the rankings for both the "Upper Three Sects" and the "Lower Four Sects."
As the "Battle of the Strong" commences, each of the seven sects dispatches a representative to step forward and draw lots.
Within the lot-drawing cylinder, there resides but a single lot designating the "First-Round Defender."
The sect whose representative draws this lot immediately ascends the stage to become the initial defending sect, taking up their position at the very center of the arena.
The remaining six sects assume the role of "Challengers."
They are not bound by a rigid sequence; rather, they may exercise their own discretion regarding the timing of their moves, each dispatching one of their sect’s elite experts to step onto the stage and issue a challenge.
On the arena floor, the defending sect holds its ground, ready to face the experts sent by the challenging sects.
The entire process adheres to a "one-on-one, single-match elimination" rule; every bout must yield a decisive outcome, with no possibility of a draw.
Victory in these duels is determined solely by strength.
A win is awarded to any combatant who renders their opponent incapable of continuing the fight, compels them to voluntarily concede, or—in accordance with the rules—successfully knocks them down.
Conversely, should any participant commit a rule infraction, deliberately disrupt the proceedings, or abandon the match and leave the arena without valid cause, they shall be immediately ruled a loser by default. They must promptly withdraw from the stage and are barred from participating in any remaining challenges within that specific round.
Once the outcome of a specific duel has been decided: if the defending sect prevails, they retain their position on the stage, awaiting the arrival of the next challenger. If the challenging sect emerges victorious, they immediately assume the role of the defender, becoming the new defending sect.
The former defending sect then withdraws from the stage to join the ranks of the challengers, thereby becoming eligible to participate in any subsequent challenges.
This Ring Defense Tournament will consist of a total of three complete cycles of challenges.
Within each cycle, all six challenging sects are required to step forward and complete one challenge attempt in turn. Only after all three cycles have been fully concluded will the total points accumulated by each sect be tallied. These point totals serve as the primary criterion for determining the final rankings.
The point-scoring system is as follows:
Successfully defending the ring earns the sect two points.
Successfully winning a match while acting as a challenger earns the sect three points.
Suffering a defeat while acting as a challenger still earns the sect one point.
However, if a participant is ruled a loser by default due to a rule infraction or voluntary withdrawal, their sect receives absolutely no points whatsoever. With the three rounds of competition concluded and the total points for each sect tallied, the sects were ranked according to their scores.
The three sects with the highest total points would automatically ascend to the ranks of the "Upper Three Sects."
Conversely, the four sects with the lowest scores would be relegated to the "Lower Four Sects" tier, where their specific rankings would subsequently be determined.
Throughout the venue, a buzz of discussion arose.
"This rule doesn’t seem very fair to the defenders. A successful defense only earns two points, yet a successful challenge is worth three?"
"True, but the defending sect can hold the stage consecutively, allowing them to accumulate points over time. A challenging sect, on the other hand, gets only one shot."
"Besides, if a defending sect is strong enough, they could theoretically hold the stage indefinitely—and they certainly wouldn’t end up with a meager point total."
"Ultimately, it all comes down to raw strength."
The murmurs of conversation rose and fell across the crowd.
...
The drawing of lots began.
Representatives from each sect stepped forward to approach the main platform.
Jiang Bai rose from his seat, preparing to head up to the stage.
Jiang Li’er immediately spoke up: "I’ll go! Let me do it!"
Jiang Bai cast a glance at her: "Right now, the people going up there are almost exclusively Sect Masters. You aren’t a Sect Master, so what business do you have going up there?"
Jiang Li’er pouted: "But I was the one who drew the lots the last two times, and I had such good luck! Let me do it this time, too!"
Jiang Bai chuckled: "Alright, alright. Go ahead—you go do it."
Jiang Li’er grinned playfully and once again took flight, soaring up to the platform.
The group of Sect Masters who were making their way up on foot: "..."
Her again?!
Jiang Li’er paid them no mind.
She reached out her hand and plucked a slip of paper from the drawing cylinder.
She unfolded it and took a look.
A First-Round Challenge Slip!
Her eyes instantly lit up with excitement.
"Jiang Bai! Jiang Bai! I drew a First-Round Challenge Slip!"
She happily flew back to Jiang Bai’s side, holding the slip of paper right up to his face.
Jiang Bai glanced at it and smiled: "Mm, nice luck."
Jiang Li’er puffed out her chest proudly: "Of course! Just look at who was the one doing the drawing!"
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