Chapter 215: An Abrupt End
Feng Yangxia was startled.
He seemed to lack combat experience. Though a little flustered, his reaction was swift.
A faint light burst from his body, forming a transparent shield that enveloped him.
This wasn’t some exclusive cultivation technique, but a common defensive one for the Qi Refinement Realm available on the market: the Protective Shield.
The name was brutally simple.
While the Protective Shield was easy to cultivate, only the version for the Qi Refinement Realm was sold on the market.
It was very difficult to find a source to purchase it for the Foundation Establishment Stage and above.
This was a bit of a pitfall for the people of the Yunzhou Continent, who couldn’t learn many cultivation techniques, so most chose not to practice it.
The moment the Protective Shield appeared, it unexpectedly blocked all of Bei Yinning’s attacks.
Only the very last attack caused the Protective Shield to crack, forcing Feng Yangxia to take a step back.
Everyone present was somewhat surprised by Feng Yangxia’s defense.
Fang Shuiguan even said, "To cultivate the Protective Shield to this level is impressive. A shame the thing becomes pretty useless after the Foundation Establishment Stage. Don’t tell me he has a special source for it?"
After all, some cultivation techniques that were impossible to buy were usually exclusive to the Major Sects.
"What’s the use?" A disciple from the Fierce Eagle Sect sneered again. "It’s a waste to cultivate such a useless technique to this level."
Han Tian glanced across the arena. He didn’t need to say a word; the barrage comments were already speaking for him.
[There you are again, always gotta make your presence known!]
[Someone slap him already!]
[Go get ’em, streamer! Bite his head off!]
[The Fierce Eagle Sect acts so much like cannon fodder. I can’t stand it. When are we going to deal with them?]
[Annihilate the Sect!]
[The chat is full of armchair generals. If you were actually in the game and told to fight, you wouldn’t be so eager.]
[The Fierce Eagle Sect’s Master is about to break through to the Nascent Soul Stage. If he succeeds, I’m afraid the Feique Sect will be the first he goes after. Revenge is a dish best served cold. Let’s spare the Fierce Eagle Sect for now!]
[Don’t we have a mole from the Fierce Eagle Sect in our Sect?]
In truth, Han Tian didn’t like the Fierce Eagle Sect either, mainly because of their past actions.
Besides, the Fierce Eagle Sect’s main grudge was with the Feique Sect.
Furthermore, the power gap between their Sect Master and his own side was currently too vast.
’The players knew when to pick their battles. For now, we’ll let the dogs of the Fierce Eagle Sect live!’
Bei Yinning seemed somewhat surprised that Feng Yangxia had managed to block her attack.
The next instant, however, she brought her hands together. The black mist from before transformed into a massive, diamond-shaped cone of black light. It radiated immense pressure in mid-air as it shot straight toward Feng Yangxia.
In the heat of battle, a grave expression appeared on Feng Yangxia’s young face as he raised a hand and summoned his Magic Treasure.
It was a piece of soft armor. The armor expanded, transforming into a stream of light that merged with Feng Yangxia’s body, causing a thin, film-like glow to appear on his skin.
Just then, Bei Yinning’s attack came crashing down.
Fang Guantian exclaimed as he continued his commentary, "Is Feng Yangxia going for a pure defense strategy? All block and no counter?"
The words had barely left his mouth when the cone of black light shot toward Feng Yangxia. It was so fast it was simply impossible to dodge.
The instant the cone of black light struck Feng Yangxia, everyone clearly heard a sharp cracking sound.
At the same time, Feng Yangxia’s expression changed dramatically. He immediately shouted, "I give up! I give up!!"
Bei Yinning immediately ceased her attack.
The cone of black light dissolved into a puff of black smoke and vanished.
"Huh?"
Everyone present was dumbfounded.
No one expected the battle to end so abruptly.
In contrast, the few who had been commentating earlier now had grave expressions.
They weren’t idiots.
Feng Yangxia’s Magic Treasure was clearly Xuan-grade. Yet Bei Yinning, without even using a Magic Treasure of her own, had nearly broken through the soft armor’s defense with just that bizarre cone of black light.
Feng Yangxia had clearly realized the issue.
Xuan-grade Magical Treasures were far too precious for a Qi Refinement Realm disciple. He was afraid his would be destroyed, so he had simply conceded defeat.
’The gap in their power is just too wide!’
Bei Yinning retracted her hand and said faintly, "Thank you for the match, Mr. Feng."
Her voice was cool and resonant. She was indeed a female cultivator.
Dejection appeared on Feng Yangxia’s youthful face. "I’m no match for you at all."
Defensive magic treasures were his specialty. He had others, but if his main one couldn’t even block Bei Yinning’s attack, then there was no point in using his other techniques.
Fang Shuiguan muttered, "Who is this Bei Yinning from the Netherworld Sect? To be so powerful... how have I never heard of her before?"
Honghuang was dumbfounded. He couldn’t help but ask An Xiu, "It’s over already?"
What about the epic battle they had imagined?
They were both at the Late Stage of Qi Refining, so how could it end so quickly?
An Xiu replied, "You idiot. Couldn’t you tell something was off about her attack?"
A defensive magic treasure couldn’t even block a single blow before he was forced to concede. Even if that Xuan-grade treasure was subpar, it shouldn’t have been that weak.
Moreover, Feng Yangxia was a disciple of the Artifact Refining Sect. There was no way he would be using some common, market-grade Xuan-grade Magical Treasure.
The disciples from the other sects had clearly realized this as well, and a hint of fear crept into their gazes as they looked at Bei Yinning.
Even the Steward from the Sea View Sect was surprised.
When the two of them left the stage, Bei Yinning’s face was hidden beneath her hood, her expression unreadable.
Feng Yangxia, on the other hand, was clearly disheartened.
He scratched his head and muttered, "Looks like my senior brother was right. I really need more practice."
Clearly, he wasn’t the type to be crushed by a single loss.
He had truly come just to test his own strength.
The Steward from the Sea View Sect, however, gave Bei Yinning a longer look and suddenly asked, "You used a Magic Treasure from the very beginning?"
Bei Yinning froze.
She turned to face the Steward and simply nodded. "I did."
This was as good as an admission.
She probably didn’t dare to lie, anyway.
Only then did the others have a sudden realization.
’So she used a Magic Treasure right from the start.’
’No wonder her attack was so powerful.’
But the Netherworld Sect’s magic treasures were bizarre. They still hadn’t gotten a clear look at what Bei Yinning’s was.
’But isn’t this Steward kind of a jerk?’
’Why would he just expose someone’s secret weapon like that?’
The Steward said nothing more. He just flicked his sleeve, swiped his hand over the giant stone, and immediately started the next round.
The barrage chat was also stunned.
[Huh, it’s over that fast?]
[Her moves looked pretty awesome, but the ending was so abrupt. I thought it was going to be an evenly matched fight.]
[I guess this just means the power gap between them was too big...]
[Makes sense. Bei Yinning looks much older, so she probably has more combat experience at the Late Stage of Qi Refining. Feng Yangxia is just too young.]
[Wait, that’s not right. Could the gap between two Late-stage Qi Refining disciples really be that huge without magic treasures involved?]
[Oh... so she used a Magic Treasure from the start. That explains it.]
[Wow, that Steward from the Sea View Sect is a real piece of work. Why would he expose her trump card like that?]
Of course, there was no time to dwell on it, as the next fight began almost immediately.
Moreover, it was a battle between members of the Longevity Sect.
Names appeared on the giant stone.
’Feique Sect’s Zhang Sheng - Luomei Sect’s Xue Xihe’.
The Longevity Sect was still nominally a vassal of the Feique Sect and was using their tournament slots, so it wasn’t wrong to list him as a disciple of the Feique Sect.
Besides, no one was going to get pedantic about it.
As for the Luomei Sect, Han Tian glanced over and saw a cultivator standing next to Fang Shuiguan step forward.