Chapter 408 - 150: Astounding Skills 2
The words were another sharp slap across Li Shi Yu’s face.
He hung his head even lower, his face so red it looked as if it might start bleeding.
Just then, the Main Peak Steward stepped onto the Cyan Qilin Platform. His gaze swept over the crowd below as he announced loudly, "First match: Yuwen Mingjue of Yunxi Peak is victorious!"
As his voice fell, applause erupted around the Cyan Qilin Platform, punctuated by the cheers of the Yunxi Peak disciples.
Hearing this, Yuwen Mingjue turned and walked off the platform.
One after another, matches unfolded on the Cyan Qilin Platform.
The disciples on the platform were all elites among the Inner Sect Disciples who had reached the Inner Strength level. They typically trained in solitude on their respective peaks, so this was a rare opportunity for them to compete.
Now, they unleashed every technique in their arsenals. Fists whistled through the air, palms became blurs of motion, and the crisp clang of colliding weapons rang out from time to time. The spectating disciples below watched with rapt attention, breaking into cheers every so often.
Standing in the ranks of Lingxi Peak, Yang Jing watched with exceptional focus.
His eyes were locked on the Cyan Qilin Platform, scrutinizing every disciple’s attack patterns, power generation techniques, and weaknesses in their Body Techniques. He paid special attention to the higher-ranked experts, committing their details to memory.
Any one of them could be his next opponent.
He was so engrossed that his fingertips unconsciously mimicked the movements of the disciples on the platform.
Without realizing it, he felt the Inner Strength in his body flowing more smoothly. The Mountain-Breaking Seal, which had felt somewhat obscure before, now felt faintly more under his control. The transitions between his moves had also become much more practiced.
A thought crossed his mind.
The panel materialized, clearly displaying his progress in various martial arts.
[Mountain-Breaking Seal: Initiate (127/500)]
[Mountain-Shattering Fist: Perfection (2000/2000)]
[Thunderous Leg: Perfection (1750/2000)]
[Indestructible True Skill: Perfection (1502/2000)]
Yang Jing was pleasantly surprised. Lost in his analysis of the martial arts, he had mentally tried to integrate some of the better techniques into his Mountain-Breaking Seal. He hadn’t expected it to actually increase his cultivation progress for the Mountain-Breaking Seal by two points.
’Excellent!’
Yang Jing rejoiced inwardly and continued to observe the martial arts styles of each disciple who took the stage, trying to see if he could incorporate any impressive elements into his own Mountain-Breaking Seal.
...
Match after match began and ended. The victors advanced, while the defeated left the stage in dismay.
The first several matches held almost no suspense.
After all, the rules dictated that the highest-ranked would face the lowest-ranked. The top disciples naturally overwhelmed their opponents, most of them securing an easy victory within ten moves.
However, whether they were holding back or simply lacked the ability, no one else managed to replicate Yuwen Mingjue’s overwhelming victory by knocking their opponent off the platform with a single punch.
Soon, it was time for the Lingxi Peak disciples to compete.
"Ranked eleventh, Chen Xuexiang of Lingxi Peak, versus ranked twenty-sixth, Zhao Yun of Thunder Peak!"
Chen Xuexiang stepped onto the platform at the call. His Body Technique was as agile and ghostly as ever, his legs a blur as swift as a gale, with every strike aimed at his opponent’s vitals.
The disciple from Thunder Peak was skilled with a rod, creating a defense so dense with shadows of his weapon that it seemed impenetrable. Nevertheless, he was constantly suppressed by Chen Xuexiang’s leg techniques.
After about a few dozen moves, Chen Xuexiang spotted an opening. A spinning side kick slammed viciously into his opponent’s wrist, sending the Iron Rod flying from his grasp. With that, he smoothly secured the victory and advanced to the top eighteen.
After the twelfth match ended, it was Zhang Hengyi’s turn.
"Ranked thirteenth, Zhang Hengyi of Lingxi Peak, versus ranked twenty-fourth, Lin Kun of Zhenyue Peak!"
Zhang Hengyi’s fighting style was steady and ferocious. His iron fists were heavy and powerful, and with each punch, his Inner Strength-laced fists tore through the air with a whoosh.
The disciple from Zhenyue Peak specialized in Horizontal Training Skills and possessed a formidable physique, but he was steadily forced back under the might of Zhang Hengyi’s fists.
A few dozen moves later, Zhang Hengyi landed a devastatingly powerful Beng Fist on his opponent’s chest, forcing him to concede. He, too, smoothly advanced to the top eighteen.
Yang Jing watched their performances and nodded slightly.
Their strength was indeed impressive; they were considered top-tier among the Inner Strength Disciples of Lingxi Peak.
’But I know that with their current strength, the top eighteen is likely as far as they’ll go. The opponents in the next round will only be stronger, and their chances of advancing to the top eight are slim to none.’
After all, those were the rules of the Cyan Qilin Battle—only the top three would receive the sect’s generous rewards.
Stopping at the top eighteen or top eight earned you little more than some fame; there were almost no tangible benefits.
If not for the opportunity to temper oneself through real combat and improve one’s martial arts mastery, participating in the Cyan Qilin Battle didn’t hold much meaning.
Another three matches passed in quick succession, and the fighting on the Cyan Qilin Platform grew even more intense.
Yang Jing remained completely focused, his eyes fixed on the stage without blinking, committing every exquisite technique and perilous struggle to memory.
Observing these experts in real combat was beneficial for his own cultivation. Not only did it broaden his horizons, but it also allowed him to absorb their experience and apply it to his own martial arts, which was a great boon for his growth.
As the competition heated up, the battles on the Cyan Qilin Platform became increasingly deadlocked.
Due to the rule of matching the highest-ranked against the lowest, the further the tournament progressed, the smaller the gap in ranking between opponents became, and the closer they were in strength.
It was no longer a series of one-sided stomps, but contests between evenly matched opponents. Fights often lasted for dozens, or even over a hundred, moves before a winner could be decided.
The cheers from the crowd grew louder, and the atmosphere became more and more fervent.
Just then, the Main Peak Steward ascended the Cyan Qilin Platform again. He cleared his throat and announced in a resonant voice, "Next match—ranked seventeenth, Yang Jing of Lingxi Peak! Versus ranked twentieth, Zhang Han of Fen Yang Peak!"