Chapter 528 - 181: Top 10 (3)
’If it really came to that,’ he thought, ’forget the Divine Flame Fruit—I might not even be able to protect my own future.’
Chu Yunhai strode toward Fushan Square, his brow furrowed in thought. ’Yuwen Mingjue wants me to "teach" Yang Jing a lesson, but I have to figure out exactly how far to take it. I definitely can’t injure him severely; that’s a line I absolutely can’t cross. But if I just defeat him without any real show of punishment, Yuwen Mingjue won’t be pleased. I can’t risk anything happening to that Divine Flame Fruit. I’m sure he wouldn’t dare cross me, but what if he has a moment of madness? Teaching Yang Jing a lesson should be a simple affair; there’s no need to invite further trouble.’
Frowning, Chu Yunhai’s fingertips traced the Jade Pendant at his waist as he mulled over the right balance to strike.
’I have to show Yuwen Mingjue what I’m capable of, but without genuinely angering Peak Master Lingxi. It’s a fine line to walk.’
...
Meanwhile, Yang Jing had already hurried back to Fushan Square.
The disciples he passed from the various peaks all stopped in their tracks at the sight of him. With looks of awe, they stepped aside, clearing a wide path for him.
His one-move victories over Huang Chao and Hu Luoluo in the arena were still fresh in everyone’s minds.
Ordinary disciples at the Peak of the Inner Strength Realm were as helpless as children before a Qi Eating Realm master like Yang Jing. The massive gap in their cultivation levels left all the other Inner Strength Disciples feeling deeply unsettled.
Yang Jing strode through the crowd and went straight to the area where the Lingxi Peak disciples were gathered, rejoining Fang He, Yan Chenglong, and the others.
Seeing him return, Fang He came forward with a smile. "Junior Brother Yang, you’re back! The forty-ninth match is on now. Junior Brother Lin is up next."
Yang Jing followed his gaze to the stage, where a male and a female disciple, both at the Peak of the Inner Strength Realm, were locked in a fierce bout.
The male disciple wielded a jet-black whip. It danced through the air like a striking serpent, each lash aimed at a vital point.
The female disciple, on the other hand, was bare-fisted. Her palm strikes were sharp and her movements agile. They were evenly matched, trading blows in a deadlocked struggle.
The disciples below the stage watched with rapt attention, occasionally bursting into cheers.
After an exchange of nearly a hundred moves, a victor finally emerged. Spotting an opening, the female disciple closed the distance and landed a palm strike on the man’s back, sending him flying off the stage.
Yang Jing nodded slightly, a glimmer of understanding in his eyes.
’The two were actually very evenly matched,’ he thought. ’The female disciple’s strategy was the key to her victory. From the very beginning, she stayed in close, never giving him the chance to create distance. He couldn’t swing his long whip properly, robbing him of its main advantage. That’s how she won.’
Just then, Main Peak Steward Xue Kun strode onto the stage and announced loudly, "Match forty-nine, the winner is disciple Xu Yan’Er of Yunxi Peak!"
He then glanced at the roster in his hand and continued to announce, "Match fifty! Disciple Lin Ziheng of Lingxi Peak versus disciple Zhao Jian of Thunder Peak!"
Upon hearing his name, Lin Ziheng took a deep breath. The relaxed look on his face vanished, replaced by a solemn expression.
He clenched his fists, walked to the foot of the stage, and leaped, landing steadily on the platform.
At the same time, from another corner of the square, Inner Sect Disciple Zhao Jian of Thunder Peak ascended the stage in a blur of motion.
Zhao Jian was thin and wiry, but his eyes held a sharp gleam. His hands were slightly curled, fingertips emitting a faint, cold glint—a clear sign that he practiced a vicious claw technique.
Yang Jing, Fang He, Ma Qiang, Yan Chenglong, Zhang Hengyi, and Zhao Xuexiang all fixed their gazes on the stage.
At this stage of the competition, the combatants were all more or less evenly matched. No one had a guaranteed victory.
Defeating an opponent and advancing to the next round came down to performance under pressure and whatever trump cards each fighter had hidden up their sleeve.
After the two opponents exchanged salutes, Xue Kun gave the signal, and the match began.
Lin Ziheng was the first to strike. He unleashed a ferocious boxing style, his fists whistling through the air, each blow infused with Inner Strength as he launched a fierce assault on Zhao Jian.
Zhao Jian remained calm and unhurried. His hands became sharp claws, parrying one moment and counter-attacking the next. His technique was insidious and brutal, each strike targeting one of Lin Ziheng’s vital acupoints.
Initially, they were evenly matched, trading blows back and forth. The force of their attacks sent gusts of wind howling across the stage, dazzling the spectators below.
Just when the crowd thought the fight would remain a stalemate, Lin Ziheng’s footwork suddenly changed. He executed a Body Technique, his speed instantly multiplying as he moved across the stage like a phantom.
Yang Jing and the others looked on in surprise.
Fang He couldn’t help but grin. "I didn’t expect Junior Brother Lin to have a trick like this up his sleeve. He’s even trained in a Body Technique! And by the looks of it, he’s already broken through to the transformation stage with it."
Yang Jing nodded. A flicker of surprise crossed his face, but it quickly gave way to understanding.
’After all, the sect is full of hidden masters. Everyone has their own lucky breaks and trump cards. It’s not surprising that for Lin Ziheng to have made it this far, he’d have an ace in the hole.’
As expected, with the advantage of his Body Technique, Lin Ziheng gained the upper hand, and his attacks grew even more ferocious.
Overwhelmed by Lin Ziheng’s speed, Zhao Jian was gradually forced onto the defensive, struggling even to parry the blows.
A moment later, Lin Ziheng found an opening and slammed a fist into Zhao Jian’s shoulder. The blow sent Zhao Jian stumbling back several steps into the railing. Left with no alternative, he conceded defeat.