Wu Jian's haughty chuckle echoed in the air, "You've sealed your own fate. You dared to challenge a tiger, and now you'll pay the price. You'll regret ever crossing swords with me!"

The Primordial Abyss Sword in Wu Li's hand glowed with a dazzling light, gathering Qi at its tip. The energy emanating from his sword was suffocating, filled with a chilling killing intent. Everyone could sense the imminent danger and knew that Wu Li was unleashing his deadliest move.

With a sneer, the arrogant Wu Jian was eager to meet Wu Li's strongest attack head-on with his own sword!

The Elders were unable to react as the two clashed swords because all of this happened too fast. Wu Li emerged as the clear victor, but Wu Jian had a trick up his sleeve - a pill that enhanced his strength.

"Wu Jian, stop this now!" cried the Eighth Elder, his voice filled with anger. "If you kill Wu Li, you and your family will be outcasts of this clan," warned the Eighth Elder, his voice cold and firm.

Despite his words, he had no plans to act.

"I'll do what I please," sneered Wu Jian, ignoring the warning.

Some elders who had cultivated to the early or middle Core Formation Realm tried to reach the arena, but they were too late.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Their swords collided with a deafening boom. Dust and debris flew in all directions, obscuring the arena from view. The spectators held their breaths, wondering who would emerge victorious from the dust.

"Did Wu Li die?" wondered some onlookers, hoping for his success. Others, however, wished for his downfall, still jealous of his unexpected triumph in the tournament.

Meanwhile, in the Jade Room...

The Extreme Jade Sword Sect's outer disciples knew a myriad of techniques. They were only ordinary disciples, but their techniques surpassed those of the Wu Clan's Elders.

Liu Shizi's eyes popped out in astonishment. "Wu Li's sword technique must be a greater Earth Grade technique. I never thought I would see such a skill in this back-water place. I didn't think that your Wu Clan has techniques of this level!"

The Third Elder and the First Elder looked at each other in confusion, unsure of how to respond to Liu Shizi's unexpected praise.

"Techniques like this are not something our Wu Clan possesses," the First Elder responded quickly.

Chen Yu's eyes lit up with a realization. He thought, "Wu Li must have inherited this technique from a great master. If we recruit him, he might be willing to share it with the sect in exchange for contribution points. Brother Liu and I could also benefit from this."

Wu Yang remained unfazed, knowing that Wu Li's ring grandpa was a powerful cultivator. His confidence in Wu Li's abilities only grew stronger.

Meanwhile, back in the arena…

As the dust settled in the arena, the result of the battle became clear within a few breaths. Wu Li had emerged victorious once again!

Unable to contain his astonishment, one of the Elders let out a string of profanities, "Damn! What kind of technique was that? To obliterate Wu Jian after just one exchange!"

Another Elder chimed in, equally puzzled, "When did our Wu Clan acquire another Earth Grade technique? Why was I never informed of this before?"

Their Wu Clan had accumulated numerous techniques since many families joined them over the past few centuries, but their foundation was still the Ancient Wind Venerable Secret Art.

The victorious Wu Li stood in the arena, looking lost in thought while clutching his pitch-black sword with a death grip. Suddenly, he collapsed like a sack of potatoes. His face hit the ground with a resounding thud, and he lay there motionless.

Liang Xia, the old man, was surprised by Wu Li's mastery of the Imperial Firmament Strike, which was at the peak of Rudimentary Understanding. He was pleased because the more skilled Wu Li was, the sooner he would be able to rebuild his body.

As the crowd continued to chatter, fascinated by Wu Li's abilities, the time it takes an incense stick to burn passed by.

This time, no one dared to trouble him, as Wu Jian had attempted to kill him and had broken the tournament rules by taking the Heart Igniting Strengthening Pill.

While Wu Li had faced public backlash in his previous match, this time his actions were entirely justified.

Since Wu Li fainted, the First Elder made sure that he is taken from the stage and treated properly in case he suffered any injuries.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

While Wu Li was being taken care of, Wu Kang's face turned red with anger. He was eager to get his revenge on Wu Li, but he knew that he couldn't act recklessly yet. Wu Quanyan's plan had failed miserably as they underestimated Wu Li's hidden abilities.

The grandfather and grandson duo were astonished to find out that Wu Li had more tricks up his sleeve. Who could have predicted that?

After witnessing Wu Li's powerful technique, Wu Quanyan had second thoughts about targeting him again. Being a late stage Core Formation expert, his sharp vision allowed him to recognize the uniqueness of the Imperial Firmament Strike, and he even wished he could learn it himself.

Wu Bailian, on the other hand, bit her lip so hard that it started to bleed, giving her a pitiful appearance. "Damn it! This trash regained some of his cultivation base and his battle prowess has increased. But there's still Wu Kang to help me. I don't have to worry, and if Wu Li regains his peak, I can always try to win back his trust," she thought.

The next day's fights were announced by the beautiful host, Li Xuefeng. With five competitors left, one of them was chosen by luck to pass on to the next round. And as fate would have it, Wu Li was the lucky one.

As the sounds of the crowd outside gradually faded, Wu Kang and Wu Bailian found themselves alone in the room, basking in the afterglow of their passion. Wu Kang wrapped his arms around Wu Bailian, holding her close as he gazed into her eyes.

But as he looked at her, he noticed a flicker of worry that marred her otherwise perfect features. Concerned, he asked, "Junior Sister, is something troubling you?"

Wu Bailian nodded, then bit her lip before speaking. "It's Wu Li," she said. "I'm worried that because of him, I won't be able to join the Extreme Jade Sword Sect. And if I can't join... we'll be split up..."

Her voice trailed off, and Wu Kang could see tears glistening in her eyes.

Wu Kang's eyes darkened with anger as he saw the distress in Wu Bailian's eyes. He quickly reassured her, "Don't worry, Junior Sister. I'll make sure you get into the Extreme Jade Sword Sect. Tomorrow, just focus on winning your fight. Wu Li has already advanced to the next round, so you won't have to face him. The day after tomorrow will be Wu Li's last day!"

Wu Bailian's eyes widened in surprise at Wu Kang's words, but she nodded slowly, grateful for his support. The final round had three competitors, and each would fight against the others once. The winners would then be determined based on their records.

Wu Kang's plan was simple yet effective: if Wu Bailian lost to Wu Li, it didn't matter since Wu Kang would kill him in the next match. With Wu Li out of the way, Wu Bailian would automatically qualify for the sect. The deviousness of the plan made Wu Bailian shudder, but she knew it was necessary to achieve their goals.

As the sun rose, the anticipation for the final round grew. Although the matches for the day were predictable with Wu Bailian and Wu Kang securing their spots alongside Wu Li, the excitement for the impending showdown could not be contained.

As the day drew to a close, Wu Kang and his grandfather Wu Quanyan retreated to a private room to strategize for the final round.

Wu Kang sat in front of his grandfather with a determined expression on his face. "Grandfather, if we don't get rid of Wu Li, Junior Sister Bailian's dream of entering the Extreme Jade Sword Sect will be shattered. We cannot let that happen. Even though our previous plan failed, I believe we can come up with something new to take him out," he said firmly, his hatred for Wu Li evident in his voice.

Wu Quanyan stroked his chin, deep in thought. While he was intrigued by Wu Li's abilities and unsure if they could defeat him in the arena, his desire for power overshadowed any doubts he had. "I understand your concern, my grandson. I will do everything in my power to help you and Junior Sister Bailian achieve your goals," he replied, his voice cold and calculating.

"You are free to take any measures necessary to eliminate Wu Li. I will support you and take responsibility for any consequences. Here, take this Heart Igniting Strengthening Pill as a backup plan in case you need it," he added, handing Wu Kang a small vial.

"Be careful when taking this Heart Igniting Strengthening Pill, Wu Jian made the mistake of taking it too late and it only gave him a small boost in strength. Otherwise, he would have been able to kill Wu Li," cautioned Wu Quanyan.

Wu Kang reluctantly accepted the pill and left the room, hoping he wouldn't have to use it.

As soon as he was gone, Wu Quanyan's smile turned icy. "If Wu Li dies, I'll search his room for the manual on that technique. Then I'll be able to easily advance my position in the Wu Clan," he thought to himself.

The day of the final round of the tournament had arrived, and the air was thick with anticipation. The crowd was buzzing with excitement, eagerly awaiting the chance to see the two winners who would soar high and enter the prestigious Extreme Jade Sword Sect.

It was well-known that the disciples of the sect reached a minimum level of Nascent Soul Realm, making this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the competitors.

After a day of rest, Wu Li emerged from his room, exuding a newfound confidence that came from his cultivation advancement to the middle stage of the Foundation Building Realm. His skin was radiant and his aura strong, giving him an air of invincibility.

"Wu Li, I have to warn you about using the Imperial Firmament Strike again," Liang Xia said with concern. "Last time, you fainted after using it. This time, it's even riskier. You'll need to burn your own Blood Qi to activate the move since the Primordial Abyss Sword has no more Blood Qi left. There's a chance you'll lose your potential, and even worse, you could lose your life."

Wu Li nodded and replied, "Thank you for your concern, senior."

As Wu Li made his way to the arena, he unexpectedly ran into Wu Yang again. Wu Yang appeared surprised at the newfound aura of confidence radiating from Wu Li, now in the middle stage of the Foundation Building Realm. He chuckled and greeted him, "Hello, Brother Li. It seems the unfortunate events from the last fight did harm your progress, but rather enhanced it!"

"In comparison with Brother Yang, I don't dare flaunt off my power! You are quite powerful yourself and it won't be long before you reach the peak of the Foundation Building Realm. All I can do is congratulate Brother Yang in advance!" Wu Li applauded.

Wu Yang was surprised and wondered how he was seen through.

When Wu Li used the Imperial Firmament Strike, Wu Yang got an inspiration from seeing the technique and was able to advance a little bit further in his cultivation.

They parted ways after exchanging more pleasantries. Wu Yang made his way to the Jade Room to join the two Elders and the two outer disciples. Meanwhile, Wu Li prepared himself for his upcoming battle.

After the time it takes an incense stick to burn has passed, the beautiful Li Xuefeng appeared on stage and announced the rules of the final round. The crowd was on the edge of their seats as they waited for the first match to begin.

With a flourish, Li Xuefeng introduced the first competitors, "Now... for the first match, it is Wu Li against Wu Bailian!"