Zhang Yi rose up, coughing up dust and dirt as his body reverted back to normal. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth and a bruise had formed where the force of the impact knocked him down.

His entire body ached from head to toe and he felt like vomiting, yet somehow, he was able to regain his bearings as he wiped the blood off his lip with the sleeve of his shirt.

"I admit defeat.", he said.

A silver crown appeared on Jian Li’s head as a result, causing Meng Liang to announce her as the winner.

Zhang Yi's lips curled up as he laughed bitterly, spitting blood from his mouth.

He was covered in bruises and bloodstains and he was panting heavily from his ordeal, yet his eyes glinted defiantly as he tried to stand tall on shaky legs.

Jian Li approached and grabbed hold of him by the shoulder, helping him get to his feet.

"I almost lost back there." Jian Li said, wiping her bloody blade on her robes as she spoke and summoning all her weapons back into her inner world.

"You still won.", Zhang Yi stated oddly, taking her offer for help.

“If only you knew how close it really was...”, Jian Li said, still pained by Zhang Yin’s last strike.

They walked together as Meng Liang spoke, announcing the match-up for the next match.

Both of them were finally able to hear the crowd cheer again as the sound isolating barrier was dropped.

As they were walking towards the sideline, two men came up to Jian Li and picked up Zhang Yi from her arms.

“We’ll take it over from here,” the older man offered, placing Zhang Yi gently in the arms of another male.

"Thank you very much!", the old man said kindly to Jian Li.

“I won’t fall for your tricks next time.”, Zhang Yi winked as he was brought away.

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"I hope so.", Jian Li waved, her face filling with exhaustion as she walked back to Jian Chen and He Yu.

“Well done.”, He Yu smiled at Jian Li warmly, as She returned to the sidelines to rest after her match.

Still feeling drained from the fight, Jian Li meditated quietly while resting in her inner world, trying to clear her thoughts.

The strange presence of Cor seemed to be absent as he was nowhere to be seen, leaving Jian Li alone.

Even though Cor’s voice made her mind sharp again earlier, the fact that he could leave and enter at any time made her still feel uneasy.

Her breathing calmed as she cleared her thoughts. She had to focus on the task at hand and ignore her anxiety about the unknown.

"I have to focus!"

Soon the time passed as the other matches went by quickly and soon Jian Li found herself out of meditation as she felt like she was going to be called on the stage again soon.

Jian Chen looked fine as he gave her a thumbs up. He had also defeated his previous opponent and passed on to the next round.

The crowd was roaring as everyone was eager to see the next matchup. It would not be long before they could find out which contestants will be facing off against each other in the final round.

"Alright Jian Li, let's get you onto the stage. We're waiting to see your next opponent.", Meng Liang announced as Jian Li walked up to him with the crowd’s cheers.

Meng Liang looked over the competitors, his gaze falling upon a particular person who was seated close to Jian Li as she meditated. His expression turned sour and a frown spread across his brows.

Jian Ye looked at him and saw a hint of worry on his face, as well as an angry glint in his eyes. But she did not pay too much heed to that. Instead, she continued concentrating her energies and drawing in more power from her spirit.

Jian Li was ready for battle.

"Alright Jian Li, please walk forward.", Meng Liang commanded, pointing towards the middle of the stage as the spectators began to murmur amongst themselves in anticipation.

She stepped out of the side and moved to stand directly before Meng Liang. She looked straight ahead and waited calmly as she listened carefully to Meng Liang.

The crowd roared in applause once more and Meng Liang raised his hands high above his head "Now, I call for a new match!", he said.

The people of the city began cheering as Jian Li began shining brilliantly as bright golden rays surrounded her and shone out brightly into the arena.

Meng Liang pointed to the heavens, and then toward one contestant.

"Next is Miss Liu!", he shouted loudly in excitement.

Everyone watched as the figure he pointed at the front suddenly vanished, leaving nothing but empty space.

Liu reappeared on the stage. She stood silently as her hair swayed gracefully, revealing a similar golden light emanating from inside her body.

Jian Li stared intently as she looked over at Liu, who had a faint smile on her face. They both understood each other.

"Don’t expect me to go easy on you, Li.", Liu said.