In the moment Li Lin was distracted, Li Shaohu and Li Yun had already clashed. Upon engaging, Li Yun turned into a blue shadow, seemingly aware that a direct confrontation wouldn't be in her favor, and that her only chance of winning lay in seizing the right opportunity.

Li Shaohu, on the other hand, appeared much more relaxed. Knowing his own strength, he opted for a strategy of stillness over motion, and their occasional exchanges ended in stalemates. Both chose the most precise methods of attack, earning nods and smiles of approval from the Li family elders and Li Dong in the stands.

Down below, the shouts and cheers from the crowd continued to converge, echoing throughout the martial arts field and adding to its lively atmosphere. Even Li Lin felt his blood heat up a bit more; today, he would officially face his opponent.

Li Lin watched the field closely, analyzing every move and technique. Uncle Jiang had said from the beginning, if one watches carefully during a battle, it's possible to spot the opponent's weaknesses. In this world, no martial technique is flawless. When the difference in strength is not significant, finding the opponent's weakness means winning half the battle.

"This doesn't look good for Li Yun," Li Lin thought to himself. Although Li Yun was leveraging her agility to look for openings, she was also depleting a significant amount of Qi. Meanwhile, Li Shaohu hardly moved at all, occasionally countering with his earth attribute to transmit the force of attacks through the ground. Although somewhat unsophisticated, this strategy proved quite effective.

"Li Shaohu has some tricks up his sleeve," Li Lin noted silently.

Li Yun, sensing the tide turning against her, looked increasingly pressured. Despite her youth and impatience, she let out a cry and unleashed some martial technique, her hand signs changing rapidly as Qi burst forth from her, creating a fierce aura.

Surrounded by a swirling blue light, Li Yun's Qi surged forward, forming a massive wave of water that enveloped Li Shaohu.

"Earth Shield," Li Shaohu shouted, his hand signs changing as Qi weirdly shaped into a sand and dust shield around him. The towering wave couldn't overcome the shield, which grew taller with every attempt of the water to surpass it.

"Vines of Wood."

From within the earth shield, dozens of thumb-thick green vines shot out with incredible speed, piercing through the wave and rushing towards Li Yun.

Li Yun's complexion changed drastically as she hastily retreated, her hand signs changing in panic as several water arrows shot forth.

The water arrows collided with the vines, causing them to wilt slightly, but the remaining vines had already ensnared Li Yun, binding her tightly and rendering her immobile.

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"Sorry, Sister Li Yun," Li Shaohu said lightly, his demeanor proud as he shook off his robe and stepped out among the onlookers.

"A dual attribute warrior, combining two completely different techniques to enhance power, making it difficult for the opponent to defend," Li Lin thought to himself, acknowledging Li Shaohu's capability. Li Shaohu had both earth and wood techniques at his disposal. Unfortunately, Li Lin only had the earth technique, Splitting Mountain Palm. Being a practitioner of all attributes, he lacked any other martial techniques, a fact that filled him with frustration.

He had once asked Uncle Jiang for techniques of other attributes, but was told to find them himself and that it wasn't time to train in other attributes yet. Jack of all trades, master of none—those were empty words, and having more wouldn't be useful.

"Li Shaohu wins, Li Yun loses," the elder in the grey robe announced loudly, not surprised by the outcome.

With Li Shaohu's victory, the crowd supporting him cheered louder, with many maids becoming starry-eyed.

Zhao Hui, who had been grim-faced, now showed a hint of a smile.

After the elder in the grey robe announced Li Shaohu's victory, the mood between the two drastically different participants was watched by hundreds of eyes as they left the field. Next up were Li Lin and Zhou Haiming.

"Zhou Haiming, Li Lin, it's your turn," said the elder in the grey robe.

Zhou Haiming chuckled lightly and then leaped onto the stone platform cleanly, eliciting cheers from many young women.

Li Lin, unhurried, walked up to the platform with his hands behind his back, step by step. After all, this competition wasn't about acrobatics; a beautiful leap didn't guarantee a win.

"Li Lin, the kid, is old beyond his years, well-tempered. He will surely achieve a lot in the future," Li Dong commented, seeing Li Lin's demeanor.

Li Nan and Zhou Li were still thrilled about their son's leap but felt somewhat uneasy upon hearing Li Dong's words.

As Li Lin stepped onto the platform, he briefly surveyed Zhou Haiming. In terms of strength, his opponent was significantly stronger. Apart from achieving a surprise victory, Li Lin saw little chance for himself, especially since his only technique was the Splitting Mountain Palm.

"Li Lin, hmph, what if you're a triple attribute warrior? I'll show you the consequences of provoking me," Zhou Haiming said, his gaze on Li Lin a mix of jealousy and resentment, perhaps both emotions intertwined with envy. He was keen on teaching Li Lin a lesson.

Li Lin didn't even spare Zhou Haiming a glance, having no interest in petty squabbles. However, he was fully aware of the seriousness of the situation. This was his first direct confrontation, and with his opponent significantly stronger, there was no room for carelessness.

"You may begin, but remember, injuring life is prohibited, or you'll be disqualified," the elder in the grey robe reminded, scanning the crowd before announcing loudly.

As the elder's words fell, the noisy surroundings quieted down for a moment, then many eyes turned to Li Lin, filled with curiosity.

Li Wushuang, Luo Lan, Li Xiao Bai, and others began to feel nervous, while Li Dong and the others in the top stands watched the field closely.

"You must win, young master," Li Xiao Bai clenched his fists, thinking determinedly.

"I'll show you my strength, Li Lin," Zhou Haiming said with a darkened expression, his Qi vibrating around him. He then launched a powerful earthy yellow palm strike towards Li Lin's chest, swift and ruthless without any courtesy.

Feeling Zhou Haiming's robust Qi, Li Lin's expression darkened, and he leaped to the side in an instant. Thanks to Uncle Jiang's training, his reaction speed was exceptionally fast.

"So you're just going to run?" Zhou Haiming coldly remarked, seeing Li Lin evade. As he spoke, a powerful aura burst forth from him, turning into a pale yellow light that enveloped his body, significantly increasing his speed. A palm strike swiftly followed Li Lin.