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“To expect life to always treat you good is as foolish as hoping a raging beast won't attack you because you thought so.”
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Mo Yue was a girl who would stand out in a group because of her good looks.
She had long brown hair and fair skin. However, she had this proud attitude that one would ordinarily see in a spoiled child.
When Qai saw his opponent, he could already tell that she was not the kind of girl one would want to be acquainted with.
Apparently, Mo Yue was a relative of the Mo siblings he knew. But she was from the main branch of the clan—thus, it could be said that she belonged to the branch that oppressed Mo Shui’s side branch family.
Qai didn't want to be careless in the fight even if he knew he could win the match easily. And while he stood at the opposite side of the stage, Mo Yue looked at him mockingly and yelled.
“You, why don't you just step out of the stage obediently and give yourself some face from a disgraceful defeat.”
Qai was taken aback at her words.
He was not the kind of person who would bark back at any trash talk but he sure felt sick by Mo Yue’s arrogant demeanor. However, he was not to be provoked easily and get distracted.
Qai simply cupped his hands in reply and pulled the Guandao from his back. If the enemy would want to start the fight then he would do the honors to make the first strike.
‘Raging Bison!’
It was his self-enhanced skill provided in the ‘Transcending Autumn Arts.’
For the first time in the ranking competition, Qai made use of an ability utilizing spiritual Qi energy.
Right there and then, a huge spiritual Qi energy fluctuation that converged in his weapon hurled forward in the image of a brute Spirit Beast Bison.
Evidently, the best part of the attack was that it was imbued with weapon Intent.
Of course, the attack happened in an instant.
Baam.
Mo Yue was not prepared and had to face the attack head on.
The audience who saw this was shocked especially the followers of Mo Yue.
“Shameless!”
“How can you make a surprise attack on our fairy Yue!”
When Qai heard their scorn, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry at how unreasonable they were.
‘What surprise attack!? I even made a salute. If she kept her mouth shut, she wouldn't be in this tight spot.’
Mo Yue dropped on the ground near the edge of the stage with blood leaking from her lips.
Furious, she stood up and immediately pointed a finger at Qai.
“You’re courting death!”
Then she pulled a paper talisman and allowed it to float in front of her before she murmured an incantation.
The talisman turned into a flux of an elephant-shaped Metal element spiritual Qi energy. It then sped its way towards Qai.
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But Qai was prepared.
He immediately glided using his ‘Shadow Steps’—backed by his Cloak—and appeared right behind his opponent. He then lightly kicked her in the butt.
But with Qai’s Master rank physical strength, any bodily power exerted lightly was equivalent to great force.
The kick eventually threw Mo Yue out of the stage with her pretty face hitting the ground.
Baam.
“Despicable!”
Many disciples wanted to jump at Qai.
“Truly shameless.”
“I’m gonna kill this Qai.”
Verbal threats and scorns reverberated in the air as the official of the stage announced Qai as the winner of the match.
Even the elders on the platform couldn't help but hide their faces in shame. But there was nothing they could do—even them couldn't think of any means to win a duel against a female cultivator without ever offending her physically.
The truth was, in this kind of match, some male cultivators would pretend to be honorable by letting female opponents win especially when they have the intention of wooing the other.
‘Brutal! Hahaha. Way to go big brother Qai. Mo Yue, you bitch! That’s what you get for oppressing our family too much!’
If there were anyone who felt happy with Qai’s action, they were the Mo disciples whom Qai knew. Of course, they could only deride at her in their thoughts.
On the other hand, Ji Wuheng wouldn't care about how Qai managed to win. As long as it was a win, it was also his win.
“Haha, that’s my brother right there! Rich! We’re rich, hahaha! Who else wants to place a bet for the next round. That’s the top 5 matches!”
“How can we wage our Spirit Stones!? That Qai was clearly using underhanded methods!”
“What underhanded methods!? Don't tell me you have better eyes than the officials of the match. Come, come, and pay up! You’re clearly just trying to distract me and renege on your bet.”
It was then that a voice suddenly whispered near Ji Wuheng.
“I’m betting 5000 Spirit Stones in favor of my sister whichever following round it is.”
When Ji Wuheng turned to see who was it.
He gulped as he saw Ao Tian beside him chuckling after handing over a storage pouch.
From his tone, it appeared that he was certain that Qai would meet his sister.
“It’s been arranged. That bastard Qai will be crippled before the tournament ends. You better pray that your friend does not meet my sister on stage early and lose early as well. Otherwise..”
Ao Tian left after abruptly cutting his words.
Of course, Ji Wuheng had no way to ascertain the content of the pouch without Spiritual Sense—but neither had he any way to refuse the bet.
In the next round, all the five winners would have to fight among each other to determine the rankings in the top 5 while all the 5 losers in the current matches would do the same to determine ranks 6 to 10.
And it so happened that seeded disciple from stage number 2 was a 17-year old female disciple named Ao Xuan. Despite her age, she was already a level 9 Qi Condensation stage cultivator.
And any outer disciple would know who these siblings were. They hailed from a top clan in the region known to have produced plenty of elite cultivators from generation to generation.
When Ao Tian left, all of the few outer disciples around Ji Wuheng shivered in silence.
Meanwhile, the other matches on the stages were done as well.
The 5 winners were somewhat as expected. They were Bai Chen, Ao Xuan, Qai, and disciples named Zhao Feng and Nan Bei.
To facilitate fairness though, lots we're drawn in order to determine the matches.
But for some reason, top ranked Bai Chen picked an empty lot which meant that he vied for the next round.
“Well, luck is also part of one’s strength.”
Of course, it was Bai Chen who said those words—and with a chuckle at that.
The proud looks in his eyes were so clear as if they were telling everyone that even the heavens had already favored him to win the entire competition.
As for Qai, he had drawn a lot that paired him up with the disciple named Zhao Feng.
Zhao Feng had a mysterious ability.
It was an eye technique that could produce illusions in the mind of his opponents.
During Qai’s battle with him, Qai mistakenly looked into Zhao Feng’s eyes which the latter grabbed as an opportunity to immediately cast the illusion in Qai’s mind.
For a few breaths, Qai suffered greatly and was unable to free himself.
When the audience saw this, there were mixed emotions. Some felt good at Qai’s suffering while some felt fear at Zhao Feng’s strange ability.
However, it was at that time that his contracted Spirit Beast Queen Ant, which had way higher cultivation base, helped him to wake up from the illusions.
Zhao Feng was clueless about how Qai escaped from his eye technique.
But it was too late for him to ponder about it since Qai took advantage of that gap to close in on him and knocked him out with brute strength.
With that, Qai was once again declared as the winner the match.