Chapter 111: Challenging Two Alone, Fighting Gong Yuankui

The break soon ended, and the second half began.

The match between the Immortal Dao Merchant Association and the Mysterious Yin Sect went much as expected. The merchant association had Spirit-Burst Pills too.

As the auction organizers, they were bound to keep some for themselves rather than sell them all.

The Luo sisters had already taken Spirit-Burst Pills and could not take them again. One disciple from the Immortal Dao Merchant Association defeated them both. He then lost to Su Lin, but the merchant association still had two competitors left.

After a fierce struggle, Su Lin was ultimately defeated. The Immortal Dao Merchant Association narrowly won and secured third place.

Only the two sides knew the real reason: the Immortal Dao Merchant Association was being diplomatic. Its second representative could have defeated Su Lin but conceded instead. The third prolonged the fight before winning narrowly, allowing the Mysterious Yin Sect to save face.

Then came the main event. Everyone was watching closely: the Tianyuan Sect’s odds were unusually high this time, and many had bet on them.

The Pure Yang Sect sent Cang Chen out first. After seeing Qin Xiao’s earlier performance, they had decided against sending Gong Yuankui to defeat all three opponents himself. Instead, they fielded their weaker competitors first to wear down the Tianyuan Sect.

Lin Shimeng took the first match for the Tianyuan Sect again. Having already taken a Spirit-Burst Pill, she had little confidence this time.

“Don’t worry. Even if your opponent takes a Spirit-Burst Pill, just do your best. Leave the rest to your Master and your Senior Sister.”

Qin Xiao patted Lin Shimeng’s shoulder in comfort.

“This disciple understands.”

With those words, Lin Shimeng flew up onto the competition platform.

She had used all her trump cards, and her opponents were sure to have studied them. She did not expect to win, but she still needed to wear him down and ease the pressure on Yun Man.

“Junior Sister Lin, forgive me.”

As expected, Cang Chen took out a Spirit-Burst Pill as soon as he came onstage. He was three years older than Lin Shimeng and felt a little embarrassed to resort to it. Still, he could not afford to lose.

“No matter, make your move.”

Knowing she was no match for Cang Chen now, Lin Shimeng stayed still and waited for him to attack first.

“Forgive me.”

Cang Chen instantly split into three distinct figures, converging on Lin Shimeng from three directions.

He could not let Lin Shimeng wear him down; he needed to wear Yun Man down himself. He therefore opened with a powerful move.

Unflustered, Lin Shimeng countered directly with Mountain Severance to shatter his approach.

Yet Cang Chen had long anticipated this move. All three figures vaulted simultaneously into the air, clearing Lin Shimeng’s sword energy before descending upon her with their blades pointed straight ahead.

Lin Shimeng knew her attack would only buy her time. After unleashing Mountain Severance, she used her movement technique to leave the spot.

Escaping entirely was unrealistic; her strategy was simple: intercept only one of the three figures. If it proved to be an illusion, she would break his technique; if it was his true body, she would lose.

Bypassing the central and right figures, Lin Shimeng lunged toward the one on the left.

Her luck failed her. The figure on the left became solid at once. Cang Chen struck, knocking Lin Shimeng’s sword from her hand, then stopped his blade in front of her face.

“Thank you for the match, Junior Sister.” This chapter was taken from novelping(.)com without permission.

Cang Chen withdrew his sword and spoke apologetically.

“It’s fine. You took a Spirit-Burst Pill; losing to you is no disgrace.”

Lin Shimeng accepted the defeat graciously and jumped down from the platform.

“Shimeng, you did your best,” Lin Tiancheng said, hurrying forward to comfort his daughter as she came down. “At the same cultivation stage, you might have been able to put up a fight. He was one stage above you; doing this well was already impressive.”

“I know, but a loss is a loss, Father. I’m fine.”

After a brief reply, Lin Shimeng walked over to Yun Man’s side.

“How was it? Did you spot any flaws?”

She asked Yun Man.

She had gone up to probe Cang Chen and give Yun Man a chance to spot his weaknesses. She was not as ridiculously strong as Yun Man, who could fight opponents above her cultivation level. They were all geniuses; beating someone stronger was hardly easy.

“Mm.”

Yun Man gave a brief reply and leaped onto the platform.

Cang Chen immediately felt the pressure when he saw Yun Man, even though he had already taken a Spirit-Burst Pill.

Yun Man wasted few words on Cang Chen and attacked at once.

Cang Chen hurried to parry and block.

But he had underestimated her speed. Within a few exchanges, he failed to keep pace, and Yun Man had her sword at his neck.

“I lost.”

Cang Chen had beaten Lin Shimeng so quickly, only for Yun Man to beat him just as quickly. What could he say?

Cang Xing came up next. He was a little stronger than Cang Chen, but not by much.

After several dozen exchanges, he lost as well, without even managing to wear Yun Man down.

Yun Man looked at ease, but only she knew she was putting all her strength into every attack. She had to finish quickly so that she could test Gong Yuankui before her Master fought him and improve her Master’s chances of winning.

Gong Yuankui stepped onto the platform without taking a Spirit-Burst Pill. As the Pure Yang Sect’s eldest senior brother of the new generation, he seldom appeared in public and devoted himself to cultivation. Besides his exceptional talent, he worked harder than others. He trusted his own strength more than the temporary boost a pill could provide.

“You aren’t taking a Spirit-Burst Pill?”

Yun Man asked curiously.

“External aids are only aids. They do nothing for cultivation. Make your move.”

Gong Yuankui had no Spirit-Burst Pill. His sect had offered him similar pills, but he had refused them. Cang Chen had also offered him a Spirit-Burst Pill, which he had declined as well. To him, a contest should measure strength, not an artificial boost from pills.

“Since you aren’t using a pill, I will.” Follow the newest chapters on novelping . com.

Yun Man took out a pill and swallowed it.

It was not a Spirit-Burst Pill but a Pure Origin Pill. A Spirit-Burst Pill temporarily raised cultivation by one minor stage; a Pure Origin Pill temporarily increased the purity of Spiritual Qi, doubling its power.

Yun Man’s Spiritual Qi was already so pure that the pill could only improve it so much. It could not double her power, but even a fifty-percent increase made a substantial difference.

“Huh? Didn’t she take a pill? Why hasn’t her cultivation risen?”

“Did she buy a counterfeit pill?”

“Or is it a pill that doesn’t raise cultivation?”

“You country bumpkins, that’s a Pure Origin Pill. It doesn’t raise cultivation, but it boosts combat strength just as much as a Spirit-Burst Pill.”

As the spectators wondered why Yun Man’s cultivation had not risen, those who recognized the pill explained.

Gong Yuankui did not attack first. He waited until Yun Man was ready, taking her seriously as an opponent.

“Since you are ready, make your move.”

Gong Yuankui watched Yun Man seriously.

“Then forgive me.”

As soon as the words left her lips, Yun Man’s entire figure slowly dissolved into nothingness.

Unfazed, Gong Yuankui lashed out with his sword toward the empty space on his left.

Sure enough, Yun Man materialized on his left side, forced to raise her blade to block the incoming strike.

Gong Yuankui was not much faster than Yun Man. He simply had exceptionally keen combat instincts and a strong sense of danger.

When Yun Man vanished, he did not search for her. Instead, he slashed toward his own exposed side, where his opponent was certain to appear.

“What quick reflexes.”

Yun Man knew she faced a tough opponent. She had concealed the direction of her attack, yet he had still detected it.

“This fellow can actually anticipate moves. Looks like she’s met her match.”

Qin Xiao knew little about fighting techniques, but he could see that Gong Yuankui had struck before Yun Man reached him. That was anticipation, not a reaction.

Yun Man would not give up after a single move. She quickly changed position, gathering Spiritual Qi in her hand as she did so.

“Now.”

At close quarters, Yun Man unleashed Mountain Severance straight away.

A ring-shaped wave of sword energy erupted outward. With nowhere left to dodge, Gong Yuankui was forced to take the blow head-on.