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墨書 Inktalez
"The winner of this match is Ren Pingsheng. Let's continue with the eighth match," the elder referee announced, though his gaze towards Ren Pingsheng showed a hint of interest.
Sitting back in his seat, Huang Qing's face darkened upon hearing the announcement, looking as if he could drip water from it.
"Damn it, damn it. How is this guy so strong? I keep losing to him. My reward, my advanced sword technique. I must make sure this guy is eliminated; otherwise, he will definitely block my opportunities in the future," he roared inwardly, his expression twisted with anger.
"That kid's sword technique is impressive; be careful when facing him," several others remarked seriously after watching Ren Pingsheng's match, considering him a formidable opponent.
"I didn't expect Junior Brother Ren's sword technique to be so powerful; even that intermediate sword skill is mastered so proficiently. I feel ashamed!" Fei Hou sighed upon returning.
"Practice makes perfect. With more practice, Senior Brother Fei can reach this level too," Ren Pingsheng said calmly, showing no signs of arrogance.
"This isn't something that can just be practiced. Without that kind of insight and understanding, it's hard to reach such a level. Maybe after a few years of cultivation, one could achieve it. But who would spend that much time wasting on this?"
Soon, the remaining three rounds of matches concluded, and the results for the top ten were announced. The ten outer disciples, including Ren Pingsheng, advanced to the next round of competition.
"It has been ten days since the outer disciple competition began. Tomorrow will be the battle for the top three. I hope the ten advancing contestants can achieve even better results. Don't forget about the rewards for the top three, so give it your all!"
"It's almost time; I will soon achieve my goal. The first place is definitely mine; no one can take it away," Ren Pingsheng murmured to himself while sitting quietly.
"I have already opened one-third of the seventh meridian; in another twenty days, I should be able to break through. By then, I will become an inner disciple."
"Today's matches should determine who will take the top three spots," Fei Hou said softly as he stood in the sword-testing square, observing the excited outer disciples around them.
"Yes, this outer disciple competition is basically coming to an end. These accolades are only temporary; if one wants to become stronger, cultivation is the only constant," Ren Pingsheng replied.
"Oh, it's your turn to draw lots; go ahead."
The ten participants in this drawing were truly among the strongest outer disciples. No one objected; instead, they eagerly inquired about those they didn't recognize among them. For instance, Ren Pingsheng and Fei Hou were relatively unfamiliar faces. Many were surprised for quite a while when they learned that they were new disciples this term.
In their view, it was already remarkable for an outer disciple who had just risen from being a registered disciple to have a cultivation level of five layers of Qi Refining. They never expected two of them to break into the top ten among outer disciples. This left many older disciples feeling embarrassed and shamed.
"First up are the eliminations for the top five; I hope you all give it your best effort. If you perform well and catch an elder's eye, who knows? They might be willing to take you as their apprentice."
The news revealed by the Deputy Sect Leader Bai sent a shockwave through many people, especially those outer disciples who felt their strength was lacking and believed they had no chance of competing for a top three position. They all began to plan how to perform well, hoping to catch the eye of some elder, which would be a stroke of luck.
It is important to note that anyone who could serve as an elder was at least a formidable warrior. With such a master’s support, both cultivation and resources would improve significantly.
"Alright, the opponents are still the same numbers. The competition begins; opponent number one, please take the stage," an elder announced loudly. Two figures appeared on the central sword-testing platform.
"It’s Zhao Shixiong and Sun Peng; these two were among the previous outer disciples' Top Ten Experts. I can’t believe they are facing each other," one outer disciple recognized them and exclaimed in surprise.
"At this point in the competition, it’s not surprising who faces whom; there’s no need to be astonished. Just watch the match!"
"Although we were both among the outer disciples' Top Ten Experts before, you should know that you are not my opponent," Zhao Shixiong said bluntly.
"Heh, maybe that was true before. But until we fight, no one knows who is stronger or weaker. Now that we’re here, do you think a couple of words will make me concede?" Sun Peng replied, anger flashing across his face.
"Since you’re so stubborn, I’ll show you that the gap between us has never changed. Watch my sword!" Zhao Shixiong spun his sword and launched an attack.
"I’m not afraid of you! Recently, I’ve made breakthroughs in my swordsmanship; let me show you," both of them refused to back down, and for a moment, they were evenly matched.
Zhao Shixiong's swordsmanship was heavy and powerful, while Sun Peng's was agile and versatile. Each time their swords clashed, one could see Sun Peng's arm sink under the impact; there was a significant difference in strength between them. Zhao Shixiong must have practiced some body-refining techniques, and they were certainly not ordinary ones.
This was Ren Pingsheng's first thought after watching their match. Otherwise, with equal cultivation levels, their strength wouldn’t differ so greatly.
"Hmph, I told you that you are not my opponent." Seeing his opponent continuously evade his sword strikes, Zhao Shixiong increased his attack speed significantly. Although Sun Peng’s swordsmanship kept changing, he couldn’t break through Zhao Shixiong's defense and could only dodge. Ultimately, he had no choice but to admit defeat.
The second match featured Ren Pingsheng.
"Kid, I’m waiting for you to lose to me. If you can’t even make it into the top five, it just means you’re an ant that I can crush anytime," Wei Hong scoffed coldly.
"If you don’t make it into the top five either, wouldn’t that be an even bigger joke?" Ren Pingsheng smiled lightly, showing no concern for the provocation.
"So this is the guy provoking Wei Hong; no wonder. It seems his strength isn’t weak after all," some quick-witted outer disciples had looks of realization on their faces.
"Hmph, let’s see if he can even get past Wu Yujin’s challenge first. If he loses this round, he’ll just be a joke in the end," sneered another outer disciple who disapproved.
"My opponent is you? I won't hold back, draw your sword!" Wu Yujin's eyes sparkled with divine light as he spoke with an astonishing aura.
"When it's time to draw the sword, I will naturally do so. Please, Senior Brother!" Ren Pingsheng performed a sword salute, his expression serious.
"Then I won't be polite. Let me see what kind of strength you truly possess." Wu Yujin shouted, his voice booming like thunder as he slashed down with his sword, a fierce wind howling and dazzling sword light rushing toward him.
Ren Pingsheng's eyes shifted, his hand flicked, and the steel sword was drawn, transforming into three blooming sword flowers. With three 'ding' sounds, he blocked the opponent's attack.
With another flick of his hand, the sword light swept toward the opponent's throat with lightning speed. Wu Yujin's expression changed slightly, and he did not hesitate. He attempted to block the incoming sword light with a quick flick of his own sword. However, Ren Pingsheng's hand trembled, directly shaking his sword away; the speed remained unchanged as it rushed toward Wu Yujin's face.
"Not good!" Wu Yujin's face changed instantly as he retreated two zhang to dodge the sword light. Ren Pingsheng glanced at him calmly and stood with his sword sheathed.
The two did not continue attacking for a moment, quietly observing each other, leaving many spectators below confused.
"Your sword technique is impressive, but ultimately, it's a contest of strength. Technique is just one aspect; next, I will defeat you with my sword skills." Wu Yujin took a deep breath.
After only exchanging two or three blows, he realized that the opponent's swordsmanship was far superior to his own. Thus, he had no choice but to rely on strength, cultivation level, and mastery of sword skills to determine the outcome.
"Be careful!" Wu Yujin suddenly extended his steel sword and executed a diagonal slash from the upper right to the lower left. It swept through like a raging wind, its momentum astonishing.
It was a mid-level wind attribute sword technique: Gale Slash.
"It's time to determine the victor," many discerning spectators murmured below, their spirits high as they observed both sides' situations and assessed their strengths.
"Slash!" Ren Pingsheng countered with a flick of his hand; a golden sword light gathered on his steel sword and then tore through the sky, carrying endless sharpness as it collided directly into the gale.
Then the gale dissipated; that golden sword light consumed only a small portion of its energy. It still retained its endless sharpness and continued toward Wu Yujin without losing speed.
"How is this possible? His sword technique is even more formidable than mine." Wu Yujin looked incredulous; however, he would not easily concede defeat and unleashed another mid-level Gale Slash.
Even with his cultivation at the sixth level of Qi Refinement, his expression turned somewhat grim. Continuously executing two mid-level sword techniques was quite taxing for him; now he had only half of his internal spiritual energy remaining.
But when he saw his Gale Slash dissipate once more while Ren Pingsheng's golden sword light continued to advance toward him, his pupils constricted and his scalp tingled.
Although he managed to block Ren Pingsheng's lethal move at the last moment, the overwhelming force that penetrated through made him feel uncomfortable for a while before he could react.
"Do you want to continue?" Ren Pingsheng asked calmly.
"Hehe, your cultivation and swordsmanship are truly admirable, but it would be meaningless to continue. I admit defeat," Wu Yujin said after hesitating for a long time, finally speaking with a relaxed expression.
"Thank you, Senior Brother!" After that, the two concluded their match, and Ren Pingsheng successfully advanced.
In the next three matches, Wei Hong continued to win based on his strength and advanced. However, Fei Hou encountered the existence of the outer sect disciple Top Ten Experts, and after a tough battle, he was injured and admitted defeat. Thus, among the newly promoted disciples, only Ren Pingsheng remained.
"We will take a one-hour break before starting the elimination rounds for the top three. One person will have a bye; that person will compete against the winner of the match between the two losers for the third spot," announced the elder regarding the upcoming rules.
As a result, after an hour, the competition resumed. Wei Hong defeated his opponent and secured the first spot in the top three.
Ren Pingsheng did not draw a bye and was second to compete against another former outer sect disciple, Top Ten Experts's Feng Jinshan. They fought fiercely, and Ren Pingsheng secured the second spot in the top three.
The bye was drawn by Zhao Shixiong, who would compete against the winner between the defeated Feng Jinshan and Qian Dali for the final spot.
In the end, Zhao Shixiong and Feng Jinshan had an intense battle that lasted nearly half an hour. Zhao Shixiong finally gained a slight advantage and secured the third spot in the top three.
Thus, the outer sect disciple competition was finally entering its final stage—the battle for the top three spots. This also related to the amount of rewards at stake.
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