Chapter 68: Victory and Defeat

A total of 153 disciples below the Foundation Establishment stage advanced to the finals.

Out of two thousand disciples, only 153 advanced. On average, fewer than forty people advanced from each arena, making the advancement rate less than eight percent. Bian Chunzhou had originally thought that at least two hundred out of the two thousand would make it, so he was surprised by how few there actually were.

Notably, all the inner sect Qi Refining disciples advanced. Along with the three of them, Senior Sister Xia Ying, and Lin Congcong, they made up thirty-eight people. The rest were all outer sect disciples. The total should have been 154, but after Senior Sister Mingjing withdrew from the competition, they were down by one.

“But this way, won’t someone be left without a partner?”

The format of the finals was different from the relay-style arena matches of the preliminaries. It was a series of one-on-one duels: win and you advance, lose and you are out. Sometimes, luck was also a part of one’s strength. In other words, on the very first day of the finals, seventy-six people would be eliminated.

Many people shared Bian Chunzhou’s confusion, but once they reached the drawing area, their doubts were instantly resolved, because…

“I don’t have to fight in the first round and get to advance directly?” Chen Zui was somewhat reluctant to agree, but… in the end, he reluctantly accepted. After all, when it came to dueling, who would complain about having too many fights? However, the senior brother from Kaiyuan Peak in charge of the draw said this was a perk of his victory over a Foundation Establishment senior brother, so he had to accept it.

So, Chen Zui agreed with a sullen face.

Seeing him agree, many disciples waiting in line to draw lots let out a massive sigh of relief. After all, this ruthless guy could even beat a Foundation Establishment cultivator; fighting any of them would be an effortless victory for him. Having finally made it to the finals, no one wanted to be eliminated in the very first round.

But just as they let that breath out, another breath caught in their throats. “You two, don’t you dare lose!”

Whoa, who was that? They turned around to look. Oh, it was the Little Grand-Uncle Master. Then there was no… wait, there was a huge problem! Wasn’t the Little Grand-Uncle Master only at the peak of the eighth level of Qi Refining a few days ago? How had he reached the ninth level of Qi Refining in the blink of an eye?

Was cultivation like Chinese cabbage, growing the moment the wind blew?!

Well, he did have a Mutated Wind Spiritual Root, so saying he grew with the wind wasn’t entirely inaccurate. But the problem was… if they remembered correctly, it had only taken their Little Grand-Uncle Master a single year to go from nothing to the ninth level of Qi Refining, right?

Thinking of themselves, advancing a single minor realm after a year of cultivation was enough to make them ecstatic for three days and three nights.

The gap between ordinary people and geniuses was indeed deeper than the waters of the Hanhai Region.

“Waaah…”

“What are you crying for? You… well, my condolences.” Heh, he hadn’t drawn the Little Grand-Uncle Master, so his chances of advancing had just gone up. In the next second, however, his smile vanished, because he had drawn Senior Sister Xia Ying of the inner sect.

And so, the two of them held each other and wept.

The results of the draw naturally brought joy to some and sorrow to others. Wen Xu drew an outer sect junior brother at the seventh level of Qi Refining. He won the match quickly and cast his name into the drawing device for the second round.

As for Bian Chunzhou, well, if you said he had bad luck, he hadn’t drawn any senior brothers or sisters at the peak of Qi Refining. But if you said he had good luck, he…

“You two are truly fated,” Chen Zui remarked, speaking the blunt truth once again.

What was this? This was the Inner Sect Grand Competition! Why did he have to cross paths with that brat Lin Congcong again?! Couldn’t they change things up for once? This was already the third time!

Bian Chunzhou reluctantly stepped onto the stage. Only when he saw the surprised expression on Lin Congcong’s face did he feel a bit better.

“Don’t think you can beat me just because you’ve advanced.”

“Even without advancing, I can still beat you!”

Anyone could talk tough. The two of them bickered like school children for a bit before formally beginning their duel. As the saying goes, the first time is awkward, but the second is familiar. Both Bian Chunzhou and Lin Congcong had a good grasp of each other’s moves and tactics, so at the start, they traded blows back and forth in a lively exchange.

One used a Water-Fire Talisman, while the other countered with an Earth Trap Formation. Rather than a deciding match, it looked more like… a friendly exhibition.

“Did those two not eat their Fasting Pills today?” Chen Zui asked quite bluntly.

Wen Xu exposed his thoughts just as bluntly. “Are you bitter that you didn’t get a chance to go up and fight today?”

Chen Zui gasped in surprise. “You actually guessed that?”

…It wasn’t really that hard to guess, Wen Xu thought. He could have guessed it with his eyes closed. However, the reason the two on stage were fighting with such “attention to detail” was probably because they were terrified of having their spiritual energy drained, so they wanted to play the long game. After all, although Chunzhou was better at fast-paced attacks, Lin Congcong’s earth-element defense was simply too impenetrable. If his cultivation were higher than his, a fast attack would be fine. But with his cultivation suppressed by his opponent, it came down to who had more patience and who could seize the right moment.

This wasn’t their first time fighting each other. Since they understood each other thoroughly, fighting this way made perfect sense.

So, it was just a matter of who could outlast whom.

Consequently, this match dragged on from dawn until dusk. Almost everyone around the arena had left, yet a victor had still not been decided. In fact, all the other duels drawn for the day had already concluded; only this match remained.

Bian Chunzhou and Lin Congcong were clearly reaching their limits. After all, they were only in the Qi Refining Stage, so their spiritual energy reserves were limited, and their combat techniques were relatively simple. When their strengths were so evenly matched, sometimes it just came down to a bit of luck.

Bian Chunzhou panted heavily. With every breath, he could feel the sticky scent of earth churning in his chest. This feeling of being controlled by his opponent was far from pleasant. The brat’s tactics had become even more refined. The last two times, it was just a simple three-step combo of earth confinement, suffocation, and strangulation. Now, he had started stacking them like nesting dolls. If Bian Chunzhou hadn’t also improved his control over water and fire, he would have screwed up this time.

Calm down, Bian Chunzhou. It’s no big deal. Just hold on a little longer.

He told himself this, his body quickly adjusting his breathing. If he was having a hard time, Lin Congcong certainly wasn’t doing any better. Their cultivation levels were barely a hair apart. An opportunity. He just needed an opportunity.

Just as Bian Chunzhou expected, Lin Congcong was indeed running out of spiritual energy. Compared to the other four elements, earth-element spells naturally consumed more spiritual energy. Whether defending or attacking, they heavily tested a cultivator’s accuracy and precision. Therefore, he could not afford to waste any more spiritual energy!

With the last of his spiritual energy, defending was useless. He had to attack!

This was the moment.

Both struck at the same time, each aiming to send the other off the stage. Though the earth dragon on the stage looked crudely made, its momentum was incredibly fierce, charging straight for Bian Chunzhou’s face. Meanwhile, the earth formation beneath his feet instantly pinned him in place. If he did not dodge, he would inevitably be knocked off the stage.

The few onlookers finally focused all their attention on the stage, and someone even cried out, “Watch out!” But in the next moment, Bian Chunzhou actually began to conjure something with his bare hands. What on earth was he making?

Hurry up and defend!

The spectators below the stage were more anxious than he was, but Bian Chunzhou’s face was unexpectedly calm. His hands flew in a blur of motion, and he actually managed to break free from the shackles on his feet before the earth dragon reached him.

“He, he, he… what did he just do? Was he copying Senior Brother Shi from the inner sect by drawing talismans in midair? He actually succeeded! That’s ridiculous! Is this also part of competing for favor?”

“Whoa, Junior Brother, you actually dare to say that? But since we’re like-minded, did you also stay behind after hearing that ridiculous rumor…”

The two onlookers exchanged a look and suddenly smiled in mutual understanding. Of course, their gazes quickly returned to the stage, but by then, the duel was already over.

That fast? Who won?

Huh? Isn’t that Senior Brother Shi Yijian from the inner sect himself? Could the ridiculous rumor actually be true? Is it really this exciting? Did they actually get together for real?!

Shi Yijian had not expected an inner sect disciple to copy his own reckless behavior. In truth, he had only been passing by today by chance, never expecting this.

“Bian Chunzhou of Ruoshui Peak wins.”

With a soft thud, Bian Chunzhou collapsed onto the stage the moment he heard the announcement, looking just as disheveled as Lin Congcong below. Honestly, if he hadn’t baited out his opponent’s ultimate move just now, he would be the one lying face down on the stage.

Fortunately, it was all thanks to his days of grinding games 996-style^[1] in his dorm room. As it turned out, college students playing games wasn’t completely useless; it had actually come in handy.

“Chunzhou, how are you?”

Bian Chunzhou struggled to swallow the Qi Replenishing Pill fed to his lips. He waited a moment before finding the strength to climb up. “I’m fine, great! Better than ever! Chen Zuizui, quick, help me submit my name!”

Chen Zui: …Do I owe you something?

Just as he was about to turn around to submit it, someone beat him to it. He looked up and saw that it was Senior Brother Shi Yijian from the inner sect.

“Senior Brother Shi.”

Shi Yijian stepped onto the stage with two light strides. His features were cold and sharp, giving off an unapproachable vibe when he wasn’t smiling. But his voice was warm and gentle, and when it carried a hint of a smile, he seemed like… well, a refined scoundrel. Bian Chunzhou felt that Senior Brother Shi was only missing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses to complete the look, as an aura of elite sophistication practically hit him in the face. “Thank you, Senior Brother Shi.”

“No need. The talisman you drew just now was quite good.”

After offering his praise, Shi Yijian chatted with the three of them for a bit before leaving under the moonlight.

Bian Chunzhou watched the senior brother’s retreating figure, feeling that… well, “Do you guys get a certain feeling?”

“What feeling?”

“I keep feeling like Senior Brother Shi has the calm, composed aura of a powerhouse. Is he really only at the peak of Qi Refining?”

Wen Xu rarely interacted with Senior Brother Shi Yijian. Just now, the other man had properly greeted him as Little Grand-Uncle Master, looking exactly like the type of person he used to dislike dealing with the most.

Scheming, with emotions that never showed on his face, making him completely impossible to read.

“Whether he’s at the peak of Qi Refining or not, I’ll know once I test him if I draw him next time.”

Excellent. The fighting spirit of a certain Senior Brother Chen had flared up again.

Unfortunately, in the next few rounds of one-on-one elimination matches, none of the three ran into Shi Yijian. However, Chen Zui did face Xia Ying. After a fast-paced duel of blade against sword, Chen Zui ultimately emerged victorious.

After three rounds of elimination matches, only twenty people remained. In the first round, Chen Zui had received a bye to advance because he had previously defeated a Foundation Establishment cultivator. In the second and third rounds, the last remaining lucky person had advanced directly. Unfortunately, neither Wen Xu nor Bian Chunzhou had the luck to draw such a wildcard.

Fortunately, they all made it through without any mishaps, and all three entered the top twenty. As long as they won one more match, they would enter the top ten. In other words, a victory would guarantee them the top-ten reward: a Foundation Establishment Pill.