rule 12

Chapter 65: Kill Stealing

After months of training, Li Lang's various martial arts techniques had improved drastically and could not be compared to before.

Li Lang's Skysoar Kick landed squarely on the back of the other contestant who had been caught off guard. Even with his Qi protecting him, the kick instantly caused the young man to fall face-first into the ground. Before the victim could make out what had happened, Li Lang placed his new spear right against the back of his opponent's head.

If someone was paying careful attention, they could notice Li Lang's breathing was uneven despite not having expended much stamina. He quickly surveyed his surroundings after having successfully carried out his ambush.

He glanced up in time to see Wei Ping atop the cultivator, who had been exhausted after employing a powerful Qi art. His mask-wearing ally didn't hesitate to plunge his dagger into the neck of the man below him. Instantly, the victim was enveloped in a bright white light and vanished in the blink of an eye.

Meanwhile, Long Yi had already finished off the Qi beast with his opening attack. It wasn't surprising considering Long Yi had made great strides in his cultivation throughout this half a year.

Unlike Wei Ping or Li Lang, Long Yi had grade three aptitude. He was also afforded the same advantage as them, making ample use of Cleansing Drugs to further accelerate his progress. All this meant he had already broken into the fifth stage of the Energy Gathering realm two months ago.

As for Wei Ping, he had broken through to the fourth stage shortly after his duel with Bai Yuchen, the young master they had encountered out in the underground expanse zone they had ventured into. The fight had served as inspiration for him, allowing him to break past his bottleneck after digesting the gains he made in the duel.

Unlike his two companions, Li Lang didn't manage to make a breakthrough yet during this half a year. He was extremely close, just on the brink of it. It didn't mean he was lazy, but simply because every cultivation level was exponentially harder than the one before.

Normally, a regular disciple with grade two aptitude would take two years on average to break through from the fourth stage to the fifth stage. The fact that Li Lang, who had grade one aptitude, had almost done it in half a year would shock the whole cultivation world if it became known. They would definitely suspect him of having a chance encounter or made use of a rare heavenly resource for him to make such progress despite his aptitude.

All three of them were already deviants for their quick progress. It could be said that their progress matched even the once-in-a-generation geniuses of the average sect.

With both Wei Ping and Long Yi having finished off their target, they turned to Li Lang with a questioning look.

"What's wrong? Hurry up and finish him off. They won't really die and will be just teleported away," Long Yi reminded.

"I thought rendering someone immovable to the point where they can't resist would mean the Grand Elder would also teleport them out…I'm just testing it out."

Li Lang's reply had been said without confidence. That was because he was actually struggling with finishing off his opponent. Despite knowing they wouldn't die, it was still hard for Li Lang to go through with murder using a melee weapon.

It may have been different if he was using a ranged weapon where it was easier to disassociate with the violence, but stabbing someone produced a vivid sensation.

It couldn't be helped that Li Lang struggled with this. Despite having memories of being an adult, he had lived in a world far away from any conflict and strife. He had never even considered murdering another person with his own hands. He was a scientist who stayed cooped up in his lab and not a soldier.

Thankfully, Li Lang didn't have to continue struggling with his indecision.

As if having heard Li Lang's words, the cultivator at his feet suddenly shone with white light before disappearing.

Still… this is quite a weakness I have. I'll have to work on it if I want to survive in this world. I doubt I'm strong enough to hold back when the time comes that my life is in danger and running isn't an option.

"...I guess you're right. That works too." Long Yi muttered.

"Anyway, did you get the seal after killing the Qi beast?"

"I'm not sure… The beast turned into dust when it died and some of it was absorbed into my hand here and became a mark." Long Yi held up his hand where there was now a circular mark on the back of his hand.

"I t-think that m-means we only g-get seal for l-landing the killing blow. We'll h-have to be mindful of t-that since we a-are working as a team." Wei Ping declared.

Once the three young men reviewed how their ambush went, they quickly set off for the next. Despite having eliminated some competitors, they still needed seals themselves.

Following the sound of fighting, it didn't take them long until they came across another fight. It was between two cultivators and a Giant Serpent. The two cultivators surrounded the giant serpent that was as thick as the nearby trees. They took turns inflicting blows when the snake's attention was directed at their partner, but they seemed to be holding back, as their attacks were too weak to deal a fatal blow.

"Those two should both be in the fifth stage of Energy Gathering. Why are they holding back so much?" Li Lang voiced his question as he crouched by the tree line.

"Who cares? It should be as easy as the last ambush. Let's get this over." Long Yi retorted.

Just as he was about to step out, Wei Ping quickly held back his companion.

"Let's w-wait and see, first." 

Turning to find Li Lang agreeing as well, Long Yi could only shake his head as he crouched back down.

Thanks to their cautiousness, the trio soon discovered the reason for the tepid fighting.

"Huang Dao, are you seriously going to fight me for this prey? We are both wasting our time and allowing our other competitors to get ahead."

"Shut up, Liang Nian. This was my prey in the first place. There's no way I would yield it to you! Besides, no one said it's against the rules to hinder other contestants!"

Seeing the scene, Li Lang's group exchanged awkward glances.

"I expected the others to catch on soon about fighting each other, but these two are something else."

"I t-think we can a-act now…"

The trio quickly sprang into action after seeing everything to be seen. They rotated out who would be responsible for the Qi beast this time and made short work of their opponents. It was almost too easy to finish someone off when they were caught off-guard, but none of them felt ashamed about their method.

It was a tournament, so if the organizers didn't intend for this to happen, they would've made some rules against it beforehand.

This time, Li Lang had time to adjust mentally to the ordeal and was able to successfully thrust out his spear in the opening attack. His hand had trembled, but it was already a huge improvement from his previous hesitation. The fact he had witnessed the contestants being teleported out instead of actually dying had helped a lot.

When his opponent disappeared from his blow, a trail of glittering dust replaced them and sailed through the air, heading straight toward Li Lang. It quickly came into contact with his hand, and he soon found a circular mark similar to the one Long Yi had.

So you can take the seals from others too…

Like this, the trio continued to ambush others who were in the midst of fighting.

By the time they encountered their fifth group, they had witnessed a completely different kind of scene from before. Instead of cultivators battling against Qi beasts, their fifth encounter completely consisted of human parties. Two groups of five were fighting against each other, totaling ten people between them.

"So the others have caught on. Let's return to the grand hall to bank our seals for now. It's not a good idea being so close to the battlefield when the fighting ramps up." Li Lang immediately suggested.

"Return to the hall? Wouldn't there be even more people there?" Long Yi cried out.

"Yes, but I don't think we'd be allowed to fight within the grand hall. Otherwise, we could just stay in there forever and ambush others as they finish hunting the Qi beasts. Wouldn't make for a very exciting show for the audience, would it? The entire area inside the barrier should be a safe zone."

"Y-yes…It'd be b-better than heading further i-into the forest like e-everyone else is thinking. We c-can rest in the grand hall w-while others fight e-each other," Wei Ping added.

The trio swiftly navigated through the forest back toward the giant yellow barrier that could be seen from the distance. The sounds of fighting grew quieter, as the battles had died down and people began to keep a low profile in fear of being targeted.

Just when the trio caught sight of the resplendent golden building, Long Yi suddenly tackled the other two to the ground.

By the time they landed, a deafening explosion rang out right where they were heading. Immediately following the explosion, three figures darted out from the treeline from different directions and surrounded the trio.

Li Lang had just gotten up in time to make eye contact with one of his assailants. It was a familiar face, but it took him a moment to recall the name.

"You…I've seen you before."

Chapter 66: Targeted

"You…" Li Lang stared at one of the men who ambushed him. "I've seen you before at the headquarters!"

Over the course of six months that Li Lang had stayed in Emberglow City, he would head to The Orchid Covenant's headquarters daily as an alternative to the Alchemist Guild. Their refining rooms were cheaper to rent, and they had the same materials for sale to their members. Their prices were even better than the Alchemist Guild's. It was all to encourage trade within their organization.

Of course, with perfect attendance, the people in The Orchid Covenant had begun to recognize the strange young man with an adult-sized head. However, the reverse wasn't true as Li Lang was too self-absorbed in his own matters to connect with anyone else. He simply refined his daily quota and rushed back to cultivate the new skills they learned from the Bloodwave Conclave. Still, he was able to memorize a few faces he constantly saw, and the boy in front of him was one of them.

"You know them, Li Lang?" Long Yi furrowed his brows as he cautiously watched the men who had surrounded them.

"No, not really. I've just seen him around when I went to refine pills. I think I overheard his name was… Shu…something."

"It's Sheng Haoran! Is your large head only for show?" the young man cried.

"Yes, Sheng Haoran. I take it you guys won't give us a free pass despite being from the same organization?"

"That's right. Don't blame us, but someone seems to have a grudge against you. They promised us plenty of remunerations if we take you out."

"Someone?"

"I've already said too much. If you want to learn more, then beat us first!"

At Sheng Haoran's words, his two other companions instantly unleashed the attack they had been preparing while they were conversing. They both let out a Qi art of entirely different properties. One unleashed a flurry of Qi attacks while the other erected stone walls around them to prevent escape.

The combination attack spoke volumes about their teamwork. That didn't even take into account their cultivation, which was in the fifth stage of Energy Gathering.

The trio immediately scattered as they dove to dodge the attacks.

"Run to the main building, we can't be wasting our strength for this fight!" Li Lang screamed.

"Don't run now. Let us exchange some moves first."

With those words, Sheng Haoran joined the attack, thrusting out his sword multiple times to send out various Qi art attacks in the form of thrusts.

"You guys head on first! I'll hold them back!" Long Yi dramatically yelled out as he prepared to face the attacks.

Both Li Lang and Wei Ping were dumbfounded at the sudden 'heroics' of their friend.

"Shut up and get over here already!" Li Lang yelled as he swiftly pulled Long Yi along by his collar.

Meanwhile, Sheng Haoran grinned at the disorganized antics of his targets. He looked forward to his attacks landing, scoring himself a nice payday.

However, the scene before him was suddenly obscured as a large cloud of smoke covered the surroundings.

"What the?"

"Senior Sheng, we can't see through this smoke. We should regroup first!" a voice yelled out from within the haze.

It took a brief moment for Sheng Haoran to decide what to do, and that hesitancy would cost him.

"No, rush in and engage them. We're stronger in a free-for-all and we can't give them a chance to run!"

Sheng Haoran dashed into the smoke, searching for his prey. He tried to predict the path Li Lang's group would take to escape to the grand hall. With their objective apparent, it was easy to predict their route.

As luck would have it, he soon spotted a figure dashing through the smoke.

"Running are you? Wait for me!" He yelled out gleefully.

He unleashed several Qi art attacks to block their path as he closed the distance. As soon as he was within range, he didn't hesitate to lunge out.

He got close enough to make out the shock on the big-headed boy's face and grinned at the scene before slashing his sword at him. The blade effortlessly sliced through the Li Lang.

However, it had been too effortless. There was no resistance and no feeling of cutting into anything at all.

It took a moment for the image of Li Lang to crumple to the ground, but it then vanished. It dissipated into the smoke unlike how a normal competitor would when they were eliminated. It was seeing this scene that Sheng Haoran realized he had been duped.

"Run to the grand hall, hurry! They used a decoy talisman combined with a smokescreen talisman to run from us!"

By the time Sheng Haoran's group began to rush toward the grand hall, it had been too late. Their moment of hesitation when the smokescreen appeared allowed ample time for Li Lang's group to run straight to the grand hall under the cover of their concealing talisman.

The moment they stepped out of the tree line and through the barrier, Li Lang let out a sigh of relief.

"We barely made it, but…those talismans weren't cheap." Li Lang then turned to Long Yi. "In the first place, you should've remembered our trump card! What was that earlier? Trying to be the hero? That's way too reckless of you, even if you can't die in here."

"I…kind of…for—.No, I was just surprised you even used them in this tournament. Weren't the talismans for real emergencies only?" Long Yi quipped.

"...Financial loss is fine when the rewards outweigh it. You heard how this pocket realm only opens once every ten years. We won't get a chance again if we lose."

Just as the two were starting to relax, Wei Ping picked this moment to pull on both their sleeves.

"L-look, they're r-right behind us."

They instantly turned to where they had just came in from and spotted three figures emerging from the tree line.

"Tsk, you got lucky this time." Sheng Haoran spat before turning back into the forest.

"What are they doing? Aren't they targeting us, so shouldn't they be waiting for us to come out?" Long Yi asked with a bewildered expression.

"They're not stupid either. Their main goal should be the pocket realm, too. We're just an extra side trophy. Seeing how they were waiting around the grand hall, they must not have hunted any seals at all. They are going back to take seals from other participants."

Shaking his head at the figure of their retreating assailants, Li Lang began making his way back into the grand hall.

He found it entirely empty—until he spotted the same white-haired young man from before he left, snoring away, completely unmoved from his previous position.

There wasn't time to investigate further as the mark on the back of their hands began to glow when they stepped into the building. The three watched in wonder as the circular mark unraveled itself, becoming a trail of glittering dust once again, heading straight into one of the tablets surrounding the room.

It caused the words on the tablet to light up as the words began to change. In an instant, there were extra lines of words on it, showcasing their names and scores.

Li Lang - 27 Points

Wei Ping - 25 Points

Long Yi - 31 Points

"Hmm, we all scored different points despite slaying two Qi beasts each…" Li Lang muttered.

"It m-must mean each Qi b-beast is scored d-differently. Probably b-based on their strength."

"So how long until we head out again?" Long Yi asked as he stretched his back.

"Just when everyone else is starting to return. They'd be on their guard against attacks, and be less likely to chase after us then. Plus, that Shu something guy will be busy with all the people coming in to deal with us."

"Sounds like a plan, so I guess we should wait outside, then?"

Seeing his companions nodding, Long Yi was the first to step out of the building. He quickly found an open spot with a good vantage point of the surroundings and plopped himself on the ground.

Having prepared for the long haul, Wei Ping passed out some water and dried ration to his companions as they rested. Time passed quickly as they ate and chatted amongst themselves, and soon, the sound of fighting could be heard in the distance.

The Trio got up and prepared to set out when they suddenly heard the door to the grand hall opening. They turned to find the young man, with disheveled silver hair, walking out with a yawn.

He stretched out his body, pointing both palms to the sky before finally surveying his surroundings as he scratched his stomach with one hand.

"Is it time for everyone else to return, yet?" He spoke out loud to himself.

A moment later, a loud metallic sound of swords clashing rang out, as if to answer the man's question. It was followed by a figure rapidly sailing through the air, not slowing down for a second. It quickly passed through the barrier around the grand hall and headed straight to the young man with silver hair 

It almost clipped him, as it sailed past him with less than an inch between, but the man remained unfazed. The figure then only stopped when it slammed into the building.

As the dust settled, everyone present could see a white light surrounding the person who had been sent flying. It swiftly faded as the victim was teleported out of the artifact space.

The man with white hair barely spared a glance at the person who had almost crashed into him as his eyes were locked straight ahead toward the area outside the barrier. Someone with particularly good eyesight may be able to see a humanoid figure with claws for hands and a tail fending off a dozen different cultivators.

"I guess that answers my questions. But still…It seems like someone is experiencing cultivation deviation…" The white-haired man let out an exaggerated sigh. "It's a pain, but I guess I'll deal with it."

Chapter 67: Liang Po

On the outskirts of the grand hall, many contestants of The Orchid Covenant's annual tournament were currently rushing back to deposit the seals they had hunted from Qi beasts.

The young demonic cultivators found the first round had changed drastically every few moments. From the beginning, they all rushed to hunt Qi beasts, but sometime after, the contestants found out they could rob others, which made them battle against each other instead. Then, the winners of these battles all hurried to deposit their gains in the grand hall to prevent becoming a juicy target.

However, what they didn't expect was one of the participants suddenly suffered from cultivation deviation.

"Senior Ma, snap out of it! Don't you remember our master's teachings? You can't let the animalistic urges win out!" a boy yelled out toward his senior brother, who was panting heavily while kneeling, and both hands nursing his head.

Despite his junior's attempts at calling out to him, the cultivator suddenly jumped up and let out a primal roar. Its intensity was so fierce that all the other nearby contestants reflexively covered their ears and wore pained expressions.

It had been too late for Ma Zhongtian. Demonic cultivation always came with risks. The Fierce Beast Codex that he practiced allowed relatively easier progression by absorbing any quadrupedal Qi beast's essence. In exchange for more flexibility on the type of beasts it could absorb, the practitioner was more prone to the animalistic urges of their prey.

Just as the sound relented, the culprit who unleashed the roar abruptly dashed forward on all fours. He easily knocked aside his junior brother, heading straight for the other contestants, who were still dazed.

His first prey, a young girl, was completely caught off guard and could only make out the shadow of a tiger-like figure before claws came down on her. She instantly disappeared, replaced by white lights.

All the contestants weren't stupid and quickly recognized the situation after having heard the roar. That was why shortly after Ma Zhongtian had claimed his first victim, the nearby cultivators swiftly gathered together for safety.

Cultivation deviation may have caused the cultivator to lose their mind, but it also made them gain abnormal strength. It was only when half a dozen competitors joined together that they were able to hold their ground against the frenzied beast.

"We can't keep this up for much longer! The moment our formation falters, we're all going to get eliminated by this idiot! How come the elders aren't making a move yet? This clearly isn't part of the competition."

"Be quiet and focus! We're almost at the barrier. I think it should now repel this guy now that he resembles a beast more than a human!"

"Everyone…I'm sorry, I'm running out of Qi," one of the boys weakly cried out.

The group all felt their heart lurch out at the news. They turned in time to find their companion faltering behind, and the beast-like deviator lunged at the opening. Just as the remaining cultivators each plotted for their own safety, a lazy yawn resounded throughout their vicinity.

In an instant, a figure dashed by them with remarkable speed, arriving right between the faltering contestants and the man suffering from cultivation deviation, Ma Zhongtian. As if sensing the threat coming from the sudden appearance of the white-haired boy, even Ma Zhongtian, who had lost his mind, abandoned his charge and regarded the new opponent carefully.

"Deviation from practicing a quadrupedal technique of some sort? That won't do. Those methods are ill-suited for someone eager to make quick progress."

As the white-haired boy leisurely spoke, the entire scene suddenly came to a standstill as he stared down his fellow competitor, who had an animalistic glint in his eyes. Neither side moved, and the spectators finally had time to take in the sudden development.

"Is that Liang Po from the Myriad Bones Pavilion?"

"If he's here, then we're saved. We can leave the rest to him."

The group of six quietly began to slip away from the scene. As soon as they moved, so did Liang Po.

He charged at Ma Zhongtian, who reacted by doing the same. The beast-like cultivator lunged forward at his prey, but his movements stilled the moment Liang Po held up his sword. Having lost his mind, he couldn't pull any tricks as he was swiftly cut down while immobilized.

By the time the deviator had landed on all fours, he was already surrounded by white light and swiftly disappeared as he got teleported out of the artifact.

Not stopping there, Liang Po dashed across the treeline and materialized right in the fleeing group's path. They awkwardly shared glances, as they were surprised at the abrupt appearance.

"Umm, Senior Liang. Thank you for your assistance." the previous boy, who had been saved, bowed politely.

"No need to thank me." Liang Po shook his head. "We're all competitors here."

It only took a split second for the group to realize what Liang Po had meant. The dawn of realization instantly turned into fear.

Liang Po didn't bother elaborating further before he swung down his sword. Just like before, the moment he raised his sword, his targets froze, and could only be slaughtered like lambs. Liang Po didn't rest there. After he was done eliminating his competition, he ran off into the distance toward his next prey.

Back inside the barrier around the grand hall, cries could be occasionally heard.

Li Lang's group glanced anxiously around until they spotted a group successfully entering the barrier and immediately collapsing on the ground.

"We…made it!" 

They smiled and laughed as they caught their breath.

"Damn that Liang Po. Can't believe he's just eliminating everyone trying to return. How is it fair that he's in the competition too?"

"...It can't be helped. He meets every criterion to be here. There's no rule against contestants who have comprehended a way or law."

"That's because you normally wouldn't expect anyone in the Energy Gathering realm to have comprehended them already!"

Soon, more people returned, as not even Liang Po could block off all the contestants. 

Li Lang's group gathered off on the edge of the barrier.

"Who knew that guy we saw earlier ended up being so dangerous?" Long Yi muttered.

"Everyone i-is waiting f-for him to return b-before they dare to head o-out again." Wei Ping added.

"Let us wait as well. No point standing out from the crowd."

However, contrary to everyone's expectations, an announcement reached the ears of everyone within the artifact space.

"Half of you have been eliminated. We will now be ending the first round."

Immediately after, everyone found their vision obscured by white smoke, and in an instant, they found themselves standing in the middle of the stadium once again. They all gawked up at the audience, who were in the uproar up in the stands.

It was only when an authoritative voice rang out that the venue began to quiet down.

"The second round will begin shortly! Each contestant will now be fighting a Qi beast for the second round, and the results will be based on how fast you are able to vanquish the beast."

Some gasps and complaining could be heard, as several contestants complained about jumping straight into the second round. However, Li Lang was dissatisfied with how fast the next round was proceeding for another reason.

All my energy has been restored to peak condition…no…what happened inside that artifact wasn't real, so we hadn't actually expended anything! But how come my talisman was still consumed? Those cost a fortune! Too bad I can't place another bet since there's no downtime for us contestants.

With one hundred and twenty-eight contestants left, the center ring was swiftly cleared, as groups of cultivators dragged in cages into the arena. While this happened, the spectators all sprinted toward the nearby gambling stations to place the new bets.

The staff knew what they were doing and created a sense of urgency for them to place bets quickly, but also allowed enough time for all of them to have the opportunity to do so. Time passed by very quickly as the audience returned to their seats.

An expert then hovered right above the ring and formed several hand signs, causing the ground beneath it to let out a bright light. The elevated ring disappeared and was replaced by eight smaller arenas.

Eight names were called and Li Lang watched each one step up to their respective stage. It seemed like all eight of them would be simultaneously undergoing the second round, but everyone's attention was drawn to the boy with white hair.

The cages were soon opened beside each arena, and the staff dragged their respective beast onto the stage by the collar.

On Liang Po's stage, there was a giant ape-like Qi beast.

A cultivator flew up to Liang Po and spoke a few words to him before he loudly yelled out to his companions to free the beast. The white-haired boy examined the beast with a smile, but didn't make a move. However, the ape wasn't so polite and quickly charged towards him.

As everyone expected, Liang Po only had to swing his sword once before the ape was felled. After he was done, he even sat down in the lotus position and began cultivating.

"Liang Po, two breaths of time!"

"Interesting. The moment he held up his sword, the Qi beast's movement stiffened. And I wonder what type of demonic cultivation technique he employs," Li Lang muttered to his companions.

"Do you have time to be worried about that? If we face that guy in the next round, you know we're done for, right?" Long Yi nervously said.

"We s-should be w-worried about this r-round first. Look, they're c-calling for y-you, Long Yi."

At Wei Ping's reminder, Long Yi glanced back over to the arena where Liang Po had just completed his fight. The referee there was holding up a sign with Long Yi's name on it.

"Next, Long Yi! Please hurry over!"

Chapter 68: All-Out Attacks

"Xu Jiao, Twenty-two breaths of time!"

After Liang Po's powerful display of vanquishing a Qi beast, more and more competitors soon completed their fight after him.

Neither Wei Ping nor Li Lang was worried about Long Yi's match, so they scouted out their other prospective opponents. When they just happened to glance over at a ring, they caught sight of a familiar name.

"Next, Bai Yuchen. Please hurry over!"

Li Lang immediately looked over at Wei Ping.

"Bai Yuchen, isn't that the guy you dueled half a year ago?"

They both glanced over at the ring and watched a young man sauntering up the stage before Wei Ping nodded.

"Yes…That s-should be him."

"Hmm, does that mean the person who got Sheng Haoran to target us in the first round is him?" 

"M-most likely…"

The two stared over at the ring in silence, carefully watching the fight between Bai Yuchen and a stag-like Qi beast.

Whenever the beast charged at the young boy, Bai Yuchen would swiftly disappear just a moment before contact, as if he could teleport. He would then slash out at the beast from its flank, but couldn't land a decisive strike. He had to repeat this same tactic several times before finally wearing down the Qi beast.

"Bai Yuchen, twenty-seven breaths!"

As fate would have it, the next person to be called to the same stage was Wei Ping. It was almost impossible for that to escape Bai Yuchen's notice as he made his way down the arena.

Inevitably, the two boys reunited just at the bottom of the stairs up to the arena.

"You again! I'm surprised you managed to get so far in this tournament. Did you employ every dirty trick in the book to have come so far?" the young boy taunted.

"Bai Yuchen, d-did you g-get others to target us?"

"Hmph, I have no idea what you're talking about. Those underhanded methods you speak of sound more like your thing."

The two stared at each other for a few moments before another voice called out to them.

"Wei Ping? Hurry on up here!" The referee called out as he peeked down at them from above.

"Well, good luck. You'll need it."

Bai Yuchen flung his sleeve as he took his exit while Wei Ping ignored him and went up the stage.

It didn't take long before a boar-type Qi beast was unleashed as Wei Ping's opponent. A similar scene replayed itself as the new competitor also nimbly sidestepped from the boar's charge before striking the flanks, or so everyone thought, but Wei Ping simply kept up his guard and let the beast charge past him.

On the next charge, Wei Ping almost failed his dodge, and a tusk tore a hole through the front of his robes.

It was only on the third attack that Wei Ping finally counterattacked. However, he employed an attack that made all the nearby spectators gasp in fear for him.

He dared to concentrate every last bit of Qi into the tip of his blade when he was up against a real enemy that was out for his life. The empowered dagger smoothly embedded itself into the neck of the boar before Wei Ping twisted it, causing a torrent of blood to gush out. The fight was quick and efficient.

"Wei Ping, fifteen breaths!"

Having secured his victory, he glanced over to where Bai Yuchen was standing and nodded at him before returning to where Li Lang and Long Yi were. 

"Good job. Looks like our training paid off."

"Y-yes…" Wei Ping glanced over at the six-foot giant. "You finished, too?"

"Yep, I got it done in twelve breaths. Beat you by three breaths!" Long Yi gloated.

"It would seem all the Qi beasts they make us fight are all at the fourth stage, so it stands to reason that you would have an easier time than Wei Ping."

The trio didn't get to converse for long, as it was Li Lang's turn next.

Now that Li Lang had grown a little more, his large head didn't draw as much attention. However, everyone soon turned to him when they heard his results.

Li Lang's fight turned out shockingly similar to Wei Ping's, where he dodged the first few attacks, before thrusting out his spear that was empowered by all of his Qi. It was enough to end the fight in one blow.

"Li Lang, eleven breaths!"

Many may have missed it, but his friends for sure didn't. They watched him perfectly execute the all-out attack they had been training after a splendid dodge.

As both Li Lang and Wei Ping had fewer spiritual roots than others due to their aptitude, the amount of Qi they could unleash in an instant was less than others. It didn't mean they couldn't exert the same strength, but they needed more time to build up the power. However, that was fatal in a fight that could be decided in milliseconds.

That was why the two had been training in a risky technique to observe their opponent before unleashing a risky all-out attack that ignored all defense. To most cultivators, this was a suicidal move to be employed only when one was forced into a corner.

Li Lang had naturally arrived at this conclusion, as it was a simple solution to their woes. If their overall Qi was less, they just needed to overpower their opponent at the point of contact.

It was also a good training method to control Qi.

Over the past half a year, Li Lang studied how the middle stage of the Energy Gathering realm worked. He believed the reason one needed to master Qi control before breaking through to it was because it was how one broke past their bodily limits.

Once one reached the peak of the third stage, their body had already stuffed as much Qi as it could with the maximum force it could exert. However, when one trained Qi control, one also increased the maximum force one could exert on Qi, allowing more of it to be jammed into the body.

"Good job." Long Yi said upon Li Lang's return. "You beat me."

"It's only this easy since we're going up against mindless Qi beasts. It's going to be hard for me and Wei Ping to perform well if we fight the other competitors."

As if the organizers had heard Li Lang's words, the announcer soon spoke out once again.

"The second round is over. Those whose names we will be announcing will be moving on to the third round that will take place tomorrow. Liang Po, Tong…"

"It seems like the third round really will be one-on-one fights…" Li Lang muttered.

"Why do you think so?"

"It's the classic format to attract gamblers. Them delaying the third round to tomorrow means they want more time for people to place bets and build up excitement."

As Li Lang expected, after announcing the names of those who qualified for the next round, they declared that one-on-one fights would be the third and final round.

The three soon exited the stadium, along with the other contestants. They didn't return to their inn, but instead followed Li Lang to a stall just outside. They joined the long line for the lone stall there and waited over half an hour until it was their turn.

"Here to redeem my bet." Li Lang placed a slip of paper down.

The clerk didn't bother to look up and just grabbed it and marked off the entry in his notebook before calling out to his companions. He only looked up when he handed over a bag full of Qi stones.

"Here—wait! You're that contestant, Li Lang!"

Li Lang glanced around awkwardly at having been recognized now. The people in the line began to murmur about him.

"...That's right. There shouldn't be a rule on betting on yourself, right?"

"Oh, no, there isn't. I was just surprised."

"Good, then can I place a bet on myself for tomorrow again?"

"Yes, yes, of course. We are currently only doing bets on who will make it to the top sixteen. The bets for the next round won't start until tomorrow when the matchups are announced."

"That's fine. Let me place a bet on myself again, this time to make it into the top sixteen."

"...Are you sure? You may face your companions here." He glanced over at Wei Ping and Long Yi on the side. "Since it is obvious you guys are acquainted, we will simply refund your bet if you end up facing them. We won't return the processing fee, though."

"Hmm, then split the money evenly into three. We will each bet on ourselves." Li Lang tossed the bag of Qi stones back on the table.

"...Okay."

Meanwhile, in the distant city of Night Shade, a lively and innocent-looking girl was currently kneeling before an old man in black robes.

"Sima Xue, you will be leading our disciples into the pocket realm this time. I want all of them to survive. Is that understood?"

"But Master, that would mean I will have to use up my precious cultivation time to—"

"I made myself clear. With your talent, this small distraction shouldn't affect you, much less be your downfall, correct?"

"...Of course. Your disciple has received your order," Sima Xue managed to squeeze it through her gritted teeth.

As soon as she spat out those words, she darted out of the main hall. She turned the corner and rapidly collided with a man, but they both managed to keep their balance despite the impact.

"...Sima Xue, are you throwing a tantrum again? How many times have Master and I told you not to run around like that?"

"Hmph, if Senior Brother Jian wanted to dodge me, you could've done it with ease. I should be the one complaining why. You stood in my path on purpose!"

"That is because you are being so rude in Master's presence again! I thought after your mission this time, you would grow up, but I was obviously mistaken. I guess I won't be treating you to any more tofu pudding, then."

"What? No! You can't threaten me like this! I won't be able to have anything like it for years once I enter the pocket realm! Please, senior brother. You wouldn't bully me like this, would you?"

Jian Beiyun could only sigh at the sight of his junior's sudden change in demeanor.