Chapter 8: The Gap in Strength

After winning two consecutive matches, especially defeating Fu Xiusun Miao in a clever yet impeccable way.

The name Fang Li finally stirred up a small ripple in the otherwise tranquil pool of the outer sect disciples.

On the third day of the competition, she had just stepped into the training ground when she noticed many eyes, both open and covert, cast upon her.

"Look, it's her, Fang Li! She's won two games in a row!"

"I heard that Senior Brother Sun Miao was pushed off the stage by her yesterday? Is that true?"

"I guess it was just luck? Senior Brother Shi Meng was careless, and Senior Brother Sun Miao underestimated his opponent..."

"That's not entirely true. You can't dodge so many talismans without some real skill."

"Pshaw, all show and no substance. When they meet someone truly skilled, they'll be exposed in no time!"

Whispers rose like the tide as she passed by, and fell back as she walked away.

Xiao Tao suddenly appeared out of nowhere, excitedly squeezing next to her, her little face flushed: "Senior Sister Fang! Did you hear that? Everyone's talking about you! They're saying you're the dark horse of this competition!"

Fang Li responded lightly, her gaze sweeping over the jade wall displaying the match information, searching for her own arena and opponent.

She had no interest in terms like "dark horse" or similar labels.

She only cares about who her opponent will be in the next match, how strong they are, how much practical experience she can gain, how far she can go, and how many rewards she can get.

"Station E, Scene 5! Fang Li, yes, Li Zheng!"

The moment the name was announced, there was another small commotion in the audience.

"Senior Brother Li Zheng! He's at the peak of the seventh level of Qi Refining, and it's said he's practically on his way to the eighth level!"

"It's over, it's over, Senior Sister Fang's good luck has run out."

"Senior Brother Li's main skill is the 'Sharp Metal Technique,' and his attack power is... wow, incredibly domineering!"

"Let's see how she tries to take shortcuts now."

Xiao Tao's excitement instantly turned into worry as she tugged at Fang Li's sleeve: "Senior sister, you...you must be careful!"

Fang Li gently patted the back of her hand, her expression remaining calm, but a hint of seriousness appeared in her eyes.

The peak of the seventh level of Qi Refining, the "Sharp Metal Technique," is a tough opponent.

She didn't have a deep impression of this person in her previous life. He seemed to have stopped at the top twenty of the outer sect, but his strength was definitely not to be underestimated.

This will be the biggest test she has faced since the start of the competition.

Taking a deep breath, she leaped onto the ring.

His opponent, Li Zheng, was already standing with his arms crossed.

A young man with a cold and hard face, standing tall and straight like a pine tree, carried a long sword on his back. Although it was not drawn, it already exuded a sharp aura.

His sharp gaze swept over Fang Li, carrying undisguised scrutiny and a hint of disdain.

He didn't really care about the results of the first two games.

"start!"

As soon as the barrier was activated, Li Zheng pointed his fingers like a sword, pointing it out from a distance!

*Sizzle!*

A sharp, pale golden aura appeared out of nowhere, as fast as lightning, and pierced straight at Fang Li's shoulder blade!

He didn't even bother to draw his sword, relying solely on his finger strength to unleash metal-based magic!

Fang Li's pupils contracted slightly, and her body instinctively dodged to the side.

The aura grazed her sleeve, the resulting gust of wind cutting her skin with a dull ache, before landing on the barrier behind her with a muffled "poof," causing ripples to spread across the light wall.

Before she could catch her breath, Li Zheng flicked his fingers repeatedly, and beams of golden energy shot out like a sudden storm, enveloping her vital points with an extremely fierce attack, far surpassing Sun Miao's flashy but impractical talisman storm.

Fang Li pushed her movement technique to its limit, transforming herself into a leaf in the wind as she struggled through the dense gaps in the golden light.

Her movements were still nimble, but noticeably more hurried than in the previous two matches.

Each dodge was extremely dangerous; several times the golden light almost grazed her vitals, leaving shallow bloodstains.

They were completely suppressed!

The difference in cultivation level was fully demonstrated at this moment.

Li Zheng's spiritual power was far greater than hers, and his attacks were faster and more ruthless, giving her no chance to breathe or get close.

The audience was completely silent, everyone holding their breath as they watched this battle, which was almost entirely one-sided.

Xiao Tao covered her mouth in nervousness.

Su Wanqing had arrived nearby at some point. Looking at Fang Li, who was awkwardly dodging on the stage, a smug smirk appeared on her lips.

"I knew she couldn't do it."

"The difference in cultivation level is too great, how can I fight?"

"It's quite an achievement that they've managed to hold on for so long..."

Fang Li's forehead was beaded with sweat, and her breathing gradually became rapid.

The spiritual energy within his body was rapidly depleted during the high-speed evasion.

She gritted her teeth, her mind racing.

Although Li Zheng's "Sharp Metal Technique" attacks are fierce, it seems to pursue speed and power too much, and the variations are somewhat monotonous. Moreover, after each time he fully unleashes several bursts of energy, there is an extremely brief moment of stagnation when he recovers his energy.

Found it!

Just as Li Zheng unleashed another burst of energy.

A glint flashed in Fang Li's eyes, and for the first time, she actively cast a spell, having been passively dodging!

She rapidly formed hand seals, unleashing the last vestiges of her water elemental power!

"Condense!"

A thick ice shield instantly solidified in front of her!

At the same time, several tough vines sprouted from the ground beneath her feet, wrapped around her ankles, and pulled her backward with a sudden movement!

A hint of surprise flashed in Li Zheng's eyes.

Ice shield? Vines? These rudimentary spells at the initial stage of Qi Refining thought they could block his sharp golden aura? How laughable! He didn't even bother to change his move.

*Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!* The golden energy slammed into the ice shield, shattering it instantly and sending ice shards flying everywhere!

However, the ice shield successfully hindered the speed and accuracy of the aura for a moment.

At the same moment the ice shield shattered, Fang Li used the force of the vines pulling her feet backward, combined with her full-force leap, to narrowly avoid several golden rays.

All of this happened in the blink of an eye; it was like dancing on a knife's edge!

A gasp rippled through the audience! No one had expected Fang Li to use such a self-imposed method to evade the attack; it was a brilliant idea, but also extremely dangerous!

Li Zheng frowned, extremely impatient with Fang Li's slippery way of dealing with things, and also put away his last bit of contempt.

He snorted coldly and finally gripped the hilt of the sword behind his back!

"sulfuric acid--"

The longsword was drawn, its cold light gleaming, and its sharp metallic aura suddenly surged!

"You've managed to force me to draw my sword, you should be proud of yourself!" Li Zheng shouted, swinging his longsword. A golden sword aura, several times sharper than before, tore through the air, accompanied by a sharp whistling sound, and slashed horizontally towards him!

The area was extremely large, almost covering half of the arena!

This sword strike was unavoidable!

Fang Li's pupils contracted sharply. She poured all her spiritual power into her legs, pushing the "Lingxi Technique" to its limit, and retreated rapidly. At the same time, she managed to condense an even thinner ice shield in front of her!

Crack! The ice shield was easily torn apart by the sword energy, as if it were made of paper!

The terrifying impact slammed into Fang Li's crossed arms as she tried to block!

"Ugh!" She groaned, a sweet taste in her throat, and was violently thrown out, crashing heavily onto the edge of the ring, just a hair's breadth away from falling off!

His sleeve was torn, revealing red and swollen skin. His blood and qi were churning inside his body, and his spiritual energy was almost depleted.

[Warning! Host's vital signs are rapidly declining! Minor fractures have appeared in the ribs! Internal organs have been concussed! It is strongly recommended to immediately abandon the match, or send a distress signal to the nearest and strongest male target (coordinates: southeast stands, Ji Qianqiu)! The system can provide the optimal distress line: 'Senior Brother Qianqiu, help me! I'm so scared!']

That damned mechanical voice started ringing wildly in her head without warning, incredibly noisy.

Fang Li's vision blurred, and the intense pain and weakness caused by the depletion of her spiritual energy swept over her entire body. The noise from this broken system only made her more agitated, and she almost spat out a mouthful of blood.

She gritted her teeth and roared inwardly, "Shut up! If you make another sound, I'll block you for life!"

System: "...Eek." Silence instantly.

Li Zheng clearly had no intention of giving her any chance to recover.

Having landed a successful blow, he didn't hesitate and rushed forward. His longsword shone brightly with golden light as he prepared to launch the final attack and end the battle once and for all!

"It's over." He said coldly, raising his longsword high. An even stronger golden sword aura began to condense, and the sharp sword wind made it hard to breathe. It was about to strike!

The crowd below held their breath, and Elder Yunzhi was even preparing to stand up and stop them.

Xiao Tao closed her eyes in fright, while Su Wanqing's smile grew even wider.

On the high platform, Shen Yunzhou, who had been resting with his eyes closed and seemed indifferent to the competition below, frowned almost imperceptibly.

Her tightly closed eyelashes trembled slightly, and an invisible divine sense swept across the direction of Platform Wu.

Fang Li lay on the edge of the arena, watching the long sword about to fall, the golden light reflected in her pupils.