Chapter 10: Stopped in the Round of 16?
The outcome of the battle against Chen Feng was essentially a foregone conclusion.
The sword energy was sharp and far superior to Li Zheng's. Each strike contained terrifying power enough to tear apart ordinary Qi Refining disciples. The hard ground of the arena was left with deep cuts, each more than an inch deep, under the sweeping aftershocks of the sword energy.
Fang Li pushed the remaining medicinal power of the pills to their limit and circulated her movement technique to its fastest speed ever.
Fragments of scattered battle memories from his past life flashed wildly in his mind, trying to capture that almost non-existent chance of victory.
On the arena, sword lights crisscrossed and golden light tore through the sky. The figure in azure robes was like a small boat in a stormy sea, repeatedly forced into a desperate situation, but each time he narrowly avoided fatal blows by relying on his amazing resilience, foresight, and unexpected use of basic spells.
She held on longer than anyone expected.
The initial sighs and exclamations of "as expected" and "overestimating themselves" from the audience gradually turned into low gasps of surprise, and finally into a kind of admiration tinged with disbelief.
"They actually lasted ten moves!"
"That dodge... was amazing!"
"Is she using the 'Gentle Breeze Spell' not to accelerate, but to disrupt the opponent's sword trajectory?"
"The earthen wall technique is actually used to change one's own backward direction?"
The battle between the mid-stage Qi Refining Realm and the early-stage Foundation Establishment Realm should have been an overwhelming one, but she managed to turn it into a protracted fight.
Although Fang Li was in a terrible state, her spiritual energy was rapidly depleted, and she had several shallow bloodstains on her body and her clothes were torn in many places by the sword energy, she was never truly seriously injured, nor did she lose her fighting spirit.
A hint of surprise and impatience flashed in Chen Feng's eyes.
He thought he could finish the fight in a few strikes, but he didn't expect his opponent to be so difficult to deal with, like a sticky piece of taffy, with all sorts of tricks coming out one after another.
He let out a low shout, and his swordplay changed again, becoming even heavier and more domineering, intending to end the match with absolute power.
Finally, after a hard-hit parry, Fang Li's tiger's mouth split open, and the spare longsword she had hastily taken out of her hand was knocked out of her grasp. She staggered and flew backward, crashing heavily onto the edge of the arena. She struggled for a moment, but due to the complete depletion of her spiritual energy and the shock to her internal organs, she was unable to get up immediately.
The elder referee stepped forward at the right moment, blocking Chen Feng's subsequent attacks, and loudly announced: "The winner is Chen Feng!"
After the words were spoken, there was a moment of silence in the audience, followed by a burst of enthusiastic applause.
The applause was not only for the powerful strength displayed by the victor Chen Feng, but also for Fang Li who persevered to the very end.
Chen Feng sheathed his sword, glanced at Fang Li lying on the ground, nodded, acknowledging his opponent's tenacity, and then turned and stepped off the stage.
Fang Li, panting heavily, slowly sat up and wiped the blood from her lips.
We lost, no surprise.
But her eyes were clear, without a trace of frustration.
Feeling the emptiness in her meridians and the burning pain, she gently exhaled.
very good.
This forced Chen Feng to unleash nearly 80% of his strength, squeezing his potential to the limit, and gaining tremendous practical experience.
Moreover, according to the rules, the rewards for making it into the top sixteen are already quite generous.
She didn't come here to win the championship; getting the benefits was her victory.
Struggling to her feet, she nodded slightly to the referee elders and the audience below, then walked step by step off the stage.
This time, the gazes directed at her contained less doubt and disdain, and more respect and admiration.
"Senior Sister Fang, you're amazing!" Xiao Tao rushed up, her eyes sparkling with admiration.
"Yes, Junior Sister Fang, to be able to fight Senior Brother Chen like this is amazing!"
"Defeat is still honorable!"
Fang Li smiled at them, said nothing more, and walked straight to the prize distribution area.
The disciple in charge of distributing the rewards was much more polite to her than before, and quickly counted out her rewards.
There were two hundred low-grade spirit stones and a delicate little jade bottle containing the Qi-stabilizing pill she had been longing for.
Holding the heavy bag of spirit stones and the cool, smooth jade bottle, Fang Li felt a real sense of satisfaction and security welling up inside her.
These are the foundation upon which she established herself and moved toward immortality.
She carefully packed her things away, preparing to return to her courtyard immediately to seclude herself and heal her injuries, using the Qi-stabilizing pill to solidify her cultivation and digest the gains from this small competition.
However, she hadn't gone far when a tall, imposing figure blocked her path like an iron tower, completely enveloping her in shadow.
Fang Li looked up and met a pair of bright, shining eyes.
Ji Qianqiu crossed his arms, his black outfit highlighting his powerful muscle lines.
He grinned, revealing a set of white teeth, his smile hearty yet carrying an undeniable force: "Fang Li! You're really good! You dodged beautifully, and you're tough! Come on, let's go to the training ground and have another match!"
His voice was loud and clear, attracting the attention of the surrounding disciples, but they dared not approach and only dared to watch from afar.
Senior Brother Ji challenged Senior Sister Fang, who looked battered and bruised after a fierce battle, to a duel? That's really his style!
Fang Li looked at the battle maniac in front of her and felt a faint pain in her forehead.
In her current state, she could be blown away by a gust of wind. Fighting this body-cultivating madman? She'd be asking for trouble.
She shook her head decisively: "Senior Brother Ji, I have exhausted my spiritual energy and am injured. I need to go back immediately to recuperate and recover. I cannot accompany you."
Ji Qianqiu frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the answer: "Meditate? How long will that take? Is an hour enough? I'll wait for you!"
Fang Li: "..."
She took a deep breath: "Senior Brother Ji, my injuries are quite serious and will not heal in a day. Moreover, the competition has just ended, and I need time to digest my insights and consolidate my cultivation."
"Then tomorrow?" Ji Qianqiu persisted, his eyes still shining brightly.
"The day after tomorrow is fine too! Just name a time!"
The scene became somewhat comical at one point.
One was burning with fighting spirit and relentlessly pursuing the other, while the other remained unmoved and calmly refused.
A disciple nearby couldn't help but chuckle, then quickly covered his mouth.
Fang Li felt a wave of helplessness; communicating with such a stubborn person was really a bit of a struggle.
As she pondered how to escape, and even considered whether to reluctantly waste a talisman to run away, a gentle, smiling voice rang out at just the right moment.
"Third junior brother, why are you in such a hurry and making things difficult for junior sister?"
Xie Chen, dressed in a green robe, gracefully approached, waving a jade-bone fan, with a smile on his face that was as warm as a spring breeze.
His gaze swept between Fang Li's pale face and Ji Qianqiu's displeased expression before finally settling on Fang Li. His tone was gentle and concerned: "Junior Sister just fought a fierce battle and was defeated due to exhaustion. She needs to rest now. Third Junior Brother, is it gentlemanly of you to block her way and challenge her to a duel? You are far too insensitive to romance."
Ji Qianqiu's thick eyebrows furrowed even more as he glared at Xie Chen: "Second brother, mind your own business! I'm going to fight her, what's it to you!" He was straightforward and had no patience for Xie Chen's roundabout ways.
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