Chapter 53: Battle

The sound finally reappeared, signifying the start of the tournament. However, this time it came with a reminder regarding the "Guardian Tokens." Li Chengzhu speculated that a competition of this caliber would inevitably result in casualties.

As expected, once the matches began, the eight teams descended into a fierce brawl, each participant eager to finish off their opponent with their magical artifacts. Only Qiu Feng remained calm and collected, as if he were taking a leisurely stroll. He didn't even bother to unsheathe his Immortal Sword, using only a slightly better-than-average flying sword to attack.

Meanwhile, things were quite awkward for his father-in-law, Xiao Changchuan. The Hehuan Sect had always upheld the interests of female cultivators, and aside from the Sect Master, the sect was composed entirely of women. Facing a beautiful opponent, the father-in-law found himself in a difficult spot.

As Li Chengzhu was secretly enjoying the show, he noticed that his beautiful grand-aunt-master was not watching his sixth master-uncle’s battle, but was instead locked onto his father-in-law’s arena, her brows furrowed in a deep frown.

Do these two know each other? Li Chengzhu felt a flicker of suspicion.

"Grand-Aunt-Master, what do you think are Sixth Master-Uncle's chances of winning?" Li Chengzhu asked, probing for information.

Wu’s eyes sharpened as she glanced toward the direction of Zhao Bumie (Sixth Master-Uncle). After a long silence, she replied, "He has lost."

"Oh?" Li Chengzhu smiled. "I think his attacks are well-structured and varied. His opponent seems to be retreating step by step."

Wu glared at him. "The Sixth is impetuous and irritable. His cultivation hasn't progressed in nearly a hundred years, and his mental state has regressed significantly. This kind of offense won't last long. Once his opponent finds an opening, he is finished."

"Didn't you give him any Immortal Artifacts? It would have been nice if he could at least make it into the top three."

"What use is an Immortal Artifact to him? As I said before, quality is better than quantity. Which of the sixteen people present doesn't have at least two Immortal Artifacts? But they must be able to unleash their full power." Wu glanced at Li Chengzhu. "And you, too—cultivation focuses on the self. Do not rely too heavily on the power of artifacts."

Li Chengzhu felt a jolt in his heart. It was true. Cultivation is primarily about oneself; relying on artifacts will never allow one to reach the pinnacle. He nodded. "This disciple understands."

The facts played out exactly as the grand-aunt-master had predicted. The sixth master-uncle was ultimately defeated. Even with his protective artifacts, his defenses collapsed under the opponent’s relentless assault. Forced to concede, he became the first person to be eliminated from the competition.

Seeing him concede, the grand-aunt-master seemed to heave a sigh of relief and turned her gaze back to his father-in-law. Li Chengzhu opened his mouth but hesitated to ask. Little Shadow was clenching her fists tightly, naturally anxious for her father.

"Smash her, push her down!" Li Chengzhu, watching his father-in-law being chased around, felt a sense of embarrassment and couldn't help but shout loudly.

"Shut up!" Xiao Changchuan was filled with frustration. It wasn't that he didn't want to; he simply couldn't. If he used the Hehuan Bell, this woman would suffer a great loss of face. Damn it, why did he have to be paired with a woman?

It wasn't just Xiao Changchuan on stage who was frustrated; Boss Li was too. After that shout, two small hands—one from the left and one from the right—pinched the fat on his waist simultaneously.

The grand-aunt-master’s movements were untraceable, her hand positioned beyond where Little Shadow could sense. Boss Li grimaced in pain, daring not to cry out. Little Shadow hadn't used much force, but the grand-aunt-master had definitely put some effort into it.

Why do all women know this move? Boss Li’s eyes welled with tears. And Grand-Aunt-Master, why are you joining in? I’m your grand-disciple! Is it appropriate to use this move on your own grand-disciple?

Wu smiled gently and whispered, "Don't cause trouble."

On stage, while dodging the woman's attacks, Xiao Changchuan whispered, "Fellow Daoist, I saw your face flush just now; your mind is clearly wavering. I advise you not to pursue this any further. You must have heard of the Hehuan Sect's signature treasure. You know the consequences of being struck by the Hehuan Bell, especially for a woman. If you don't want me to use it, it's best if you concede."

"I don't want to." The woman knew the power of the bell, but she was stuck in a difficult position. She couldn't just concede without a fight; that would be too embarrassing for a sect leader.

"Sigh." Xiao Changchuan sighed, preparing to release the bell, when the woman lunged directly toward his sword. Startled, Xiao Changchuan pulled his blade away, but the woman was too fast. The sword sliced through the front of her clothes, nearly injuring her chest. Flustered, she quickly covered herself with her hands.

The woman had only intended to take a minor injury to create an excuse to exit, but by a stroke of misfortune, she had been wounded there. Overcome with shame and anger, her face turned beet red.

The crowd erupted in laughter, and Boss Li laughed even more wildly, only to choke it back when he saw the icy glare of his grand-aunt-master. Xiao Changchuan was equally embarrassed, and after a moment of stunned silence, he hurriedly took off his outer robe and tossed it to her. The woman thanked him and scrambled off the stage.

This match was the one with the fewest injuries, but definitely the most awkward.

Qiu Feng still hadn't revealed his Immortal Sword, which left Li Chengzhu deeply puzzled. Even after eight months of fighting in the perilous Red Rock Plateau, he had never seen it. He asked Gu Linglong and Yuan Mu, but they were equally clueless.

Qiu Feng, what kind of game are you playing? Li Chengzhu stroked his chin. Could he really defeat opponents with just the Nine Heavens Daluo Cauldron?

The reality, however, left Li Chengzhu stunned. This was the longest match of the tournament so far. While the other seven groups had finished, this one was still ongoing. Qiu Feng had been on the defensive the whole time, his eight hundred azure flying swords swirling around him, neutralizing his opponent's attacks before they could get close.

As for his opponent, he was much more aggressive, wielding a ruler-like artifact that could change size at will. He hammered down on Qiu Feng incessantly, the impact shaking the ground so hard that their arena was noticeably lower than the others.

Li Chengzhu realized that Qiu Feng was setting up an array. He felt a surge of relief—his twenty high-grade Heavenly Mystery Spirit Stones were safe.

"This man has talent," the grand-aunt-master noted approvingly.

Li Chengzhu laughed. Even if he was talented, he had fallen into his hands plenty of times. He was already calculating the rewards for winning first place.

Finally, Qiu Feng's Nine Heavens Daluo Cauldron was breached. His opponent, sensing victory, roared and unleashed a massive strike with his ruler, while his whip lashed toward Qiu Feng’s waist.

Qiu Feng remained ice-cold, his fingers flying through spiritual seals. Suddenly, the arena was flooded with blinding light, and a chorus of buzzing swords echoed from all sides. His opponent realized too late that he was surrounded by thousands of golden flying swords.

Under the immense pressure, the opponent could only let out a cry, unleashing both his artifacts at once. The ruler was dodged by a teleportation, but the whip struck home. However, the golden swords simultaneously pierced the opponent’s defensive aura and protective gear, shattering them instantly.

Panicked and exhausted, the opponent closed his eyes, expecting the pain of being skewered. But after a long moment, no pain came. He opened his eyes to find countless swords hovering around him, the tips mere inches from his face.

"I concede," the man said, realizing his life had been spared.

Qiu Feng stood up, clutching his side where the whip had struck. He had only survived by relying on his protective gear and spiritual aura, and he was now physically exhausted. But hearing the concession, he smiled. It was all worth it to preserve his strength for the next round.

"Idiot," Li Chengzhu muttered. If it were him, he would have finished it quickly instead of all this dramatic posturing.

"I'm leaving," the grand-aunt-master said, standing up.

"Where to?" Li Chengzhu asked, feeling a sudden pang of sadness.

"To where I wish to go. Since the Sixth has lost, there is no need for me to stay," she replied without looking back.

"Remember to look for me if you're ever in Rainbow City," Li Chengzhu shouted.

In the distance, the grand-aunt-master gave a slight nod. "Eight months from now, your master will emerge from seclusion. Remember to go and welcome him." With that, she walked out of the massive storage space.