70 - A Sect Leader’s Ascension

Qi Xiu, Zhang Shishi, and Yu Denuo couldn't stop laughing, their mouths curving with satisfaction. They all felt they had contributed to this rising star's success and gathered around He Yu, constantly inquiring about his well-being. Zhang Shishi repeatedly confirmed that He Yu was uninjured before finally relaxing. "Hehe, if that desert crane had truly fought you to the death, would it have retracted that white sand storm? Are you really confident you could withstand it?" Wang Guan gently stroked his long beard, asking slowly. He Yu lowered his head, pondering for a moment. "If it were a life-and-death struggle, it might have been its death and my severe injury. I understand the lesson, elder." He then turned to Qi Xiu and said, "Senior Brother Sect Leader, I seemed to have gained some insight from the match earlier. I'd like to return to the mountain to meditate and see if I can comprehend anything. I'll be back for the second round." "Good, good!" Qi Xiu was only too happy to agree, given He Yu's ability to gain such insights. Zhang Shishi, still worried, accompanied him back. With the first round of matches nearing completion, the remaining two Wang family cultivators advanced smoothly, while only Gu Ji from the Chu Qin Sect had yet to appear. The duel had been organized rather hastily, and the cultivators on the sidelines were mostly free-spirited. By now, most of them had dispersed, leaving the arena much quieter. "Chu Qin Sect, Gu Ji, versus, Shan Du Sect, Siwen Yu." As soon as the proctor announced this on stage, Qi Xiu immediately sensed a maliciously mocking gaze from a distance, directed by Siwen Tai. It seemed fate liked to bring enemies together. Qi Xiu quickly instructed Gu Ji not to get entangled; just make an appearance and concede. "Worthless..." Siwen Tai had been focused entirely on the Chu Qin Sect's side, and upon hearing Qi Xiu's words, he sent over a sarcastic remark. "Ignore him; just focus on yourself." Qi Xiu used his body to block Gu Ji's angry gaze at Siwen Tai and advised him once more. Uncharacteristically, Gu Ji didn't immediately comply. "Senior Brother Sect Leader, I want to take Xiao Jin with me." The [Golden-Eyed Silk Monkey] that always accompanied him was cradled in his arms, baring its teeth at Siwen Tai's direction, mimicking its master. "Uh... Alright, as you wish." Qi Xiu noticed Gu Ji's unusual demeanor, but with the proctor from Guanghui Pavilion urging repeatedly on stage, he had no choice but to let him take the monkey up with him. Shan Du Sect's Siwen Yu grew impatient waiting. Seeing Gu Ji on stage, he raised a hand and waved dismissively, "Ah, this pesky fly buzzed away before I even tried to shoo it." His disdain was obvious, and the remaining spectators responded with sparse chuckles. "Hmph!" Gu Ji's expression turned extraordinarily serious. He set Xiao Jin down and slowly raised his hand, speaking without arrogance or subservience, "Please!" "Oh?" Siwen Yu noticed that Gu Ji didn't seem intent on conceding and asked in surprise, "You want to fight me?" "Why waste time talking? Or is it that you're scared?" "Hahaha!" Siwen Yu inwardly rejoiced, sneering, "Good! I'll make you suffer and teach you a lesson!" With a wave of his sleeve, a scorching blade of fire shot forth, followed by him drawing out several fireball talismans, sealing off Gu Ji's escape routes with rapid succession. Qi Xiu was anxious, rushing to the edge of the platform to shout, "Gu Ji, what are you doing? Come down now!" Wang Guan pulled Qi Xiu back, saying in a low voice, "These youngsters, full of youthful spirit. If they're unwilling to hold back, don't force them." Qi Xiu was at a loss. With Gu Ji already on stage, he couldn't personally go up and drag him down. All he could do was watch with a heart full of worry. Gu Ji rolled to the side, evading most of the attacks, then raised a [Water Element Shield] to cover himself and Xiao Jin from the remaining strikes. During the roll, he found time to put on a strange mask with an eagle's head and monkey's mouth, and pulled out a damaged, ineffective first-tier short spear. "And this is?" Wang Guan had never seen it before, thinking it some mystical technique. Qi Xiu explained, "Gu Ji has a lively temperament. He used to spend his minor earnings on these playful trinkets. The spear is broken and long since useless." Siwen Yu unleashed a continuous barrage of fire-based techniques, driving Gu Ji to frantically dart around the edge of the platform. Though he appeared disheveled, he remained completely unscathed, which only fueled Siwen Yu's rage. "Pretending to be a ghost! Is rolling on the ground like an animal all you can do?" Gu Ji ignored him, focusing entirely on the movements he had learned from playing with the monkey over the years to dodge attacks. Although Siwen Yu's cultivation was far superior and his fire techniques well-practiced, he seemed lacking in control spells. Despite the grand spectacle of fireballs and rings of flame, they temporarily couldn't take Gu Ji down. "Annoying!" Siwen Yu realized that his repeated assaults were ineffective, anger and shock filling his heart as he recognized his shortcomings in combat. Growing calmer, he swallowed a Qi-restoring pill and continued his attacks, hoping Gu Ji would reveal a flaw. In the arena, Siwen Yu was like a fire-breathing dragon, surrounded by blazing auras. Meanwhile, Gu Ji resembled a reincarnated nimble monkey, darting gracefully through the fiery web, increasingly at ease. When two rings of fire enclosed him from above and below, Gu Ji used his spear as a pole, supporting his body and slipping through the gaps, capturing the essence of a monkey climbing a tree. "Bravo! Well done!" Zhao Teng couldn't help but cheer aloud at this moment. The Beast Taming Sect cultivators found great amusement in seeing such beast-inspired movement, even gaining insights from it, watching in entranced admiration, occasionally erupting into bursts of applause. After a period of deadlock, Siwen Yu's advantage lay in his ample spiritual power, supported by elixirs, enabling him to sustain high-frequency attacks for a long time. In contrast, Gu Ji, though saving on spiritual consumption, found his physical exertion considerable, even with the aid of a [Lightweight Talisman], sweat beginning to bead on his forehead and his breaths growing more labored. "Hmph! Let's see how long you can keep this up!" Naturally, Siwen Yu didn't miss the signs of Gu Ji's growing fatigue. He shifted his focus to targeting Gu Ji's lower defenses, increasing his exertion. Realizing this, Gu Ji began to close the distance between them, seemingly ready to engage in close combat. "Do you really think you can win?" Siwen Yu sneered internally. With Gu Ji closing in actively, his spells would be harder for Gu Ji to dodge. Thinking quickly, he altered his incantations, switching to rapid, high-speed assault techniques. "Boom! Boom-boom!" Gu Ji could no longer entirely avoid Siwen Yu's spells, getting repeatedly struck. The protective wind shield embedded in his Chu Qin robe was long gone, leaving his body charred and sizzling. This damage was mitigated by his attempts to shield his vital areas, yet he seemed relentless, gritting his teeth and stubbornly enduring. Watching from below, the Chu Qin sect members felt a pang of concern, while Qi Xiu tearfully mumbled, "Stop, please stop." "Attack!" Enduring immense pain, Gu Ji finally reached Siwen Yu's side, leaping high and closing in with his spear aimed squarely at his opponent's face. "Foolish!" Siwen Yu scoffed, lighting a talisman in his hand, summoning a [Fire Element Shield] to protect himself. At that moment, the [Golden-Eyed Silk Monkey] on Gu Ji's shoulder unleashed two eerie flashes of blue and green from its eyes, striking the newly formed shield. Without a sound, the shield mysteriously vanished into thin air. "What!?" Siwen Yu was utterly shocked. Before he could react, Gu Ji's spear pressed against his throat, a single drop of blood trickling down the spear's tip. "You've lost." Gu Ji, resembling a charred figure, had no unmarred place on his body, blood seeping from scorched skin. The fearsome appearance enhanced by the eagle-headed, monkey-mouthed mask, yet his voice was calm, as though the body belonged to someone else. Siwen Yu's hands dropped in defeat, acknowledging, "I lost." He lacked intelligence, ruthlessness, and was undone by the strange blue-green glow; in true life-and-death stakes, he'd have fallen to a mere second-stage cultivator he normally wouldn't even spare a glance at. He was speechless in his defeat. The audience first fell silent, then erupted into thunderous applause; a second-stage cultivator challenging a late-stage opponent — such a spectacle was unexpected. As Gu Ji stepped off the platform, he collapsed into Qi Xiu's arms, who, while tending to him, cried out in distress, "Ji'er! Oh no..." Behind them, the participating cultivators cast looks of admiration their way. To have a second-stage cultivator boldly challenge a late-stage one — this was a unique occurrence in the entire tournament. The Shan Du Sect members found themselves too embarrassed to stay any longer and quietly left without a trace.