Chapter 184: with translation of chapter title

The two people who will go up on the stage next are the two who drew number five—Lu Xiangxiang and Fu Qianli.

Everyone was also very interested in their duel.

Lu Xiangxiang also didn't expect that in this life she would face Fu Qianli again in the sect's grand competition; she narrowed her eyes slightly.

In her previous life, her match against Fu Qianli had already placed her among the top ten disciples, but this life she has to compete with Fu Qianli for a spot in the top ten.

"I am Fu Qianli of the Heaven Illumination Sect, nice to meet you, Daoist Lu." Fu Qianli's baby face bore a harmless smile, and his clasped-hand salute was very proper.

Lu Xiangxiang returned the salute.

A faint smile curved her lips.

This time facing Fu Qianli, she will definitely not be embarrassed as in her previous life, because she now knows everything about him—his strength, techniques, trump cards……

She knows them all like the back of her hand.

Their match officially began.

However, after a few rounds of combat, Fu Qianli felt an unprecedented strangeness; he hadn't even launched an attack before being suppressed by his opponent.

It was as if——

She seemed to know in advance what move he would make.

As time passed, the strangeness in Fu Qianli's heart grew stronger.

He was suppressed everywhere by Lu Xiangxiang and quickly fell into a disadvantage.

He had intended to unleash his trump card, but he didn't expect that the opponent seemed to have anticipated it, not only easily countering it but also turning the tables on him.

After a quarter of an hour.

"Carefree Sect's Lu Xiangxiang, victory!" the referee announced.

Fu Qianli's face turned pale; he touched his bleeding chest, lowered his gaze, and a flicker of disbelief—and suspicion—flashed in his eyes.

How could this be?

He clearly had confidence he could defeat Lu Xiangxiang, even if she had contracted a fifth‑grade qilin beast, he still had a way……

Fu Qianli felt suffocated in his chest, and his anger surged upward, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood.

The Heaven Illumination Sect's people quickly went up onto the stage and helped him down.

Fu Qianli turned his head and gave Lu Xiangxiang a deep look.

At the same time, a notification from the 250 System sounded in Yuan Yao's sea of consciousness: 【Target Fu Qianli, Awakening Value reached 50. Congratulations, host, you are rewarded with one day of lifespan.】

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yao's expression slightly tightened; she raised her head and looked toward Fu Qianli from afar.

She had once encountered Fu Qianli in the Wuduan Mijing, never expecting his Awakening Value to instantly reach 50.

This indicates……

He was awakened on his own due to Lu Xiangxiang's influence.

Fu Qianli must be a smart person.

…

The next two contestants to step onto the stage were Xiao Lingwei of the Carefree Sect and Dongfangxiu of the Tai Sui Sect.

The two stood facing each other on the stage.

Xiao Lingwei's expression was calm.

And Dongfangxiu's normally stern visage grew a bit gloomy; he stared fixedly at Xiao Lingwei and gave a cold chuckle: "Daoist Xiao, we really are fated to meet."

Xiao Lingwei is no fool; she could naturally see that he harbored a deep hatred for her.

"Not bad."

Saying that, her hand felt the bone‑joint whip coiled at her waist, and she drew it out with a crack that sent a chilling sound through the air.

Dongfangxiu also drew a heavy sword from behind him, which fell to the ground with a thud.

After the referee announced the start of the match, they began to move.

Xiao Lingwei's cultivation was at the mid‑Nascent Soul Realm, while Dongfangxiu's was at the early Nascent Soul Realm.

The outcome of their match seemed obvious.

Dongfangxiu actually laid all his trump cards on the table in the match, just to defeat Xiao Lingwei.

Their duel was wonderfully exciting, with attacks and counters flowing back and forth.

They exchanged blows for over a hundred rounds.

The crowd gradually felt that perhaps Dongfangxiu could fight above his level and defeat Xiao Lingwei.

But as soon as that thought arose, Xiao Lingwei harshly slapped it down.

Xiao Lingwei swung her whip, precisely breaking through Dongfangxiu's defensive spiritual shield with a sharp crack, striking his back hard; instantly, flames flared.

Dongfangxiu's back, with skin split and flesh torn, actually caught fire.

Everyone gasped.

Dongfangxiu winced in pain, cold sweat pouring forth; he tried to use spiritual power to extinguish the flames on his back.

But unexpectedly, as soon as his spiritual power touched the flames on his back, it acted like an accelerant, causing the fire to instantly double in size!

It burned away most of the hair hanging down behind his shoulders.

Xiao Lingwei didn't press the attack, merely saying calmly: "Daoist Dongfang, my whip‑fire can scorch flesh and penetrate marrow; if you cannot put out the whip‑fire in a short time, I cannot guarantee you'll be able to walk off the stage looking like a person."

Dongfangxiu's face turned grim; the burning flesh sent searing pain, and he could even smell the aroma of his own meat.

"I surrender!" he growled low.

Xiao Lingwei didn't deliberately make things hard for him; she nonchalantly snapped her fingers.

Pa‑da.

The whip‑fire vanished instantly.

And Dongfangxiu's back was almost completely scorched, a horrifying sight.

Suddenly, a voice came from Dongfangxiu's sea of consciousness: Xiao Lingwei's voice: "Fellow Daoist Dongfang, in that incident in the Wuduan Senlin, I merely gave you a little lesson, yet you hold a grudge against me, making things difficult for me. Today I will burn you once, also just a little lesson; after all, I have never truly used my full power against you. Dongfangxiu, remember this: things will not happen more than three times."

Also, don't think of taking out your anger on the people around me; that's not what a gentleman does. I don't have such a good temper toward petty people.

Having said that, Xiao Lingwei withdrew her whip and stepped down from the platform.

Dongfangxiu's eyes turned scarlet, whether from the excruciating pain of his back wound or from Xiao Lingwei's words, he couldn't tell.

He lowered his gaze, his breathing slightly ragged.

Soon, Dongfangxiu was helped down to receive treatment.

In the subsequent matches seven, eight, and nine of the finals, the winners were respectively Carefree Sect's Xue Jin, White Crane Sect's Wanqi Wujian, and Holy Gate's Zhai Qingye.

…

In this round of the competition, eleven people advanced, including the tied Ling Huya and Nan Feiyan.

Among these eleven, the one who appeared weakest was Yuan Yao.

The person who sparked the most controversy was also Yuan Yao.

Yuan Yao was completely unaffected by the surrounding public opinion; she and the other ten individuals stepped onto the platform to conduct the next round of the draw.

At that moment, in the spectator seats, an ugly-faced youth shifted his gaze onto Yuan Yao.

Soon, the results of the draw were announced.

Match One: Yuan Yao of the Carefree Sect versus Lu Xiangxiang of the Carefree Sect.

Match Two: Ying Wuji of the Carefree Sect versus Wanqi Wujian of the White Crane Sect.

Match Three: Song Yan of the Carefree Sect versus Zhai Qingye of the Holy Gate.

Match Four: Xiao Zhufeng of the Chongxu Sect versus Ling Huya of the Holy Gate.

Match Five: Xiao Lingwei of the Carefree Sect versus Nan Feiyan of the Southern Lei Sect.

Carefree Sect's Xue Jin received a bye.

When Yuan Yao realized she would be facing Lu Xiangxiang, she was somewhat stunned, and she couldn't help but look toward Lu Xiangxiang's position.

Lu Xiangxiang was also looking at her.

"Sixth Senior Sister, I won't yield to you," Lu Xiangxiang said, the corners of her lips curling into a smile, her tone faintly revealing some excitement.

She finally had the chance to prove to everyone that she was far superior to Yuan Yao!

She wanted to step on Yuan Yao beneath her feet, so that everyone would know Yuan Yao was inferior to her in every way!