Chapter 20

The thirty-two strong were divided into sixteen pairs, each taking the stage one by one. At this point, everyone was very serious. Among the thirty-two, there were no weaklings, so gathering information about the opponents was a great opportunity. Although they had already been paying attention to each other before, the opponents had become stronger, thus revealing more.

The first few matches were fought by others. Zhuge Xiang watched carefully from the stands and indeed discovered a few opponents who needed special attention. Although his Super Game System was very powerful, he had only comprehended the Qi Force for half a month. Compared to those who had comprehended it for half a year, he still lacked a certain foundation.

Lei Potian, the strongest fighter Zhuge Xiang had seen so far, wielded a large broad axe with great strength and power. No one dared to face him head-on. According to the comments of the people around him, the large broad axe in Lei Potian's hand was a two-star magical weapon. He was one of the top geniuses who had comprehended the Qi Force half a year ago. Moreover, it was rumored that he had successfully cultivated the Bloodthirsty Technique long ago, though he had not yet displayed it.

At the third level of the Qi Cultivation Realm, with a two-star offensive magical weapon, Lei Potian had reached this point without using the Bloodthirsty Technique. It was undeniable that he was the biggest favorite to win the competition. Of course, the main reason Zhuge Xiang paid attention to him was that after defeating his opponent, Lei Potian pointed directly at Zhuge Xiang on the arena, declaring that he would let him see his Bloodthirsty Technique.

In response to Lei Potian's provocation, Zhuge Xiang looked at Lu Yuling with a helpless expression. His hostility was obvious. Lu Yuling, however, only smiled slightly at Zhuge Xiang's helpless gaze and did not respond.

Besides Lei Potian, there were a few other opponents who needed special attention. Although they were only at the second level of the Qi Cultivation Realm, Hua Nongying, who had mastered the Ghost Step, was the only disciple to have reached the level of mastery in martial arts. Her Ghost Step made her as elusive as a ghost, and many second-level disciples could not even touch her shadow.

Another skilled knife user, Ling Wufeng, used a small throwing knife rather than a broadsword like Zhuge Xiang. At the third level of the Qi Cultivation Realm, his opponents often saw only a brilliant flash of the knife before they were defeated. This throwing knife technique was clearly not from the Martial Arts Pavilion. Apart from the throwing knife, no one knew what other martial arts he had learned in the Martial Arts Pavilion, and no one had seen him use them.

Lei Potian, Hua Nongying, Ling Wufeng, and Lu Yuling were all the strongest competitors in Zhuge Xiang's mind. These people either possessed powerful magical weapons or had unique skills. As for the others, they were relatively weaker, although many were at the third level of the Qi Cultivation Realm, they were more conventional. Of course, it was also possible that some of them were deeply hidden, so no one could be too careless.

Soon, it was Zhuge Xiang's turn to fight in the thirty-two strong. However, when he saw his opponent, he frowned. His opponent was a second-level disciple who had managed to enter the thirty-two strong. Clearly, even among the second-level disciples, he was an outstanding one. However, for Zhuge Xiang, not being able to fight across levels meant no experience bonus.

"Phew, my luck is really good, my opponent is you," Zhuge Xiang thought to himself, though he was not satisfied with such an opponent. His opponent, however, looked relieved.

Zhuge Xiang himself was also only at the second level of the Qi Cultivation Realm, and he had been severely injured by Ji Wuxue, so he was certainly not fully recovered. In his opponent's view, Zhuge Xiang was easier to deal with.

Frowning, Zhuge Xiang did not intend to end the fight quickly. He continued to act, controlling his speed and attacks to a dangerous level. The two exchanged blows, and after a short while, both were injured. This intense battle was what the audience loved to see, as it would likely result in both parties being injured, regardless of who won.

It's worth noting that the Asura Sect did not provide any treatment for the disciples in the competition, whether it was for exhaustion or injury, unless they were defeated. According to the Asura Sect's philosophy, although combat was paramount, one must also know how to preserve one's strength and maintain a lasting combat ability. Since all victorious disciples would not receive treatment, they were on an equal footing.

Although both were injured, Zhuge Xiang always managed to avoid vital areas, suffering only minor injuries. Additionally, the Blood Suction attribute of the Blood Refining Knife made it seem as if Zhuge Xiang was evenly matched with his opponent. In reality, his injuries were trivial. With a final risky move, Zhuge Xiang appeared to be heavily exhausted as he walked off the stage. Indeed, the second-level disciple only gave Zhuge Xiang 60 experience points and no items.

Following Zhuge Xiang, Lu Yuling also took the stage. She used the Clear Wave Palm, assisted by a few threads, quickly entangling her opponent. She struck several times, directly sending her opponent flying.

Although the Clear Wave Palm was primarily about entanglement, it also had some offensive power. Moreover, Lu Yuling was at the third level of the Qi Cultivation Realm, so even a simple palm strike, with the Qi Force, had considerable power.

Zhuge Xiang did not think that Lu Yuling's strength was limited to what she had shown. The Clear Wave Palm and the threads? Was that all she had? From his understanding of her, she must have some hidden cards, though he did not know what they were. Just like how Lu Yuling did not believe that Zhuge Xiang was truly injured, they understood each other in this way.

Among the thirty-two strong, only twelve were at the third level of the Qi Cultivation Realm, so the second level still made up the majority. Soon, the sixteen strong began their matches. To Zhuge Xiang's frustration, he encountered another second-level disciple. After another act, he finally managed to defeat his opponent, gaining 63 experience points, but no items.

The 63 experience points were 3 more than before, which made Zhuge Xiang realize that even among second-level disciples, there were differences in strength. Therefore, the experience gained from defeating them varied. Checking his character panel, he needed 500 experience points to break through, and he was currently about 200 points short.

However, the top eight had already been decided. The people Zhuge Xiang was particularly concerned about had all successfully advanced: Lei Potian, Hua Nongying, Ling Wufeng, Lu Yuling, and Zhuge Xiang himself, along with three other third-level disciples.

Among the top eight, only Zhuge Xiang and Hua Nongying were at the second level of the Qi Cultivation Realm. The others were all at the third level. Due to his injuries, Zhuge Xiang was undoubtedly the weakest in the top eight. Some even said that if it weren't for his good luck in encountering second-level opponents twice, he would have been eliminated long ago.

Although the battle with Ji Wuxue had made Zhuge Xiang famous, the top eight were all deeply rooted in the hearts of the disciples as top geniuses. Whether in terms of reputation or cultivation, Zhuge Xiang, though a dark horse, was still considered slightly inferior. Moreover, he was injured, and it took great effort to barely defeat the two second-level disciples.

Zhuge Xiang did not care about what others thought. Looking at Hua Nongying in the top eight, he felt helpless. Given his incredible luck, he wouldn't face Hua Nongying, a second-level disciple, right? If that were the case, it would be frustrating, as he would not get the experience bonus for fighting across levels, and his previous act would be in vain.

Fortunately, the host soon announced the top eight matchups. The three relatively weaker third-level disciples faced Zhuge Xiang, Lei Potian, and Ling Wufeng. As for the most concerning Hua Nongying, she was paired with Lu Yuling.

"Alright, the top eight matchups have been decided. Now, the top eight will rest. The competition needs to determine the top ten, so to ensure the top eight are in good condition, the eight who failed in the sixteen strong will continue to compete to determine the ninth and tenth places..."

The host on the stage announced, not starting with the top rankings but with the lower ones, which surprised everyone but was acceptable. After all, the top eight were the main event, and allowing them to rest and maintain their best condition for the competition was what everyone expected, which would also motivate the next generation of disciples to train harder.

"Decide the ninth and tenth places first? Then after the top eight matches, the winners should have time to rest, and the next matches will determine the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth places? This method will lead to the final match for the first place?" Zhuge Xiang thought to himself upon hearing the host's announcement.

However, this was good. The better the opponents' condition after resting, the more experience Zhuge Xiang could gain. As for the consumption of Qi Force, he hadn't even used his two Qi Recovery Pills yet.