Chapter 51

Just like Tang Gu, five others who won all six of their matches in the first six rounds advanced to the top ten list early. They were—

"Snake Hand" Ye Guyu, "Thunder King" Fang Jingshuo, "Ice Palm" Ping Jiushan, "Snake Blade" Chen Xingxiu, and "Ancient Spear" Chen Hun.

These five originally ranked very high in the Inner Courtyard, at second, third, fourth, sixth, and seventh places, respectively.

The disciple who ranked first, "Jade Sword" Ning Qingjun, had not shown up for a long time, and the fifth-ranked disciple, "Silver Sword" Du Zhongjing, had already been eliminated in the preliminary rounds, thus missing out on the top ten.

This opportunity might never come again in their lives.

Therefore, these five, plus Tang Gu, became the new top six, with little change in their rankings.

As for the others, some had not won enough matches, with only five or fewer wins; others had not lost enough matches, with only four or three losses...

Only three had lost all six matches and were directly eliminated from the top ten competition. The remaining seven would compete for the last four spots.

The more critical the moment, the stronger the opponents they faced. To secure the remaining four spots in the top ten, everyone was giving it their all.

In the second match of the morning, "Ice Maiden" Li Youxue lost again and withdrew from the top ten competition.

In the first match of the afternoon, two more disciples failed, accumulating six losses and withdrawing from the top ten.

In the second match of the afternoon, the last disciple withdrew, and the top ten list was finalized.

The remaining four disciples were: "Golden Sword" Yuan Suichen, "Mad Demon" Chai Qixing, "Blue Fox" Yi Yuer, and "Spirit Butterfly" Fang Jiujiu.

The top ten ranking matches began—

The ten were divided into five pairs, each to fight the other nine opponents once. The one who won all nine matches would be the first.

The one who won eight matches would be the second, and so on, with the one who lost all nine matches ranking last!

The first match was between Tang Gu and "Mad Demon" Chai Qixing.

This match drew the attention of many Inner Courtyard disciples. One was the ninth-ranked absolute expert in the Inner Courtyard, and the other was the biggest dark horse in this competition, a new disciple who had entered the Inner Courtyard just five months ago.

Who would win?

Although the other matches were also exciting, without a doubt, "Ice Maiden" Li Youxue, "Blazing Sun Fist" Yan Shan, "Paper Scholar" Xiao Qingbi, and others all gathered around this particular stage.

Clearly, this was a match that captured everyone's hearts.

On the stage, Tang Gu, dressed in white, stood calmly with his Dark Cloud Iron Sword on his back, showing no signs of nervousness. His composed demeanor was captivating.

For a new disciple to reach this point was even more surprising.

Across from him, "Mad Demon" Chai Qixing, dressed in black, was short and stocky with dark skin. Standing before Tang Gu, he appeared a head shorter.

However, no one dared to underestimate him. The overwhelming aura he exuded was like a mountain pressing down, making people uneasy.

"Begin!"

"Begin!"

"Please—"

"Please—"

After the customary greetings, "Mad Demon" Chai Qixing's eyes suddenly widened, and he launched an unexpected attack.

His feet scraped the stage, creating a dazzling spark, and he charged at Tang Gu like a whirlwind.

During the charge, he did not forget to attack, his left fist striking like a storm, aiming at Tang Gu's entire body.

"Thirty-six Strikes of Storm and Rain!"

His fists lived up to his name, each strike continuous and relentless, like the surging waves of a great river or a storm, giving no respite.

Seeing this, Tang Gu's expression remained unchanged, calm and composed. He moved his feet slightly, his body spinning strangely to retreat three zhang away. At the same time, he drew his sword, and the Dark Cloud Iron Sword was instantly unsheathed!

A black sword light flashed across the stage.

Tang Gu stood still, his left hand wielding the sword and attacking forward.

—The mysterious sword technique he had learned from the green stone stele!

A series of purple sword lights, twisting like dragons, formed on Tang Gu's sword and instantly broke through "Mad Demon" Chai Qixing's palm and fist attacks, neutralizing all of his strikes.

The stage cleared instantly.

Across from him, "Mad Demon" Chai Qixing's eyes flashed with surprise, but he showed no worry. He laughed maniacally, "Good sword technique! Let me try my Ghost Shadow Divine Fist!"

As he spoke, his fists blurred, and this time both hands struck simultaneously. Layer upon layer of fist shadows, enveloped in boundless black qi, covered the entire stage, creating a ghostly realm. The fist shadows piled up like mountains, overwhelming Tang Gu.

Seeing this, Tang Gu swung his sword again, the purple sword light becoming even more intense. In the air, it formed a giant lotus shape, and with a flash of purple light, "Mad Demon" Chai Qixing's "Ghost Shadow Divine Fist" vanished like mud into the sea.

"Mad Demon" Chai Qixing was truly surprised this time. "You are indeed the top new disciple of this year. You have some strength, and you deserve my full attention."

With that, he leaped forward, his short legs kicking wildly, and a mysterious ghostly howl and thunder sound filled the air.

"Whirlwind Three-Section Kick!"

Bang, bang, bang, bang, bang!

The air was filled with a thunderous howl. Across from him, Tang Gu knew this was no ordinary attack. His body glowed, and his aura surged.

Mid-stage of the Third Turn of Qi Dao!

He gripped the Dark Cloud Iron Sword with both hands, fully unleashing the Green Stone Stele Sword Technique. A several-zhang-long purple light formed a living dragon in the air, charging at "Mad Demon" Chai Qixing.

"Boom!"

A loud explosion, and the smoke cleared. All the Inner Courtyard disciples rubbed their eyes and looked at the stage. They saw the ninth-ranked Inner Courtyard disciple, "Mad Demon" Chai Qixing, kneeling on the ground, his pants torn and bloodstains visible on his knees.

"Amazing!"

Everyone exclaimed in surprise, their gazes toward Tang Gu changing. If he could defeat the ninth-ranked Inner Courtyard disciple, did Tang Gu have the potential to challenge the top five?

An elder walked onto the stage, raised Tang Gu's hand, and announced, "Tang Gu wins. Next match, Tang Gu versus Yuan Suichen!"

"It's him?"

Hearing the name, Tang Gu's eyes flickered.

Although he had known this day would come, he had never expected it to be so soon. The eighth-ranked Inner Courtyard disciple, "Golden Sword" Yuan Suichen, was even stronger than "Mad Demon" Chai Qixing, a top expert.

The black-clothed youth who had helped him once in the city's Floating Barrier Corner and left a deep impression on him.

On the fourth stage.

"Golden Sword" Yuan Suichen, who had also forced an opponent off the stage, turned to look at Tang Gu when he heard the name. Their gazes met in the air, like sparks flying.

Tang Gu stood up and walked to the fourth stage. Finally, he stepped onto the stage, and the elder referee was about to announce the start of the match.

However, at this moment, an unexpected event occurred. The black-clothed, pale-faced, cold youth on the stage suddenly waved his hand and said, "No need to fight. I concede this match."

Without another word, he stood up, walked past Tang Gu, and left the stage.

The dozens of Inner Courtyard disciples watching from below were stunned!

Everyone looked at "Golden Sword" Yuan Suichen with disbelief. A mere new disciple, and he had conceded the match. What did this mean? Did he admit to being weaker, or was there some hidden reason?

Even Tang Gu was somewhat surprised.

However, "Golden Sword" Yuan Suichen did not care about the thoughts of the crowd behind him. He left directly, and everyone could only shake their heads.

Even the elder referee on the stage could only laugh bitterly. Although he was dissatisfied with Yuan Suichen's decision, with him gone, he could only shake his head in frustration. Finally, he walked to Tang Gu, raised his hand, and announced Tang Gu's victory.

Thus, without a fight, Tang Gu won another match and successfully advanced to the top eight!

PS: First update, please give 1 recommendation.

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