Long Xiaoxiao’s initial strategy to end the fight quickly was sound, but it failed, wasting much of her true essence. By the two-hundredth move, Lan Yu’er knocked her off the platform.
Claiming victory, Lan Yu’er absorbed Long Xiaoxiao’s Nine Cauldron Luck. A faint second cauldron appeared behind her, close to taking shape.
“This woman’s interesting. She’d make a fine concubine. Should I go easy on her?” Qin Bixue sneered, clearly intrigued by Lan Yu’er’s strength.
But he cared nothing for affection, seeking only slaves.
“Foolish idiot.”
Hearing Qin Bixue’s words, Long Chen cursed under his breath.
Lan Yu’er wasn’t exceptional, and reaching the top twenty was already fortunate. But daring to target her? Wasn’t he afraid of provoking Ling Xiao?
In Long Chen’s view, the only one in the competition who could threaten Ling Xiao was Holy Son Ji Mingkong. The others weren’t even in the same league.
The first round held no surprises. Those expected to win did, and those expected to lose didn’t.
The second round was similarly predictable.
Ling Xiao’s opponent was Feng Mo Ting, who surrendered without fighting, adding little to Ling Xiao’s luck, as Feng Mo Ting had already lost twice.
In the third round, Ling Xiao faced Po Qianjun, someone he’d encountered before, who also conceded without a fight.
After three rounds, Ling Xiao’s luck remained at three cauldrons, with the fourth only beginning to form.
Long Chen, however, was luckier. His three opponents were strong, with significant luck, bringing him to three cauldrons, nearly catching up to Ling Xiao.
In the fourth round, Ling Xiao’s opponent was still weak.
A closer look revealed that the six seed contestants faced relatively weaker opponents, likely by design.
Though the draw was supposedly random, with the capabilities of Yin-Yang realm experts, manipulating it was easy.
By the end of the fourth round, despite winning four matches, Ling Xiao’s luck was still just over three cauldrons.
Long Chen had surpassed him, reaching four cauldrons.
Hong Li shone brightly, already at five cauldrons. Her strength was undeniable, no exaggeration needed.
Hong Sanmei was also formidable, starting with three cauldrons and now reaching five.
Lan Yu’er, benefiting greatly from her battle with Long Xiaoxiao, broke through during the rest period.
Ling Xiao had initially doubted she could reach the top ten.
Now, he believed his senior sister was a safe bet for it.
Over four rounds, she lost only to Ji Mingkong, winning all others.
Losing to Ji Mingkong wasn’t shameful. Given her strength, losing to any of the six seeds wouldn’t be.
Lan Yu’er’s luck remained just over one cauldron, not quite two.
In the fifth round, Ling Xiao finally faced a slightly stronger opponent, Huo Mozun, whom he had never fought before.
Huo Mozun kept a low profile. In the last Martial Arts Festival, he ranked barely fiftieth.
No one took him seriously, yet in this festival’s finals, he surged into the top twenty, becoming a Tianjiao.
Not only that, Huo Mozun was undefeated in the first four rounds, now holding three cauldrons of luck, a true dark horse.
“Others fear you, but I, Huo Mozun, do not!”
Huo Mozun didn’t concede to Ling Xiao.
“Fear or not, I have one question. What’s your connection to Yuehua Sect’s Demon Flame Venerable?”
Ling Xiao had always been puzzled, sensing Demon Flame Venerable’s aura in Huo Mozun.
“No connection!”
A flash of surprise crossed Huo Mozun’s eyes, but he quickly regained composure and denied it.
“Not telling the truth? Then I’ll beat it out of you!”
“You don’t have that ability. Take my ultimate move—Volcano Inferno!”
With a roar, Huo Mozun’s body blazed with crimson flames. He leaped into the air, slamming both hands toward Ling Xiao, the fierce fire forming a mountain crashing down.
*Boom!*
Ling Xiao lightly flicked a finger, sending a Heavenly Meridian qi sword piercing through the air. The imposing mountain collapsed instantly, the ferocious attack dying in its infancy.
“Impressive!”
Huo Mozun was inwardly shocked.
His Volcano Inferno’s true terror wasn’t the initial strike but the relentless flames that followed, growing stronger and laced with deadly Dark Flame, catching opponents off guard.
Yet Ling Xiao had shattered it from the start, nullifying its follow-up power.
He couldn’t fathom how Ling Xiao saw through the move’s flaw.
“You are connected to Demon Flame Venerable. Only his disciples or avatars wield Dark Flame. You can’t be the original, or you’d have been discovered.”
Ling Xiao had seen Demon Flame Venerable’s avatar control other martial artists’ bodies in the Yuehua Pagoda.
He was now certain Huo Mozun was controlled by Demon Flame Venerable’s avatar.
“So what if you figured it out? Some want you dead. But don’t worry, I won’t let you die yet. I’ll take your Nine Cauldron Luck first, then kill you. I concede this match!”
Huo Mozun sneered, voluntarily withdrawing from the platform, his luck partially absorbed by Ling Xiao.
Huo Mozun’s luck was substantial, so Ling Xiao gained much, his luck surging to just over four cauldrons, nearing five, closing in on Hong Sanmei and Hong Li.
“Interesting. The more luck, the greater the boost to essence, energy, and spirit.”
As his luck grew, Ling Xiao noticed that while its effects didn’t change, they intensified.
His cultivation finally broke through again, advancing to Mid One-Line Heaven.
Not only that, his previously depleted Tianyuan energy and stamina were instantly restored.
Essence, energy, and spirit—stamina, inner force, and soul power—were vital to a martial artist, consumed in every action.
In a duel between equals, the strength of these three determined the outcome.
Underestimating them could lead to disaster.
Ling Xiao’s ability to cultivate through luck stemmed from this.
As stamina, inner force, and soul power improved, cultivation naturally advanced, a perfect synergy.
