20: Carefully calculated, perfect "defeat"

The process of the minor competition was incredibly fast.

Round after round of brutal elimination made the atmosphere above the training ground increasingly tense.

Those who remained were truly the elites among the Outer Sect Disciples.

And Lin Gou, relying on his much-talked-about 'luck' and his incredibly skillful 'narrow victories,' advanced all the way.

He successfully entered the top twenty.

His name had already become a mystery in the Outer Sect.

A bottomless mystery.

No one knew his limit.

He was like a dry well, calm on the surface, but hiding surging waves beneath.

Finally.

The ultimate battle to decide the top ten spots arrived.

The deacon's voice, as loud as a bell, resounded throughout the arena.

"Next match, Lin Gou, against, Li Tian!"

Whoosh!

The silent crowd was instantly ignited by this matchup, erupting into a frenzy.

Li Tian!

The acknowledged number one among Outer Sect Disciples!

Qi Refining Stage 6 Late Stage!

His 'Blazing Fire Palm' was already masterfully perfected, incredibly powerful and unstoppable.

It was said that he had even exchanged thirty moves with a Senior Brother from the Inner Sect without being defeated!

He was the undisputed, most dazzling favorite to win this minor competition.

Everyone had not expected that Lin Gou, this dark horse from unknown origins, would collide with that most formidable wall so early.

A tall, resolute-faced young man stepped onto the stage.

He wore a crimson tight-fitting suit, his eyes burning, his entire being like a walking flame.

He was Li Tian.

Li Tian's gaze fell on Lin Gou, without a hint of disdain, only a mountain-like solemnity.

"Junior Brother Lin."

His voice was steady, full of power.

"Your strength, I, Li Tian, deeply admire."

"Therefore, in this battle, I will go all out!"

Lin Gou had a humble smile on his face, bowing to him from afar.

"Please, Senior Brother Li, give me your guidance."

[It's here! It's finally here!]

Lin Gou felt a surge of wild joy inside, his adrenaline starting to spike.

[The main event! The grand finale!]

[Qi Refining Stage 6 Late Stage, the acknowledged number one in the Outer Sect, in front of all the Sect Elders and Disciples, using his strongest ultimate technique, beats me until I spit blood, fly out of the arena, and finally suffer severe injuries and fall unconscious, a tragic defeat...]

[This script! This grandeur! This atmosphere!]

[An A-rank death reward, it's a sure thing! If Senior Brother Li Tian is a bit more powerful and his acting explodes even more, maybe I can even get an A+ surprise gift package!]

In Lin Gou's mind, a perfectly crafted script was already playing out, frame by frame.

He had even designed three contingency plans for the parabolic trajectory of his body flying backward later, and the posture of 'fainting' upon landing.

"Match start!"

The deacon gave the order.

The air above the arena seemed to be instantly sucked out, tensed to the extreme!

Li Tian wasted no time, letting out a deep shout.

On his palms, crimson spiritual energy suddenly burst forth, like two branding irons heated to their limit.

A terrifying heatwave, centered on him, swept out in all directions!

"It's the Blazing Fire Palm!"

A Disciple below the stage cried out in alarm.

Li Tian stomped his foot on the ground, and the bluestone slab cracked in response!

He transformed into a crimson cannonball, accompanied by the explosive sound of burning air, and charged straight at Lin Gou!

Lin Gou's expression, at this moment, also became more serious than ever before.

The actor had entered his role.

He circulated the 'Azure Cloud Art' to its maximum, vast azure spiritual energy covering his entire body.

His 'Swift Wind Steps' beneath his feet were pushed to their limit!

This time, he held nothing back, because his opponent was Li Tian.

If he acted too fake, it would be disrespectful to the audience, and even more, irresponsible towards the reward!

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The azure and crimson figures rapidly collided on the small arena, and then separated in an instant.

Each clash erupted in a dull, thunderous roar.

The surging spiritual energy transformed into visible airwaves, wildly swirling, making it almost impossible for the nearby Disciples below the stage to keep their eyes open.

"Too fast!"

"I can't even see their movements!"

"That Lin Gou... he actually... he can really clash head-on with Senior Brother Li Tian?!"

Everyone's minds went blank, stunned by the violent and intense battle before them.

Lin Gou displayed his speed advantage to an incredible degree, his figure flickering like a feather in the wind.

While Li Tian was like a volcano about to erupt, no matter how fast you moved, he remained unmoving.

His Blazing Fire Palm was wide and open, each palm strike carrying the domineering power to incinerate all directions!

In the blink of an eye, the two had exchanged nearly a hundred moves like a violent storm.

The ground of the entire arena was already covered with spiderweb-like cracks and scorched palm prints.

Li Tian's breathing began to quicken slightly, and the shock in his eyes as he looked at Lin Gou was indescribably intense.

The depth of Lin Gou's spiritual energy was completely unlike that of a Qi Refining Stage 6 Early Stage Disciple!

[OK, the atmosphere is set.]

[The audience's emotions have been stirred to their peak, it's time to enter the second act of the plot.]

[Show a flaw, let him unleash his ultimate.]

In his mind, Lin Gou calmly pressed the timer for his performance.

Just then, Li Tian keenly seized a tiny gap in Lin Gou's breathing, his eyes burst open, and he roared!

"Blazing Fire Spreads Across the Plains!"

His palms struck out simultaneously, countless palm shadows instantly appearing, then merging into one, forming a sky-obscuring crimson sea of fire that sealed off all of Lin Gou's escape routes!

This was his strongest killing move!

Everyone below the stage let out a collective gasp of despair.

On the high platform, Zhao Linger's heart also instantly leaped to her throat.

Just at this critical moment.

In Lin Gou's eyes, a look of fearless determination 'flashed'.

He did not retreat, but advanced!

He actually intended to counter-attack, using his strongest power to directly clash with that sky-burning sea of fire!

[Yes, yes, yes! That's the look! Tragic enough! Resolute enough! I'm truly a Genius!]

He frantically gathered all the spiritual energy in his body onto his right fist, and punched out towards that sea of fire!

Azure fist aura!

Crimson sea of fire!

They collided with a crash!

Boom!!!

A deafening roar, almost tearing everyone's eardrums.

An incomparably violent energy storm instantly swept across the entire arena.

Lin Gou's figure, in that dazzling blaze, only paused slightly.

The azure spiritual energy on his fist was then crushed and melted inch by inch by the incomparably domineering Blazing Fire Palm force.

Li Tian seized this opening, a sharp glint bursting in his eyes, and his subsequent palm force, like a bursting flood, surged forth with overwhelming power!

"Now!"

In Lin Gou's heart, a hysterical surge of ecstasy erupted.

He 'desperately' activated his protective spiritual energy, but in front of that violent sea of fire, that layer of azure light was as fragile as a thin piece of paper.

Crack!

The protective spiritual light shattered in response.

A palm force, scorching to the extreme and domineering to the extreme, solidly struck his chest.

Pfft!

Lin Gou suddenly spat out a large mouthful of fresh blood.

That blood drew a tragic and resolute arc in the air.

His body, like a fallen leaf caught by a Category 12 hurricane, was thrown high into the air, flying backward out of the arena.

He even maintained a tragic posture of 'struggling to resist, but ultimately outmatched' in mid-air.

His eyes were filled with a longing for victory, and 'unwillingness' and 'regret' towards his fate.

Bang!

Lin Gou fell heavily onto the hard ground below the arena, kicking up a cloud of dust.

He struggled, seemingly wanting to stand up, but in the end, his fingers only twitched weakly twice.

Then his head tilted.

And he completely 'fainted'.

The entire arena was silent.

On the stage, Li Tian was breathing heavily, covered in sweat.

He looked at the unconscious figure below the stage, his eyes incredibly complex, and finally clasped his fists, his voice hoarse.

"I concede."

He won.

But for some reason, he felt as if he had lost even more thoroughly.