217: Chapter 217 Counterfeit Goods? Deception?

One punch.

Ma Gui's powerful punch forced Lin Ming back.

The two had been locked in combat for dozens of rounds, yet a victor had still not been decided.

“This Lin Ming is such a sham.”

“I think so too. I bet his previous victories over those Lingtai Ninth Heaven cultivators were thanks to external help, or maybe they went easy on him.”

“Definitely.”

Actually, the strength Lin Ming was currently displaying could still be considered that of a Genius; after all, he had defeated Su Jitong in the first round.

Defeating the Lingtai Eighth Layer Su Jitong while only at the Fifth Level of the Spiritual Platform Realm was not something just anyone could achieve.

The main issue was that the rumors circulating about Lin Ming were far too different from his current performance.

Rumors spoke of him crushing his opposition and effortlessly defeating several Lingtai Ninth Heaven cultivators.

Now, he was struggling against a Lingtai Eighth Layer cultivator; it felt as if they were being treated like fools.

The Prodigy Disciple promoted by Yuanxu Mountain, the Disciple of the Nirvana Ancestor—this was it?

For a moment, they felt deceived, as if they were victims of a massive fraud.

“Stinky Senior Brother, what exactly are you trying to do?”

Yu Yaoqin frowned and spoke.

Was her Senior Brother determined to drag his own reputation through the mud?

She understood what her Senior Brother was trying to do less and less.

Not only did she not understand, but Xu Chuan and Gong Hui were also baffled; they couldn't see what benefit this behavior brought to Lin Ming.

On the stage, after dozens of rounds of fierce combat, Lin Ming felt that it was about time.

He was seen charging rapidly toward Ma Gui.

Seeing this, Ma Gui showed no fear and met Lin Ming head-on. From Lin Ming's first battle to this one, it was clear that his strength wasn't as formidable as the rumors suggested.

He still had a chance to defeat him.

Therefore, he had to go all out.

“Bang...”

The two collided once more.

A powerful force instantly erupted. Facing this surge of power, Ma Gui was caught off guard and was sent flying off the stage. Although he managed to barely steady himself after landing...

Being knocked off the stage meant he had lost.

Lin Ming, on the other hand, retreated several steps, his face suddenly turning pale.

Ma Gui looked at Lin Ming on the stage; a trace of blood was leaking from the corner of Lin Ming's mouth.

A wave of regret washed over him; he had been too careless.

The opponent was a Disciple of Yuanxu Mountain; he surely possessed some technique to briefly boost his combat power. How could he have forgotten that?

He'd had a chance to defeat Lin Ming, but he had wasted it just like that.

The majority of the surrounding cultivators shared Ma Gui's sentiment, believing that Lin Ming must have used some secret technique to boost his strength for a short time.

But even so, they still believed Lin Ming wouldn't make it to the end.

His performance in these two rounds convinced many that Lin Ming's strength was indeed not as legendary as the rumors claimed.

He was certainly a Genius, but far from the absurd level described in the rumors.

Lin Ming heard all their discussions, which was exactly what he had intended.

But they weren't the most important ones.

He had to keep up the act; otherwise, he would be doing a disservice to his Essence Stones.

Lin Ming feigned weakness as he returned to his seat.

“Senior Brother, is there something wrong with your cultivation?”

Yu Yaoqin looked at Lin Ming with a face full of doubt.

Now, she was starting to wonder if something had gone wrong with her Senior Brother's cultivation, preventing him from displaying his true strength in these two matches.

“Junior Sister, you think too highly of your Senior Brother.”

Lin Ming shook his head.

“Tch.”

Yu Yaoqin shook her head with a look of disdain.

Regardless of whether there was a problem with his cultivation, based on Lin Ming's words, she felt he was up to no good and that someone was likely going to have a bad day.

“Why don't you ever believe your Senior Brother?”

Lin Ming said with feigned helplessness.

“Hehe...”

Yu Yaoqin simply gave a cold sneer in response.

Her attention returned to the arena.

As for Lin Ming, he left on his own after a few more rounds of matches.

After leaving the Martial Arts Arena, Lin Ming reappeared in the Gambling Den, once again wearing a different face.

His purpose, of course, was still to bet on himself, but this time he only placed small bets using Low Grade Essence Stones.

If he kept placing large bets, it would attract the attention of the four families, which wouldn't be good. It would be a disaster if they lowered his odds.

Thus, after that initial large wager, all of Lin Ming's subsequent bets would be small.

The second round of matches soon came to an end.

In the second round, Yu Yaoqin encountered a Seventh Level Spirit Platform cultivator. After an exchange of over ten rounds, she used the Sword Intent she had mastered to defeat her opponent and advance to the next round.

This made the young girl happy for quite a while.

After all, her Stinky Senior Brother had said she probably wouldn't make it past the second round.

She was determined to show him she could.

“Senior Brother, Senior Sister, I might have to leave Yanyun Mountain for a while,” Su Lianxue suddenly said to the two.

Su Lianxue suddenly said to the two of them.

“Where are you going?”

Yu Yaoqin looked at Su Lianxue and asked in surprise.

She hadn't heard Su Lianxue mention this before.

“I accepted a Sect mission, and the deadline is approaching,” Su Lianxue explained.

Su Lianxue said.

Of course, this so-called mission was something she had just made up.

“Go then,” Lin Ming nodded.

Lin Ming nodded.

Whether it was a mission or something else...

...she could go if she wanted.

Lin Ming wasn't going to stop her.

Besides, Su Lianxue had already mentioned this to him before they set out.

“Do you need me to go with you?” Yu Yaoqin followed up.

Yu Yaoqin then asked.

She was still a bit worried about Su Lianxue. After all, the girl was only at the Sea-Opening Realm and was so beautiful that she could easily attract unwanted attention.

“No need, Senior Sister. You should focus on the competition,” Su Lianxue shook her head.

Su Lianxue shook her head.

She had no intention of having anyone accompany her.

“I have Revered Master's protective measures on me, so I'll be fine,” Su Lianxue said.

Su Lianxue said.

“Let her go. Consider it a form of training,” Lin Ming added at this point.

Lin Ming also spoke up at this time.

“Alright then, but you must be careful about your safety.”

Seeing the two siblings like this, Yu Yaoqin didn't push further and simply urged Su Lianxue to be careful.

“I will, Senior Sister,” Su Lianxue replied.

Su Lianxue said.

“There's still some time left in the competition. I'll be back before it's over.”

Su Lianxue said.

“We'll be waiting for you here at Yanyun Mountain,” Yu Yaoqin said.

Yu Yaoqin said.

Even if the competition ended and Su Lianxue hadn't returned, they would still wait for her at Yanyun Mountain.

“Mhm.”

Su Lianxue nodded slightly.

And so, Su Lianxue temporarily left the group and departed from Yanyun Mountain alone.

Stepping out of Yanyun Mountain, Su Lianxue moved rapidly in a specific direction.