168: The semi-finals and the "technical" concesion

The Outer Sect tournament entered the semifinal stage, and the atmosphere reached its Peak.

Everyone understood that the true clash of dragons and tigers was about to begin.

The biggest draw was undoubtedly the Peak showdown between the two vastly different styles of Wen Youyi and Lei Hao.

However, the draw results once again left people dumbfounded.

The semifinal matchups: Wen Youyi versus the Sword Pavilion Disciple, Xiao Chen; Lei Hao versus another Five Elements Courtyard Disciple.

This result made Elder Heisha's expression even uglier, as he had been looking forward to Wen Youyi and Lei Hao clashing early, while Wen Youyi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

'Fortunately, we didn't run into each other early.' Wang Wu also sighed in relief, 'Although Xiao Chen is also at the Qi Refining Eighth Layer Peak, his Flowing Light Sword Technique is as fast as lightning, but it's still better than facing Lei Hao directly.'

Wen Youyi, however, stared at the matchup list, his eyes flickering as if calculating something.

In the first semifinal, Lei Hao defeated his fellow Disciple without any suspense, forcefully advancing to the finals.

He didn't even use his Palm Thunder, clearly saving his strength for the final battle.

Next was Wen Youyi versus Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen was true to his name, his demeanor cold and sharp like a drawn sword.

He stood on the arena, his gaze sharply locked onto Wen Youyi: 'Junior Brother Wen, your methods are very strange, but my sword only believes in one word: fast!'

Before the words even faded, his sword was unsheathed!

A brilliant sword light, like a meteor tearing through the night sky, instantly crossed the distance between the two and pierced straight at Wen Youyi's throat!

Fast! Fast to the extreme!

The crowd below only felt a blur before their eyes, and the sword tip had already arrived!

However, facing this lightning-fast sword strike, Wen Youyi's performance once again exceeded everyone's expectations.

He didn't try to interfere with the opponent's sword momentum, nor did he use movement techniques to dodge.

Instead... he raised his right hand wearing the Thousand Mechanisms Hand, middle and index fingers pressed together, and met that cold glimmer head-on!

He actually wanted to use two fingers to catch this sword strike that was as fast as flowing light?!

'Arrogant!' A fierce light flashed in Xiao Chen's eyes, and his sword momentum grew even faster!

Just as the sword tip was about to pierce his fingertips, Wen Youyi's fingers began to vibrate slightly at a frequency difficult for the naked eye to capture, and the starlight lingering on his fingertips outlined extremely complex, tiny trajectories.

'Clang—!'

A crisp, pleasant sound, like the striking of a jade chime, rang out!

That sword tip, fast as flowing light, was actually caught steadily by Wen Youyi with two fingers!

It stopped less than three inches from his throat, unable to advance even a fraction!

The sword body vibrated violently, emitting an unwilling hum, yet it was locked firmly as if by iron pliers!

Xiao Chen's pupils contracted sharply, his face filled with disbelief!

His full-powered Flowing Light sword strike was actually caught by someone with two fingers?! How is this possible?!

The crowd below exploded instantly!

'Empty-handed catching a blade?! He caught the Flowing Light Sword Technique?'

'How did he do it?!'

'Is that finger made of a Magic Treasure?'

Wen Youyi felt the sharp Sword Intent and violent struggle transmitted from his fingertips, his heart as calm as an ancient well.

He wasn't relying purely on strength to catch it head-on; rather, the moment the sword tip touched him, he used the Thousand Mechanisms Hand to precisely control his Qi, forming countless tiny, constantly rotating energy vortices at his fingertips to disperse the force.

Simultaneously, he precisely found the node where the sword's force was circulating, breaking the force with leverage, like using four ounces to deflect a thousand pounds.

'Senior Brother Xiao, the sword is fast,' Wen Youyi spoke indifferently, 'But the force is too focused on the extreme; hardness cannot last long, and the moment of recovery is the flaw.'

He twisted and guided his fingers slightly!

Xiao Chen only felt a strange force coming along the sword body, not only neutralizing his forward momentum but also guiding his body to tilt involuntarily, leaving his center wide open!

Right at this moment when the old force was spent and the new force had yet to be born, Wen Youyi's other hand formed a sword shape with his fingers, starlight condensing on his fingertips, and he struck lightning-fast at the Shenmen acupoint on Xiao Chen's sword-holding wrist!

Xiao Chen had no time to change moves; his wrist went numb, and his long sword almost slipped from his grasp!

He was greatly alarmed and hurriedly retreated, but Wen Youyi followed like a shadow, his fingertips striking repeatedly, each time landing precisely on the key nodes of his Qi circulation and sword momentum conversion!

'Here, the force is too strong, and the recovery is insufficient.'

'Here, the conversion between emptiness and reality is not smooth enough, and the traces are obvious.'

'Here, the connection between mind and Sword Intent has a gap, easy to be exploited...'

Wen Youyi's voice was calm and waveless, as if this wasn't a life-and-death battle, but a sword technique tutorial.

Xiao Chen was beaten into total submission, feeling that the sword technique he had painstakingly cultivated for many years was full of holes in front of the opponent, like a sieve!

His pride, his speed, seemed so pale and weak in front of the opponent's all-seeing gaze and god-like finger techniques!

After only a dozen exchanges, Xiao Chen was already drenched in sweat, his breathing chaotic, his sword technique scattered and full of openings.

Finally, Wen Youyi seized an opportunity, his fingertips' starlight suddenly brightening, piercing through the sword screen that Xiao Chen had hastily set up like a master chef butchering an ox, and lightly tapped his chest at the Shanzhong acupoint.

A gentle force surged, Xiao Chen groaned, his body stumbling backward, retreating until he reached the edge of the arena before barely standing firm.

The long sword in his hand drooped, his face full of frustration and confusion.

He had lost, lost with complete conviction, yet also feeling incredibly aggrieved.

'I concede, Senior Brother Xiao,' Wen Youyi cupped his hands.

Xiao Chen took a deep breath, looked at Wen Youyi with a complex expression, and returned the salute: 'Junior Brother Wen's skills are superior, Xiao... has been taught.'

After saying this, he walked off the arena somewhat dejectedly.

'Wen Youyi, wins! Advances to the finals!'

After a brief silence, the crowd below erupted into thunderous noise!

Wen Youyi had once again defeated a powerful opponent in an unimaginable way, advancing to the finals!

With this, the final lineup for the Outer Sect tournament was finally determined—Wen Youyi VS Lei Hao!

The Peak showdown was about to break out!

Everyone was extremely excited, looking forward to this ultimate collision of strange control and absolute power!

However, just as the referee Elder was preparing to announce the final arrangements, Wen Youyi suddenly spoke up.

'Elder, this Disciple has something to report.'

Everyone's gaze instantly focused on him.

'Speak.'

A look of just the right amount of 'exhaustion' and 'helplessness' appeared on Wen Youyi's face as he cupped his hands: 'Reporting to Elder, after fierce battles with several Senior Brothers, although this Disciple luckily won, the consumption of mind and Qi has been immense, especially the battle with Senior Brother Xiao Chen.'

'To break his Flowing Light Sword Technique, I even overspent my Mental Energy; I am currently at the end of my rope.'

He paused, and in the astonished gazes of everyone, continued: 'Looking at Senior Brother Lei Hao, his strength is unfathomable. He didn't use his full strength in the previous match, and he is at his Peak state.'

'This Disciple admits that in my current state, I am definitely no match for Senior Brother Lei. If I were to force the final, I fear I would be unable to perform to my full potential, which would be a disappointment to the Sect's expectations, and also disrespectful to Senior Brother Lei.'

He raised his head, looking 'sincerely' at the referee Elder and the high platform: 'Therefore, this Disciple begs to... forfeit the final and voluntarily concede.'

As soon as these words were spoken, the entire venue was in an uproar!

Forfeit? Concede? When only one step away from the top spot?

Everyone was stunned! Even Lei Hao was taken aback, frowning as he looked at Wen Youyi, not understanding what medicine he was selling in his gourd.

On the high platform, Elder Heisha was stunned at first, then a hint of suspicion flashed in his eyes, but it was replaced more by a cold smile of a plan succeeding.

No matter what reason Wen Youyi had for conceding, as long as he didn't take the top spot and didn't go to Falling Star Lake, it was a good thing!

Elder Xuan Shi, however, looked at Wen Youyi with profound eyes, as if trying to see something in his face.

The referee Elder pondered for a moment and asked: 'Wen Youyi, are you sure you want to forfeit the final?'

'This Disciple is sure,' Wen Youyi's tone was 'firm,' 'Instead of forcing a fight and increasing ridicule, it is better to preserve my strength and look forward to the future.'

'Good!' The referee Elder was not a stubborn person and immediately announced: 'Since Wen Youyi voluntarily concedes, the top spot of this Outer Sect tournament is—Lei Hao! Wen Youyi is the runner-up!'

The result was announced, and the crowd below was abuzz with discussion, some regretting it, some confused, and some thinking Wen Youyi was wise to the times.

Lei Hao looked at the Wen Youyi opposite who had voluntarily conceded and looked 'composed,' feeling not much joy, but rather a sense of suffocation like punching cotton.

He had prepared many means, wanting to completely crush this strange opponent in the finals and prove his strength as the Outer Sect's number one, but he didn't expect the other party to just stop playing!

Wen Youyi, however, didn't care what others thought and walked off the arena leisurely.

Wang Wu and Zhao Iron Pillar (who had 'recovered' quite a bit) immediately surrounded him.

'Boss, why did you concede? Weren't we going to enter the top ten to go to Falling Star Lake?' Zhao Iron Pillar asked urgently.

Wen Youyi smiled and whispered: 'Who said we weren't going to Falling Star Lake?'

He looked at the high platform, watching the changing expression of Elder Heisha, as well as the referee Elder who was announcing the rewards for this tournament.

'... The top ten of the tournament can receive rewards such as Spirit Stones, Medicinal Pills, and Cultivation Techniques... In addition, the top spot Lei Hao, the runner-up Wen Youyi, the third place... and other top ten Disciples, will receive the qualification to enter the Sect's secret ground, Falling Star Lake, for three days of cultivation enlightenment!'

Hearing the most critical sentence, a smile of success appeared on Wen Youyi's face.

That's right, his goal was never that empty top spot, but the top ten!

As long as he entered the top ten, he could legally and compliantly enter Falling Star Lake!

As for the top spot? Whoever wants it can take it!

It avoided a hard fight with the fully-restored Lei Hao, which would have exposed more of his trump cards, successfully obtained the 'ticket' to Falling Star Lake, and also made Elder Heisha think he was cowardly, causing him to relax his vigilance—three birds with one stone!

'Let's go,' Wen Youyi said to his still-confused companions, 'Go back and prepare. In three days, we're going to Falling Star Lake... for a vacation.'

His gaze seemed to have already pierced through layers of obstacles, seeing that lake which Elder Heisha regarded as his private property, and the... star core fragment and second Star Network node that might exist at the bottom of the lake.

(End of Chapter)