191: Abstain! (Fourth update)

The entire venue erupted!

Han Li's voice, distorted with excitement, almost tore the roof off the entire Martial Arts Training Ground.

"Winner! Magic Cultivation Department! Zhang Qiqi!"

In the Magic Cultivation Department's waiting area, Li Qingyuan and Fang Yuan excitedly rushed up and gave Zhang Qiqi a big hug.

"Qiqi, you were amazing!"

"My god, you actually took down Lin Xiao!"

Zhang Tianwang in the audience was weeping tears of joy, wiping his eyes while handing out business cards to those next to him.

"See that! That's my daughter! My own daughter!"

Below the stage, Lin Xiao stood up with Gu Qinghan's support. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked at Zhang Qiqi's retreating figure, feeling no resentment, only pure admiration.

"I lost."

He was thoroughly convinced of his defeat.

However, the match was not yet over.

Han Li cleared his throat, forcefully suppressing his excitement, and announced loudly.

"The first match of the semifinals, Sword Cultivation Department versus Magic Cultivation Department, the current score is one-one tie!"

"Next, the Sword Cultivation Department's second contestant, Gu Qinghan, will face the recently victorious contestant Zhang Qiqi!"

The atmosphere in the entire venue was reignited.

Zhang Qiqi had just sent off Lin Xiao and now had to face another master from the Sword Cultivation Department.

"Qiqi, your spiritual power consumption is too high. How about I go instead?"

Li Qingyuan looked at her worriedly.

Zhang Qiqi shook her head, refusing her teammate's kind offer.

"It's fine, I can still fight."

She walked onto the stage, facing Gu Qinghan, who was dressed in white and had a cold demeanor, from a distance.

In the global live stream, the bullet comments had gone wild.

"Holy cow! Goddess showdown! Double the pleasure!"

"Ice beauty versus mature enchantress! The officials really know what we want to see!"

"Although I can't see their faces clearly, their figures and aura, AWESOME!"

The match began!

Zhang Qiqi dared not be careless, immediately conjuring several Water Dragons that roared as they lunged towards Gu Qinghan.

However, Gu Qinghan simply drew her sword calmly.

Her swordsmanship was entirely different from Lin Xiao's domineering style; her sword's edge carried a bone-chilling coldness.

"Crack—"

The moment the Water Dragons touched the sword's edge, they instantly began to freeze from their heads, turning into crystal-clear ice sculptures in a blink of an eye, then shattering with a crash.

All of Zhang Qiqi's water Spells were completely suppressed by Gu Qinghan's extreme cold Sword Qi.

Water can extinguish fire, and ice can also counter water.

After dozens of rounds, Zhang Qiqi had exhausted all her techniques and spiritual power, eventually being struck by a cold Sword Qi from Gu Qinghan. Her protective water barrier shattered, and she was defeated.

Gu Qinghan was not at ease either; her forehead was covered in fine sweat, and her breathing was somewhat rapid.

"Magic Cultivation Department, only one person left."

Han Li shouted.

"Contestant Li Qingyuan! Facing the already significantly depleted contestant Gu Qinghan!"

Li Qingyuan took a deep breath and walked onto the stage.

She knew this was the Magic Cultivation Department's last chance.

Facing Gu Qinghan, who had little spiritual power left, Li Qingyuan did not engage in a direct confrontation. Instead, she used her flexible and varied Spells to constantly move around and harass her opponent.

Finally, with a brilliant tactical combination, she successfully seized an opening in Gu Qinghan's defense and defeated her.

"We won! We won!"

Li Qingyuan shouted excitedly.

But before she could celebrate, Han Li's voice rang out again.

"Now! Sword Cultivation Department versus Magic Cultivation Department, the score is two-two tie!"

"Next will be the decisive final match!"

"Between Li Qingyuan of the Magic Cultivation Department and Liu Lian of the Sword Cultivation Department!"

Liu Lian?!

The entire venue was in an uproar.

No one expected that the key player in the decisive match would be this guy, who had advanced in the preliminary rounds through 'flashy moves' and luck.

Under everyone's gaze, Liu Lian flamboyantly adjusted his collar, waved at the camera and the audience, and then slowly walked onto the stage.

"Qing Yuan, please go easy on me."

He grinned.

Li Qingyuan had just defeated Gu Qinghan and had used up most of her spiritual power. Facing this seemingly carefree opponent, she dared not be careless in the slightest.

The battle began, and Li Qingyuan launched the first attack.

However, Liu Lian changed his usual style; his sword moves became exceptionally steady, his defense impenetrable.

Even more infuriating was that he always managed to interrupt Li Qingyuan's spellcasting rhythm with unexpected and tricky angles.

"Oh, junior sister, that move of yours isn't good; the flaw is too big."

"Tsk tsk, your spiritual power is unstable, are you tired?"

Liu Lian continued to launch mental attacks with his words while fighting.

Li Qingyuan's mindset was somewhat destabilized by him. In a moment of carelessness, Liu Lian seized the opportunity and disarmed her with a dazzling sword technique.

"I lost."

Li Qingyuan said, biting her lip, unwilling to accept defeat.

"You flatter me! You flatter me!"

Liu Lian stood with his sword sheathed, striking what he considered his coolest pose, enjoying the cheers of the crowd.

The Sword Cultivation Department secured the first spot in the finals!

...After a brief celebration, the second semifinal match officially began.

"Refining System versus Formation System!"

Han Li's voice rang out again.

"Refining System contestants: Lu Miaomiao, Chen Pingan, Wu Gang!"

"Formation System contestants: Xie Wangsheng, Sun Ruomeng, Zhao Wuchen!"

In the Formation System's waiting area.

Xie Wangsheng calmly spoke to his two teammates.

"I'll go last."

"Your task is to deplete the opponent's strength as much as possible, hit them as many times as you can."

Sun Ruomeng and Zhao Wuchen exchanged glances, both seeing the solemnity in the other's eyes.

"Understood."

In the first match, Sun Ruomeng of the Formation System faced Lu Miaomiao of the Refining System.

"Match start!"

Sun Ruomeng dared not be overconfident and immediately set up a Formation, attempting to trap her opponent.

However, Lu Miaomiao's figure instantly vanished from her original spot.

The next second, Sun Ruomeng only felt an irresistible immense force assault her from the side, and she was directly blasted off the stage.

The exchange lasted no more than five rounds.

Sun Ruomeng, defeated.

The entire venue was silent.

Next, Zhao Wuchen of the Formation System took the stage.

He lasted a little longer than Sun Ruomeng.

But it was only ten rounds.

Lu Miaomiao's punch shattered all his defensive Formations, and he cleanly lost the match.

The Refining System won two consecutive matches!

Now, all the pressure fell on the last person from the Formation System, their chief, Xie Wangsheng.

"Oh my god! Is the Formation System going to be swept three-zero?"

"Can Xie Shen (God Xie) hold on? That Lu Miaomiao is practically a humanoid Vicious Beast!"

"King bomb versus king bomb! It's finally happening!"

Just as everyone was expecting Xie Wangsheng to turn the tide and stage a shocking comeback.

Xie Wangsheng walked onto the stage and calmly uttered two words to the host Han Li.

"Forfeit."

What?

Han Li was stunned.

The entire audience was stunned.

The hundreds of millions of netizens in the live stream were all stunned.

"What the hell is going on?!"

"Giving up without even fighting? Is this still the Xie Shen (God Xie) who swept three opponents?"

"Scared? No way, right?"

Waves of doubt and confusion almost pierced the sky.

Han Li was also bewildered and confirmed again.

"Contestant Xie Wangsheng, are you sure you want to forfeit? This is the semifinals!"

"I'm sure."

Xie Wangsheng remained calm.

After speaking, he turned and walked off the stage, ignoring everyone's astonishment.

The Refining System won in a way no one expected.

Back in the waiting area, Fang Yuan immediately rushed over and stopped Xie Wangsheng.

"Old Xie! Why did you forfeit?!"

Fang Yuan couldn't understand.

"You didn't even try!"

Xie Wangsheng stopped, pushed up a non-existent pair of glasses on his nose, and looked at him indifferently.

"I tried."

"In my mind, I have fought her three hundred and sixty-five times using various methods."

"Each time, the result was my loss."

He continued.

"In this kind of public arena match, my Formation needs time to set up, and she won't give me that time. Her speed and strength both exceed the limits I can handle. I have no chance of winning."

Fang Yuan was stunned.

He opened his mouth, wanting to retort.

"But... but how do you know it won't work if you don't try? What if?"

Xie Wangsheng shook his head, a hint of helplessness appearing on his always placid face.

"Fang Yuan, I am not the protagonist of a hot-blooded manga, I don't have the aura of a sudden power-up in battle."

"If I can't beat her, I just can't beat her."

"I won't be the kind of person who rushes forward to his death, knowing it's a sure defeat."

"That's not bravery."

Xie Wangsheng looked at Fang Yuan one last time, enunciating each word.

"That's foolishness."

After speaking, he left directly, leaving Fang Yuan standing alone, his mind in a turmoil.

Foolishness... indeed?