529: Chapter 39 Tian Ling'er's First Victory

Early the next morning.

The first-round matchups for the Seven-Peak Martial Tournament were posted.

Though not participating, Meng Li had been assigned a referee duty. He went to take a look and happened to run into Tian Linger, Song Da Ren, Zhang Xiaofan, and others.

It was a chance encounter because they were not staying together.

To better conserve their energy for the matches, all the senior members and participating Disciples had stayed overnight at Tongtian Peak yesterday.

The participating male and female Disciples were separated, each group staying in a different area.

The senior members, including Meng Li, stayed in another area.

After brief greetings, Meng Li glanced at the match list. He saw that Tian Linger was in the first batch to fight, matched against Shen Tiandou of Chaoyang Peak. Coincidentally, her assigned arena was Platform Eight, which he was responsible for refereeing.

Among those fighting in the first batch, Tian Linger was the only one from Dazhu Peak.

For this Seven-Peak Martial Tournament, there were eight platforms in total. The schedule was two sessions per day, meaning sixteen matches daily.

The first round, narrowing sixty-four down to thirty-two, would take two days to complete.

Inevitably, there would be times when fellow Disciples fought simultaneously, making it impossible to watch everyone's matches.

For someone like Meng Li, who had duties and couldn't get away, wanting to watch his fellow Disciples' matches relied entirely on such coincidental encounters.

Tian Linger was aware of this.

Therefore, seeing this situation, she immediately smiled, her eyes crinkling: "Junior Brother, what a coincidence!"

Meng Li nodded with a smile: "Quite the coincidence. Let's head to Platform Eight together."

Tian Linger nodded, then turned to Song Da Ren, Zhang Xiaofan, and the others: "Senior Brothers, Junior Brothers, you should all come along too."

Song Da Ren, Zhang Xiaofan, and the others had no matches in the morning, so they readily agreed.

"Of course we'll go together."

"Let's go, let's go."

"We'll all go together."

Halfway there, the group happened to meet Tian Buyi and Su Ru, so they proceeded together.

No sooner had they arrived at Platform Eight than the other referee, Chaoyang Peak's leader Shang Zhengliang, and several participating Disciples from Chaoyang Peak arrived right after.

After exchanging polite greetings, Meng Li and the other referee walked up to the high platform reserved for the referees.

Then, Tian Linger and Shen Tiandou stepped out from their respective groups, ascended the platform, and briefly clasped their hands in greeting.

"Tian Linger of Dazhu Peak."

"Shen Tiandou of Chaoyang Peak."

After speaking, one drew his sword, and the other unfurled her Amber Red Silk, each assuming a fighting stance.

Seeing this, Meng Li announced clearly: "The Qingyun Sect's Twentieth Seven-Peak Martial Tournament, First Round, Sixty-four to Thirty-two, Platform Eight, First Match: Dazhu Peak's Tian Linger versus Chaoyang Peak's Shen Tiandou. The match begins!"

After the announcement, Meng Li took his seat to watch the match.

Tian Linger and Shen Tiandou then began to fight.

Neither used Spells, instead employing martial techniques.

This was partly because it was just a match, and partly because their cultivation levels were not high, and they hadn't mastered many Spells.

Shen Tiandou used sword Moves.

Tian Linger wielded the Amber Red Silk with a supple strength, making it seem alive. At times, it darted like a cunning snake, unpredictable and elusive; at other times, it swept like a giant python's tail, with astonishing explosive force.

This was because Meng Li, seeing Tian Linger's preference for the Amber Red Silk, had given her special tutoring. He taught her the White Serpent Whip Technique from the Nine Yin Manual, along with some Object Manipulation techniques derived from Divine Mechanism Hundred Refinements. Combining the two, Tian Linger gained a martial skill, and her manipulation of the Amber Red Silk became increasingly fluid, resulting in this effect.

Shen Tiandou's swordsmanship was decent, but his experience was clearly lacking, at least in facing opponents with unconventional weapons.

Therefore, encountering Tian Linger, who used a non-mainstream weapon like the red silk, he struggled to adapt.

But being much older, he still had some skill.

Seeing his inexperience made it hard to defend against the seemingly living silk, Shen Tiandou deliberately left an opening. He let Tian Linger wrap the silk around his sword and his sword-wielding right hand, then grabbed the silk himself. Planting his feet firmly, sinking his stance, he adopted an immovable mountain posture, intending to test strength and Qi against Tian Linger.

He was older, had higher cultivation, and was a man. He believed both his Qi and physical strength surpassed Tian Linger's.

Seeing this from below the platform, Shang Zhengliang immediately smiled, thinking to himself, "Good Move."

Tian Buyi and Su Ru, however, slightly frowned.

Song Da Ren, Zhang Xiaofan, and the others also looked worried.

Yet, Tian Linger showed no panic. Instead, a faint smile appeared on her Face.

The next second, she exerted force and actually sent the supposedly immovable Shen Tiandou flying off the platform, simultaneously using a clever technique to ensure he landed safely.

Shen Tiandou was stunned on the spot.

How was I thrown off?

How could Junior Sister Tian throw me?

Could it be that both her strength and Qi surpass mine?

How... how is that possible?

The Taiji Xuanqing Dao emphasized health preservation and longevity, but it had no unique methods for tempering the body or increasing physical strength.

Not only the Taiji Xuanqing Dao, but other Schools were the same.

In short, Cultivators in this world were lopsided, akin to high-attack, low-defense, fragile mages.

Therefore, faced with Tian Linger's frontal "weak defeating strong" display, not only was Shen Tiandou stunned, but Shang Zhengliang and the other Chaoyang Peak Disciples, and even the Dazhu Peak group including Tian Buyi and Su Ru, were greatly surprised.

Tian Linger had no intention of explaining. She simply retracted the Amber Red Silk, smiled, and clasped her hands towards Shen Tiandou: "Senior Brother Shen, thank you for yielding."

Meng Li promptly announced the result loudly: "Tian Linger versus Shen Tiandou, Tian Linger wins!"

The other referee had no objections.

Because Shen Tiandou had been thrown off the platform, the result was indisputable.

Shang Zhengliang's expression darkened slightly as he sighed.

Shen Tiandou then asked Tian Linger: "Junior Sister Tian, if I may ask, what is your current cultivation level?"

Tian Linger smiled: "I had a Breakthrough a few days ago. I've now reached the seventh layer of the Yuqing Realm."

Only then did Shen Tiandou understand and accept the defeat.

He was at the sixth layer of the Yuqing Realm, one layer lower than Tian Linger. Losing to her was normal.

Shang Zhengliang also had nothing more to say. He could only offer congratulations to Tian Buyi with a Face full of envy: "Senior Brother Tian, your daughter Linger is so young yet has such cultivation. Her exceptional talent and Aptitude are truly enviable."

Tian Buyi, immersed in the dual delight of "my daughter won the match" and "her cultivation has advanced another level," couldn't help but boast upon hearing this: "Of course, just look at whose..."

Before he could finish, Su Ru discreetly tugged his sleeve, interrupting him.

Tian Buyi immediately came to his senses. Seeing Shang Zhengliang's somewhat displeased expression, he inwardly cursed his slip of the tongue. Chaoyang Peak had lost this match; the other's mood was surely not great. Yet, he still praised Tian Linger with a smile, which was truly giving Face. His own boastful gloating was indeed somewhat inappropriate.

After all, Face was something given mutually.

But having already spoken half the sentence, it was awkward to retract it. He could only shut his mouth and offer an embarrassed smile.

Seeing this, Su Ru smiled and smoothed things over: "Senior Brother Shang, you flatter her too much."

"This is only the first match; it doesn't prove much. There are several more rounds ahead. Chaoyang Peak has many talented Disciples; I'm sure you will achieve victories."

"Then I'll take your auspicious words, Junior Sister Su." Shang Zhengliang said politely, then led his Disciples away.

After the Chaoyang Peak group left, Tian Buyi cleared his throat, intending to use Tian Linger's victory to motivate Disciples like Song Da Ren and Zhang Xiaofan. But when he turned to look, Tian Linger hadn't come over. She wasn't on the platform either. Instead, she had run to the referees' high platform to find Meng Li.

"Junior Brother, how was that? Am I amazing?"

"Amazing, truly amazing."

"Let me tell you..."

Tian Buyi: "..."