"Oh? Am I the first match?" Zhuge Xiang opened his eyes and stood up. After the last eight matches, he felt that the Qi Force in his body had recovered by sixty to seventy percent. He raised his hand to halt Niu Geng, who was concerned and about to speak, and walked directly to the arena.
"Haha, I don't know if I should say you're unlucky or if I'm just too lucky. You were never my match to begin with, but I didn't expect you to have even less time to rest than me." Lei Potian stood before Zhuge Xiang, wearing a confident and complacent expression as he laughed heartily.
It was evident that Lei Potian had competed in the first round of the top eight, while Zhuge Xiang was in the last round. Despite both of them having rested, Zhuge Xiang's rest time was far from enough to fully recover his Qi Force.
"Are you done with your nonsense? I'm in a hurry," Zhuge Xiang said calmly as he slowly removed the Blood Refined Saber from his back. His gaze remained serious, devoid of joy or sorrow, as he stared at Lei Potian.
As he spoke, scarlet Qi Force emanated from Zhuge Xiang's body, enveloping him in a powerful aura. Upon entering the arena, Zhuge Xiang immediately activated the Bloodthirst Technique.
"Oh? You activated the Bloodthirst Technique as soon as you entered the arena? It seems I can't be polite anymore," Lei Potian said, wearing a smile as he raised the massive axe in his hand slightly. The scarlet Qi Force on his body was also unleashed, exuding an even stronger and more terrifying pressure than Zhuge Xiang's. It was also the Bloodthirst Technique.
The clash of Bloodthirst Techniques had begun even before the battle commenced. The spectators below the stage grew more excited as they witnessed this. The atmosphere reached a boiling point. Both Zhuge Xiang and Lei Potian were at the advanced level of the Bloodthirst Technique. Their sinister and malevolent countenances transformed into expressions of sheer terror.
"They are evenly matched. It will be difficult to determine the winner in a short period," Lu Yuling murmured softly, observing Zhuge Xiang and Lei Potian activate the Bloodthirst Technique on the stage.
Zhuge Xiang activated the Bloodthirst Technique, clearly feeling the pressure from Lei Potian and realizing that it would be difficult to win without using it. Lei Potian also acknowledged Zhuge Xiang's strength and knew that if he did not activate the Bloodthirst Technique, he might face a miserable defeat. After all, Zhuge Xiang's peculiar methods could decrease the opponent's speed, which frightened Lei Potian.
"Senior Ling Wufeng, who do you think will win?" A disciple who was on good terms with Ling Wufeng asked as he stared at the two figures on the dueling platform.
"If Zhuge Xiang has other tricks up his sleeve, then it's a different story. But if he doesn't, then Lei Potian should be the one to win. After all, Zhuge Xiang was at the second level of the Qi Nourishing stage and his Qi Force hasn't fully recovered. He must have exhausted most of his Qi Force before facing Lei Potian," Ling Wufeng calmly replied, his gaze focused on the arena.
"Senior Lu, do you think Zhuge Xiang can win?" On the other side, Niu Geng came to Lu Yuling's side and asked. The worry on his face was obvious.
Turning to look at Niu Geng, Lu Yuling remained as cold as ever and calmly responded, "It's good to care about your friend. You've done well in that aspect. However, you still need to learn to trust your friend. Although I don't know what other tricks Zhuge Xiang has, I anticipate his victory."
"Do I really need to learn to trust my friends?" Niu Geng lowered his head, pondering over Lu Yuling's words. Then, he nodded as if he had gained some insight.
Some believed that Lei Potian would emerge victorious, while others had faith in Zhuge Xiang. Regardless of the discussions below the stage, the outcome would ultimately be determined through their practical actions. On the stage, Zhuge Xiang and Lei Potian were both aggressive individuals. Their head-on battle stirred the blood of everyone who watched.
While Lu Yuling's Clear Wave Palm and Ling Wufeng's flying daggers were formidable, to the disciples of the Asura Sect, a duel between men like Zhuge Xiang and Lei Potian was the most exhilarating.
Lei Potian, at the third level of the Qi Nourishing stage, possessed a fierce axe technique and formidable combat strength. His power seemed capable of splitting mountains. As for Zhuge Xiang, although he was only at the second level of the Qi Nourishing stage, even with the Bloodthirst Technique activated, he still fell short compared to Lei Potian. However, Lei Potian had only one Dharma artifact, his weapon. On the other hand, Zhuge Xiang had three Dharma artifacts.
The Blood Refined Saber, Frost Headband, Star Chasing Boots, and especially the Star Chasing Boots increased his movement speed by 30%, making Zhuge Xiang slightly faster than Lei Potian in terms of speed.
The Star Chasing Boots and Frost Headband also provided additional defense effects. Combined with the blood-sucking ability of the Blood Refined Saber, both Zhuge Xiang and Lei Potian sustained injuries in their head-on battle. However, Zhuge Xiang's injuries were relatively lighter than Lei Potian's.
Zhuge Xiang's resilience left Lei Potian feeling helpless, though it was somewhat expected. Both of them had activated the Bloodthirst Technique, making it impossible to defeat the other quickly. Moreover, Lei Potian needed to conserve his strength for the final duel. Taking inspiration from Ji Wuxue and Yuan Kai, he proposed, "Zhuge Xiang, it will be challenging for us to determine the victor in a short time. Why don't we use three moves to decide?"
Decide the victor in three moves? No one anticipated that Lei Potian and Zhuge Xiang would make such a request in their duel. Many people turned their gaze towards Zhuge Xiang.
Ji Wuxue and Yuan Kai had proposed three moves to determine the victor, but both had lost to him. Would he agree to Lei Potian's request this time? Ji Wuxue and Yuan Kai had both agreed, and Zhuge Xiang himself had to conserve his strength to deal with the subsequent battles. He should not reject such a suggestion that was beneficial to both sides, right?
"I refuse…" However, to everyone's surprise, Zhuge Xiang rejected without hesitation.
"Do you know that you will surely lose to me, and that's why you're unwilling to agree to fight it out using three moves? You scoundrel, do you want to drain my Qi Force even if you lose?" Lei Potian could not fathom why Zhuge Xiang would reject him, and he shouted angrily.
The meaning behind Zhuge Xiang's refusal was different from what Lei Potian assumed. Lei Potian was partly correct—Zhuge Xiang did want to wear him down, but he never considered himself destined to lose. With the EXP scroll in his possession, he could break through at any time. Not only would he be fully restored, but he would also become stronger.
Therefore, in order to defeat Lei Potian easily after his breakthrough, Zhuge Xiang aimed to exhaust Lei Potian's Qi Force as much as possible. That was why he rejected Lei Potian's suggestion.
While Zhuge Xiang's rejection was driven by his desire to win the duel, Lei Potian felt that Zhuge Xiang was deliberately targeting him. It seemed like Zhuge Xiang would drag Lei Potian along, even if it meant sacrificing his own life. This humiliation fueled Lei Potian's anger, but he was powerless. Both of them were at the advanced level of the Bloodthirst Technique. Although Zhuge Xiang's cultivation level was lower than Lei Potian's, his speed was slightly faster. Their exchange of blows showcased one's superior attack power and the other's swiftness. They were evenly matched, and even if Lei Potian held a slight advantage, it would be difficult for him to defeat Zhuge Xiang in a short time.
It was indeed true that the Bloodthirst Technique possessed tremendous power, but its duration was extremely short. It could only be sustained for a maximum of one minute before plunging the user into a weakened state. If this continued for too long, even if Lei Potian defeated Zhuge Xiang, winning the subsequent duels would prove challenging. Neither Lu Yuling nor Ling Wufeng would have an easy time against him. This outcome was not what Lei Potian desired.
"Zhuge Xiang, are you out of your mind? You should be well aware of the side effects of the Bloodthirst Technique. You also know that it's impossible for you to defeat me. Instead, why not conserve your strength and strive for third place?" Lei Potian, feeling both anxious and enraged but ultimately helpless, shouted at Zhuge Xiang in frustration.
Huff huff…
Zhuge Xiang did not utter a word in response to Lei Potian's exasperated outbursts. Instead, he answered Lei Potian's fierce attacks with his saber, providing a clear response of his own.
"You b*stard!!!" Lei Potian, in his frustration, suffered a few shallow cuts from the Blood Refined Saber. Though the wounds were minor, they ignited a blazing fury within him. "Fine, fine, fine! Originally, I planned to reserve this trump card for the final battle. Since you refuse to understand reason, don't blame me."
Having said "fine" three times, Lei Potian's eyes brimmed with a murderous intent. It was evident that Zhuge Xiang's insensitivity had forced him to reveal his ultimate trump card. Lei Potian was consumed by a desire to kill Zhuge Xiang on the spot, transforming the duel into a deadly confrontation.
Lei Potian's hidden trump card? Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions grew significantly graver. Lei Potian was already formidable, and now he had an additional trump card? What could it possibly be? What else did Lei Potian have up his sleeve?
In a fit of anger, Lei Potian reached into his pocket and retrieved a seed, hurling it onto the ground.
The dueling platform was originally paved with bluestone, yet this seed managed to penetrate the stone's surface. Almost instantly, over ten violet vines, as thick as a child's arm, burst forth from the bluestone and rapidly grew. These swaying vines resembled venomous snakes, exuding a ferocious aura.
"The seed of the Bloodsucking Vine was obtained by chance during my exploration of the Endless Mountains. Although it withers after just a few minutes, it's more than enough to assist me in killing you."
Under the influence of the Bloodthirst Technique, Lei Potian's eyes glowed scarlet with a murderous intent as he locked his gaze onto Zhuge Xiang. Lei Potian bellowed angrily, simultaneously raising the enormous axe in his hand and transforming into a blood-red shadow hurtling towards Zhuge Xiang. At the same time, the dozen vines swiftly swept toward Zhuge Xiang as well.
"Blood-sucking Vines? I didn't expect Lei Potian to acquire the seed of the Blood-sucking Vines," Lu Yuling murmured with a slight frown. In terms of entanglement, over ten Blood-sucking Vines were comparable to her Clear Wave Palm, and they possessed the additional ability to drain blood.
"Lei Potian managed to conceal it quite well. Thankfully, the blood-sucking vines will wither if he fails to absorb the flesh and blood of over ten people. Moreover, the sect would never permit him to plant the blood-sucking vines on the martial arts arena," Ling Wufeng spoke softly, his eyes filled with seriousness.
"Zhuge Xiang is destined to lose…" As Lei Potian produced the seed of the blood-sucking vines, the spectators below made an immediate judgment.
With Lei Potian's formidable attack power and the assistance of the Blood-sucking Vines, even a cultivator at the fourth level of the Qi Nourishing stage would be defeated, let alone Zhuge Xiang. Lei Potian's strength alone was enough to secure his position as the champion.
"Blood-sucking Vines? It seems I have no choice but to advance my breakthrough…" Zhuge Xiang furrowed his brow as he observed the dozen or so incredibly agile Blood-sucking Vines. If it were any other trump card, he might have had a chance, but once entangled by these vines, even if he achieved another breakthrough, he would be rendered powerless.
Reaching into his pocket, Zhuge Xiang took out the Experience Scroll and tore it open. A weak light emitted and enveloped Zhuge Xiang's entire body…