[PoV_set=n0ne]
Li Tianyu faced his two opponents and smiled. "Brother Yifan, Sister Zhang, as you can see that my teammate is temporarily incapacitated, so may I request a ceasefire as of now?" He asked gently, mimicking a conversation among adults, his eyes earnest.
Chen Yifan wasn't entirely sure—could they really have a ceasefire just like that? He, himself, was a little injured, and perhaps a moment to discuss their strategy would be more practical. But...
Like a lost child searching for guidance, Chen Yifan turned his gaze toward Zhang Yanhua, who seemed to be the one calling the shots for their duo.
Zhang Yanhua's pupils grew slightly colder, an angelic smile fixed on her face, exuding all the warmth of a box of ice. "Brother Li, there has been no announcement asking us to pause," she said, gesturing toward the referee. "Would it not harm the spirit of the tournament to decide such levities ourselves?"
The spectators felt a chill go down their spines as they came to realise just how merciless this beautiful princess in pink was, even to her own brother.
Without missing a beat, Zhang Yanhua rushed forward, positioning herself to strike Li Tianyu and her incapacitated brother from the left. "Brother Chen, now!" she called out to Chen Yifan, who immediately launched an attack from the right.
Li Tianyu clicked his tongue in annoyance, a gesture he'd picked up from Zhang Feng. "Tsk, you're really forcing my hand here..." he muttered with a hint of disappointment, bracing himself to counter the pincer attack from Chen Yifan and Zhang Yanhua.
Speeding up time within himself, Li Tianyu precisely calculated Chen Yifan's trajectory, anticipating where his attack would land. With a swift motion, he successfully blocked it, initiating an arm lock with Chen Yifan's left hand with both of his arms. But then, it hit him—he had completely forgotten about Zhang Yanhua's trajectory!
In the heat of the moment, seeing from his peripheral vision that Zhang Yanhua's path wouldn't strike him, he relaxed and focused all his attention on Chen Yifan. But that was exactly what she wanted. Zhang Yanhua's real target was Zhang Feng all along!
Li Tianyu tried to call out to his teammate, "Brother Feng!" but deep down, he knew it was too late. Both of his arms were already occupied by Chen Yifan, leaving him unable to block the swift strike heading straight for Zhang Feng.
'Shit! I didn't react fast enough! My time isn't fast enough, goddamnit!'
In a desperate move, Li Tianyu attempted to raise his leg, hoping to kick Zhang Yanhua away. But even as he made the move, he knew that even if the kick connected, Zhang Yanhua's attack would still hit her brother.
Yet, the expected blow never came. In the nick of time, Zhang Feng, still kneeling, reached out a hand and skillfully parried the attack meant for him. He looked up, his silvery eyes visible for a brief moment before his hair fell to shield them once again. A charming smile spread across his face as he looked at his sister. "Little Hua, you really shouldn't bully your big brother like that," he remarked, his tone teasing.
Zhang Yanhua's pupils contracted, but before she could react or launch another attack however, Li Tianyu's kick landed squarely against her chest, sending her flying several meters across the arena.
'Damn, her chest is soft!' Li Tianyu thought to himself, his eyes taking in the figure of his opponent being flung through the air. His desperate strike was seemingly far stronger than his usual ones.
Li Tianyu's gaze turned back to Zhang Feng, who was now standing. A look of concern was etched on his face. "Little Hua, did you get hurt?" he asked, his attention still on his sister-turned-opponent. Then, turning to Li Tianyu, he chuckled. "Brother Tianyu, you could've held back a bit, haha," he said with a playful grin, giving a thumbs-up. "Nice assist, though."
...
[Timeframe=Few_Moments_Prior]
[PoV_set=$]
As I closed my eyes, the murmurs of the crowd, sounds of my opponents and even of my own teammate slowly started to fade into the background. I could feel Tianyu's hand at the back of my neck, a stream of Time qi moving around my outer meridians. I quickly realised that this was to speed up the time within my body and mind, and with that awareness, I cleared my thoughts and focused.
'Just as I have been taught...'
I focused on the qi ebbing and flowing in my Aperture. Trying to stimulate my Transparent qi to take form.
I recalled the teachings of Master Liang. When confronted by an Order elemental attack that has blocked my qi, I had two choices.
The first one was to simply brute force it through, just like any other cultivator would—using their own elemental qi to slowly purge the Order qi out of their meridians. This process took a lot of time and the amount of qi spent in proportion to the amount of qi being purged out was not optimal.
Due to my unique element, I could simulate the element of Chaos to maximize the efficiency to spend my qi at a 1:1 ratio to purge the Order qi within my system. However...
There was another technique, reserved for only me. I could simulate my qi to behave the same way as the hostile Order qi within my system, slowly easing it and absorbing it into my own Aperture. It required extreme precision as even the slightest hint of difference even among the same elemental qi would instead cause the first technique to happen.
If I succeeded, my rate of recovery would be exponentially faster than using Chaos elemental qi to purge the Order qi. It is bound to catch my little sister completely off guard.
However, I had never succeeded in this technique before. But despite my repeated failures, I had developed a vague understanding. Little Hua's qi wasn't particularly abundant or well-maintained outside her body, and we shared the same father, so her qi was naturally more familiar to me than that of a stranger. Still, I had never once managed to replicate her qi so perfectly as to not cause any conflict...
'Wait! You cannot give up hope! Think about Tianyu! Just try one more time!'
My inner voice urged me on. Taking in a deep breath, I had no choice but to attempt a technique I had failed at many times before—here, in the middle of an arena, surrounded by two opponents.
I focused on replicating the qi holding me prisoner. My face scrunching up from the effort. To say "replicate" would be wrong, qi in nature is same inherently. Only when it is absorbed does it get assigned an element depending on the cultivator absorbing it.
'If, at the most basic level, all of Qi is the same. Then what makes it different when used by different elemental cultivators...?'
I could feel that I was touching upon something greater, but I did not have the luxury to explore that further. I needed to absorb this hostile Order qi within me first.
I tried to study the Order qi flowing within my meridians with my own, it resisted. But I wasn't disheartened. I was able to feel that there was something different in it from my own. I focused on those differences, adjusting my qi to match.
The resistance came again, but I found more differences, more nuances. I adjusted again.
And again.
And again.
With each attempt, the differences became more minute...
...
Eureka!
It worked!
I exhaled deeply, I sensed Tianyu trying to buy time for me, and my Little Hua rejecting his proposal, that brat, heh.
Realm 4 Late stage!
In the process of studying and consuming the hostile Order qi, I ascended. It caught me by surprise, but it was a welcome one. My understanding upon the world of cultivation, and Qi itself had deepened.
'If only I had time to work upon this inspiration, perhaps I could even reach Realm 5...'
I shook my head as I sensed a familiar, now hostile presence entering my range. It was none other than Little Hua.
I reflexively reached out my hand, simulating her version of the Order elemental qi within it. This would definitely take her by surprise... Hehe
...
[Present]
[PoV_set=n0ne]
A sharp thud echoed through the arena. This wasn't the sound of Zhang Yanhua landing on the ground.
Chen Yifan launched a decisive knee into Li Tianyu's stomach, causing the latter to gasp and immediately release his grip on Yifan's arm as he doubled over in pain.
'Whew, avoided the balls, thank goodness!'
With Li Tianyu bent forward, Chen Yifan quickly retracted his non-injured hand, using it to brace against Tianyu's shoulder to propel himself upward. In a smooth motion, he then drove his injured hand upward, aiming to slam down an elbow strike directly at Tianyu's spine.
THWACK
In a split second, Zhang Feng's palm met Chen Yifan's elbow with a sharp sound, the impact completely absorbed by the effeminate cultivator's block.
Sensing danger, Chen Yifan immediately tried to pull away, but Zhang Feng's grip on his elbow was like a vice. "Wait! Brother Feng, let go!" he screamed in protest.
Before he could do anything else, the referee's voice rang out sharply, "STOP!"
The sudden command startled both cultivators, causing one to instantly release the other. It was only then that they took in the chaotic scene around them.
Li Tianyu was on his knees now, his hands still clutching his gut as he gritted his teeth, muttering curses under his breath. Meanwhile, Zhang Yanhua had hit her head when she landed, now unconscious.
The referee continued, "In light of the Final round, as the main participant, Zhang Yanhua has been knocked out. Therefore, Li Tianyu and his ally, Zhang Feng, are declared the winners of the Starlight Ascension Tournament!!"
The crowd erupted into cheers, the noise vibrating through the arena like a wave. The girls who had previously been fawning over Zhang Feng now let out a high-pitched collective scream.
"That's Lord Zhang Feng and Lord Li Tianyu for you! The leading prodigies, the future heads of their noble clans!" a spectator shouted, his voice dripping with admiration.
"The laggards and underdogs shall always remain as such. Neither Zhang Yanhua nor Chen Yifan will ever rise to head their noble clans," another added, their tone dismissive.
"Why did Lady Zhang Yanhua even choose Chen Yifan anyway?" one onlooker pondered aloud. "Sure, his element of Darkness is strong, but one needs more than just an element. She could have picked Chen Ming, the heir to the Chen noble clan, who actually made it to the semifinals!"
Despite the cheers, many were left unsatisfied.
"Boooo! Chen Yifan hasn't been knocked out yet, and look at Li Tianyu—he'll be out of commission anyway! You can't just rule out the competition like that!" A disgruntled spectator yelled, his frustration nearly solidifying.
"My money... Arghhh, my sweet money!!" another wailed, clutching his head with a look of pure agony. "I shouldn't have believed that pretty privilege would let her win!" Tears streamed down his cheeks, a poor soul who had placed his bet on Zhang Yanhua, now facing the bitter sting of loss...
Within the arena, Chen Yifan and Zhang Feng awkwardly gave each other a handshake, the former wincing at the burns on his palm, to which the latter muttered a sheepish apology.
Afterward, all the competitors were escorted to the medical facility for healing. The facility was located near the old Liu clan's former territory, a place that had been reduced to ruins after the clan's decimation. Now, it remained a hotly contested topic among the noble clans, each vying for control of the territory due to its proximity to the Lost Woods, a place notorious for its strange-but-rewarding phenomena. The site was viewed as neutral ground, ensuring that no clan or heir felt threatened by another's influence.
All but one. Throughout the competition, Zhang Feng remained fairly unharmed, so after some back-and-forth between him and the medical team, they agreed to let him remain behind for a while.
The moment he stepped out of the arena, he was immediately surrounded by a throng of girls, their high pitched squeals and praises ringing in his ears. Zhang Feng's eyes, still hidden behind his tousled hair, held a knowing glint, as though he had expected this reaction.
He would surely take a while to return to the medical facility, as he still needed time to expand upon the inspiration that he had discovered while dealing with Zhang Yanhua's hostile Order qi.