As the sun set, the first day of the Outer Sect Tournament officially came to a close. The crowds slowly dispersed, and the disciples returned to their lodgings to rest and recover from the day's intense battles.
Wang Quan returned to his humble hut and sat cross-legged to meditate. Though he hadn't been injured, the day's matches had consumed a considerable amount of his spiritual energy. The upcoming battles would be even more challenging, with stronger opponents ahead, so he needed to be at his best.
The night passed without incident, and Wang Quan focused on restoring his strength. His spiritual energy flowed steadily through his body, bringing him back to peak condition. By dawn, as the first light of day broke over the horizon, the Outer Sect Plaza was once again bustling with noise, as the competition for the top 16 was about to begin.
Wang Quan stood at the edge of the arena, observing the matchups for the day.
His first opponent was the body cultivator—He Guang.
He Guang stood in the center of the stage, towering like an iron fortress, his muscles bulging with power and emitting an overwhelming aura of strength. His expression was calm but his eyes burned with intense fighting spirit. Wang Quan knew this would be a tough battle.
"Wang Quan, you may be skilled in the Five Elements Technique, but against my body refinement, any spell will be useless," He Guang said, his voice booming like thunder, carrying an undertone of disdain. A faint metallic sheen coated his skin, evidence of his body refinement technique, giving him the appearance of an impenetrable steel wall.
"Let's see about that," Wang Quan replied calmly, drawing his sword. The blade gleamed with a golden hue as the Metal Element from his Five Elements Technique infused it with power. With a flash of golden light, Wang Quan launched his attack.
"Ha!" Wang Quan surged forward in a blur, his sword thrusting towards He Guang's chest like a bolt of lightning.
However, He Guang didn't even attempt to dodge. He crossed his arms before him, allowing Wang Quan's sword to strike his body head-on.
"Clang—!"
The sound of metal clashing rang out as the sword hit He Guang's arms, but it failed to cut through. Instead, the force of the impact sent vibrations up Wang Quan's arm, making his wrist ache.
He Guang sneered and swung his fist toward Wang Quan, the punch generating a low roar in the air as it shot towards Wang Quan's face with tremendous power.
"Boom!"
Wang Quan narrowly dodged the attack, but He Guang's speed took him by surprise. The body cultivator's fists followed up relentlessly, forcing Wang Quan to retreat while parrying with his sword to fend off the barrage.
"The strength of his body is truly terrifying!" Wang Quan thought, startled by He Guang's overwhelming physical prowess. He Guang's attacks were swift and heavy, making it impossible for an ordinary cultivator to face him head-on.
But Wang Quan wasn't discouraged. With a slight shift of his sword, he channeled the Earth Element from his Five Elements Technique, replacing the sharpness of the Metal Element with the steadiness of Earth.
"Countering strength with stability!"
His sword now glowed with a thick, earthen light, and Wang Quan used the solid power of Earth to meet He Guang's next punch head-on. At the same time, he swiftly struck back with his sword, utilizing the weight of the Earth element to slash at He Guang's side.
Sensing the weight of the sword energy, He Guang furrowed his brows and quickly retreated, barely avoiding the blow. However, as soon as he stepped back, Wang Quan's Fire Element Sword Qi surged forward, fiery and fierce, aiming directly for He Guang's vital points.
"Fire Spirit Sword Technique!"
He Guang grunted and crossed his arms again, blocking the attack. Though his body resisted the force, the intense heat from the flames made him uncomfortable, causing the metallic sheen on his skin to waver slightly.
Noticing the effect, Wang Quan wasted no time. He activated the Wood Element within the Five Elements Technique, and his sword emitted a green glow. Wood Spirit Sword Qi extended like vines, coiling around He Guang's legs to entrap him.
Although He Guang's defense was formidable, Wang Quan's multi-elemental attacks gradually applied pressure. While his sword technique lacked the raw force of a body cultivator, the versatility of the Five Elements allowed him to find gaps in He Guang's defense.
"Curse it!" He Guang's face darkened as he realized that continuing like this would drag him into Wang Quan's rhythm. He stomped hard on the ground, shattering the vines and cracking the earth beneath him with sheer force.
"Body refinement is invincible—break for me!" He Guang roared, his fists smashing forward with an overwhelming wave of energy, like a mountain crashing down toward Wang Quan.
Wang Quan's eyes narrowed as he rotated his sword, combining Metal and Fire Elemental energies into a sharp, fiery sword aura. The blazing heat and piercing sharpness melded together as he met He Guang's fists head-on.
"Boom!"
The clash between sword and fist sent a shockwave rippling through the arena. Both fighters were pushed back by the impact. Wang Quan managed to stabilize himself after a few steps, but He Guang, having taken the brunt of the dual elemental attack, was visibly pale, his blood and qi roiling within him.
"He Guang, your body refinement may be strong, but it's not without weaknesses," Wang Quan said calmly, having discerned the flaws in He Guang's technique. While body refinement provided unparalleled defense and strength, it was vulnerable to the varied and adaptive nature of the Five Elements.
After a fierce battle, Wang Quan gradually gained the upper hand by exploiting these weaknesses. He applied continuous pressure with his flexible sword techniques, eventually forcing He Guang to the edge of the arena. Unable to recover, He Guang had no choice but to concede.
"Wang Quan wins and advances to the top eight!"
After a brief rest, Wang Quan faced his second opponent.
This time, his challenger was a seasoned Qi Refinement ninth-level disciple, skilled in Earth-based spells with formidable defensive techniques. At the start of the match, the opponent summoned a thick Earth Spirit Shield, enveloping himself in a solid wall of defense.
"An Earth Element defense?" Wang Quan frowned slightly but wasn't intimidated. With a flick of his sword, he unleashed a surge of Fire Spirit Sword Qi, crashing it into the Earth Shield.
However, the Earth Shield was incredibly resilient, and though the flames were intense, they couldn't easily breach the defense. The opponent stood behind his shield, smirking, "Wang Quan, your sword techniques are powerful, but you won't break through my Earth Element defense so easily."
Wang Quan's eyes sharpened as he switched to the Metal Element. His sword shone with a piercing golden light, and he slashed it down with relentless force.
"Crack!"
A crisp cracking sound echoed through the arena as a fracture appeared in the Earth Shield. The opponent's face changed, and he quickly reinforced the shield with more spiritual energy.
Seizing the moment, Wang Quan infused his sword with Water Element energy. The Water Spirit Sword Qi flowed like a stream, slipping around the cracks in the shield and directly targeting the opponent's weak points.
Caught off guard, the opponent staggered back as the sword Qi struck him squarely in the chest. Unable to recover in time, he was knocked out of the ring.
"Wang Quan wins!"