Su Mei's sword gleamed like shards of winter moonlight as she stepped into the arena. The crowd erupted—some in awe, others in pity. No outer disciple had ever survived a duel against a Foundation Building cultivator.
Ling Feng's system flickered urgently:
**[Su Mei (Level 12)]**
**[Cultivation: Foundation Building Stage 1]**
**[Status: Cursed Bloodline (Suppressed)]**
**[Weakness: Overuse of frost qi accelerates bloodline corrosion.]**
"You're the one using tricks to climb," Su Mei said, her voice colder than her blade. "This ends now."
The gong struck.
Su Mei moved faster than sight, her sword trailing icy mist. Ling Feng activated **[Combat Analysis]**, but her attack patterns were a blur of lethal elegance. A slash grazed his arm, and frost crawled up his veins.
**[Health: 78/100]**
**[Status: Frostbite (Movement speed -20%).]**
*Think, think!* Ling Feng dodged another strike, his mind racing. In games, bosses had enrage timers. Su Mei's curse was her timer. *If I survive long enough, she'll weaken.*
He switched tactics: evasion. Darting behind pillars, baiting her into wasting qi on ice spikes that shattered stone.
"Stop running, coward!" Su Mei hissed, her breath visible in the frigid air.
**[Su Mei's Frost Qi Reserves: 45%]**
**[Bloodline Corruption: 12%]**
Ling Feng grinned through chattering teeth. "Why fight hard when I can fight *smart*?"
He lobbed a smoke pellet—crafted from spirit beast dung and fire moss—into the ground. The arena filled with acrid smoke, masking his movements.
**[Hidden Quest Complete: "Improvised Distraction."]**
**[Reward: +50 Soul Points. Stealth Skill (Level 1) Unlocked.]**
Su Mei slashed blindly, her frost qi dissipating the smoke in erratic bursts. Ling Feng circled behind her, channeling every ounce of qi into a single strike. His makeshift staff glowed red-hot with **[Crafting]'s** fire enchantment.
*Critical hit. Go for the weak spot.*
He struck her cursed meridians—a gamble based on the system's "weakness" alert.
**[Critical Hit!]**
**[Su Mei's Health: 65/100]**
**[Bloodline Corruption: 27%]**
Su Mei staggered, her frost aura flickering. Her icy façade cracked, revealing a flash of pain. "How did you…?"
Ling Feng pressed his advantage, but the system blared:
**[Alert: Host's Qi Reserves Depleted.]**
**[Recommended Action: Surrender.]**
*Never.* He feinted left, then hurled his last healing pill into her mouth.
"Swallow it!" he barked.
Su Mei choked, but the pill's warmth surged through her, temporarily stabilizing her bloodline.
**[Su Mei's Bloodline Corruption: 15%]**
**[Confusion Debuff: Duration 10 seconds.]**
The crowd gasped as Ling Feng raised his hands. "I forfeit."
Silence.
Su Mei stared at him, her sword trembling. "Why?"
He shrugged. "I'd rather lose a battle than make an enemy of someone worth allying with."
The elders murmured, but Ling Feng's system pinged:
**[Main Quest Updated: "Win the Tournament" → "Earn Su Mei's Favor."]**
**[New Title: "Scheming Survivor" (+5% Persuasion).]**