Chapter 114: He Took Over Three Hundred Strikes, but None Were Fatal
That afternoon, the Outer Sect Grand Tournament resumed as scheduled.
When Wang Baole stepped onto the stage completely unscathed, Jian Chen—who couldn't even hold his sword steady—chose to surrender immediately.
The finals played out similarly. Wu Ming was still unconscious, and Liu Li forfeited the moment he stood on stage.
Both matches, including all formalities, barely lasted the time it took to burn a single stick of incense.
Because of this, this year's Outer Sect finals became jokingly known among the spectators as the "One-Incense Finals."
With the conclusion of the Outer Sect Grand Tournament, the next day marked the beginning of the Inner Sect's Top 100 Tournament.
Chu Feng arrived early at Mirror Lake's viewing platform to await the matches of Cao Youqian and Qin Qin.
The first to appear was Qin Qin, and her opponent was none other than an old acquaintance—Ling Zitong.
Before their match began, the expressions on their faces were telling as they each heard the other's name.
Qin Qin wore a calm expression, as if she didn't recognize him at all.
Ling Zitong narrowed his eyes, his expression especially grim. After joining Wendao Academy, he had broken through to the True Fate Realm in just a few months.
With guidance from a distinguished teacher, his cultivation advanced rapidly, and he even comprehended his own unique spear intent.
He barely made it into the Top 100 of the Inner Sect, and he had been satisfied with that result—one round was enough, no regrets.
What he didn't expect was to face Qin Qin in his very first match. Over the past few months, he'd heard no shortage of stories about her.
Especially the day she awakened her Divine Physique—news that rocked the entire academy. Even Elder Qi, his mentor who had always favored him, could only sigh deeply.
Though Elder Qi hadn't shown any disappointment, Ling Zitong had clearly seen the regret in his teacher's eyes.
Thinking of this, he tapped his toe on the surface of the lake and launched forward with his dragon-patterned silver spear, while Qin Qin leaped gracefully from the high platform and sat cross-legged mid-air above the water.
"Senior Brother Ling."
Qin Qin greeted him with only a calm bow.
"Junior Sister Qin, it's been a while. You haven't changed a bit. Today, I want to see what progress you've made since arriving at Wendao Academy!"
Ling Zitong's tone was aggressive, and a fierce aura exploded from him, spreading across a full mile.
Spectators along the shore were startled by the immediate tension between them, whispering about what kind of grudge they might have.
"Senior Brother Ling is usually a refined gentleman. Why's he so aggressive today?"
"You don't know? The girl across from him is the one Chief Chu personally chose."
"You mean Sister Qin was the one from…?"
"Shh—watch your words. Some things aren't meant to be said out loud."
Up in the stands, even Cao Youqian and the others were confused by Ling Zitong's sudden hostility.
Cao Youqian turned to Chu Feng and asked, "Master, this Ling Zitong guy… he's not one of those people, is he?"
Chu Feng smiled. "Of course not. He and Qin'er go way back from their days in Wendao City."
Cao Youqian instantly understood and laughed. "So this is the guy who got snatched by the Law Institute back then."
At that, Wang Baole's curiosity was piqued. He was just about to start gossiping when, suddenly, Qin Qin's voice rang out from the lake.
"Very well. Since you're so eager, I'll show you."
As she spoke, Qin Qin rested her fingers on her zither and gently plucked the strings.
Twang, twang, twang…
A series of melodious notes echoed out.
Several waves of sound shot toward Ling Zitong, who casually swept his dragon-patterned silver spear to block the incoming attack with ease.
"That's it?"
Ling Zitong sneered, then suddenly lunged forward with a vicious thrust of his spear.
"Dragon Roar Break!!!"
The spear shot out like a dragon!
The force of the strike ripped through the air with a resounding roar, a momentum that seemed utterly unstoppable—
Dong!!!
Qin Qin struck the strings of her zither with both hands. The resonating sound instantly shattered Ling Zitong's spear force and slammed directly into him.
Pfft...
A mouthful of blood burst from Ling Zitong's lips as he was blasted backward. Before he could even hit the lake, his vision went dark and he lost consciousness.
Yet the music on the lake did not cease. Ling Zitong, arched like a fish leaping from water, hung in midair.
With each note that rang out from the zither, a new wound appeared across his body.
The spectators watching were dumbfounded. This Senior Sister Qin always seemed gentle and serene—no one expected her to strike with such ruthlessness!
As the final note ended, Qin Qin stopped plucking the strings. Plop! Ling Zitong dropped into the lake.
The referee, who had long been unable to bear watching any longer, promptly announced, "Victory goes to Qin Qin!"
Qin Qin rose slightly and gave a bow to the referee, then gracefully waved her sleeve and flew toward the viewing platform.
Disciples from the Law Institute immediately jumped into the lake to pull Ling Zitong out.
Elder Qi rushed over and anxiously asked, "How is Zitong?"
One disciple who was checking Ling Zitong's condition replied, "Master, Senior Brother Ling is fine, it's just…"
Elder Qi, seeing the disciple hesitate, instantly grew angry. "Spit it out already! Stop mumbling like an old woman!"
The disciple answered, "Senior Brother Ling has over three hundred wounds."
Gasps rippled through the crowd. That Qin Senior Sister really didn't hold back!
Elder Qi's voice went cold. "Jun Cai, you call that 'fine'?"
Li Juncai replied helplessly, "Master, all of Senior Brother Ling's wounds are just superficial. He fainted from the impact, that's all. Let him rest and he'll be back to full strength by tomorrow."
Elder Qi: "…"
He wanted to explode but didn't know where to start.
Gasp...
The onlookers collectively inhaled sharply. Now they truly understood the saying: Better to offend a scoundrel than a woman. If they ever ran into Qin Senior Sister again, they'd better walk the long way around. Next time it might be more than just three hundred shallow cuts.
"Let's go," Elder Qi said with a helpless expression. Staying here would only invite more embarrassment. He just hoped Zitong wouldn't take this defeat too hard.
As for resenting Qin Qin—he honestly didn't feel that way. She had clearly shown restraint. If he still bore a grudge, it would only make him look petty.
Back in the stands, Chu Feng and the others welcomed Qin Qin back with congratulations.
"Qin'er, well done."
"Congratulations on your first victory, Junior Sister Qin."
"Senior Sister Qin, that was incredible!"
Qin Qin smiled lightly. "Master, fellow disciples, you praise me too much. It's not that I'm strong—Ling Zitong just hasn't improved much."
Everyone chuckled and awaited the start of the next match.
Over the next three days, both Qin Qin and Cao Youqian tore through the competition, defeating all challengers and advancing to the final four.
Luckily, the two did not face each other in the semifinals.
At the same time, the Hundred-Man Battle of the True Inheritor Tournament was about to begin.
Once tomorrow's Inner Sect Tournament concluded, the highlight of the entire Wendao Academy competition would finally take the stage…
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