novelapdf Chapter 20: Round 2 of the Grand Competition
Chapter 20: Round 2 of the Grand Competition
Shen Moqi returned to the courtyard and carefully reviewed the competition of the past three days in her mind before sitting down cross-legged to prepare for cultivation.
As soon as I closed my eyes, those two questions that had been nagging at me for days popped back into my head—could practicing spells speed up my cultivation progress? And why did my total spiritual energy seem to be more than that of others at the same cultivation level?
"Let me ask Xiao Jiu." He took out his phone and opened the AI interface.
"Xiao Jiu," he asked, "Will practicing spells speed up your cultivation progress? Also, at the same cultivation level, does having five elemental roots result in a greater total amount of spiritual energy compared to having only one elemental root?"
The phone screen flickered, and lines of text slowly appeared:
Does practicing magical techniques accelerate cultivation of one's cultivation realm? Currently, there is insufficient information to answer this.
Based on current data analysis, individuals with five elemental spiritual roots possess a greater total amount of spiritual energy at the same cultivation level. According to books such as "An Introduction to Spiritual Root Attributes" and "A Comparison of the Advantages and Disadvantages of Single-Attribute and Multi-Attribute Spiritual Roots," a single-attribute spiritual root only needs its single-attribute spiritual energy to reach a critical point to break through, while a multi-attribute spiritual root requires all of its spiritual energy to reach critical points. Therefore, at the same cultivation level, a multi-attribute spiritual root possesses a greater total amount of spiritual energy than a single-attribute spiritual root.
Should I list a comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of multi-attribute spiritual roots versus single-attribute spiritual roots?
"Let's list them out," Shen Moqi said.
The screen flickered, and a new page of text appeared:
[Advantages of a single spiritual root: Fast cultivation speed, no bottlenecks in breakthroughs, and easier to reach higher realms. Disadvantages: Lower total spiritual energy, single attribute, limited versatility in combat, and easier to be countered by opponents.]
[Advantages of multi-attribute spiritual roots: Large total amount of spiritual energy within the body, allowing for countless variations in combat and making them difficult to suppress. Disadvantages: Slow cultivation speed, bottlenecks during breakthroughs, and difficulty in reaching high realms.]
[Note: The above analysis only applies to cultivators at lower cultivation levels. Data is insufficient to analyze cases above the Golden Core stage.]
Shen Moqi stared at the screen for a long time, then took out a hand-cranked charger to charge her phone. Suddenly remembering the match, she slapped her forehead in frustration—she had forgotten to bring her phone for the first three days, wasting so many matches. Fortunately, there were still two rounds left.
He was thinking about Xiao Jiu's answer while charging his phone.
---
The next day, before dawn, with the morning mist carrying a hint of coolness, Shen Moqi arrived at the training ground.
He touched the phone hidden in his clothes, made sure the camera was exposed, then breathed a sigh of relief and quietly found a spot in front that was not conspicuous.
A number of disciples had already gathered at the sidelines, whispering among themselves in small groups, their words reminiscing about the first round. He listened for a moment, and the names and battle situations were mentally categorized.
"Zhao Heng's victory was exquisite; every step was calculated."
"Qian Hu has brute strength but no strategy, so his defeat is not unjust."
"Did you see Su Junmo's battle? He defeated his opponent in just three moves."
Shen Moqi didn't say anything, but simply adjusted the angle of her phone to make sure she could capture the fighting arena.
Before long, Chen Ping walked through the crowd. His expression was a bit more solemn than yesterday, but his eyes remained calm.
"Senior Brother Chen." Shen Moqi stepped forward to greet him.
Chen Ping nodded slightly: "The third match is against Liu Chengfeng, who is at the eighth level of Qi Refining."
Shen Moqi's heart tightened. He was at the eighth level of Qi Refining, a minor realm higher than Chen Ping.
"Liu Chengfeng..." he murmured, "Is he difficult to deal with?"
Chen Ping gave a wry smile: "Last year in the competition, he made it to the third round, just one step away from making it into the top three. What do you think?"
Shen Moqi remained silent. Chen Ping patted his shoulder: "Making it to the second round is already a stroke of luck. Even if you lose today, you'll have no regrets."
Several disciples nearby turned their heads upon hearing the sound, and whispers could be heard.
"Chen Ping vs. Liu Chengfeng? This match is not worth watching."
"Liu Chengfeng almost entered the inner sect last year, and he will only be stronger this year."
Shen Moqi felt a tightness in her chest, but remained silent.
---
The first match began quickly.
On the stage were two disciples at the seventh level of Qi Refining, one wielding a sword and the other using palm strikes. Their sword energy was sharp as frost, and their palm strikes were as powerful as stone. They fought back and forth, locked in a fierce battle.
"The sword technique is exquisite, but too hasty," a gray-robed disciple commented in a low voice. "If that sword had been raised two inches higher, it could have blocked the retreat."
Another person disagreed: "He's deliberately trying to lure his opponent into a fight; his next strike will definitely be aimed at the lower body."
The words had barely left his lips when the sword shadow on the stage suddenly darkened, aiming straight for his opponent's shin. The disciple using palm strikes hastily retreated, nearly falling off the stage.
Shen Moqi kept this conversation in mind, but her gaze never left the competition stage.
The second match was a duel between two disciples at the eighth level of Qi Refining. One attacked like a fierce tiger, while the other defended like a mountain. After more than ten rounds, the defender suddenly changed his move, knocking away the opponent's longsword with a palm strike, and then gently pushed him off the stage.
"What a brilliant move to lure the snake out of its hole!" came the exclamation from the audience.
Before Shen Moqi could even process it, the steward announced loudly, "The third match: Chen Ping versus Liu Chengfeng!"
His heart leaped into his throat.
Chen Ping took a deep breath, turned around and smiled faintly at Shen Moqi: "Junior brother, I'm going."
Shen Moqi nodded vigorously, wanting to say "Keep it up," but her throat felt like it was blocked by something.
Chen Ping stepped onto the stage, his back straight and his steps steady.
There were murmurs and whispers from the audience, most of whom were not optimistic about him.
"Chen Ping from Lingzhitang? He didn't even make it to the second round last year."
"If he were to encounter Liu Chengfeng, he probably wouldn't last ten rounds."
"Not necessarily. Judging from his footwork, he does seem to have some basic skills."
Shen Moqi clenched her fists, ignoring all the sounds around her.
On the stage, Liu Chengfeng stood still. He was tall and slender, his long sword gleaming with a faint blue light, and his aura was as sharp as a drawn sword, making him imposing.
After the two finished their bows, the steward gave the order, and the competition officially began.
Chen Ping struck first, flipping his right palm and sending out a fireball aimed straight at Liu Chengfeng's face. At the same time, he swooped to the left with considerable speed.
"Your use of fireball is skillful," someone in the audience praised.
Liu Chengfeng neither dodged nor evaded, but lightly swung his longsword, unleashing a streak of azure sword energy that shattered the fireball. With a single step, he moved like a ghost, closing in on Chen Ping with such speed that it left afterimages.
"Such fast movement!" everyone exclaimed.
Chen Ping's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly dodged to the side, unleashing two fireballs with his left hand to block the opponent's pursuit. Liu Chengfeng controlled his longsword with ease, shattering the fireballs with two sword energies, using the force to retreat and widen the distance again.
"The reaction is acceptable, but the spiritual energy foundation is far too weak." An older disciple shook his head.
In the following rounds, Chen Ping poured out his spiritual power, unleashing fireballs and walls of fire in turn, fighting with all his might. Liu Chengfeng, however, remained calm and composed, deftly deflecting each strike with a light touch, his breathing steady and his technique flawless.
In the fifth round, Chen Ping's spiritual power was clearly running low, the fireball's power was greatly reduced, and its light dimmed.
"We're going to lose," someone sighed softly.
Seizing a fleeting opening, Liu Chengfeng flicked his longsword, sending a cyan sword aura hurtling straight at Chen Ping's chest. Chen Ping managed to dodge to the side, but his left shoulder was still struck by the sword aura, leaving a bloody gash, and he staggered backward.
"You're exhausted. Admit defeat," Liu Chengfeng said, his tone calm and unwavering.
Chen Ping gritted his teeth and remained silent, forcibly stabilizing his body, and raised his palm again—a faint fireball slowly flew out.
The audience was completely silent.
"This attack is useless now..."
Liu Chengfeng sighed softly, swung his longsword to deflect the fireball, and flashed over, slapping Chen Ping's shoulder lightly with the hilt of his sword.
Chen Ping staggered and fell onto the table.
"Liu Chengfeng wins!" the steward announced loudly.
A round of applause, not deafening, but filled with respect, rang out from the audience.
Liu Chengfeng sheathed his sword and extended his hand to Chen Ping: "You fought very well."
Chen Ping smiled, took his hand, and stood up.
Shen Moqi immediately squeezed to the edge of the stage. Chen Ping stepped off the stage, his left shoulder stained with blood, his face pale, but his eyes remained calm.
"Junior Brother Shen," he smiled, "I lost."
Shen Moqi opened his mouth, wanting to say a few words of comfort, but couldn't utter a single word. He only felt a tightness in his throat and a blockage in his chest—not because Chen Ping had lost, but because he realized he couldn't do anything about it.
"There's no need for that." Chen Ping patted his uninjured shoulder. "Losing isn't scary; what's scary is not daring to fight."
The disciples on the side all turned to look, some with sympathy and some with admiration.
"Chen Ping is already very strong. Anyone else wouldn't last five rounds."
"Liu Chengfeng was a player who made it to the third round last year. To have fought this far is already an extraordinary performance."
Shen Moqi listened with mixed feelings.
Chen Ping pulled him back: "The next match is Su Junmo's fight, watch it carefully. I have a feeling that you two will have a battle sooner or later. The more you learn about him, the better it will be for you."
---
Su Junmo's opponent was Wei Shan, who was at the seventh level of Qi Refining. He was tall and burly, wielding a thick-backed broadsword, and exuded a fierce aura.
"Wei Shan is strong, but slow," someone whispered, "which is why Su Junmo can restrain him."
"If we can withstand the first three moves and drag the game into a protracted battle, we might still have a chance."
The steward gave the order, and the competition began.
Wei Shan struck first, sweeping his broadsword horizontally, golden spiritual energy wrapped in a whirlwind as it crashed down.
Su Junmo dodged easily with a flash, and at the same time, he raised his right hand and sent a wind blade straight for the back of his opponent's neck.
"So fast!" everyone exclaimed.
Wei Shan hurriedly sheathed his sword to parry, and with a loud "clang," the wind blade struck the blade, making his arm go numb.
Su Junmo swung his left hand again, unleashing a second wind blade aimed straight for his opponent's feet. Wei Shan hastily jumped—
"It's over," someone whispered.
Su Junmo's figure approached like a ghost, lightly striking Wei Shan's chest with a palm. Wei Shan staggered back several steps, his broadsword slipping from his hand. Before he could regain his footing, Su Junmo's hand was already an inch from his throat.
"Su Junmo wins."
The entire venue fell silent for a moment, then erupted in a deafening roar.
"Three moves! Three moves again!"
"A seventh-level Qi Refining cultivator is utterly helpless before him!"
"This person is clearly aiming for an inner sect spot this year!"
Su Junmo stopped and turned around, his expression indifferent, as if he had only done a trivial matter.
As he stepped off the stage, he glanced indifferently in Shen Moqi's direction.
The gaze wasn't intense, yet it made Shen Moqi's back stiffen. He didn't want to appear weak in front of so many people, but his body acted faster than his mind—he subconsciously looked away. When he looked up again, the other person had already disappeared into the crowd.
"Very strong, right?" Chen Ping asked.
Shen Moqi nodded, her thoughts a complex mix of emotions.
"Let him be strong, you continue on your path," Chen Ping said softly.
Someone whispered from the side: "Su Junmo is already exceptionally talented, and with his elder brother being a core disciple, he has a constant supply of resources, making him virtually invincible among his peers."
"Having connections definitely makes a difference."
Shen Moqi remained silent.
---
The subsequent matches unfolded one after another, and the atmosphere in the training ground became increasingly heated, with cheers, regrets, and discussions rising and falling.
Shen Moqi watched very carefully, silently reviewing every victory and defeat, and every flaw in her moves.
Suddenly, the steward announced loudly, "Next match: Xiao Wuwei versus Han Qing!"
"Xiao Wuwei? That disciple at the sixth level of Qi Refining?"
"Han Qing is at the eighth level of Qi Refining! We're two minor realms below him, how can we possibly defeat him?"
Shen Moqi perked up and immediately squeezed to the front row.
On the stage, Xiao Wuwei tightly gripped a stack of talismans in his hand; opposite him, Han Qing was burly and imposing, his spear crackling with electricity, exuding an intimidating aura.
"This round is a foregone conclusion." Someone shook their head. "The difference in cultivation level is too great; no matter how many talismans you have, it will be useless."
The competition begins.
Han Qing brandished his spear, crackling with lightning, the tip of the spear flashing brightly, aiming straight for Xiao Wuwei's heart.
Xiao Wuwei dodged quickly, simultaneously throwing out a fireball talisman to block Han Qing's pursuit. Han Qing swept his spear horizontally, shattering the fireball, and then closed in, aiming another spear thrust straight for a vital spot.
Xiao Wuwei retreated repeatedly, nearly falling off the stage several times, drawing sighs of regret from the audience.
"Making it to the second round was already the limit; the loss wasn't unjustified."
Han Qing's offensive grew increasingly fierce, his spear crackling with thunderous force. Xiao Wuwei was forced to a corner of the stage, and nearly half of the talismans in his hand had been used up.
"Just admit defeat, there's no need to force yourself," someone shouted.
Xiao Wuwei ignored him, took a deep breath, and suddenly changed his move—
He no longer threw the talismans at Han Qing, but instead tossed them directly at his own feet.
The frost rune exploded with a bang, and a thin layer of ice instantly froze on the table surface.
Han Qing's foot slipped, and his attack suddenly stalled.
Seizing this fleeting opening, Xiao Wuwei unleashed three talismans in quick succession: fireballs, ice spikes, and wind blades blocked the way from the left, right, and front, leaving only one path behind.
"He's forcing Han Qing to back down!" someone realized instantly.
Han Qing instinctively took a step back, slipped on the ice, and lost his balance.
Xiao Wuwei threw out his last talisman—a burst of blue light erupted, and vines instantly wrapped around Han Qing's feet.
"It's a binding charm!" the crowd exclaimed.
Xiao Wuwei leaped forward and lightly patted Han Qing's chest with his palm.
Han Qing staggered backward, lost her footing, and fell straight off the stage.
The entire room fell silent.
The deacon hesitated for a moment before announcing loudly, "Xiao Wuwei wins!"
The next second, the training ground erupted in cheers.
"You won? You won at Qi Refining Level 6, and you won at Qi Refining Level 8?"
"The way they use the talismans is simply amazing! Every single one is calculated with precise positioning!"
"The Frost Rune is the real killer move! It's not for attacking people, it's for attacking the terrain!"
Shen Moqi was also deeply moved by what she saw.
He recalled Ji Yao's words—battles are never just about cultivation level, but also about judgment.
Then I remembered Chen Ping's words—those who live the longest in the cultivation world are always the most resourceful.
"See that?" Chen Ping patted him on the shoulder. "He won because of his scheming. Every talisman had a purpose; everything before was preparation, and the final blow sealed the victory."
Shen Moqi nodded slowly, a profound realization etched into her heart once again.
---
As the sun began to set, the second round of competition came to an end.
The list of twelve who advanced was posted. Shen Moqi stood in front of the bulletin board, her gaze slowly sweeping over it.
Su Junmo's name was prominently listed. Xiao Wuwei, who had triumphed over the odds, was also on the list. But Chen Ping had already stopped.
"What are you thinking about?" Chen Ping walked up to him.
Shen Moqi was silent for a moment, then said softly, "I'm wondering, if I were standing on the stage, how many rounds could I last?"
Chen Ping smiled and said, "Thinking about these things is useless. What you need to do now is focus on your cultivation. Wait until you reach the sixth level of Qi Refining before thinking about the competition."
A disciple passing by scoffed upon hearing this, "Second level of Qi Refining? Still a long way off, junior brother."
Chen Ping's face darkened, and he was about to step forward. Shen Moqi gently pulled him back.
"Let's go," he said calmly. "Come again tomorrow."
Chen Ping glanced at him and finally nodded.
The two left side by side, the lights of the training ground lighting up one after another behind them, illuminating the names on the bulletin board, dazzling and clear.
Shen Moqi did not turn back.
But a fire had quietly ignited in his heart.