Chapter 2188 - Acting is Exhausting

Yu Sheng had lost!

Most of the onlookers didn’t even see how he’d lost. He was just sent flying from the arena, his face smeared with mud!

Everyone was left wide-eyed and tongue-tied.

Only the top experts in attendance saw it clearly. When Yu Sheng circulated his cultivation base, Xiao Jian attacked suddenly, striking from afar with his fist, like an axe through bamboo. He’d sent Yu Sheng flying explosively!

Quick as lightning, with unstoppable force.

“That Torch Dragon yao god is just too strong! He’s obviously an unparalleled figure within the Creation Realm. He’d have to be to crush Yu Sheng like that!!” someone murmured.

Yu Sheng was a top-class Lesser God in his own right. Only the greatest of Lesser Gods could have one-sidedly crushed him.

It was an easy conclusion to reach.

Niu Kui’s aged face froze, and he felt stifled frustration build in his chest.

Yu Sheng lost in a single hit!?

That wasn’t at all what he’d expected.

“Impressive! He really is a descendant of the Torch Dragon Race. Strength like that makes him a top figure amongst Lesser Gods. He’s got to be among the strongest experts of that level in the entire Southern Flame Divine Continent!” said Feng Wuji, applauding with delight.

“His strength really is impressive, and rare, too.” The host, Elder Wei, inclined his head. “I suspect that Xiao Jian has the potential to make it into the top thirty!”

The spectator stands were instantly in uproar. Even the experts of top sects couldn’t help but start trying to estimate Su Yi’s potential.

“It would be just great if Xiao Jian joined Qingwu Divine Court,” whispered Tie Wenjing.

A burst of laughter followed this statement.

“Ol’ Tie, don’t even think about it. Everyone knows that Qingwu Divine Court has made a fool of itself of late,” someone jeered.

“There’s no way someone like Xiao Jian will choose to join Qingwu Divine Court,” someone said with staunch conviction.

Tie Wenjing’s expression darkened, but he said nothing.

“Hmph! The Spring and Autumn Dao Assembly has only just begun. There’s no guarantee that Xiao Jian will make it to the end!” said Niu Kui through gnashed teeth.

The crowd was instantly solemn. All of them knew that this elder of the Severed Heavens Demon Court had long since decided to kill Xiao Jian!

Meanwhile——

“This isn’t fair! He launched a despicable sneak attack and caught me off guard!” shouted Yu Sheng. His face was hideously contorted with fury.

He’d suffered a crushing defeat in just one attack, leaving his reputation in shambles. His heart was full of humiliation.

He didn’t even need to think to know that when word spread, he’d become the laughingstock of the sect. Worse, he’d never be able to hold his head up high in the Southern Flame Divine Continent ever again!

Su Yi laughed dryly, but he couldn’t be bothered to argue. He just turned to leave the arena.

He’d already won. All he needed to do now was wait for his next match.

“Xiao Jian, do you dare to fight me again?” roared Yu Sheng.

But from beginning to end, Su Yi ignored him.

The old man serving as referee couldn’t stand to watch any more of this. He said coldly, “A loss is a loss. A duel, that’s all, yet you’ve lost control like this? You’ve brought shame on the entire Severed Heavens Demon Court!”

Yu Sheng stiffened, then gnashed his teeth and left without a word.

Just like that, the battle was over.

Su Yi’s display of strength had drawn the attention of the entire audience. Many of them were watching to see what he did next.

Even Buddhist Lian Sheng of the Western Paradise Spirit Mountains and Xie Yunqing of the Three Purities Daoist Court were looking at Su Yi.

But Su Yi ignored them all. Inwardly, he was actually a bit uncertain.

Did I draw too much attention just now? The more attention I draw, the more likely I am to invite unnecessary trouble. I’ll have to tone it down a little in my next match.

Time slipped by.

Two hours later, the first round of matches ended, and half the participants had washed out.

The second round of matches soon began. This time, Su Yi’s opponent was a peak Creation Realm Lesser God. He was extraordinarily powerful.

But he wasn’t that much stronger than Yu Sheng.

Su Yi felt a bit exasperated. Even though he wanted to hold back and keep a low profile, an opponent like this didn’t even give him a chance to hold back.

After all, if he went easy on his opponent, those with keen eyes would notice!

Thus, he crisply defeated his opponent, then left as soon as the battle ended.

Winning two such easy victories in a row drew even more attention. Some of the influential onlookers were starting to think things like, “If he makes it into the top ten, I’ll try to recruit Xiao Jian even if it means a falling out with Niu Kui!”

“Fellow Daoist Xiao sure is incredible. The power of the Torch Dragon bloodline is domineering and terrifying!” Feng Wuji repeatedly exclaimed, deliberately aggravating Niu Kui.

Niu Kui remained silent the entire time, but it was obvious that he was struggling to hold his anger in check!

About an hour later.

The second round ended, and yet another half of the participants washed out.

Only one hundred and fifty or so remained.

In the third round, Su Yi finally encountered an opponent far stronger than Yu Sheng.

This time, he deliberately held back, repressing the impulse to crush his opponent in a single attack. He feigned weakness, enough to make the battle seem fierce.

To outsiders, it was an exciting, soul-stirring battle between evenly matched opponents.

They had no idea how much Su Yi was holding back.

Admittedly, he’d only recovered around twenty percent of his cultivation base, but he wasn’t even using ten percent of the twenty percent he’d recovered!

In the end, Su Yi “overcame a perilous situation” and managed a miraculous turnaround with “great difficulty” to defeat his opponent.

To really sell it, after clinching the victory, he deliberately broke into hacking coughs and walked with a stagger...

Even so, when the battle ended, the audience erupted with cheers!

Even the prominent experts in attendance took this for a match between evenly matched combatants....

Fortunately, Su Yi’s performance wasn’t the most spectacular in the third round, so he didn’t draw the most attention.

The most impressive performances belonged to Lian Sheng and Xie Yunqing, both elites already famous throughout the God Domain.

Su Yi had just barely “eked out a victory,” while both of them won with ease, completely crushing their opponents!

Their glory overshadowed Su Yi’s. Everyone subconsciously assumed that he wasn’t comparable to Lian Sheng or Xie Yunqing.

Su Yi was quite pleased.

I didn’t suppress my strength and go to such lengths to put on a show for nothing! All's well so long as I avoid drawing too much attention.

Soon, the third round was over, and half the participants had washed out.

According to the rules, in the fourth round, participants could freely select their opponents. They could refuse a challenge, but they could only do so once.

As soon as it came time to choose opponents, someone immediately spoke up and challenged Su Yi!

He was a fair-skinned, unearthly-looking man in green robes. He had a cold, feminine air about him, and he was tall and sickly.

When he challenged Su Yi, the entire crowd was stunned.

Nie Que!

He was once the most dazzling and unparalleled divine son of the Severed Heavens Demon Court. When he achieved divinity, he condensed a first-level Godhead. In the Southern Flame Divine Continent, he had a glorious reputation, and he shone as brilliantly as the midday sun.

Of everyone present, only Buddhist Son Lian Sheng, Daoist Son Xie Yunqing, and a handful of other top contenders could outshine Nie Que, and even then just barely.

The others weren’t even remotely comparable to him.

Many of those in the audience even thought Nie Que had a shot of making it into the top five in this year’s Spring and Autumn Dao Assembly!

Almost none of them had anticipated that Nie Que would select Xiao Jian as his opponent in the fourth round! Only those prominent spectators watching from the stands knew what was going on behind the scenes.

They couldn’t help but sigh to themselves.

Xiao Jian is finished!

He just barely made it through the third round. How could he possibly fight an elite like Nie Que?

Feng Wuji furrowed his brow and murmured, “Dammit, they’re really bullying him this time...”

He too was an unparalleled divine son. How could Feng Wuji possibly be ignorant of Nie Que’s terrifyingness?

Niu Kui chastised him. “Mind your tongue. What bullying? The rules of the Spring and Autumn Dao Assembly are the fairest of all!”

Inwardly, he was quite excited. This was the moment he’d been waiting for. It was finally time to bear witness to Xiao Jian’s bloody demise!

“Xiao Jian, dare you fight me?” Nie Que looked at Su Yi and said icily.

Many of the onlookers assumed that Xiao Jian would refuse.

But he did no such thing. Instead, he nodded. "Very well."

Su Yi could take a step back of his own accord, but there was no way he’d shrink back when an opponent provoked him like this.

In truth, he was quite exasperated. He was pondering how best to limit his cultivation base just enough to “eke out a narrow victory” against his opponent this time.

The crowd was in uproar. “Xiao Jian actually agreed to do battle?”

“This is how a true expert conducts himself. Only a strong opponent can bring out his true strengths, and he never shrinks back! He’s an example to us all!” someone shouted, cheering Su Yi on.

Su Yi’s decision had made many of the onlookers see him in a new light. Even the prominent experts were impressed.

Victory and defeat were transient, but it was only in battle that you could see someone’s true courage and spirit!

“Not bad! Truly not bad!” Nie Que smiled and applauded. “I’ll be sure to give you a convincing defeat!”

Su Yi looked at Nie Que as if he were an idiot, then disregarded him.

Before long, the fourth round began.

Its duels were unquestionably more spectacular than those of the third round. These were competitions between top experts of the same level.

Buddhist Son Lian Sheng and Daoist Son Xie Yunqing took the stage, and the power they had on display startled the audience again and again.

Nothing unexpected happened. Those top, unparalleled experts all won their matches.

Finally, it was time for Su Yi and Nie Que’s duel. This battle drew the attention of everyone present as well.

When the battle began, Nie Que displayed his terrifying strength, smoothly suppressing Su Yi’s offensive.

Su Yi was repeatedly forced back, and it looked like he was in grave peril. On numerous occasions, Nie Que “almost suppressed him.”

Many of the onlookers couldn’t help but sweat on his behalf.

Nie Que’s strength astonished them, too.

“Xiao Jian is going to lose...” someone murmured, and many of the onlookers agreed. The gap in strength would have been obvious to anyone.

“Lose?” Niu Kui said sinisterly. “Even if he wants to lose, it won’t be so easy!”

He’d only just said this when the situation in the arena changed.

Nie Que sent Su Yi directly flying, and he almost landed outside of the arena.

A series of gaps arose throughout the venue.

Nie Que, meanwhile, seized the opportunity. His icy eyes flashed with blood-red divine radiance, tore through the air, and cleaved ruthlessly into Su Yi’s sea of consciousness!