73: Chapter 35: Making One or Two Friends_2 73: Chapter 35: Making One or Two Friends_2 Oh, right, he hasn’t lost yet.
The result of the first match had the senior sister earning three points while Ningning Mu scored zero.
The second group of disciples has already started fighting on the stage.
This time, it is a mid-Void Refinement Realm against a late-Void Refinement Realm.
The battle is magnificent, spells are extraordinary, various kinds of spells are showcased one after another, and numerous magical treasures are thrown about chaotically.
Li Ping’an greatly enjoyed watching the match.
As for the following match, Li Ping’an wasn’t too worried.
Firstly, his realm was already much higher than Ningning Mu’s, and he could spar with disciples on the ground list;
Secondly, with the scoring system in place, he only needed to win four matches to securely advance to the knockout stage of the next phase.
Even with some luck, winning two matches and drawing two could also possibly get him into the knockout stage.
Among the disciples participating in the ground list competition, there were only six or seven at the late stage of the Void Refinement Realm, so it was unlikely that he would always encounter late-stage Void Refinement Realm disciples.
This was called making reasonable use of the rules.
Although the rules were made by him.
One-Two from the Man block against Four-Three from the Di block!”
An Immortal on the stage had already called out, and Li Ping’an, carrying his Zongyun Spear, hopped to the edge of the arena and looked towards the senior sister whose origin from among the peaks was unknown to him.
Both of them bowed with a Daoist salute and then displayed their divine skills.
Li Ping’an used talisman techniques combined with spear formations, entirely suppressing the female cultivator who couldn’t even touch the edge of his robe.
Li Ping’an had some unique research on mana continuation, never experiencing a situation where his mana was exhausted throughout the match.
Even after the female cultivator conceded defeat, Li Ping’an still had more than half of his mana remaining.
After returning to his seat below the stage, he swallowed a Spirit Pill he had concocted himself and meditated for a while, his mana was fully replenished.
In this manner, Li Ping’an achieved two consecutive wins, attracting much attention.
Ningning Mu and the third ranker on the human list each suffered two consecutive losses.
After all, the gap in cultivation was too large; losing was expected.
Someone like Li Ping’an who kept winning was indeed a little abnormal.
In the third round, Li Ping’an encountered his second powerful opponent in this big competition.
This was a young male cultivator dressed in a White Robe, with hair tied in a Daoist circlet and combed without a hair out of place, handsome in appearance, tall in stature, carrying two Immortal Swords on his back, and his eyes full of the will to win.
Before stepping onto the stage, he first gave Li Ping’an a courtesy fist salute and then announced loudly:
“I am Qingcheng from the Sword Cloud Peak!
I have been a disciple for nine years and ten months and am now at the eighth level of the Void Refinement Realm!
I feel ashamed to face you today!
I will use my full strength to attain victory to show my respect for you!”
Li Ping’an nodded with a smile.
The Sword Cloud Peak Immortals excel in the Sword Control Technique, and he indeed wanted to experience it today.
The bronze gong sounded, signaling the start of the Magical Combat!
Li Ping’an advanced with a crouching step, flying close to the ground with an unstoppable momentum!
A glint of cold light struck first, followed by the spear thrusting forward like a dragon!
Qingcheng shouted with a stable voice, quickly shifted to the left, flicked his double swords backward with his hands, and both Immortal Swords unsheathed simultaneously, emitting a sonorous ring that echoed to the clouds!
The next instant, those two Immortal Swords transformed into two Immortal Cranes, swooping straight at Li Ping’an, leaving trails of afterimages in the sky.
Li Ping’an flipped backward, and with a swift motion, he threw out a stack of yellow talismans.
In the rustling sound, dozens of talismans flew forward like a rain of arrows, collided head-on with the two white cranes, and exploded into layers of clouds and mist.
The two white cranes burst through the mist with their wings spread wide, and Li Ping’an quickly dodged into the clouds.
“Illusions won’t work on me!”
Qingcheng shouted, his body soared like Kunpeng spreading its wings, pointing one hand at the sky and the other at the earth, then circling them around to unite as one!
The clouds surged upwards in reverse, tiger roars and dragon chants emerged from within, and multiple cloudy apparitions of ‘Li Ping’an’ wielding spears leapt forward!
Qingcheng swiftly pointed with his sword, and the two white cranes transformed from the Immortal Swords flew rapidly, instantly shattering the apparitions that burst from the mist!
Qingcheng’s hands parted and came together again, and one after another sword manifested from his breath, imbued with azure sword light, rapidly condensed before him and shot forth, bombarding everywhere within the clouds.
Is that all the power your spear formation has!
‘Wanyun Swordsmanship, it’s really sharp.’
Behind Gu Qingcheng, in a corner where a spread of mist dissipated, Li Ping’an crouched quietly.
He was carefully observing Gu Qingcheng’s figure, trying to grasp this fellow’s Sword Control Technique.
Gu Qingcheng’s Sword Control Technique was very sharp; those two Immortal Swords were hard to deal with…
Although Master had said that if close to losing, one could use more than three kinds of spells, after careful consideration, Li Ping’an realized he wasn’t likely to encounter late-stage Void Refinement Realm disciples that often.
He only needed to advance to the next round, there was no need to win all six matches.
So, Li Ping’an turned his head and quietly slipped off the stage.
On the stage, Gu Qingcheng kept activating his Sword Control Technique, the two Immortal Swords amidst the mist, his trembling hands maintaining a false combining stance, continually using his mana to condense clusters of air swords, persistently bombarding the area.
This person kept shouting:
Your spear formation has been perfectly suppressed by me!
Although it’s an inglorious win, at least come out!
I definitely won’t hurt you!”
The Immortal referee at the side frowned, trying to remind Gu Qingcheng but unable to get a word in.
This disciple from the Sword Cloud Peak, talked too fast.
Below the platform, Li Ping’an had already retrieved his jade token, bowed with his hands folded to the old steward, and turned to leave.
“Hehehe, interesting.”
The Sect Leader smiled with half-closed eyes and introduced to the several elegant Sect Leaders beside him:
“This disciple who just left the stage is in the Condensing Light Realm, the only son of my junior brother Dazhi, who has only been cultivating in the mountains for three years.”
The group of esteemed seniors either laughed lightly while stroking their beards or nodded to themselves.
Li Dazhi, sitting behind the Sect Leader, maintained a simple smile and said nothing.
Gu Qingcheng continued to bombard the stage for a while until he was finally swept off by the sleeve of the Immortal referee.
Who would have thought Gu Qingcheng didn’t even collect his jade token, but directly jumped down to Li Ping’an, frowning and scrutinizing this ‘Number One Ranked Person’.
Doesn’t surrendering directly compromise your Daoist heart?”
Gu Qingcheng frowned and said:
“My air swords didn’t have much power; they would have caused only minor injuries if they hit you.
You could have just taken one head-on to see for yourself!
“Now look, I seem like a bully picking on the small.
“How do you expect others to look at me then?
If I’d known, I wouldn’t have fought you in the first place.
You really are something, how could you just leave!”
Li Ping’an placed a cushion beside him and laughed, “I should be a few years older than you, even though my cultivation began much later.
For now, I’ll presume to consider myself your elder brother, please take a seat.”
“Hey, I know about you!
Everyone’s talking about it!”
Gu Qingcheng didn’t stand on ceremony and sat down with a casual posture, watching the next fight starting on the stage, and murmured:
“A few of us disciples who know each other were discussing, if any of us ran into you, to give your father some face and not beat you too badly.”
“But on the other hand, how do you know so much after only three years of cultivation?
“Formations, movement techniques, Phantom Immortal Techniques…
wow, I’ve only practiced the Sword Control Technique and haven’t got it yet.
Master gave me nine Immortal Swords, and I can only control two.”
Li Ping’an replied offhandedly, “One swordsmanship route, a myriad of miscellaneous paths, with no clear superiority or inferiority.”
“One swordsmanship route, huh, that’s an interesting perspective.
The way of the sword…”
Gu Qingcheng blinked and turned to look at Li Ping’an, only to see a meaningful smile at the corner of Li Ping’an’s mouth, which he couldn’t help but ponder.
After a while, Gu Qingcheng sat cross-legged to meditate, with a little mist forming around him.
Soon, an Immortal from the Sword Cloud Peak landed beside them, bowed to Li Ping’an in thanks, and then set up a barrier next to Gu Qingcheng.
Li Ping’an was a bit flustered.
He truly had not intentionally pointed this person in any direction!