C20 Battle Beyond the Level

The contest among the six participants would unfold over three rounds of selection.

The youth with the dark complexion was almost guaranteed to win all three matches. Huah Yunfei, aiming for second place, needed to secure victories in at least two rounds.

As he considered his upcoming opponents, he hoped to face Lau Suifeng first.

After all, Lau Suifeng was the weakest among them, aside from himself.

"Haha! Fantastic!"

The moment the draw began, one contestant leapt up with glee, holding his lottery slip.

The rest cast envious glances his way, "You got it? You're incredibly lucky!"

The jubilant contestant quickly approached Huah Yunfei, exclaiming, "Brother, don't worry. I'll go easy on you when it's our turn!"

Feeling the pat on his shoulder, Huah Yunfei breathed a sigh of relief. This guy's skills were only slightly better than his and Lau Suifeng's. What really concerned Huah Yunfei were the contenders at Level Nine and the peak of Level Nine, as well as the formidable Liu Kehu.

"Thanks for looking out for me, brother," Huah Yunfei said with a wry smile, expressing his gratitude.

With a cultivation at Level Seven, the contestant was five levels above Huah Yunfei. In his eyes, defeating Huah Yunfei wouldn't be a challenge, especially since Huah Yunfei's own strength was quite modest, merely at the second level of Foundation Building.

"Let the first match begin!"

As expected, Huah Yunfei's fight with the man was scheduled first.

They stood opposite each other, with the examiner observing closely. Should either of them break the rules or inflict harm, the examiner would intervene immediately.

"Take it easy. Just stand at the edge of the ring. I'll come over, give you a gentle tap, and you'll step down. That way, you'll save face and it won't hurt much," the opponent suggested as they took their places on the platform.

Huah Yunfei chuckled at the proposal, "Big brother, let's have a proper match. We wouldn't want the examiner or the governor to suspect us of any underhanded dealings, would we?"

Initially, he was all smiles while discussing matters with Huah Yunfei, but upon hearing Yunfei's words, his expression soured instantly.

"You? Merely at the second level of Foundation Establishment, and you dare to challenge me?"

Moments earlier, he was on friendly terms with Huah Yunfei, yet now, his demeanor had shifted in the blink of an eye.

Listening to the other's scornful tone, Huah Yunfei remained silent, offering only a serene smile as he summoned his Spirit Weapon.

"Hahaha!" The adversary burst into laughter upon seeing Huah Yunfei present his Spirit Weapon first, taunting, "Surely you're not planning to use that newly forged trinket here?"

The Spirit Weapon Huah Yunfei had crafted was peculiar in appearance and vastly different from the one his opponent wielded, clearly an attempt to ridicule him.

"I'd caution you against underestimating me! Otherwise, you're in for a crushing defeat!" Huah Yunfei, observing the disdainful smirk on his rival's face, offered a friendly warning.

The opponent snorted dismissively, effortlessly summoning a slender sword into his grasp with a flick of his wrist.

The sword glimmered with spirit energy, enveloped in a verdant glow, clearly a Spirit Weapon endowed with the Wind Attribute.

Although the adversary's speed was superior, Huah Yunfei was unfazed. Given his mastery of the Thunder Attribute, his speed was second to none.

"Kid, there's still time to concede!"

Huah Yunfei's modest Level Two Foundation Establishment status hardly captured his opponent's attention, who brandished his sword with a derisive chuckle.

"Let's start!" was Huah Yunfei's calm response, his own sword now aimed at his foe.

Hearing this, the opponent sneered at Huah Yunfei and said mockingly, "If you're so eager to be defeated, I'll oblige!"

With those words, he flicked his wrist, and a flurry of swordplay shimmered before him.

"Don't accuse me of bullying; you may strike first."

The opponent, looking down on Huah Yunfei, afforded him the chance to make the first move.

Huah Yunfei was quite pleased with the advantageous starting position his opponent had unwittingly provided. Observing the opponent's lightweight sword, Yunfei had already devised his strategy.

His mastery of the Sword Breaking Style was impeccable. To Yunfei, the adversary before him hardly posed a challenge.

With a resounding hum, thunder echoed as Yunfei advanced, his sword aimed directly at his opponent. Amidst the thunderous sound, his blade flickered, swiftly reaching his adversary's face.

Sword light danced, and blossoms of sword flowers unfurled before Yunfei. Each bloom unleashed a fierce sword qi, forcing Yunfei to deftly evade.

Xie Yu watched the evenly matched duel on stage with great bewilderment.

"Miss, what's with this foolish kid? Wasn't he impressive before? His attacks broke others' Spirit Weapons, but now, why aren't we seeing that performance?" she asked.

"Perhaps the opponent's weapon isn't so easily severed," Xie Feiyu remarked, his attention fixed on the fight, his tone nonchalant.

Neither was particularly familiar with Yunfei's capabilities. They had witnessed his skills previously, but now they watched as Yunfei was slowly but surely losing ground, with no apparent advantage.

Xie Yu didn't dwell on it; the opponent's superior strength over Yunfei was an undeniable truth.

"You've got some skill, to be at merely the second level of Foundation Establishment and still exchange so many blows with me," the opponent conceded, clearly impressed by Yunfei's resilience.

"Thanks for the compliment. I've just been extra cautious. Maybe you haven't gone all out yet!" Yunfei replied with a slight smile, his words laced with irony.

His opponent's face flushed with embarrassment. Yunfei's remark was a taunt; the opponent had already exerted his full strength without reservation, yet he was still unable to defeat Yunfei.

As the match continued, the opponent's unease grew. Losing to Yunfei would be a disgrace too great to bear.

The two combatants were locked in a battle of attrition. Huah Yunfei was acutely aware that he couldn't outlast his adversary. Despite recognizing the vulnerabilities in his opponent's Spirit Weapon, Huah Yunfei chose to risk injury rather than shatter it, knowing that doing so would prematurely reveal his true capabilities to the formidable foes he would encounter later on.

With a swift motion of his sword, Huah Yunfei leaped into the air. Mid-flight, his left hand unleashed a bolt of lightning, the brilliant flash blinding his opponent momentarily.

Summoning a simple bolt of lightning had pushed Huah Yunfei to his limits. His knowledge of cultivation techniques was severely limited, leaving him with few options for engaging his opponent in this real-world combat scenario.

Blinded by the lightning, his opponent was momentarily disoriented. Seizing the moment, Huah Yunfei's sword deftly spun, avoiding the enemy's blade and coming to rest against his neck.

"You've lost," Huah Yunfei stated calmly, sheathing his sword.

"How could this happen!" his opponent exclaimed in disbelief, frustration evident in his clenched teeth.

The spectacle of a Level Two Foundation Establishment cultivator triumphing over one at Level Seven had left all the onlookers in a state of awe.

On the viewing platform, Wu Tang furrowed his brow and turned to Xie Feiyu, remarking, "Feiyu, this young man certainly has some skill. To overcome a gap of five minor realms is no small feat, yet he managed to win!"

"Yunfei's strength is enigmatic. I'm not entirely sure if he's truly at the second level of Foundation Establishment," Xie Feiyu mused. "His performance certainly aligns with that level, but how he consistently defeats those stronger than himself is beyond me!" Xie Feiyu's interest in Huah Yunfei was piqued, particularly by his ability to effortlessly best higher-ranked opponents, which he found quite enviable.

Meanwhile, the governor's mansion was abuzz with activity, surrounded by a throng of commoners. News of Huah Yunfei's victory was swiftly relayed from within the mansion to the eager ears of Wu County's populace.

The astonishing news was hard for them to grasp, given the stark disparity in the combatants' respective strengths.

Around the arena, many prominent figures from Wu County were spectating the match. Huah Yunfei's recent performance had left everyone in awe, and they struggled to anticipate the final outcome.

"This kid has truly impressed me!" Xiao Chen hadn't expected Huah Yunfei to emerge victorious in this competition. He had nearly written him off as a loss beforehand.

In light of this turn of events, Xiao Chen felt a sense of pride in the disciple he had chosen.

"Yunfei, are you injured?"

Upon descending from the arena and rejoining Xie Feiyu, Xie Feiyu immediately expressed his concern.

"No, I'm in good shape. I've just depleted a lot of Spiritual Energy and need to focus on recovery," Huah Yunfei replied with a reassuring smile.

Xie Yu appeared quite displeased with her mistress's attentiveness toward Huah Yunfei, rolling her eyes and remarking sarcastically, "Still able to smile? You're okay for now, but that doesn't mean you'll be later. Your next opponent will be a tough one. I bet you'll end up facing that guy with the stern face."

"Yu, why do you always speak so negatively?" Xie Feiyu chided, frowning at Xie Yu's morose comments.

Huah Yunfei paid no mind to Xie Yu's words; his priority was to swiftly replenish his Spiritual Energy to prepare for the next challenge.

Soon after, the other contestants finished their matches. Lau Suifeng was incredibly unfortunate to face the stern Liu Kehu in his first bout and was defeated with a single move, a defeat he found deeply humiliating.

The battle between two ninth-level Foundation Establishment cultivators was surprising, as the one at the pinnacle of the ninth level was unexpectedly bested by a less advanced opponent.

"The peak of the ninth level of Foundation Establishment!" Huah Yunfei furrowed his brow upon seeing the name on the list. The strength of someone at that level seemed to be on par with Liu Kehu. Facing such a formidable opponent, Huah Yunfei realized he might not be able to conserve his strength.