Narrow Victory

"But the real battle is probably only just beginning."

"Starry Radiance Art."

The cultivation art within her body slowly circulated, gradually drawing in Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to replenish her, while her Dou Qi also slowly recovered.

"Mystic Low-Rank Dou Skill, Feather Break!"

Unwilling to give Xun'er time to recover, Gu Qingqing charged at her again. This time, however, she changed from palm to fist, blue Dou Qi coating it as she threw a punch at Xun'er.

"Swallow Counterattack."

Xun'er's soft voice rang out. Her hand seals shifted, golden light gathering in her right palm. At the same time, under her control, the Heavenly Flame within her body spread outward, gradually covering her arm and then her palm.

The golden-lit palm began to boil, golden radiance and flames intertwining into an alluring hue.

Bang!

Palm and fist collided beneath the stunned gazes of everyone on the stage. A deafening sonic boom erupted, and both girls were sent flying backward.

"Cough, cough." Xun'er struggled to her feet, her gaze fixed tightly on the figure within the dust cloud in the distance. Her eyes suddenly narrowed.

Following her gaze, the figure in the dust gradually became clear. It was Gu Qingqing. However, her face was now covered in grime, and her once neat clothes had long since become tattered. The contempt in her eyes as she looked at Xun'er had faded, replaced by a trace of awe.

"I lost."

When those three words echoed through the Trial Grounds, everyone suddenly realized that Gu Qingqing had already been knocked outside the ring.

"Gu Xun'er wins!"

"Whew~~~"

Hearing those words, Xun'er's serious expression finally relaxed. Not caring about the filthy ground, she plopped down onto it and let out a long breath.

That had been too difficult, truly too difficult. If not for the advantage of the Heavenly Flames at the end, she might have been the one eliminated.

"Qingqing truly deserves to be a Three-Star Dou Shi. Her strength far surpasses the Dou Shi clone Yun Xi summoned during training," Xun'er muttered as she sat on the ground.

Dong~~~

The ancient, weathered toll of a bell rang out once more, signaling the end of the battles.

"The second round has ended. All contestants, please proceed to the viewing stands to rest."

"Whew~~~ A narrow victory." Upon hearing the referee announce the end of the match, Xun'er finally relaxed completely.

The second round had been far more intense than the first. Most of those who had won the first round were outstanding talents, and victory could only be won through mutual injury.

Of the two hundred people who had advanced yesterday, only half remained. The final competition about to begin would be decisive.

Closing her eyes, Xun'er quietly circulated her cultivation art in the resting area. The refreshing sensation of spiritual energy entering her body eased her slightly furrowed brow.

"Yun Xi, why was I able to perform so well against Old Ling and the clone, but in real combat... I ended up like this...?"

Xun'er was confused and disappointed. She could clearly defeat the clone and Ling Ying, who possessed the strength of a Dou Shi, yet she had nearly lost to Gu Qingqing, a Three-Star Dou Shi. That gap had dealt a blow to her confidence.

Having watched Xun'er's entire battle, the experienced Yun Xi naturally saw where the problem lay.

"Think about it. Would Ling Ying hurt you? Does a clone have consciousness?" Yun Xi asked, hearing the dejection in Xun'er's voice.

Naturally, he could not explain the reason to Xun'er outright. He could only change the angle through questions, trusting that someone as clever as Xun'er would understand.

Xun'er lowered her head and muttered, "Old Ling... wouldn't hurt me... The clone... has no consciousness... no consciousness!"

"You mean that because I knew Old Ling would not hurt me, I confidently took the initiative to attack. And because the clone has no consciousness, and does not even defend itself, it cannot display its true strength. Is that it?"

She could clearly analyze the questions Yun Xi had asked, but she could not connect the two aspects together.

"Because you knew they posed no threat to you. There's no need to mention Ling Ying, and the clone's strength was only so-so."

"But in actual battle, you were somewhat restrained. Haven't you noticed?"

"That is the problem. When facing a powerful opponent, deep down, you already feel that you cannot defeat them. That causes you to lose focus. There is no denying that you performed quite well just now, but if you realize this, winning will become much easier."

Indeed, Xun'er, with the strength of a Five Star Dou Zhe, had narrowly defeated Gu Qingqing, a Three Star Dou Zhe. She should have been happy with such an achievement. But only by recognizing one's shortcomings could one improve and truly fight above one's level, rather than relying on luck to win.

Yun Xi's somewhat steady voice came from deep within her heart, and Xun'er listened with utmost seriousness. Though she did not fully understand everything, she still gained a great deal.

"Then what should I do?" Xun'er asked the crucial question.

"Be calm, be steady. No matter who your opponent is or how strong they are, you must have confidence. Do not lower your guard just because your opponent is someone you know, and do not hold yourself back just because they are powerful. Seek progress through steadiness."

"However, if you encounter someone you obviously cannot beat, just run. Cover the soles of your feet with all your Dou Qi and flee. Don't look back..."

Xun'er quietly listened to Yun Xi's "guidance." Just as she felt that she had been enlightened, his last addition left her unsure whether to laugh or cry.

Then she chuckled. "All right, I understand."

When she opened her eyes again, her nearly depleted Dou Qi had recovered. Feeling the abundant Dou Qi within her body, Xun'er's lips curled upward.

"Not bad, Xun'er. Even a Three-Star Dou Shi couldn't do anything to you," Gu Qingyang said with a smile beside her. He then patted Xun'er on the shoulder. "But the next round will be one hundred down to fifty. You still need to work hard."

"Don't worry, I'll do my best!" Xun'er said, her fighting spirit soaring as she looked at the massive Trial Grounds below.

"Xun'er, don't worry too much about winning or losing. Just do your best." A familiar voice entered her mind. Xun'er instinctively looked toward the main battle stage and saw Gu Yuan looking at her from above.

She waved her little fist at him, signaling: Believe in me! Otherwise, I'll beat you up.

Dong~

"The final match. Young ones, enter the arena according to your assigned field numbers from before."

Hearing this, Xun'er was somewhat startled. She had not expected the final elimination match to begin so soon.

After entering the arena, perhaps Xun'er's luck from before had run out, but this time, her opponent was merely a Six Star Dou Zhe.

"Hehe." Releasing her spiritual power and sensing her opponent's strength, Xun'er secretly rejoiced.

Her hand seals changed, and she struck with four palms in rapid succession. Four palm imprints trailing golden light shot forth at lightning speed, locking firmly onto her distant opponent.

Crack!

The protective barrier her opponent had formed was instantly shattered. Before he could evade, the palm imprints slammed into his body.

Bang!

A dull thud rang out. Without even releasing a single Dou Skill, her opponent was eliminated.

"Gu Xun'er wins!"