Three-Way Battle! One Against Two

"For my sake???"

Hearing Ling Quan's words, Xun'er was somewhat puzzled.

She truly could not understand what conceding defeat had to do with thinking of her.

As if seeing Xun'er's confusion, Ling Quan explained again.

"I happened to overhear an Elder say that after today's twelve matches, the twelve people who advance will face new rules."

"New rules?" Xun'er did not understand.

"After the twelve matches end, the twelve who advance will be divided into four groups of three. One person from each group will advance, making four in total. Then the four will fight in a free-for-all, with one person advancing. The final winner will compete with Gu Qingyang for first place." Ling Quan carefully explained it to Xun'er. He had heard all this yesterday afternoon while Elder Gu Nanhai and Elder Gu Dao were talking.

Upon hearing this, Xun'er nodded. She had just been carefully "studying" this question.

"No, what does any of this have to do with me?" Shaking her head, Xun'er finally found the heart of the matter and questioned him.

What she wanted to ask was why Ling Quan had conceded directly, not about the competition rules.

"Miss Xun'er, think about it. Once you advance, you'll definitely have to fight in another melee. If your Dou Qi is insufficient by then, won't you become a target?"

"If I concede voluntarily, you won't expend too much Dou Qi. That way, you can remain at your peak for the later matches and achieve a better ranking, right?"

Ling Quan went on and on for quite a while, and only then did Xun'er understand what he had meant by "thinking of you."

"Do you think I can't achieve a good ranking?" Xun'er was somewhat angry.

What she disliked most was someone privately analyzing her from her own perspective.

"Yes, yes, yes. Miss Xun'er is exceptionally talented and will certainly achieve a good ranking." Seeing this, Ling Quan hurriedly nodded in agreement.

"Don't do this again."

With that, Xun'er turned and left, leaving behind only a dejected Ling Quan.

On the way to the resting area,

"Still... thank you."

Xun'er softly muttered to herself. Although she knew Ling Quan had, more or less, been thinking of her, she greatly disliked this method and even felt somewhat repulsed by it.

"Ah... forget it. I won't think about it anymore. If what Ling Quan said is right, then the upcoming matches will be quite interesting." No longer dwelling on it, Xun'er became curious about the matches to come.

Returning to the resting area and watching the remaining battles, Xun'er instantly found them somewhat dull. Her curiosity about the later matches only grew stronger.

Finally.

Under Xun'er's expectant gaze, the final battle slowly came to an end. Of the previous twenty-four people, only twelve remained.

"Only the final twelve elites remain. After discussion among us Elders, we have decided to divide you into four groups of three. Each group will produce one victor, and the final four victors will then battle. The winner will compete with Gu Qingyang for first place."

As the final battle ended, Gu Dao's aged voice rang out from the judges' platform, clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"Whoa!"

The moment those words were spoken, a commotion broke out among the crowd. This entirely new competition format was refreshing to many.

"Is it starting?" Hearing Gu Dao's words, Xun'er's little face could not conceal her excitement. In truth, ever since Ling Quan had told her about it, she had been intensely curious.

Thus, under the gaze of the entire audience, Gu Dao straightened his robes, slowly rose to his feet, and announced loudly, "Three-Way Battle, first round! Numbers nineteen, eleven, and twenty-five, enter the arena!"

As his words fell, the three people corresponding to those numbers in the resting area slowly stood.

"Gu Zhen, Yang Hao, Qin Lan." Watching the three enter the arena, Xun'er spoke their names. After all, those who remained were basically elite figures from within and outside the clan.

After entering the arena, the three consciously took positions in different directions, maintaining a considerable distance from one another.

"Begin!"

"Bang!"

Before the referee's words had even faded, the battle between the three had already begun.

"Extreme Star Saber Technique!"

Gu Zhen slashed down with a saber imbued with starlight. The immense force split cracks across the floor, while the strange saber technique carrying the power of stars left Qin Lan, who gripped a pair of hammers before him, struggling to hold on.

"Extinguish Flame Hammer!"

"Bang!"

Ripples spread through the air where saber and hammer met.

The gap in cultivation between Gu Zhen and Qin Lan was not large to begin with, and their clash quickly fell into a stalemate.

"Dragon Snake Step Technique."

"Heavenly Fiend Qi Shattering Claw!"

Just as Gu Zhen and Qin Lan were deadlocked, Yang Hao, who had been observing from the side, suddenly made his move.

A strange footwork appeared beneath his feet, gradually turning his figure illusory. Faint dragon and snake phantoms seemed to flicker beneath him. Using that bizarre footwork, Yang Hao formed his fingers into claws, vicious fiendish Qi surging in his palms as he rapidly closed in on the two who were locked in confrontation.

"Rip!"

"Yang Hao, you!"

A heavy claw strike landed on Gu Zhen's body, sending him flying backward. He crashed heavily to the ground, then immediately scrambled back up and glared furiously at Yang Hao, who now stood beside Qin Lan in the distance.

He had originally planned to quickly deal with Qin Lan before eliminating Yang Hao. Yet just as victory seemed assured, Yang Hao had suddenly struck, catching him completely off guard.

"Sorry, Qin Lan and I have already come to an agreement. We'll eliminate you first, then the two of us will decide the winner." Yang Hao's lazy voice drifted over, causing Gu Zhen's eyes to narrow.

After speaking, he used the Dragon Snake Step Technique once more. Sharp claw winds howled toward Gu Zhen, and after a few flashes, he had closed in.

"Hmph!"

Seeing the claw wind approaching, Gu Zhen snorted coldly and swung his saber. The Blade Light on its edge reflected Yang Hao's face, which was covered in red light.

"Extinguish Flame Hammer!"

Just as the blade was only a few steps away from Yang Hao, Qin Lan's twin hammers arrived in an instant.

"Bang!"

Amid a violent sonic boom, saber and hammer collided once more.

"Hehe." Yang Hao dodged behind Gu Zhen, and the combat skill he had been gathering struck down once again toward Gu Zhen's back.

Gu Zhen had already suffered from this familiar tactic moments ago, yet it was now being repeated.

"Shadow Concealing Step!"

Just as the palm covered in vicious fiendish Qi was about to touch Gu Zhen's body, his figure instantly became illusory. Qin Lan in front of him also staggered as Gu Zhen's saber-wielding form gradually faded before his eyes.

"Qin Lan! Get out of the way!"

Just as Qin Lan was still wondering what had happened, Yang Hao's twin claws slammed heavily into his completely defenseless body.

"Pfft."

Qin Lan shot away and crashed into a distant stone pillar, falling still.

"Extreme Star Saber Technique: Single Strike!"

Yang Hao had just withdrawn his Dou Qi and had no time to react before Gu Zhen's saber, surging with Dou Qi, slashed into his back. On closer inspection, a phantom of a massive azure eagle flickered behind Gu Zhen.

However, Gu Zhen had been considerate enough to use the flat of his blade, causing no substantial injury to Yang Hao.

"Pfft."

Even so, Yang Hao spat out a mouthful of blood. After rolling across the ground several times, he stopped at the edge of the arena.

As the two lost the strength to continue fighting, the referee's voice, infused with Dou Qi, resounded throughout the arena.

"This match goes to Gu Zhen!"