Illusion Technique's First Showing

"Yesterday, a total of 137 students passed the preliminaries. Today, they will compete for fifty Inner Court slots. Let us wait and see!" Outer Court Vice Principal Hu Gan's voice, amplified by Dou Qi, spread across the entire square. As Hu Gan finished speaking, wave after wave of cheers erupted throughout the arena.

Hu Gan looked at the students brimming with vitality and passion, smiling as he nodded and signaled for the referee to take the stage before returning to his seat on the viewing platform.

Seeing the vice principal's signal, the referee stepped onto the arena and raised a hand in a downward gesture. Only then did the cheers gradually subside.

"I will be overseeing the matches from here on. When your names are called, prepare to come onto the arena!"

"First match: Liu Lingfeng of Xuan Rank Class One versus Guan Jie of Xuan Rank Class Two!"

"Thirteenth match: Liu Xi of Yellow Tier Class One versus Wang Shan of Xuan Rank Class One!"

Hearing his name, Liu Xi calmly walked onto the arena, and another round of cheers rose from below.

After taking the stage, Wang Shan stopped a short distance from Liu Xi and said proudly, "Master Liu Xi, I know you're a genius from the Alchemy Department, but when it comes to combat strength, our Enforcement Team is stronger."

"Oh? We haven't fought yet, so that remains to be seen." Liu Xi looked at Wang Shan, who was broad and burly, at least six feet tall. He did look quite intimidating.

"If that's the case, then I won't hold back. Be careful," Wang Shan said.

"The match begins!" the referee announced after seeing that both were ready.

Wang Shan gripped the Mountain-Opening Great Axe, which was as tall as he was, and assumed an attacking stance.

"You make the first move."

"In that case, I won't stand on ceremony!" Liu Xi did not hesitate after hearing his opponent yield the initiative.

Liu Xi drew his sword. Bright yellow flames coiled around its blade as he rushed toward Wang Shan and thrust at his chest.

Wang Shan truly lived up to being a member of the Enforcement Team. Rich in combat experience, he held his great axe horizontally and used its blade to block Liu Xi's sword before forcefully shoving forward.

A tremendous force surged toward him, and Liu Xi was pushed back several steps to dissipate the impact.

What incredible strength! Liu Xi thought, his eyes swiftly searching for Wang Shan's weakness.

But Wang Shan did not stop. The moment he forced Liu Xi back, he pursued, raising his great axe and chopping down diagonally.

With no time to dodge again, Liu Xi raised his sword to block. His arms went numb, and his sword was nearly knocked from his grasp.

Liu Xi gritted his teeth and extended his left hand, gripping the hilt with both hands. Even so, the force from the great axe continued pressing him downward inch by inch.

What the hell is with this guy's strength? Liu Xi thought darkly.

Clearly at a disadvantage in terms of strength, Liu Xi withdrew his sword and rapidly retreated. Then he would settle this with a Dou Qi technique.

Liu Xi frantically drew out the Dou Qi within his body, channeling it through the meridians in his right arm and into the blade. The flames on the sword blazed fiercely, wildly evaporating the moisture in the air and making Liu Xi's figure appear somewhat distorted.

Liu Xi stepped forward and slashed diagonally, releasing a massive Blazing Sword Qi toward Wang Shan.

Watching the flaming sword qi fly toward him, Wang Shan showed no sign of panic. Earth Attribute Dou Qi coursed through his body, and both he and his axe glowed with an earthy yellow radiance.

"Mountain Shaker Chop!"

Wang Shan shouted as he swung his great axe with both hands at the sword qi. The two collided, and the axe blade, sword qi, and air ground against one another, producing an unceasing, ear-piercing screech.

"Break for me!"

Maintaining his swinging stance, Wang Shan advanced step by step, forcing Liu Xi's sword qi steadily backward.

Yet the scorching heat waves radiating from the Blazing Sword Qi were completely blocked by the dense earth-yellow Dou Qi surrounding Wang Shan's body, proving utterly ineffective.

Right before Liu Xi's eyes, the Blazing Sword Qi he had unleashed was pushed back again and again by Wang Shan before finally being cleaved apart by the great axe, breaking into clusters of flames that fell onto the arena and gradually went out.

Watching his Blazing Sword Qi get shattered, Liu Xi's heart grew increasingly heavy. His opponent was stronger than him, and his Earth Attribute Dou Qi possessed extremely powerful defense. Even his Blazing Sword Qi could not break through it.

The quality of my Fire Attribute Dou Qi is average. If I could control a Heavenly Flame, I would definitely possess Dou Qi quality capable of crushing opponents of the same rank. Liu Xi swiftly analyzed his shortcomings before finally deciding to use that move.

"Master Liu Xi, you're already very strong among alchemists. But against me, you have no chance. Surrender!" After shattering Liu Xi's sword qi, Wang Shan spoke with a somewhat smug smile.

"It's not over yet! Come again!" Liu Xi replied calmly. Then, expressionless, he continuously slashed out one massive Blazing Sword Qi after another.

When Wang Shan saw the sky full of sword qi rushing at him, his expression naturally changed drastically. Although he had blocked one of Liu Xi's sword qi earlier, it had not been as easy as he had made it appear.

Wang Shan did not want to take one sword qi after another head-on. He continuously dodged them with agile footwork far beyond what his large frame suggested. As he dodged, he watched Liu Xi continue unleashing massive Blazing Sword Qi.

A chill rose in his heart. How could he possibly possess such abundant Dou Qi? They were not allowed to take pills that restored Dou Qi during the Selection Tournament, so how was he doing this? If this continued, he would definitely lose. Wang Shan fixed his gaze firmly on Liu Xi's position.

He charged directly toward Liu Xi. Once he closed in, he swung his axe without hesitation. Even as the axe blade was about to cleave into Liu Xi's body, Liu Xi neither blocked nor dodged.

Then Wang Shan saw a scene that filled him with terror. His axe blade cut directly into Liu Xi's left shoulder and emerged beneath his right armpit.

Liu Xi's head and entire right shoulder were severed from his body and sent flying. Blood sprayed from the body, splashing across Wang Shan's face.

Then Wang Shan watched Liu Xi's corpse collapse to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust. He froze completely, never having expected such an outcome. All he could think was, I killed someone. I killed my own classmate during the Inner Court Selection Tournament!

Just then, a voice came from beside him.

"You lost," Liu Xi said calmly.

Hearing Liu Xi's voice, Wang Shan felt as though his entire world had fallen apart. Then he saw Liu Xi's corpse on the ground turn into specks of light and vanish, after which a scorching heat came from his shoulder.

He turned his head slightly and saw Liu Xi standing beside him completely unharmed, smiling. Moreover, Liu Xi had placed the sword wreathed in bright yellow flames directly against his neck. This time, the searing heat wave roasted Wang Shan's skin bright red, and even his hair dried up and curled.

Seeing Liu Xi intact, Wang Shan's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Then he asked in a slightly hoarse voice, "You're not dead?"

"Liu Xi wins!" Seeing that Wang Shan had lost the ability to resist, the referee announced the result of the match.

Liu Xi sheathed his sword with the motion and said with a smile, "Of course I'm not dead!"

When Liu Xi saw Wang Shan smash his Blazing Sword Qi apart with a direct swing of his giant axe, he had already activated his soul skill, the Illusory Heart Technique, while speaking. Everything that followed had been an illusion.

At that moment, some of the students watching below the stage began cursing outright, wondering whether Wang Shan had thrown the match.

From their perspective, Wang Shan had first shattered Liu Xi's flaming sword qi, then smugly told Liu Xi to admit defeat.

Then, his expression suddenly changed, and he started dodging left and right as though avoiding something. After that, he abruptly rushed to Liu Xi's side with a determined look and swung his axe at empty air, only to freeze in place.

In the end, Liu Xi effortlessly placed his sword against Wang Shan's neck and won the match. The whole process looked so fake it could not have looked any faker.

Among everyone present, perhaps only the few people seated on the dais had noticed that Liu Xi had released Spiritual Power during the match.

The selection trials continued. Liu Xi and Wang Shan stepped down from the arena one after the other, but they received entirely different treatment.

Wang Shan was immediately dragged away by a group of students demanding to know why he had thrown the match! After hearing them describe his performance on the arena, Wang Shan looked as if he wanted to cry but had no tears. He was completely baffled too!

Liu Xi, meanwhile, was invited onto the dais. Vice Principal Hu Gan asked gently, "That student who fought you just now was affected by you, wasn't he?"

"Yes." Liu Xi did not hide it, but he did not elaborate either. This was Jia Nan Academy; they would never do something like seize a student's secret technique. Otherwise, who would dare send their children here to study?

"Mm, go rest." Hu Gan truly had no ill intentions. He had merely wanted to confirm what had happened. Having learned what he wanted to know, and seeing that Liu Xi was unwilling to say more, he did not press further.