Duel

Maybe... that didn't mean he could just give up without taking the challenge, did it?

Whether he could do it or not, he had to fight first and find out.

Trying was better than giving up outright.

Number ninety-nine had no reason to forfeit either, so he stepped onto the stage.

As soon as the referee announced the start of the match, the two immediately began fighting.

Chen Xuan patiently watched the challenges from below the stage.

Neither of the two was particularly strong.

However, both Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms and Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping had reached the proficient level.

Anyone who made it into the top hundred was surely no ordinary person.

The two were also evenly matched.

As time passed, number one hundred's challenge ended in failure.

Next, number ninety-nine challenged number ninety-eight.

Number ninety-eight challenged number ninety-seven, and the matches continued in order.

But almost every challenge ended in failure.

Only a few challengers managed to win.

The formation on the White Jade Staircase was still very powerful. It could almost certainly determine who was stronger.

But the outcome of a match did not always come down to that slight difference in strength.

That was why some challengers still managed to win.

One match after another came to an end.

Soon, it was time for number four to challenge number three.

This was arguably the match attracting the most attention.

After all, third place won a spiritual treasure, while fourth place received only a Spirit Sea Pill.

Third place was Li Junmo.

Fourth place was a disciple of the Jade Firmament named Wang Yu.

After the two stepped onto the stage,

Wang Yu looked at Li Junmo and said, "Senior Brother Li, forgive me."

"Junior Brother Wang, make your move."

Li Junmo and Wang Yu faced each other, both wearing grave expressions.

The disciples watching around the arena fell silent, staring intently at the stage.

The moment the referee's announcement to begin rang out, the two moved almost simultaneously.

Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping!

Their figures blurred in an instant, leaving several afterimages across the arena.

Both moved at incredible speed, their forms difficult to track.

Their swift footwork stirred the air, raising a faint whistle.

"So fast!"

A disciple below the stage couldn't help but exclaim.

"Both of their Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping techniques have reached the minor mastery level. Their speed is almost evenly matched."

Before the words had even left his mouth, Li Junmo was already changing his technique.

His figure abruptly halted. He formed a seal with both hands, and clouds of mist instantly spread around him.

Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms!

The clouds around him rapidly condensed into dozens of tiny cloud needles. Each one seemed to glint with a cold light as they shot toward Wang Yu like a torrential rain.

The needles covered a vast area, nearly sealing off every avenue of escape.

Wang Yu's pupils contracted at the sight, but his reaction was just as swift.

He also used Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms. The clouds quickly gathered before him, solidifying into a thick shield.

Clang, clang, clang, clang!

A dense series of impacts rang out as the cloud needles struck the shield like raindrops.

The shield shuddered violently, ripples spreading across its surface. It looked as though it might not hold much longer.

Li Junmo's Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms had actually reached great mastery!

Under the relentless barrage, cracks quickly spread across the shield. Wang Yu's expression tightened as he tried to change tactics and counterattack, but it was already too late.

Li Junmo's spiritual power surged, and the cloud needles shattered the shield.

The moment it broke, he moved again. Using Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping, he thrust a long sword formed of clouds straight at Wang Yu's face.

Wang Yu barely managed to dodge to the side, but Li Junmo's sword suddenly changed direction. The cloud sword transformed into several chains that instantly wrapped around Wang Yu's limbs.

Wang Yu struggled in vain. Li Junmo was already close, and he turned the Floating Cloud Sword, lightly tapping Wang Yu's chest with its hilt.

"Brother Wang, you let me win."

A smile appeared on Li Junmo's face.

At last... nothing unexpected happened this time.

Even if I lose to number two in the end, I'll still be in the top three.

Wang Yu gave a wry smile at the sight.

"Senior Brother Li, you're impressive. I didn't expect your Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms to have already reached great mastery. My loss is well deserved."

The difference of a single step was like the difference between heaven and earth.

He was still somewhat unwilling to accept it. He had already begun thinking about waiting another three years and entering the Outer Sect Grand Competition again.

The referee immediately announced the end of the match. Li Junmo had won.

Watching their match, Chen Xuan noticed that fewer and fewer people were using the Floating Cloud Sword.

He understood why.

The Floating Cloud Sword was only a mid-grade magical artifact. If someone hadn't mastered their Dao Technique well enough, using the Floating Cloud Sword could still help them.

But if their Dao Technique was sufficiently profound, they were better off using the technique directly.

Put simply, the Floating Cloud Sword was too poor. If they could use top-grade magical artifacts, they wouldn't keep relying on Dao Techniques.

On the arena, the referee looked at Li Junmo again and asked, "Do you want to challenge number two?"

Li Junmo nodded.

The number two disciple stepped onto the stage. His name was Lu Lingxiao, and he was a disciple of the Divine Firmament.

Lu Lingxiao had an air of aloofness about him.

"Senior Brother Li, please."

Lu Lingxiao made a gesture inviting him to begin.

Lu Lingxiao's talent was about the same as Li Junmo's, but his comprehension was better.

He had entered the sect three and a half years ago. During the previous Outer Sect Grand Competition, he had been a new disciple of just half a year and hadn't been eligible to participate.

This was his first time competing, and he had already taken second place in the second round.

The two knew each other fairly well, and Li Junmo was very familiar with Lu Lingxiao's strength.

Lu Lingxiao's Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms and Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping had both reached great mastery. He had even placed in the top three at the Floating Cloud Trial, where he had also mastered a top-tier Dao Technique. That technique had since reached great mastery as well.

Li Junmo had only placed fourth in the Floating Cloud Trial, allowing him to choose an advanced Dao Technique. However, he had also mastered that technique.

Even so, there was still a huge gap between him and Lu Lingxiao.

They had sparred many times in private, and Lu Lingxiao had won every time.

"Junior Brother Lu, though I know it'll be difficult to beat you, I still have to give it a try."

A fierce fighting spirit welled up within Li Junmo.

The referee paid the two no mind and simply announced, "Begin!"

Li Junmo used Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms, repeating his previous move as countless cloud needles shot toward Lu Lingxiao.

Faced with Li Junmo's attack, Lu Lingxiao remained calm.

He didn't strike first. Only when Li Junmo activated Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms and the clouds turned into dozens of needles rushing at him did he move slightly.

He used Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping, and his figure seemed to turn into a wisp of smoke, slipping nimbly through the gaps between the needles.

His footwork was incredibly graceful and agile. Though the needles fell as densely as rain, not one touched his clothes.

"Great mastery in Flowing Cloud Moon-Stepping really is extraordinary."

Li Junmo's heart tightened at the sight, and he changed the seals formed by his hands.

The cloud needles abruptly converged, transforming into a massive cloud sword that cleaved down toward Lu Lingxiao.

The blow carried tremendous force, accompanied by a rushing wind.

Lu Lingxiao finally made his move.

He held out his right hand as if gripping an invisible object. Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms responded to his will, and the clouds around him instantly condensed—not into a shield to block the attack, but into a cloud sword of his own. Its blade was denser, with a faint radiance flowing across it.

The two swords clashed in midair!

"Clang!"

A crisp collision rang out, and shock waves scattered in every direction.

Li Junmo's cloud sword shuddered violently, while Lu Lingxiao's Cloud Sword remained as steady as a mountain.

Although both of them had reached great mastery in Flowing Cloud Myriad Forms, there was still a difference between them.

Next, Lu Lingxiao shifted the angle of his sword. The Cloud Sword suddenly split into three, stabbing toward Li Junmo from three tricky angles.