Tournament (2)

After the matches proceeded all the way through, Gu Xiaoyue relied on his considerable strength, coupled with his opponents either deliberately or inadvertently going easy on him, to truly cut through every obstacle in his path and rack up victory after victory.

The cheers below the stage came in wave after wave like the tide, making him somewhat intoxicated with success. He secretly basked in self-satisfaction, feeling that he had drawn several steps closer to the position of Valley Lord.

Meanwhile, as expected, the members of the Heavenly Sword Sect and Azure Rock Sect had never encountered one another in the matches. Along the way, nearly all of them had been eliminated midway by other powerful cultivators.

By the time the tournament entered the top eight, the Heavenly Sword Sect had only Tan Yin and the junior disciple who had previously clashed with someone in the valley remaining. Azure Rock Sect had only Wang Rong still holding on.

Watching the junior disciple's performance, the Profound Heaven Sect members could not help but remark, "No wonder this kid could fight one against many. Looks like he really does have some skill."

"Wang Rong's performance has been quite commendable too."

Lin Mumu curled her lip. "I thought everyone in Azure Rock Sect was just a bunch of straw-stuffed fools who only looked the part. Who would have thought Wang Rong actually had some ability?"

"If you want to be arrogant, you need the capital to match it. Compared to his useless junior brothers, Wang Rong does have some qualifications to boast."

At that moment, Gu Yinchen looked over the top-eight list from the high platform. After some private deliberation, he ultimately decided to tamper with the upcoming draw.

Gu Xiaoyue was a man with impure intentions. If he remained in the competition, he would eventually become a potential hidden danger. He had to be eliminated as soon as possible. Among the remaining opponents, Tan Yin was the strongest. If Gu Xiaoyue drew Tan Yin, the odds of eliminating him would rise considerably.

Thus, while no one noticed, Gu Yinchen quietly employed a method to manipulate the drawing results.

When the results were announced and Gu Yinchen saw that Gu Xiaoyue had drawn Tan Yin, he let out a slight breath of relief. Below the stage, seeing the matchup, the crowd immediately began whispering among themselves and speculating over the outcome.

One cultivator lowered his voice and analyzed, "Tan Yin is a genuine elite disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect. His heavy sword can cleave mountains and split rivers.

"Besides, the Heavenly Sword Sect and Azure Rock Sect still haven't met in the tournament. Azure Rock Sect's man has a fairly strong opponent, but compared to Wang Rong, he is more likely to lose than win. It seems Wang Rong should have no trouble advancing.

"If Tan Yin truly wants a complete reckoning with Azure Rock Sect, then he absolutely must win this match. I imagine he won't hold back."

"Gu Xiaoyue is clearly aiming for the position of Young Valley Lord. His ambition is no small thing. This match will probably be quite a spectacle," another cultivator agreed.

When Gu Xiaoyue saw that his opponent was Tan Yin, his heart tightened slightly, but he soon revealed a cold smile.

He had long heard of Tan Yin's reputation and knew that his swordsmanship was superb and his strength formidable. He was certainly no easy opponent. Yet although Tan Yin was strong, he was not without flaws.

Sword cultivators had always been known for their forthright, fierce temperaments, and their way of doing things was usually straightforward. Such straight-gutted people were often easier to manipulate. As long as he used a small trick, he might not necessarily be unable to defeat Tan Yin.

If he could defeat him, his prestige within Medicine King Valley would surely rise like the sun at noon, climbing to another level. Naturally, he would also be one step closer to the Valley Lord position he had dreamed of.

At this thought, greed and fervor flashed through Gu Xiaoyue's eyes.

Tan Yin, on the other hand, looked grave. He was not afraid of fighting Gu Xiaoyue. It was simply that, from the previous matches, he had already seen that Gu Xiaoyue was exceedingly vicious and would stop at nothing to achieve his aims.

Perhaps Gu Xiaoyue still believed his despicable methods were well concealed and difficult for others to detect. But Tan Yin was a true expert who cultivated steadily and stood above Gu Xiaoyue in realm. Before him, Gu Xiaoyue's little movements were rather like covering his ears while stealing a bell.

Against an opponent like this, a moment's carelessness could mean falling into a trap. He had to remain alert with twelve parts of his spirit.

He silently tightened his grip on the heavy sword in his hand. Its blade was broad and thick, its patterns ancient, and it exuded a chilling aura.

Tan Yin closed his eyes slightly, his chest rising and falling in a steady rhythm. He drew in a deep breath, expelled every distracting thought from his mind, and calmed himself. The instant he opened his eyes again, his aura surged sharply. His resolute stance made it clear that he was ready to go all out.

At the Valley Lord's command, the first match of the top eight—Gu Xiaoyue against Tan Yin—officially began.

Tan Yin intended to end the battle quickly and give Gu Xiaoyue no chance to act.

The instant the match began, he burst forth like sudden thunder. He stomped hard against the ground and charged toward Gu Xiaoyue. The broad, ancient heavy sword in his hand rose high, like a towering mountain, carrying the force to push aside mountains and overturn seas as it crashed down upon Gu Xiaoyue.

Beneath the sunlight, the sword shadow gleamed with a cold radiance. Its immense momentum made even the surrounding air tremble, emitting a low humming buzz.

Gu Xiaoyue's heart jolted in alarm. He did not dare be the slightest bit careless. Knowing the might of Tan Yin's strike, he dared not receive it head-on. He hurriedly swung the jade flute in his hand, using it as a staff and executing an exquisite staff technique. As he deflected the heavy sword, he employed nimble footwork to evade the lingering force of the attack.

Tan Yin's sword strokes did not cease. Every strike displayed wild ferocity, as though he were pouring every ounce of his strength into those vicious attacks. Each sword carried the mighty force to split mountains and shatter rocks, driving straight at Gu Xiaoyue's vital points.

His swordsmanship was broad and sweeping, powerful and heavy, like a surging river rolling on without end. It gave Gu Xiaoyue not the slightest chance to catch his breath.

Under Tan Yin's incomparably fierce assault, Gu Xiaoyue gradually fell into a disadvantage. He could only retreat again and again, barely holding on through agile movement. Fine beads of sweat covered his forehead, and a trace of panic flashed through his eyes, though he swiftly forced it down.

"Tan Yin's swordsmanship truly is formidable. Gu Xiaoyue is probably struggling to withstand it," a cultivator below the stage murmured.

"Yes, Tan Yin's offensive is too fierce. If Gu Xiaoyue does not quickly devise a response, he will likely be defeated before long," another agreed.

On the surface, Gu Xiaoyue was losing ground step by step, staggering as he retreated. In truth, he was secretly searching for an opportunity to counterattack. Tan Yin's swordsmanship was exceptional; in a direct clash, Gu Xiaoyue's chances of victory were negligible. Thus, he placed all his hopes on the plan he had prepared beforehand.

During one brief exchange, Gu Xiaoyue pretended to be overpowered and deliberately exposed an opening to lure Tan Yin into attacking. Sure enough, Tan Yin failed to notice and fiercely swept out with his heavy sword.

That sword contained the force of a thousand catties. The gale raised by the heavy blade was like a sharp edge, making the surrounding air howl as though it would tear everything apart.

Gu Xiaoyue seized the moment and flashed aside with ghostly agility. While deftly avoiding Tan Yin's attack, he swung the flute in his hand toward Tan Yin's sword as if casually blocking it.

Yet at the instant it was about to touch the blade, his wrist flicked. The flute slipped past the sword body and, as prepared, struck the back of Tan Yin's sword-gripping hand.

Tan Yin felt only a faint force travel up his arm. His heart cried out that something was wrong, but everything was already too late.

Gu Xiaoyue had long since coated the flute with an exceedingly well-concealed poison. That seemingly incidental contact had silently sent the poison into Tan Yin's body through a special method.

The poison did not take effect immediately. Since Gu Xiaoyue dared use underhanded means beneath countless watching eyes, he naturally would not make it too obvious.

The poison he had carefully selected possessed an extraordinarily unique property. It could slip silently into an opponent's body like a ghost, then lie hidden like a hunter lurking in darkness, waiting for the perfect moment to launch a fatal blow.

Had Tan Yin not maintained extreme vigilance from beginning to end, it truly would have been difficult to notice such a subtle abnormality during their exchange. Though he did not know exactly what Gu Xiaoyue had done, instinct told him that the situation was bad, and so he immediately intensified his assault.

At this moment, the heavy sword in Tan Yin's hand was like black lightning tearing through the heavens, carving one cold, razor-sharp trajectory after another through the air.

Every sword carried the immense force to push mountains and overturn seas, bombarding Gu Xiaoyue like a raging tide. The sword wind screamed past with piercing shrieks, as though it would drag everything around it into this violent, lethal sword intent.

Though Gu Xiaoyue had anticipated this sudden fierce counterattack, he could not help becoming somewhat flustered.

He darted left and right across the arena like a ghost. Even his formerly composed expression now revealed a trace of panic. The jade flute whirled rapidly in his hand, barely fending off Tan Yin's tide-like assault.

Every collision between sword and flute rang out crisp and loud, leaving his arms numb from the shock.

Yet Gu Xiaoyue sneered inwardly. Hmph. Let's see whether you can still be so arrogant in a moment!

Before long, the poison quietly began to take effect.

Tan Yin felt numbness rapidly spread from his hand through his entire body, as though countless tiny ants were crawling inside him. His body gradually stiffened, and every joint felt as if shackles had been fastened around it, making movement difficult.

Circulating spiritual energy also became exceedingly difficult. The spiritual energy that had once flowed smoothly through his meridians now became sluggish, as though what flowed was not spiritual energy, but heavy molten lead.

His once fierce and sharp swordsmanship immediately lost much of its force, his movements becoming slow and clumsy.

Seeing the poison act up within Tan Yin, Gu Xiaoyue was overjoyed, and a vicious glint flashed through his eyes.

He seized the opportunity. While Tan Yin's body was stiff and his spiritual energy obstructed, Gu Xiaoyue swung his flute and viciously struck precisely at the various numbing acupoints across Tan Yin's body.

Tan Yin felt needle-like agony erupt throughout his body, as though tens of thousands of needles had pierced him at once. Beneath Gu Xiaoyue's unbroken sequence of swift, ruthless attacks, his body seemed to have been struck by an immobilizing spell, completely unable to move.

Then one knee crashed uncontrollably to the ground. The dull Bang! rang especially harshly across the silent arena. The heavy sword he had been gripping nearly flew from his hand, its blade striking the ground with a clear, trembling ring.

The people below the stage could not help but sweat for Tan Yin.

"What is going on? Why have Tan Yin's movements suddenly become so stiff? Even his sword strokes have turned crude," one cultivator said, his face full of confusion.

"That burst of attacks just now was strange too. Gu Xiaoyue has no grudge against Tan Yin. Given his usual conduct, he should not have struck so heavily, should he?" another cultivator said with a frown, his heart filled with doubt.

"Could Gu Xiaoyue have done something? Tan Yin may be in danger now." Everyone began guessing, concern showing on their faces.

"Something is wrong with Tan Yin's condition, isn't it?" Lin Mumu said with knitted brows, her tone certain. Her eyes remained fixed on Tan Yin atop the arena, filled with confusion and incomprehension.

Ye Jingxuan always answered when asked. At that moment, he narrowed his eyes slightly and carefully observed Tan Yin's condition before cautiously offering his judgment. "He should have been hit by some kind of technique, or... poison."

"Poison." As a fellow medical cultivator, Wen Jian was even more certain. With his profound medical expertise, he could even roughly infer the poison's effects and dosage from Tan Yin's subtle symptoms.

Using poison in a match did not truly violate the rules. After all, poison was also a kind of skill.

However, this was not a fight to the death, and the two held no deep hatred for one another. To use poison in such a setting was bad enough; to strike with such viciousness was truly appalling and contemptible.

—Not to mention that Gu Xiaoyue was a medical cultivator.

Medicine, poison, and gu were originally born from the same source. Why, then, were they distinguished from one another?

At the root of it, their purposes were entirely different.

The duty of medical cultivators was to heal the dying and save the wounded. They would even willingly forsake great personal offensive power for that purpose. They were benevolent people who held great love in their hearts.

Poison cultivators and gu cultivators had no such concerns. Their use of their arts focused more on strengthening themselves. The medicinal knowledge medical cultivators possessed ought to be used to heal and save people, not serve as a tool to harm others.

At the thought that someone like Gu Xiaoyue occupied the position of a medical cultivator, Wen Jian was filled with contempt and utterly scorned his actions.

Gu Yueyao, who had likewise noticed the anomaly, now had eyes as cold as ice, radiating endless chill and fury.

As for Gu Yinchen on the high platform, his brows were knitted tightly, and blazing anger burned in his eyes. Unknowingly, he had clenched the jade cup in his hand so hard that his knuckles had turned white, and fine cracks had even appeared across its surface.

True Person Yu Qing glanced in his direction. Seeing his reaction, he shook his head slightly and sighed inwardly.

Meanwhile, the people seated with Azure Rock Sect began gloating. "No idea what despicable trick that smiling tiger Gu Xiaoyue used, but well done."

"He deserves it. They are always opposing us."

Wang Rong, who led them, had his brows drawn tight. Looking at Tan Yin, who could not steady himself on the stage, he seemed to want to speak but stopped himself.

A complicated emotion flashed through his eyes, as though he wished to say something. In the end, however, he merely snorted coldly through his nose and looked away.

Tan Yin did not give up.

He clenched his teeth and continuously circulated his cultivation technique in an attempt to break through the poison and acupoint restrictions. Veins bulged across his forehead, and bean-sized drops of sweat kept rolling down, yet his eyes held a determination that would not rest until the end.

Gu Xiaoyue had no intention of letting him go. To avoid the matter being exposed, he had carefully controlled the dosage. The poison would not last long; he had to strike while Tan Yin was ill and take his life, ending the battle as soon as possible.

A sinister glint flashed through Gu Xiaoyue's eyes as he attacked again. He swung his flute toward Tan Yin's vital points, attempting to deliver a fatal blow.

At that critical moment, Tan Yin finally broke through the numbness in his acupoints. His body trembled slightly, but he had recovered at least some ability to move.

He abruptly rose to his feet, fury blazing in his eyes. His heavy sword rose high once more and barely blocked Gu Xiaoyue's vicious strike.

Gu Xiaoyue was greatly startled. He wanted to pull back and retreat, but it was already too late. A powerful sense of unease surged through him.

Ignoring his body's discomfort, Tan Yin attacked Gu Xiaoyue again. Although his swordsmanship was no longer as sharp and fluid as before due to his condition, every sword contained even fiercer and more magnificent power.

Because his spiritual energy still could not circulate smoothly and his movements remained sluggish, he could not properly execute any of his intricate sword techniques.

He simply abandoned every complex technique. Relying on his formidable physical strength, he used the simplest and most direct method, mercilessly hacking straight at Gu Xiaoyue with every sword, holding nothing back. Each blow carried the force of a thousand catties, like a mountain-splitting battle axe whistling through the wind, possessing the bold grandeur of wild fists killing an old master.

Gu Xiaoyue had not expected Tan Yin to break free from his restraints in such desperate circumstances, and he could not help panicking. Yet he quickly steadied himself and continued defending with his flute.

Tan Yin was already accustomed to a fierce and forceful combat style. Now, he simply abandoned sword forms altogether and fought Gu Xiaoyue purely through strength. At first, Gu Xiaoyue could still cope with a move or two. Yet every strike from Tan Yin was delivered with all his strength, each one as heavy as a thousand catties.

Under such ferocious attacks, even the slightest mistake—failing to evade completely—would send the shock from that immense impact through his entire body like an electric current.

The shock not only subjected his body to intense pain, but also instantly erased the speed advantage he had relied upon. After that, he could only be helplessly dragged into a direct confrontation with Tan Yin.

Gu Xiaoyue was, after all, merely a medical cultivator. Though he had learned other techniques as well, how could he possibly sustain such a confrontation? Before long, he began to show signs of defeat.

Tan Yin spotted an opening in Gu Xiaoyue's defenses and let out a great shout, his voice like a great bell ringing through the entire venue. He thrust his sword forward with all his strength. Carrying a howling gale as though it would rip apart the surrounding air, the heavy sword struck Gu Xiaoyue squarely in the shoulder with thunderous force.

With a Pfft!, Gu Xiaoyue spat out a mouthful of blood, blooming through the air like a vivid red plum. The flute in his hand also fell weakly to the ground with a Clang!, producing a crisp sound.

His body staggered backward several steps beyond his control. Finally, his legs gave way and he fell to the ground.

"I... I concede..." Gu Xiaoyue said, his face ashen and his lips trembling. His tone was filled with unwillingness.

Hatred burned in his eyes, mixed with deep helplessness, like a wounded beast trapped in a cage. His body trembled uncontrollably, and the hand braced against the ground clenched tightly into a fist. The resentment and unwillingness in his heart could not be concealed.

A burst of enthusiastic applause immediately erupted from below the stage, resounding all around like thunder.

"Tan Yin, well done!" someone shouted at the top of his lungs, their voice filled with respect and admiration.

"As expected of an elite disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect! To turn defeat into victory under such unfavorable circumstances—truly incredible!"

Tan Yin put away his heavy sword and cupped his hands slightly toward the crowd below. Then he looked coldly at Gu Xiaoyue. "Though you used despicable means today, I was not careful enough and fell for your scheme. I will not blame you this time.

"But should we meet upon a battlefield another day, and should anything like today happen again, I will surely cut you down without mercy. I hope you will understand from now on that true strength relies on power, not these sinister methods."

With that, he turned and walked down from the arena.

An Azure Rock Sect disciple curled his lip and clicked his tongue in disdain. "Hmph. Even that failed to finish him off. That kid is lucky."

"Fine by me. If he had lost so easily, where would I go to demand an explanation?" Wang Rong said in an icy, grim tone, his gaze following Tan Yin's still somewhat staggering figure as he walked off the stage.