Suppressing Evil

The one-on-one matches became a personal showcase for the Li Family's young prodigies. Out of seven bouts, the Li Family swept six with unstoppable momentum! Li Longyue went without saying; his opponent's defenses were like paper before him. Li Xuanshu's Sky Phoenix Halberd grew ever sharper, sending his opponent's weapon flying within three moves. Li Qiuqiu's Annihilation attribute rendered the Mountain-Suppressing Sect disciples' earthen defenses useless. The only loss was Li Huajun, who faced the Mountain-Suppressing Sect's senior disciple renowned for his defense. The two staged a clash of "the strongest shields." Li Huajun's Profound Phoenix Shield was as solid as a fortress, but his offensive methods were relatively limited. Before he could exhaust his opponent's Soul Power, he ran out of strength first. Though defeated, he had fought honorably.

In the four two-on-two matches, the Li Family won all four. Li Xuanqing and Li Xuanshu's "Azure Flame Heavenly Phoenix" combination featured one controlling the field and the other launching fierce attacks, their coordination flawless. Li Qiuqiu and Li Xuanbing's "Annihilation Xuan Bing" combination was one orthodox and one unconventional: Annihilation specialized in breaking defenses, while Xuan Bing specialized in slaughter, leaving their opponents unable to guard against them. In the two five-on-five matches, the Li Family still prevailed through overwhelming teamwork and individual strength.

As the referee followed procedure and prepared to announce the final ten-on-ten team battle, the Mountain-Suppressing Sect's leader—the elderly man who had briefly spoken with Li Xuansheng on the official road—walked heavily to the center of the arena, his face ashen. He first gave a deep bow toward the spectator seats where Li Xuansheng and the others sat. Then he turned to the referee and the tens of thousands of spectators, announcing clearly in a dry, heavy voice, "The Mountain-Suppressing Sect... knows we are outmatched.