Yu Xuerou-Defeated!

Seeing the bye slip in Ye Xiao's hand, Li Yao and Yu Xuerou looked at each other.

Li Yao smiled.

"Do we still need to draw lots?"

Though he knew about Yu Xuerou's connection to the Shangguan Family, Li Yao had no intention of dispensing with courtesy.

He smiled at Yu Xuerou. "What do you think?"

Yu Xuerou shook her head and said softly, "It seems we're destined to fight. There's no need to draw lots."

With that, she stepped onto the Arena first.

She turned to Li Yao. Her voice wasn't loud, but everyone heard her clearly. "Come up here. Let me see what the grandson of a Martial Saint can do!"

Another commotion broke out below the stage.

"Damn, Yu Xuerou just challenged him outright!"

"Li Yao just broke through, and she's still not worried?"

"What do you know? Yu Xuerou was already Ninth Rank. What's she got to fear?"

Li Yao looked at her without a word.

He simply lifted his foot and walked slowly toward the stage.

He walked slowly, his steps light.

Yet at that moment, nearly everyone held their breath.

They stared at him.

They watched him climb onto the Arena, one step at a time, as though ascending to the heavens.

Li Yao reached the Arena and stood opposite Yu Xuerou.

Instead of attacking, he called out, "Yu Xuerou."

Yu Xuerou paused. "What? Don't tell me you're going to surrender."

Alarm seized her at once.

After all, Shangguan Yan had told her to teach Li Yao a hard lesson this time. At the very least, she had to cripple him.

If Li Yao surrendered outright, how was she supposed to complete the task Shangguan Yan had given her?

The corner of Li Yao's mouth lifted. "Surrender? I think you're the one who should say that."

Yu Xuerou frowned. "What do you mean?"

Li Yao took a step forward. His voice was quiet, but every word struck Yu Xuerou's ears. "Tell me, what did Shangguan Yan say to you?"

Yu Xuerou's heart lurched.

How did he know about her connection to the Shangguan Family?

She hadn't even told her own parents!

"You..." Yu Xuerou opened her mouth, then swallowed the words on her lips.

Watching her lose her composure, Li Yao continued, "Did you think the Li Family was an empty shell? What could happen that the Li Family's intelligence network couldn't uncover?"

"You..." Yu Xuerou's expression changed.

Li Yao took another step forward, his voice growing louder. "Did you think the Li Family became the sole Great Family protecting the nation just because my grandfather is a Martial Saint?"

Each sentence carried more force than the last. Yu Xuerou's heart pounded.

Was her deepest secret something a family like his could uncover with a casual investigation?

Yu Xuerou took a deep breath. Panic flickered in her eyes, but she quickly suppressed it.

She could not have cultivated to her current level without uncommon mental fortitude.

In an instant, she steadied herself and sneered. "So what if you know? Do you think you can beat me? All you're doing is talking!"

"Enough talk, Li Yao. Take this!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Spiritual Power erupted from within her. She became a blur and charged straight at Li Yao.

"She's fast!"

Someone below the stage cried out.

Li Yao didn't budge. He stood where he was, still smiling.

Yu Xuerou struck with her palm, a sharp gust driving straight toward Li Yao's chest.

Bang!

Li Yao raised a hand and took the blow head-on.

Their palms collided with a dull thud.

Li Yao retreated two steps, but Yu Xuerou did not move an inch.

"That's it?" Yu Xuerou sneered. "So what if you broke through to Ninth Rank? You still can't—"

Before she could finish, Li Yao laughed. "What's the rush? I was just warming up."

Yu Xuerou's face darkened. "You're asking for it!"

She attacked again. This time, her palm strike was fiercer. Spiritual Power gathered in her palm, becoming a streak of white light aimed straight at Li Yao's face.

Sky-Piercing Palm!

Someone below the stage cried out, "That's Yu Xuerou's signature technique! She defeated Zhao Tiezhu in a single move with it!"

"Can Li Yao take it?"

Li Yao watched the white light approach and drew a deep breath. The Nine-Turn Profound Art circulated within him, gathering Spiritual Power in both arms.

Heaven-Breaking Fist!

He threw a punch. Its force roared forward and slammed into the white light.

Boom!

The two forces collided with an explosive crash.

The entire Arena shook, and dust billowed into the air.

"What happened?"

"Who won?"

When the dust cleared, everyone froze.

Li Yao and Yu Xuerou stood where they had been. Neither had moved.

But a huge crater had appeared in the Arena between them.

"What..."

The spectators below were stunned.

"Are those two really Ninth Rank Martial Masters?"

"Why do they seem stronger than some Martial Venerables?"

Yu Xuerou's expression turned grim.

She had thought that, with her advanced Ninth Rank strength, defeating Li Yao—who had only just broken through—would be effortless.

Now she realized she had been wrong.

Li Yao was no ordinary Ninth Rank fighter!

"You..." Yu Xuerou gritted her teeth. "What cultivation art are you practicing?"

Li Yao smiled. "Want to know? I'm not telling you."

Yu Xuerou snorted. "Don't get cocky!"

She attacked again, faster and more fiercely this time. Every palm strike carried a cutting gust as she tried to drive Li Yao into a corner.

But Li Yao was as slippery as an eel. Each time, he dodged at just the right moment or took her attack head-on.

"How can Li Yao withstand so much?"

"Didn't he just break through? Why does he look steadier than Yu Xuerou?"

"How much has that guy been hiding?"

Yu Xuerou grew more anxious with every exchange.

She realized she had completely underestimated Li Yao.

His strength was nothing like that of someone who had just reached Ninth Rank. He fought like a veteran Ninth Rank expert.

No. I can't keep going like this.

Yu Xuerou gritted her teeth and decided to use her full strength.

She drew a deep breath. Spiritual Power surged wildly through her body, and her presence soared.

"Li Yao, you forced me!"

Wind-Thunder Palm!

Yu Xuerou struck with her palm. The force of the blow carried lightning straight toward Li Yao.

That single strike drained more than half her Spiritual Power.

The spectators below stared in disbelief.

"That palm strike is insane!"

"Isn't that power at Martial Venerable level?"

"Can Li Yao take it?"

Li Yao watched the lightning-laced force approach and drew a deep breath.

Nine-Turn Profound Art—Heaven-Breaking Fist!

He gathered all his Spiritual Power and punched. This blow was more than twice as powerful as his last.

Boom!

The two forces collided in midair with a thunderous blast.

The entire Arena shook. Dust surged upward, and broken stone flew everywhere.

"Holy shit!"

"That's ridiculous power!"

"Are those two really Ninth Rank Martial Masters?"

When the dust cleared, everyone froze.

In the Arena, Yu Xuerou knelt on one knee, blood at the corner of her mouth.

Li Yao remained standing. His breathing was a little ragged, but he appeared otherwise unharmed.

"What..." The spectators below were dumbfounded.

"Li Yao won?"

"No way. He just broke through, and he beat Yu Xuerou?"

"That's fucking absurd!"

Yu Xuerou raised her head and looked at Li Yao, her eyes full of resentment. "What... what kind of monster are you?"

Li Yao smiled. "You're not even as good as Wang Lei."

Wang Lei: "...Leave me out of this."

Yu Xuerou gritted her teeth and struggled to rise. "I haven't lost!"

But no matter how she tried, she couldn't stand.

"Cough... This is bad!"

Only then did she realize that her internal organs had all suffered damage!

The injuries had left her unable even to stand!

"Do you still want to fight?"

Li Yao knew Yu Xuerou was connected to the Shangguan Family, but he wasn't the sort to kill indiscriminately.

Besides, he had never fought in either of his lives. Taking the initiative to fight after crossing over was already a lot for him. Killing someone was a line he couldn't bring himself to cross.

Yu Xuerou tried to stand again, but every movement sent needle-like pain through her entire body.

In the end, she had to give up.

"I... I surrender."

Ding! Congratulations to the host for defeating Yu Xuerou and advancing to the Finals!

The system notification sounded.

Background Value +5,000 points.