The world reflected in the mirror.
Han Xuanji sat cross-legged in a secluded space, his aura extremely calm.
These rounds of battles didn't take him too much effort. Except for the fight with Zhou Yunhe, which he took a little more seriously, the other opponents were all opponents he didn't exert much of his strength for.
With nothing else to do, Han Xuanji also observed the movements of the other contestants.
Although the mirror world restricts the players' movement and prevents them from seeing the specific battle scenes of others, the elimination information is public.
After the battle, all participants can see a large light screen displaying their names.
Whenever someone is eliminated, their name fades from the screen, like a lamp blown out by the wind.
Han Xuanji glanced at it and found that Zhou Lie's name was still lit up. He didn't expect that this guy could still advance all the way from the top 32 to the top 16.
This result wasn't entirely unexpected. After all, although Zhou Lie's Dao Principle of Destruction were rough, his foundation was solid. As long as he didn't encounter any Heavenly-level seeds, making it into the top sixteen was highly probable.
Xiao Yan's name was also highlighted. The other party, using the alias " Yan Xiao," had fought his way through the rounds, even defeating a Heavenly-level seed in the previous round.
Han Xuanji looked at the name, a slight smile playing on his lips.
He knew Xiao Yan's strength; with three top-tier Dao Principles and seven superior Dao Principles, he was definitely a top-tier existence.
It's not surprising that he beat a top-tier seed.
"With Xiao Yan's strength, he might be able to meet me in the finals."
Han Xuanji secretly made his plans.
In the simulated Principle Conference, a few formidable opponents appeared, but none were as powerful as they are now.
He and Xiao Yan successfully met in the finals, and he ultimately won the championship.
But this time, things might be different.
He had observed everyone's strength and, excluding himself, there were several others who were quite formidable.
One of them was hiding his true strength. On the surface, he was a Heaven-level seed with a mediocre record, but Han Xuanji sense that he was deliberately suppressing himself in every match.
Like a sleeping beast, it only opens its eyes when necessary, and then quickly closes them again.
If Xiao Yan were to encounter him, he would probably only have a 30% chance of winning.
However, Han Xuanji didn't think too much about it.
He has figured out roughly where his strength stands.
It's fair to say that whoever encounters him is doomed.
This isn't arrogance on his part, it's a fact.
As he pondered, the light of the Heaven-Responding Mirror shone brightly once more.
The round of 16 has begun.
Han Xuanji's figure was enveloped in white light, and in the next instant, he landed on a snowfield.
The world was a vast expanse of white, with heavy snow falling and visibility extremely low.
The cold wind, carrying ice crystals, lashed against my face, bringing a bone-chilling cold.
The Spiritual Qi here is extremely thin, making it a nightmare battlefield for cultivators with limited spiritual power.
Han Xuanji stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze piercing through the snow curtain, sensing the atmosphere around him.
He quickly sensed the presence of his opponent.
He was very familiar with that aura; it carried the dual fluctuations of creation and destruction, like water and fire merging together. Though rough, it was full of power.
"An old acquaintance..."
Han Xuanji sighed softly.
"Brother Han, I didn't expect to run into you."
Zhou Lie's voice came through the wind and snow, carrying a hint of surprise, but mostly excitement.
He emerged from the snow, his figure imposing, like a moving iron tower.
His robes had several tears, marks left from previous battles, but he was full of energy, his eyes practically overflowing with fighting spirit.
Clearly, these consecutive wins have given him tremendous confidence.
Zhou Lie was unaware of Han Xuanji's battle record.
He was unaware that Han Xuanji had defeated Zhou Yunhe, a top-tier seed, with a single punch, and that Han Xuanji was being hailed by outsiders as "the biggest variable in this tournament."
After each battle, he would habitually glance at the light screen, and each time he saw that Han Xuanji's name was still lit up, he felt relieved.
If he could, he would like to personally defeat Han Xuanji and wash away the previous humiliation.
In his opinion, Han Xuanji was strong, but not exceptionally so.
After all, they're all Earth-level seeds; who can really be that much stronger than the other?
Of course, it's not surprising that if he could reach the top 16, Han Xuanji could too.
"I'm not like the opponents you've faced before."
Zhou Lie laughed heartily, his tone carrying a hint of confidence, even a touch of teasing:
"Those regional-level seeds are no match for me."
He felt that Han Xuanji was able to win quickly every time, probably because her opponents were very weak.
Han Xuanji looked at him and smiled:
"Yes, the opponents we faced before were indeed quite weak."
His tone was sincere, and there was nothing strange about it.
Zhou Lie flexed his wrist, and his joints made a cracking sound.
"Don't underestimate me. I've never let my guard down all these years! I'm more than twice as strong as I was back in the Tiger and Panther Legion's training grounds."
Han Xuanji nodded, his gaze gentle:
"Yes, I can tell."
He agreed verbally, but was thinking about something else entirely.
He Guanshan treated him well, and the thirty years of cultivation at the Creation Platform had greatly benefited him.
Zhou Lie was a promising talent cultivated by He Guanshan. If he were to punch him in front of He Guanshan, it would be somewhat disrespectful.
Han Xuanji understood the ways of the world.
"Fine, I'll exchange a few blows with him and let him lose with some dignity."
He made up his mind in his heart.
Zhou Lie could barely be considered one of their own; the other side saw him as someone to catch up with, and had long since put aside their grudges.
Outside the mirror, on a high platform.
Hun Qianxue and He Guanshan looked at each other and sighed at the same time.
"What a pity."
Hun Qianxue shook his head.
"Yes."
He Guanshan also shook his head.
He knew about Zhou Lie's progress over the years and how much he had sacrificed for this Principle Conference.
If they're lucky this round and encounter another seeded Earth-level team, they might actually go further and advance to the quarterfinals.
Unfortunately, he ran into Han Xuanji.
"That's considered a guaranteed admission for Xuanji."
He Guanshan picked up his teacup, his tone indifferent, as if he were talking about something insignificant.
"Yeah yeah."
Hun Qianxue forced a smile and echoed a couple of words, but inwardly he was secretly complaining.
Does Han Xuanji still need a guaranteed admission to university?
He felt that Han Xuanji was not afraid of anyone.
A Heavenly-level seed is nothing to him with a single punch, so a Earthly-level seed is just a piece of cake for him, right?
However, he didn't say it directly, giving He Guanshan some face.
Because of Han Xuanji, the Tiger and Panther Legion also maintained close ties with the Soul Household, further solidifying their position as city lords. Naturally, they couldn't possibly publicly criticize others.
In the stands, the audience's reactions were all the same.
" Han Xuanji versus Zhou Lie? Is there even a need for a fight?"
"Although Zhou Lie is a Earth-level seed, Han Xuanji even knocked down a Heaven-level seed with one punch. Beating him would be a piece of cake, wouldn't it?"
"A match where you crush noobs is boring. I want to see Ling Cang versus Han Xuanji; that's the real showdown!"
"Exactly! Can't this kind of race be faster?"
Discussions arose one after another, with almost no one optimistic about Zhou Lie's chances.
It's not their fault.
The residual power of Han Xuanji's punch from the previous match was still lingering; even Zhou Yunhe, a Heaven-level seed, couldn't withstand it, let alone an Earth-level seed.
This is infuriating!
Bored, everyone turned their attention to the other screens, just waiting for this "noob-stomping" game to end quickly.
Within the light screen, the two people moved.
Han Xuanji made the first move, his figure blurring and leaving behind an afterimage.
Instead of retreating, Zhou Lie advanced, gathering the power of creation and destruction in his fist, and met the attack head-on.
boom--
Their fists collided, creating a shockwave.
Zhou Lie took seven steps back.
Han Xuanji also took seven steps back.
The bored spectators in the stands were slightly taken aback.
What's going on?