Slowly recovering from his shock, Wang Yan rubbed his cheeks, trying to shake off the bitter smile that he couldn't erase.
It seems that things have come to this point, and he is truly going to be eliminated.
but...
The thought lingered in his mind for a moment before Wang Yan erased it. Instead, he rallied himself, straightened his spirits, and gazed at the stage with great enthusiasm.
Even if he were to lose, he would never admit defeat, nor would he back down before the battle even begins!
Gripping his sword tightly, Wang Yan stepped onto the arena step by step, showing no fear.
When Wang Yan stepped onto the stage, the crowd below looked on with pity and regret.
"What a pity... He was just a few games away from reaching the third round, but he was defeated here."
"If he hadn't encountered Li Jing'an, with his strength, he would have had no hope of making it into the top ten, but advancing to the third round wouldn't have been a big problem. What a pity."
"It's really pitiful to run into Li Jing'an. Hopefully, he'll be able to walk off the stage standing up."
Not many people paid attention to Wang Yan, but Li Jing'an's reputation spread far and wide, attracting a lot of attention to this duel.
Especially after people noticed that Wang Yan was only at the Earth Profound Realm Fifth Layer, even more people sympathized with him.
This isn't a matter of whether they're optimistic or not; it's a battle on completely different levels.
Li Jing'an was famous, but not for his virtue; rather, for his infamy!
He was a sinister and ruthless man; those who fought him were often injured, and most of his opponents were either killed or maimed...
Relying on his status, he has always been unscrupulous and disregards everyone.
On the stage, when Li Jing'an saw Wang Yan walk up, a morbid excitement flashed in his eyes, completely ruining his barely presentable appearance.
Without giving a warning, Li Jing'an made his move.
The attack was fierce, the heavy sword aimed straight at Wang Yan's face, as if a thousand horses were galloping down on him!
"Kneel down before this young master!"
A loud roar revealed Li Jing'an's thoughts.
Wang Yan gritted his teeth and raised his hand to defend himself.
The two clashed, and the point where their weapons met sent ripples of Spiritual Power through the air. Wang Yan was slammed into the arena, his body sinking a significant portion of its height with a thud!
But he held on.
Everyone was stunned, including Li Jing'an.
No one expected that Wang Yan could actually block this attack, including him, considering that there was a whole realm difference between the two of them.
He was at the Heavenly Profound Realm, while Wang Yan was only at the Earth Profound Realm Fifth Layer.
Failing to defeat Wang Yan in one move made him feel somewhat embarrassed.
Li Jing'an's expression turned grim. His first attack failed, so he swung his heavy sword away, unleashing a barrage of attacks like a whirlwind.
Jingle bells!
The two fought fiercely and intensely in the ring, silencing and astonishing everyone present.
A full quarter of an hour passed, and although Wang Yan's body was covered in tiny wounds, he was still undefeated!
That's a difference of a whole level!
Li Jing'an stared at Wang Yan, who was covered in small wounds, his eyes growing increasingly sinister.
"Good! Good! Good! You can withstand that much? Then I'll see if you can take this hit!"
As soon as he finished speaking, a bad feeling rose in Wang Yan's heart.
Before Wang Yan could do anything, Li Jing'an's crazed face suddenly loomed large in front of him, and his large hand slammed down.
boom!
Wang Yan's defenses were completely shattered, and he fell uncontrollably towards the edge of the arena.
But how could Li Jing'an let him off so easily?
Just as Wang Yan was about to fall off the stage, he exerted his strength again, his pupils constricted by blood vessels, and the martial arts phantom that had previously lost its momentum surged again, striking Wang Yan's chest fiercely!
"Puff!!"
At the critical moment, Wang Yan gritted his teeth and moved his body to dodge the attack, but the force had already dissipated, and the aftershocks still lingered. He was caught in the shockwave and coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Thump!
Completely exhausted, Wang Yan collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from his mouth.
Su Lianxin and the others stood up and looked at Li Jing'an, who was laughing arrogantly on the stage, their eyes filled with barely concealed anger!
Fairy Cold Moon was even more enraged and spoke out in anger.
"In a friendly spar, it's best to stop when the point is reached. Why resort to such viciousness!"
On stage, Li Jing'an let out a cold snort, completely ignoring the resentment of others.
Although he had defeated Wang Yan, his expression was still not very good.
Facing Wang Yan, who was several realms lower than him, he actually had to use all his strength to defeat him. This was a disgrace to him!
"On the dueling arena, swords and spears have no eyes. Even if someone dies, it's because they were outmatched. They have no one to blame but themselves for being too weak!"
Su Lianxin, who was helping Wang Yan back, paused, her eyes filled with icy coldness.
Remember what you said.
After leaving those words, Su Lianxin led Wang Yan back to Lin Xuan's side.
Looking at the pitiful Wang Yan, he showed a hint of worry.
"Junior brother, how are you?"
The other disciples of the Jade Balance Sword Palace also gathered nearby, their eyes filled with worry.
Although Wang Yan lost, they had long recognized Wang Yan strength and were even more moved and impressed by Wang Yan perseverance.
They asked themselves honestly, and realized that none of them could have lasted even half a quarter of an hour if they had been in Wang Yan's shoes on stage.
After all, the difference in their levels of understanding is simply too great...
But Wang Yan, with a cultivation level comparable to theirs, managed to hold out against Li Jing'an was at the Heavenly Profound Realm, for so long.
They even forced out the opponent's trump card!
This cannot be simply described by the word "genius".
As for Li Jing'an...
The ruthlessness with which they pursue and kill those who have fallen out of the ring is chilling.
"Senior Sister... Master..."
Wang Yan, who was brought back, gritted his teeth and forced himself to stand up. He bowed to Lin Xuan, but still couldn't help but tear up.
"Master, I have disappointed you. I... I am useless..."
Although he was prepared to lose, he never expected to lose so miserably.
Lin Xuan waved his hand, stopping Wang Yan from continuing.
With a wave of his hand, a stream of Spiritual Power entered Wang Yan's body. His breathing visibly became calmer, his complexion improved significantly, and his injuries were instantly healed.
"This isn't your fault," Lin Xuan reassured her.
"You've done very well, there's no need to blame yourself. Your teacher has seen it all."
" Li Jing'an's strength is such that he could easily compete for a spot in the top ten, let alone the top twenty. You've done your best to force him to use his full strength."
These words weren't Lin Xuan saying to comfort Wang Yan.
Given the vast difference in their cultivation levels, and considering that Wang Yan, despite possessing the Nine Netherworlds Netherflame Physique, didn't yet understand how to utilize it, his defeat was entirely expected.
If Wang Yan can Nine Netherworlds Nether Flame Physique to the point of mastery, even with such a large difference in cultivation level, Wang Yan will have the strength to fight, and may even be able to defeat Li Jing'an.
Ultimately, however, the only one to blame is Wang Yan's bad luck; he encountered Li Jing'an before the third round.
Otherwise, things wouldn't have come to this...
Su Lianxin breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Wang Yan was alright.
She didn't say anything to comfort Wang Yan, but her beautiful eyes were fixed on Li Jing'an on the stage.
This person actually dared to be so ruthless towards her junior brother!
As they talked, the match on the stage continued, and Li Jing'an had already drawn his next opponent.
He glanced at it only once before speaking arrogantly.
"Who is Su Lianxin? Come up on stage!"
Upon hearing this, Su Lianxin paused slightly and turned to look at the name flashing on the spirit tablet.
Above it was Li Jing'an's image of Su Lianxin!
In an instant, Su Lianxin turned cold, and a cruel smile curled at the corner of her lips.
What a coincidence... This isn't it.