After a brief session of cleaning from the inner sect disciples, the last match was to be announced.
"And now, the match that will decide everything!" Lu Changsheng began the announcement.
Wujin Ji grinned as the plan he had created came to fruition. This was going to be his trump card to win the last match!
"Will all of the winners make their way down to the arena please! Ah, except team 1!" Lu Changsheng said.
The other two instructors looked at him with odd expressions as they didn't understand what he was doing.
"What are you doing?" Lu Xin asked with his eyes narrowed.
"Yeah.. this isn't protocol." Peng Feng said as he scratched his cheek.
"Not to worry, you will understand shortly!" Lu Changsheng just replied with a blindingly confident smile.
"Right.." Peng Feng muttered as he had no choice but to allow this to happen. If it was a problem, the elders would have stopped it by now.
"What is that instructor doing?" Elder Hang looked down with a confused look on his face.
"Let's just wait and see." Elder Dong grumbled as he saw a smile on Elder Fu's face.
Lu Changsheng watched expectantly only to see two people arrive onto the arena.
He was confused but realized something he had overlooked.
"Ah.. they had intense matches, they're most likely still recuperating.."
The only people in the arena were the ones that were left on both teams and were already scheduled for this match.
"This won't do.. we need to fill more of these numbers.." Lu Changsheng said as he stroked his chin and then thought of the perfect solution.
"Peng Feng, Lu Xin, would you do me a favor and head down there as well?" Lu Changsheng said with a smirk.
"What? You dare try to command me?" Lu Xin was the first to reject it.
"Yeah, why should we listen to you?" Peng Feng said as he looked at Lu Changsheng like something he had stepped on.
"Just do it. Let's see where this leads." Elder Hong said from above and the two of them instinctively straightened their backs.
"Yes elder!" The two cupped their hands and bowed and made their way down to the arena.
"What's going on?"
"I don't know, this has never happened before.."
Confused murmurs were erupting within the crowd.
"Now that we have enough contestants, its time for the final match!" Lu Changsheng shouted.
"Ran Liu, Long Zhu, Peng Feng, and Lu Xin, versus Lu Changsheng!"
There was a momentary silence while the crowd took in the information, and then it was an eruption!
"YEAHHHHH!"
"WOOOOH!! YOU GOT THIS LU CHANGSHENG!"
"What! What is this??" Peng Feng said, annoyed.
"I didn't agree to such a match! Elder stand up for me!" Lu Xin said as he looked upwards.
No response was made.
The other two contestants couldn't be more than happy.
They stood there jovial as they had just been given extra teammates and began to decide how they would spend the elder's guidance.
"Are you sure you want to do this? This appears to be a suicide.." Elder Fu said as he looked at Lu Changsheng.
"It may appear that way, but in this past week, I've learned more than I have in years. But if I am to win, may I make a request?" Lu Changsheng asked as he bowed respectfully.
"Speak." Elder Fu said, not wanting to beat around the bush.
"I'd like to be promoted to inner disciple along with Wujin Ji." Lu Changsheng said plainly.
"What! Are you outrageous? Why would Wujin Ji be promoted?" Lu Xin butted in.
"Oh I forgot to mention, I was demoted a while ago and hes been the instructor, meaning if I win, he will be promoted automatically!" Lu Changsheng said with a smile.
"..." The area was left in silence.
"Ahem.. I agree to your request, but if you take a fatal attack, do not expect me to save you." Elder Fu said, surprisingly agreeing.
Wujin Ji then took Lu Changsheng's place to the crowd's confusion.
"Hello everyone, I am the instructor for team 1 and I will be taking over for Lu Changsheng!" Wujin Ji said, amplifying his voice with qi.
"BOOO! WE WANT LU CHANGSHENG!" somebody in the crowd yelled out.
"Isn't seeing him fight firsthand better than just watching him help announce things?" Wujin Ji sighed.
"Anyway, take your places guys, let's get this over with! I've got a foundation to work on!" Wujin Ji said with an impatient look on his face.
"Elder Fu.. is that kid going to be okay? I remember he was a favorite of yours amongst the outer sect disciples.." Elder Hang asked while feigning worry.
"I think he will prove to surprise me. That Wujin Ji fellow has done such things himself repeatedly. In fact, I may be arrogant enough to offer a bet with you two fellow elders, hohoho!" Elder Fu laughed, much to the shock of Elder Hang and Elder Dong.
"I refuse. While this seems like a favorable deal for us, its too sketchy." Elder Dong said without even putting on airs.
"I think this is interesting.. What are the stakes?" Elder Hang accepted.
"If Lu Changsheng loses, I will give you my Draconic Essence." Elder Fu said as he narrowed his eyes.
Elder Hang jumped in shock!
"Draconic Essence! That's a treasure that could allow me to break through from my Peak of Core Formation into the legendary nascent soul stage!" Elder Hang thought as his eyes bulged out of their sockets.
"This is a generous reward! What will I lose?"
"If Lu Changsheng wins.. I would like for you to give 2000 high tier spirit stones to Wujin Ji!"
".. For the Draconic Essence, this price is low. I'll agree to it!" Elder Hang was confident that Lu Changsheng had no way of winning.
On top of the recruits, he has to fight two instructors of the peak of Qi Refining while being the same realm? There's no way!
Elder Dong however, did not believe things were as simple as they looked.
"I'm not going to let you just take advantage of Elder Hang.." he thought as he began to use his consciousness to direct a few things behind the scenes..
Lu Changsheng took a deep breath and focused.
He thought about what Wujin Ji had taught him these past couple of days.
Of course, he had the intent training as well, but this path didn't lead him to enlightenment like the others, nor did it speak to him.
He focused primarily on learning precision, control, and understanding.
Lu Changsheng then took a battle stance and an aura erupted from him that made the two lower cultivators shudder.
"So this is the peak of qi refining.." Ran Liu muttered and changed strategies internally.
"This Lu Changsheng seems to have gained mastery over his control.. I see why Elder Fu was so confident, but I don't believe such a simple tactic would warrant him to win!" Elder Dong thought as he observed Lu Changsheng.
"I'd love to see what makes you so cocky!" Peng Feng yelled as an inferno began to emanate off of his body.
The flames danced around off of his body but did not burn his flesh, seemingly tamed.
"Using a family's technique within a sect tournament. What a beautiful strayegy.." Dang Wong mocked.
"Says the one who definitely didn't learn a technique by illegal means.." Peng Feng retorted with a glare.
"No comment." Dang Wong replied.
Lu Xin brandished a pair of dual daggers that dripped an ominous liquid.
Ran Liu had a long spear and Long Zhu held a halberd.
"One focusing on combat qi techniques, one assassin type, and two mid rage attackers." Lu Changsheng noted.
They have a decent team, they were only missing a supporter and a long range qi attacker to be a true force!
"Its a good thing the two mid range attackers are not even in the qi Refining stage, so I will mostly have to focus on the combat qi type and the assassin. The assassin will likely only attack within openings, while the combat qi type will create said openings. Alright." Lu Changsheng analyzed the battlefield and organized a plan in his head.
The first to launch an attack was Peng Feng, rushing forward with an inferno enshrouding his fists like massive gauntlets, he punched forward at Lu Changsheng!
While Lu Changsheng was dealing with the frontal assault, Lu Xin disintegrated into the ground as if he was made of black sludge.
The other two, knowing their minimal strength chose to assist with the openings their seniors made and waited for an opportunity.
Lu Changsheng's eyes flickered as he observed Peng Feng approaching with his attack and as Peng Feng began to throw a punch forward, he used Qi Sense to increase his ability to see.
He watched as Peng Feng's muscles contracted and his joints creaked forward.
As he threw the punch, Lu Changsheng span around and used the tip of his finger and pushed Peng Feng's elbow while utilizing the momentum and Peng Feng's force against him.
Peng Feng, without even knowing what was coming, had punched himself in the face and knocked him back!
Lu Xin jumped forward appearing out of the ground and was readying a upward slash with his daggers encoated, not with poison, but his own qi!
Lu Changsheng moved his Qi to his joints to speed up his reaction time and jumped into a backflip, kicking Lu Xin's chin, knocking him back to the floor as well.
The halberd and spear user didn't allow Lu Changsheng to move forward and capitalize on their seniors states and began to take turns attacking and retreating.
Lu Changsheng didn't waste any strength on the two, maintaining his qi sense and concentrating his qi onto the tip of his fingers, easily deflecting every attack they threw at him.
This flurry attacks gave Peng Feng and Lu Xin enough time to recover and they were not happy with being toyed with.
"It seems we've taken him too lightly. We can't afford to hold back our strength!" Peng Feng yelled and abundant qi erupted from him.
The arena floor trembled from Peng Feng's qi eruption, the flames condensing into the vague form of a crimson beast. Its maw opened wide, heat distorting the air so violently that even the protective formations around the arena flickered.
"This is Peng Feng's Blazing Beast Manifestation!" someone in the crowd shouted in awe.
At the same time, Lu Xin's dual daggers trembled in his hands. The waves of dark qi extended further with every breath, forming writhing tendrils of shadowed blades. Each step he took left shallow cuts on the stone as if the stone itself was being shaved away.
"That's not normal poison qi anymore," Elder Hang muttered, narrowing his eyes. "That boy fused his shadow technique into his blade arts… clever."
Elder Fu only chuckled. "It's wasted against him."
Lu Changsheng steadied his breathing, unmoving as both opponents unleashed their strongest forms. His qi sense stretched, each flicker of flame, each ripple of shadow, becoming threads in a vast tapestry of movement.
"Beast at the front. Daggers from the flank. Mid-range cover to prevent retreat." His thoughts were calm, precise. "A beautiful plan, but…"
He raised one finger.
"… it has too many inherent flaws."
Peng Feng roared, charging forward as the flaming beast surged alongside him. At that exact instant, Lu Xin blurred, his daggers splitting into phantom waves as he dove from the side.
The halberd and spear users struck in sync, closing every avenue.
The crowd gasped and then erupted in shock.
Lu Changsheng's body shimmered faintly, splitting into afterimages. Peng Feng's flaming beast cleaved through an illusion, flames bursting apart uselessly. Lu Xin's daggers slashed through three more images, each one dissolving into sparks.
Only the faint sound of a footstep remained behind them.
"Behind!" Peng Feng's instincts screamed, but it was too late.
Lu Changsheng's palm tapped lightly against his spine. Qi surged, not destructive, but precise, destabilizing his meridians.
Peng Feng coughed blood and fell forward, his beast manifestation shattering into scattered embers.
"Peng Feng downed again?!" The disciples roared in disbelief.
Lu Xin spun with lightning speed, his daggers howling like tidal waves. But Lu Changsheng had already shifted, his movements like water flowing through cracks.
A single flick of his finger struck the side of one dagger, redirecting the shadow qi back into its wielder.
Lu Xin's face paled as his own energy rebounded against his arm.
"You…" he hissed, trying to stabilize, but a sharp kick to his wrist sent the dagger flying into the arena floor where it buried itself halfway to the hilt.
The two mid-range fighters froze, their weapons trembling as they realized just how easily their seniors were dismantled.
Above, Elder Dong clenched his jaw. "His movements… that's not something you learn in a few days. What in the heavens has that boy been studying?"
Wujin Ji smiled and shouted "The two attacked once more, and failing! It seems the one with the stronger foundation has done it again!"
"You two have taken me too lightly. Let me remind you of a fact. Have you seen me use any of my combat techniques yet?" Lu Changsheng said with a smirk as he changed his stance.
Lu Xin and Peng Feng had just gotten back up once more but felt a chill go down their spines.
"Ocean Above The Heavens." Lu Changsheng said as a large wave of Qi appeared behind him and began to rush towards the group attacking him like a tsunami!
The wave rushes forward, the two younger contestants had no opposition against such force and were easily swept away, even losing their weapons in the attack!
And the attack didn't stop there, the wave was made of particles of qi, eroding you once you entered it, if your defenses weren't strong enough, it wasnt strange to die by being eaten away.
Lu Xin hid by once more entering the shadows in the ground while Peng Feng attempted to use his flames to shoot himself into the sky, he could not reach higher than the wave that was approaching and was too swept away!
"How could he use such an attack with that high of a consumption and not be out of qi?" Elder Hang wondered but noticed something strange.
It seemed like most of the waves were illusions and only the ones that were actively attacking the other contenders were real qi!
"So that's it.. he's being highly efficient with his usage!" Elder Hang realized as he began to sweat.
However, unbeknownst to everyone, Elder Dong had sent a disciple near the arena, and dropped a object into a shadow..
The object Elder Dong had dropped shimmered faintly, swallowed by the darkness where Lu Xin had vanished. None in the stands noticed, the crowd was still roaring from the impact of the Ocean Above the Heavens.
Inside the shadow realm, Lu Xin felt a sudden pulse of foreign qi merge with his own. His eyes widened as his daggers, still trembling from the rebound, began to drink in the essence.
The shadow waves thickened, transforming into a writhing domain that threatened to blot out even Lu Changsheng's presence.
"This… this isn't my strength…" he muttered, shocked but unwilling to let the opportunity slip.
Back in the arena, Lu Changsheng stood tall, the remnants of his tsunami dissolving into the air like morning mist. His breathing was steady, his aura unchanged, but his eyes narrowed as the ground beneath him shivered unnaturally.
"Mm. So, someone thinks this is a game of numbers." His tone carried no panic, only cold analysis.
The arena floor split open as shadows surged upward like an ocean of black tendrils, filling the sky and swallowing the light.
From within, Lu Xin emerged, his entire body veiled in a shroud of living darkness. His daggers had grown longer, sharper, and infinitely more vicious, the qi within them now corrupted with the foreign qi Elder Dong had planted.
"Impossible!" one disciple gasped. "That strength is beyond Qi Refining!"
Elder Fu's smile faded slightly as his sharp eyes tracked the anomaly. "So. That old fox Dong couldn't resist meddling."
Elder Hang blinked, not understanding. "What? You mean this sudden surge—"
"Yes," Elder Fu cut in, voice like iron. "This isn't the boy's power. It's borrowed. Forced."
Elder Dong didn't refute and just shrugged his shoulders and crossed his arms.
Down below, Peng Feng crawled out of the fading wave, coughing blood, his flames dim but not extinguished. When he looked up and saw Lu Xin's monstrous form, he clenched his fists in despair.
"Tch… even I can't compare to that now."
But Lu Changsheng's expression didn't shift. If anything, his smirk deepened.
"Borrowed strength only blinds you to your own weakness."
He stepped forward.
The entire arena shook, not from qi eruption, but from the sheer precision of his intent.
The shadows wavered slightly, as though even they feared being dissected by his control.
"Qi Refining peak… versus false power."
The crowd held its breath.
Lu Xin shrieked, unleashing a barrage of dagger strikes, each slash birthing rivers of shadow that converged from all directions. It was no longer swordplay, but an entire world collapsing onto Lu Changsheng.
"Die!"
The shadow daggers rained down like the wrath of heaven.
"Such borrowed power leads to a shaky foundation, how will Lu Changsheng deal with this?!" Wujin Ji shouted, fully enjoying his role as an announcer.
Lu Changsheng made a simple move.
He channeled all of his qi into one point on his finger tip, and orb began to appear at the end of it.
And just as the shadows were approaching the Qi shot out and hit Lu Xin's forehead!
This did not pierce through or anything of the sort, it left a deep bruise and Lu Xin fell back and went unconscious!
Lu Changsheng struggled himself to stay up as he had just emptied his qi reserves, the tip of his finger was blown off from the technique he used.
"I give up!" Peng Feng shouted, seeing Lu Changsheng's display of power and the rest of the disciples agreed.
"The battle is over!" Wujin Ji shouted and cheers erupted throughout the arena!
Lu Changsheng sighed out of relief, he may not have won if they knew he had just exhausted the rest of his strength!