Chapter 48: The dancing cultivator
The crowd was waiting to see who would fight Li Ming next. After the shouting guy from before, everyone thought things couldn’t get stranger. They were wrong.
A man in shiny golden robes jumped onto the stage. His hair was so oily it shone like a mirror. He twirled, spun around, and struck a pose.
"I am Zhao Feng, the Dancing Cultivator!" he shouted. "Every move I make is art!"
The crowd burst into laughter. Some clapped, some whistled, and some groaned. One disciple muttered, "Not him again... last time he danced for ten minutes and fainted on his own."
Li Ming stared. "Wait... I’m fighting a dancer? Not a cultivator?"
Zhao Feng pointed at him and spun again. "Not just a dancer! A warrior of elegance!"
The referee waved his hand. "Begin!"
Zhao Feng slid across the ground like he was skating on ice. He waved his arms like he was swimming. Then he leapt into the air and spun like a wheel.
"Lotus Step!" he yelled.
His foot missed Li Ming by a mile. Instead, he crashed into the floor with a loud BANG. Dust flew everywhere.
Li Ming scratched his head. "Uh... are you practicing breakdance?"
The audience roared with laughter. Even the elders had trouble keeping a straight face.
Zhao Feng jumped up quickly and posed again. "Ha! That was only part of my performance!"
He twirled three times, rushed forward, and threw a punch. It looked beautiful, but when it landed on Li Ming’s arm, it was softer than a pillow.
Li Ming tilted his head. "That’s it? My little sister hits harder than this."
The crowd went wild. Some disciples fell off their seats from laughing.
But Zhao Feng wasn’t done. He spun again, sleeves flying, and shouted, "Now... the attack of love!" He blew a kiss at Li Ming.
Li Ming nearly choked. "What the—don’t throw kisses at me!"
Some junior sisters squealed, "So handsome!" But most people laughed until their stomachs hurt.
Li Ming covered his face. "I didn’t join a tournament to be courted by a human peacock."
Zhao Feng ignored him and leapt high into the air, spinning faster than before. "Ultimate Move! Heavenly Ballet!"
For one second, it looked amazing. Then he lost control. He spun too far, flew past Li Ming, and bounced across the stage like a rolling dumpling.
BOING! BOING! BOING!
Finally, he stopped, dizzy and flat on the floor. His hair was a mess, his robe tangled, and his eyes were spinning.
Li Ming poked him with a finger. "Hey... you alive?"
Zhao Feng weakly raised a hand. "It... was all part of the dance..." Then he fainted.
The referee raised his hand. "Winner, Li Ming!"
The crowd cheered like crazy. Some shouted, "Encore! Encore!"
Li Ming waved his hands. "No encore! I’ll go crazy if he starts dancing again!"
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Bonus Bit
That night, Li Ming walked back to his room. Suddenly, soft music filled the hallway.
He turned the corner. Zhao Feng was there, spinning slowly in the moonlight.
"Li Ming," Zhao Feng whispered, "one day... we will dance again."
Li Ming turned around and left without a word. "Nope. Not doing this. I’d rather fight chickens forever."
To be continued...