Xiong Zhuangzhuang stared at his fist, a look of astonishment on his face. He hadn't even felt much resistance before shattering the seemingly terrifying phantom.
What trick was Xu Yi playing now?
Xiong Zhuangzhuang was not the only one shocked. Everyone was surprised that the highly anticipated move turned out to be an empty show of force, all for appearances.
Chen Tao's jaw nearly dropped to the floor.
"This, this, it shouldn't be like this."
Long Haotian and Wang Yi'an did not reply, their eyes filled with thought.
Xu Yi must have a purpose in doing this. What was it?
In a flash, a faint light suddenly emerged from the void, slamming into Xiong Zhuangzhuang's waist and abdomen with incredible speed.
*Bang!*
Xiong Zhuangzhuang was sent flying, tumbling several times in mid-air before stopping. The grey-green light in his eyes had faded, and his face was filled with disbelief.
This was the first time he had ever been forcibly awakened from his beastial state.
But upon remembering it was Xu Yi, he found it surprisingly not that difficult to accept.
He landed on his feet and shouted loudly at Xu Yi on the competition stage, "You won, but next time, that's not guaranteed."
Xu Yi slowly spun the disciplining ruler in her hand, her spirited eyebrows raised slightly, a smile on her lips, her voice crisp.
"Speak again when you win."
At this moment, all the brilliant light in the sky seemed to converge on her, effortlessly capturing everyone's attention.
From afar, Long Haotian felt his heart pounding like a drum. A strange yet overwhelming emotion surged through him, drying his throat and making his eyes sting.
Yin Li stared blankly at Xu Yi on the competition stage.
The same look of admiration and praise she had when she first met Xu Yi reappeared in her eyes.
She suddenly found her own inexplicable hostility towards Xu Yi ridiculous.
Her own dark thoughts seemed utterly tarnished in comparison to Xu Yi.
The faint aura of malevolence that had clung to her gradually dissipated. A bright smile lit up her beautiful face, and even the bottleneck she had been unable to break through showed signs of movement.
Yin Li understood this was a reward for overcoming her inner demons.
After a moment of silence, the entire venue erupted in thunderous applause and cheers.
This was the most spectacular match they had ever witnessed.
Xu Yi's name emerged with an overwhelming presence, and everyone participating in this grand competition would remember it.
From the Xuanji Sect's direction.
Elder Qingfeng couldn't stop smiling, especially when he felt the envious and jealous glances from the other old fellows around him. He was exceptionally proud, as if it were he, not Xu Yi, standing on the competition stage.
After walking off the stage, Xu Yi barely had time to catch her breath before facing the fifth round, the final points match of the day.
In this round, her opponent was Xiao Qi, a lay disciple from the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect.
From his first day at the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect, Xiao Qi had been practicing staff techniques, even sleeping with his spiritual artifact every night.
Thrust, sweep, swing, stab, chop.
The staff was like a living thing in his hands.
However, his strength was still slightly inferior to Xiong Zhuangzhuang and Hong Jing. Against Xu Yi, he had no chance of winning.
Half an incense stick later, he was swept off the competition stage by Xu Yi's ruler.
Having won five consecutive matches, Xu Yi showed no excessive excitement. Instead, an indescribable fatigue settled upon her.
After these five matches, she had hardly had a moment to rest properly. Now, almost every muscle in her body was screaming, reminding her of the excessive strain.
Xu Yi forced herself to maintain a façade of composure as she walked off the stage. Upon reaching Elder Qingfeng's side, she grabbed his chair to prevent herself from collapsing onto the ground.
"Hoo."
Xu Yi let out a soft breath, grateful she hadn't embarrassed herself in front of everyone.
After a moment of calming herself, she glanced at the other ongoing matches and, after a word with Elder Qingfeng, hurried back to rest. Tomorrow was the finals, and she needed to conserve her strength.
By the time Lu Zaiye came down from his match, Xu Yi was long gone.
Elder Qingfeng walked up to him and winked, "Five wins out of five, not bad."
Lu Zaiye's eyes remained lowered; he did not reply.
Elder Qingfeng wasn't bothered and said teasingly, "Need me to give you a hand?"
Lu Zaiye cast him a cold glance, straightened his back, and walked past him.
With the five points matches concluded, the audience had a good understanding of the top ten disciples in this competition. As they dispersed, they continued to discuss the participants' performances.
Among them, Xu Yi and Bei Xinghan's names appeared most frequently, with everyone certain that the championship would be decided between the two.
Although Lu Zaiye's performance was also astonishing, the difference in cultivation levels led most to place their bets on Xu Yi and Bei Xinghan.
However, as night fell and the moon hung high, Xu Yi, her face concealed, sneaked with Pu Tao to the makeshift casino set up by the Treasure Gathering Tower within the Ten Thousand Buddhas Sect.
Although this casino was temporary, it was as spacious as several competition stages. Inside, it was brightly lit and crowded, and Xu Yi saw many familiar faces.
She followed the familiar Pu Tao to the most crowded area.
In the center were two large wooden signs, one labeled Bei Xinghan and the other Xu Yi. Between them stood a short-bearded middle-aged man, shouting loudly.
"Those betting on Xu Yi, place your bets in the left box, odds are 1.1 to 1. Those betting on Bei Xinghan, place your bets in the right box, odds are 1.2 to 1."
Someone in the crowd immediately complained, "These odds are too low."
"Exactly!"
"Is Treasure Gathering Tower going to back out?"
Pu Tao also whispered into Xu Yi's ear, "The odds are too low, we can't make a huge profit this time."
Xu Yi frowned upon hearing this. She had brought all her spirit stones, intending to bet them all on herself to earn a fortune, only to find the odds so low.
At this moment, she truly understood the benefit of holding back previously.
Seeing the crowd's discontent, the middle-aged man quickly explained, "Esteemed guests, while Treasure Gathering Tower welcomes all, we do not conduct business at a loss.
Discerning individuals can see that the top spot in this competition will likely be decided between these two, hence the odds.
If you are unsatisfied, you may choose to bet on others, perhaps yielding unexpected gains."
Upon hearing this, everyone shook their heads like a rolling wave.
Betting on these two still offered a fifty-fifty chance of winning, while betting on anyone else would be a sure loss.
But these two were exceptionally outstanding; who should they bet on?
As everyone debated, Xu Yi had already pulled Pu Tao towards other betting tables.
Such a large casino wouldn't possibly have only one betting option.
"Ranking of the top three contenders in this grand competition?"
Xu Yi stopped at a gambling table. The name of the bet was written above the table, and many empty wooden plaques were placed on it.
Xu Yi's eyes darted around, and she asked with interest, "How does this bet work?"