The referee couldn't help but shake his head in regret upon hearing Tang Qin utter the words "I concede."
If Tang Qin had won this match, it would not only have been a beautiful story within the special special forces but might even have forged a legend.
However, the final outcome still failed to break this established norm.
"Ring 38, Round of 16 to Quarterfinals, the victor is Yuwen Xiang!"
As the referee announced the final result, a wave of cheers erupted from the audience below.
"As expected! The strength of the late Foundation Establishment stage is still an insurmountable gap for those in the early Foundation Establishment stage!"
"Although I feel a bit sorry for Tang Qin, it's an undeniable fact that Yuwen Xiang was superior!"
"For cultivators, cultivation is still the fundamental. No matter how strong martial skills are, without cultivation to support them, they are merely flashy, empty displays!"
Hearing the discussions below, coupled with the referee raising his victorious arm, Yuwen Xiang felt exceptionally pleased.
However, just as he was immersed in the joy of victory, Tang Qin, the loser, walked off the stage as if nothing had happened.
This scene left Yuwen Xiang utterly shocked!
He could hardly believe that Tang Qin, who just moments ago was almost unable to move due to exhaustion, could have recovered to such an extent in such a short time.
This ability was something he couldn't achieve even if he tried his hardest.
"Could it be that she possesses high-grade recovery pills? If this wasn't a rookie arena match, but actual combat, wouldn't I then..."
Yuwen Xiang grew increasingly alarmed as he thought about it.
If everything was as he had imagined, then in the situation where both of them had lost their combat effectiveness, he would have been the one to lose.
"Not simple! This woman is definitely not simple!"
While Yuwen Xiang was making his judgment about Tang Qin in his mind, Tang Qin, on the other side, spotted Han Lang and the other two in the crowd of spectators.
"Why did you guys come over so quickly? Don't you all have matches to fight?"
Tang Geng replied with a light smile, "We finished ours long ago, so we came to watch you. This fight was very exciting!"
Hearing Tang Geng's praise, Tang Qin became a little embarrassed. Her face flushed slightly as she replied,
"Not at all! I lost, so what's exciting about it? By the way, did you all advance?"
Hearing this question, Han Lang replied first.
"I was lucky, I encountered a cultivator of similar strength, and it was over in just a few moves!"
Tang Geng followed suit, "My situation was similar! I won with almost no suspense!"
Upon hearing the news of their advancement, Tang Qin felt an immediate imbalance.
"What about you, Ma Long. Did you advance too?"
Ma Long grinned sheepishly.
"Hehe... I was even luckier! I drew the only opponent left in the top sixteen whose strength was just past the middle Foundation Establishment stage. So, I acted decisively and finished him off quickly!"
Tang Qin's eyes widened at this, she could hardly believe what Ma Long was saying was true.
After all, in terms of cultivation, spiritual artifacts, or even martial skills, Ma Long was in no way superior to her.
Yet, at this very moment, Ma Long had incredibly good luck and successfully advanced to the top eight, while she was sadly eliminated.
This made her feel even more unbalanced.
"No way? How can you guys be so lucky? It turns out I was the only one who encountered a late Foundation Establishment cultivator! Isn't this too unfair?"
Seeing Tang Qin pout and complain, Han Lang and the other two couldn't help but burst into laughter. However, they quickly offered words of comfort.
"Don't be upset! Although you lost this match, you've also made a name for yourself!"
"Exactly! And even if others don't know, we do! If it weren't for the fact that the rookie arena match doesn't allow for spiritual energy replenishment, you, with the aid of spirit gathering pills, wouldn't be no match for that Yuwen Xiang!"
"So, even though you stopped at the quarterfinals, you at least fought a satisfying battle and thoroughly understood your limits. This loss is not a loss!"
After listening to the three's comfort, Tang Qin pondered for a moment and felt that it made a lot of sense.
"That makes sense, that makes sense. Using Yuwen Xiang's strength as a reference, I estimate that it shouldn't be a problem for me to defeat an opponent with a mid-grade spiritual artifact and a mid-level Profound tier martial skill by crossing two stages!"
"Exactly! We've only learned the first level of our Heaven-tier martial skills and techniques. The further we go, the greater the power will be. Then, the greater the rank difference we can overcome! So, you don't need to be sad about this at all!"
After listening to Ma Long's analysis, Tang Qin's heart finally opened up. At the same time, Tang Geng chimed in,
"Based on my guess, even though you stopped at the quarterfinals, advancing to the top ten should not be a problem. Think about it, a cultivator in the early Foundation Establishment stage reaching the top ten in the rookie arena match is still impressive, right?"
Upon hearing this, Tang Qin even started to feel a little smug.
"That's true! In that case, I'll have to make do with a slightly lower position this time, settling for below Ma Long. But Ma Long, don't get too complacent, you know, even if the two of us were to fight, I'd still have a higher win rate! Hehe..."
Ma Long not only wasn't annoyed by this but went along with it.
"That's right, that's right! For martial skills of the same level, your strength is greater than mine, and the grade of your spiritual artifact is two levels higher than mine. If it weren't for luck, I would definitely be below you!"
Hearing these flattering words, Tang Qin was instantly overjoyed.
"Alright! Then it's up to you guys next! Han Lang, you and Tang Geng should be able to advance to the semifinals no matter what, right? When selecting team members, you can't leave me behind!"
Tang Geng was quite straightforward.
"That's for sure! Even setting aside our past experiences fighting side-by-side, just speaking of our blood relation, I, as the elder brother, must take care of my sister. However, what if a higher-ranked comrade insists on choosing someone else, then we can't do anything about it, can we?"
Tang Geng's words made Tang Qin and Ma Long feel a little sad, only Han Lang was indifferent.
"I think we don't need to worry about that. As long as we win the championship in the arena match, everything will be resolved smoothly."
Tang Geng was somewhat shocked.
"Brother Han Lang, are you really aiming for the championship in the arena match? Regardless, I don't think I have that ability!"
Han Lang smiled meaningfully, not giving Tang Geng a direct answer, but speaking ambiguously.
"Hehe... People should always have more confidence in themselves. Whether we ultimately win this championship or not, we shouldn't lose our goals and ideals, right?"
Han Lang's tone was somewhat playful, but Tang Qin and Ma Long took it seriously.
"But I heard that among our current batch of rookies, there are Golden Core stage cultivators! If that's the case, wouldn't it be too difficult to compete for the championship?"
"Yes! The Golden Core stage and the Foundation Establishment stage are, after all, a significant leap. Aren't such opponents a bit too strong?"
Hearing this, Han Lang's lips curled slightly, and he softly hummed.
"Golden Core stage only, is it that scary?"