The opponent, not noticing his predicament, immediately chose to surrender. Like the others, he too was terrified by Su Fan, but primarily by the fear of death.
Su Fan had already extended his sword, so when the other party conceded, he could only withdraw.
Su Fan emerged victorious and returned to the lounge to await the outcomes of other matches.
From the initial fifty participants, ten remained. They would then proceed to a five-person free-for-all, with the final two advancing to the ultimate showdown to determine the champion of this arena.
With nothing to do, Su Fan decided to visit the other arenas. Time was still plentiful, and he only needed to ensure he didn't miss his next match.
There were ten arenas in total, each with a different environment. Su Fan wasn't there to spectate other matches; he was hoping to find Long Jianye.
If Long Jianye was also a player like himself, he would likely have a similar main quest, ultimately leading him to participate in the martial arts tournament.
Of course, this was merely Su Fan's speculation; their quests might differ.
Su Fan toured each arena one by one but found no trace of Long Jianye.
After the first round of elimination, the number of participants had significantly reduced, yet Long Jianye was nowhere to be seen among them.
This didn't definitively mean Long Jianye wasn't present. Perhaps he had already finished his matches and was resting in the lounge.
Su Fan gained no new information, but he did encounter some acquaintances.
He met Long Tengfei, the Sect Master of Baiyue Villa.
Competitions of this caliber were beyond the reach of disciples like Long Die; their strength was too insufficient. Only Sect Masters and Elders were eligible.
Long Tengfei recognized Su Fan. He had personally interrogated Su Fan regarding the matter with Long Die.
"Su Fan?"
Long Tengfei expressed considerable surprise upon seeing Su Fan.
After all, anyone still present at this stage possessed considerable strength.
Su Fan took a closer look at Long Tengfei, now able to see his level.
Long Tengfei (Boss)
Level: 59
Health: ???
A level 59 boss!
As expected of the Sect Master of Baiyue Villa, his level was likely sufficient to instantly kill everyone present.
"Sect Master,"
Su Fan respectfully addressed Long Tengfei.
Although he had left Baiyue Villa, he had once been a disciple, albeit for only a few days.
Long Tengfei nodded, pleased with Su Fan's demeanor.
"Your strength is commendable; you haven't disgraced Baiyue Villa."
Long Tengfei offered Su Fan a compliment.
Su Fan inwardly scoffed.
I only stayed in your villa for a few days; what connection do I have with Baiyue Villa?
"It is all thanks to the Sect Master's guidance that this disciple has achieved what he has today."
Su Fan knew he couldn't offend the man at this moment. He felt somewhat intimidated by Long Tengfei's strength.
Long Tengfei's smile widened.
Su Fan's flattery was most welcome.
"Sect Master, have you happened to see a man with a gentle appearance, around my age, in your arena?"
Su Fan inquired of Long Tengfei.
Having finally encountered an acquaintance, he couldn't miss the opportunity to gather information about Long Jianye.
Long Jianye shook his head. "The remaining participants in my arena are all men; there's no one with a gentle appearance."
Su Fan was immediately disappointed. Had Long Jianye not come?
"Why are you looking for this person?"
Long Tengfei asked with some curiosity.
"Oh, this person is an acquaintance of mine. I wished to catch up."
Su Fan casually fabricated an excuse.
"Sect Master, please continue with your business. I must take my leave; it will soon be my turn to compete."
Su Fan then bid farewell to Long Tengfei.
"Go ahead."
Long Tengfei nodded, unconcerned.
He didn't take Su Fan seriously, nor did he take any of the current participants seriously. His ultimate goal was the position of Martial Arts Alliance Leader!
He was determined to secure the title of Martial Arts Alliance Leader!
Su Fan returned to Arena 9. The matches for the fifty participants had just concluded, leaving only ten people, including himself.
"Number 438, Number 869..."
Su Fan was once again the first to be called. Perhaps it was because his number in Arena 9 was relatively low. The referees were indeed calling participants in ascending order of their numbers.
Su Fan stepped onto the stage again.
This time, there were two level forty opponents, which would suffice for Su Fan to warm up.
The four participants exchanged glances, clearly sharing the same intention: to deal with Su Fan first.
"Qiankun Ring!"
Su Fan employed his usual tactic: immobilize the four opponents first, then deal with them one by one.
The light ring descended, but it only ensnared three individuals; the fourth had vanished!
Su Fan frowned. The person had disappeared into thin air, having been within Su Fan's line of sight just moments before.
Invisibility spell?
Su Fan immediately realized something. Spellcasting skills weren't exclusive to him; others could learn them too.
That person was a spellcaster!
This was Su Fan's first encounter with a spellcaster in the martial arts tournament.
"It's just an invisibility spell; who can't do that!"
Seeing this, Su Fan canceled the Qiankun Ring that was restraining the three.
"Invisibility Spell!"
His figure flickered, and he vanished from his spot.
The Invisibility Spell consumed only 40 mana per second. With Su Fan's mana pool, he could maintain invisibility for 44 minutes. Hah, compare invisibility with him?
Su Fan calmly sat on a large rock, enjoying the unfolding spectacle.
The three opponents, upon noticing Su Fan's disappearance, exchanged bewildered glances.
Their target was gone; what should they do?
They assumed Su Fan would seize the opportunity to launch a surprise attack and remained vigilant. It wasn't until the other invisible person's mana was depleted and they reappeared that the four exchanged looks, suspecting Su Fan might have left, deliberately playing a trick on them.
They waited for a long time but found no sign of Su Fan.
"Sir, has Number 438 left?"
Unsure of Su Fan's whereabouts, they asked a nearby referee with some helplessness.
The referee remained silent, showing no intention of responding.
He was merely an official, responsible for announcing the start and end of the match, and could not interfere with the competition.
The four were uncertain and decided to wait a bit longer.
After another period of waiting, Su Fan was almost bored. These people still hadn't made a move.
The other five contestants were growing impatient. If they waited any longer, it would be dark.
"Hey! Are you fighting or not? If not, get down!"
The spectators outside shouted impatiently at them.
"Yeah! Don't waste my time, alright!"
"You bunch of cowards, go home and drink milk!"
The insults from below became increasingly outrageous, as the prolonged wait had truly tested their patience.
The four felt a blush creep onto their faces.
Being intimidated by the opponent's disappearance and admitting it would indeed be embarrassing.
One of them, with a glint in his eye, stealthily moved behind one of the others.
While the other two were still hesitating, he plunged his sword through the opponent, piercing him through and through.
The pierced man looked down at the tip of the sword in his chest with disbelief, his eyes filled with unwillingness.
But it was too late; the draining of his life force caused him to collapse to the ground, his vitality gradually fading.
"What are you doing!"
The remaining two looked at him with anger.
To be ambushed by their own comrade while they were on guard?
"Hmph! Don't forget we are opponents. 438 might have already left, and you are merely guarding against a non-existent enemy."