The Golden Elixir steward took out two wooden plaques from his storage bag and glanced at them indifferently.

  With a casual wave, the plaques floated over to the Foundation Establishment host.

  The host took a look and announced loudly.

  "For this match, Sun Yan versus Liu Dingyang. Please come to the stage!"

  Hearing the result, some were happy, while others were worried.

  Li Qinghai turned to look at Lu Beixue beside him, feeling a bit helpless.

  "With this, it seems like the next match will be between us."

  "Yes, it seems so."

  "Then you should hurry and recover your spiritual energy. I won't hold back later."

  "Hmph, I'll give it my all too."

  After speaking, Lu Beixue sat down cross-legged to meditate.

  Li Qinghai watched Lu Beixue, pondering silently.

  Once on stage, he could just concede.

  That way, he could face Liu Dingyang in a duel and secure third place.

  Lu Beixue would likely win against Sun Yan, making her the champion, which would make everyone happy.

  With this thought, Li Qinghai looked up at the arena, planning to study his opponent Liu Dingyang carefully.

  The reason Li Qinghai wanted to concede was mainly to repay Lu Beixue.

  Earlier, Lu Beixue had deliberately delayed the duel to allow him to recover his spiritual energy.

  This had caused a slight crack in Li Qinghai's Dao heart.

  So, by conceding later, he could repay Lu Beixue's kindness.

  This way, Li Qinghai could stabilize his Dao heart again!

  After all, entering the top three would earn him Foundation Establishment Pills, and the other rewards were of little consequence to him; stabilizing his Dao heart was the most important!

  Li Qinghai watched the duel on the arena.

  He quickly discerned Liu Dingyang's methods.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  A wood-element cultivator, skilled in wood-based spells.

  Li Qinghai smiled.

  Isn't this exactly what he could counter?

  Later, he could easily win with the True Flame Technique of Samadhi.

  Liu Dingyang was no match for Sun Yan, losing after a dozen rounds.

  The two quickly left the arena, found a quiet spot, and began to recover their spiritual energy.

  The Foundation Establishment host announced loudly again.

  "Next match, Li Qinghai versus Lu Beixue. Please come to the stage!"

  Hearing her name, Lu Beixue ended her meditation and stood up slowly.

  Li Qinghai and Lu Beixue exchanged a smile.

  Then, in perfect harmony, they both flew up to the stage.

  The disciples below were all very excited.

  "This is going to be good. I wonder which of these two dark horses will come out on top this year."

  "I think it's Li Qinghai. After all, his fireball and sword techniques are very powerful."

  "Not necessarily. Li Qinghai's spells take some time to cast. But Lu Beixue, her casting speed is quite fast, so she definitely won't give Li Qinghai a chance."

  ...

  Amidst the discussions, the two landed steadily on the arena.

  Li Qinghai smiled, raised his hand, and was about to speak.

  "I..."

  However, Lu Beixue was faster.

  Her pleasant voice rang out.

  "I concede."

  Li Qinghai's eyes widened, and his smile froze.

  Lu Beixue looked at Li Qinghai's expression and slightly curled her lips.

  The disciples below were furious, almost wanting to curse.

  Damn it, after all that anticipation, this is what we get?

  But despite their anger, they wouldn't actually curse.

  Everyone was determined to be a civilized spectator.

  In other words, due to Li Qinghai and Lu Beixue's strength, they endured it.

  Conceding was naturally allowed.

  The Foundation Establishment host nodded.

  "The winner of this match is Li Qinghai."

  "The next duel, Lu Beixue versus Liu Dingyang!"

  "The winner will secure third place in this Outer Sect Competition."

  "You now have the time of a stick of incense to recover, so please make the most of it."

  After the host finished speaking, everyone waited together.

  For other rankings, all cultivators had to find time to recover their spiritual energy.

  But for the top three, there was a stick of incense's worth of recovery time.

  This rule allowed the top three to showcase their true strength.

  Not only did it enhance the competition's appeal, but it also allowed truly powerful disciples to stand out.

  Li Qinghai and Lu Beixue flew down from the arena and returned to their original positions.

  Li Qinghai looked at Lu Beixue, his eyes slightly resentful.

  "Dao Companion Beixue, didn't we agree to give it our all? What are you doing?"

  "Dao Companion Qinghai, your strength is formidable. I don't consider myself your match, so I want to save some strength to deal with Liu Dingyang," Lu Beixue said.

  "I don't believe you," Li Qinghai said, both angry and touched. "Forget it, just hurry up and cultivate."

  He was angry because Lu Beixue's actions had not only failed to stabilize his Dao heart but had caused it to crack further.

  He was touched because this silly girl was wholeheartedly thinking of him, making it hard for Li Qinghai to bear.

  After this competition, he would have to avoid this enchantress to continue repairing his Dao heart.

  Meanwhile, on the high platform, Ye Feng glanced at Li Qinghai's position from afar.

  He squinted, his eyes full of hatred.

  He thought to himself.

  Li Qinghai, I didn't expect you to be so strong, making it into the top three.

  Once you enter the Inner Sect and have time to grow, even I might not be your match in the future.

  However, I won't give you that chance!

  With this thought, Ye Feng stood up from his chair.

  Soon, Ye Feng arrived beside Sun Yan.

  Sun Yan was meditating.

  Sensing someone approaching, he opened his eyes.

  Seeing it was Ye Feng, he had an idea of what he was here for.

  Sun Yan shook his head helplessly.

  "Earlier, I underestimated Li Qinghai's strength."

  "Watching his duel just now, it's clear his strength is very strong, very strong."

  "I have no confidence in defeating him, let alone killing him."

  "Sorry, our deal might have to be canceled."

  "I will prioritize preserving my life and won't recklessly fight that terrifying guy."

  Sun Yan, usually silent, said a lot this time.

  For Sun Yan, although he didn't consider himself a good person, he valued promises he made.

  Now that he couldn't fulfill it, he could only speak the truth.

  Ye Feng, however, smiled darkly.

  "Li Qinghai's strength is indeed unexpected."

  "Whether it's his fireball technique or sword technique, both are extremely powerful."

  "And such powerful techniques consume a lot of spiritual energy."

  "As long as you withstand one strike, you can turn the tables!"

  Hearing Ye Feng's words, Sun Yan was stunned.

  "But... I can't withstand it. That's equivalent to a Foundation Establishment-level strike."

  Ye Feng sneered, "Just because you can't, doesn't mean I can't!"

  Saying this, Ye Feng patted the storage bag at his waist.

  Hello everyone! If you want to see the latest updates on the novel faster, feel free to visit our website, .

  Your clicks mean a lot to me, so please don't hesitate to visit and support! ??