CHAPTER 218: GRAND COMPETITION XVII

The punch missed cleanly.

Yue Shanshan didn’t stop.

She followed with a fast elbow strike.

Ling Qingxue leaned back a little.

The elbow cut through the air in front of her nose.

The crowd gasped.

"She dodged again!"

"Does she have eyes on her forehead?!"

"No—she has eyes on her soul!"

Yue Shanshan grinned.

"This is fun."

She punched again—

a heavy punch aimed at Ling’s ribs.

Ling raised her arm and blocked softly.

The impact sounded like a dull thud,

but Ling didn’t move.

Yue Shanshan’s eyes brightened.

"Oh? You’re blocking now?"

Ling nodded calmly.

"You’re strong. I have to."

They clashed again.

Yue Shanshan attacked like a storm—

punches, kicks, elbows, knees.

Ling Qingxue blocked and dodged with tiny steps.

She looked like she was walking through the attacks,

calm and steady.

Han Yi hugged the ground.

"I think... I’m watching two disasters fight."

Mu Chen nodded.

"Yeah. One is an earthquake... the other is a tsunami..."

Lei Feng added,

"If they ever team up, we should leave the sect."

Back on stage—

Yue Shanshan tried a sweeping kick.

Fast. Powerful.

Ling lifted her leg just enough.

The kick passed under her foot.

Yue blinked.

"...Alright then."

She threw her strongest punch yet.

It cracked the air.

Ling Qingxue stepped inside the punch again.

She touched Yue’s wrist lightly,

redirected the force,

and countered with a palm to the shoulder.

Yue slid back two steps.

The crowd shouted.

"She pushed Yue again!"

"I didn’t even see the counter!"

"This is crazy!"

Yue Shanshan shook her arm, grinning.

"That actually stung."

Ling Qingxue stood still.

Expression calm.

Breathing steady.

Yue spread her stance.

"Alright... last move."

Han Yi pointed at them with a shaking hand.

"LAST move? That means the next hit will kill someone..."

Mu Chen whispered,

"Not someone. Han Yi specifically."

Yue rushed forward with everything she had.

Full power.

Full speed.

Ling Qingxue didn’t run.

She didn’t dodge early.

She waited.

Just when Yue’s punch was inches from her face—

Ling stepped slightly to the side,

raised her arm,

and redirected the punch with perfect timing.

Then she tapped Yue’s ribs.

PAH.

Yue’s body locked for a second.

Her breath escaped in a grunt.

She staggered back—

one step,

two steps,

three steps—

Then she dropped to one knee.

The entire training ground went silent.

Yue Shanshan laughed weakly.

"...Okay... okay... I lose."

Tian Lei raised his hand immediately.

"Winner—LING QINGXUE!"

The crowd exploded.

"LING QINGXUE WINS AGAIN!"

"She defeated Yue Shanshan!"

"Monsters! Both monsters!"

Han Yi cried tears of relief.

"At least they didn’t pick me..."

Yue stood up, rubbing her ribs.

"That hurt. You’re dangerous."

Ling Qingxue nodded politely.

"You too."

The two walked off the stage like nothing happened.

Mu Chen held his chest.

"I swear I aged ten years watching them."

Lei Feng nodded.

"My soul... left my body twice..."

Tian Lei cleared his throat loudly.

"That ends Round Two! Rest for one hour.

In Round Three, the remaining five will continue."

Han Yi screamed,

"WHY AM I STILL IN THE COMPETITION?!"

Yue Shanshan and Ling Qingxue both glanced at him.

Han Yi fell silent instantly.

Han Yi looked like he wanted to dig a hole and disappear.

Tian Lei ignored him and checked the list in his hand.

"The next round will test endurance, control, and technique," he announced. "No more simple duels."

Han Yi whispered,

"That sounds worse than duels..."

Lei Feng patted his shoulder.

"Don’t worry. You’ll only suffer a little."

Mu Chen added,

"Or a lot."

Han Yi glared weakly.

"Can you two stop predicting my death?"

Before they could reply, Tian Lei clapped loudly.

"Everyone, gather!"

The five remaining participants walked over:

Ling Qingxue

Yue Shanshan

Lei Feng

Mu Chen

Han Yi (who came last, dragging his feet)

Tian Lei pointed toward a long wooden platform suspended between two poles.

"This is the Balance Trial.

Stand on the platform and fight at the same time.

Anyone who falls is out.

Anyone who stops fighting is out.

Anyone who looks lazy is out."

Han Yi raised his hand slowly.

"Can I... be out now?"

"No," Tian Lei said.

Han Yi lowered his hand in despair.

The platform wobbled slightly in the wind.

Mu Chen frowned.

"This looks unstable."

Lei Feng sighed.

"Everything in this sect is unstable..."

Yue Shanshan cracked her neck.

"Good. Makes it fun."

Ling Qingxue just stepped onto the platform first, calm as always.

The others followed her one by one.

As soon as all five stood on it, the platform shook dangerously.

Han Yi screamed,

"IT’S TRYING TO KILL US!"

Tian Lei nodded proudly.

"Of course. That means it’s good training."

Lei Feng looked around.

"So... fight each other?"

"Yes," Tian Lei said.

"But don’t kill."

Yue Shanshan smiled at Han Yi.

"You heard him."

Han Yi’s legs started shaking so hard the platform trembled with him.

Mu Chen raised his fists.

"Get ready."

Tian Lei lifted his hand.

"ROUND THREE... START!"

Yue Shanshan charged forward immediately—

—but the platform tilted, making her slide sideways.

Mu Chen almost slipped off and grabbed the edge with his toes.

Han Yi screamed and hugged the air.

Ling Qingxue didn’t fall at all.

She simply shifted her weight and the platform returned to balance.

Lei Feng looked at her.

"...How is that fair?"

Yue regained her footing and attacked Ling again.

This time, Ling lifted her hand and deflected Yue’s punch with a small tap.

The platform shifted again.

Han Yi lost balance and flailed like a drowning fish.

Mu Chen shouted,

"STOP SHAKING IT WITH YOUR FEAR!"

Han Yi shouted back,

"STOP BEING CALM THEN!"

Yue and Ling continued exchanging blows,

their light movements making the whole platform tilt back and forth.

Lei Feng finally moved in, sparks forming on his fists.

"Alright, let’s get serious—"

He slipped halfway through the first step.

"Never mind! I hate this platform!"

Yue laughed while punching.

"We all hate it!"

The fight turned chaotic instantly:

Mu Chen tried to grab Yue.

Yue dodged.

The platform dropped on one side.

Han Yi screamed again.

Ling Qingxue stabilized herself with one hand.

The platform leveled again like she was controlling it.

Lei Feng pointed at her.

"She is cheating with physics!"

"No cheating," Tian Lei called from below.

"She’s just better."

The fight continued in total chaos.

Han Yi kept almost falling off.

Mu Chen kept saving himself with last-second balance.

Yue fought like she was having the time of her life.

Lei Feng cursed the platform every second.

Ling Qingxue stayed calm like she was standing on solid ground.

And this was only the beginning of Round Three.