Volume Two: Travels in the State of Qi, Chapter 144: Conceding Defeat

Today is the day of the quarter-finals, a battle of true prodigies. The crowd, brimming with excitement, arrived at the martial arts arena early to secure their spots. By the time they reached the grounds, the venue was already packed—even more crowded than in the previous days.

Looking toward the center of the arena, Zhang Heng felt a wave of confusion. Instead of the sixteen rings used for the round of sixteen or the eight used for the quarter-finals yesterday, there was only one. What was the meaning of this? Was the plan to throw all eight of them into a chaotic brawl to determine the champion? The spectators were equally bewildered, whispering amongst themselves in speculation.

Just as the crowd’s suspicions reached a fever pitch, Wu Hong and the Emperor of Qi arrived at the second-floor balcony. As usual, the Emperor sat in stony silence, leaving all matters to be handled by Wu Hong. Wu Hong leaped into the arena, finally putting their questions to rest.

"With only eight competitors remaining, all of whom are true prodigies, every match is bound to be spectacular. To provide a better viewing experience and to allow these geniuses to gauge each other, today's bouts will not be held simultaneously."

"The order of matches will be decided by a draw. Two individuals drawing the same number will face each other; the winner advances, and the loser is eliminated. The pair who drew number one will fight first, followed by the pair with number two, and so on."

Once the rules were announced, the eight competitors drew their lots, and Wu Hong read out the pairings:

The first match: The Eighteenth Prince, Qi Xuan, against the Hehuan Sect prodigy, Chen Hao.
The second match: The Young Master of the Yin Shen Sect, Chi Ying, against the rogue cultivator, Qin Ming.
The third match: Lingyu Palace’s Mu Wanqing against Hehuan Sect’s Wang Ying.
The fourth match: The rogue cultivator, Zhang Heng, against Bu Jige.

Seeing he was in the fourth match, Zhang Heng felt relieved; he could observe the others and study his potential opponents in advance. Every duel between such talents promised to be extraordinary, and the crowd eagerly debated who would emerge victorious. Even the high-ranking figures from the major sects took notice, and the Emperor of Qi himself seemed to perk up, ready to watch with interest.

Wu Hong declared, "The first match, Qi Xuan versus Chen Hao, begins now." With that, he flew back to the balcony to stand beside the Emperor.

No sooner had the words left his lips than Qi Xuan and Chen Hao drifted onto the stage. Qi Xuan, dressed in the refined attire of a young nobleman, carried himself with grace and possessed formidable cultivation and heaven-defying combat power, drawing screams of adoration from the female cultivators in the stands. Chen Hao, his opponent from the Hehuan Sect, was no slouch—a twenty-five-year-old talent with a cultivation base at the ninth level of the Yuan Dan realm.

Two peerless geniuses colliding—who would win? The crowd was electrified with anticipation.

Of course, the majority favored Qi Xuan. It wasn't just because he was more handsome; it was because the Hehuan Sect’s techniques relied on Yin-Yang harmony, requiring two practitioners to reach their peak potential. In a one-on-one duel, they were inherently at a disadvantage.

As the crowd buzzed with discussion, the battle began. Initially, they only exchanged tentative blows, conserving their spiritual energy. After a few rounds, Qi Xuan stood in the center of the ring and offered a gentle smile, prompting another round of shrill cheers from the women in the audience.

"So handsome! He is truly my dream lover!"
"Prince Qi, I want to bear your children!"

Qi Xuan remained unfazed. He centered his breathing, and a golden aura began to emanate from his body. This was the legendary Imperial Physique Technique of the Qi Kingdom, a profound art that bolstered both offense and defense, cloaking the user in an aura that looked both regal and mysterious. The crowd realized Qi Xuan was getting serious and held their breath, fearing they might miss a single detail.

But in the next second, Chen Hao bowed slightly and said, "Prince Qi is truly formidable. I concede." He then leaped off the stage.

The entire arena fell into stunned silence. He was surrendering? Had they misheard? Although they knew Chen Hao was likely to lose, he was still a ninth-level Yuan Dan genius. Weren't geniuses supposed to be proud? Shouldn't they fight for three hundred rounds before losing due to exhaustion? What was going on?

Upon reflection, however, they understood. Since the Hehuan Sect’s techniques required a partner to reach full power, Chen Hao had already proven his worth by making it this far. Facing one of the strongest fighters in the entire kingdom, the Eighteenth Prince, he knew further struggle was futile.

Wu Hong returned to the stage to declare Qi Xuan the winner and announced the next match. The crowd consoled themselves; even if the first match had ended anticlimactically, three more duels remained.

The second match featured Chi Ying, the Young Master of the Yin Shen Sect, against the rogue cultivator, Qin Ming. Both were ninth-level Yuan Dan talents. Qin Ming was a legend among rogues; without a sect or background, he had reached his level of cultivation entirely on his own at twenty-nine. Everyone was looking forward to this fight.

But then, the crowd was left bewildered once more. After a brief exchange of pleasantries on stage, Qin Ming voluntarily conceded.

What? Another surrender? What were these geniuses doing? If Qi Xuan and Chen Hao had at least put on a show, these two hadn't even bothered. Perhaps the Yin Shen Sect had promised Qin Ming a place in their ranks if he withdrew. It was a plausible, if disappointing, explanation.

Wu Hong announced the third match: Mu Wanqing of Lingyu Palace against Wang Ying of the Hehuan Sect. These were the two most prominent female cultivators. Mu Wanqing was a given, but Wang Ying was also a peerless twenty-four-year-old genius at the eighth level of the Yuan Dan realm. Both were stunningly beautiful, promising a feast for the eyes. The crowd’s irritation began to fade.

But then, they were confused yet again. After a polite bow, Wang Ying conceded. Third match: Mu Wanqing wins.

What was happening? These geniuses were supposed to be fighting for their honor! Could they not be so careless?

Finally, the last match arrived: the rogue cultivator, Zhang Heng, versus Bu Jige. Zhang Heng was known for his arrogance, so surely, no one would surrender here.

Seeing the previous matches end without a fight, Zhang Heng was baffled, but when his turn arrived, he didn't dwell on it and leaped onto the stage. His opponent, Bu Jige, was another rogue who had relied on a mix of luck and skill to reach this stage.

The two bowed to one another. Then, Bu Jige cast a nervous glance at the crowd and, with trembling lips, uttered three words:

"I concede."