“How do you like me now? At least you were smart enough to know not to push me, or you’d suffer the same fate.”
Zhang Ji stepped down the stage and started mocking Li Mo again as he passed him.
Li Mo’s silence only egged Zhang Ji on, starting to sound like a guidance counselor.
Zhang Ji swaggered off and Bai Wudi said, “can’t you just flatten him?”
“I can.”
“Then do it. This guy doesn’t know when to quit.”
“And how am I supposed to do that? Won’t flattening him be against the rules?”
“True…” Bai Wudi paused, finding wisdom in Li Mo’s words.
“What would you do when a bug started buzzing in your ear?”
“Makes sense…” Bai Wudi bobbed his head.
While they were talking, the victor for the third match was decided and the referee called for Shenjing’s Li Mo and Shanbei’s Yang Fan next.
Not many in the Experts Alliance headquarters knew who Li Mo was, and funny enough, the same applied to his opponent, Yang Fan.
They were both newbies in the alliance, not even half a year in.
“Shanbei’s Yang Fan, honored to be your adversary!” Across from Li Mo, Yang Fan cupped his hands.
Yang Fan was older than Li Mo and looked like a soldier. A more fitting description would be, a wuxia novel’s protagonist.
An uncommon one!
Yang Fan stared at Li Mo, right up till the referee gave the signal. But even then he didn’t make a move.
“I forfeit.”
Yang Fan waved.
Wa~
The crowd was expecting this easy on the eyes lad would give them a good show, when in fact he up and threw the fight.
‘Whatever for?’ They were left speechless.
“I was fortunate to have met you. May we see each other again, if fate allows it.”
Yang Fan cupped his hands again then briskly stepped down.
Li Mo’s first match was a win without a fight!
Laughter came from behind Yang Fan.
“What were you expecting? This outcome goes without saying! Below Shanbei we have Shenjing. These guys are the worst of the worst. Such a show is only obvious.”
“It’s unexpected, not a disappointment. None of you know, but I and Shanbei’s leader are friends. He told me once that he took in a genius talent, Yang Fan. He said that Shanbei will rise in ranks thanks to Yang Fan’s power.
“He went as far as saying Shanbei’s base will have a high chance of being among the top four bases. All because of Yang Fan.”
“Ha-ha-ha, you crack me up.”
“Yang Fan sure is a genius.”
“Loosing without breaking a sweat. Now I’ve seen everything.
From the 5th all the way up to the 7th match, that was all the crowd was talking about, Yang Fan’s ‘defeat’.
Of course, filled with ridicule, turning him into a laughingstock.
Yang Fan sat calmly in the audience. Oh, he did hear all those mockeries and taunts, but not one got through to him.
Shanbei’s leader, Luo Lie took the same stance. He wasn’t the least bit angry he chose to forfeit the match.
Yang Fan didn’t turn and said, “Leader, luck this time was the best. Forgive me.”
“No need to explain. I trust you.” Shanbei’s leader smiled.
Yang Fan nodded and looked deeply at Li Mo.
“Tiannan’s Living Diamond Shan Ji versus Mobei’s Heaven-ripping Sage Zhang Lu!”
After a few plain matches, a true match was underway!
“In my eyes, Living Diamond ain’t much to look at. See how I’ll tear him to pieces!”
Heaven-ripping Sage Zhang Lu jumped on stage. He was tiny and skinny, while Mobei Province’s people were all built like a brick outhouse, like a gorrila.
Zhang Lu clawed the air and tracks could be seen left behind.
“Living Diamond, my Eagle Claw crushes even diamonds. Do be careful.”
Shan Ji’s only response was to hold his hands in prayer.
“Begin!”
“Watch out, here I come!”
Zhang Lu jumped Shan Ji and clawed.
Hum~
Shan Ji chanted and his body took on a golden hue. Zhang Lu’s attack smashed into it but could go no further.
Hum~
Hum~
Shan Ji’s Golden Shield expanded up to five meters, pushing Zhang Lu back despite clawing at it like a beast.
“My god, a five-meter Golden Shield!”
“I-is this a once in a thousand Shaolin genius?”
“I heard training the Golden Shield to an inch can stop artillery. With how big this one is, it can outlast a nuclear blast!”
“Amazing…”
Hum~
Hum~
Hum~
Yet Shan Ji’s Golden Shield kept expanding even as the crowd was in awe of his skill…
It kept going even beyond ten meters…
Shan Ji’s Golden Shield pushed Shan Ji off the stage.
“Amituofo.” Shan Ji ended.
The crowd went wild.
Zhang Lu was ashen, dumbly staring as he sat there.
His loss was just too miserable.
“Silver Heroine versus Shanbei’s Luo Fangfang!”
The referee already announced the next contenders.
Thump!
He just finished and Lin Qingrou’s flying kick sent Luo Fangfang’s moe face off stage.
It was so fast and sharp that no one saw what she just did yet Luo Fangfang was out of bounds.
“Every feral is worthy of their title.”
“Such a fast and fierce kick…”
“What fierce? Can’t you see she was holding back? Luo Fangfang isn’t even scratched…”
“Her control is wicked!”
Lin Qingrou left.
“It’s fine, the result won’t matter. Just take it as a learning experience.”
Shanbei’s leader Luo Lie consoled his daughter, Luo Fangfang.
Luo Fangfang teared up and started bawling.
Once the first round finished, half of the competitors were out. And the second round marked the start of more and more outstanding pairings.
Shenjing’s Shi Zhenqiang and Zheng Wufang advanced as well. Shi Zhenqiang’s talent was laid bare for all to smell and left a loooong lasting impression on participants and crowd alike. While Zheng Wufang’s was plain boring, yet always seemed to pull off a flawless victory.
In the second round, Li Mo went up first. His opponent, Chuan Province’s Wang Yan.
The referee gave the start and Wang Yan’s arm went up in flames. He didn’t get to throw any flames though, as his knees hit the dirt and his hands clutching his belly. He was out.
Wang Yan’s wound relapsed…
In his last round, he met a Xixiang’s base expert. Though he scored a win through sheer dumb luck, he was left with a heavy wound.
And so allowed Li Mo to score another win, without lifting a finger!
“It’s providence! Providence, I tell you!” Bai Wudi clapped enthused.
Li Mo spread his hands like he didn’t do anything.
