CHAPTER 126 – NINETY-SECOND PLACE

Gu Ran gripped a Thunder Whip in each hand, making her look like a fierce correctional officer. The whips lashed through the air with a menacing hiss, unleashing a storm of whip shadows on her opponent.

The disciple from the Six Suns Scholar Academy swung his sword like a madman, desperately trying to parry.

But the arcs of electricity always danced past his blade and struck home. He suffered under the onslaught, numbed and wracked with pain.

His right arm was singed black, blood dripping from his clenched sword hilt. His skin was cracked and charred, with countless wisps of electricity jumping from the gaps.

Finally, he could stand it no longer. Panting heavily, he said, “I admit—”

Slam!

The whip cracked against his mouth.

The skin around his mouth cracked open, and his lips turned black.

Gu Ran yelled fiercely, “I’ll never let you say those words out loud!”

Her blow hurled him several zhang into the air. He staggered back to his feet, but several whip shadows surged toward him before he could stabilize himself.

The next strikes slammed into his back, sending him crashing face-first to the ground. Terror flashed in his eyes. Ignoring his injuries, he yelled, “I admit—”

Crack!

Another vicious lash across the mouth, even harder than before.

The youth spat out two bloodied front teeth, then turned his battered face toward Ge Qing, who floated in the air. He flailed his arms wildly, trying to scream through the blood clogging his mouth.

Crack crack!

Gu Ran’s whips landed mercilessly on him.

He lay on the ground, twitching and foaming at the mouth.

Ultimately, the Six Suns Scholar Academy elder could not watch any longer. “Enough! We admit defeat!”

Onstage, Gu Ran cast a cold glance at the elder, then tilted her head toward the sky. “If I remember correctly, it only counts if the disciple onstage says it.”

Ge Qing looked at the elder expressionlessly. “That’s right.”

The elder was furious. “I am the elder of the Six Suns Scholar Academy! And I have already said that we admit defeat! Why doesn’t it count?”

Ge Qing glanced at him coldly. “Those are the rules. Do you have a problem with the rules?”

The elder’s mouth opened, but he could not utter a single word, like a duck held by its throat.

He glared at Gu Ran and exclaimed coldly, “Fine! Daxia Sword Sect, I will not forget this!”

Gu Ran’s fury soared. Her Thunder Whips conjured by spirit spells blurred into a storm, lashing wildly at the Six Suns Scholar Academy disciple sprawled on the stage.

Five seconds. Ten seconds.

The disciple’s body turned black under the assault. She only stopped when his breath stopped.

The Six Suns Scholar Academy elder didn’t leave. He stood there, stone-faced, watching until the end.

When the whips disappeared, Gu Ran lifted her chin and defiantly met the elder’s gaze.

“The grudge between our sects started the moment your disciples killed one of ours. If you want revenge, come and get it! I hope we get matched against you guys again! Bunch of cowards!”

The tan-skinned Gu Ran radiated killing intent, fearless beneath the elder’s glare. Qin Xian stood behind her, and with him there, she had nothing to fear.

By then, the other Daxia Sword Sect disciples had also finished their fights. Only Ye Feng had seriously wounded his opponent. Zhong Lin and the others couldn’t stop their opponents from surrendering.

Of the ten Daxia Sword Sect disciples who entered the tournament, one was dead and three were gravely injured—a grim outcome for the first round.

The Six Suns Scholar Academy had taken heavy losses as well: two dead, four seriously injured.

The Six Suns Scholar Academy’s elder, whose face was stony green, suddenly smiled when he looked at Qin Xian. The elder scanned the Daxia Sword Sect disciples’ faces with two hands behind his back.

“Daxia Sword Sect... Hehe

, you just watch. I will never forget your faces, kids. I’ll be there to watch you all beg for your lives.”

With that, he turned and called out to his disciples, “We’re leaving!”

As they left, the crowd around them booed and jeered. Such behavior was dishonorable.

The Six Suns Scholar Academy wanted to intimidate the Daxia Sword Sect disciples, but they proved to be even fiercer than them. The disciples who didn’t have high cultivation levels but still fought valiantly also captivated the onlookers.

The scores flickered on the ranking stele.

Only Zhong Lin and Lin Dong had won among the early Foundation Building Realm disciples. Out of four, one was dead and another gravely hurt, leaving them with zero points.

Only Ye Feng claimed victory among the mid Foundation Building Realm group. Ling Qingyu and another severely injured disciple lost, resulting in a two-point deficit.

Li Guanqi, Yu Ye, and Gu Ran earned nine points in total, but after subtracting the losses, the sect only had seven points.

If they’d swept the round, they would have taken nineteen points. They would have also received a one-point bonus, totaling twenty points.

Instead, they limped away with a mere seven points. After offsetting their wins and losses, most other sects hovered around twelve points.

Qin Xian gazed at the stele, noting the Daxia Sword Sect's ninety-second ranking, then sighed. “Return and tend your wounds. We’ll talk later!”

Everyone nodded solemnly and flew back to their quarters.

They were not in the mood to check on the other sects.

That night, Qin Xian finally emerged from his room, exhaling in relief. Facing the disciples, he said, “He’s stable. We managed to save his life, and his root foundations aren’t too badly damaged.”

He paused for a moment, then added, “Let’s talk in the main hall.”

When they arrived, they found Tu Kui and Li Nanting already there, their faces dark with fury over the day’s events. Yet beneath the anger, the disciples could see something even more sobering—resignation. This was the cruel nature of the tournament.

Qin Xian spoke only once. “The matches ahead will only get harsher. Your opponents will stoop to even dirtier tactics. So, my advice remains the same: our sect does not require you to throw your lives away for glory. Staying alive is your top priority.”

They all returned to their rooms with heavy hearts. Ye Feng and the others went to Li Guanqi’s room.

Meanwhile, the spectators on Heavenly Tiger Mountain found all other matches dull after the Daxia-Six Suns clash. They eagerly awaited the next day’s battles, hoping to see more of Daxia Sword Sect’s ferocious fighters.

The Daxia Sword Sect attracted considerable attention. Though it ranked near the bottom, many people still had high hopes for it.