Bai Xiao nodded slightly to acknowledge the excited junior brothers and sisters.
Then, he took his seat.
Beside him, Wei Gang brought a neat coat and draped it over Bai Xiao.
On his left, the gaunt figure of Chen Liao sat down.
"Next up, the final match, are you confident?"
He turned his head to look at Bai Xiao, his murky, pitch-black eyes staring intently.
In his gaze, that handsome and profound profile, expressionless.
But from his mouth, slowly uttered two words: "Victory assured."
"Victory assured, victory assured! Hahaha, good!" Chen Liao inexplicably burst with excitement, stroking his beard, his cheeks flushing with a sudden rush of blood. He never expected that one day his disciple could have a chance to become the strongest among the young generation in Nanjiang Province. Just one more victory needed!
"By the way, where’s the Sect Leader?"
Bai Xiao glanced over the Fierce Bird Sect’s quarters and suddenly asked.
"Oh, the Sect Leader is on the viewing platform on the second floor. He should be..."
While speaking, Chen Liao and Bai Xiao’s gazes both turned toward the second floor of the gymnasium. There, on the crescent-shaped platform, one could clearly see a tall figure dressed in Fierce Bird Sect’s white and gold fighting attire, standing proudly beside a bearded old man in a golden training suit.
The bearded old man had an extremely unpleasant look on his face, almost ready to storm off.
"That seems to be Master Ximen Chen of the Split Water Fist Sect..."
Five minutes later, Bai Xiao quietly observed the Octagonal Arena as repair work began again. He turned his attention to the gains he had just made.
In his view, a notification of professional experience gain flashed.
[Your mission ’reward’, experience +412!]
Defeating Fang Chao brought Bai Xiao a whopping eight Potential Points.
Is this the value of being one of the Nanjiang’s top contenders?
Judging by experience, Flowing Light Fist Fang Chao is much stronger than Ghost Snake Xie Yang.
Of course, it might also be because Bai Xiao’s Demon Bird Secret Book was a natural counter to Ghost Snake Xie Yang’s style, resulting in a loss of experience gained during that top-eight battle.
Eight Potential Points, plus the original thirteen.
Enough, enough to push the Artillery Step Technique to its extreme limit once again!
As Bai Xiao sat in contemplation, time ticked away. The repairs to the Octagonal Arena were completed, and the staff seemed more and more professional. Whenever Bai Xiao had a match, they were all anticipating major repair work.
At about 10:30 am, the second semi-final began.
This time the matchup was Li Guangjian Ye Meng against Yu Jing Liu Jifei.
The whole process lasted only about half a minute.
Jifei was indeed a lucky contender to have reached the top four; her true strength might even be less than Crack Water Fist Lei Yu’s, but she had good luck with the draw. Now, facing Ye Meng, she was naturally outmatched and quickly beaten back to her original form, losing instantly.
Instantly, the finals of this Dark World Fighting Tournament were decided.
Five-pointed Star Ye Meng! Against, Fierce Fist Bai Xiao!
The tournament then entered a rest phase, all sect spectators left to dine in the cafeteria. Bai Xiao and Ye Meng each found a place to train, making preparations for the final showdown. Bai Xiao sat cross-legged on the cool floor, breathing steadily, meditating calmly.
And Ye Meng continually swung his sword, keeping his hands feeling sharp.
Halfway through, Fang Chao, who had sustained significant injuries, unexpectedly came.
"Watch out for his Horizontal Training!"
"Every time I struck him with a punch, I felt nearly seventy percent of my strength rebounding back at me. Even using near-instinct Dissipating Force techniques and the sect’s secret dissipating techniques, I still sustained serious injuries during the impacts. Bai Xiao, this man, has taken Hard Skill to the extreme..."
"Additionally, in the last moment of the fight, I felt he hadn’t even given his all! Don’t look at me with surprise, it’s true. I vaguely sensed he had held back, not truly going all out. That inexplicable sense of danger, I still remember clearly..."
Fang Chao provided his final advice before leaving with a cough.
Only Ye Meng, sword in hand, silently watched Bai Xiao’s departing white figure, muttering to himself, "Bai Xiao, where is your limit?"
Time once again flew by.
The blazing sun climbed slowly to its zenith before gradually descending. Hidden within layers of clouds, it peeked through gaps, sprinkling down countless fragments of Golden Light. Past two in the afternoon, the audience made their way back to the gymnasium.
Approaching three o’clock.
Inside the Baihua Gymnasium, every seat was filled with people, their excitement overflowing and unmistakable. Some couldn’t help but whistle and cheer, much like those professional fighting matches broadcast on television.
Bloodthirsty spectators were common anywhere.
Not to mention in the Secret Martial World, a place where strength was revered.
"Fight! Fight! Fight!"
Someone suddenly stood up, waving their fists and bulging their eyes, shouting with all their might. Others around them joined in, forming a chorus.
Instantly, the gymnasium echoed with this uniform chant.
The judge in black used his vocal projection technique, commanding like the bellow of a large bell.
With that, the crowd quieted down.
"I believe everyone has been eagerly awaiting this!"
"Next up, is the final match of the Nanjiang Province Dark World fighting tournament!"
"Allow me to announce the lineup directly."
"Li Guangjian Ye Meng..."