"Good morning, everyone! And welcome to the 103rd Intersect Competition!" the host said and was responded with the audience's cheers.
"It's starting!" Feng Mo exclaimed.
The Xinfaxian Sect has only one disciple participating in the solo battle so they have been waiting since the first day of the second stage. Fortunately, everyone is patient since they are all carefree. Thus, they also enjoyed watching the matches of the disciples of the other sects. Naturally, they will also support those disciples, and would watch until the last match of the solo battle.
"The first match will be between - ?!" the host said and turned to Zheng Yi who drew a nameplate inside the box.
" – Li Yan of the Huli Sect." Zheng Yi spoke.
The audience cheered while the participants clapped.. "Good luck!" the disciples cheered when Li Yan passed by, especially his fellow disciples who are sitting in the audience area since they won't be participating until the group battle.
Li Yan nodded and went up the stage. Then, he drew the nameplate of his opponent. Zheng Yi read the name and it was a rogue cultivator that Li Yan will be facing up against.
"Do you think Li Yan will win?" Xiao Le asked Kang Ce, feeling a little worried about Li Yan because Li Yan's opponent seemed a tough cultivator.
Kang Ce sweated a little, but he believes in their disciple. He glanced at Li Nanzi sitting in the sect leaders' area and saw that Li Nanzi's brows are slightly furrowed. Nonetheless, he has no fear in his eyes as he watched Li Yan's match.
"He will." Kang Ce answered and smiled.
"Indeed. Although the opponent looked tough, but he just looks tough." Shu Mu spoke. "It is yet to be known if he is really one." He said.
Xiao Le nodded in agreement while Kang Ce released a breath when he saw Li Yan nimbly rolled in the stage before he tripped his opponent's leg. His opponent reacted by pressing his hands on the ground and twisted his leg to backwardly kick Li Yan, but Li Yan is faster since Li Yan dodged by bending backward before he placed a hand on the ground, used his hand as an anchor to lift his body and turn mid-air, then landed on the other side of the stage before he slid on the ground again, back to his opponent, then kicked his opponent's side to send his body off the stage.
But, his opponent is really tough, since his opponent managed to flip his body and land on his feet. His feet are teetering on the stage. Yet, he couldn't have expected for Li Yan to be as slippery as an eel earlier, and then become nimble as a cat now.
When he turned, he was met with Li Yan standing before him. Alarm bells rang in his head but it's too late. Li Yan pushed him with only his index finger, and ever so slightly, sending him down, and off the stage.
"WOAH!" the audience cheered when they saw one of the people on stage fell down the stage! They even saw Li Yan's opponent moved his hands in circles to prevent himself from falling but, in the end, he still fell on his back.
"Li Yan of the Huli Sect wins!" the host announced and Li Yan was met with cheers and claps.
Kang Ce wiped the sweat off his forehead and saw that Li Nanzi was smiling, feeling pleased of Li Yan's win.
"Congratulations!" Shu Mu and Xiao Le greeted Kang Ce.
"Thank you." Kang Ce sincerely said and smiled before he watched Li Yan be greeted by his fellow disciples with a big hug.
Suddenly, he saw Li Yan glanced at his direction and smiled, and also waved. Kang Ce was taken aback before he smiled back and waved back. Shu Mu and Xiao Le who are watching can't help but have their brows raise.
"… what?" Kang Ce asked when he saw their suspicious expressions.
"… nothing." Shu Mu and Xiao Le both looked away to focus on the second match between Jin Yu and another rogue cultivator.
Although they are cut-sleeves but it doesn't mean that Kang Ce should be one, too, although Kang Ce has previously liked Xiao Le. Kang Ce's preference might have changed over the years. But, if he is still one, then it might be possible between him and Li Yan. There's only five years gap between them, and their feelings might be sincere.
Well, if they really likes each other. It also might be that what's between them is pure and nothing like Shu Mu and Xiao Le have imagined.
"Hm? It's that Jin Yu!" Lei Qing exclaimed when they saw Jin Yu on the stage. They have met him last night.
"Jie. If xiao Mi is on the stage and her opponent is Jin Yu, who do you think will win?" Lei Ling asked, referring to Su Mi who is Lei Qing's disciple.
"… Jin Yu." Lei Qing frowned when they saw the way Jin Yu fought.
"This…" they muttered with knitted brows while they watched the match.
"Unpredictable." Cheng Sheng spoke, voicing out what is in the tip of everyone's tongue but can't say it.
"That's it!" they all exclaimed.
"This unpredictable sword moves… what the hell is this?" Jing Hei asked.
"But, it's because of its unpredictability that is why his opponent is having a hard time attacking him, and also defending from his attacks." Sun Yi spoke.
Everyone nodded in agreement.
"This unpredictability is an advantage." Jing Bai said as he rubbed his chin.
"But, it also has a disadvantage." Qian Tian spoke.
Everyone looked at him.
"That is, if he couldn't use this advantage of his wisely." Xi Ming spoke as his eyes brightened when he realized it.
"That is, he should have the skills, right?" Tang Zhe said.
"That's right… his unpredictability caught his opponent off-guard." Qian Lin muttered.
"If he couldn't use this advantage, then he would lose his momentum." Feng Mo spoke with a serious face. "His opponent won't be caught off-guard forever if his opponent could finally catch up with his rhythm." He explained.
Shan Lu nodded. He is also a sword cultivator so he can see it. "His skills rely on pure instinct." He told them.
They are all focused on Jin Yu's movements right now.
"It seems like…" they muttered when they finally realized that there is something off with the way Jin Yu fights.
The mages like Li Tian, Lei Ling, You Rou, Jing Kang, Xiao Le and Guo Cheng couldn't feel it. But, the sword cultivators could feel it, and that's why they felt there is something strange.
Cheng Sheng finally spoke, speaking the crux of the matter. "He is not using any sword skills, nor any martial arts skill." He told them.
"That's it!" they all exclaimed, finally feeling enlightened.
"Although it is normal for a rogue cultivator to fight this way, but he couldn't accomplish very far in the competition with just pure instinct and brute strength." Jing Cheng spoke.
"He can win this competition." Cheng Sheng said.
"Really? Why?" they are surprised to hear that since Cheng Sheng rarely compliments someone. It seems that he has a good opinion with Jin Yu? They thought.
"Instinct." Cheng Sheng curtly answered before he made a big yawn when he felt his eyelids are heavy again.
Everyone. "…" he's being moody again. They thought when they remembered that Cheng Sheng lacked sleep. They helplessly sighed.
But, it was really as Cheng Sheng said. Jin Yu won. Although they are surprised, but they also can see that Jin Yu deserved his victory. Even though he has no swords skill learned nor any martial arts skill, but he is stronger than his opponent and overpowered him with his strength, and also cleverly used his advantage of being unpredictable.
"It's the last match for this morning." Li Tian spoke. "Do you think Er Zi will be picked by Zheng Yi?" he asked.
"There's also elder Ling Xi's nephew, Ling Yun." Chen Han reminded them.
As Chen Han said, Ling Yun was picked. His opponent is a disciple from another sect.
"You really predicted it!" Li Tian looked at Chen Han in surprise.
Chen Han just grinned.
"Who do you think will win?" Tang Zhe asked Tang Yun.
"Ling Yun." Tang Yun answered.
Shan Lu was about to speak to ask Guo Cheng when Guo Cheng preempted him. "Ling Yun." Guo Cheng spoke. "He is a mage when he registered, but he should also be a sword cultivator. His chance of winning is high." He explained.
Shan Lu who wanted to act sweet to Guo Cheng. "…" it's really hard to have a smart lover. He thought and wryly smiled.
Xiao Le nodded in agreement. "Not to mention that he has special eyes that can see qi, he looked really strong!" he said.
The others nodded in agreement. But, they suddenly saw that Cheng Sheng frowned and his eyes narrowed.