Chapter Fifteen: Witnessing the Birth of a Dark Horse

He actually won again!

The crowd beneath the stage was stunned. Was this truly a cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refinement? The first two victories could be attributed to luck, but this time, Jing Ziping was as steady as an old dog—yet he too was slain.

The spectators could not help but scrutinize Zhou Qi once more. He was indeed a dark horse, even Han Yuanzheng felt a flicker of curiosity. The boy certainly harbored secrets, but that curiosity was all; the secrets of a mere Qi Refinement disciple were not worth a deity transformation expert's coveting.

The disciple from the Gate of Life and Death responsible for the betting table looked even gloomier. This was truly uncanny—could Zhou Qi really survive? He was no longer certain.

Yet most believed Zhou Qi’s chances were slim. After the previous battle, he had exhausted much of his spiritual power. Though Jing Ziping’s blade light had not killed him, the physical injuries were very real.

Moreover, the disciple from Spirit Silence Cave at the peak of Qi Refinement had never met an equal, and he was fresh and rested. No matter how one looked at it, Zhou Qi seemed to have no hope of victory.

Liu Piaopiao ignored the Fifth Star’s attempts to stop her and rushed to Elder Shouzheng, demanding to forfeit and surrender, refusing to fight the final match. Elder Shouzheng looked at the fiery eyes of the other four sect elders and slowly shook his head.

Though the voice of an ant need not be heeded, there were so many elders and disciples spectating. It was rare for a dark horse to emerge; to lock him away now would not win over the crowd. He had agreed, but they would not.

For the sake of spectacle, some changes were necessary.

Elder Shouzheng found Han Yuanzheng and proposed that since this was the final battle and Zhou Qi was already wounded, it would be difficult for a seventh-level Qi Refinement disciple to fight one at the peak of the ninth level. Why not grant Zhou Qi an hour to recover his spiritual power?

Han Yuanzheng had already heard of Zhou Qi gathering spirit herbs for the Fifth Star's sake, and with the four sects strongly demanding his participation in the Five Sects Tournament, his interest in Zhou Qi had been piqued. Hearing Elder Shouzheng’s proposal, how could he refuse?

Fortunately, Liu Piaopiao was a young maiden. Had a burly man come begging, Elder Shouzheng would likely have kicked him to death and never considered a compromise.

Elder Shouzheng symbolically consulted Spirit Silence Cave, whose elder agreed despite inwardly protesting tens of thousands of times. With Han Yuanzheng already nodding, to object now would be to court disaster.

Thus, the cultivators below watched Zhou Qi silently recover his spiritual power. Observing Zhou Qi circulate the Zhengyi Sect’s technique for recovery, all shook their heads.

How arduous it must be! To reach the seventh level of Qi Refinement at twelve or thirteen—he must have trained day and night without rest.

An hour passed. Zhou Qi slowly stood, ready for the final battle. Whether he could return alive to Zhengyi Sect depended on this last desperate struggle.

The Spirit Silence Cave cultivator ascended the stage, silent, viewing Zhou Qi as nothing more than a corpse.

Zhou Qi raised his sword, his expression solemn.

The cultivator summoned his flying sword, stabbing toward Zhou Qi at blinding speed. Zhou Qi barely managed to instinctively dodge, yet the sword already pierced his shoulder.

The first strike drew blood.

Zhou Qi quickly employed the Five Elements Steps, widening the distance. The flying sword withdrew from his shoulder, returning to the cultivator’s hand.

Wind Blade Technique—Zhou Qi unleashed five blades of wind at his opponent, but with a flicker of the flying sword, all blades were shattered.

A gigantic fist crashed toward Zhou Qi, enveloping him completely. The Five Elements Steps could no longer evade; at most, he could use the Divine Movement Step once more, but afterwards he would be spent. Helpless, Zhou Qi struck with a Taiji Seal.

The Taiji Seal met the fist and dissipated instantly.

He then cast the Armor of Earth, a phantom shield forming on his body. The fist struck; the armor vanished.

The fist hammered into Zhou Qi’s chest. Though its force was weakened twice and blocked by the Golden Thread Garment, Zhou Qi still felt a tremendous force, spitting blood and stumbling back several steps.

Two blows, and he was already heavily injured.

Zhou Qi had no choice but to use the tactics from the sect tournament, ceaselessly circling the stage with Five Elements Steps, running circles around the Spirit Silence Cave cultivator.

The cultivator watched Zhou Qi’s circling with calm, striking the ground with a fist. The arena shook; Zhou Qi felt unsteady and the Five Elements Steps ceased.

No sooner had he stopped than the flying sword thrust toward his heart.

It’s over, Zhou Qi thought.

The crowd below thought so too. The dark horse had failed to break through after all.

Liu Piaopiao was already crying aloud.

The flying sword plunged into Zhou Qi, bringing searing pain. The Golden Thread Garment failed to block it and was pierced through, but the sword missed the heart by a few inches.

“Calm your mind. While he believes he has succeeded, use Divine Movement Step and strike his core with your sword,” came the voice of Heavenly Profound True Lord in Zhou Qi’s mind.

It was he who shifted the sword's path; otherwise, Zhou Qi’s heart would have been pierced.

The Spirit Silence Cave cultivator relaxed, believing victory was his. Even a lion hunts a rabbit with all its strength, and he had clearly felt his sword penetrate Zhou Qi’s heart, just waiting for Zhou Qi to fall.

Suddenly, a sharp pain in his core jolted him awake. Zhou Qi had not fallen; he stood before him, sword plunged into his core.

His dantian ruined, the cultivator’s stored energy gushed out like a burst water bag, his sea of qi vanishing in an instant.

He was instantly reduced to a mortal, his strength gone.

Enduring agony, Zhou Qi swung his sword fiercely, splitting the Spirit Silence Cave cultivator in two from the core.

In a blink, the outcome was reversed. The crowd had not yet reacted—the one who should have fallen dead, Zhou Qi, was alive, while the peak Qi Refinement cultivator was cleaved in half.

“I must sleep again. Upon awakening, I sensed a soul’s presence. Be careful: as I can sense him, so can he sense me.” With those words, Heavenly Profound True Lord fell silent, sinking into slumber to evade detection.

He had won! Liu Piaopiao could not believe her eyes, pinching herself hard.

The Fifth Star was equally incredulous; the scapegoat youth destined for death had become the Five Sects Tournament’s Qi Refinement champion—who could believe it?

The spectators were in disbelief as well. Though they hoped for a dark horse, such an outrageous victory was hard to accept.

Most devastated was the Gate of Life and Death disciple running the betting table. He had expected to pocket two hundred, but now had to pay out four thousand.

Zhou Qi forcefully pulled the sword from his body—the sword that belonged to the Spirit Silence Cave cultivator. His body, gravely wounded, had endured the Divine Movement Step, leaving him dizzy. He collapsed, unconscious.

Fifth Star Wenhua caught Zhou Qi with a flash, preventing further injury from the fall. He unhesitatingly fed Zhou Qi healing medicines—this youth was worth it.

Thus, the Five Sects Tournament concluded.

Tomorrow would bring the rankings for sects and individuals.

Near the Gate of Life and Death, a youth in luxurious robes smiled wickedly, saying, “I smell the scent of my own kind.”