Chapter 165 - 164: Even More Embarrassing

Chapter 165: Chapter 164: Even More Embarrassing

Wu Ma Yan’s gaze was dark as he raised a hand to touch his swollen face.

When he was enveloped in the water mist, he could only rely on sound to pinpoint the direction of attack. But the strange thing was, every time he threw a talisman, he would get slapped in the face the very next second.

’But there are clearly only two people on the stage: him and Gu Qingyin. Could Gu Qingyin actually control the water mist and mess with my perception?’

Wu Ma Yan couldn’t figure it out. The only thing he knew for sure right now was that he had to win!

If he lost, he, Wu Ma Yan, would become the laughingstock of the Mystical World and even tarnish the Witch Ma Family’s reputation.

He absolutely could not lose!

Wu Ma Yan swiped a hand across his waist, and an oval hammer with a meter-long handle appeared in his hand. The head of the hammer was engraved with intricate patterns.

Gu Qingyin gave it a quick look. ’Looks like some kind of Array.’

After a moment’s thought, she pulled the Fire Burning Stick from her satchel, as a sign of respect.

Wu Ma Yan froze for a second, then his entire face twisted in a furious rage.

He felt that Gu Qingyin was insulting him! ’I brought out my most powerful Magic Artifact, and she pulls out a crappy stick? What is that supposed to mean? Is she looking down on me?!’

Gu Qingyin was genuinely confused. She asked Huo Yunjing, who was invisible and floating beside her, "Why did he suddenly get so angry?"

Huo Yunjing blinked innocently. "It’s probably just a guy’s ego. He thinks losing to you would be a little humiliating."

Gu Qingyin sneered. "Just wait. He’s in for a lot more humiliation."

Huo Yunjing clenched his fists, turning into her personal cheerleader. "You got this, honey!"

Wu Ma Yan was absolutely livid. The Spiritual Power in his body roiled, and ripples of energy spread out from him as the epicenter.

The audience below gasped in astonishment. For many of them, it was the first time they had ever seen such a clear external manifestation of energy.

Gu Qingyin stood her ground, the Fire Burning Stick resting on her right shoulder. She raised her left hand and beckoned contemptuously at Wu Ma Yan.

Lin Jiran’s gaze had been focused on Huo Yunjing, but his eyes were involuntarily drawn to Gu Qingyin. He chuckled and shook his head. "She’s still just a kid."

With a savage expression, Wu Ma Yan charged forward, brandishing his great hammer like a raging bull. With every footstep, the entire stage trembled as if it couldn’t withstand such immense force.

Gu Qingyin’s expression remained unchanged. She took a small step back with her left foot and held the Fire Burning Stick in front of her in a defensive stance.

The instant he swung the great hammer, she lifted the Fire Burning Stick slightly, effortlessly blocking the heavy blow.

CLANG! With a tremendous crash, the look of savagery on Wu Ma Yan’s face was replaced by pure shock.

After a moment of silence, the force from the impact of the Magic Artifacts began to rebound.

Wu Ma Yan let out a muffled grunt and was sent flying backward, tumbling right off the stage and into the audience.

Gu Qingyin, meanwhile, dissipated the recoil force with a series of quick, slight tremors in her arm.

The audience hadn’t expected Wu Ma Yan to be sent flying. In the panicked scramble to get away, a couple of unlucky souls were still knocked over, serving as human cushions for him. The impact nearly made them vomit up the breakfast they’d just eaten.

Wu Ma Yan unconsciously glanced at the blue and white sky, then the whites of his eyes showed as he passed out.

Someone in the crowd who knew Wu Ma Yan rushed over to check on him. Their expression changed drastically upon seeing his condition. They immediately called for a doctor, while not forgetting to turn and point an accusing finger at Gu Qingyin on the stage.

"This is just a sparring match! Why did you have to be so ruthless?"

Gu Qingyin’s eyes widened in indignation. "He was too weak to take the hit. What’s that got to do with me? The recoil I endured wasn’t any less than his, so how come I’m perfectly fine?"

The person was left speechless. ℯℯ𝘭.

Gu Qingyin shook her head, looking exasperated. "Blaming others for being too rough when you can’t even win. If you’re that delicate, you shouldn’t have entered the competition."

At this, the audience came to their senses and began nodding in agreement.

Gu Qingyin was right. Wu Ma Yan had been the one to start it, he was the one who agreed to the match, and he was the one who launched the first powerful attack.

Besides, when you’re going all out, it’s perfectly normal not to be able to control your strength perfectly.

Before long, medics arrived. After a careful examination, they had Wu Ma Yan carried away. The person who had just been defending him left as well.

One could only wonder if Wu Ma Yan, upon waking up and learning of this exchange, would be grateful to the guy or want to strangle him...

After the brief commotion, the competition continued.

Among everyone present, no one dared to question Gu Qingyin’s role as a judge any longer. She had proven herself with her strength.

The participants in this competition ranged in age from sixteen to twenty-six. Putting a ten-year age gap in the same competition might seem unfair.

But any experienced Heavenly Master knew that the younger the person, the more terrifying their power.

The official competition began across five stages simultaneously. One judge was assigned to each, acting as both referee and safety monitor to prevent anyone from getting carried away and causing irreparable harm.

Gu Qingyin remained on the same stage where she had just fought Wu Ma Yan.

Before the matches began, the damaged stage had already been repaired with talismans by the Heavenly Masters in charge of venue maintenance.

This was Gu Qingyin’s first time in such a role. At first, she found it quite novel and, worried that the contestants might actually hurt each other, she watched with rapt attention.

But after the first match, she relaxed completely. Or to be more precise, she lost all her enthusiasm.

She slumped in her chair, feeling her earlier focus had been a complete waste.

To put it simply, it was like watching kids fight—more like playing house than a real battle. Even the blows that landed wouldn’t cause any serious harm.

A few matches later, the sun had climbed higher, and the temperature began to rise. Gu Qingyin started feeling drowsy, but with all eyes on her, she couldn’t even sneak in a nap as a judge.

Seeing her state, Huo Yunjing zipped over to the kitchen and grabbed her a bottle of ice-cold cola.

To avoid being seen, Huo Yunjing made sure to fly back close to the ground. Even if someone caught a glimpse, they would only be momentarily surprised before pretending they saw nothing.

Everyone here was a Heavenly Master; you never knew who might have a soul beast or ghost servant. A bottle of cola flying through the air? Nothing could be more normal.

The cold cola bottle touched Gu Qingyin’s forehead, and she jolted, feeling a bit more awake.

"Have a drink. Hang in there," Huo Yunjing said, continuing his side gig as her personal clock. "Only two more hours until a break."

Gu Qingyin opened the cola and took a big gulp. The cold liquid and the fizz rushing up her nose shocked her a little more awake.

She let out a small burp and tried to psych herself up. "I can do this! I’m not sleepy!"

Huo Yunjing couldn’t help but grin, thinking there was no one in the world more adorable than his wife.

’Mmm... so powerful yet so cute. Only I can appreciate this contrast.’

The bottle of cola kept Gu Qingyin going for less than an hour. Her eyelids felt incredibly heavy, as if they could drop shut at any second.

Just then, her stage’s first "little contestant" made their entrance.

’Huh?’ A flicker of anticipation sparked within Gu Qingyin. She patted her cheeks to wake herself up a bit more and murmured, "Please don’t disappoint me."

’At least chase away the drowsiness,’ she thought.

The little contestant was a monk who had just turned sixteen. His every move was imbued with a Zen-like grace, as if he were a reincarnated young Buddha.

His opponent, as it happened, was a twenty-six-year-old Daoist.

The first match of the tournament with the widest age gap was about to begin.