Chapter 2190 - 2187: A Crushing Defeat?

Chapter 2190: Chapter 2187: A Crushing Defeat?

Lin Tian’s acupuncture treatment drew a crowd, an unexpected turn in the Ancient Martial Arts tournament, an unforeseen event for both the Situ and Ji families. Who would have thought that someone not even participating could become the focal point?

However, Lin Tian was indifferent; healing Liu Xiaoxiao was just an effortless gesture. He still enjoyed watching the matches.

The elder calmly announced the progress of the competition. The contestants from Group A took turns entering the stage. Ji Zimo caused a stir every time he appeared, as he never met a match that could contend with him.

When all the matches in Group A concluded, Ji Zimo unsurprisingly achieved a sweeping victory, ranking first in the group. Surprisingly, Liu Xiaoxiao ranked second, not a scion of any major family. ℴℴ𝘮

Liu Xiaoxiao lost only one match against Ji Zimo, remaining unbeaten in all others, thereby salvaging some pride for the independent Ancient Martial Practitioners.

The finalists from Group A were thus confirmed, and when Ji Zimo and Liu Xiaoxiao’s names were posted on the elimination board, cheers erupted in the venue, some for Ji Zimo, others for Liu Xiaoxiao.

The elder announced the continuation of the matches, and the next group would begin another round. Without any well-known contestants, the excitement diminished somewhat.

Yet, Lin Tian inadvertently became a prominent figure, not for his victories, but because many injured Ancient Martial Artists sought him out for healing.

Lin Tian didn’t intend to play savior, but with Ling Zishan’s intervention and Xiao Manxuan alongside other beauties giving him those endearing looks, he couldn’t help but assist.

His medical aid brought him unexpected attention in the competition, earning admiration from known and unknown alike.

"The next group, Group D..." the elder announced loudly. As his voice fell silent, two individuals stood up, the first being Ling Shuiyao, and the other, oddly, Situ Ruoling.

"Shuiyao, you’re in Group D, and Situ Ruoling is in Group G, so why is she standing up? Does she intend to challenge you across groups for an extra match?" Xiao Manxuan asked curiously, staring at Situ’s side.

Ling Shuiyao furrowed her brow and shook her head, "I don’t know. She even dared to covet the Ling Family’s treasure; what wouldn’t she dare to do?"

Situ Ruoling didn’t mean to challenge, nor did she make any provocation towards Ling Shuiyao. Instead, she beckoned to her family’s disciples, whispered a few words, and stealthily handed something to one of them.

The disciple secretly hid it at his waist, a sly smile appearing in his eyes.

"Group D’s first match, Ling Family’s Ling Shuiyao versus the Situ Family’s Situ Chang. Will the contestants please take the stage?" After the draw, the elder announced the match list.

Ling Shuiyao ascended the stage calmly, without wielding any weapons. With an airiness characteristic of a noble family disciple, quite unlike her usual quirky nature.

Situ Chang stepped onto the stage as well, indeed the Situ Family disciple just whispered to by Situ Ruoling.

"Ling Shuiyao, I know your realm is just the Postnatal Late Stage. What a pity, with the Ling Family’s rich resources, but the realm doesn’t rise." Situ Chang too seemed unarmed, at least openly so, but he spoke with more calmness than Ling Shuiyao, even mockingly.

Ordinarily, Ling Shuiyao would retort just as harshly, yet she simply twitched her lips, not even bothering to sneer, dismissing his words: "Postnatal Late Stage is enough to beat you."

"Beat me?" Situ Chang feigned surprise with a laugh, as if hearing a grand joke: "Among the Situ family’s disciples, my strength is second only to Situ Yufeng. Who’s beating who? You’re sorely mistaken."

"We have no grievances, but you shouldn’t have offended our little princess, Ruoling sister. Hence, I must make your defeat a bit more disgraceful." Situ Chang confidently declared.

As he finished speaking, the bell rang. Situ Chang squinted his eyes and moved swiftly before the bell fully faded, rushing toward Ling Shuiyao, while Ling Shuiyao stood motionless, seemingly awaiting his move.

Situ Chang struck out with his bare hands, a faint icy fog appearing on his palm, carrying extreme cold aimed at Ling Shuiyao’s head.

Ling Shuiyao didn’t dodge, but also retaliated with a bare fist, her punch meeting his palm, producing a crisp shattering sound, like thin ice breaking.

Remarkably, tiny ice flowers burst forth at the clash of their fists and palms.

Ling Shuiyao didn’t move, while Situ Chang retreated two steps, seemingly repelled by Ling Shuiyao. Yet he showed no surprise, instead revealing a smile.

Ling Shuiyao’s fist was now encased in a thin layer of ice. She shook her hand, apparently discomforted by the freezing.

"The Situ family’s Mystic Ice Blue Record is peculiar. During battles, the Xuanbing True Energy erodes the opponent, causing the opponent’s True Qi to stall, and since True Qi is foundational to Ancient Martial Artists, once its circulation falters, the martial artist soon faces defeat." Miss observed Ling Shuiyao’s hand, her brow furrowing.

"Xuanbing True Energy is indeed strange, yet Situ Chang’s trump card is the dagger behind his waist, secretly handed over by Situ Ruoling, ensuring victory over Miss Shuiyao." Lin Tian remarked casually, revealing Situ Chang’s backup plan.

His vision—a class of its own—had long caught Situ Ruoling’s little trick before anyone else.

"They even handed Situ Chang the sect’s treasure-level dagger? Why not warn Shuiyao earlier?" Xiao Manxuan asked in bewilderment, her eyes wide open.

Lin Tian leaned indifferently against a stretcher, "Don’t worry, what do you think Langya Pavilion is? Does the Situ Family possess fewer treasures than Langya Pavilion?"

As they conversed, Situ Chang relentlessly attacked, each punch emitting chilling energy, while Ling Shuiyao seemed increasingly sluggish.

The spectators found it odd—Ling Shuiyao had confidently taken the stage, yet how was she consistently losing ground? Could Xuanbing True Energy really be so unpredictable?

"Ruoling sis, Brother Chang is about to succeed; it seems you can finally vent some frustration." A Situ Family disciple whispered, full of smiles.

Situ Ruoling’s eyebrows rose, her eyes gleaming with the pleasure of revenge: "Those who make life difficult for me will find it even more difficult for themselves."

"Did sister already instruct Brother Chang to feign an accidental slip, and then..." The male disciple made a throat-slitting gesture, whispering, obviously indicating that accidental death could result from combat, where both parties attack with full force, and accidents cannot be pursued afterward.

Situ Ruoling chuckled coldly, "Are you dumb or am I stupid? This is Langya Pavilion, with Ling Zishan in charge. Even if Brother Chang’s strength surpasses Ling Shuiyao, do you think Ling Zishan would stand by as Ling Shuiyao is killed?"

"How should we make her lose disgracefully?" The disciple was a senior, though insulted as foolish by Situ Ruoling, he wasn’t angered but rather eagerly asked.

Situ Ruoling’s eyes flashed with malice, "Women care most for their looks, especially beautiful women—they’re prized above life itself. During combat, should her face be accidentally scarred, it would be deemed normal. She would suffer worse than death."