Chapter 227 - 226: The Internal Selection (2)

Chapter 227: Chapter 226: The Internal Selection (2)

The protective formation surrounding the Li family’s martial arena was in please, neutralizing the shockwaves of spiritual energy and shielding the spectators from the fallout.

The morning went by in a flash. Li Cheng defeated Li Hong using a fist technique imbued with the power of thunder; Li Yuhan held an absolute advantage throughout his duel; and Li Jingxuan unleashed his signature move, the "Nine-Dragon Flame-Fire Spear," crushing his opponent with overwhelming force.

The deafening cheers from the surrounding stands continued to reverberate through the martial arts plaza following the conclusion of the second round matches. High upon the elevated viewing platform, the elders of the four major branches of the Li clan adjusted their seats, their gazes fixed intently on the four iron-rock arenas below.

At this moment, all eyes turned toward the sons of Li Jian.

At the edge of the arena, Li Jian stood quietly alongside his sons who had already finished their matches. To the casual observer, he seemed nothing more than a gentle and affectionate father.

"Xiao Jain’s sons are truly formidable," First Elder Li Zhentian remarked in a deep, booming voice, stroking his long beard thoughtfully, "Their composure, adaptability, and combat instincts far exceed what is expected of children their age."

Elder Li Yuan of the Second Branch nodded in agreement, a rare look of genuine admiration crossing his face: "Indeed. Li Cheng’s thunder force and perception are astonishing, but even more impressive is how disciplined these boys are. Every technique they execute is refined to perfection."

Sitting beside them, the Li family ancestor smiled faintly, sipping his tea with tranquil elegance: "The fruits of dedicated guidance and hard work." His eyes sparkled with pride as he glanced down at Li Jain,

The next duel was announced. Li Zhang versus Li Bin.

"Next up: Li Zhang versus Li Bin!"

Li Zhang stepped onto the arena floor with a broad smile, waving to the crowd as if he were attending a grand celebration rather than engaging in a perilous contest. Though only eleven years old, he was already exceptionally tall and well-built, his opponent, Li Bin, was fifteen years old, and also at the eighth stage of the Physical Body Realm.

Shouldering a heavy iron axe, Li Bin let out a cold sneer, "Li Zhang, I’ve heard you possess exceptional strength, let’s see what you’re really made of today!"

The referee’s voice rang out: "Contracted beasts are prohibited. A contestant shall be declared defeated if they are knocked off the arena, lose their weapon, or choose to concede. Begin!"

Li Zhang smiled: "Don’t worry, Cousin Bin. I’ll go easy on you!"

Li Bin’s expression darkened. With a shout, he swung his heavy axe downward with all his might.

BOOM!

Li Zhang raised his huge hammer with one hand, meeting the blow head-on. The ground beneath his feet cracked instantly, yet the smile on his face only widened.

"Impressive strength! It turns out you’re not just all talk. Now, try taking this!"

"Mountain Tremor!" Li Zhang stomped his foot, channeling his earth-element spiritual root. A visible shockwave rippled outward. Li Bin staggered, his breathing instantly thrown into disarray.

Before Li Bin could regain his footing, Li Zhang twisted his waist and swung his huge hammer in a wide, sweeping arc. The heavy weapon whistled through the air, slamming violently into the iron axe.

CLANG!

The iron axe was knocked from Li Bin’s grip, falling several meters away.

Li Zhang pulled back his attack just in time; the head of his hammer came to a halt mere millimeters from Li Bin’s shoulder.

The referee raised a hand and signaled, "Li Bin has lost his weapon! Li Zhang wins!"

Cheers erupted from the crowd. Li Zhang let out a hearty laugh, lowered his hammer, and reached out to pull Li Bin back to his feet.

"Fourth Brother, that’s incredible!" Li Jingxuan shouted from the sidelines, jumping up and down with excitement.

"Well, naturally!" Li Zhang replied heartily. "After all, I am an expert of raw force!"

Li Yuhan let out a whistle, and the rest laughed.

"Next match: Li Jingsheng versus Li Liang!"

Seven-year-old Li Jingsheng stepped onto the arena, his expression calm, bordering on indifferent. In his hand, he held a slender, frost-covered longsword, its blade coated in a thin layer of mutated ice.

His opponent, Li Liang, who had reached the seventh stage of the Physical Body realm, one stage higher than Jingsheng, wielded a flaming saber.

Looking down at Jingsheng, Li Liang let out a cold snort: "You’re only seven. It’s not too late to surrender, save yourself the physical pain."

Li Jingsheng’s little face remained as placid as a still well, "Please, Cousin Liang, enlighten me," he said in a flat tone.

"Arrogant brat!" Li Liang sneered.

He swung his saber, sending a streak of flame hurtling toward Jingsheng.

Unfazed, Jingsheng channeled his mutated ice-type spiritual energy, causing frost to rapidly coalesce along his blade. With a precise motion, he struck out to meet the incoming flame.

Crack!

The flames vanished instantly, and a layer of frost began to spread along Li Liang’s saber.

Li Liang’s eyes widened; he scrambled to pour more spiritual energy into his weapon, but Jingsheng was faster. Suddenly, ice mirrors materialized out of thin air all around the arena, reflecting Li Liang’s startled, uncertain expression.

Moving with the grace of a young master, Jingsheng darted between the mirrors and thrust his sword forward; in the blink of an eye, frost had frozen Li Liang’s feet firmly to the ground.

"What?!"

With a decisive flash of his blade, Jingsheng knocked the flaming saber from Li Liang’s grip. The tip of his frost-laden sword came to a close stop against Li Liang’s throat.

Li Liang froze in place, cold sweat trickling down his cheek: "I... I concede!" he shouted in a hoarse voice.

The referee nodded and announced, "Li Jingsheng is the winner!"

Li Jingsheng sheathed his sword and offered a respectful bow before turning to walk away, his expression maintaining its usual stern and cold demeanor.

Yet, upon a closer look, one would see a faint flush at the tips of his ears.

Li Jingxuan leaned toward Li Zhang and whispered, "Fifth Brother is clearly just putting on a cool act."

Li Zhang grinned.; "I know. He’s trying to be more and more like me."

Li Jingxuan frowned thoughtfully; "I don’t think that’s the case."

On the high platform, Elder Li Feng drew a sharp breath, "To defeat an opponent at the seventh stage of the Physical Body Realm while only at the sixth stage himself, such composure is in no way inferior to that of Li Yujian."

Li Xinyue offered a gentle smile, "Jingsheng has always looked up to Yujian and ’Cheng’ as his role models. Although Third Brother Yujian isn’t one for combat, when it comes to mentoring the younger generation... there are truly few in the main clan who can compare to him."

Li Yiwei’s expression darkened slightly, "Xinyue, do not forget, my Xuefeng, has already broken through to the Spirit Sea Realm and ranks among the top five."

Xinyue merely offered a faint smile, choosing not to argue.

"Ring No. 4, Match Seven: Li Juanxin versus Li Kang!"

Everyone was looking forward to this match. It was rumored that Li Juanxin had only just broken through to the third stage of the Body Refining Realm after the announcement of this competition.

Among the Seven Sons of the Li Jain, Li Juanxin was the weakest, sitting at only the third stage of the Body Refining Realm. Furthermore, having been born prematurely, he appeared even smaller and thinner than other seven-year-olds, he looked more like a child of just five.

He had another significant drawback: his Light elemental spiritual root could not be used for direct attacks. It was limited to healing, purification, and defense.

Since spiritual pets were prohibited in this match, he couldn’t fight with Fluffy.

Li Juanxin entered the arena stage. Small in stature and adorable in appearance, he looked nervous, yet his expression held a trace of firm determination. In his hands, he clutched a stack of prepared inscription talismans.

His opponent was Li Kang, from the first branch of the family. At fourteen, Li Kang had already reached the fifth stage of the Physical Body Realm. Seeing the little fellow standing all alone on the other side, Li Kang couldn’t help but offer an awkward, wry smile.

"Cousin Juanxin, where is your spiritual pet? Do you really intend to compete without one?" Li Kang asked gently.

Li Juanxin raised his chin slightly, his little face radiating confidence. "Cousin Kang, I don’t need Fluffy to help me today. I’m a second-rank Inscription Master and I’m going to win this fight using my own strength!"

In the spectator stands, a few young disciples began to whisper:

"A second-rank Inscription master at only seven years old? How is that even possible?"

"Even if he knows how to craft inscriptions, doing it in the heat of a real battle is a completely different world from practicing in a workshop!"

Li Kang frowned slightly and asked, "Should I wait for you to finish crafting your inscriptions first?"

Li Juanxin smiled; "No need, they’re already done. You’d better be careful, Cousin; these are all second-rank inscriptions!"

"Very well, then I won’t hold back."

"Begin!"

No longer daring to take his opponent lightly, Li Kang thrust his spear forward, aiming straight for Li Juanxin.

Instead of meeting the attack head-on, Li Juanxin slapped a prepared inscription scroll onto the ground: "Earth Spike Inscription!"

It was a second-rank inscription crafted from an earth-element beast core. Sharp stone spikes erupted from the ground, forcing Li Kang to leap backward.

"Trivial tricks!" Li Kang sneered, shattering the remaining stone spikes with his spear before charging forward once more.

Li Juanxin quickly erected a soft, white barrier: "Barrier of Pure Light."

The tip of the spear struck the barrier and slid off. The force of the impact sent Li Juanxin staggering backward, his small face turning pale.

After all, he was only at the third stage of the Physical Body Realm. Yet, his eyes remained clear and steady.

He flicked out another inscription scroll: "Lightning Net!"

An electric web, powered by a lightning-element beast core, coiled around Li Kang’s spear. Li Kang let out a cry of surprise as a jolt of numbness surged through his arms.

"What is this?"

Channeling the strength of his fifth-stage Physical Body Realm, he exerted force to break free, tearing the lightning net to shreds. In that very instant, Li Juanxin retreated, simultaneously activating an "Explosive Flame Inscription."

BOOM!

A ball of intense flame erupted between them. The billowing smoke and searing heat forced Li Kang to raise his hands to shield his eyes.

As Li Kang burst through the smoke, he found that Li Juanxin had triggered both a "Flash Powder Inscription" and a "Binding Wind Array."

The flash powder is an alchemical-style inscription. It unleashed a blinding, piercing light, which, coupled with a howling wind, caused Li Kang to stagger and lose his balance.

Li Juanxin then unleashed her final, decisive move: a "Wind Blade Inscription."

Powered by a wind-attribute beast core, an invisible blade of wind swept past Li Kang’s shoulder, knocking the long spear from his grasp.

Li Kang staggered back to the edge of the arena. Before he could catch his breath, Juanxin slapped down an "Earth-Binding inscription scroll," pinning Li Kang’s feet firmly to the ground.

Standing a short distance away, Juanxin held another inscription scroll between his small fingers, his expression calm and adorable.

"Cousin Kang," he said softly, "you can’t move anymore, please, just concede."

Li Kang struggled desperately, yet he remained completely unable to break free. Gazing at the seemingly innocent child before him, he suddenly realized that although Junxin’s personal cultivation level was still quite low, his preparation, sense of timing, and combat intelligence were already those of a seasoned veteran.

"I... I concede!" Li Kang shouted.