From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 39 Another Battle Against the Storm

"I heard...what?" I turned to look at Sun Yue, whose expression in the moonlight was rather intriguing.

"I heard that Zhao Meng has also signed up for this qualifying round," Sun Yue said in a low voice, her tone tinged with worry.

Zhao Meng? Hearing this name, my heart sank. He was one of the best outer disciples, said to have reached the peak of the ninth level of Qi Refining, just one step away from breaking through to Foundation Establishment. I had luckily beaten him once in the sect competition, and he had held a grudge against me ever since. He was definitely well-prepared for this promotion competition.

"What, scared?" Sun Yue saw that I was silent and thought I was scared, so she laughed and teased, "Don't worry, even if you lose, you still have me!"

I shook my head, took a deep breath, and suppressed the unease in my heart. "I'm fine. I'll face whatever comes my way. I'm not afraid of any challenge."

The qualifying rounds were held as scheduled three days later. Sun Yue and I arrived at the arena, which was packed with people and the atmosphere was incredibly lively. Following the instructions on my number plate, I went to my designated spot.

"Junior Sister Xiao Yao, it's been a long time!"

A familiar voice came from across the room. I looked up and saw Zhao Meng standing in my opponent's position with a meaningful smile on his face.

I nodded slightly as a greeting, and then stared at him intently, not daring to relax for a moment.

"start!"

At the referee's whistle, Zhao Meng launched the first attack. In a flash, he was in front of me and threw a punch at my face.

I was prepared and dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding his attack. Zhao Meng, missing his first strike, immediately changed tactics, sweeping his leg across. I quickly leaped backward, creating distance between us.

"Hmph, all you can do is dodge and weave?" Zhao Meng was getting angry and embarrassed when he couldn't break through after a long time. He quickly formed hand seals and chanted incantations.

In an instant, a fierce wind arose on the arena, sending sand and stones flying, and a powerful surge of spiritual energy emanated from Zhao Meng's body. I was startled; it seemed he was about to get serious.

I dared not be careless, and quickly circulated my spiritual power to set up a defensive barrier in front of me.

"Die!" Zhao Meng roared, pushing forward with both palms, and a dazzling golden beam of light blasted towards me...

A golden beam of light hurtled towards me with earth-shattering force; I could even feel its scorching heat and suffocating pressure. In that life-or-death moment, my mind raced, my steps faltering yet subtly disciplined, my body drifting like a fallen leaf in the gale.

"boom--"

A golden beam of light whistled past my shoulder, the force of which knocked me to the ground. I groaned, ignoring the pain, and flipped myself to my feet, warily eyeing Zhao Meng opposite me.

"Xiao Yao, is this all you've got?" Zhao Meng became even more enraged when his attack missed. He waved his hands continuously, and golden blades rained down on me.

I dared not take the blows head-on, and could only rely on my agile movements to dodge and weave around the arena. Although Zhao Meng's attacks were fierce, they could never truly harm me in the slightest.

"Xiao Yao, keep going! Don't give up!" Sun Yue's cheers came from below the stage. Her voice was like a warm current flowing into my exhausted body, giving me boundless strength.

"I won't lose!" I gritted my teeth, a resolute glint in my eyes.

While dodging Zhao Meng's attacks, I looked for an opportunity to counterattack. Although Zhao Meng's cultivation was higher than mine, he relied too much on brute force, and his moves were full of flaws.

My eyes were like lightning, fixed on Zhao Meng's every move. Finally, I spotted an opportunity.

I saw Zhao Meng leap high into the air, his fists clenched, and smash down towards my head. A slight, cold smile appeared on my lips.

"You got Fooled!"

Just as Zhao Meng's fist was about to land, I swayed and appeared behind him like a ghost. I quickly formed hand seals, channeling all my spiritual energy into my palms.

"Overwhelming force!"

With a sharp cry, I unleashed both palms, unleashing a torrent of spiritual energy that slammed into Zhao Meng's back...

Zhao Meng was struck dumb; his massive body flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the edge of the arena. I didn't let my guard down, because I knew this was far from over. Zhao Meng's physical body was formidable; although my attack was effective, it only caused him minor injuries.

I quickly adjusted my breathing, preparing to press my advantage, when I suddenly felt a powerful pressure erupt from Zhao Meng. He slowly stood up, his eyes bloodshot, his entire body radiating a violent aura.

"Xiao Yao, you forced me to do this!" Zhao Meng roared, his hands quickly forming hand seals while he chanted incantations.

I was startled, realizing that Zhao Meng was going all out. I dared not be careless and quickly mobilized all my spiritual energy, preparing to meet the challenge.

Zhao Meng clasped his hands together, and a golden beam of light shot into the sky, piercing the clouds. Within the beam, a gigantic golden tiger could be faintly seen roaring and writhing.

"Golden Tiger Roars to the Heavens!" Zhao Meng roared, and a golden beam of light shot towards me like an arrow.

My expression changed drastically. This golden beam of light contained a world-destroying power, and I had no way to dodge it. In this life-or-death situation, I steeled my heart and decided to fight to the death.

"Ice Soul Jade Bracelet!" I shouted, and the jade bracelet on my wrist suddenly emitted a dazzling light, and a huge ice crystal shield appeared in front of me.

The golden beam of light slammed into the ice crystal shield, creating a deafening explosion. The ice crystal shield trembled violently, countless cracks appearing on it, as if it would shatter at any moment.

I was extremely anxious. Was all my hard work going to be in vain?

Just then, the Ice Soul Jade Bracelet suddenly burst forth with an even more dazzling light, and a powerful force surged into my body, repairing my injuries and reinforcing the ice crystal shield at the same time.

To my surprise, I discovered that the Ice Soul Jade Bracelet actually had a hidden skill!

With the blessing of the Ice Soul Jade Bracelet, the ice crystal shield finally withstood the attack of the golden beam of light. I was overjoyed and was about to counterattack when I saw Zhao Meng launch another attack.

"Golden Tiger Dances Wildly!"

Zhao Meng's figure transformed into a golden light, moving rapidly around me. Golden fist shadows rained down, continuously striking the ice crystal shield.

The ice crystal shield trembled violently again, on the verge of shattering. I gritted my teeth and persevered, struggling to hold on.

"Xiao Yao, your death is near!" Zhao Meng's voice was like a demonic sound from the deepest hell, sending chills down one's spine.

My heart was filled with despair. Was I really going to die here?

"No, I can't give up!" A resolute glint flashed in my eyes.

I took a deep breath, enduring the excruciating pain in my body, and channeled the last bit of spiritual power into the Ice Soul Jade Bracelet.

"Frozen for thousands of miles!"

A bone-chilling cold burst forth from the Ice Soul Jade Bracelet, instantly freezing the entire arena. Zhao Meng's movements slowed, and he stared at me in astonishment, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"you……"

A slight smirk appeared on my lips.

"It's over, Zhao Meng."

I suddenly swung my right hand, and a flash of cold light appeared. The Ice Soul Jade Bracelet transformed into a streak of light, striking Zhao Meng's chest with lightning speed.

Before Zhao Meng could even react, he was struck by the sudden attack. He looked down at his chest in disbelief, where a deep icy gash had appeared. The cold air seeped into his meridians, rendering him unable to move.

"You... cheated!" Zhao Meng said through gritted teeth, his voice trembling.

I put away the Ice Soul Jade Bracelet and looked at him coldly: "The outcome is already decided. If you are not as skilled as others, don't make excuses for yourself."

A hush fell over the arena; everyone was stunned by the sudden turn of events. A moment later, deafening cheers erupted throughout the entire place.

I won! I defeated the mighty Zhao Meng and successfully advanced to the finals!

Sun Yue was the first to rush onto the stage, excitedly hugging me: "Xiao Yao, you're amazing! I knew you could do it!"

I smiled and patted her on the shoulder, but I didn't feel the joy I'd imagined. This victory, though hard-won, was just the beginning. None of those who made it to the finals were weak; the challenges I was about to face would be even more severe.

Over the next few days, I trained even harder, daring not to slack off in the slightest. My opponent in the finals was Liu Ruyan, a genius disciple from the Heavenly Sword Sect. She was renowned for her swordsmanship and was said to have grasped the mysteries of sword intent, making her strength unfathomable.

On the eve of the finals, as usual, I went to my master's cave to ask him for advice on how to deal with the situation. My master said to me earnestly, "Xiao Yao, I have seen all your efforts. Liu Ruyan is exceptionally strong. You need to be mentally prepared and just do your best."

I nodded earnestly, keeping my master's words firmly in mind.

Back at my lodgings, I suddenly noticed an exquisite wooden box in my room. Puzzled, I opened it and found a letter inside.

There was no signature on the envelope. I slowly unfolded the letter, and a line of neat handwriting came into view:

"If you want to live, give up tomorrow's final match, otherwise..."

My pupils contracted sharply, and a chill ran from the soles of my feet straight to the top of my head...