Chapter 105: Helpless Defeat and Li Zong's True Strength
The first round of the competition ended swiftly.
Before entering the Genius Tournament, Song Qi had been somewhat anxious about his performance. Yet once he truly engaged, he realized he’d been overthinking it. His strength was so overwhelming that it formed a chasm between him and the other contestants—save for Li Zong, no one could possibly compare.
Soon, the second round began.
This time, his opponent was the Third District, widely acknowledged as one of the strongest teams. But it made no difference. To him, they were all the same.
The next few matches followed the same process. He’d step onto the stage, greet his opponents, and if facing a powerful team, Song Qi would summon Lü Bu and Ying Zheng, casting Life’s Blessing upon himself for good measure. Against weaker teams, he’d simply call forth Lü Bu alone, then wait quietly for the outcome.
Song Qi mused to himself, “Summoners truly have such skillful operations!”
...
After several rounds, the results were inevitable. Song Qi and Chu Shaojiang advanced to the finals. Their opponents, as expected, were Li Zong and another assassin forming a squad.
“Will the finalists please come to the stage!”
As the announcer’s voice echoed across the arena, Song Qi and Li Zong—two of the most anticipated contestants—finally stood face to face.
All around, not a single competitor had left. Both Li Zong and Song Qi had followed the same path: step onto the stage, effortlessly defeat their opponents, step down. Even the duration of each match was kept under half a minute.
Everyone was eager—who was stronger: Li Zong, or the dark horse who had suddenly appeared?
It was unfortunate that the draw had never pitted them against each other until now.
Finally, the moment to resolve everyone’s curiosity had arrived.
Song Qi stepped onto the platform, cupped his hands in greeting, then immediately summoned Lü Bu and Ying Zheng, activating Soul Link and Life’s Blessing at the same time, entering a state of full power.
Facing Li Zong, he dared not relax or let his guard down for even an instant.
Opposite him, Li Zong remained as cold and arrogant as ever, hands clasped behind his back. Suddenly, he spoke in a slow, deliberate tone.
“You... are impressive. Few peers catch my eye, but you are among them.”
“I hope you won’t disappoint me...”
He glanced at his teammate.
“Don't injure yourself. Step down for now.”
Without hesitation, his companion leapt off the platform.
What was happening? Was this for show?
Song Qi was taken aback. Was this how Li Zong always behaved in front of others, the archetype of the aloof, peerless dragon? From the looks of it, the spectators didn’t find it strange—instead, they seemed to expect it.
So... this was his persona?
But why had the Human Race crafted such a character for him?
Song Qi glanced at Chu Shaojiang. Understanding immediately, Chu Shaojiang hopped off the stage as well.
The team contest had instantly turned into a duel.
“Both sides are so confident, determined to defeat the other honorably!”
“This Song Qi is extraordinary! Even Lord Li Zong had to acknowledge his strength!”
Everyone held their breath. Around the platform, silence reigned; one could hear a pin drop. It was the calm before the storm—tense and filled with anticipation.
Yet what they didn’t know was that Song Qi heard Li Zong’s voice ring in his ear.
“Brother Song, I must apologize in advance.”
His tone was full of regret and apology.
“Though I would have liked to keep my level equal to yours and fight you fairly, the results of the Survival Tournament brought consequences I hadn’t expected.”
“For your safety, I must defeat you as cleanly and swiftly as possible in this match.”
Song Qi frowned, still pondering what Li Zong meant when his opponent moved.
“Then...”
Lowering his hands, Li Zong pressed his feet into the ground, his icy gaze locking onto Song Qi.
“Let’s begin!”
Bang!
The stones of the platform shattered beneath his steps.
In an instant, his figure vanished from where he stood, a fierce wind howling in his wake.
Ying Zheng reacted immediately, pointing a finger to cast a spell.
But unexpectedly, a skill that had always worked flawlessly failed to yield the anticipated effect this time.
Li Zong appeared briefly, a look of surprise flickering across his face, then immediately accelerated again! His speed hadn’t diminished—it was even faster!
He didn’t seem to be moving by sheer physical prowess, but by some unique spatial technique.
“Trouble! My lord may be in danger!”
Ying Zheng responded quickly. When his skill failed, he immediately activated Sweeping the Six Directions, boosting Song Qi’s attributes to over ten thousand.
However...
Swish!
Song Qi felt his vision blur, and suddenly, a fingertip pressed against his forehead.
“Brother Song, this is the rule I comprehended at level sixty. I will demonstrate it as clearly as possible—a token of apology for this unfair match.”
“I hope you gain some insight from it.”
...
As soon as the words fell...
Hummmm...
He felt the space before him transform suddenly into a water’s surface, Li Zong’s finger like a stone breaking the calm. The entire space rippled.
Then, the world before his eyes began spinning at a speed beyond imagination!
“No, the world isn’t spinning—”
Song Qi realized with a jolt.
“I am spinning!”
He forced himself to focus ahead, but found his body was entirely unresponsive—his limbs seemed sealed.
Thud!
With a heavy sound, the world finally stopped. Song Qi climbed to his feet, only to discover he had landed off the stage, hands pressed not against the platform’s stone, but the floor below.
“The victor is... Li Zong!”
The announcer’s exuberant voice resounded across the platform.
Countless spectators began cheering for the winner and what they saw as the inevitable outcome.
“Oooooooh!”
“As expected of Young Master Li Zong! Even if he lost in the Survival Tournament, his raw strength still dominates the world!”
“So powerful! Unbelievably powerful!”
“Young Master Li Zong, I want to bear your children!”
Song Qi stood below the stage, still incredulous.
“I... lost just like that?”
He checked himself—there was no discomfort, not even the slightest pain.
This astonished him even more. Not only had he been defeated in an instant, but he hadn’t been harmed at all.
This revealed the gap between their abilities was overwhelmingly vast.
Lü Bu and Ying Zheng stood beside each other, their faces filled with shame. They hadn’t even grasped how Li Zong had reached Song Qi.
Of course, what lingered most in Song Qi’s mind was...
“What did he mean by ‘rule’?”
He remembered—in that instant of contact, Li Zong’s finger seemed entwined with a black ring resembling the diagram of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams.
“Eight Trigrams diagram?”
“Is the rule some skill like the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams?”
“No, he said it was a rule he comprehended.”
“Rule?”
“What exactly is a rule?”
Just then...
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