Chapter 111: Mysterious Territory, Post-Heaven Eight Trigrams
Song Qi lifted his head and looked to the other side.
Li Zong sat upright above, still wearing that cold, unapproachable expression, showing not the slightest intention of interacting with him.
After a moment’s thought, Song Qi carried his number card back to the audience seats.
Not only had the tournament paired him with Li Zong in the very first round, but it had also arranged for the two of them to compete alone.
In the first three rounds, more than a dozen contestants fought in their own sections of the arena. Yet in this fourth round, only he and Li Zong remained.
Tens of thousands of square meters were cleared, giving the two of them free rein to display their abilities.
With Song Qi’s reputation now resounding throughout the hall, as he returned to the audience seats, many contestants cast admiring and respectful glances his way.
Even though he had been defeated by Li Zong in a single move yesterday, that did not diminish the fact that he had otherwise swept through the competition to claim second place.
Undoubtedly, at this moment, he had become the unrivaled prodigy in everyone’s eyes—second only to Li Zong.
“Brother Song, want something to eat?”
“I noticed you seemed to enjoy monster meat the other day, so I bought a few portions while I was out on the street.”
“We’ve got plenty of time, so why not snack while we wait?”
No sooner had he sat down than Chu Shaojiang appeared from somewhere, holding several exquisitely packed takeaway boxes.
Song Qi was at a loss. Was this bootlicker perhaps a little too enthusiastic?
Still, the monster meat did smell delicious.
He thought for a moment, then said, “Alright, I’ll have a taste.”
“Coming right up!” Chu Shaojiang handed him a box without hesitation, then pulled a height-adjustable chair from his storage ring and set it up before Song Qi.
“Brother Song, it’s troublesome to eat from your lap—use the table instead. If you’re thirsty, I also have some extraordinary drinks made from plant-type monsters. See if you like it.”
...
Between eating and drinking, several hours quickly slipped by.
As the final match of the third round ended...
“The third round is officially over!”
“And now, the next contenders are... Song Qi from the Seventh District, and from the First District... Lord Li Zong!”
The moment these names rang out, all contestants and spectators immediately perked up.
“Would both contestants please take the stage!”
As the announcer called his name, Song Qi took another sip of his drink, then teleported straight onto the arena.
On the other side...
Li Zong slowly opened his eyes, golden pupils shining brilliantly.
He rose calmly to his feet, stepping out—onto empty air.
Boom!
An illusory blazing sun appeared beneath his foot, supporting his body.
He strode through the sky, as though walking atop countless great suns, descending step by step.
Clad in white, he looked every bit the formidable figure arriving from the infinite stars.
His entrance drew a chorus of adoring screams from the fangirls.
“Tch, this guy really puts on a show in front of others...” Song Qi muttered sourly.
As Li Zong landed on the arena, Song Qi didn’t hesitate.
Snap!
With a crisp finger snap, three figures appeared: Dixin, Lu Bu, and Ying Zheng.
“Excellent! It seems our contestant Song Qi has now summoned a third spirit!”
“So will today’s match prove more dramatic as a result?” The announcer’s professionalism was evident—even though this was not a broadcast event, he still worked hard to stir the audience’s enthusiasm.
But the contestants in the audience were unimpressed.
“The number of summoned spirits is never the key—quality is what matters most.”
“Exactly,” agreed one who had fought Song Qi before. “I admit, his two spirits are extremely powerful—at first glance, at least epic-level.”
“Even if he could only ever summon those two, he’d soar above his peers and keep all the other geniuses at bay.”
“But... if you think that kind of quality is something you can just summon on a whim, you’re being naive.”
“True. So the outcome this time likely won’t be much different.”
Others agreed with nods of understanding.
Among the contestants, few believed Song Qi could win. But atop the high platform, the city lords looked on with surprise.
“A third spirit has appeared?”
“This is getting interesting.”
“I wonder—will it be mythic or holy grade this time?”
From Lord Fu, they had learned the quality of Song Qi’s first two spirits. As city lords, they knew well that something called ‘fortune’ truly existed in this world.
To have summoned two spirits of such caliber, Song Qi was already, in their eyes, a man of great destiny!
Even if not favored by heaven, his name would surely be carved into the annals of his era—a mighty figure for the ages.
No way would he falter at level forty.
...
On the arena...
Li Zong and Song Qi stared each other down, both fully prepared.
“Now then... let the match—begin!” As the announcer’s voice echoed through the stadium, Li Zong’s figure vanished once more.
“That move again!” Ying Zheng’s face turned grim. Last time, he had been deceived by this very trick, causing Song Qi’s instant defeat.
“Be careful! He isn’t moving fast by his own strength, but using some kind of spatial traversal!”
“Protect the master!” This time, Lu Bu was not reckless. Spear in hand, he stood at Song Qi’s side.
But Dixin seemed utterly unconcerned, arms folded, his expression relaxed as he said coolly, “Pathetic.”
Boom!
Li Zong’s figure abruptly appeared midair.
The attack, originally aimed straight at Song Qi, suddenly veered and struck at Dixin instead.
Bang!
They exchanged blows and instantly separated, Li Zong retreating to his original spot.
Where moments before the audience had been noisy, now all fell silent, only for an even louder wave of discussion to break out.
“What!? Young Lord Li Zong didn’t defeat his opponent in a flash this time?”
“This third summoned spirit seems to have withstood his attack?!”
“My god... could Song Qi really go toe-to-toe with Li Zong for hundreds of rounds?”
“No, no, it must have been a fluke—surely that was just a probing attack from Li Zong.”
On the arena, Dixin remained unfazed.
Lu Bu and Ying Zheng exchanged glances, surprised.
“It seems the master no longer requires protection,” they both relaxed considerably.
“Is this ally more skilled at defense and shielding?” Song Qi nodded in agreement.
“You needn’t worry about me. This time, he won’t defeat me so easily.”
“Go all out on the offensive.”
As long as his soul was bound to Dixin, even Li Zong could not easily bring him down.
On the other side...
Having retreated to his starting point, Li Zong’s eyes glinted with doubt.
“A law?”
“If I’m not mistaken, I was just now restrained by some kind of law-level ability?”
“This third summoned spirit actually commands laws?”
“So after I defeated Song Qi once, he was able to call forth an even stronger spirit on that basis?”
He chuckled softly, not at all troubled but rather deeply impressed.
His golden eyes blazed with boundless fighting spirit and admiration for Song Qi’s talent.
“Excellent!”
“Truly excellent!”
“Brother Song, you have not let me down!”
“In that case, there’s no need for me to hold back my own law-level techniques!”
Li Zong slowly spread his legs, lowering his center of gravity.
A pattern of white light lit up beneath his feet, rapidly expanding with each step.
“Let’s begin at level forty, then.”
“Be careful, Brother Song,” Li Zong warned with utmost seriousness.
“Qimen Domain...”
“Post-Heaven Eight Trigrams!”
Then—
Boom!
The white light exploded, filling the tens of thousands of square meters in an instant.
The entire arena was covered with an enormous diagram of the Eight Trigrams.