Chapter 498 - 441: Duel (Part 2)

Chapter 498: Chapter 441: Duel (Part 2)

With a point of force, Wang Ruoyu’s shield danced with fierce energy, keeping both the Water Whip and Fireball at bay. Fireballs exploded continuously over the nearby water, and the thick mist was about to obscure Wang Ruoyu’s figure.

"Senior Brother Li can’t keep fighting like this." A young junior sister clutched her hands worriedly, "This is too much waste of spiritual power."

A voice echoed from the field, it was Wang Ruoyu: "Li Zi, these little tricks are useless against me, hurry and show your true skills—"

Before he finished the word "skills," Wang Ruoyu suddenly faltered, kneeling on the ground, the glow on his round shield dimmed. His muscles gave way, unable to hold on, and with a clatter, it fell into the water.

He felt as if all his spiritual power vanished, leaving him powerless, momentarily bewildered and immobilized, in an instant, Li Da’s Water Whip bound his limbs, trapping him.

Wang Ruoyu cried out in panic, "This doesn’t count, this doesn’t count, I don’t know why I suddenly have no strength!"

Li Da stepped across the waves, slowly approaching, gazing silently at Wang Ruoyu who hung in mid-air.

Wang Ruoyu said anxiously, "Li Zi, I think I’m sick, my spiritual power is all gone, I—"

Li Da found it funny yet frustrating, most of his anger dissipated. He sighed, "Shitou, you’re not sick; you fell victim to my poison. I used our sect’s newly improved Drunken Immortal Powder; it’s effective upon inhalation."

The audience was in an uproar; heated discussions echoed throughout the venue, and the judging panel also whispered fervently among themselves.

Originally, all of Li Da’s previous attacks were a diversion. He mixed the Drunken Immortal Powder into the water, dispersing it around Wang Ruoyu, then used Fireballs to create steam, and Wang Ruoyu unsuspectingly inhaled the mist deeply into his lungs.

Several elders from Yunshan Sect displayed varied expressions, Jiang Qingfeng furrowed his brows, Wang Yu remained unresponsive, and Yang Jiye snorted.

Wang Ruoyu stood stunned, staring at Li Da with a look of disbelief, a gaze as if looking at a stranger, which suddenly made Li Da uneasy inside.

Then, as if convincing himself, Li Da loudly declared, "The competition rules clearly state each condition; none mentioned prohibiting poison. I didn’t violate any rule, there’s nothing to argue about."

Indeed, after some deliberation, the judging panel did not penalize Li Da for any violation.

Li Da’s fans vocally debated with dissenting cultivators, fervently defending Li Da’s actions.

"The Sect Leader stated from the beginning that this competition aims to sharpen martial skills for future defense against foreign foes. Would an enemy on the battlefield adhere to regulations? Simulating a real battle isn’t necessarily bad."

"Senior Brother Li only used a paralyzing substance that causes no substantive harm; there’s no need for such a big reaction, right?"

"Don’t just focus on Senior Brother Li using poison; his method of concealing and deploying poison is something most wouldn’t think of. This move was indeed brilliant."

...

Wang Ruoyu ignored the discussions, simply staring at Li Da, the disappointment in his eyes painfully pierced Li Da’s heart.

After a long while, he slowly said, "Li Zi, you shouldn’t have used poison, you shouldn’t have used poison on me."

Li Da turned away, no longer looking at him, "Admit defeat, Shitou. Otherwise, I’ll have to throw you out of the ring."

Wang Ruoyu shook his head, "I won’t admit defeat; if you throw me out, I still won’t concede."

Li Da raised his voice slightly, "What good is it not admitting defeat? Once you’re out of the ring, the judges will declare your loss."

Wang Ruoyu shook his head, "I don’t acknowledge your victory over me; I don’t accept your methods, and I won’t adhere to our agreement!"

Li Da instantly became angry; he rushed up the slope, threw several Silence Talismans, and the audience watched them perform a silent drama.

"Why? Wang Shitou! You have learned to cheat too!"

"It’s you cheating!" Wang Ruoyu held his neck stiff, his face flushed, "I trusted you so much! I believed you would fight me with all your strength, I even wagered my most important possession!"

"Li Zi! You’ve always been someone I admired immensely; you’re so smart, understanding everything!"

"Anyone can use poison on me, but not you, I’ve regarded you as my best friend!"

Li Da stood there frozen, looking at Wang Ruoyu glaring at him; the arguments he intended to make were all stuck in his throat.

"Strategy is also a part of strength," "Using poison is a normal battlefield tactic," but now, facing Wang Ruoyu, he was speechless.

His fingers moved, the Water Whip dissipated with a splash.

A porcelain bottle was tossed into Wang Ruoyu’s arms.

"Antidote. We’ll take a break for half an hour; use the time to regain your balance." As Li Da spoke, he felt as though he had gone mad, "After half an hour, we’ll decide victory or defeat."

"This time, I’ll defeat you with fairness, and make you genuinely concede defeat!"

The audience below erupted once more, watching Wang Ruoyu ingest the antidote and then take out an elixir to aid recovery, while Li Da moved to the other side to restore himself, completely unsure of what transpired.

Those cultivators secretly betting felt their moods soar and plummet, loudly lamenting that there were too many unpredictable elements.

"See, I said Senior Brother Li isn’t like that; he just gave Senior Brother Wang a wake-up call, teaching him not to underestimate or be careless in battle."

Li Da’s fans defended him again, while other disciples rolled their eyes aggressively.

The judging panel had never witnessed contestants each restoring themselves, but since there was no violation, they allowed the two to proceed.

Half an hour later, both opened their eyes, returning to the center of the arena, standing over a vast expanse of flatland.