Journey of true Cultivation

After the fight settled, the blond haired judge gave everyone half an hour to rest, allowing the disciples to socialize and discuss the matches.

They spoke about the intense battle between Savage and Krieger, the hard fought draw between Emilia and Amalia, Alex's ruthlessness, and many other fights,even how Daoist Water Lake lost to Yuan.

However, not everyone participated in the cheerful discussions. Alex and his opponent remained silent, one out of shame, the other too indifferent to care. Meanwhile, Emilia and Amalia spoke as if they had been friends for years, their previous battle forging an unexpected bond.

Since their match had ended in a draw, the blond haired judge had declared both of them eliminated, leaving only nine disciples from the original twenty.

But as the rest period came to an end

BANG!

A loud clap echoed across the cave, instantly grabbing everyone's attention.

"Attention, please! Juniors, the tournament will now resume!"

The blond haired judge smiled with his usual easygoing expression.

A few disciples winced, nearly deafened by the thunderous clapping, but the judge paid them no mind and continued speaking.

"Since we have nine juniors left, and one match resulted in a draw, one disciple will automatically advance to the next round without having to fight in this round!"

At this announcement, several disciples who knew they stood little chance of winning perked up in excitement.

They prayed silently, hoping that luck would favor them,because if they could skip this round, they would automatically reach the next round. And once there, they could simply forfeit and still walk away with an impressive tournament score.

A rare chance. A golden opportunity.

But alas

The heavens clearly did not favor them.

"The one who will advance without fighting in the second round is,Krieger!"

"Congratulations, Junior, on your free win!"

The moment Krieger's name was called, some disciples clenched their fists in frustration. Others scowled in jealousy, sending him ugly glares.

But Krieger, ever the noble knight, simply bowed gracefully and thanked the judge for the opportunity.

The blond haired judge nodded approvingly at Krieger's calm demeanor before moving on.

"Now, for the first fight of the second round Junior Zi Mo and Junior Li Chun!"

At the mention of their names, the two disciples stepped forward, facing each other.

And so

The crowd waited with curiosity.

Would this fight prove to be a real battle?

Or another disappointment?

The answer became clear the moment they clashed.

Because this

Wasn't a fight at all.

As soon as their names were called, Zi Mo and Li Chun stepped forward, standing opposite each other in the middle of the stone training ground.

Zi Mo's dark blue robe swayed slightly as he took his stance, gripping his sword firmly. His black hair was tied back, revealing sharp yet focused features. Though not a top-tier genius, his ability to blend feints, swordplay, and kicks made him a competent fighter.

Li Chun, on the other hand, wore a violet robe embroidered with flower patterns. Her bright green eyes were calm, her stance relaxed but firm, exuding confidence.

Despite being one of Emilia's new friends, many disciples knew little about her strength. In her previous match, her victory had been due to luck rather than skill, so no one expected much from her.

The blond haired judge raised his hand and smiled.

"Begin!"

The moment the words fell

Zi Mo moved first.

His feet slid across the stone ground with practiced ease, and in the blink of an eye, he closed the distance, slashing diagonally at Li Chun's shoulder.

Fast.

But not fast enough.

Li Chun tilted her head slightly, allowing the sword to pass mere inches away before stepping back effortlessly.

Zi Mo, however, was already expecting this.

The moment his first attack missed, he adjusted his stance and swiftly executed a horizontal feint, pulling back his sword at the last moment before spinning into a low sweeping kick aimed directly at her legs.

A fake out into a real attack.

Yet

Li Chun's body barely moved, her gaze focused, her breath steady.

She lifted her foot at the exact moment his leg swept past, avoiding the kick with graceful precision.

Zi Mo frowned.

She dodged… again?

He didn't hesitate.

Pushing off the ground, he lunged forward and unleashed a quick series of sword thrusts, aiming at her chest, stomach, and shoulder, testing her reaction speed.

But every single one of them missed.

Li Chun's movements were fluid and controlled, her footwork light and effortless, as if she weren't even trying.

At first, the watching disciples were impressed by Zi Mo's techniques,his footwork was sharp, his feints were clever, and his kicks were unpredictable.

But soon, they began to notice something strange.

Li Chun wasn't attacking.

She was only dodging.

And she wasn't even struggling.

It was like she was playing with him.

A flicker of amusement appeared in her green eyes as she finally spoke, her voice light but clear.

"You're fast," she said, dodging yet another attack with a subtle step to the side.

Zi Mo gritted his teeth, feeling his frustration grow.

Why can't I hit her?!

He clenched his sword tighter and launched another attack

This time with more speed, more strength, more unpredictability.

A diagonal slash,she stepped back.

A sudden reverse thrust,she tilted her body.

A spinning kick,she ducked.

No matter what he tried,it was useless.

Because Li Chun wasn't fighting him.

She was studying him.

Every dodge, every step, every slight movement

She was analyzing his patterns, his habits, his instincts.

And then

After only a few exchanges

Her gaze sharpened.

A second later

She moved.

Faster than before.

And this time

She didn't dodge.

She attacked.

Zi Mo barely saw her step forward, her rapier flickering in the dim light as she suddenly thrust toward his exposed side.

His instincts screamed at him to block, but his reaction was a fraction of a second too late.

CRACK!

The wooden blade of her spear slammed into his ribs,not enough to break anything, but enough to send a sharp jolt of pain through his body.

Zi Mo stumbled.

But before he could recover

THWACK!

A second strike landed cleanly on his wrist, nearly making him drop his sword.

And then

A third hit,a clean stab to his chest,forcing him to stagger back several steps, his balance completely broken.

Gasps filled the cave as the watching disciples finally realized what was happening.

Li Chun had been waiting the entire time.

She had only observed and analyzed,until she found an opening.

And once she did

She struck like lightning.

Zi Mo was reeling now, his breathing heavy, his footing unsteady.

But Li Chun?

She hadn't even broken a sweat.

She lowered her rapier slightly, looking at him with a neutral expression.

"You're not bad," she admitted, tilting her head. "But you should stop relying on feints so much."

Zi Mo clenched his jaw.

She saw through me completely…

Before he could regain his posture, Li Chun moved again.

One step.

Two steps.

A precise, effortless strike aimed directly at his dominant hand.

And with that

Zi Mo's sword flew from his grip, clattering onto the stone ground.

Silence filled the cave.

Zi Mo froze, his defeat undeniable.

Li Chun took a step back and lowered her weapon.

"I win" she said simply.

The blond haired judge let out a chuckle.

"Winner,Junior Li Chun!"

The moment her victory was announced, murmurs erupted among the disciples.

"That was too fast!"

"Zi Mo couldn't do anything… Did she read his every move?"

"She barely attacked until the end…"

Meanwhile, Zi Mo sighed, rubbing his sore wrist before bending down to pick up his sword.

He wasn't angry.

He was humbled.

Turning to Li Chun, he bowed slightly.

"…I lost."

Li Chun simply smiled and nodded.

"Maybe next time, you'll try something other than feints."

Hearing this, Zi Mo let out a tired chuckle.

"Maybe."

As he walked away, Li Chun turned her gaze toward the other disciples, her expression calm but unshaken.

She hadn't been here to prove herself.

She was simply too strong for this fight.

standing among the remaining disciples, Yuan observed the fight with an indifferent gaze, his posture relaxed, yet his mind fully engaged.

From the very first exchange, he could tell

Zi Mo had already lost.

It wasn't because he lacked talent.Nor was it because his attacks were slow.

It was because of Li Chun.

She wasn't fighting like the others.

She was observing.

Analyzing.

Waiting.

Yuan's lips curled slightly in amusement.

Interesting.

Unlike the reckless and impatient fights he had seen before, this one carried a level of intelligence that was rare among low level cultivators.

It was subtle.It was methodical.It was efficient.

But the problem wasn't Li Chun.

The real problem was Zi Mo.

His swordplay was decent.His feints were clean.His footwork wasn't bad.

But there was one fatal flaw

He's predictable.

Every move he made followed a pattern.Every feint had an intention that was easy to read.Every strike was a textbook execution,and that was the issue.

He fought like someone who had never faced a real opponent before.

He had trained in techniques but had no true instincts.

Techniques without adaptability are nothing more than a dance.

Yuan sighed slightly, already knowing how this would end.

And, just as expected

Li Chun found her opening.

She read him like a book, dodged everything with ease, and when the time was right,she struck only once.

And it was over.

Zi Mo never stood a chance.

As the blond haired judge declared Li Chun as the winner, Yuan closed his eyes, his mind shifting through what he had just witnessed.

'She has control. Patience. A sharp mind.'

But she was still too soft.

Her strikes were precise, but not lethal.Her analysis was sharp, but not ruthless.

She dominated Zi Mo, yet never once went for the kill.

Yuan leaned back, exhaling lightly.

A good fight.A good spar between children.

Still, he found himself mildly entertained.

Li Chun had potential.

But whether she would survive long enough to refine it

That was an entirely different matter.

And so, another fight ended.

Although the result was a bit unexpected, the disciples quickly moved on, their cheers filling the training grounds as the tournament continued.

One fight after another.

Alex faced a stronger opponent than before, but at the end of the day, it was just another warm-up for him. His victory wasn't in question,only the time it would take.

Scholar Felix also fought, and unlike Alex, his match was a close one.

Both fighters were evenly matched, clashing repeatedly in a battle of technique and endurance. But in the end, Felix managed to secure the win.

And now, only one fight remained.

The final match of the second round.

A fight that many disciples were looking forward to.

The blond haired judge stepped forward, his usual bright smile on his face as he called out the next competitors.

"Junior Yuan and Junior Ming Tao, step forward!"

At his command, both fighters entered the battleground.

Yuan, with his usual casual expression, walked calmly into position.

Opposite him stood Ming Tao, a handsome young man clad in dark robes, his black hair neatly tied back, his sharp eyes filled with quiet confidence.

Ming Tao had put on a decent performance in his previous match,not extraordinary, but solid for his level. He wasn't the strongest competitor here, but he wasn't someone to be underestimated, either.

As both fighters faced each other, the blond haired judge raised an eyebrow and asked,

"What weapon do you choose?"

Yuan barely hesitated before answering.

"A sword."

The judge nodded and tossed a training sword to him. Yuan caught it effortlessly, giving it a few quick swings to test its weight before nodding in approval.

Then, the judge turned to Ming Tao.

"And you?"

Ming Tao's lips curled into a confident smirk.

"An axe."

A moment later, a heavy wooden axe was thrown his way, which he caught with one hand, spinning it once before resting it on his shoulder.

The contrast was clear.

The tension in the air grew thick.

The crowd watched in silence.

And then

"Begin!"

The match had officially started.