Hearing this, Lin Wan''er stopped teasing Li Yun, sat down to the side, and began meditating. Her injuries were not light, and she needed to recover to a better state.


    The others also began meditating. After deciding the top five, they still had to determine the rankings of the remaining five.


    Time passed quickly, and soon an hour had gone by. Du Gufang reappeared on the arena and calmly said, "The top three, come up to the stage."


    Lu Yi, Jiang Fan, and Lin Wan''er stood up and floated onto the stage.


    Du Gufang took out three jade plaques, which floated in the air, and said, "One of you will have a bye. The other two will compete to determine the second place and then face the one with the bye to determine first place."


    The three exchanged glances. Lin Wan''er smiled and said, "Junior Brother Lu Yi, how about you go first?"


    Lu Yi smiled. "I don’t mind at all."


    He reached out, took a jade plaque, and flipped it over: 1.


    Lu Yi raised his eyebrows slightly, feeling a little happy. Another match meant another reward.


    Not bad at all.


    Seeing Lu Yi take a plaque, Jiang Fan and Lin Wan''er also reached out their hands.


    After looking at the plaque, Lin Wan''er''s face fell. Jiang Fan smirked lightly and revealed his plaque: "I have the bye."


    Lu Yi looked at Jiang Fan strangely. Could this guy be a child of destiny?


    Such good luck—getting a bye twice.


    As expected, people with "Fan" in their names were extraordinary.


    Du Gufang smiled. "In that case, Jiang Fan, step down. Lu Yi and Lin Wan''er, prepare yourselves."


    Jiang Fan nodded and left the stage.


    Du Gufang also floated into the air, leaving only Lu Yi and Lin Wan''er on the arena.


    Lin Wan''er looked at Lu Yi and smiled. "Junior Brother Lu Yi, go easy on me, okay?"


    Lu Yi smiled. "Senior Sister''s strength is amazing. I might not be your match."


    Lin Wan''er widened her eyes and looked at Lu Yi speechlessly. "You can lie so blatantly without your conscience hurting?"


    Lu Yi felt fine physically and morally, and said earnestly, "Senior Sister, you''ve misunderstood me. I never lie."


    While speaking, Lu Yi silently made a wish in his heart: I will defeat Senior Sister Lin Wan''er.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    [Mission]:


    Defeat Lin Wan''er (Progress: 0/1)


    Reward: Foundation Establishment Spell Technique "Dust Forgetting Technique"


    Accept? Yes/No


    Lu Yi was stunned for a moment, a bit surprised.


    A spell technique? He hadn’t expected such a reward.


    Lu Yi originally thought sparring-type missions only rewarded cultivation resources, but it turned out spell techniques were included too?


    He was curious about what kind of spell technique the "Dust Forgetting Technique" was. However, since the mission wasn’t complete, he couldn’t check its details yet.


    Another question crossed his mind—if he defeated Lin Wan''er again in the future, what would the reward be?


    Would it be another "Dust Forgetting Technique," or a different spell technique?


    If it were another technique, he could farm rewards by sparring with Lin Wan''er multiple times.


    Lu Yi felt excited about this possibility. He decided to test it after completing this mission.


    Just then, Du Gufang''s voice rang out: "Begin."


    Lu Yi and Lin Wan''er exchanged glances. Spiritual energy surged around them as they drew their swords and vanished from their spots.


    Lin Wan''er''s strength was formidable, but she was slightly weaker than Bai Yulong. Naturally, she was no match for Lu Yi.


    As usual, Lu Yi held back a little, using less force during the battle.


    After hundreds of exchanges, Lin Wan''er''s spiritual energy was nearly depleted. Sweat covered her forehead as she panted heavily.


    She retreated to the edge of the arena, glaring at Lu Yi, who looked completely unfazed. Helpless, she said, "I give up!"


    Lu Yi smiled. "Thank you for going easy on me, Senior Sister."


    None of the elders or disciples were surprised by Lin Wan''er’s surrender.


    After all, Lu Yi’s earlier performances had shown strength far beyond Lin Wan''er''s.


    After Lin Wan''er surrendered, Du Gufang reappeared on the stage and announced, "Lu Yi wins!"


    He turned to look at Lu Yi with a slight smile. "Rest for a bit. The final match will begin soon."


    Lu Yi nodded. "Yes, Elder."


    After stepping down from the stage, no one disturbed Lu Yi. Everyone knew that the next match for first place was crucial, and Lu Yi needed to prepare.


    Jiang Fan leaned against a corner of the stage, his hands behind his head, watching Lu Yi meditate with mock seriousness, eyes full of battle intent.


    Bai Yulong, fanning himself, glanced at Jiang Fan and smiled. "Jiang Fan, you must have a hidden trump card, right?"


    Jiang Fan paused, then smiled. "Why do you think that?"


    "Lu Yi has shown such overwhelming strength, yet you don’t seem worried. It means you believe he’s not unbeatable." Bai Yulong grinned.


    "You’re too sharp, Bai Yulong." Jiang Fan laughed.


    Seeing Jiang Fan admit it, Bai Yulong grew more curious. "We’ve been fellow disciples for years. What trump card are you hiding that makes you so confident?"


    Bai Yulong glanced at Lu Yi. Although he considered himself talented, losing to a Qi Refining Stage Level 7 Lu Yi had made him feel defeated.


    "Lu Yi is practically a monster," Bai Yulong muttered.


    Jiang Fan squinted and smiled without answering.


    Seeing that Jiang Fan wasn’t going to reveal anything, Bai Yulong smirked and didn’t press further.


    He figured Jiang Fan would show his true strength in the final battle.


    The audience grew quiet, waiting eagerly for the final match.


    Time passed, and soon Lu Yi opened his eyes.


    Du Gufang, who had been standing on the stage, asked, "Lu Yi, are you ready?"


    Lu Yi smiled. "I’m ready."


    "Good. In that case—Lu Yi, Jiang Fan, come up."


    As Du Gufang spoke, Lu Yi and Jiang Fan exchanged smiles and soared onto the stage, standing on opposite sides.


    Du Gufang said, "The match for first place begins now."


    With that, he floated into the air, leaving Lu Yi and Jiang Fan on the stage.


    The two locked eyes. Jiang Fan drew his long blade and smiled. "Junior Brother Lu Yi, I didn’t expect you to be my final opponent."


    Lu Yi smiled back. "I guess I’ve been lucky."


    Jiang Fan shook his head. "Luck alone won’t get you this far. Let’s not waste words. Let’s fight."


    Lu Yi cupped his hands. "Senior Brother Jiang Fan, please."


    Jiang Fan’s expression turned sharp, and his eyes gleamed. Blade energy surged around him as he activated the Sharp Gold Blade Technique.


    With a clang, a blade light over ten meters long slashed toward Lu Yi.