34 Xue Yong

As the battle unfurled, an immediate stalemate ensued between the two combatants.

Xue Yong's foot skated across the ground, his body aligning into a prepared stance. Simultaneously, Wan Lijuan unsheathed her gleaming short sword, the blade shimmering with a stunning azure light. She approached him with calculated steps.

When the gap between them had diminished to the perfect range for combat, Xue Yong initiated their clash. He twirled his staff, and in a swift motion, redirected its path, sending it whistling towards Wan Lijuan. She responded with a tranquility that belied the tension of the moment, effortlessly blocking his strike.

A grin crept onto Xue Yong's face. His staff spun again, tracing a curving path that compelled Wan Lijuan to retreat, lest she fail to deflect it. But to his surprise, she chose to close the distance, launching a powerful kick in his direction. Xue Yong recognized the maneuver – it was the same one she had employed against Liu Jun.

With a duck and a pivot, Xue Yong avoided the incoming blow and braced his staff against the ground. He aimed a kick at Wan Lijuan's knee, but her sword flashed, slashing across his thigh. He winced at the sting of fresh pain, hastily retreating to a safer distance.

Xue Yong studied Wan Lijuan, her demeanor still unperturbed. He took a deep, steadying breath, quelling the fiery throb of his wound. Lowering his staff, he tapped it against the stone-tiled ground, prepping himself to execute a form he had honed over countless practice sessions.

He advanced gradually, the rhythmic tapping of his staff accompanying his every step. As he entered her striking range, Wan Lijuan lunged forward with a swift slash. Xue Yong struck the ground forcefully with his staff, deflecting the blade with its other end. He kept his grip on the staff light, allowing it to spin with the momentum of the attack.

The staff whirled, colliding with the ground with a resounding thud. Wan Lijuan's surprise was brief but visible, even as she aimed another swipe at him. Again, Xue Yong deftly maneuvered his staff to glide along her blade, redirecting the strike into the ground with a loud clack. The shockwave of the impact ricocheted back up the staff, catching Wan Lijuan's arm and forcing her to stagger backwards.

Surprise etched itself onto her features, but she quickly recomposed herself. Undeterred, Xue Yong advanced once more, his staff whirling around him. As he closed in, Wan Lijuan saw an opportunity and lunged. Yet again, Xue Yong deftly guided her blade along his staff. The staff skittered through his loosened grip, teetering on its edge before it clapped against the ground and sprung back, striking Wan Lijuan in the stomach.

...

As the match unfolded before him, Yi Tian found himself astounded by Xue Yong's technique. He observed the application of the martial form with a discerning eye, noting an intriguing peculiarity. The technique seemed to harbor latent potential, a dormant power yet to be fully awakened.

Beside him, Li Wei was equally entranced, though his fascination stemmed more from the exhilarating spectacle than any profound understanding of the technique at play. Turning to Yi Tian, he marveled, "This is incredible! He might even be on par with Yan Bo!"

"Indeed," Yi Tian concurred with a nod, his gaze never leaving the fight. However, doubt lingered in his mind about Xue Yong's chances of victory. His execution of the technique seemed tenuous at best, likely due to his lack of comprehension of its true depth. As Yi Tian saw it, mastering such a complex and blood qi-intensive technique demanded a significant level of experience with blood qi - a resource Xue Yong was yet to unlock.

True to Yi Tian's predictions, the tide of the battle began to shift. As he observed keenly, he saw Wan Lijuan regaining her upper hand.

...

Upon striking Wan Lijuan in the stomach and sending her reeling, a smile bloomed on Xue Yong's face. Wan Lijuan, clutching her abdomen, wore an irate expression.

"Hmpf," she muttered, her tone icy.

Annoyed yet determined, she straightened her stance and dashed forward. Xue Yong braced himself, preparing to redirect her impending attack. However, as he moved to deflect her strike, her blade whirled unexpectedly, cutting into his forearm instead.

"Agh!" Xue Yong roared in pain, staggering backward. He recovered quickly, spinning his staff and lashing out at Wan Lijuan. She deftly blocked his assault and, with impressive speed, spun in retaliation, her sword flashing toward Xue Yong's face.

Quickly tilting his head back, Xue Yong relied on his staff to spring forward. He leveraged the lower end of his staff to strike upward, forcing Wan Lijuan to retreat slightly. Persistently, Xue Yong spun his staff to his back, his blood splattering on the stage, twirling and swinging his weapon, its bottom end aimed forward.

Wan Lijuan was struck in her shoulder, spinning her around. Xue Yong continued his assault, closing in on her, only to be met with a retaliatory slash to his own shoulder. Instead of retreating, Wan Lijuan had continued her spin, catching Xue Yong off-guard.

"Ahh!" Xue Yong bellowed as the blade sliced a deep wound into his shoulder. To evade another painful slash, he rolled forward, smoothly rising into another stance. Blood seeped into his martial hanfu, staining it a gruesome dark hue.

"Concede," Wan Lijuan commanded sternly.

Xue Yong paid her no mind, charging forward. Despite the blur encroaching on his vision, he continued his onslaught. Anticipating his move, Wan Lijuan swung her blade as he came within striking distance. Instead of blocking the attack, Xue Yong slammed his staff heavily on the ground, creating a thunderous clap. This action propelled him upward, over the slash. He twirled mid-air, striking downward with all his might.

Wan Lijuan's eyes widened as Xue Yong's staff whistled past her face and cracked the ground beneath her. A thud echoed in the silent arena. She looked down to find Xue Yong unconscious on the ground. After a moment's silence, the crowd erupted into cheers as the announcer's voice resonated throughout the venue.

"Winner, Wan Lijuan!" he proclaimed as the gong echoed and celebratory music filled the air.