Chapter 1653: Military Strategy Encourages Deception

Qiu Honglei nodded, then lightly tapped her toes and floated onto the arena.

Many people nodded secretly. Although the woman was somewhat ugly, her demeanor and bearing were top-notch. They wondered how she managed to combine such contradictory qualities.

Shi Dingtian, on the other hand, walked up with a simple, honest expression, occasionally scratching his head, which amused many onlookers.

Compared to the "Mars crashing into Earth" spectacle of the previous match, this one had far less appeal. Had people known before the tournament that these two would be in the semi-finals, probably few would have bothered to watch.

However, their previous dark horse performances had significantly raised expectations for this match.

Disciples from various sects privately discussed the outcome of this battle. Surprisingly, with the exception of a few from Kongming Island, there was overwhelming support for Shi Dingtian. After all, Peng Wuyan was quite ugly, and her ruthless tactics in previous matches had also made her unpopular. In contrast, Shi Dingtian exuded an inexplicable aura of honest simplicity, making it difficult for anyone to feel ill will towards him. This contrast naturally led to widespread support for him.

From the referee's stand, Zu An found himself leaning more towards Peng Wuyan. For some reason, he always felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity from her. "What the hell," he thought. "Is something wrong with my aesthetics?" Realizing this, he froze, questioning his very existence.

When Guanxin Peak Master Feng Wuchang announced the start of the match, the magic array around the arena lit up, preventing the aftermath of the battle from harming the disciples in the surrounding spectator stands.

Shi Dingtian, holding a saber, greeted Qiu Honglei. The saber was clearly specially prepared for him by Taixuan Cave. From the aura it emanated, it was evidently a Heaven-tier divine weapon. Jian Huang and Jiesei, the master and disciple from Wuyou Temple, secretly sighed, thinking, "The Daoist sect truly lives up to its name. Even the most desolate Taixuan Cave still possesses such a foundation. One can only imagine how powerful they were in their heyday."

Qiu Honglei did not respond to his greeting. Instead, she put on a stern face and said, "You didn't use a saber when you fought others before. Why do you need one when you're fighting me? Is it because you find me ugly and have no reservations?" At her words, many female disciples in the stands felt a sense of empathy, and their gazes towards Shi Dingtian turned somewhat disapproving.

Yun Jianyue secretly gave a thumbs-up, thinking, "Honglei truly is the most talented disciple of the Holy Sect in decades. Even with an ugly face, she can turn a disadvantage into an advantage."

Shi Dingtian's face immediately flushed red. He quickly waved his hands and explained, "No, no, that's not it. It's mainly because after I went back last time, Master Mudong lectured me. He said that only using my bare hands at the beginning makes others feel disrespected. So, to show respect for my opponent, I should go all out from the start."

The various sect masters on the referee's stand all looked towards Master Mudong, who wore an awkward expression. He knew his disciple was simple-minded and that other methods of persuasion would likely fall on deaf ears. Only by "deceiving" him in this way could he be coaxed into taking things more seriously. However, while it might fool a simple-minded boy like Shi Dingtian, it certainly wouldn't fool the old foxes on the stage.

Qiu Honglei sneered without a word. Shi Dingtian, feeling flustered, quickly said, "Alright, I won't use the saber then." As he spoke, he hastily put the saber into his storage pouch. Witnessing this, Master Mudong almost spat out a mouthful of old blood. He had gone through such trouble to convince the simple boy to use his saber, only for this woman's single sentence to make him change his mind.

Only then did Qiu Honglei nod in satisfaction. "That's better. I'm starting now, so be careful."

"Thank you... thank you for the warning, miss," Shi Dingtian said, deeply moved. "Although this young lady looks a bit fierce, she's the first person who cared about me. She's truly a good person!"

Qiu Honglei smiled, then raised her hand and sent a ball of light towards him. Shi Dingtian was startled and quickly dodged. He had seen her use this move before, so it wasn't a major problem. Qiu Honglei gave him no chance to react, continuously firing light projectiles. Shi Dingtian moved and dodged, but eventually found constant evasion too troublesome. He simply threw a punch. His fist carried fierce winds, and each time, he successfully dispersed the light projectiles.

Liang Ling of Kunlun Xu was watching the match, thinking, "If this continues, Peng Wuyan will just be wasting her qi. She must be about to use that move. That's what I fell victim to." Sure enough, after several swift light projectiles, a massive one suddenly emerged. If Shi Dingtian were to forcibly block the terrifying pressure it contained, he would likely be severely injured.

From the elevated referee's stand, Master Mudong stroked his beard and smiled. He had specifically instructed Shi Dingtian on how to defend against this move. As expected, upon seeing the move, Shi Dingtian didn't wait for it to get close. Instead, he leaped directly into the air, attacking Qiu Honglei from above. Two massive fist shadows struck the spot where she had just stood, causing the entire arena to shake violently. Feng Wuchang's eyelids twitched. It seemed this arena wouldn't last much longer.

"Huh?" Not only Shi Dingtian but also Master Mudong sat up straight, because Qiu Honglei had vanished. The next second, she reappeared behind and to the side of Shi Dingtian, as if she had anticipated his move.

"Such incredible speed!" countless people exclaimed, remembering that the legendary light element was known for its exceptional speed. She revealed two short blades in her hands, and in an instant, launched dozens of attacks at Shi Dingtian's vital points. Liang Ling of Kunlun Xu felt a phantom ache in his teeth. That move had nearly dismembered him. Others also remembered this scene, wondering if the match would be decided so quickly.

However, their eyes immediately widened because Shi Dingtian was indeed sliced into pieces by the sharp twin blades! But it was only an afterimage of Shi Dingtian! His true body had already appeared dozens of feet away. The crowd realized he was a wind elemental practitioner, which explained how he could keep up with her speed!

Qiu Honglei scoffed, her figure flickering to his side, attacking him again. Shi Dingtian might have been fine fighting others bare-handed, but against those sharp twin blades, he was at a great disadvantage. Soon, his arms were covered in blood.

Master Mudong watched with extreme anxiety, unable to resist shouting a reminder: "Use your weapon, quickly!" Unfortunately, Shi Dingtian seemed not to hear, stubbornly refusing to use it.

"A true gentleman does not speak while watching a game of Go," Yun Jianyue said, highly displeased with his attempt to instruct his disciple during the match.

"Whose fault is it that your disciple played mind games, tricking him into not using his weapon!" Master Mudong fumed, his beard bristling and eyes wide with anger.

"That's their business in the arena! What kind of elder are you, giving instructions from the side? Wang, aren't you going to deal with this violation?" Yun Jianyue snapped directly.

Wang Wuxie had a strange expression, utterly surprised to be dragged into this. Although he also somewhat looked down on Qiu Honglei's actions, they were indeed within the rules. He could only remind Master Mudong, "The referee's stand does not participate in the matches below. Please be aware, Master Mudong; further actions like this will result in disqualification."

Master Mudong's face turned beet red. He was about to say something more when Zu An couldn't help but chuckle, "Master Mudong, there's no need to be upset. Suffering a minor setback on this arena and learning from it is better than being completely unprepared when encountering treacherous villains in the future. At least no lives are lost in the arena. I actually find Miss Peng's strategy quite resourceful."

Master Mudong paused, reflecting on Zu An's words. He thought, "Indeed, if I were to encounter some demonic cultists, they certainly wouldn't play by the rules. It's better to gain some experience now than suffer a great misfortune later." With that thought, his mind calmed, and he stopped arguing with Yun Jianyue.

Yun Jianyue, meanwhile, looked at Zu An with a smile in her eyes. "This boy truly understands us," she thought. "Even though we've changed our appearance, he still stands with us. Is this destiny?"

Meanwhile, new developments unfolded in the arena. Shi Dingtian realized he couldn't win a head-on confrontation, so he turned and fled. As a wind elemental practitioner, he was also proficient in speed. His body became a wisp of smoke, and his footwork was particularly strange and mysterious, allowing him to evade Qiu Honglei's attacks for a long time.

"What kind of movement technique is that? It's so profound!" The disciples in the stands began discussing it, and even many disciples from Taixuan Cave looked bewildered, as they didn't recognize it.

Lou Wucheng of Baiyujing had originally felt some indignation after losing to Shi Dingtian, believing his agitated state at the time had caused him to make a flawed move. However, after witnessing this scene, he soberly realized that if Shi Dingtian had combined this incredible movement technique with his saber qi attacks earlier, he might not have won even without making any mistakes. "This woman, surnamed Peng, is truly hateful," he thought. "She deliberately provoked him with words so he wouldn't use his saber." Strangely, despite having lost to Shi Dingtian earlier, he now desperately wanted him to win. After all, the stronger the opponent he lost to, the more it proved his own strength. Otherwise, if Shi Dingtian were easily eliminated next, wouldn't it prove that he himself was weak? Liang Ling of Kunlun Xu harbored the same thought. Seeing Qiu Honglei overpower Shi Dingtian filled him with a sense of relief. He hoped she would win the championship, so he could claim he had only lost to the eventual winner.

Qiu Honglei, at this moment, felt an itch in her teeth, as she found her attacks unable to hit the elusive Shi Dingtian, whose movement technique was bizarre. If she could use the Changxin Palace Lantern, she would have long ago taken it out to immobilize this simple boy, saving herself all this trouble. So she gave up attacking and angrily yelled, "Foolish boy, do you only know how to run? What kind of man are you?"

Shi Dingtian scratched his head. "Because you're too strong. I can't beat you."

"Then concede defeat if you can't beat me," Qiu Honglei huffed.

"If I concede now, Master Mudong will scold me," Shi Dingtian replied, shaking his head.

"Then if you keep running, how long will this match last?" Qiu Honglei demanded angrily.

"Alright then, I won't run anymore," Shi Dingtian said after thinking for a moment.

Master Mudong immediately spat out a mouthful of tea. "This boy isn't usually this foolish," he thought. At this point, Shi Dingtian added, "But you can't use that blinding flash move. My eyes can't handle it." Evidently, Qiu Honglei's previous move that blinded Liang Ling had left him with some lingering fear. If she were to use it during a close-quarters fight, it would be disastrous.

Master Mudong finally nodded in relief. "The simple boy has finally grown up and learned to negotiate."

"Alright!" Qiu Honglei nodded.

Shi Dingtian finally sighed in relief, then let out a loud shout and charged forward. His vital energy surged, his eyes wide, and his aura was noticeably stronger than before.

Qiu Honglei's lips curved slightly upward, and suddenly, a blinding sun rose in the arena.