Chapter 160: Upset, Shi Yong Lost

Li Feng's defeat came so quickly that it utterly astonished everyone. It's worth noting that Li Feng wasn't weak; he ranked seventh in both the fourth and fifth trials! Yet now, he was defeated so rapidly?

"The gap in Scarecrow Arts is widening significantly," onlookers murmured. "Zhao Xing's Scarecrow Arts are probably in a league of their own, just like Shi Yong at the Nine-Jointed Dao Arena, where he defeats opponents in a single move."

"Just how proficient has Zhao Xing become with his Scarecrow Arts?"

Onlookers watched the scene, murmuring among themselves. Because Li Feng was defeated so swiftly, others didn't even get a chance to properly observe the fight. Zhao Xing's Scarecrow Arts, which incorporated the 'Invisible Scarecrow Art', dispersed automatically after the fight, leaving observers completely bewildered.

"The second match: Cai Jin versus Fang Yi," Liu Tianning quickly announced.

Zhao Xing, meanwhile, stepped down from the arena.

Currently, within his intermediate-level Scarecrow Arts, the Flying Scarecrow Art and the Martyrdom Blast Scarecrow Art have reached perfection. The Valor Scarecrow Art, Giant Shield Scarecrow Art, and Invisible Scarecrow Art are at nine transformations, while the Illusionary Scarecrow Art is at eight transformations. The Guardian Scarecrow Art and Soul Restraint Scarecrow Art are the lowest, only at the three-transformation level.

After perfectly combining the Flying and Martyrdom Blast arts, Zhao Xing found it smoother to combine his other arts. With two arts already perfectly integrated, he naturally gained experience when combining the others. Thus, any two arts Zhao Xing combines now can maintain a high level; for instance, when combining Valor and Invisible arts, both characteristics can still retain their nine-transformation efficacy even when merged. Furthermore, combining three arts, with the third being integrated for practical combat, naturally produced terrifying results.

Even Liu Tianning concluded that Zhao Xing's talent in Scarecrow Arts surpassed everyone else's, making his victory over Li Feng seem effortless. "With anyone else, Li Feng could have made it into the top ten, but running into Zhao Xing, it can only be said that his luck was bad," Lu Bang shook his head.

"What luck? I arranged it intentionally," Liu Tianning said flatly.

"What?" Lu Bang was taken aback.

"This person had been constantly muttering about wanting to fight Zhao Xing while training by the rockery earlier," Liu Tianning explained. "I was reading nearby and got so annoyed by his chatter that I simply granted his wish." Lu Bang was speechless. Li Feng had clearly gotten exactly what he asked for.

The second match was Cai Jin versus Fang Yi; Cai Jin won. The third match was Zhuang Ziqing versus He Yuan; Zhuang Ziqing won. The fourth match was Feng Qi versus Chao Yun; Feng Qi won.

In the first four matches, there was a significant gap between the opponents. Fang Yi, for example, was ranked twentieth in the previous round, barely passing the cutoff. Cai Jin had consistently held the second rank, while He Yuan was eighteenth. The match between Feng Qi and Chao Yun followed the same pattern. The winners all secured their victories with an overwhelming advantage.

However, starting from the fifth match, upsets occurred one after another! The fifth match was Guan Junyang versus Qian Guang; Qian Guang won. The sixth match was Cao Shuang versus Che Shihai; Che Shihai won. The seventh match was Jiang Tianming versus Wei Chen; Wei Chen won. The eighth match was Han Bing versus Wu Yue; Wu Yue won.

Geniuses who were originally ranked in the top ten of the fifth trial were repeatedly defeated by lower-ranked opponents! Even top-tier geniuses like Cao Shuang and Guan Junyang, who had already reached the fourth transformation of the Knowing Realm, still lost! A stir rose below the plaza as more and more people came to the third trial to observe the duels. Surprisingly, many of the initially favored top-tier geniuses were defeated. Some, despite clearly having a higher level in Scarecrow Arts and appearing to have an advantage, failed to win in the actual duels.

"What's going on?" Lu Bang also looked on in surprise. He didn't have a deep understanding of Scarecrow Arts, so this scene struck him as particularly strange. "This is the difference between theory and practical combat," Liu Tianning said. "Scarecrow Arts are unlike other spells; they are 'external avatars'. Although their Scarecrow Arts don't possess the same strong controllability as 'Self-Scarecrows', controllability is still a factor."

"Commanding a scarecrow, issuing instructions to it, there's a subtle connection between one's mind and the scarecrow. The stronger the scarecrow, the stronger this connection."

"If it's a Self-Scarecrow, then the scarecrow is essentially another body! One mind having to control multiple bodies is even more difficult, which is why the Self-Scarecrow of the Myriad Arts is known as the ultimate Scarecrow Art."

"I also know a bit of Scarecrow Arts, but why don't I feel this way?" Lu Bang humbly asked for guidance.

"You are at the fifth-grade realm, with a powerful mind. These influences naturally mean nothing to you. Furthermore, you haven't delved deep into your research; you've merely grasped the basics." When Liu Tianning said Lu Bang had only grasped the basics, Lu Bang had no thought of refuting him, as the other person indeed had the right to say so.

Liu Tianning explained: "The connection between a scarecrow and its main body exerts an influence on the main body itself."

"Using Scarecrow Arts in actual combat has a far greater impact than if you suddenly grew a third arm or a third leg."

"If you only give relatively simple commands, such as vague instructions to advance, retreat, attack, or defend, it's manageable."

"It's like growing a third arm or leg, but not using it; while it might feel uncomfortable, the impact isn't strong."

"However, once you enter actual combat and attempt precise control, the impact on these young practitioners becomes very apparent."

"That's why I said before that practical combat experience determines success or failure."

"The people who are winning now are more adaptable to this type of 'external avatar' spell."

"It's similar to how some people naturally have a better sense of spatial awareness or visual imagination than others."

"In Scarecrow Arts, the current winners possess stronger innate talent."

Below the arena, Cao Shuang, Han Bing, and Jiang Tianming stood beside Zhao Xing and Zhuang Ziqing, their eyes filled with some confusion. Even now, the three of them seemed unable to believe they had lost.

"How could I lose?" Cao Shuang looked at his hands. "Che Shihai was clearly weaker than me. Never mind his comprehension of the Dao, even in Scarecrow Arts, he used four eight-transformation Xuanbing Scarecrows and Sacred Shield Scarecrows to defeat my six nine-transformation scarecrows?"

"Could it be due to spell combination? Or perhaps underperformance?" Jiang Tianming mused, as he had faced a similar situation.

"Impossible. In terms of spell combination, Brother Cao's, mine, and Brother Jiang's spell combinations were somewhat stronger than our opponents'. Though not significantly stronger, they were at least superior. It's absolutely impossible that we were weaker in that aspect, leading to a loss." Han Bing, uncharacteristically, spoke a lengthy passage, and a clear look of bewilderment appeared on his usually expressionless face.

"So why then? Are we really just weak? Did we buckle under pressure and underperform?"

"Brother Zhao, can you make any sense of this?" Cao Shuang looked at Zhao Xing, considering that Zhao Xing's Scarecrow Arts were the strongest in the previous trial.

Zhao Xing pondered for a moment before saying, "It's not that your mental fortitude is poor, or that you buckled under pressure and underperformed, nor is it that your spells are weak."

"Rather, you can summon scarecrows, but you're not skilled at using them."

"Scarecrow Arts are different from other spells. You've seen martial artists practice with blades, right?"

"Being proficient with a single saber doesn't mean one is proficient with dual sabers. A saber master who can simultaneously carry multiple sabers on their body, and not just as decorations, is even stronger."

Zhao Xing spoke eloquently: "Sword cultivators among martial artists are powerful, but why are they rarely seen? It's simply because it's difficult to achieve. Each additional sword controlled increases the burden. Scarecrow Arts also have a hierarchy in terms of control."

"Many people can train a single-art scarecrow all the way to the nine transformations without issue. However, in combat, each additional scarecrow significantly increases the burden on oneself."

"Some people are naturally more suited to using this type of spell, while others are not."

"The emergence of spell combination was, in fact, intended to solve this drawback: one scarecrow with multiple applications, and a lighter burden. However, achieving multi-art fusion is no less difficult than simultaneously controlling multiple single-art scarecrows."

Ultimately, it still came down to talent. Han Bing, Cao Shuang, and Jiang Tianming immediately understood that they might find it very difficult to continue on the path of Scarecrow Arts. As for Zhao Xing? Judging by his demeanor, he was probably a 'Scarecrow Talent'.

While they were chatting, the ninth match, Yu Hao versus Li Jian, concluded. Yu Hao secured the victory; he was also among the top ten in the previous trial. The tenth match: Shi Yong versus Yin Yang.

Zhao Xing also observed Shi Yong's fight. The final result was that Shi Yong still won, and it was a quick victory. "His two Scarecrow Arts have both reached nine transformations. When combined, the Valor Giant Shield Scarecrow Art that appears has individual effects very close to nine transformations," Zhao Xing thought to himself. "I wonder if this is his full strength."

Shi Yong also stepped down from the plaza at this point. Throughout the entire fight, he had been frowning slightly, lost in thought.

The first round quickly concluded. The ten who lost received a five-thousand point reward, which was the fifth tier. Including the basic qualifying points from before, these ten people could collectively earn over six thousand points, which was quite a substantial amount. The remaining ten—Zhao Xing, Cai Jin, Zhuang Ziqing, Feng Qi, Wei Chen, Qian Guang, Wu Yue, Che Shihai, Yu Hao, and Shi Yong—would proceed to the second round of drawn matches.

It was still a single-round knockout.

*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh* The tokens flew out, and the other nine participants quickly made their selections. Zhao Xing, however, leisurely waited for the last token to fly into his hand.

"This young man," Lu Bang couldn't help but smile upon seeing this. "Everyone else wants to know their opponent as quickly as possible, but Zhao Xing is in no hurry."

"He's confident enough to possess a natural sense of ease. This is precisely the state one needs when facing an opponent," Liu Tianning's admiration for Zhao Xing grew. "This young man could command an army; no wonder Fang Wu praised him so highly."

Zhao Xing's token was still number one. When he received it, a young man with prominent cheekbones and faint eyebrows standing near the plaza couldn't help but sigh. His name was Qian Guang, and he also had token number one.

"It seems I'll only get the point reward for ranks five to ten." Qian Guang had defeated Guan Junyang in the previous round, but in Qian Guang's view, Guan Junyang's Scarecrow Arts weren't exceptionally powerful. Although Guan Junyang was formidable at the Nine-Jointed Dao Arena, even cultivating a 'Solar Term Token' to the fourth transformation of the Knowing Realm, this competition was about the 'Self-Scarecrow School's Scarecrow Arts'. Qian Guang had considerable talent in this area, expertly controlling six scarecrows in combat. Therefore, when fighting Guan Junyang in a real match, although his scarecrow's level was somewhat weaker, his scarecrow control was stronger, and he ultimately won the match.

However, facing Zhao Xing in this round, his newly built confidence wavered. What was Zhao Xing's performance in the fourth and fifth trials? In the single-art scarecrow competition, eighteen scarecrows, ranked first! In the multi-art combination competition, perfect dual-art scarecrows, ranked first! Looking at his fight with Li Feng, it was clear this person was a veteran at using scarecrows. His practical control of the arts would certainly not be weak.

"Anyway, I can already get eight thousand points." "Forget about success or failure; just treat it as practice." Faced with the pressure of Zhao Xing's past achievements, Qian Guang closed his eyes, and his mindset quickly returned to calm.

"First match: Zhao Xing versus Qian Guang! Begin!"

A barrier rose. The moment the match began, both simultaneously pointed at the materials beside them and started casting their spells. The materials vanished, but no scarecrows appeared. Evidently, both were preparing scarecrow puppets based on the Invisible Scarecrow Art.

Qian Guang kept his eyes on Zhao Xing, needing to constantly monitor Zhao Xing's movements to avoid being unaware if the opponent summoned a scarecrow. As his first scarecrow took shape, Qian Guang felt a slight surge of confidence, as it was an 'Invisible Giant Shield Scarecrow'. The vast form of the Giant Shield Scarecrow provided Qian Guang with a sense of security. But his second glance at Zhao Xing made Qian Guang's heart skip a beat. The materials beside Zhao Xing were vanishing too quickly. The materials were disappearing twice as fast as his! This indicated that his opponent was summoning scarecrows much faster, possibly having two already formed!

"Invisible Scarecrow, go!" After finishing his first scarecrow, Qian Guang eagerly summoned a second single-art Invisible Scarecrow and commanded it to attack. In actual combat, one didn't necessarily have to win by conventional means. He had considerable talent in Invisible Scarecrows, and his spell-forming speed was the fastest. Changing from his previous strategy of building up numbers, he began to discreetly launch sneak attacks, because he knew it would be difficult to defeat Zhao Xing by competing in either quantity or quality.

Ten steps, twenty steps, thirty steps... Only a hundred steps separated the two. The Invisible Scarecrow stealthily crept towards Zhao Xing, who seemed completely oblivious, still focused on the materials in front of him. "Could he be all show and no substance?" Qian Guang's heart pounded. The Invisible Scarecrow was already in front of Zhao Xing.

"Bang!" The Invisible Scarecrow group blasted Zhao Xing away, sending him directly off the plaza. "I won?!" Qian Guang's face lit up with joy, but the next moment he realized something was wrong, because 'Zhao Xing' disintegrated after falling off the plaza. "Damn it, it's an Illusionary Scarecrow!" "When did he summon an Illusionary Scarecrow?!"

Qian Guang immediately felt a bad premonition and instinctively tried to move from his spot. But just then, a pair of arms wrapped around Qian Guang, holding him in a death grip, and started to heat up. "Damn it, I surrender! I surrender!" Qian Guang immediately screamed. It was no wonder Qian Guang panicked; this was a perfected Martyrdom Blast Scarecrow. Anyone embraced by a Martyrdom Blast Scarecrow would be terrified! For anyone with an ordinary physique, being blown up by this would instantly be fatal. Of course, Liu Tianning's duel arena had protective mechanisms, so no one would die, but why endure such suffering?

"Zhao Xing wins," Liu Tianning's voice rang out. Then, the red light automatically dissipated and dissolved into a pile of materials scattered beside Qian Guang. *Crackling* The firecracker materials hit the ground with a series of pops and crackles. Still shaken, Qian Guang immediately flinched and swiftly jumped off the plaza. Qian Guang's comical escape instantly drew a burst of laughter, but the other competitors currently fighting couldn't bring themselves to laugh. Qian Guang, who had defeated Guan Junyang, was utterly helpless against Zhao Xing, unable to last even a single exchange. Who could stop him?

The second match was Cai Jin versus Wu Yue; Cai Jin achieved a quick victory. The third match was Zhuang Ziqing versus Che Shihai; Zhuang Ziqing achieved a quick victory. The fourth match was Yu Hao versus Wei Chen; it was a stalemate for half an hour, then Yu Hao won.

Judging from the match list, although it was claimed to be random, Lord Liu had actually rigged it, preventing strong contenders from clashing and instead pairing strong ones against weaker ones. After all, this concerned point rewards. If weaker participants managed to gain high points purely by luck, it would be somewhat unfair.

Just as everyone held this thought, the fifth match, Shi Yong versus Feng Qi, greatly surprised everyone. Shi Yong faced Feng Qi, and the final result was a victory for Feng Qi!