Runes • Rifles • Reincarnation
122. One Hit Knockout

“But let’s not forget this match’s winner—Tian Li!” Di Ti said, her voice still ringing with enthusiasm. “Her execution of our sect’s founding technique was flawless! But that’s to be expected from the first disciple in decades to achieve a ninety percent compatibility with the Great Phoenix Technique!”

She paused, allowing the crowd to cheer again before continuing her impassioned speech.

“And now, for the match you’ve all been waiting for—our two strongest competitors will go head-to-head! I know what you're thinking: ‘Why not save the best for last?’ But as we saw in Jin Shu and Li Xue's match—ah, Nameless, I mean—anything can happen!”

The crowd leaned in.

“Let’s welcome our next fighters! Disciple of Grand Elder Feng Lian, and first seed—Liu Hua! Versus disciple of First Elder Lu Cha, and second seed—Ling Shi!”

At the announcement, both disciples rose from the elders' platform.

Liu Hua was the first to move. With a crackle of purple lightning, she vanished, leaving a trail of sparks as she reappeared on stage.

The crowd erupted.

“It’s Eldest Senior Sister Liu Hua!”

“Her lightning is even more beautiful than before!”

“Did she really create the lightning element?!”

“No, but she did figure out how to cultivate it, even though it was considered impossible. And she’s the only one known to produce purple lightning.”

“That’s incredible!”

While the crowd buzzed over Liu Hua’s entrance, Ling Shi stepped to the edge of the platform. With a single leap, she launched herself down.

Bang!

She landed hard, sending a shockwave through the reinforced stage. If the arena hadn’t been built to withstand cultivator duels, it would've been reduced to dust.

“My god! That had to be at least forty meters!”

“A jump like that could cripple a Spirit Realm cultivator!”

“Well, she is a body cultivator.”

“Even so… that’s not normal.”

Onstage, Ling Shi scowled at Liu Hua.

“I’m going to pay you back for that slap.”

Liu Hua tilted her head, genuinely puzzled. “Uh… what slap?”

Ling Shi’s right eye twitched. “Don’t mess with me!”

“No, really,” Liu Hua said, frowning in thought. “What slap?”

“At the Resting Phoenix Pagoda! You backhanded me!”

Liu Hua blinked, then smiled. “That’s where I met Jin Shu!” She paused, tilting her head. “Ohhh! That annoying fly I swatted… That was you?”

Ling Shi’s face turned crimson. “I’ll. Kill. You.”

Before Liu Hua could reply, the judge stepped between them.

“Pardon me, but will either of you be using a weapon?”

“Nope!” Liu Hua replied brightly. “I’ll just use my hands.”

“I’ll be crushing her with mine,” Ling Shi growled.

“Very well,” the judge said calmly. “You know the rules. Once the barriers rise, the match begins.”

Liu Hua nodded politely.

Ling Shi said nothing—her eyes burning red with smoldering fury, never leaving her opponent.

The instant the barriers activated, Ling Shi exploded forward, pure physical power rocketing her across the stage.

In the blink of an eye, her fist was aimed at Liu Hua’s face.

Liu Hua casually glanced at her left hand. “Oh no, I chipped a nail. When did that happen?”

Without looking, she flicked her right hand backward, as though shooing a fly.

Bang!

Ling Shi’s body shot backward like a cannonball, slamming into the qi barrier with such force that it flickered on impact. She slid down in an unconscious heap—twisted but miraculously intact.

Silence.

Not a breath, not a whisper from the crowd.

Even the judge gawked at the sight.

“So… was that it?” Liu Hua asked, tilting her head.

“Uh… yes?” The judge blinked. “No. Wait—what did you say?”

“Did I win?” Liu Hua asked again, holding up her hand. “I really need to file this nail. Look at this chip.”

“Y-y-yes!” the judge stammered. “W-wimner, Liu Hua!”

She stumbled over the word, completely flustered.

The crowd was still frozen in disbelief.

“That… that was it?”

“I knew she was strong, but that was absurd.”

“Was that even a real fight?”

“She swatted her to death like a bug…”

“Well… she’s not dead, I think…”

As murmurs spread, the healers rushed on stage, all four of them checking on Ling Shi’s condition.

“Hey, do any of you have a nail file?” Liu Hua asked brightly.

“Uh… no…?” one replied, subtly edging away.

“Oh, that’s too bad. Okay, thanks!”

In a flash of purple lightning, Liu Hua vanished—leaving behind a speechless audience and a trail of sparks.

Meanwhile, beneath the stage, Jin Shu was sweating.

“Uh… yeah, I think I’ll forget about that whole payback thing…”

Li Xue and Tian Li nodded in unison.

“Good call,” Tian Li said, a bead of sweat trickling down her temple.

“That girl’s not human,” Li Xue muttered, hugging herself. “She’s definitely a monster wearing human skin.”

Before anyone could respond, Di Ti reappeared on stage.

“Well… um…” she began, uncharacteristically unsure. “I don’t even know what to say about that match. So far, every ranking match has ended in a knockout—but that was the first one-hit knockout of the entire tournament.”

For a moment, Di Ti’s usual flamboyant energy faltered. But only for a moment.

“Let’s see if our final match will make it four knockouts in a row, shall we?” Her grin returned full force, and she winked at the crowd, prompting several girls to blush and whisper excitedly. “Please welcome the winners of the elimination rounds—Bing Hou and Zhu Ren!”

She gestured toward the two girls.

Bing Hou sat with her eyes closed in meditation. Upon hearing her name, she slowly opened them, rose, and began walking toward the stage with calm purpose.

Zhu Ren, however, didn’t move. An unrolled scroll lay across her lap, her attention wholly absorbed.

Di Ti hesitated, then called again, louder. “Zhu Ren, it's your turn!”

Zhu Ren glanced up briefly. “Oh. I forfeit,” she said, then returned to studying her scroll.

The silence that followed was palpable.

Bing Hou paused mid-step, frowning slightly as she looked down at the still-seated girl.

Di Ti blinked. “Well… that’s another first.”

She recovered quickly, raising her voice again. “Then without further ado—Bing Hou wins!”

There was a scattered clap or two, but the crowd remained mostly silent, clearly underwhelmed by the anticlimactic finish.

Di Ti cleared her throat. “Since a few of our competitors are… currently unconscious,” she said delicately, “the next round will be postponed for an hour or two. In the meantime, the stage will be open for personal duels. Feel free to challenge one another if you're feeling brave—or foolish!”

With that, Di Ti left the stage, leaving the crowd to either buzz about the first round of matches or challenge each other to duels—many still riding the high of the intense battles they’d just witnessed.

Jin Shu turned, intending to check on Biyu, but hadn’t even taken a step before he spotted her emerging from the healer’s alcove. She was dragging her feet slightly, a faint limp in her step.

The trio made their way over to her.

“How are you? Still hurt anywhere?” Tian Li asked, concern threading her voice.

“I’m fine,” Biyu replied. “My physique took care of the injuries, but healing serious wounds drained most of my qi. I used up too much when I abandoned the phoenix construct.”

“Wow—so you can heal any wounds?” Li Xue asked, wide-eyed.

“I don’t know, and I’d rather not find out,” Biyu said with a shrug. “What I do know is that it takes more qi to heal someone else than it does myself.”

She nodded toward the raised elders’ platform. “Shall we head back up?”

“Sure,” Jin Shu said.

As Biyu turned to head toward the stairs, Li Xue leaned in and tapped Jin Shu on the back. “Go carry her,” she whispered in his ear.

Jin Shu paused, considered it, then gave her a thumbs-up. Good idea.

Without a word, he stepped forward and lifted Biyu into a princess carry.

“Ah! What are you doing?” she yelped, startled.

“You’ve earned a rest,” he said with a gentle smile. “Let me carry you, just for a bit.”

She furrowed her brow, clearly flustered, but didn’t resist. “It’d be better if you didn’t look like this,” she muttered under her breath.

“I’ll carry you wherever and whenever in my real body after this,” he whispered into her ear.

“Hm… I’m going to hold you to that.”

“Sure.”

The crowd oohed and aahed as they passed, much to Biyu’s embarrassment. Her ears burned red, and she buried her face in Jin Shu’s shoulder.

Thankfully, it wasn’t long before they reached the elders’ platform. Biyu quickly wriggled down from his arms the moment they arrived.

“Congratulations, all of you,” Chen Ai Yun greeted them with a warm smile. “You fought brilliantly.”

A few other elders echoed her praise with polite, if more restrained, compliments.

The four disciples bowed and offered thanks before taking their seats to rest and recover before the next round.

Moments later, Jin Shu heard Chen Ai Yun’s voice in his ear through a voice transmission.

“Congratulations. I’m proud of you two for winning your first match.”

He couldn’t reply with words, but gave her a subtle nod of acknowledgment.

Then his mother’s voice followed.

“Good job. But next time, carry two girls up.”

Her cheeky laugh rang through the voice transmission, and when he glanced over, she was grinning at him just as mischievously.

He could only shake his head at her teasing.

As the crowd continued to buzz with excitement and the stage cleared for duels, Jin Shu leaned back, thoughtful.

If he had to face Liu Hua… well, he was seriously considering forfeiting. There was no way he’d survive a slap like the one she gave Ling Shi. He’d be reduced to pink mist.

But even setting her aside, he knew one thing for certain: it was time to get serious. No matter who his next opponent was, he would fight with everything he had.