As the tension rose to new heights and was piling up in the battle ring, Sarah stood there, anxious and
hopeful.
It was Sarah's turn to compete against Dan. She knew how important the challenge was and the hurdle
that laid in front of her. Dan's abilities were no secret for her.
Dan had been ranked tenth in the challenge held in the last session. Sarah had successfully defeated
all of her opponents. Only after defeating all those before her, she had qualified to challenge Dan.
They both had reached level eight of Energy Gathering Realm, so they were on par with each other in
terms of cultivation base. That made the competition more difficult to predict or assume. Both of them
were aware of each other's potential and abilities.
In addition to the vital energy cultivation base that they possessed, there were many other factors that
would determine the outcome of the competition.
For example, even if a group of cultivators had the same vital energy cultivation base, some of them
might not have stable cultivation foundation, and this could make the quality of their vital energy poor
and weak. A weak vital energy could make it impossible to sustain all through the competition. If the
other cultivators had laid a solid and stable foundation, it would make them possess intense and strong
vital energy which was enough to tackle and conquer their opponents easily.
Furthermore, martial arts talent and skill varied among cultivators. A comprehensive degree of
knowledge about martial arts and combat experience of a cultivator were critical for their competence
and performance.
As moments passed, there was a buzzing sound from the spectators' stand. A lively discussion about
the result of the competition had started in the crowd. There were talks about who would defeat whom.
It was not easy to guess the winner between Sarah and Dan as they seemed to be equally capable of
winning.
As Sarah and Dan walked into the battle ring, everyone around stopped talking. The buzzing sound of
discussion had died out. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the two people stepping into the ring. There
was no sound and no movement. Moments passed and anxiousness grew. But to everyone's surprise,
Dan and Sarah didn't start fighting. Dan could not hide the feelings he had developed for Sarah. He
seemed to have a huge crush on Sarah as he kept on talking to her, trying to dissuade her from the
contest. He even made promises to her in front of the other disciples.
'What is he doing?' All had this question in mind.
The disciples who were watching them, were stunned. This was not what they had expected. They
were eagerly waiting to see Dan and Sarah engage in the duel, but here things were going
unexpectedly.
Sarah's face started getting dark with anger. She wasn't here to listen to him and believe his words and
promises. It took a few moments and a look at Sarah's face for Dan to realize that she wouldn't accept
his advice or believe his words or promises. Left with no other choice, he said, "Sarah, you don't seem
to cherish the opportunity that I presented before you, neither do you seem to understand the words
and feelings I am trying to express, then...I'm left with no other choice... I will have to treat you as I treat
any other opponent of mine. Let's start then!"
All the time that Dan had wasted made Sarah more impatient and restless. She had been stopping
herself all the time. The moment she heard him say 'start', she leaped and pounced forward. With all
her might and energy, she thrust her weapon at Dan making seven stabs. She was smart and quick
enough to see that each attack of hers was at some critical part of Dan. Not a single thrust of hers
could go waste. All her fury and impatience reflected in the manner of her attacks.
With each stab made by Sarah, the vital energy that was attached to the sword tip transformed into a
strong wind. It instantly whirled around Dan and wrapped him in it, like a cocoon, holding Dan firmly
within.
But the expression on Dan's face surprised all. A grim smile appeared on his face. In spite of being
blanketed by the vital energy, he was standing firmly. He seemed impressed but unaffected by Sarah's
display of energy. Waving his heavy and broad sword in the air, he planned how to fight this off and
was prepared to resist Sarah's attack by the mere physical strength that he possessed.
The momentum of Dan's sword was very powerful. His vital energy was very strong and steady. A
string of sounds of metal collision were heard and when they ended, Dan stood unperturbed. He had
easily blocked and defended himself against all the attacks from Sarah.
His grim smile turned into a smirk. He was proud of the skill he had displayed just now. "Haha! Sarah,
you will soon regret your decision. You will regret that you did not accept my advice. I don't want to
injure you and I will see to it that there is no injury inflicted upon you. But, to be defeated in front all
these disciples is a shameful and embarrassing thing. I'm afraid you will cry very soon!"
The fact was that Dan didn't want to fight Sarah. He was trying to convince her and persuade her to
leave the fight. There was hope in him that she would give up and retreat from the ring. He didn't want
to hurt her. She seemed too fragile for the insults and injuries.
Dan's words made matters worse. They filled Sarah with anger and she felt he was insulting her by
telling that she would cry and be ashamed in front of the disciples. She felt Dan was proud and
overconfident. It made Sarah hate him even more and filled her with determination. She would not bow
down to someone as boastful as Dan.
She ignored his words and the fight continued. During their fight, Sarah started to analyze her
opponent. She controlled her fury and paid attention to Dan and his movements. It took her a little time
to figure out that though Dan's vital energy was a little stronger than hers, in terms of swordsmanship,
he was no threat to her. She was quick to comprehend where his area of expertise lay and where he
lacked the skills.
She smiled to herself remembering all the preparations she had done before attending the Top Ten
Outer Disciples Ranking Challenge. The rigorous training and practice she underwent prepared her to
face any challenge and any opponent. She had been successful till now and was hopeful to be
victorious too.
She was aware that all the top ten outer disciples in last session of challenge had reached level eight
or above, so she never was going to rely on her vital energy cultivation base to defeat her opponents. It
was clear as crystal that she had to be better in some other aspects, and had to be stronger in an area
where not everyone would be perfect or would have paid attention to. There had to be an ace in her
sleeve, so she could change her plan and strategy according to the ability and strength of her
opponent. And now there was a chance for her.
62fb1bb41dcb31934bd49bda