Chapter 159: [Goddess Scattering Flowers] (Combined Chapter)

A burst of vital energy exploded, sounding like the roar of a fierce wolf.

At that moment, the hem of Tang Mubai's robe and the hair on his forehead fluttered without any wind.

Faced with Luo Zhi's sudden and preemptive attack, he chose not to meet it head-on. Instead, his figure flickered as he dodged backward.

Then, stepping on the alloy floor, he rapidly retreated to create distance between himself and Luo Zhi.

Swish!

Seeing this, Luo Zhi immediately gave chase. His black iron staff whirled with a rushing roar, continuously releasing vital energy to attack Tang Mubai.

He seemed utterly determined not to give Tang Mubai any chance to notch an arrow!

The full might of the Demonic Madness Staff Technique was unleashed in his hands.

While attacking, he step by step sealed off Tang Mubai's routes, attempting to trap him.

Naturally, Tang Mubai had no intention of granting his wish. Not allowing him to shoot arrows?

No problem!

His extreme agility of 20, paired with his extreme constitution of 20 and extreme perception of 20, surpassed any triple-transition movement technique in existence.

Luo Zhi wanted a quick victory, but Tang Mubai firmly refused, choosing instead to drag him into a war of attrition.

A wide-area martial art like the Demonic Madness Staff Technique consumed an enormous amount of physical strength and vital blood once fully deployed.

Unless Luo Zhi was cheating just like Tang Mubai, possessing a maximum-limit constitution and thousands of calories of vital blood.

Otherwise, he would be forced to stop in five minutes at most.

In reality, the situation ended even sooner than Tang Mubai had anticipated.

In less than two full minutes, Tang Mubai sensed Luo Zhi's aura beginning to wane. The black iron staff dancing in his hands, which previously looked airtight, now revealed increasingly frequent flaws.

"Hmm, wait!"

Suddenly, Tang Mubai's heart skipped a beat. He carefully sensed Luo Zhi's aura and the enveloping pattern of the Demonic Madness Staff Technique.

He noticed that while the aura was weakening, it followed a very methodical rhythm.

Even though the flaws in the staff technique were multiplying, the connection between each strike was actually increasing.

What did this indicate?

It meant that Luo Zhi wasn't reaching his limit or losing his rhythm; he was doing this on purpose!

He was deliberately feigning weakness to lure Tang Mubai into a trap!

"That's somewhat interesting..."

Recognizing Luo Zhi's scheme, Tang Mubai chuckled inwardly. Without exposing him, he continued to control his movements, darting and shifting all over the arena while rapidly retreating.

Whenever Luo Zhi drew near, he simply denied him the chance to close in.

Yet, he didn't distance himself completely either, still allowing Luo Zhi enough time to pursue him. He kept Luo Zhi dangling just out of reach—giving him hope, but never letting him land a blow.

Sure enough, after a short while, Luo Zhi could no longer keep up the act. Shattering his own pretense, he let out a low growl as his aura erupted violently, multiplying several times over. The Demonic Madness Staff Technique became even more frenzied, resembling a dance of myriad demons pouring forth in a desperate attempt to cage Tang Mubai in one breath.

Having anticipated this, Tang Mubai exploded backward, instantly widening the gap between them.

"Boom, boom, boom!"

Wild vital energy danced and raged across the scene, shaking the entire arena.

With the distance safely restored, Tang Mubai remained unaffected. He bent his bow, nocked an arrow, and aimed straight at Luo Zhi.

Luo Zhi let out a low shout, stomped his foot against the ground, and charged toward Tang Mubai at high speed.

Swish, swish, swish!

Tang Mubai released his fingers, loosing three arrows.

Yet the direction they flew was not toward the charging Luo Zhi, but straight up into the air!

Seeing no arrows heading his way, Luo Zhi's heart hammered violently. He immediately halted his advance, concentrating his mental focus to the utmost as he scanned his surroundings.

Whoosh!

An arrow abruptly materialized directly behind Luo Zhi.

In his heightened state of alertness, Luo Zhi instantly swung his black iron staff backward.

With a dull thud, he intercepted the arrow and swatted it flying away.

However, the moment he deflected the first arrow, a second one appeared right before his chest.

Luo Zhi's body instantly dropped low, nearly scraping the arena floor as he watched the second arrow flash past his eyes.

Rising to his feet, he rapidly whirled the Demonic Madness Staff Technique to cocoon himself within a protective barrier, preventing the remaining arrows from drawing near.

Yet both the second and third arrows vanished as completely as if they had never existed.

"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"

On the stage, Luo Zhi could only be seen frantically spinning his Demonic Madness Staff Technique, rooted to the spot and not daring to move, while the roaring sound of breaking air echoed continuously.

The gale-force vital energy swirled around him like a tempest, leaving him with no thoughts of attacking Tang Mubai whatsoever.

Tang Mubai likewise refrained from attacking. He simply stood where he was, watching Luo Zhi spin away.

The two of them stood a dozen meters apart—one swinging his staff, the other watching the show.

This bizarre scene left all the spectators in the audience dumbfounded and utterly speechless.

"What... what is this supposed to be?"

"Good grief, is this even a match? Is Luo Zhi playing the fool?"

"Has Luo Zhi lost his mind? Turning the initiative into defense—how long can he possibly keep that up?"

"You guys really talk without knowing the pain. If it were you up there, what would you do? Tang Mubai's archery is simply divine! If you don't defend, you can only take hits!"

"The real question is, how does Tang Mubai control them? The arrows are already loosed, so why can he still guide their flight paths?"

"That's right! Not only can he control arrows he's already fired, but he can also make them vanish for extended periods, only to reappear and attack the opponent whenever he pleases. This archery is out of this world!"

"Indeed, it's terrifyingly formidable. I wonder how Tang Mubai pulls that off..."

"..."

In the spectator stands, the crowd buzzed with animated discussion once they regained their composure.

"Tsk, this kid has really turned archery into a form of art."

In the VIP gallery, Di Xiaochuan shook his head with a buoyant expression.

"The real point is that he is truly remarkable. When it comes to archery attainment, even if you and I combined, we wouldn't match him," Liu Tianxiu said with a calm smile.

"Tang Mubai's archery seems innate," Wu Weilán mused.

"Whether he's a natural-born divine archer is probably something only he knows," someone nearby chimed in.

"He's just toying with Luo Zhi," Kong Lingxia stated flatly. "He recalled those last two arrows long ago. Luo Zhi has no idea and is just sitting there like a fool waiting, and the moment his vital blood runs dry, he will lose."

"Isn't that completely normal?" Di Xiaochuan sneered. "Tang Mubai isn't deliberately tricking him; it's just like earlier when Luo Zhi deliberately feigned weakness. It's standard tactical combat strategy."

"It's just that Luo Zhi's scheme was seen through at a glance by Tang Mubai, whereas Luo Zhi couldn't decipher Tang Mubai's methods. If he loses, he can only blame his skills for being inferior!"

Kong Lingxia fell silent.

Liu Tianxiu, however, fell into deep contemplation.

Between Luo Zhi and Tang Mubai, which one of them was the object of "Grandmaster Hong's" favor?

Arranging for the two of them to enter the arena so quickly had actually been an intentional move by Liu Tianxiu and Wu Weilán.

Their purpose was to draw out "Grandmaster Hong" and determine which of the two—Luo Zhi or Tang Mubai—was connected to him!

Judging by the current situation, the probability pointed much more strongly toward Tang Mubai.

Compared to other peers, or even average professional-grade martial artists, Luo Zhi was undoubtedly much stronger.

Yet placed side by side with Tang Mubai, his flaws were instantly exposed. Knowing only a single Demonic Madness Staff Technique, he would inevitably collapse quickly when encountering a true opponent.

Take the current situation, for instance: he was actually standing stupidly in place, using his staff technique to wrap himself in an airtight cocoon instead of continuing his attack on Tang Mubai.

Admittedly, Tang Mubai had fired his arrows skyward, and that traceless style of archery left Luo Zhi unable to anticipate them, forcing him into passive defense.

But let's not forget—this was a martial arts tournament match, not a fight to the death!

Even if struck by an arrow, it wouldn't be fatal; at most, it would sting a little.

If he could just endure it, fight through the pain to close the distance with Tang Mubai, and knock him off the stage, victory would be his.

Instead, look at him now—standing foolishly in the spot, burning through his vital blood while endlessly spinning his staff.

To put it bluntly, Luo Zhi lacked combat experience!

If someone had been guiding and grooming him, he would never make such a mistake.

If "Grandmaster Hong" had a close relationship with Luo Zhi, would he have failed to mentor him?

There was a ninety percent chance he would have!

Yet, the current situation clearly demonstrated that Luo Zhi had received no guidance whatsoever.

This indicated he had no major ties to "Grandmaster Hong."

Since it wasn't him, then without a doubt, it had to be Tang Mubai!

There was a ninety percent probability that Tang Mubai's backer was "Grandmaster Hong"!

Realizing this, Liu Tianxiu and Wu Weilán exchanged a meaningful glance.

Di Xiaochuan and Kong Lingxia also wore subtle expressions, their countenances remaining unchanged.

...

Down in the arena.

Tang Mubai paid no attention to Di Xiaochuan and the others. He stood in place, holding two arrows in his hand as he watched Luo Zhi whirl his staff without a moment's pause.

That's right—of the three arrows shot at Luo Zhi, Tang Mubai had quietly retrieved the remaining two without Luo Zhi noticing the slightest thing.

Unaware of the truth and terrified of being struck, Luo Zhi had foolishly stayed put, executing the Demonic Madness Staff Technique to create an impenetrable defensive perimeter around himself.

Tang Mubai neither hurried him nor attacked. After all, the rules of the match didn't specify a time limit for deciding the winner.

If Luo Zhi wanted to turtle up and defend, he could go right ahead. Tang Mubai wanted to see how long he could keep it up.

However, the comments from the surrounding spectators finally jolted Luo Zhi into delayed realization.

He was being played!

How could any arrow possibly fly through the air for so long while leaving no trace?

And why was Tang Mubai still just standing there, watching him swing his iron staff?

Such a bizarre situation had only one explanation: the arrows Tang Mubai had fired had long since been recalled by him. The only reason he hadn't given a reminder was to watch Luo Zhi make a fool of himself!

Thump!

In an instant, Luo Zhi's expression turned hideously ugly. His eyes burned with fury as he locked a deadly stare onto Tang Mubai.

As he stopped swinging his iron staff, he panted like an ox.

From continuously executing the Demonic Madness Staff Technique just now, he had burned through half of his vital blood and physical stamina.

As for Tang Mubai? He had consumed virtually nothing at all!

This drove Luo Zhi mad with a mixture of frustration and shame.

With a low roar, he whipped up his black iron staff and charged toward Tang Mubai.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Yet at that very moment, three arrows flashed forth through the air.

Luo Zhi ignored them entirely, keeping his eyes fixed solely on Tang Mubai.

Bang!

The first arrow struck him squarely in the chest, bursting with a wave of vital energy that shredded Luo Zhi's clothes and brought his charge to an abrupt halt.

Boom!

The second arrow followed closely on its heels, slamming into Luo Zhi's chest once more.

The immense force generated by the exploding vital energy pushed Luo Zhi backward against his will.

"Ah!"

Luo Zhi roared, blood spilling from the corners of his mouth as he struggled to lunge forward toward Tang Mubai again.

Bang!

Before he could, the third arrow struck from his left side, curving through the air to hit him dead in the center of his chest. The impact blew Luo Zhi completely off his feet, sending him flying out of the arena to crash heavily into the sand pit.

The vast venue fell into a brief, heavy silence.

A moment later, roaring cheers erupted like ocean waves, rising higher and higher.

"This Luo Zhi just isn't cut out for it. Those adult-division contestants who lost to him earlier got hard done by."

"I wouldn't go that far. Luo Zhi's explosive power and offensive output are still quite decent. He simply lacks experience. If someone guides and mentors him, he won't be in such a sorry state the next time he fights."

"Hah, unless Luo Zhi joins some major sect or faction, who would bother grooming him?"

"Rest assured, with the strength Luo Zhi has displayed, someone will definitely try to recruit him. It just depends on whether he's willing to join."

"..."

The crowd in the venue murmured, expressing either感慨 or sighs.

Hearing this from where he stood, Tang Mubai kept a calm face while feeling inwardly amused.

Practical combat experience?

He wasn't particularly well-versed in it either!

It was simply that Tang Mubai's perception, agility, and constitution had all reached their absolute limits.

Through these attributes, he compensated for his lack of experience.

This created a false impression to others, making him appear unfathomably profound.

Tang Mubai was quite satisfied with this outcome. After the victory was announced, he stepped down from the arena and returned to the spectator stands.

Along the way, people on both sides raised their hands in greeting and offered him friendly smiles.

Tang Mubai nodded in return all the way back to his seat, where he settled in to enjoy his little cousin's cheers and admiration.

Both the youth division and the adult division started the tournament finals with 120 contestants each.

After one round of elimination, 60 remained.

Having won his morning match, Tang Mubai had the good fortune of being drawn again for the adult division in the afternoon.

His opponent this time was a middle-aged man proficient in fist techniques.

Wearing a pair of specialized sparring gloves, his attacks carried immense power while remaining non-lethal.

His vital blood realm had reached the ninth grade of professionalism, and the explosive force he unleashed rivaled that of a Grandmaster-tier martial artist.

Tang Mubai once again employed his "Goddess Scattering Flowers" technique, launching three arrows skyward before executing his traceless attacks.

"Goddess Scattering Flowers" was the name Tang Mubai had come up with for this move.

The number of arrows was not strictly limited to three; he would release as many as he had on hand.

Everything depended on the opponent.

Just like with this middle-aged man, after releasing the initial three arrows, Tang Mubai added three more. Six arrows surrounded the man from three hundred and sixty degrees, launching silent, traceless attacks. In the end, the explosion of a single arrow generated enough vital energy to send the flustered middle-aged man flying out of the arena.

On the second day, the matches for the top 60 advancing to the top 30 continued.

In the morning youth division, Tang Mubai once again defeated a youth opponent using "Goddess Scattering Flowers."

In the afternoon adult division, he continued with "Goddess Scattering Flowers," except this time, the number of arrows released reached nine.

The tournament rules placed no restrictions on the number of arrows used.

Consequently, Tang Mubai could field as many arrows as he was capable of handling.

Nine arrows danced across the arena before finally converging into one to defeat his adult division opponent.

Of course, this opponent was not a Grandmaster.

Up to this point, Tang Mubai's luck had held; he had yet to encounter any Grandmaster-tier martial artists in the adult division matches.

On the third day, the field narrowed from 30 to 15.

In the morning youth division, Tang Mubai once again used "Goddess Scattering Flowers" to defeat an opponent, this time employing six arrows.

Those who managed to survive until the third day of the finals all possessed formidable strength.

The adult division did not fall to him in the afternoon; his match was pushed to the evening session.

His luck was off the charts—his opponent still wasn't a Grandmaster martial artist, but possessed terrifying strength.

Tang Mubai had to use "Goddess Scattering Flowers" to release a full twenty-seven arrows.

In the end, it took three rounds of "Nine Arrows Converging into One" to finally blast his opponent out of the arena.

On the fourth day, the tournament narrowed from 15 to the top 3.

In the morning youth division, Tang Mubai continued using "Goddess Scattering Flowers," releasing eighteen arrows to defeat an opponent whose vital blood realm was at the professional ninth grade.

In the afternoon adult division, his luck finally ran out; his opponent drew a true Grandmaster-tier martial artist.

A third-rank Grandmaster in vital blood realm, ranked twentieth among the Red Leaf City mercenary corps, bearer of the moniker "Fatal Blade," and leader of the Black Horn Mercenary Corps—Xu Zhaolong!