Chapter 16: Inner Sect Assessment
Qian Qi was harder to deal with than Zhao Liu.
Not cultivation—Qian Qi was also Qi Refinement Layer Five—but... fighting style.
Zhao Liu was frontal confrontation, Qian Qi... was guerrilla warfare.
Li Ming stood in the center of the tournament platform, Qian Qi circling at the edge, like... looking for openings?
"Stop circling." Li Ming said. "I'll wait for you."
Qian Qi smiled, something cunning in the expression.
"No rush." he said. "Your foundation... can't hold out, right?"
Li Ming's heart tightened.
"How did you..."
"How did I know?" Qian Qi finished. "Because... someone... told me."
"Who?"
"You... guess." Qian Qi paused. "Ninth avatar."
Li Ming clenched his fist.
"Zhang Tao's avatar... still..."
"Still here." Qian Qi said. "And... more than one."
"How many?"
"Nine." Qian Qi said. "Each... is... watching... you."
Li Ming fell silent.
"So..."
"So..." Qian Qi suddenly moved. "You... can't escape."
Figure flashed, Qian Qi appeared behind Li Ming, one palm striking toward his back.
Li Ming sidestepped, but...
Still half a beat slow.
Palm grazed past his shoulder, bringing a gust of wind. Li Ming felt his shoulder go numb, like... electrocuted?
"That was..."
"Thunder spirit root." Qian Qi said. "Counters you."
Li Ming's heart sank.
Five-element mixed spirit root, countered by single spirit root. This was... common knowledge.
"But..."
Li Ming smiled.
"What if... I'm not... five-element?"
"What do you mean?" Qian Qi frowned.
"Meaning..." Li Ming closed his eyes. "My... spirit root... is..."
"Code."
The moment words fell, Li Ming's aura surged.
Not spiritual power, but... permissions?
Qian Qi felt pressure rushing toward him, like... system directly suppressing him?
[Code Disguise Technique, version 1.0]
def disguise():
# disguise spirit root attribute
fake_root = "single_element"
return True
The moment code modification completed, Li Ming's aura changed.
From five-element mixed spirit root... became... single spirit root?
"This... impossible..." Qian Qi's expression changed dramatically. "You... were clearly... five-element..."
"Now... not anymore." Li Ming said.
He reached out, one palm striking toward Qian Qi.
Qian Qi wanted to dodge, but...
Couldn't move.
Like... being fixed by something?
"Code... sealing technique..." Qian Qi gritted his teeth. "You..."
"Version 0.7." Li Ming said. "Improved version."
Palm pressed on Qian Qi's chest.
Qian Qi's body stiffened, falling to the ground.
"Li Ming, wins!"
Referee elder's voice carried... trembling?
Below, audience seats... dead silence.
Then, thunderous applause erupted.
"This... what... technique..."
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"Never seen... completely... never seen..."
"Evil... too evil..."
Li Ming couldn't hear these discussions.
His attention was always on... Elder Wang on the high platform.
Elder Wang looked at him, eyes... more complex.
In those eyes, there was... fear?
"Next round, Li Ming versus... Sun Ba!"
"Here."
Li Ming drew a deep breath.
"Then... continue."
***
After three rounds.
Li Ming stood in the center of the tournament platform, panting heavily.
Sun Ba was Qi Refinement Layer Six, two layers higher than Li Ming. That battle... was very difficult.
But... still won.
"Li Ming... wins!"
Referee elder announced.
Below, only... three disciples remained.
Li Ming, Zhou Jiu, Wu Shi.
"Top three..."
Li Ming clenched his fist.
"Entered."
"Inner sect assessment, over!" Elder Wang stood up. "Top three... Li Ming, Zhou Jiu, Wu Shi."
"Reward... inner sect disciple qualification, Foundation Establishment Pill... one."
"Also..."
Elder Wang paused.
"Enter... inner sect main hall... qualification."
Li Ming's heart shook.
"Inner sect main hall..."
"Yes." Elder Wang said. "Tomorrow... dawn... inner sect main hall... assembly."
"Yes." Li Ming said.
"Dismissed."
Disciples left one after another.
Li Ming walked off the tournament platform, hand pressed on his dantian.
Pain... more obvious.
Foundation Stabilizing Pill's effect... fading.
[Status] Foundation cracked (collapse risk 88%)
[Time remaining] 1 day 20 hours 30 minutes
"One day..."
He laughed bitterly.
"Must... go... Law Enforcement Hall."
Elder Wang said, if he disappeared, go to Law Enforcement Hall dungeon.
Now... was the time.
Li Ming turned, walked toward Law Enforcement Hall direction.
Halfway there, he was... blocked.
"Li Ming."
Chen Feng stood before him, holding that sword in hand, sword tip... dripping blood?
"Something you need?" Li Ming asked.
"Yes." Chen Feng said. "Don't... go... Law Enforcement Hall."
"Why?"
"Because..." Chen Feng paused. "Because... there... is... ambush."
"Ambush?"
"Yes." Chen Feng said. "Ninth avatar... is... waiting for you."
"Then..."
"Come with me." Chen Feng said. "I... take you... to... another... entrance."
"Another... entrance?"
"Yes." Chen Feng said. "Law Enforcement Hall... dungeon... has... two... entrances."
"One... open... one... hidden."
"Open... entrance... has... ambush."
"Hidden... entrance... is... in back mountain."
Li Ming fell silent.
A long time.
"Good." he said. "Lead the way."
Chen Feng turned, walked toward back mountain direction.
Li Ming followed behind.
Two passed through outer district, entered dense forest.
Walked deeper and deeper.
"How much... further?" Li Ming asked.
"Almost there." Chen Feng said. "Ahead... is it."
Ahead appeared a... cave?
Very small, only room for one person. Cave entrance covered by vines, invisible unless looked closely.
"Here." Chen Feng pushed aside vines. "Go in."
Li Ming hesitated, then... went in.
Inside the cave was very dark, can't see hand in front of face.
He felt the wall walking forward.
Walked about one incense stick's time, a glimmer of light appeared ahead.
"Exit."
He quickened his pace.
Walked out of the cave, was a... dungeon?
Dark, damp, air filled with... moldy smell?
"This is..."
"Law Enforcement Hall dungeon." Chen Feng said. "Hidden... entrance."
"Then..."
"Come with me." Chen Feng said. "Player... 078... is... at the very inside."
"078... wasn't... in inner sect main hall...?"
"That was... rumor." Chen Feng said. "Actually... is... here."
"Why?"
"Because..." Chen Feng paused. "Because... he... was... locked up."
"Locked up?"
"Yes." Chen Feng said. "Three years ago... he... discovered... source code."
"Then..."
"Then... he... wanted... to destroy." Chen Feng said. "But... failed."
"So..."
"So... he... was... locked... here." Chen Feng said. "Three years."
Li Ming fell silent.
"Then..."
"Arrived." Chen Feng stopped.
Ahead was a... cell?
Iron bars, inside sat a person.
Wearing inner sect disciple robes, but... already... tattered?
Hair... very long, like... three years... uncut?
"Who?" That person raised his head, eyes... turbid?
"Came... to save you." Chen Feng said.
"Save... me?" That person laughed, something bitter in the smile. "No... use..."
"Why?"
"Because..." that person paused. "Because... I... am already... crippled."
"Crippled?"
"Yes." That person extended his hand.
Li Ming saw, that person's arm... was... decomposing?
Like... pixelating?
"Damn." Li Ming cursed. "Same as... Player 056..."
"Yes." That person said. "I... also... about... to... die..."
"Then..."
"But... I... can... give... you... something." That person pulled a jade slip from his robes. "This is... source code... coordinates."
"Coordinates?"
"Yes." That person said. "Inner sect... main hall... underground... third floor."
"Underground... third floor?"
"Yes." That person said. "There... is... a... secret room."
"Secret room... inside... is... source code."
Li Ming took the jade slip.
"Thanks."
"Don't... thank." That person said. "Because... I... have... a... request."
"What?"
"Kill... me." That person said. "I... don't want... to... suffer... anymore..."
Li Ming fell silent.
A long time.
"Good." he said.
He reached out, one palm pressed on that person's chest.
"Code... sealing technique... version 0.8."
"Painless... version."
That person's body stiffened, then...
Fell down.
Face... carrying... smile?
"Player... 078..."
Li Ming said softly.
"Rest in peace."
"Ding! Detected Player 078 death."
"Ding! His code... has... merged... into... your... system."
"Ding! Obtained... new... function..."
"Ding! Source code... location... unlocked."
Li Ming's vision blurred.
System interface... changed.
Added a... new... option:
[Source Code]
Location: Inner sect main hall underground third floor
Status: Inactive
Access permissions: Need... Administrator... level
"Administrator... level..."
Li Ming laughed bitterly.
"Then... I..."
"Tomorrow." Chen Feng said. "Inner sect main hall... assembly."
"Mm." Li Ming said. "Tomorrow."
Two walked out of dungeon.
Returning to ground, sky was already... dark.
"You... go back." Chen Feng said. "I... still have... matters."
"What... matters?"
"Don't... ask." Chen Feng said. "For... your... good."
Then he turned... and left.
Li Ming watched his back disappear, palm... covered in... sweat.
"Chen Feng..."
"What... exactly... are... you...?"
No one answered.
Li Ming turned, walked back.
Halfway there, he stopped.
Behind, someone.
Not Chen Feng, not Elder Wang, not Lin Xue.
This gaze... colder?
"Ninth avatar..."
Li Ming's heart tightened.
He spun around abruptly.
No one.
But...
On tree branch, a leaf... moved.
"Come out." Li Ming said.
No response.
But...
A voice, came from all directions:
"Player... 1025..."
"You... finally... came..."
"Game..."
"Has... just... begun."
Then...
Leaves... stopped.
Gaze... disappeared.
"Damn."
Li Ming cursed.
"Ninth avatar..."
"Tomorrow..."
"Inner sect main hall..."
"We'll... see... who... plays... who."
He turned, continued walking back.
And in a place Li Ming couldn't see, system interface automatically appeared before him, new code being written:
[Li_Ming_Status.py]
def final_battle():
status = "PENDING" # pending
location = "Inner_Hall_B3" # location: inner sect main hall underground third floor
target = "Source_Code" # target: source code
enemy = "Avatar_09" # enemy: ninth avatar
survival_rate = 0.25 # survival rate 25%
Tomorrow.
Inner sect main hall.
A battle...
Unavoidable.
And...
A truth...
About to... be revealed.
