https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-141-Even-Experts-Have-Their-Limits/13507104/
Chapter 142: Lin Qi Makes His Move
Chapter 142: Lin Qi Makes His Move (Requesting Monthly Vote)
“This Zhou Xi Yin is incredible—she’s already killed five people in under a minute!” someone shouted, staring at the giant screen in shock.
“I couldn’t even see her drawing her sword before her opponent was dead!” another said, shaking their head.
Lin Qi watched Zhou Xi Yin closely, every movement of hers burning into his vision.
He had to admit—she truly deserved her rank as Tianhai City’s second strongest.
According to the rules, the Warm-up Match adjusted everyone’s Vital Energy Stats to match the same level—10.0—just like the Crimson Realm Arena.
Yet her speed was far beyond everyone else’s. Blazing fast and razor-sharp, her blade carved endless arcs through the air as she cut down her opponents.
No wasted motion. No hesitation. She moved like a professional killer.
Her sword technique had clearly surpassed the early stage of the Second Stage.
A worthy opponent, Lin Qi thought.
Ten minutes later.
[Survivors Remaining: 1/50]
The first round ended decisively. Zhou Xi Yin stood victorious, the last survivor after eliminating her final foe.
[First Round Winner: Zhou Xi Yin!]
Yuan Ji waved his hand again. “Second round participants, enter the Neural Pods.”
“The gap is too huge!” Lü Xiang muttered as he exited his pod, chuckling bitterly.
He wasn’t weak by any standard—he’d made it to the end—but against Zhou Xi Yin, he’d barely lasted three moves before his throat was slit.
“Hmph.”
“Even among the province’s top fifty, the difference in strength is staggering. Only when you reach our level do you truly understand their power,” Wu Feng mused.
“Look! The second group has Wang Qiufeng!” someone yelled, pointing at the screen.
On the display, in a corner of the arena, Wang Qiufeng stood calmly. His clean-cut features remained motionless as he gripped a gleaming Wildgoose Saber in one hand, its edge flashing in the dim light.
[Slaughter Begins!]
The AI’s voice announced the start.
“Team up and kill Wang Qiufeng first!” a player shouted.
Two others charged immediately, one wielding a Long Spear and the other a Battle Saber, flanking him from both sides.
They’d recognized him instantly. A silent understanding passed between them.
As long as Wang Qiufeng lived, none of them had a chance to win.
“Hmph.”
Wang Qiufeng snorted, tightening his grip on the saber. With a sudden twist of his body, he spun like a tornado.
The Wildgoose Saber whirled around him, carving a perfect circle.
“Pfft!”
“Clang!”
One swing—two men down. The first had his throat cut, the second sent flying. In the next heartbeat, Wang Qiufeng surged forward like a storm, his blade slashing with the fury of a gale.
“Pfft!”
The second man fell, skewered. Like Zhou Xi Yin, he’d eliminated two opponents in mere seconds.
……
“Another lightning-fast genius like Zhou Xi Yin. What terrifying strength!”
“He turned the tables instantly against two attackers! His blade techniques are ruthless—blazing fast, precise, and brutal. His opponents didn’t even have time to react.”
“I wonder who’s faster—Wang Qiufeng or Zhou Xi Yin?”
“This only happens when the strength gap is too vast,” Jiang Tao remarked.
“Technically, Wang Qiufeng had a harder challenge. His style is similar to Zhou’s, but his power is even higher,” Lin Qi added.
On the screen, Wang Qiufeng’s cover was blown. A mob of players rushed him, weapons raised.
His situation grew perilous.
But his blade techniques were simply too fast—raw, unrelenting speed. When speed was sufficient, even simple strikes became unstoppable.
His body techniques were equally refined.
Eight minutes later.
[Second Round Winner: Wang Qiufeng!]
“Unbelievable! Wang Qiufeng wins!”
“How is this possible? We’re all capped at the same Vital Energy Stat!” someone gasped.
Zhou Xi Yin watched the screen, her expression darkening. “Strong… he’s really strong.”
Chen Li smirked, watching from the sidelines. “Not bad. A decent opponent at least.”
Lin Qi nodded, thinking, The stronger, the better.
Only strong opponents are worth crushing.
……
Ten minutes later, the fourth round began.
“Brother Qi, Chen Li’s up!” Jiang Tao nudged him.
Lin Qi nodded. On the screen, a tall, burly figure stood out—Chen Li. His rugged face and wild aura screamed dominance.
The Overlord Sword, currently ranked first in Cang Province, and the top achiever in the second semester’s Monthly Assessment Core. At 24th nationally, he’d even surpassed Li Zehao from the Imperial Capital.
One of Lin Qi’s fiercest rivals in this Survival Training Camp.
Lin Qi was eager to test his strength against Chen Li. This match was the perfect opportunity.
“Chen Li’s here!” someone shouted.
“Cang Province’s number one! Let’s see how he handles the others!”
[Countdown: 3… 2… 1…]
[Fourth Round Slaughter Begins!]
……
Chen Li’s opponents—four players—exchanged glances.
“Attack together!”
“If four of us strike at once, there’s no way he can block all of us!” someone roared.
“Kill him!”
Simultaneously, four muscular fighters charged from all directions, blades and spears flashing.
A single miscalculation would leave Chen Li skewered like a pincushion.
“Hmph.”
Chen Li stood unmoving, gripping his jet-black Heavy Sword—over a meter and a half long—like a shield in front of him.
“Boom!!”
The four weapons crashed against his blade, sparks flying.
“Nice!”
“Now… die!”
Chen Li grinned, his muscles bulging as Vital Energy surged through him, veins popping.
With a roar, he swung his Heavy Sword, unleashing a tidal wave of Vital Force.
The four attackers’ faces paled as the shockwave smashed into their arms.
They flew backward like ragdolls.
“Holy hell! What strength is that?!”
“This is Vital Energy Stat 10.0? Impossible!”
Back in the Virtual Hall, the crowd was stunned.
“Brother Qi, Chen Li’s power is insane!” Jiang Tao stammered.
Lin Qi watched the screen as Chen Li’s blade carved through the last opponents.
[Fourth Round Winner: Chen Li!]
……
In a massive conference room, soldiers and staff in dark green uniforms bustled around, monitoring the ongoing Warm-up Match on giant displays.
Yuan Ji stood atop a cylindrical platform, bathed in invisible light.
“This Chen Li is truly outstanding—he’d be among the best in any other year.”
“He might even be the strongest this time around.”
“A shame such a genius won’t join the Imperial Military. We can’t recruit him,” Yuan Ji sighed.
……
“The next round—fighters, enter the arena!” Yuan Ji’s projection announced.
“Buzz!”
Lin Qi felt his phone vibrate.
[Message: Lin Qi, please enter the Fifth Round of the Warm-up Match immediately!]
A smirk tugged at his lips. It was his turn.
“Time for me to shine.”
He strode toward the Neural Pod, logging into Scarlet Realm.
[Confirm Entry into Fifth Round? Yes/NO]
[Yes]
[You have 30 seconds to choose your gear and weapon!]
Lin Qi selected his familiar setup—a sleek black bodysuit and a massive black Heavy Spear with a silver tip gleaming like a blade.
As the 30 seconds ended, the arena materialized around him—crimson light enveloping the vast battlefield.
Dozens of light pillars descended, trapping the fighters inside.
As the light faded, 50 players faced off, weapons drawn.
A ten-second countdown began.
……
In the Virtual Hall, Jiang Tao stared at Lin Qi’s light pillar in the corner of the screen.
“Haven’t seen Brother Qi fight since the Disaster Beast Surge Event,” he mused.
“He made it to the Genius Battle Tournament’s Top 32—his strength must be formidable. Looking forward to this.”
Guo Heng nodded. “Aye, even when I was stronger than him, I couldn’t beat him.”
Lü Xiang, Wu Feng, and Qiu Siying all leaned in, curious about Lin Qi’s current power.
……
[Countdown: 3… 2… 1…]
[Fifth Round Slaughter Begins!]
The AI’s cold voice echoed.
The light pillars vanished, revealing 50 fighters.
“Boom!!”
“Whoosh~”
The air thickened with bloodlust as blades clashed and bodies surged forward.
Lin Qi’s opponents recognized him instantly.
“That’s Lin Qi—third in Tianhai, fifth in the province!”
“He’s the strongest here. Kill him first, or none of us win!”
Three attackers—two men and a woman—rushed him from three angles.
“Hmph!”
“Hiss~”
Swords and a Battle Saber sliced through the air, moving at peak speed.
They knew—against a genius, you struck first and from all sides, sealing every escape.
“Kill!!”
Lin Qi felt the danger—a storm of steel from front-left, front-right, and directly ahead.
His mind raced.
“3 o’clock, 12 o’clock, and 10 o’clock. Three attackers.”
“Distance: 2 meters left/right, 3 meters ahead. The front one’s fastest—eliminate him first!”
Lin Qi’s legs coiled, Vital Force surging.
In a flash, he vanished—leaving behind a phantom afterimage.
“Shwoosh!”
Ducking and weaving, he narrowly avoided the blades, his body twisting with uncanny flexibility.
“What? How?!”
The two flanking him gaped in shock.
Lin Qi’s Black Long Spear lashed out like an arrow, piercing the air with a thunderous whoosh.
The front attacker could only watch as the spearhead glinted and drove through his neck.
“Pfft!”
The man flew backward, his weapon clattering away as his body dissolved into pixels.
Two seconds—one kill.
The remaining two froze, terror stalling their attacks.
Too strong.
No chance.
They turned to flee.
But Lin Qi never let prey escape.
……
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
