Damn, you're so strong

Huang Nuanyan began to feel nervous as the afternoon's competition had already been announced.

Twenty participants would be grouped together for a free-for-all, with only three remaining by the end.

This was clearly the stage where the number of contestants would be drastically reduced.

"What should I do? What if everyone gangs up on me?"

Huang Nuanyan was confident when fighting demonic beasts, but facing other cultivators was a different challenge.

Little Yu reassured her, "Have some confidence. Your cultivation level is more than enough. As long as your luck isn’t terrible, you’ll pass."

"Ugh, why couldn’t we be in the same group? Then the three of us could’ve teamed up."

Indeed, Su Luo, Little Yu, and Huang Nuanyan had all been assigned to different groups.

"In that case, let me teach you a move," Su Luo said.

"Will it work?"

"Hard to say. But given your opponents, it shouldn’t be a problem."

......

It didn’t take long for Su Luo to teach Huang Nuanyan the technique.

"Wow, this is amazing! How did you come up with something like this?" Huang Nuanyan marveled at the profundity of the move.

The more she sensed it, the more extraordinary it seemed.

"When your talent for cultivation is lacking, you just have to read more. The more you study, the more you learn."

"Does reading really help? Well, either way, thank you."

"We’ve spent a few days together—no need to be so formal."

"Nonsense! Tonight’s dinner is on me."

Since Su Luo refused any spirit stones, this was the least Huang Nuanyan could do.

Just then, the competition began.

The arena was a massive circle, surrounded by a river—a unique feature of Water City’s battlegrounds.

A large crowd of spectators had gathered as well.

Combat was always a spectacle worth watching.

The rules were simple: a 20-person free-for-all, with falling out of the arena counting as a loss. The stage was so large that anyone who got knocked out truly lacked skill.

As the match started, every participant unleashed their strength, clashing with one another.

The previous rounds hadn’t involved intense confrontations, so none of them had a clear grasp of their opponents’ abilities.

Now, in the chaos of battle, combat awareness was put to the test.

Yet, there was always a dramatic twist—someone hiding in a corner inexplicably survived till the end.

Another dodged an attack, only for their opponent to stumble out of the arena, leaving them among the final three.

Luck was part of strength, after all.

But of course, some relied purely on skill.

Take Little Yu, for instance. When her turn came, she swiftly defeated sixteen opponents with ease.

"Wow, Little Yu, you’re incredible!" Huang Nuanyan cheered.

"My opponents were just weak," Little Yu replied modestly.

"No way! They looked plenty strong to me." Huang Nuanyan started pacing. "It’s my turn now. I can’t lose either."

Standing on the arena, Huang Nuanyan took a deep breath.

This was her first time in a free-for-all. She had prepared several strategies, but now she discarded them all.

She strode straight to the center.

The commentator exclaimed, "What is Fellow Daoist Huang Nuanyan doing? Walking into the middle makes her an easy target for a group attack! Is she really that confident?"

Her groupmates, feeling slighted, silently agreed to target her first and eliminate her immediately.

The match began.

Huang Nuanyan suddenly shouted, "O tides, I have returned!"

Then, she began spinning rapidly in a full circle.

A massive water pillar swept across the entire arena.

Everyone on the stage was sent flying. The rotation was so fast that even if someone avoided the first sweep, the second or third would surely knock them out.

Huang Nuanyan passed effortlessly.

As for the other two spots, they went to whoever lasted the longest before falling.

"Yes! That was amazing!"

This move was something Su Luo had taught her on the spot—a modification of her original water thread technique, altering the flow of spiritual energy.

It was faster, more energy-efficient, and far more powerful, transforming the thread into a surging pillar.

Huang Nuanyan was in awe. How had Su Luo come up with such an improvement? Did reading really make that much of a difference?

She wasn’t fond of studying, but after this, she might pay more attention to it in the future.

Soon, it was Su Luo’s turn.

He glanced at the participants—all quite skilled for their age.

Then, he walked toward the edge of the arena.

No elaborate strategy—he was planning to jump off.

He had played around enough. It was time to leave the opportunity to those who needed it more.

Yes, Su Luo intended to withdraw here. Making it this far was enough.

But then, someone ambushed him.

Su Luo didn’t even plan to counter. If the attacker struck, it would be the perfect excuse to fall out of bounds.

Yet, it was the assailant who ended up in the water.

Su Luo: ?

How did that happen?

You were the one attacking!

Su Luo knew he hadn’t done anything. The moment the attacker touched him, they were sent flying.

He had no idea why.

"Damn it, you’re too strong!" the fallen cultivator grumbled.

The commentator chimed in, "Oh! Contestant Su Luo continues to amaze us, effortlessly eliminating an opponent. Standing at the edge—is he planning to toss his foes out with ease? A very efficient approach!"

Before Su Luo could act, six more challengers rushed at him, their momentum fierce.

"Hahaha! You’re too handsome—I can’t stand it!"

"You’re strong. Taking you down is the right move!"

"Got you!"

The moment they touched Su Luo, they were all repelled, flung straight into the water and eliminated.

Only three remained on the stage.

"Wow, that ended surprisingly fast! Fellow Daoist Su Luo seems to possess an incredibly powerful rebound technique, repelling all who attack him."

Su Luo advanced without issue.

He was baffled. Someone must be messing with him.

Li Siyi?

But that didn’t seem likely. Then who else?

He couldn’t think of a single suspect.

What Su Luo would never guess was that Lin Xuan was behind it.

Watching Su Luo’s bewildered expression, Lin Xuan smirked. Now you know how it feels—just like what you did to me back then.

The competition continued.

While most of the later matches were uneventful, there were still one or two thrilling bouts.

Su Luo and his friends watched till the end. Newcomers often brought more energy and creativity to their techniques.

Of course, their flaws were more apparent too—but wasn’t that part of the fun?

......

That night, they gathered for dinner again.

Li Siyi joined as usual—not for the free meal, but to spend more time with Su Luo.

Opportunities to be with him were rare.

This time, however, Huang Nuanyan stayed quiet, observing the dynamic between Su Luo and Li Siyi.

Li Siyi didn’t hide anything, constantly serving Su Luo dishes.

There was no need for secrecy—after all, soon enough, no one would remember "Su Luo."

Meanwhile, Little Yu also piled food onto Su Luo’s plate.

The atmosphere grew subtly peculiar.