Chapter 199

Chapter 199

The staff member looked at her in confusion, then glanced at the champion on the stage, hesitating, "Fairy, did you say that correctly?"

"No mistake," Wen Qiao affirmed. "Isn't it just that the match on this stage has ended?"

After confirming he heard correctly, the staff member's expression was indescribable. Looking at Wen Qiao's beautiful face, he couldn’t imagine her alongside the muscular champion on the stage.

He kindly reminded her, "Fairy, this champion is named Xiong Yan, and he is a physical cultivator."

Physical cultivators were known for their tough skin and thick flesh. With those developed muscles and bear-like physique, how could a delicate female cultivator be a match? The staff member couldn’t bear to see such a pretty girl being tossed off the stage by Xiong Yan with one hand.

Wen Qiao’s eyes lit up as she said to the staff member, "It’s Senior Xiong Yan then. When can I go up to challenge him?"

Seeing her determination, the staff member wanted to persuade her but, as an organizer of the challenge arena, he couldn’t say too much to the customers. He suppressed his thoughts and said, "Please wait, Fairy. I’ll ask Senior Xiong Yan."

Usually, after a match, the victor would be given time to recover. However, sometimes if the battle was straightforward, the victor didn’t need rest and could proceed to the next match immediately.

Xiong Yan had just finished a match and hadn’t expended much energy. He was about to ask if there were any challengers when the staff member’s voice rang out, "Senior Xiong Yan, this fairy wants to challenge you."

Xiong Yan turned to look and, upon seeing Wen Qiao standing beside the staff member, let out a sneer.

It wasn’t surprising that Xiong Yan reacted this way; even the spectators around them couldn’t help but boo. Some male cultivators, feeling protective, showed concern and wanted to advise her not to act rashly.

A delicate and beautiful female cultivator against a tall and strong physical cultivator, with a difference of one realm in cultivation—anyone would think the outcome was clear, making the match uninteresting.

People came here for exciting battles. The more intense and thrilling the fight, the better they liked it. They had no interest in matches without suspense.

But this young lady was bold enough to challenge Xiong Yan, a physical cultivator.

Physical cultivators focused on body refinement, making them incredibly strong. Ordinary spirit weapons couldn’t easily defeat them. Sometimes, challenging someone of a higher realm wasn’t a problem. But this young lady was a realm lower than Xiong Yan. How could she possibly fight him?

With those two cute little creatures on her shoulders?

Without saying a word, Wen Qiao leaped onto the stage, then threw out a thousand spirit stones.

The sound of the spirit stones clinking as they fell on the stage was particularly crisp and pleasant. Seeing the thousand spirit stones, Xiong Yan grinned and said, "Little girl, for the sake of these spirit stones, I’ll go easy on you and make your loss look good—by tossing you off the stage."

Wen Qiao bowed, "Senior Xiong, when can we start?"

Xiong Yan chuckled arrogantly, "Anytime."

Wen Qiao nodded, placing the two beasts on the side and told them, "Stay here and don’t run around, okay?"

The two furry balls obediently called out to her. They wanted to watch Little Miao beat the champion, so they wouldn’t wander off.

They even took out spirit fruits and sat there eating while watching, behaving very well.

Seeing this, the surrounding spectators felt that this female cultivator was not only coming up to get beaten but also bringing along two beast pets. It seemed like a joke. They wondered which sect’s disciple had so many spirit stones to waste here.

Thinking this, the spectators in the rest area turned away to watch other matches.

Only some self-proclaimed chivalrous male cultivators showed reluctance, wondering if they should catch the girl when Xiong Yan tossed her off the stage, hoping to create a heroic rescue and leave a good impression.

After arranging the two beasts, Wen Qiao went to stand opposite Xiong Yan, politely bowing and saying, "Senior Xiong, I’m ready to start."

Xiong Yan chuckled, clearly not taking her seriously.

When he realized she was charging at him, Xiong Yan reached out to grab her and toss her off the stage.

However, his outstretched hand was caught by her, and before he could react, a white fist struck his chest.

Xiong Yan flew backward, falling off the stage and landing heavily on the floor outside.

The loud thud attracted the attention of the cultivators watching other matches. They glanced over, then froze in disbelief, staring at Xiong Yan lying on the ground.

Suddenly, everything went quiet!

Everyone stared wide-eyed, doubting if they had seen correctly. How could Xiong Yan be the one thrown off the stage? Looking again at the beautiful female cultivator standing gracefully on the stage, they confirmed it was true.

What had just happened? Why was Xiong Yan the one flying off the stage?

Xiong Yan jumped up, his rugged, dark face flushed with embarrassment. He leaped back onto the stage.

The staff member finally regained his composure and quickly announced, "The previous match was won by this fairy."

Regardless of how she won, Xiong Yan falling off the stage was a fact. The rules of the challenge arena were simple: leaving the stage or conceding meant losing.

As the loser, not only did he lose the spirit stones, but he also had to give up his position as champion.

Xiong Yan had to open another challenge.

His face red, he said, "I was careless just now. This time, it’s my turn to challenge her!"

Saying this, he swept the pile of spirit stones he had earned as champion towards Wen Qiao, adding to the thousand spirit stones behind her, creating a dazzling pile.

Wen Tuto and Wen Guangun waddled over and sat in front of the spirit stone pile, guarding it for their sister.

Seeing this, everyone couldn’t help but laugh.

Regardless of how Xiong Yan was thrown off earlier, these two little beast pets were too amusing. Did they really think a delicate female cultivator could guard so many spirit stones?

In their view, Xiong Yan must have been careless earlier, somehow tricked by the girl into falling off the stage.

This time, with Xiong Yan serious, the girl wouldn’t be so lucky to win again.

Despite this thought, the cultivators in the rest area didn’t look away this time.

This time, they saw clearly. On the stage, the female cultivator charged forward, and her fist met Xiong Yan’s. The force of the impact made Xiong Yan take a step back.

Everyone widened their eyes, confirming that it was indeed Xiong Yan who was retreating, not the female cultivator.

Xiong Yan was also shocked. Recalling the moment they clashed, he exclaimed, "You're a physical cultivator?"

Wen Qiao nodded, her expression cold, and threw another punch.

The surrounding cultivators were stunned. This young girl is a physical cultivator? They couldn't help but take a closer look. With her delicate and slender appearance, how could she be a physical cultivator? Although her boxing skills were impressive, it didn't necessarily mean she was a physical cultivator.

Most of the people present did not believe Wen Qiao was a physical cultivator.

As her opponent, Xiong Yan felt it deeply. He finally put aside his arrogance, no longer taking her lightly just because she was a female cultivator with lower cultivation.

He had realized that being knocked off the stage in the previous fight wasn't due to his carelessness but because she truly had the ability. Her boxing style was fierce and powerful, making it impossible to defend against.

Even though his cultivation was one realm higher than hers, facing her boxing skills gave him a sense of being overwhelmed.

Even for a physical cultivator, this punching power was too strong.

On the stage, the two exchanged blows, their fists and feet meeting with dull thuds.

As physical cultivators, their speed wasn't particularly fast, allowing the spectators to clearly see each punch and move. The sound of flesh meeting flesh made their scalps tingle.

It must hurt a lot.

What was even more unbelievable was that every time they clashed, it was Xiong Yan who was pushed back.

When physical cultivators face each other, they first test each other's physical strength, then their power, and finally their attack methods.

Without a doubt, Wen Qiao's attack method was a boxing technique, while Xiong Yan used a set of Adamantine Palm techniques.

Fists and palms each had their advantages and disadvantages.

However, apart from the attack methods, it seemed that Xiong Yan's physical strength was indeed inferior to hers.

Some troublemakers couldn't help shouting, "Xiong Yan, you're at the early stage of the Yuanling Realm. Can't you even handle a late-stage Wukong Realm woman?"

"Yeah, Xiong Yan, we bet on you winning."

"Xiong Yan, come on, don't let a woman get the better of you."

...

Wen Qiao, annoyed by their comments, coldly replied, "So what if I'm a woman? Were you not born from a woman?"

The male cultivator was left speechless.

The other male cultivators fell silent, wary of offending the women in their families.

Xiong Yan remained silent because Wen Qiao had beaten him back repeatedly. The feeling of being pummeled by a physical cultivator left him with no energy to care about anything else; he only wanted to counterattack and survive.

However, each of his counterattacks was easily defused. Those white, delicate fists caused excruciating pain when they hit, almost breaking his bones.

Finally, Wen Qiao stepped forward and punched him off the stage.

As Xiong Yan painfully landed outside the stage, he thought, Why does she always have to knock me off with one punch?

Ouch, my ribs are broken!

Wen Qiao won the match again, earning all the spirit stones Xiong Yan had collected as well as the additional thousand spirit stones given earlier. After the organizers took their commission, the rest was hers.

The two beasts happily wiggled their round butts, allowing Wen Qiao to collect the spirit stones.

Xiong Yan got up and said to Wen Qiao, "Sis, I want to challenge you again."

Encountering a physical cultivator with such powerful boxing skills stirred his competitive spirit, and he wanted to fight her again.

Xiong Yan took out a thousand spirit stones, preparing to challenge her once more.

But Wen Qiao refused, "Sorry, I don't want to be the champion; I just want to be the challenger."

Xiong Yan, thick-skinned, said, "Then I'll continue being the champion, and you can challenge me."

A staff member nearby reminded him, "Senior Xiong, you've already lost two matches."

Losing three consecutive matches would disqualify him from being the champion, requiring him to re-challenge and win three matches to regain the title.

Wen Qiao still refused, although encountering a physical cultivator was rare, she now preferred challenging cultivators of higher realms to understand the fighting styles of cultivators on the Flying Star Continent.

Following the staff's arrangement, Wen Qiao went to challenge another champion on a different stage.

This champion was also at the early stage of the Yuanling Realm, a spell cultivator. Wen Qiao tossed a thousand spirit stones onto the stage and politely bowed to him.

Xiong Yan pushed aside the staff member and leaned over the edge of the stage, saying to Wen Qiao, "Sis, this guy specializes in talismans and is quite devious. He uses talismans to ambush and traps opponents in his arrays... In short, be careful."

The champion, a pale-faced youth without a beard, waved a white jade fan covered in talisman patterns, smiling at Wen Qiao and saying, "Young lady, you beat Xiong Yan just now?"

Wen Qiao nodded.

"That's quite an accomplishment."

With these words, the pale-faced youth suddenly attacked, launching ten fire talismans filled with intense flames.

Wen Qiao's expression turned serious, and she raised her hands, summoning ten water talismans. The water waves shimmered, blocking the fire talismans.

Water and fire met in mid-air, exploding with a loud boom. The protective barrier around the stage quickly contained the blast.

As the talismans clashed above, the two on the stage engaged in combat.

Wen Qiao transformed her hands into fists and swung them towards the pale-faced youth's face.

The young man leaned back, about to dodge, when he suddenly realized that his opponent was charging forward recklessly. A barrier formed by talismans appeared before him.

Wen Qiao threw a punch at the barrier, and with a crack, it shattered instantly.

A flash of shock crossed the pale-faced youth's eyes, and he quickly cast a set of Earth-level defensive talismans, finally managing to stop her. Then, he unfolded his fan, its surface like a blade, striking toward his opponent.

Wen Qiao was knocked away by the fan, crashing into the railing of the arena.

The surrounding cultivators burst into an uproar, scolding the pale-faced youth for not showing any mercy.

As they were cursing, they saw Wen Qiao getting up from the ground.

She pushed off with her foot and charged at the pale-faced youth again, looking as lively and energetic as ever, clearly unharmed.

Everyone: "..." Such a robust physique; she must be a physical cultivator.

"Sis, you're amazing! Our physical bodies are strong, and it's not easy to hurt us." Xiong Yan laughed loudly beside her.

The pale-faced youth repeated his tactics, using talismans to sneak attacks and distract Wen Qiao while attacking her with his jade fan, knocking her away several times. But each time, she got back up, bouncing around as if unhurt—wasn't that a bit too strong?

After a few rounds, Wen Qiao finally adapted to the pale-faced youth's fighting style, trailing a set of talismans behind her as she charged at him.

The pale-faced youth feared this kind of charge the most, feeling his scalp tingle.

His sneak attack talismans were blocked by her own talismans, and her fist struck the fan, causing his hand to go numb. He took a few steps back, his heart sinking as he realized that this physical cultivator was not as simple-minded as Xiong Yan.

He had yet to complete his talisman array, still a few steps away. With this female cultivator's robust body, his usual methods would hardly injure her. Moreover, her boxing technique was quite refined, and even a cultivator in the Primordial Spirit Realm would struggle to withstand her strength.

The pale-faced youth's thoughts raced, gritting his teeth, setting another trap to buy more time. However, the girl did not fall for it this time, closing the distance and knocking his jade fan away with one punch, then sending him flying out of the arena with another.

At that moment, the pale-faced youth's thoughts aligned with Xiong Yan's: Why did she have to punch him away?

Ouch, that really hurt.

Wen Qiao won once again, collecting the spirit stones from the arena champion.

Xiong Yan clung to the edge of the arena, shouting joyfully, "Sis, you're incredible! Now who dares say we physical cultivators are simple-minded and only strong in our limbs!"

Hearing Xiong Yan's words, everyone was speechless.

How could this seemingly frail little girl be a physical cultivator? Although her physique was indeed robust, and she always bounced back after being knocked down, she looked like an unstoppable monster.

But seeing her excessively beautiful face, it was hard to consider her a physical cultivator.

Ignoring what others thought, Wen Qiao went on to challenge the next arena champion.

Xiong Yan followed her excitedly, no longer guarding the arena. Every time she fought, he cheered loudly from below, making the arena champions' veins throb with annoyance, wishing they could knock him out first.