Chapter 79: Twists and Turns

Sure enough, the scene unfolded as Su Xiao had expected.

Leng Bai and the others looked slightly stunned, their expressions changing subtly.

It seemed that from this moment on, they truly acknowledged Lin Xiu's strength.

In the surrounding crowd of spectators,

Han Pu and Qin Zhi excitedly clenched their fists, cheering with raised arms.

Huo Lan couldn't help but show a smile on his face, evidently agreeing with Lin Xiu's methods.

The powerful are always feared by everyone.

This is something Su Xiao can confirm.

Since he stepped onto the stage, there have been hardly any challengers.

"Don't be too happy too soon. With Lin Xiu's Dou Technique of such power, how many times can he use it? Trying to scare off others with such a method is too naive."

At this moment, Ge Mu's voice rang out again.

While cutting through the chaos swiftly is indeed a good choice, the stronger the Dou Technique, the greater the consumption.

In this round of the top five competition, they are using the defending-the-stage strategy.

He doesn't believe that Lin Xiu, at the 1 Star Dou Grandmaster level, can sustain using it several times.

Once he becomes exhausted later on, he will be knocked off the stage.

After the reminder, Huo Lan also realized, the smile faded from his face, replaced by a worried expression.

Dou Qi recovery takes time, but who will give Lin Xiu the opportunity to recover now?

Just then, Huo Lan suddenly fixed his gaze.

Among the team in front of Lin Xiu's stage, he suddenly spotted Du Chaoping's figure.

"Chaoping, you haven't let me down after a year of nurturing you!"

Huo Lan knew Du Chaoping's personality well, understanding that he wasn't one to take advantage, and choosing Lin Xiu was probably to give him an opportunity to recover.

At this moment,

Ranked ninth in the lineup, Du Chaoping could hear the panic and hesitation of the people ahead.

"Don't go up, don't go up," Du Chaoping prayed in his heart.

Having seen the previous individual leave the stage, now many people were intimidated by Lin Xiu's onslaught.

Taking such a hit wouldn't be pleasant!

The key is, even if they rush up now and win against Lin Xiu, they probably won't stand a chance against the people behind them, essentially serving as a bridal dress for someone else.

Therefore, some have already started to consider retreating, voluntarily leaving the lineup.

"Those who voluntarily leave the lineup cannot continue to challenge the same stage."

On the high platform, Hu Gan's voice sounded timely.

It's necessary to mention the rules; some people are attempting to change their order to be behind others.

As the words fell,

The lineup that was somewhat chaotic in front of Lin Xiu's stage suddenly quieted down.

Du Chaoping thought to himself that the rules set by the Headmaster are too arbitrary; even at this moment, additional conditions can be added on the fly.

Amidst the commotion, shouts came from behind.

Turning around, Du Chaoping caught sight of Lin Ge, his anger rising.

Lin Ge paid no attention to his gaze but instead reminded the people ahead to continue wearing down Lin Xiu, promising to share the benefits if he secures a spot in the top five.

Coincidentally, that person was also a disciple under Ge Mu.

Upon hearing this, the reluctance that was present before gradually disappeared.

As Lin Ge spoke, others in the lineup seemed to find inspiration, all looking towards the people ahead.

Some of these individuals were acquainted with each other to varying degrees, and with a few words, agreements were reached.

The spectators around overheard their conversation, and some even shouted about the collusion.

On the high platform,

Hu Gan stood at the front, feeling the piercing gazes around him.

The wheeling and dealing wouldn't work; these people actually wanted to collaborate with each other. If that's the case, it seems there's an immature idea for next year.

With things having come to this point, Hu Gan didn't change his mind. He could only learn from this experience and wait to improve next year.

As for fairness... the rules are set by the strong, and the weak can only follow. If you don't get benefits, it's because you're too weak.

On the stage, Lin Xiu heard the accusations of collusion, seeing Hu Gan unmoved, he suddenly had an idea.

Opponents took turns stepping onto the stage.

Lin Xiu put away his thoughts and unleashed a series of moves, two Black Rank High-level Dou Techniques in succession.

Ignoring the other attributes of Yuan Aperture, just the Wind and Thunder Dou Qi alone were abundant.

Moreover, his true strength was that of a 4 Star Dou Grandmaster, and the abundance of his Dou Qi was comparable to that of a 7 Star Dou Grandmaster.

Facing these opponents, even if he used them consecutively, he didn't appear weakened.

Soon, Du Chaoping stepped onto the stage.

"Junior brother, you can relax and recover."

Just as he stepped onto the stage, Du Chaoping spoke in a gentle tone.

Hearing this, Lin Ge behind him erupted into a furious tirade, frustrated that they had just worn down Lin Xiu in vain.

As his turn approached, Du Chaoping unexpectedly gave Lin Xiu time to recover. Didn't the injuries suffered by those people earlier become meaningless?

For a moment, many people in the lineup echoed Lin Ge's sentiment.

However,

Du Chaoping remained unmoved.

Seeing this, Lin Xiu took the opportunity to catch his breath. He indeed needed to accumulate some Dou Qi for his next actions.

On the high platform, Hu Gan felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles once again.

This scene caught him off guard once more.

Compared to other stages, only on Lin Xiu's side did things take unexpected turns, while results had already emerged elsewhere.

The elder acting as a judge looked at Hu Gan, his eyes questioning.

Are you saying that Du Chaoping didn't attack Lin Xiu? That's not correct either. Du Chaoping has been attacking all along, but his angles were just too poor.

Even if Lin Xiu sat still, Du Chaoping's strikes always missed by two or three meters.

This situation was also a first for him.

"Cough, cough, we must have a result within fifteen minutes." There was no choice; Hu Gan had to speak up.

Otherwise, he doubted Du Chaoping could keep going until tomorrow.

As his words fell, all eyes once again turned to Hu Gan.

This time, the elders around him, and even Old Huo, shifted their chairs aside, distancing themselves from Hu Gan.

"This year's rules are even more ridiculous than last year, with even bigger loopholes," Old Huo complained inwardly, "I really don't know what next year will be like."

As the time reached the last minute, Du Chaoping, panting heavily, conceded.

"You've worked hard, Senior Brother," Lin Xiu slowly opened his eyes and stood up.

Du Chaoping smiled faintly, stepped down from the stage, and looked at the grim faces and hungry looks among the lineup. His smile became even brighter.

Not far away, when Huo Lan caught Du Chaoping's gaze, he raised his thumb towards him.

Beside him, Ge Mu's expression didn't look too good.

Originally, Lin Ge thought he had a chance to make a push for the top five, but now the outcome had become uncertain.

"Hurry up, what are you waiting for?" Lin Ge said to the person in front of him.

"Why rush? If you're capable, go ahead, I'm not playing anymore," the person grumbled discontentedly and truly gave up.

With this turn of events, Lin Ge became the first one. Faced with Lin Xiu, who had recovered after fifteen minutes, his heart sank.

"Lin Ge, Senior Brother, what a coincidence. Last time it was you waiting for me on the stage, this time it's my turn. Come on, hurry up and come up." Lin Xiu showed a malicious smile.

He could hear the commotion from below while on the stage. Lin Ge's every move and word were crystal clear to him.

Meeting Lin Xiu's gaze, Lin Ge's legs seemed not to belong to him anymore, trembling incessantly, unable to lift them.

"Lin Ge, do you want to challenge? If you don't want to, forfeit, don't delay the others behind you."

The elder referee approached.

"I, I... I forfeit,"

After some thought, Lin Ge's mind was filled with memories of Lin Xiu's methods from the past, and shadows grew in his heart, leaving him devoid of fighting spirit.

As soon as his words fell, there was an uproar around him.

Instantly, mocking laughter filled the air.

Many gazes even turned towards Ge Mu, after all, he was Lin Ge's teacher.

"You useless waste! You've completely disgraced me!" Ge Mu's eyes reddened, his face flushed with anger.

Huo Lan grabbed Ge Mu's arm, "Don't go, I've just listened to you say so much, now it's your turn to listen to me."

With Lin Ge giving up, there were still seven people behind him, all choosing to forfeit.

One goes with determination, then another declines, and finally, all fade away.

That's the current situation.

Hu Gan breathed a sigh of relief; the top five had finally been selected, and it was finally coming to an end.

He stepped onto the stage, ready to announce the results.

Suddenly.

"Headmaster, I have something to say."

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