"Are you two ready?" The announcer asked Yuan and Hong Xiuquan.
"I am." They both responded simultaneously.
"Then let the fight begin!"
Once the fight started, Yuan slowly approached Hong Xiuquan, who was standing still in a defensive position.
His intentions were clear— he was going to repeat what he did during his fight with Wang Bingbing.
'So he's going to defend and try to counterattack, huh? Let's see your limits!'
Yuan accepted his challenge and dashed at Hong Xiuquan with his sword raised.
However, midway through his swing, Hong Xiuquan, who was prepared to block the attack, suddenly shouted with his eyes wide, "I surrender!"
Yuan immediately halted his movements, stopping his sword an inch away from Hong Xiuquan.
"Huh?" Yuan doubted what he'd just heard.
Did Hong Xiuquan just surrender?
The spectators were also dumbfounded by Hong Xiuquan's sudden surrender. They didn't even fight! Why would he suddenly surrender?
"Young Master Hong, did you just surrender?" The announcer asked Hong Xiuquan for confirmation.
"Yes, I surrender." Hong Xiuquan said in a nonchalant voice as he removed his gauntlets before leaving the stage and everyone speechless.
"Why?" Yuan couldn't help but ask him, as he was looking forward to their fight.
Hong Xiuquan stopped for a moment and turned to look at Yuan.
He then said in a low voice, "I lied. My arms are not in the condition to fight."
After a moment of silence, Yuan said, "Then let's fight again after you've fully recovered."
Hong Xiuquan merely nodded his head and didn't say anything else before leaving the stage.
The announcer snapped out of his daze and said, "Young Master Yuan wins by default since his opponent forfeited the match!"
He then asked Yuan, "Since the fight ended before it even started, do you wish to immediately continue onto the final fight, or do you need some time to rest? You're allowed a 30-minute rest period after every match."
"I don't need any rest."
The announcer nodded his head before turning to look at Li Jinxi, who was already approaching the stage.
"Do you wish to immediately start the fight?"
Li Jinxi nodded with an eager look on her face.
Meanwhile, back at the benches, Wang Ming asked Hong Xiuquan, "So, what's your real reason for surrendering the fight? Your arms look fine."
Hong Xiuquan looked at him with raised eyebrows and said, "You're asking me? Didn't you fight against him during the first round?"
"Yes, I did. So what of it?"
Hong Xiuquan frowned and said, "Are you mocking me right now? I didn't even need to block his attack to know that it has a tremendous amount of strength behind it! My arms will literally break if I block it!"
Wang Ming's jaw dropped, and he said, "Surely, you're over exaggerating. I have fought with him many times. There's no way that you wouldn't be able to handle his attacks. Sure, they are powerful, but I can defend against them properly."
"I don't believe that he was using all of his strength against you. I dare even say that his strength is on par with Li Jinxi!"
Wang Ming laughed at Hong Xiuquan's claims, "You're definitely over exaggerating."
"Hmph! Screw you. I'm not going to waste my breath on you any longer." Hong Xiuquan proceeded to ignore Wang Ming, who merely shook his head.
Meanwhile, on the stage, Yuan and Li Jinxi stood a couple of meters away from each other.
"Are you two ready to fight?" The announcer asked them.
"Wait. I have a question." Yuan said.
"What is it?"
"Can I change my weapon?" He asked.
"Your weapon?" The announcer raised his eyebrows.
This is the first time he's been asked such a question.
He then turned to look at the Grand Elders and asked, "Grand Elders, are there any rules regarding changing one's weapon after the competition started?"
"Well, there aren't any rules that forbid the participants from changing their weapons." Senior Wang said.
The announcer nodded and returned to Yuan, "Since it's not against the rules to change weapons, that means you are allowed to do so. What kind of weapon do you want?"
And to everybody's surprise, Yuan pointed at Li Jinxi and said, "I want a weapon like hers."
"Huh?" The announcer looked at him with wide eyes.
"Y-You want a greatsword?" He asked for confirmation.
"Yes." Yuan nodded calmly.
After all, Li Jinxi's sword resembled his Empyrean Overlord more than his current sword that had a thin blade in comparison, and there was simply no way that he would be able to defend against her attacks with such a sword.
A few minutes later, they handed Yuan a greatsword that was just like the one wielded by Li Jinxi.
"It's heavy." The announcer warned him.
Yuan nodded as he grabbed the handle and waved it around casually.
'It's not that bad.' Yuan thought to himself.
The sword itself weighed around 100 kilos, but Yuan was a Spirit Master, not to mention his body that had been strengthened by the golden symbols, so it didn't feel any different than wielding a normal sword.
Of course, both Li Jinxi and Yuan could wield much heavier swords, but that would be an unfair advantage since the others could only wield weapons at around 50 kilos.
"Since when can he use greatswords?" Wang Ming mumbled to himself.
Although greatswords and long swords are considered as 'swords', they require different techniques to wield properly.
"I am ready," Yuan said after getting comfortable with the sword.
The announcer nodded and started the fight shortly after.
However, neither Yuan nor Li Jinxi moved from their spots.
After a moment of silence, Li Jinxi lifted her sword and pointed it at Yuan.
"Don't disappoint me," she said in a calm voice.
"I will try my best not to," Yuan said.
The next moment, they both moved at the same time, running straight into each other.
"Ha!"
Li Jinxi swung her sword at Yuan with half of her strength to test Yuan's capabilities.
Yuan also swung his sword, accepting Li Jinxi's attack head-on, something most people wouldn't dare to attempt.
Clang!
The air vibrated when their swords collided, causing the spectators' hearts to tremble.
However, neither Yuan nor Li Jinxi moved from their spot.
A cold grin appeared on Li Jinxi's smile when she felt the force behind Yuan's attack, looking like she'd just found her perfect prey.
"Let's dance!" She suddenly shouted, her voice filled with excitement.