It's so painful! So hard! So difficult!

A clear and resonant voice rang out. Immediately afterwards, a bright red figure pierced the silent sky, flapping its massive wings as it descended majestically toward the ground. Instantly, Bai Lin's eyes were drawn to it.

The man, clearly a fire beast, wasn't as massive as the hammer wielder, but the vast sword in his hand, glimmering with sparks, seemed alive. His sturdy frame was enough to instill a sense of pressure. He looked young, handsome even from a human perspective, but his demeanor and words gave off an air of irresistibility.

As soon as he appeared on the stage, the cheers of the whole audience were all focused on this person. The commentator did not hesitate at all and started talking directly.

"Everyone, thank you for your wait! The strongest champion from the past, defending the throne in this tournament, has finally made his appearance!"

"He has practiced swordsmanship since childhood, clinging to his sword with reluctance, never leaving his body. He is a genius, and one who has not wasted this talent. Having steadily improved himself to where he is today, he must be an idol to many of you, and that's why you, like him, chose the greatsword."

"He has won the championship three times in a row and is renowned for his magnificent swordsmanship. His strength is unquestionable, and he is a truly powerful swordsman. Let us all shout out his title and name—"

"The Sword Emperor of Hellfire, Annihilation Windsald!"

The cheers of the audience and the commentator were so loud that they filled the air. Facing those who had heard about it, Bai Lin also put on a slightly interested expression. The Sword Emperor was just waiting for the cheers to die down temporarily, waiting for the commentator's response.

"So, Master Sword Emperor, what adjustments would you like to make to the rules of this competition?"

This was the right of the previous champion. The Sword Fighting Flame Beast Tribe was a race that took the greater good into consideration, yet in this free, self-organized environment, they were completely unconstrained by formalities. As long as it wasn't excessive, the previous champion could freely design the rules of the competition.

At the same time, the previous champion will have one more chance to "revive." If eliminated, he will have the privilege of participating in the competition once more.

The Sword Emperor's eyes swept over the human in front of him, then he took a deep breath and spoke,

"It's simple. For the knockout rounds of the top eight, we need to change the draw from completely random to one where humans don't draw humans, and our people don't draw their own people. Humans can't recover from bathing in magma like our people can, so I believe a single-round elimination system is most appropriate."

According to previous rules for the Sword and Flame Beast Battle, after the quarterfinals, a Swiss-style tournament format was typically adopted. This allowed for more diverse combat scenes and fiercer competition. However, this time, with the quarterfinals already in play, this decision was understandable.

As for the fact that she couldn't recover, the Iron Fist Saint was surprised and seemed to want to say something when Katie, who was closest to her, reached out and held her down.

Putting aside the fact that Katie, a magician, possesses extraordinary healing abilities, which was beyond the other party's intelligence… Iron Fist Saint is, after all, a cleric by profession, so healing isn't a big deal. So, why would the other party make such a claim? Could it be that they don't understand humans?

This is not the case.

Clearly, they were also factoring in mana. It wasn't just physical health; the Fighting Sword Flame Beastmen didn't want any opponent to be in any way less than optimal. Mental state, physical strength, everything was at its peak, a clash of the best.

Unfortunately, the human side would suffer losses no matter what, unless they were eliminated in the first round. Therefore, a single-game elimination tournament was indeed a compromise.

"What about yourself?"

Bai Lin raised her head, looked at the other party, and asked. The Sword Emperor also responded to her gaze instantly, saying,

"I will select an opponent to fight after the first round of eliminations. I will then take his place and join the elimination rounds until I win the championship. Don't worry, I won't take advantage of anyone's misfortune."

These words sound a bit confusing, but the general meaning is that after defeating the opponent he chose, he will be considered to continue competing in the position of the defeated opponent.

Chapter 1144 You are her apprentice, right?

This, while another mention of privilege, didn't draw any question from anyone present. After all, no one would think he would choose a weak opponent to fight. It also meant he wouldn't choose a human in poor condition to fight.

This sounded reasonable, so Bai Lin didn't question it further. The first round of the draw soon began. Everyone was taken to their respective camps' rest rooms for a short rest before being brought onto the field for the first round of battle.

The lounge was spacious, but for a tournament of this magnitude, Bai Lin felt the luxury and comfort of the lounge was far inferior to the underground boxing matches he had participated in in Camitlan. Perhaps it was quite suitable for their own race, though. He found a random seat and sat down, not intending to speak again until his turn.

Normally, before a match like this, adjusting one's mindset is crucial. Having four separate rest rooms would have been more rational. However, considering that this time the teams were directly divided into the human and flame beast sides, they were simply grouped into one rest room to facilitate strategy discussions.

But frankly, everyone's information came almost entirely from the commentator's introduction, leaving little room for discussion. Meanwhile, Reinhardt was exercising his muscles, warming up, while Katie, who understood Bai Lin best, remained silent and accompanied her. Gray, who clearly didn't know any of them well, could only sit awkwardly on the other side.

Finally, the human side's lounge was completely silent, save for the clatter of muscles flexing like steel against steel. This silence was only broken by the arrival of an outsider.

"Sir, may I come in?"

The visitor boasted a high standard, and his words and actions were polite. Bai Lin raised his eyes and responded, greeting the other party. The Sword Emperor of Yuyan quickly opened the door.

Seeing Bai Lin sitting normally, with no abnormalities on his face, he was a little surprised.

"The game is about to start, aren't you going to warm up?"

"My body is in a state of preparation 24 hours a day, all year round. I rarely do warm-ups anymore."

Someone came to the door, so Bai Lin should speak up. And the Sword Emperor praised very easily,

"I see. Maintaining a calm mind is the most suitable state for you to prepare for battle."

This conversation sounded completely out of tune, but from the words, the Sword Emperor's attitude was already a little too relaxed. As if Bai Lin could not possibly be his next enemy, there was no hostility at all. Bai Lin chuckled and shook his head.

"Perhaps. So, Lord Sword Emperor, what do you want from me?"

She had never met the other person before, and the other person was obviously looking for her. Bai Lin was not good at business exaggeration, so it was better to get straight to the point. The Sword Emperor did not hesitate any longer and pointed out directly,

"I recognize this garment of yours. Its former owner... and I are old friends. Since you are wearing it, it means that the name it represents now belongs to you, correct?"

It sounded like Bai Lin was really wearing He's original clothes, but in reality, they were actually made by He according to Bai Lin's measurements. This Sword Emperor seemed a bit childish, lacking in detail when talking.

In truth, Bai Lin had heard of this so-called Sword Emperor. When he first met He, he was already considered a stepping stone, counted towards He's victories. He was a stepping stone of considerable reputation and value.

He had only mentioned him once, and it was Bai Lin who took the initiative to ask. At that time, Bai Lin asked, "Isn't there a Sword Emperor? Even though he lost to you once, there shouldn't be any problem for us to spar, right? He loves swords so much, he would definitely be happy to fight with you." At that time, He completely rejected Bai Lin's proposal.

"The road is too far, and he seems very busy. He said he would come before, but he hasn't come to see me in hundreds of years. Besides-"

"He, really can't do it."

When He uttered those last four words, Bai Lin hadn't felt much. But now, hearing the Sword Emperor call himself He's old friend, a strange sense of sadness washed over her, and she couldn't help but feel a certain sympathy for the Sword Emperor. She wondered what his expression would be like when he heard the straightforward and straightforward He say those words.

The inner complexities passed in an instant. Bai Lin raised his eyebrows slightly, as if to answer, and then asked directly,

"Master Sword Emperor actually wants to know how this title came to me, right? In fact, you and I both know the reason, don't we?"

Bai Lin stopped talking back and forth and went straight to the point. The Sword Emperor was also thoughtful for a moment, and then nodded meaningfully, as if he understood.

"I understand."

A title like "Unparalleled in the World" is a rumor that carries a lot of power. Besides fighting with your own fists, how else can you get it? Bai Lin was neither humble nor overbearing, clearly displaying her powerful aura. Just when she felt like she had gotten ahead of herself, the Sword Emperor spoke again.

"He, she must have retired to the mountains, abandoned her fame, and pursued a higher realm. I've heard that martial artists of her school often do this, suddenly disappearing without even notifying old friends. It's only been a few hundred years since we last saw each other, and she's almost completely gone—"

"Wait."

For a moment, Bai Lin didn't know where to begin her rebuttal. She threw her hands and interrupted the other person's speech. It seemed that she had been immersed in the atmosphere of the seekers for too long and had forgotten the cultural differences between them.

"Firstly, although the Huan Gui are also immortal, a few hundred years is a long time for them. After all, they primarily serve and entertain the short-lived species in the surrounding area, and their living habits are quite similar. Furthermore, isn't He a hermit? She doesn't go out every day to advertise herself or do anything else, right? She just stays in that broken mountain and practices martial arts. Speaking of the natural environment there, it seems to be enough for seeking the Tao, and the scenery is quite beautiful."

"Finally, let me emphasize that you may have misunderstood me. I am not her apprentice. I won this dress, although my original intention was just to earn some money."

Bai Lin was stronger than He, a fact that was quite real. Even though she might not have learned as many martial arts as He, and might lack certain specialized areas, she was definitely superior to him in actual combat.

Chapter 1145: Rock-Piercing Spear

Bai Lin had explained the facts clearly enough, however, the Sword Emperor seemed not to understand Bai Lin's words. He just nodded thoughtfully, and then said to Bai Lin,

"No need to explain, I already understand everything. However, I'm really looking forward to fighting her again... I haven't slacked off even for a single day since we last met, and I have quite a few moves I'd like to try out with her again."

Suddenly, the Sword Emperor seemed to have taken on the identity of the older generation.

"Since you've inherited her name, you must do what's right for it. Your opponent in the first round is formidable. He's a master of spearmanship, a master of no-nonsense techniques. While he may not possess any extraordinary skills, his character is undoubtedly the strongest of the four. This is a crucial aspect for a warrior, and it makes him a formidable opponent."

"You must not be impatient. While showing off your martial arts skills, you must also be careful not to get into trouble. Always be alert and guard against his possible counterattack at any time..."

Bai Lin never expected that the first analysis of the opponent he heard in the lounge would be a lecture from the Sword Emperor, who was of the same clan as the enemy.

He's essentially right. It's more like many big gun wielders share this personality quirk. As a military-grade assault weapon, when facing civilian-grade weapons, it can often win simply by playing it safe. It's when facing weapons of other sizes that it's easier to showcase its unique style.

Although this was a different world, and common sense couldn't be used to judge weapon specifications, Bai Lin could still guess a thing or two simply by looking at the opponent's appearance. His pace, his center of gravity, the subtle movements of his body, the scratches left by the heavy palm. Everything about him revealed his formidable spearmanship.

Seeing that it was useless to say more, the other party obviously had his own thoughts, Bai Lin was too lazy to explain to the Sword Emperor. She scratched the back of her head and said,

"Don't worry, I will win."

"That's good. I hope this battle I'm participating in won't be too boring."

The Sword Emperor nodded with satisfaction, then stood up and left. Bai Lin, who was about to take the stage, followed closely behind.

"Too boring...?"

Bai Lin glanced at the rest of the people in the lounge. These humans weren't exactly good people either. No matter how you looked at it, it was enough to open the Sword Emperor's eyes. She adjusted her mood, touched her fists, and swaggered towards the competition venue.

"Round one, match one: Rock-Piercing Spear Dark Destruction Carlton versus the Unrivaled Saint Son."

The referee read out the titles of the two fighters, confirming the rounds and the players. In such an open field, in a fight with almost no rules, the referee's job was simply to stop the fight as soon as one of the two players became incapacitated, to prevent any accidental casualties.

Bai Lin nodded to the referee and then stopped looking. She didn't even put on a stance, but just stood there very relaxedly. The opponent standing opposite her asked,

"Why, do you look down on me, little human girl? Take out your weapons, I don't want to accidentally kill you."

The Rock Piercing Spear said this to Bai Lin, with only a hint of provocation in his words, but not a trace of contempt. Bai Lin shook his head.

"Don't say that. I know you're no rookie. You should be able to see that killing me isn't that easy."

As he spoke, Bai Lin opened his hands very freely, looked at the other party, and said in a slightly arrogant tone,

"Come on, let me see what you are capable of."

Seeing Bai Lin's arrogant behavior, the other party actually smiled slightly, without getting angry. He took a stance and faced Bai Lin seriously.

"are you ready?"

The referee asked.

Neither of them responded, but the auras between them, though invisible, had already begun to collide, having already settled for a long time. The swirling magma danced slightly around Bai Lin, as if foreshadowing the sparks that would be even hotter than this.

"Game start!"

At the referee's command, the opponent's figure instantly shot out. He stood still, then burst forth with explosive speed. Two lightning-fast thrusts pierced Bai Lin's ears. Like two sudden gusts of wind, they passed through without harming him. Then, the Rock Piercing Spear unexpectedly paused its attack, looking at Bai Lin with a smile.

Bai Lin still had her hands behind her back, looking at the other person as well. She didn't make any moves, as if she hadn't reacted at all to the other person's attack.

"What's wrong? You're not dodging, defending, or attacking. Are you trying to admit defeat?"

The Rock-piercing Spear asked Bai Lin this question. Bai Lin sighed slightly.

"too slow."

"What did you say?"

"You've done quite well. For your tribe, their jabs can only match the speed of your straight thrusts. You've truly mastered the art of wielding a gun like an arm, which is quite impressive."

Bai Lin praised the other party's showmanship, put down his hands, and said,

"However, you still haven't grasped my true meaning. I'm here with my bare hands, asking you to come at me, not to test your strength first. But—"

Suddenly, Bai Lin's figure disappeared from the sight of the Rock Piercing Spear for a moment. The opponent instantly became extremely alert and swept the spear horizontally.

Yet, an incredibly sharp edge still pointed directly at the opponent's eyes. When he came to his senses, Bai Lin's foot had already landed firmly between his eyes. Suddenly, he felt as if his skull had been instantly shattered by the kick, his brain tissue entangled in it and scattering all at once. The fatal blow had nearly struck him in the brain.

Bai Lin had already stood on his gun without knowing when, one foot standing, the other ready to kick.

"If you don't attack with all your strength, you'll die."

Bai Lin said this and leaped back, making room for his opponent holding a spear.

Just now, Bai Lin used the Circle. Nowadays, few could prevent Bai Lin from using this skill. While Rock Piercer had never seen an exact replica of this ability, he was somewhat familiar with it. Being able to instantly vanish and close in, completely negating the advantage of holding a weapon, was certainly terrifying enough.

However, when he was wielding the spear, he did not feel the added weight from the opponent on the spear, which meant that

Chapter 1146: Strange Feeling

This means that the opponent had predicted that he would launch a sweeping attack and had jumped in advance, even calculating the landing point and timing, and it happened to land on the tip of his gun.

I've heard that some skilled fighters can completely predict their opponent's upcoming moves before they even make them, allowing them to anticipate them. Rock Piercing Spear has seen this kind of guesswork before, but to the extent of Bai Lin's, it's truly enough to put him under immense pressure.

You know, if I used a fake move, she would be killed on the spot. Or is she really that confident that she will predict correctly? And in her eyes, are my moves really that obvious?

The Rock Piercer withdrew his thoughts. He closed his eyes slightly, then opened them again, and then said,

"I understand. However, you may have misunderstood me a little."

"Give me a chance to attack, I promise, I'll make you regret it."

As he spoke, the Rock Piercing Spear's momentum increased greatly, and it was obvious that he was going to go all out against Bai Lin. A fierce attack was launched towards Bai Lin in an instant.

Although the skills displayed by Bai Lin seemed mysterious, confident, and somewhat unpredictable, after a moment's reflection, he realized that her speed was not much faster than his own. Everything was just based on anticipation, and then she used very basic methods to neutralize his attacks.

She is by no means invincible.

A high-speed thrust came towards Bai Lin, but Bai Lin was like a steel-like body. At the perfect moment, she used her arm to violently collide with the spear shaft, knocking it off its original trajectory and deflecting the opponent's attack. However, blindly pursuing speed did not seem to work for her. Bai Lin always managed to deflect the opponent's thrusts just in time.

Even worse, Bai Lin's resistance made the force between each thrust inconsistent, which in turn reduced the speed of the Rock Piercing Spear's combo. Even at full speed, he couldn't hurt her, so now he had no chance.

So, he quickly changed his strategy. Two slow strikes, one fast strike. The deflected spear tip, like a cunning snake, changed direction in an instant, aiming directly at Bai Lin's vital point, only for Bai Lin to steadily deflect it with an elbow. Then, he staggered his steps, rapidly adjusting the distance and angle between their strikes, attacking Bai Lin's side, which had been slightly exposed in his defense from the previous strike.

However, Bai Lin still pawned it off calmly.

The Rock Piercing Spear didn't let up, firing three shots in quick succession. Then, he pulled the spear back, lowered his shoulders, and inhaled. A massive air pressure surged through his torso, crashing down. The swirling spear shaft swung and thrust out with incredible consistency, a masterful, counter-attack at a tricky angle aimed at Bai Lin. But Bai Lin remained calm, deflecting the blow.

In the midst of this fierce battle, she yawned subtly.

"A surprise attack should be used when the opponent is attacking, to catch them off guard. Otherwise, there's no advantage, right? You revealed this move in advance, are you trying to tell me you know it, to make me wary, and psychologically limit my attack?"

That's useless.