I will be stronger after the remake

Tang Ping said, "What's there to explain? Isn't it just a strong mentality plus a sense of national responsibility? Putting aside the strong mentality for now, most Chinese men have the spirit of sacrificing their own interests for the greater good and enduring hardship for the country. Ling Chong is just another typical example of this."

"To call it a case study is too much..."

"I won't comment on whether this idea is right or wrong, but let me ask you one question: how can you be sure that the person who advised you is an official?"

Ling Chong paused for a moment, then said, "He's wearing an official uniform."

Tang Ping countered, "Is it that difficult to create an official work uniform?"

Ling Chong said, "But apart from officials, I can't think of any other reason why they would advise me to go easy on them. It can't be that they've bet a lot of money on me losing, can it?"

Yu Shujiang blinked and said, "Why is it impossible?"

"Because no one runs gambling operations, our sports meet is not open to the public. The total number of participants and spectators is less than three thousand. Small-scale gambling in private is fine, but it's impossible to run a proper casino."

Tang Ping did not directly answer Ling Chong's question, but said, "Since the tiger demon's spirit can be manifested by winning competitions, why doesn't Yuan Ji participate in those marathon races in the mortal world? With her physical abilities, winning would be a piece of cake."

"Perhaps because a competition with only ordinary people has no effect, or the effect is negligible, and only a competition with psychics can significantly improve the performance?"

"In that case, how about the Ministry of Psychic Energy organizes several psychic competitions specifically for Yuan Ji, and agrees to let him win? Although it will require a lot of manpower, it is nothing compared to the country gaining another third-tier psychic. If we can develop an effective method, wouldn't we be able to mass-produce third-tier psychics in the future? Why doesn't the country do that?"

"Yeah, why not do it that way?"

This is very simple logic. Ling Chong thought about it for a moment and came up with the answer: "Because... it's useless to do that. A match where the score is thrown out of proportion won't have the desired effect!"

Yu Shujiang asked in confusion, "That's not right. If throwing a match can't demonstrate the Spirit Rank, why would others privately advise Captain Lingchong?"

Tang Ping said, "Because you've misunderstood a major premise. You think that guy who looks like an official did this for Yuan Ji's own good. But if you think about it the other way around, what if the other person is actually Yuan Ji's enemy and doesn't want Yuan Ji to advance to the third level of the Spirit Realm?"

Chapter 211 Reunion of Friends

As if a single word had dispelled the fog, after their understanding was reversed, Ling Chong and Yu Shujiang both showed expressions of sudden realization.

"That makes sense now, the logic is all clear!"

"This explains why the third-tier psionicist didn't hold back. Because that match was still far from the championship, there was no need to interfere early on. If Yuan Ji had lost, there would have been no need to resort to underhanded tactics. But now that he's in the semifinals, Yuan Ji has a great chance of winning, so he couldn't resist."

As he spoke, Ling Chong suddenly realized what he meant and flew into a rage: "Damn it, they actually think I'll lose to Yuan Ji!"

The reason he wavered in the lounge was partly because he was genuinely willing to compromise himself for the sake of the country, and partly because his own pride was satisfied.

The other party advised him to go easy on him because they thought Yuan Ji couldn't beat them and asked him to show mercy and demonstrate the demeanor of a strongman.

But this conclusion is based on the premise that the other party is acting in Yuan Ji's best interests. What if the other party's position is the opposite, and their purpose is to harm Yuan Ji?

That is, the other party believed that under normal circumstances, Ling Chong would lose to Yuan Ji, so they wanted to use a private deal to ensure that even if Yuan Ji won, he would not be able to manifest the Spirit Rank.

To be used and then looked down upon is an utter disgrace!

Ling Chong's face turned bright red, and he could no longer hold back. He immediately turned around and ran towards the rest room, and Tang Ping called out to him several times but could not stop him.

About twenty minutes later, Ling Chong came back angrily and said, "That kid got away! We can't find him anywhere. It seems that the official's identity was really a disguise, otherwise why would he have anything to hide from!"

Tang Ping said, "This is not a matter of course. The other party is not stupid, which is why I told you not to go."

"But I'm not happy about it! I know this has nothing to do with Yuan Ji, so I can just pretend it never happened and play the game normally. But the thought that if I beat Yuan Ji, he will achieve his goal makes me very unhappy. Brother, you are resourceful, think of a way to help me get revenge."

Ling Chong was completely impressed by Tang Ping. He was not only highly skilled in martial arts but also incredibly intelligent; it was simply unfair.

If Tang Ping hadn't reminded him, he'd probably still be foolishly debating whether or not to give in, truly being sold out and still having to help count the money.

"It's very simple. In the end, this conspiracy has nothing to do with you. The other party's goal is to scheme against Yuan Ji. You are just a bystander who was implicated. So what you need to do now is to find Yuan Ji, tell her about this in detail, and let her handle it. Then you can extricate yourself from the situation and focus on preparing for war."

"That makes sense! Let her worry about her enemies herself, why should I bother with this!"

Without hesitation, Ling Chong turned around and rushed off to find Yuan Ji.

Yu Shujiang looked at Tang Ping and said, "Brother, you are so insidious. You actually used the 'dumping the fire' tactic. This matter concerns your reputation. Yuan Ji will not ignore it if he finds out. But the other party dared to impersonate an official, so they must have made ample preparations. It will be difficult to find out the truth in a short time. Once her energy is diverted, her performance in the competition will be affected to some extent."

“I already told you to strengthen your Chinese language studies. What do you mean by ‘the trouble is flowing eastward’? This was originally Yuan Ji’s fault, which implicated Ling Chong. I’m just putting things back to where they belong. We can’t be expected to solve her enemies’ problems for her, can we? We’re not even familiar with her!” Tang Ping said righteously.

After a while, Ling Chong returned with a refreshed expression.

Yu Shujiang asked impatiently, "How is it? Did you find them? What was their reaction?"

"I found it. After I finished speaking, she said three things. First, she apologized to me because I was implicated because of her. Second, she told me not to take it to heart and to give it my all in the competition. Third, she said she would handle the matter personally and would give me a satisfactory explanation."

Tang Ping pondered, "It does sound quite sincere."

"Yes, I think so too. Yuan Ji's character is still trustworthy." Ling Chong exhaled a breath of stale air. "Let's leave it at that. I'll focus on preparing for the next match. Tang Ping, your semi-final match starts this afternoon, right?"

"Yes, and the opponent is a friend of mine."

Yu Shujiang immediately became alert, quickly took out the competition list and looked at it. When she found it was a man's name, she breathed a sigh of relief and said with a grin, "Since we're friends, it should be easier for you to stand up, right?"

“No way! If we miss this chance, when will we ever have another opportunity to beat him up fair and square? The closer the friend, the less polite we should be,” Tang Ping said, rubbing his hands together eagerly.

……

The venue for the martial arts tournament is not fixed. Sometimes it is a riverbank, sometimes a grassland, sometimes a forest, and sometimes a pile of rocks. It is all determined by drawing lots. However, it is not decided on the spot before the competition, but the participants are informed one day in advance so that they can make the necessary preparations.

With psionic beings present, creating a site is a very easy task. Most of them can be generated using psionic magic, and the remaining few can also be done with psionic energy.

However, the venue for this match was clearly disadvantageous to Tang Ping, or rather, exceptionally favorable to his opponent, to the point that in some small-scale private betting games, everyone favored his opponent.

Tang Ping didn't pay any attention. After the referee called her name, she slowly walked onto the competition field. Looking around, she felt a stench of decay mixed with the sweet smell of earth hitting her face. It was old humus that had been deliberately laid down underground. With the help of the magic array, it was continuously releasing cold mist to create a gloomy and terrifying atmosphere.

The venue I was drawn this time was a cemetery.

As far as the eye could see, several stone coffins were placed among the thorns, their surfaces covered with a layer of moss, which gleamed eerily in the cold wind. Some of the coffin lids were half-open, revealing dark, gaping crevices.

The tombstones, some intact and some broken, were scattered haphazardly in various places. It was obvious that the workers in charge of the manufacturing site had cut corners, because all the tombstones were blank, without even a person's name.

At the other end of the field, Tang Ping's opponent also slumped onto the field, grinning and gesturing, "Sorry, it's just luck. Even the heavens are on my side, there's nothing I can do."

The speaker was Ma Yiming, whose unique spiritual personality "Zhong Kui" could undoubtedly perform exceptionally well in this environment, while Tang Ping's Buddhist spiritual personality, although not exactly suppressed, was more or less restrained.

[Character: Ma Yiming]

[Lingge: Zhong Kui, the Ghost Messenger]

[Psionic Powers: Separation of Spirit and Flesh, Imperial Decree from the Underworld, Summoning of Ghost Soldiers, Feeding on Ghosts, Yin-Yang Eyes]

Under the appraisal of "Three-Eyed True Radiance", Ma Yiming was clearly promoted to the second stage. Tang Ping was not surprised by this, because the other party's spiritual energy "feeds on ghosts" and can be refined into spiritual power by devouring ghosts.

When he first saw the effect description, he was unsure whether the refined spiritual power was a one-time thing or permanent. Now, looking at it again, it should be a permanent transformation into his own spiritual power. Otherwise, Ma Yiming could not have advanced like this—if he hadn't had other fortuitous encounters.

Facing her former friend, Tang Ping was naturally not going to lose face: "On the contrary, your luck is absolutely terrible, God is forcing you to your death!"

Ma Yiming asked, puzzled, "What do you mean?"

“In other venues, you could make excuses even if you lost, but if you lose now, you’ll really become a laughing stock. The thought of having to endure such a fate fills me with pity.”

Tang Ping feigned concern by wiping away non-existent tears.

Ma Yiming smirked and said, "Since you feel sorry for me, why don't you just let me win?"

"That won't do. Going easy on me would be an insult to your dignity as a martial artist. I believe my friend would rather die than accept such an insult!"

"...I'm not that sensitive about my dignity."

Ma Yiming shook his head, then put on a serious expression and shouted, "The world is vast, but it cannot accommodate two top-tier martial artists!"

Tang Ping put his hands behind his back, looked up and sighed: "Because the summit is always so narrow that it can only accommodate one person."

Outside the ring, the audience was speechless, thoroughly impressed by the two fighters' display of skill.

However, some people quickly jotted it down, thinking that they would try to do it themselves next time they had the chance.

Having already put on his act, Ma Yiming no longer held back. He bent his knees slightly and leaped up, using the yin energy of the cemetery to propel himself forward like a cannonball. The moment he landed, a military-style punch struck Tang Ping's face, the force of the punch carrying a chilling chill and creating a sonic boom.

Tang Ping chuckled lightly, shifted her feet slightly, and dodged the attack by turning her body to the side. At the same time, she curled her fingers into a claw and grabbed at Ma Yiming's wrist.

Ma Yiming quickly changed his move, using a grappling technique to grab Tang Ping's pulse point from the opposite direction. Yin energy seeped in through the point of contact, attempting to paralyze the opponent's limbs.

However, his skills were no match for Tang Ping's. With a twist and a shake of his arm, he pulled it out. Then, his body twisted, his waist swayed, his feet turned left and right, and his spine rose and fell, which was the Snake Form Xingyi Quan.

Ma Yiming couldn't dodge in time and was grabbed by the snake's hand, immediately feeling a numbness in his arm.

At the same time, Tang Ping felt a surge of yin energy emanating from the other person's arm, causing his five fingers to feel frozen and momentarily out of control.

So the two of them jumped back simultaneously, creating distance between them.

Ma Yiming was taken aback when he saw this, but he immediately guessed the reason. He then separated his spirit from his body, eliminating the sense of touch in his body. He felt neither pain nor numbness, and controlled the body in the manner of a puppeteer.

A surge of yin energy rippled around him, like a coiled green python. He stepped on the tombstone behind him, using the force to propel himself forward. His legs were straight as iron, his knees slightly bent to gather power, drawing a strange arc in the air. He then delivered three consecutive low kicks, the chilling energy causing ice crystals to condense in the air, and the rubble on the ground was also enveloped by the yin energy and flew away with a whooshing sound.

Tang Ping abandoned her underestimation and gathered her spiritual power, repeatedly striking with both palms to deflect the broken stones. At the same time, she used lotus steps, her figure as light and elusive as willow catkins. Sometimes she slid sideways along the tombstone, sometimes she spun around and leaped over the stone coffin. After dodging the fiercest attack, a point of golden light condensed at her fingertips. With a flick of her finger, the energy darted like a fish, accurately hitting Ma Yiming's armpit.

Ma Yiming felt no pain, but he instantly lost control of his arm and was shocked: "What is this?"

Tang Ping clicked his tongue. Due to the influence of the environment, the power of his Brahma Wheel Breaking Boundary Finger was weakened. At the same time, his opponent mobilized Yin Qi to form a protective aura. With one weakening and the other strengthening, the finger force did not exert its due effect.

Normally, this finger would enter through the armpit and exit through the shoulder, directly crippling Ma Yiming's arm.

Tang Ping wasn't specifically ruthless towards his friends. He knew that Ma Yiming had no sense of pain and that there was a skilled healer on the sidelines who could heal his wounds at any time, so there was no need for him to show mercy.

"The Finger Flicking Divine Skill".

"Who are you trying to fool? Do you think I've never read Jin Yong's novels?"

Have you read Jin Yong's physical books?

Ma Yiming honestly replied, "I haven't seen it, but I've watched many TV series adapted from Jin Yong's works... That's not important! What's important is that the Finger Flicking Skill requires using small stones as weapons, while your attack just now was clearly entirely based on internal energy."

Tang Ping thought for a moment and said, "That is the One-Finger Divine Skill."

"You made that up on the spot, didn't you?"

"Ah."

"Wow, they actually admitted it without any shame!"

"Whether it's One Finger Divine Skill or Six Meridian Divine Sword, it doesn't matter at all. Since the referee didn't react, it proves that my move wasn't psychic energy and didn't violate any rules."

Ma Yiming nodded and said, "That makes sense. Could it be that you were knocked off a cliff, found a secret manual, and mastered an unparalleled martial arts technique?"

"What era are we living in? Where can you find such an old-fashioned way to have a serendipitous encounter? As psionicists, we naturally seek out serendipitous encounters through mythical ruins."

“That makes sense,” Ma Yiming said without doubt, readily expressing his belief. “That explains why you were able to advance to the second stage so quickly. We all know our own situation. I was able to advance so quickly because of my unique spiritual energy. When I first saw your name on the competition list, I thought you also had a unique spiritual energy but were just hiding it.”

"I wish I had that kind of luck... By the way, your arm should be healed by now, right?"

"Haha, did you see through my plan to deliberately stall for time?"

Ma Yiming shook his arm and found that he had regained control. He immediately took a deep breath and said, "Since you don't have a unique spiritual personality, I'll take this match."

"Oh, so confident." Tang Ping looked curious.

“I admit that your martial arts skills are superior to mine, but no matter how exquisite the moves and techniques are, if the speed is slowed down by several times, they will become full of flaws.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Ma Yiming closed his eyes. When he opened them the next second, he had developed double pupils, which meant he had activated the "Yin-Yang Dharma Eye".

Judging from the description of its effects, this psychic power seems to only suppress ghosts, but in reality, it can greatly enhance eyesight. When highly focused, time will feel slower and the opponent's movements will be clearly discernible.

Ma Yiming made it to the semi-finals thanks to this spiritual power and a bit of good luck. In terms of martial arts skills alone, he had only learned one set of military boxing, one set of grappling techniques, and one set of martial arts specifically developed for those with Netherworld spiritual power.

Relying on the fact that his spirit and body are separated and he is not afraid of pain, he can bully ordinary people, but if he faces a master among the psionicists, he will be defeated in just a few moves.

“You sound very confident in your eyesight,” Tang Ping beckoned. “Come on, let me see your confidence.”

Chapter 212 Imprinting Spiritual Power

The battle between Tang Ping and Ma Yiming intensified, with the two maneuvering between the tombstone and the stone coffin, their fists and feet clashing, their energy surging outwards.

Ma Yiming's moves became increasingly fierce. Even his ordinary punches and kicks, amplified by the Yin energy, unleashed an overwhelming force, forcing Tang Ping to rely solely on her profound martial arts skills to maintain a delicate balance.

Suddenly, the phantom of "Zhong Kui" appeared behind Ma Yiming, radiating purple light. His body was filled with yin energy, and every punch and kick he threw brought with it a piercing shriek. His movements became increasingly ghostly.

He lunged forward, his grappling hand transforming into a ghostly claw-like phantom, aiming straight for Tang Ping's throat.

With a flick of his wrist, Tang Ping used the classic Tai Chi move "Grasp the Sparrow's Tail" to capture his opponent's five fingers and then pulled them outwards. Instantly, a tombstone was shattered into pieces by the force of the movement.

Having successfully deflected the force, Tang Ping was about to launch a counterattack when he realized something was wrong halfway through his move. He immediately withdrew and retreated, reverting to a defensive stance.

The two then adopted a fighting stance, with Tang Ping employing the Bagua You Shen Bu (Eight Trigrams Swimming Steps), his body moving forward and backward, and combining it with Tai Chi palm techniques. He would either deflect Ma Yiming's punches and kicks or use the force to deflect them and retreat immediately, avoiding direct confrontation. At first glance, it seemed as if he was afraid of fighting and was forced to dodge everywhere.

Yu Shujiang was heartbroken and couldn't help but complain to Ling Chong, "Captain, didn't you say that the other players in the second-tier group were not as good as Li Zhenlong? Why is my brother still having such a hard time?"

Ling Chong patiently explained, "Strength is strength, and performance in actual combat is performance in actual combat. In terms of strength alone, Li Zhenlong is indeed stronger than this Ma Yiming. If the two fought fairly with weapons, Li Zhenlong would definitely win. But isn't it unfair now? The venue environment is clearly favorable to Ma Yiming. If Li Zhenlong were to fight Ma Yiming one-on-one in this environment, he would probably suffer a defeat. There's no way around it; luck is also a very important factor in actual combat."

After a pause, and after Yu Shujiang had processed the information, he continued, "Moreover, don't be fooled by the fact that Tang Ping is currently forced to hide all over the place. In reality, the battle has already entered his rhythm. Just like in the previous matches, didn't he always take the hits first, and then seize the opportunity to deliver a fatal blow and determine the outcome?"

"That's true, but the situation on the field is quite different now. In the previous battles, my brother defended with ease, like a Tai Chi master. He was almost able to block with one hand behind his back. But now he looks like Jackie Chan being chased and beaten by a group of people. He can only retreat while harassing the area with the help of props."