I walk sideways in the game world

Chapter 287: Fighting against a strong enemy, stuck in a bottleneck

Senior Brother Lieyang's flaming palm wind roared towards him, its scorching heat nearly setting Ren Xiaoyao's hair on fire. In the nick of time, Ren Xiaoyao dodged the blow, drifting to the side like a wisp of smoke, barely avoiding the fatal blow. The flames scorched the floor of the arena, emitting a sizzling sound and leaving a charred trail.

"Nice agility!" Senior Brother Lieyang sneered, then leaped up again, launching a flurry of palm strikes at Ren Xiaoyao like a rainstorm. Ren Xiaoyao didn't dare take them head-on, relying on his deft footwork to dodge. For a moment, the arena was ablaze with flames and figures, a dazzling display of movement.

Although Ren Xiaoyao dodged Senior Brother Lieyang's attacks, he gradually felt his strength wear thin. The opponent's attacks grew faster and stronger, leaving him with less and less room to dodge. Furthermore, he found his internal energy depleted, and the circulation of his Qi began to stagnate. The pressure of his cultivation bottleneck became even more pronounced.

"Damn it!" Ren Xiaoyao cursed inwardly, realizing that this wouldn't work. He had to find a way to fight back. He seized an opening, shook the sword in his hand, and a sharp sword energy pierced Brother Lieyang's chest.

"A mere trifle!" Senior Brother Lieyang snorted disdainfully, clasping his palms together and forcibly trapping the sword energy. Ren Xiaoyao felt a massive recoil, his palm numb, and the sword nearly slipped out of his hand.

"The power gap is too great!" Ren Xiaoyao's heart sank. His swordsmanship was known for its speed and skill, but against an opponent far stronger than himself, these advantages were difficult to utilize. He felt like a trapped animal, firmly trapped within the opponent's attack range, unable to break free.

In the second round, Ren Xiaoyao faced an outer sect disciple named Shi Gang. Eight feet tall, with a broad back and muscular build, he towered over the arena like an iron tower. He wielded a massive hammer, the weight of which alone was enough to intimidate anyone.

At the outset of the match, Shi Gang swung his hammer, attacking Ren Xiaoyao like a raging storm. Each blow carried the force of splitting mountains and crackling rocks, echoing in the air with explosive sounds. Ren Xiaoyao didn't dare to take it head-on, relying on his nimble movements to dodge. He tried to maneuver around him, but Shi Gang's strength was too great, and his attacks were like hitting iron, completely ineffective.

"Is all you can do is hide?" Shi Gang roared, bringing down the hammer again. Ren Xiaoyao barely dodged it, but a huge hole was smashed into the ground of the arena.

The audience began to cheer for Shi Gang. They were shocked by his immense strength and believed that Ren Xiaoyao would definitely lose. Xia Lin shouted Ren Xiaoyao's name, hoping that he would not give up. Ren Xiaoyao gritted his teeth and continued to look for an opportunity. He knew that he had to find the opponent's weakness, otherwise he would definitely lose.

Elder Xuanfeng's gaze remained fixed on the small cloth bag on Ren Xiaoyao's waist, his eyes filled with anticipation. He whispered to himself, "It's time..."

Deafening cheers echoed in his ears, nearly drowning him out. He knew these cheers weren't for him, but for his unstoppable opponent, Shi Gang. In the audience, Xia Lin anxiously stood up. Her voice seemed insignificant amid the clamor, yet her voice was incredibly resolute: "Xiaoyao, don't give up!"

Ren Xiaoyao certainly had no intention of giving up. He gritted his teeth, his eyes as sharp as a hawk's, searching for flaws in Shi Gang's massive frame. He knew that facing an opponent of pure strength, while technique and speed were important, even more important was seizing that fleeting opportunity to strike a decisive blow!

"Bang!" Shi Gang's hammer smashed down again, and Ren Xiaoyao tapped his toes, his figure floating backward like a ghost. However, at this moment, a strange feeling came over him. The spiritual energy in his body surged violently like boiling water, and his previously smooth meridians seemed to be blocked, and the flow was sluggish.

"Not good!" Ren Xiaoyao thought to himself. He knew that this was the bottleneck in his cultivation that he had been trying to break through. But at this critical moment, the pressure of the bottleneck made his once smooth movements slow down.

The changes on the stage naturally didn't escape Elder Xuanfeng's attention. He had been keeping an eye on Ren Xiaoyao, and seeing his breath becoming disordered, he thought to himself, "The time has come!" He calmly reached for the Qiankun bag at his waist, his fingertips gently stroking the object inside, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"Boy, your time of death has come!" Shi Gang noticed something strange about Ren Xiaoyao, and a fierce gleam flashed in his eyes. He roared, and the hammer in his hand no longer smashed randomly, but with an unstoppable momentum, he rushed straight towards Ren Xiaoyao's face!

"Xiaoyao, be careful!" Xia Lin's heart was in her throat. She wanted to rush onto the stage, but she was powerless. She could only watch helplessly as the huge iron hammer, with its devastating power, smashed towards Ren Xiaoyao...

Shi Gang's attacks came like a torrential downpour, each one carrying the force of a tsunami. Ren Xiaoyao's once nimble form seemed mired in mud, each step becoming immensely difficult. He could only barely raise his sword to block, the constant clanging of metal clashing in his ears sending his blood surging.

"Bang!" Shi Gang smashed his hammer against Ren Xiaoyao's sword, the immense force sending him back several steps, his feet plowing deep furrows into the ground. Ren Xiaoyao groaned, a trickle of blood escaping from the corner of his mouth. He knew this wasn't the way to go; he had to escape this predicament as quickly as possible!

"Xiaoyao, calm down and think about the steps you practiced earlier!" Xia Lin's voice rang out from the audience, like a bright light in the darkness, illuminating Ren Xiaoyao's heart. Yes, wasn't the "Lingbo Weibu" he had practiced so hard before just for situations like this?

Ren Xiaoyao took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He closed his eyes, recalling the key points of "Lingbo Weibu," and his steps began to become erratic. Although Shi Gang's attacks were fierce, he could never catch his figure. Instead, due to excessive force, he almost lost his balance several times.

"This kid actually still has the energy to dodge?" Shi Gang was surprised, but his offensive power did not decrease but increased. He wanted to take advantage of the moment when Ren Xiaoyao's spiritual power was blocked to defeat him completely.

On the viewing platform, the sect leader who had been watching the competition saw this scene, shook his head slightly, and whispered to the elder beside him: "It seems that Xiaoyao is in great danger this time. What a pity..."

Elder Xuanfeng stroked his beard and smiled, "Master, there's no need to jump to conclusions. This kid has quite a few secrets. He might even have a chance to turn the tables!"

The Sect Master sighed and said nothing more, though a hint of regret crossed his eyes. He naturally hoped that Ren Xiaoyao would win, but his performance over the past few days had been too dazzling, causing some dissatisfaction. If he was allowed to continue to grow, he might bring unnecessary trouble to the Sect...

Ren Xiaoyao had no idea what the Sect Master was thinking; he was completely focused on dealing with Shi Gang's attack. Although his "Light Footsteps" allowed him to temporarily dodge the attack, his spiritual energy seemed to be sealed, unable to be raised at all. At this rate, defeat was only a matter of time.

"Am I really going to stop here?" Ren Xiaoyao felt a deep sense of powerlessness. He was unwilling to be eliminated like this. He silently told himself to persevere, but he didn't know how much longer he could hold out, and how he would face the next round...

"Brother Xiaoyao, do you still remember what you taught me when we first met?" Xia Lin's voice pierced through the noisy crowd and clearly reached Ren Xiaoyao's ears.

Ren Xiaoyao paused, his mind replaying the moment he first met Xia Lin. He had just arrived in this world, feeling unfamiliar and lost. It was Xia Lin who shone into his life like a ray of sunshine, bringing him warmth and hope.

"Never give up, only then can you change your destiny." Ren Xiaoyao silently repeated this sentence in his heart, and the fighting spirit in his eyes was rekindled. Yes, he had gone through so many hardships and obstacles along the way, was he really going to stop here?

"Shi Gang, I admit that you are strong, but I, Ren Xiaoyao, am not someone who gives up easily!" Ren Xiaoyao roared, and a powerful force suddenly surged out of his body, shaking the air around him.

"Oh? You can actually unleash such powerful strength?" Shi Gang saw this, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes, but then he sneered, "Unfortunately, it's too late!"

Shi Gang swung the giant hammer in his hand again. This time, his attack was more fierce and faster. Ren Xiaoyao's "Lingbo Weibu" could no longer completely avoid it.

"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"

Deafening explosions continued to emanate from the ring, and every collision was like thunder exploding in the ears. Ren Xiaoyao's injuries grew increasingly severe, but he gritted his teeth and persevered, knowing that he could not fall. Once he did, he would never be able to stand up again.

"Brother Xiaoyao, be careful!" Xia Lin exclaimed, her heart in her throat.

Shi Gang seized a flaw in Ren Xiaoyao and smashed the huge hammer in his hand into his chest with the force of a mountain.

"Xiaoyao!" The leaders and elders on the viewing platform couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

At the critical moment, a dazzling white light suddenly burst out from Ren Xiaoyao's body...