I walk sideways in the game world

Chapter 286 The competition begins, and the sharp edge suddenly appears

The sect square was bustling with activity, colorful flags fluttering as disciples from various sects gathered. A tense yet exciting atmosphere permeated the air. Standing beneath the arena, Ren Xiaoyao scanned the unfamiliar faces around him, feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness. He knew this was his best chance to prove himself, and the first step on his path to becoming a powerful warrior.

In the center of the square, the towering arena, like a sleeping giant, quietly awaited the arrival of the warriors. Around the arena, the flags of various sects fluttered in the wind, silently declaring their respective strengths. Ren Xiaoyao took a deep breath, sensing the gazes around him—a mixture of curiosity, contempt, and anticipation. He gently stroked the treasure box hidden in his sleeve, feeling the familiar warmth on his fingertips, and an inexplicable power surged within him.

"Ding!" A crisp gong sounded, heralding the official start of the sect competition. First up was the competition between the new disciples, and Ren Xiaoyao was assigned to the third match of the first round. He waited quietly, observing the other disciples' competitions and silently analyzing his opponents' strengths.

Finally, it was his turn. His opponent was a short, sinister-eyed young man named Poison Scorpion, skilled in the use of concealed weapons. Poison Scorpion attacked without hesitation as he entered the arena. Dozens of tiny poisonous needles rained down upon Ren Xiaoyao at an astonishing speed.

Ren Xiaoyao didn't dare to be careless and quickly used his body skills to dodge. The poison needles flew past the corner of his clothes and nailed the ground of the ring with a "ding ding" sound. Although he dodged most of the poison needles, a few still grazed his arms, causing a burning pain.

"Hmph, boy, you're quite skilled." The Poison Scorpion sneered and flung out another handful of poison needles from his sleeve. This time, the number of poison needles was greater, the speed was faster, and the angle was more tricky.

Ren Xiaoyao's space for escape was shrinking. He felt as if he was being enveloped by an invisible net, unable to escape it completely no matter how hard he dodged. Sweat beads oozed from his forehead, and his breathing became rapid.

He realized that he could no longer passively dodge and had to take the initiative to attack. He seized an opening and suddenly leaped forward, trying to close the distance between him and the scorpion.

However, the scorpion was prepared. He flashed and distanced himself from Ren Xiaoyao again, and at the same time a poison needle appeared in his hand.

"Boy, do you think you can get close to me?" A hint of pride flashed in the Scorpion's eyes.

Ren Xiaoyao gritted his teeth and thought to himself, "I must win!" He launched an attack again. This time, he increased his speed to the extreme, and his figure was as erratic as a ghost.

The scorpion's expression finally changed. He had not expected Ren Xiaoyao to be so fast. He quickly threw out the poison needle again, but this time, his attack missed.

Ren Xiaoyao's figure had already appeared before him, the long sword in his hand emitting a sharp cold light...

"You..." Duxie hadn't finished his words when he felt a flash of light before his eyes... Downstage, Xia Lin's heart nearly jumped into her throat. Duxie's hidden weapon techniques were vicious and ruthless, and Ren Xiaoyao was nearly injured several times. Her palms were sweating. She waved her silk scarf repeatedly, shouting Ren Xiaoyao's name loudly, cheering him on.

"Brother Xiaoyao, come on! Brother Xiaoyao, be careful!" Xia Lin's voice was clear and loud, and it was particularly eye-catching in the noisy square.

Ren Xiaoyao heard Xia Lin's voice amidst the fierce battle, and a warm feeling welled up in his heart. He knew Xia Lin was worried about him, and this only made him more determined to win the match. He took a deep breath, forced himself to calm down, and began to focus on dealing with the scorpion's attack.

Although the scorpion's hidden weapon techniques were insidious, they followed a certain pattern. Ren Xiaoyao gradually became familiar with the scorpion's attack rhythm. He used his unique body movement technique - the Phantom Step, his figure was erratic, like a ghost, and began to approach the scorpion step by step.

Seeing Ren Xiaoyao approaching, the scorpion's face changed slightly. He had originally thought that with his hidden weapon skills, he could easily win, but he didn't expect Ren Xiaoyao to be so difficult. He gritted his teeth and suddenly changed his hidden weapon skills.

He no longer used poison needles alone, but mixed various hidden weapons such as poison needles, poison powder, and venom to form a poisonous mist that enveloped Ren Xiaoyao.

Ren Xiaoyao was caught off guard and inhaled a trace of poisonous mist. He immediately felt dizzy and his body became slow.

"Haha, kid, you've been hit by my Seven-Colored Ecstasy Powder, so just wait for death!" Seeing this, the Scorpion laughed triumphantly.

Ren Xiaoyao thought to himself that something was wrong and quickly held his breath, using his internal energy to force out the toxins in his body. However, the Seven-Colored Soul-Loving Powder was extremely toxic, and Ren Xiaoyao was unable to force it out completely at once.

The scorpion took the opportunity to attack again, and dozens of poisonous needles rained down on Ren Xiaoyao. Although Ren Xiaoyao tried to dodge, he was still hit by several poisonous needles, leaving several small wounds on his body.

"Brother Xiaoyao!" Xia Lin exclaimed in surprise when she saw Ren Xiaoyao injured, her eyes red.

Ren Xiaoyao gritted his teeth, enduring the pain in his body. He knew he couldn't fall down, he had to persevere. He used the Phantom Step again, trying to escape the venomous fog.

This time, he succeeded. His figure flashed and he appeared behind the poisonous scorpion. The long sword in his hand, with a sharp sword energy, pierced the poisonous scorpion's back.

The scorpion sensed the murderous intent behind him and quickly turned to avoid it. However, Ren Xiaoyao was too fast and his sword still pierced the scorpion's shoulder.

"Ah!" The scorpion screamed and retreated repeatedly, covering his injured shoulder.

Ren Xiaoyao took advantage of the victory and pursued the enemy, waving the sword in his hand like a storm, forcing the poisonous scorpion to retreat step by step.

On the high platform, the Sect Master and Elder Xuanfeng, who were watching the battle, took in all of this. The Sect Master frowned slightly, seemingly dissatisfied with Ren Xiaoyao's performance. He turned to look at Elder Xuanfeng and said in a deep voice, "Xuanfeng, what do you think of Ren Xiaoyao?"

Elder Xuanfeng stroked his beard and said slowly, "This boy is gifted and has unique skills. Given time, he will become a great man."

The headmaster shook his head and said, "Although his swordsmanship is sharp, it lacks structure and relies too much on physical skills. If he encounters a truly powerful opponent, I'm afraid he will have difficulty winning."

Elder Xuanfeng did not say anything, but just watched the match on the ring quietly.

Although Ren Xiaoyao had the upper hand, he did not let his guard down. He knew that the scorpion's hidden weapons were hard to defend against and that he would fall into his trap if he wasn't careful. While carefully guarding against the scorpion's hidden weapons, he also looked for the opponent's weaknesses.

Suddenly, a sinister look flashed in the scorpion's eyes. He...

A sinister look flashed in the Poison Scorpion's eyes. He suddenly threw the hidden weapon bag in his hand into the air, and hundreds of poison needles rained down like flowers from the sky, densely packed and covering the sky. Ren Xiaoyao was shocked, knowing that this was Poison Scorpion's last and most dangerous move.

On the high platform, the sect leader frowned and said in a deep voice, "This boy relies too much on his physical skills and lacks the courage to face the enemy head-on. He will never achieve greatness." Elder Xuanfeng stroked his beard, his eyes deep. He did not respond, but simply watched the changes on the ring. The sect leader's words clearly reached Ren Xiaoyao's ears, like a thunderclap, exploding in his heart. The immense pressure pressed down on his shoulders like a mountain, making him almost breathless. Was he really going to lose? Was he really going to disappoint Xia Lin's expectations?

No! He is not willing to give in!

At this critical moment, Ren Xiaoyao suddenly had an idea. He noticed several huge water vats placed at the edge of the arena, prepared to prevent fire spells from getting out of control. A bold idea emerged in his mind. He stopped dodging and instead rushed forward, facing the poison needles.

"Is this kid crazy?" The disciples watching the game exclaimed.

Seeing this, the poisonous scorpion smiled grimly, thinking that Ren Xiaoyao had given up resistance. However, just as the poison needle was about to hit Ren Xiaoyao, he turned around and circled behind the water tank at an incredible angle.

Ding-ding-ding-ding!

Hundreds of poison needles shot into the water, creating a splash. The toxins on the needles quickly dissolved into the water, staining the clear water a dark green.

Ren Xiaoyao hid behind the water tank, secretly rejoicing. He knew this was his only chance. He took a deep breath, mobilized all his internal energy, and slammed his palm against the water tank.

"break!"

With a loud shout, the water tank shattered, and the poisonous water in the tank poured out like a waterfall, sweeping towards the poisonous scorpion. The scorpion was caught off guard and was drenched by the poisonous water.

"what!"

The scorpion let out a shrill scream, his clothing instantly corroded and his skin began to fester. While the Seven-Colored Soul-Losing Powder was potent, the scorpion himself wasn't completely immune. Now, doused in his own poison, the toxicity was doubled. He instantly lost his fighting ability and collapsed to the ground.

Ren Xiaoyao jumped out from behind the water tank, pointing the long sword in his hand directly at the scorpion's throat.

"you lose."

The entire place was silent, stunned by Ren Xiaoyao's unexpected counterattack. The Sect Master's frown relaxed, a flicker of admiration in his eyes. Elder Xuanfeng stroked his beard and smiled faintly, as if he had anticipated this outcome.

In the audience, Xia Lin jumped up excitedly and cheered Ren Xiaoyao's name loudly.

Ren Xiaoyao sheathed his sword, turned to look at the headmaster on the platform, and bowed deeply. He knew that his performance, while somewhat risky, had proven his strength. He had won the match and earned the headmaster's approval.

However, he knew this was just the beginning. He looked at his next opponent, the burly, powerful senior brother, and felt a surge of worry.

"Next match..." Senior Brother Lieyang took a step forward, his voice deep and powerful, "I will let you know what true strength is."

As Ren Xiaoyao stepped off the stage, Xia Lin immediately came up to him, her face filled with excitement. "Xiaoyao, you're amazing! I knew you could win!" She excitedly grabbed Ren Xiaoyao's hand, her eyes sparkling with admiration.

Ren Xiaoyao forced a smile and gently patted the back of Xia Lin's hand. "It was just luck. My opponent underestimated me." His inner worries hadn't dissipated with this victory; instead, they had intensified. Duxie's strength wasn't among the top disciples in the competition; his victory was largely due to his element of surprise. But his next opponent, Senior Brother Lieyang, was one of the strongest outer disciples. How would he handle it?

"Don't be modest," Xia Lin saw that Ren Xiaoyao was absent-minded. "I know you must be worried about the next competition, but I believe in you, you can do it!" Her tone was firm and her eyes were full of trust, which gave Ren Xiaoyao a little comfort.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his anxiety. "I'll do my best." He looked up at Senior Brother Lieyang, who was standing at the edge of the ring, staring at him intently, like a beast poised for a strike. His imposing frame, like an iron tower, exuded a suffocating sense of oppression.

During his break, Ren Xiaoyao sat cross-legged, eyes closed, trying to regain his composure. He silently recalled past duels with Senior Brother Lieyang, analyzing his moves and weaknesses. Senior Brother Lieyang's strength and speed far surpassed those of ordinary humans, and he mastered a fire-based technique known as the "Scorching Sun Palm," possessing unparalleled power. To defeat him, he must find his weakness and decisively defeat it. Otherwise, the longer the battle dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would become.

As time passed, the surrounding noise gradually faded, and Ren Xiaoyao's heart gradually calmed down. He knew that anxiety and fear would not help, and only by thinking calmly could he find the opportunity to win.

"In the next match, Ren Xiaoyao will face Lieyang!" Elder Xuanfeng's loud voice broke the silence on the field.

Ren Xiaoyao slowly opened his eyes, a gleam of light in them. He stood up and walked towards the ring, each step steady and powerful, as if carrying a tremendous force. His gaze was firm, without a trace of fear. He knew this was a tough battle, but he was ready.

Senior Brother Lieyang was already waiting on the ring, a sneer etched on his lips, his eyes filled with disdain. "Boy, I've heard you're quite skilled, but in front of me, all those fancy tricks are useless. I'll crush you with my sheer strength!"

Ren Xiaoyao ignored the opponent's provocation and just stood there quietly, holding the long sword tightly in his hand. He knew that this match was not only related to his victory or defeat, but also to his dignity. He had to go all out. Even if he failed in the end, he had to show his strength and let everyone know that he was not a lamb to be slaughtered.

Seeing Ren Xiaoyao silent, Senior Brother Lieyang assumed he was frightened, and his sneer deepened. He took a deep breath, and a blazing flame ignited on his palms, sending a scorching aura toward him. "Boy, prepare to die!" He roared, and shot out like a cannonball, his palms blazing with flames, heading straight for Ren Xiaoyao's face... The air around the ring froze instantly, and everyone held their breath, their eyes fixed on the two men on the field. A fierce battle was about to begin.

Elder Xuanfeng's gaze fell on the inconspicuous small cloth bag on Ren Xiaoyao's waist. His eyes flickered slightly, and he whispered to himself, "The key to victory or defeat may lie in this..."