I will be stronger after the remake

Yuan Ji decisively leaped away, dodging the qi, and his legs landed on a bamboo stalk. The bamboo bent into a crescent shape under his feet, and when it reached its limit, it snapped back.

Using the force of the bamboo's rebound, Yuan Ji shot out, his red-tasseled spear leaving a scarlet afterimage in the air, aiming straight for his opponent's vitals.

Ling Chong hurriedly swung his sword and slashed, intending to overwhelm the enemy with his momentum and subdue him with his strength, in accordance with the original tactical plan.

Unexpectedly, Yuan Ji retreated immediately upon contact, using the recoil to leap towards another bamboo stalk, and once again extended his feet to stomp on the bamboo.

And so, another bamboo stalk was bent into a crescent shape by her footsteps, turning into a new springboard, and she launched an attack to stab her opponent in the back.

Ling Chong, hearing the sound, pinpointed the location, turned around in time, and swung his sword to block the fatal blow.

Yuan Ji used the same trick again, repelling the attack with a single touch and then launching it with the help of bamboo, repeating the cycle until he created a red storm in the bamboo forest, launching a fierce and relentless offensive around Ling Chong.

Ling Chong was initially able to defend himself with his sword, but he quickly fell behind Yuan Ji's speed and had to activate "Immovable Vajra" again to use his protective aura to withstand the omnipresent rapid attacks.

As soon as Yuan Ji's spear tip touched the air shield, it was bounced back by the powerful recoil. However, she used the rebound force of the bamboo body to change her move and thrust again in an instant. The dense spear shadows were like a torrential rain, and the surface of the air shield was rippling. The bamboo leaves were shredded into dust in the clash of energy.

"With your strength, you won't break through my protective aura!"

While arrogantly spouting threats, Ling Chong kept his guard high, wary that Yuan Ji might suddenly close in and attack with hidden force, just like he had done yesterday when he ambushed Fu Zhengyi.

According to Tang Ping, hidden strength is not true qi, but an extremely subtle technique for channeling energy. It cannot be transmitted through weapons, so one only needs to guard against close combat.

Ordinary attacks can't break through his protective aura at all. If this continues, Yuan Ji's stamina will inevitably give out first. This approach may be unsightly, but it is certainly safe.

However, just as Ling Chong was on high alert for his opponent getting close, Yuan Ji suddenly stepped on a bamboo branch and shot into the sky, his red-tasseled spear pointing straight at the heavens. The surrounding energy swirled wildly, and the bamboo leaves and pebbles on the ground were drawn into the air by the wind, turning into a vortex.

"Gravity Spin Thrust!"

Yuan Ji became one with his spear, spinning like a top at high speed. His spiraling energy tore through the air with a piercing shriek as he slammed down towards Ling Chong.

In the audience, Tang Ping was secretly shocked. Could it be that this person had also discovered the rule that shouting out the name of a move could increase its power by 10%? Otherwise, why would he do such a meaningless thing in the midst of a fierce battle?

Caught off guard, Ling Chong could only activate his protective aura with all his might. The golden light surged, but it still quickly twisted and deformed under the impact of the spiral spear force.

Yuan Ji's red-tasseled spear was merely a medium, drawing in the gale to form a drill, which plowed out spiderweb-like cracks on the surface of the air shield.

She knew that Ling Chong had watched the battle last night and would be wary of her using hidden force to launch a sneak attack. Therefore, from the beginning, she never thought of using hidden force to break through the protective aura. Instead, she took advantage of her opponent's mindset to buy herself the opportunity to build up her strength.

Click!

The spiderweb-like cracks spread and deepened rapidly, and the protective air shield shattered instantly!

At the critical moment, Ling Chong flicked his spear upwards, deflecting the opponent's spear blade whose speed had been greatly reduced, but the spear tip still grazed his shoulder, and blood splattered, leaving a half-foot-long wound.

In the instant he was injured, Ling Chong made a decision. His eyes suddenly became sharp as an eagle's, and the surface of his ring knife shone with a brilliant golden light.

Thunder and lightning flashed!

Ling Chong didn't have the habit of calling out the names of his moves. His figure transformed into a blur as he pounced on his opponent, his ring blade slashing seven times like lightning. The blade light intertwined into a net, and the speed was so fast that it was almost impossible to catch with the naked eye.

Yuan Ji's ultimate move was exhausted, and her momentum was declining. She didn't expect her opponent to launch a counterattack at this moment, and even with her eyesight, she couldn't catch the movement.

Fortunately, she still had her cheat-like martial arts intuition. She simply abandoned her vision and relied solely on her senses to lock onto the location. She thrust out her red-tasseled spear seven times in a row, each strike hitting its mark precisely, and managed to deflect all seven blade lights.

Ling Chong was shocked, but he had already staked the outcome on this counterattack. It was all or nothing, so he left no way out. He immediately raised his dagger high, like raising the sun, and the light emanating from the blade dyed the entire bamboo forest with a dazzling brilliance, making it impossible for people to look directly at it.

The sun of wisdom dispels all darkness!

The powerful slash, as mighty as the sun, descended with the force to split mountains and shatter rocks. Before it even made contact, its immense power pressed Yuan Ji's feet deep into the mud.

"There is a flaw!"

Ling Chong had not been practicing the Zen Sea Saber Technique for very long. Not only had he not learned all the moves, but he had also only just begun to master the moves he had already learned, which made the flaws in his moves too obvious.

The previous move, "Cloud Thunder Drum Lightning," was so fast that even if there were flaws, they couldn't be seen clearly. However, "Wisdom Sun Breaks Through All Darkness" was not so lucky.

Yuan Ji thrust out his spear, accurately hitting the weakest point of spiritual energy on the dagger, instantly unleashing a deafening roar, and the surrounding bamboo snapped one after another like dominoes.

His move was broken, but Ling Chong did not panic. The moment the blade and spear clashed, he loosened his fingers, letting the monk's knife be knocked far away. Then, he gathered a point of Buddhist light at his fingertips, flicked his fingers, and the finger energy shot out like purple lightning through the clouds.

Yuan Ji's intuition sent another warning, and goosebumps even appeared on the skin of the targeted area. She wanted to defend, but the two consecutive successful attacks had exhausted her old strength, and with no new strength to draw upon, she had no way to resist.

In the blink of an eye, the finger energy pierced Yuan Ji's right shoulder, and the excruciating pain caused her to drop her red-tasseled spear to the ground.

Ling Chong lunged forward and delivered a heavy palm strike.

Yuan Ji hurriedly raised his left arm to block, but Ling Chong's strength was still greater than Fu Zhengyi's, so how could he stop him? He flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing through two bamboo stalks before being stopped by a third bamboo stalk. He coughed up a mouthful of blood with a "whoosh".

Ling Chong paused for a moment, and after replenishing his spiritual energy, he reached out and summoned a powerful force from his palm to pull the ring knife back. He then stepped forward to Yuan Ji, raised the knife, and said, "This time, I have won."

Ignoring the pain, Yuan Ji asked urgently, "What kind of sword technique did you use just now?"

With her insight and personal experience, she naturally realized the wonder of the two slashes and one finger technique. It was not an enhanced version of ordinary swordsmanship with the support of spiritual power, but a unique martial art with its own system.

Ling Chong wasn't going to answer, but a thought suddenly struck him, and he said with a smile, "How could such a secret technique be easily told to outsiders? Of course, if you join the Jiangcheng Spiritual Energy Management Bureau and become one of our own, the situation will be different."

Neither the Zen Sea Knife Technique nor the Brahma Wheel Breaking Boundary Finger was created by Ling Chong. He felt he was not qualified to teach it to others, so he did not promise to teach it to Yuan Ji. He only intended to act as an intermediary and introduce Yuan Ji to Tang Ping.

Yuan Ji understood the meaning behind Ling Chong's words and was moved.

To be honest, she had no plans to switch jobs to Jiangcheng. Her words before the battle began were just psychological warfare. All's fair in war, and if the opponent fell for it, it was because the opponent was too stupid.

However, the saying "it doesn't matter where I switch jobs" is not an empty statement. If going to Jiangcheng would give me the opportunity to learn martial arts beyond common sense, there would be no reason to refuse, even if Ling Chong did not make any promises.

"I understand, Director Lingchong. Thank you for your time."

"Hahaha, welcome."

Ling Chong was overjoyed. He had not only avenged his old grudge but also gained a capable assistant. He felt his mind was at peace and his thoughts were clear. It was a pity that the psychic energy system didn't talk about these things, otherwise he would probably have been promoted on the spot.

The referee glanced at the reactions of both sides and decisively announced:

"The victor is Ling Chong!"

Chapter 218 Defeating the Enemy in Three Moves

Ling Chong was riding high after winning the semi-finals and gaining another key player, almost forgetting about tomorrow's final. Tang Ping reminded him a few times, but seeing that it wasn't working, she decisively shut up.

He never intended to be a critical friend; being an advisor was enough. He believed that "if he is useful, he can be employed; if not, he can leave."

In modern society, interpersonal relationships no longer favor "persuading others with earnest words and offering selfless help for their own good." Instead, it advocates "respecting others' fate, letting go of the desire to help others, and avoiding self-pity." In any case, I have already given my opinion, and if you don't listen, I won't force you. I respect your choice.

Tang Ping was worried that Ling Chong's exposure of his spiritual martial arts on the competition stage would attract the attention of the authorities, so he prepared two plans to deal with the situation according to the level of importance attached to it.

As a result, not only did the authorities not pay special attention, but even the spectators who witnessed it did not take it to heart. They only felt sorry for Yuan Ji's defeat. After all, in terms of skills and tactics, Yuan Ji was undoubtedly more advantageous, especially in his use of the battlefield, which was refreshing. Unfortunately, he was ultimately defeated by the gap in hard power.

For a time, people began to discuss the topic of "how a second-level psychic can defeat a third-level psychic" again. After all, the sports meet prohibited the use of active psychic energy, which has greatly limited the advantage of third-level psychics. The weak defeating the strong is always a topic that everyone likes, as can be seen from online articles.

Tang Ping breathed a sigh of relief, but was also puzzled. So he asked Yu Shujiang to help investigate. The result was both unexpected and reasonable.

"They didn't realize it was an unorthodox martial art at all; instead, they thought it was some kind of spiritual energy of Ling Chong?"

"Yes, some psychic users who are good at reconnaissance discovered that Captain Lingchong's last sword technique and finger energy contained Buddhist energy, so they unanimously concluded that he used some kind of psychic energy to enhance his martial arts."

After her initial shock, Tang Ping quickly understood the logic behind it.

First of all, information about the third-level spirit level is kept strictly confidential. In addition, the number is very small, so outsiders have no idea what kind of spiritual power "Vajra" has. As for spiritual power users like "Sumeru Arhat" who have been promoted to Vajra, they will not come out to refute the rumors based on their own interests. After all, doing so would not only offend Ling Chong, but would also reveal their own secrets. They and Ling Chong are a community of interests.

Secondly, both Zen Sea Knife Technique and Brahma Wheel Breaking Boundary Finger belong to Buddhist martial arts, which have their own related artistic conception and can easily have a confusing effect, making others immediately associate them with Ling Chong's spiritual type. If they were Taoist martial arts, others would naturally be able to distinguish between the two.

Tang Ping didn't hold onto his knowledge; he was willing to teach anyone who wanted to learn, but that was different from being the founder and standing on the stage as a patriarch.

He always believed that reputation should match ability; if one's reputation is too high and one's ability cannot support it, it will only bring trouble in the end.

It's like an unknown kid who, by sheer luck, finds the Nine Yin Manual. After making a name for himself in the martial arts world, he will naturally attract the covetous eyes of countless people. But these same people, knowing that the Shaolin Temple has the Yi Jin Jing, dare not try to steal it.

If Tang Ping awakens a top-tier, unique spiritual personality, or advances to the third stage, he wouldn't mind wearing the title of founder of spiritual martial arts. But until then, trouble should be avoided if possible, and it's best to keep a low profile.

However, this low profile does not include the upcoming competition. After all, for a second-tier psionicist, winning the second-tier group's martial arts championship is more than a matter of course.

Soon, it was time for the second-round group finals to officially begin.

Before Tang Ping went on stage, Ling Chong encouraged her, "Go for it! If you win another championship, our Jiangcheng Psychic Energy Administration will really make a splash this time."

Leaving aside Yu Shujiang, who was eliminated in the first round, Yunyanzi has already won the championship, while Tang Ping and Ling Chong both have at least one runner-up finish, truly making their return a fruitful one.

Of course, considering that the runner-up title is far less prestigious than the champion title, one needs at least two champion titles to truly stand out.

Tang Ping didn't say much, waved his hand, and walked onto the competition stage.

The terrain for the competition had been determined by drawing lots beforehand to be a suspension bridge. Tang Ping and Zhao Yeman stood at opposite ends, looking at each other in silence.

Previously, Tang Ping had used the psychic power "Three-Eyed True Radiance" to spy on Zhao Yeman and learned that her spiritual personality was "Knight-errant" and that she possessed three psychic powers: "White Horse Meteor", "Sacrifice for Justice", and "Chivalrous Spirit".

However, none of these three spiritual abilities had any room to be used in this competition. "Prioritizing loyalty over life" is theoretically feasible, such as promising superiors that one will definitely win the championship and bring glory to the unit. However, the side effects of "prioritizing loyalty over life" are too severe. Once the promise is not fulfilled, one will be permanently punished.

Tang Ping felt that as long as Zhao Yeman's IQ reached the passing grade, she would not risk her life for loyalty. Feeling confident, he also felt that since they didn't know each other, it would be meaningless to make harsh remarks that didn't hit the mark. So he simply observed the surrounding environment.

He glanced down and saw that the platform was only five meters high. Clearly, the staff responsible for building the competition venue had cut corners. The reason was not incomprehensible, since falling off the wooden bridge meant defeat, and it had nothing to do with the height, since neither of them could fly anyway.

The wooden bridge is two meters wide and twenty meters long, making it virtually impossible for two people to fight side by side. Moreover, it is not straight and has a drooping arc in the middle, which further tests the contestants' balance.

The referee stepped forward and asked, "Both of you, unarmed or armed?"

Tang Ping casually replied, "I don't care. Let the other side choose. Whatever they choose is fine."

Zhao Yeman, who was opposite her, was taken aback when she heard this, and then sneered: "I thought you didn't plan to use psychological warfare and would remain silent until the start of the competition. I didn't expect you to be waiting for this opportunity."

"Uh, you misunderstood. I didn't mean to play mind games. I'm just good at both, so it doesn't matter whether I'm unarmed or armed."

"Hmph, feigning confidence to dampen your opponent's spirits? Do you think I can't see through your scheme?" Zhao Yeman's face was full of vigilance.

Tang Ping quickly realized that this matter was difficult to explain, so she could only use the classic line that men use to deal with women: "If you insist on thinking this way, there's nothing I can do, but the situation is ultimately in your favor. Choose one of your best skills to challenge me."

"A challenge? A challenge is when the weak challenge the strong. You are truly cunning and treacherous, setting a trap in your words without a word. If I agree, I will be at a disadvantage in terms of mentality, and I will lose a chance of winning before I even make a move."

Zhao Yeman revealed an expression that said, "I've seen through your sinister intentions."

Tang Ping was speechless and said, "Is it possible that you're just overthinking things?"

"Are you trying to fool me by saying something like that?"

"Alright, alright, then why don't you do the opposite and choose a competition type that you're not good at, so you can show confidence and courage that's no less than mine?"

"Fine, I'll choose unarmed combat... Did you think I'd say that?" Zhao Yeman suddenly realized. "It seems this is your real purpose: to provoke me with words, to make me act impulsively, and to make me choose a fighting style that's not in my best interest. How could I possibly fall for that kind of trick!"

She turned to the referee and said, "I choose the weapon."

The referee was unsure whether Tang Ping was telling the truth or using psychological tactics, so he asked her again to confirm.

"Then weapons will do," Tang Ping said calmly.

The referee nodded, tossed the weapons to the two men, and then struck a gong to announce the start of the match.

Zhao Yeman placed one hand on her hip, held her sword horizontally to the right with the other, and brought her legs together, poised to strike. She resembled a seasoned lady who had locked onto her prey and was quietly waiting for the right moment to make her move, exuding elegance with a hint of danger.

To be fair, as a popular celebrity, the other party certainly knows how to use their appearance to attract attention.

This pose caught the eye of many, arousing lust and prompting them to spontaneously cheer for Zhao Yeman.

Tang Ping glanced at it and said, "Since you suspect that I am using psychological warfare, then I will do as you wish and use psychological warfare once."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Yeman's eyes flashed with a hint of doubt. How could one so clearly tell their opponent that they were going to use psychological warfare? Since they knew this, wouldn't they be completely unaffected if they simply ignored what the other party said next?

At this moment, Tang Ping stretched out his hand, raised the middle three fingers, and shouted, "Three moves. If I can't defeat you in three moves, I'll jump off the bridge."

As soon as this statement came out, the whole place was in an uproar.

"Really?! Although Tang Ping is indeed stronger than Zhao Yeman based on previous matches, it's impossible for her to defeat him in three moves, right?"

“If he suddenly unleashes his full power and catches his opponent off guard, it’s not impossible to win in three moves. But now that he’s revealed his hand, even if Zhao Yeman is stupid, she will definitely be on high alert and won’t give him any opportunity.”

"Perhaps these words are just a psychological tactic, making the opponent think that I will only use three moves. In reality, the three moves are just a decoy. If the opponent takes it seriously, after receiving three moves, he will think that he has won and will inevitably relax his mind. At this time, taking advantage of the opportunity to launch an attack will surely achieve an unexpected effect. In the end, words spoken in battle have no legal effect and there is no principle that must be followed. It is foolish to believe the opponent."

"If we win the way you suggest, it's better to lose! Even though it has no legal effect, making a promise in front of everyone and then going back on your word—how will you ever be able to face anyone again?"

Zhao Yeman couldn't hear the arguments in the audience, but she wasn't some mindless, illiterate celebrity. Her thoughts raced, and she quickly analyzed all the possibilities before discovering a loophole.

"You're spouting nonsense... That's the impression you want me to get. That's not the case at all. You just used deceitful rhetoric, saying 'If you can't win in three moves, jump off the bridge,' not 'If you can't win in three moves, admit defeat.' In the end, leaving the suspension bridge doesn't mean you've lost. You only lose the competition if you land on the ground. So after three moves, you just need to flip over and jump off, then use the momentum to leap back onto the bridge to continue fighting. And doing so doesn't violate your promise, so no one can find fault with it."

Zhao Yeman said confidently, a slight smile playing on her lips, pleased with herself for discovering her opponent's scheme.

Tang Ping sighed and said, "So you people just like to overthink things and imagine conspiracies that don't exist. Is it possible that I've been telling the truth from beginning to end, and that I don't care about bare hands or weapons because I'm proficient in both? I made the three-move agreement simply because I was confident that I could defeat you in three moves. There weren't so many twists and turns. The truth is that simple."

"This……"

Zhao Yeman felt that there was some truth to these words, and her thoughts were momentarily in disarray.

"Pay attention, this is the first move!"

Tang Ping gave the other party no chance to sort out her thoughts. With a loud shout, she moved closer like a ghost, her dagger drawing a cold arc of light, aiming straight for Zhao Yeman's throat.

Zhao Yeman instantly realized that she had lost the initiative, so she quickly cleared her mind of distractions, focused on the battle, and hastily raised her sword to parry.

With a loud clang, the immense impact made her hands go numb, and she staggered back three steps, her back nearly hitting the swaying iron chain.