<strong>Chapter 1289: Chapter 1280: Meticulous Scheming</strong>


    Although saying so, there was not a hint of apology on Xiao Zhentian’s face; instead, it was full of a small-minded person’scency, which made Chang Wei feel like vomiting.


    “It seems that the Xiao Family indeed took some action during the finals, perhaps just to deal with us.” Zhang Po thought of the Poison Manor’s exceptional team battle performance against the Long Hand n in thest match and then linked it to today’s decision by Xiao Zhentian, realizing thetter was indeed going through great lengths to target their group of three.


    “That’s right, it must have been intentional to group us with the women of the Poison Manor and then excuse it as a scheduling issue to change thepetition into a team format. This way, we will be powerless against the group leader’s ability from Poison Manor.” Chang Wei naturally thought of this issue too and said to Zhang Po.


    “Let’s just watch the match first; in any case, we aren’t nning to truly fight with the people from Poison Manor. We just need to act a bit when the timees.” Zhang Po rubbed the Hook Jade in his hand and said to Chang Wei.


    “I refuse!” On the arena, the y People’s team leader resolutely said to Xiao Zhentian after hearing thetter’s whim.


    Xiao Zhentian’s face couldn’t hold itsposure anymore. Never before in past ‘Martial Artist Conferences’ had a contestant dared to retort him in public; his face turned dark as he coldly said, “What’s inappropriate?” While speaking, his pair of big hands clenched into tight fists, making crackling sounds.


    “Our team has five contestants, while Li Huoke’s team only has him alone. It’s not our style to bully the few with the many.” The y People’s team leader showed no fear of Xiao Zhentian’s threat and looked up while saying to thetter.


    “You!” Xiao Zhentian was at a loss for words, blowing his beard in anger at the y People’s team leader’s retort.


    “I don’t mind; you can alle at once.” Li Huoke interrupted Xiao Zhentian and said to him.


    “I know you’re strong, but please respect your opponents. This time, I’m stepping onto the stage, eager for a fair and just duel with you. As for winning or losing, or whether I can get the Xiao Family’s reward, I have no interest.” The y People’s team leader said to Li Huoke.


    “This is thepetition format set by our Xiao Family; no one has the authority to deny it. Either step onto the stage or get lost.” Xiao Zhentian, enraged and humiliated, shouted at the y People’s team members below the stage.


    “We forfeit!” The other four members of the y People’s team naturally supported their leader unconditionally. To let him enjoy a full battle, they made a decisive decision and responded to Xiao Zhentian.


    The y People’s team leader felt gratitude in his eyes upon hearing this, nodding to the team members below, then turning back around with eyes full of battle intent looking at Li Huoke: “This time, it’s just between the two of us.”


    “I said I don’t care, I’ll sh down whoeveres at me.” Thetter showed no fear of the y People’s team leader’s provocation and coldly replied.


    Seeing the y People’s team members actually decided to forfeit, Xiao Zhentian couldn’t put them in a difficult position any longer and had to acquiesce to their action, waving his hand: “Fight, fight, let the match begin!”


    Swiftly beginning the match, Xiao Zhentian retreated to the side. At the same time, four elders also entered the stage, optimizing the protective measures on the arena to the extreme. One of them nced sideways at Zhang Po and his group, thinking to himself: “This time, don’t even think about sneaking an attack on me again, you mixed breed.”


    As the match started, Li Huoke was the first tounch an attack, lifting his giant sword as his figure became elusive, swaying left and right, approaching the y People’s team leader. The giant sword in his hand felt weightless, as if it had no weight at all.


    The y People’s team leader dared not be careless, his eyes glowing with a light brown hue, trying to lock onto Li Huoke’s position. However, thetter’s movement technique was so mysterious that it was hard to decipher his exact position. With no choice, he quickly pulled out some y, molded it into several small bird bombs, and scattered them around himself.


    “Come on.” Having prepared everything, a hint of a smile shed at the corner of the y People’s team leader’s mouth as he coldly said.


    “Idiot, he’s above you!” From the beginning of the match, Zhang Po closely monitored the situation on the stage. Although the y People’s team leader could not see Li Huoke’s actions clearly, in Zhang Po’s eyes, Li Huoke could not escape his sight. Zhang Po quickly noticed Li Huoke silently ascending into the air.


    Even as the y People’s team leader was waiting for Li Huoke to approach, and as he believed his defense was impable, he suddenly felt a cool sensation sh above his head.


    “Oh no!” The y People’s team leader inwardly eximed, instinctively looking upwards, only to see a blurred silhouette wielding a giant sword swirling about in a fierce disy, the sword light forming a bright hexagram-shaped aura, releasing an overwhelming majesty descending onto the y People’s team leader, locking him in ce.


    “Hexagram Star sh!” Li Huoke shouted, as the hexagram pattern descended, slowly enveloping the head of the y People’s team leader. Though the movement was quite slow, the leader couldn’t evade being locked in ce, his entire body seemingly frozen, staring nkly at the starlight overhead.


    With a loud boom, the hexagramnded, and the entire Martial Arts Arena was filled with rumbling earth under the hexagram’s area of effect. Even after hitting the y People’s team leader, the immense residual force did not stop, spreading to the sides of the Martial Arts Arena, unable to cease for a long while.


    Fortunately, the protection measures implemented by the four elders were sturdy enough that the residual force of the Hexagram Star sh only stopped upon encountering the Protection Shield, not affecting the people below.


    “A one-hit victory?” Many of the spectators below were seeing Li Huoke’s swordsmanship for the first time, and the horror of this strike left them speechless in shock.


    “No, it’s not over yet.” However, many high-ranking contestants noticed the clue; the Qi of the y People’s team leader hadn’t dissipated, indicating he was still alive.


    In the sky, afterpleting his attack, Li Huokended back on the stage with his giant sword in hand. The smoke from the battle hadn’t dispersed yet, but a strong sense of foreboding arose in him; without time to think, he immediately leaped and took flight once more.


    As Li Huoke took to the sky, a series of explosions erupted beneath him, sting the stone bricks of the Martial Arts tform apart. The aftermath of the explosions even reached Li Huoke in the sky, forcing him to hurry and use Qi to protect himself, barely withstanding the impact.


    “Don’t underestimate me!” At one side of the Martial Arts tform, the y People’s team leader stood there unscathed, a smile at the corner of his mouth, holding a peculiar-shaped y in his hand.


    Li Huoke looked down at the y People’s team leader in surprise, puzzled by how after receiving a ‘Hexagram Star sh’, he could stand there unharmed, even finding the chance tounch a counterattack.


    With this thought, Li Huoke looked at the spot below where his sh had struck. As the smoke gradually cleared, Li Huoke focused, noticing a battered y humanoid standing amid the rubble where he’d unleashed his sword strike.


    It turned out that in the blink of an eye as the sh neared him, the y People’s team leader managed to craft a y substitute at an astonishing speed and used their n’s Secret Technique to swap the lock onto himself with the y substitute. This made Li Huoke think he had locked onto the actual person, thus allowing the leader to escape to the edge and counterattack with the y bombs, creating an explosion.