Li Wei was hurt, enraged, and confused. His strongest attack had missed, his opponent had vanished and reappeared behind him, and his back throbbed from a powerful blow. His pride was shattered, his dominance challenged. He fought back with desperation, channeling the last reserves of his formidable Peak Level 9 Qi into wild, powerful strikes, trying to overwhelm Kai through sheer force.

  Kai met the onslaught, his Level 7 Qi feeling strained against the desperate power of a cornered Level 9. He blocked a particularly vicious fist strike, but the force behind it sent jarring pain up his arm and cracked the air. He was being pushed back again, his Qi reserves dwindling rapidly. [-15 Points/min continues. Debt climbing past 300].

  Seeing Kai falter, Li Wei roared and put everything into one final, wide-area attack – the 'Azure Vortex Tempest'. He spun rapidly, unleashing concentric rings of razor-sharp Azure Qi that expanded outwards, designed to shred anything within a ten-foot radius. It was an attack meant to guarantee a hit on an evasive opponent.

  There was no dodging this on the platform. Kai raised his bokken, pouring the last dregs of his defensive Qi into it, trying to create a shield. The vortex slammed into him.

  CRUNCH!

  The sound was sickening. Kai felt an immense, crushing force slam into his chest. His Qi defense shattered instantly. The carbon fiber bokken held but was ripped from his grasp, flying off the arena. Pain exploded in his chest as the vortex impacted his body directly. He was flung backwards, hitting the arena floor hard, coughing up blood. His vision swam. The protective padding had absorbed some of the impact, preventing his ribs from being instantly shattered, but the internal damage felt severe. His Qi circulation was in chaos.

  Silence fell again. Everyone stared at Kai, lying broken on the ground, blood trickling from his mouth. Li Wei stood panting heavily, his Qi almost completely depleted, but victorious. It seemed over.

  "Is he…?" someone whispered from the crowd.

  The supervising Elder started forward to declare the match.

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  But Kai wasn't finished. Lying there, agony wracking his body, his consciousness fading, he accessed the system with the last vestiges of his focus. He had one more improbable, high-cost gadget prepared for absolute emergencies.

  Activate… Heart-Starting Talisman! Apply directly!

  [Item: AED / Defibrillator (Compact Medical Grade)]

  Description: Portable device delivering controlled electrical shock to restore normal heart rhythm or, via System Modification, stabilize disrupted Qi flow and life force in cultivators. Single high-energy charge.

  Cost: 350 System Points (Another major emergency investment).

  Appearance: Two small, smooth white jade pads connected by a thin cord (System overlay). Rebranded: 'Heart-Starting Talisman'.

  [Activating Heart-Starting Talisman!] [-350 Points added to Debt. Debt: ~650+ Points]

  Two 'jade pads' materialized in Kai's trembling hands. With immense effort, ignoring the searing pain, he slapped them onto his own chest.

  VZZZZZT!

  A powerful jolt surged through his body. To onlookers, it looked like a desperate, perhaps suicidal, last act with a strange talisman. But the system modified the electrical energy, converting it into a potent burst of stabilizing life force and order. It didn't heal him instantly, but it shocked his chaotic Qi back into a semblance of circulation, forced his internal organs to stabilize, cleared his fading vision, and gave him a massive jolt of pure adrenaline that masked the pain.

  Slowly, unsteadily, Kai pushed himself up. He was shaky, pale, bleeding, his robes torn, but he was standing.

  Li Wei, who had turned away, assuming victory, spun back around, his eyes wide with utter disbelief. The crowd gasped as one. The Elders leaned forward, jaws slack. He was still standing after taking the Azure Vortex Tempest point-blank? How?! What was that talisman?

  Kai locked eyes with the stunned Li Wei. He didn't have much Qi left, and his body was screaming, but Li Wei was also nearly spent. Kai saw his opening. He didn't even bother retrieving his bokken. He lunged forward, unsteady but determined.

  Li Wei, shocked and exhausted, barely managed to raise his arms defensively. Kai didn't use a fist or a palm. He materialized the Lightning Wand one last time.

  ZZZZZZAAAAAPPPP!

  He jabbed it directly into Li Wei's hastily formed Qi guard. The weakened guard offered little resistance. The electric shock hit Li Wei squarely. Already exhausted, the jolt was too much. His eyes rolled up, and he collapsed, finally unconscious.

  Kai stood over him, swaying, panting, held upright only by sheer will and the fading adrenaline from the AED. He had done it. Against all odds, against the Peak Level 9 powerhouse, the trickster, the underdog, had won.

  Absolute silence reigned for a long moment, then the entire arena erupted in a cacophony of shouts, cheers, and stunned disbelief.

  "Victor… KAI!" the supervising Elder finally announced, his voice filled with astonishment.