The competition ground to a halt as the final four competitors were confirmed: Kai, the dark horse who had risen meteorically using unpredictable tactics; Chen Yan, a stoic Level 8 disciple known for his impenetrable earth-wall defenses; Fang Yue, a graceful Level 8 female disciple wielding twin daggers with deadly precision; and towering over them all in reputation and power, Li Wei, the undisputed number one Outer Disciple, standing at the peak of Qi Condensation Level 9.

  The Semi-Final pairings were drawn. Kai was matched against Chen Yan, while Fang Yue would face Li Wei. The winners would proceed to the final championship match.

  Excitement reached fever pitch. The viewing stands were packed beyond capacity. Not just Outer and Inner Disciples, but nearly all the Sect Elders, including the rarely seen Sect Master himself, were now present in the main pavilion, observing the culmination of the competition. Their gazes lingered on the final four, assessing their potential, their temperament, their techniques.

  Kai felt the weight of those gazes but remained inwardly calm. Reaching the semi-finals and securing Inner Sect entry was a major victory in itself. Everything from here on was a bonus, a chance to test himself against the best and perhaps seize an even greater prize.

  His match against Chen Yan came first. As expected, Chen Yan immediately employed his signature 'Immovable Mountain Defense', layers of thick, yellow Qi forming solid-looking barriers around him. He aimed to outlast opponents, letting them exhaust their Qi against his nigh-impenetrable shield before launching slow but powerful counter-attacks.

  Kai knew trying to break through the defense head-on would be a foolish waste of Qi. He needed a different approach. He circled Chen Yan slowly, tapping at the Qi walls with his bokken, probing for weaknesses. Chen Yan remained stoic, rooted to the spot, conserving his energy.

  This called for distraction and indirect attack. Kai subtly dropped a few small items from his dimension storage onto the arena floor at strategic points around Chen Yan – items purchased cheaply from the system.

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  Purchase: Firecrackers (Small Pack) x 3. Cost: 1 Point.

  Purchase: Whoopee Cushion x 2. Cost: 1 Point.

  [System Points: 5 - 1 - 1 = 3]

  Then, using a tiny, almost invisible thread of Qi (a basic trick from the Azure Cloud manual), Kai remotely triggered one of the firecracker packs hidden behind Chen Yan.

  BANG! Pop-pop-BANG!

  The sudden, unexpected series of loud noises right behind him startled Chen Yan, despite his focus. His defensive Qi shield rippled momentarily as his concentration flickered. In that instant, Kai acted. He didn't attack the shield directly. Instead, he activated the 'Lightning Wand' for a brief second, touching its tip not to Chen Yan, but to the ground near Chen Yan's feet, sending a visible jolt of electricity into the packed earth.

  Simultaneously, using another Qi thread, he triggered one of the whoopee cushions placed near Chen Yan's side.

  Pfffffrrrrbbbbt!

  The combination of the startling bangs, the electric jolt to the ground (making his feet tingle strangely), and the utterly bizarre, undignified farting sound completely broke Chen Yan's concentration. His stoic expression cracked, replaced by confusion and fluster. His 'Immovable Mountain Defense' flickered violently, revealing momentary gaps.

  Kai seized the opening. Darting forward with his Level 7 speed, he slipped through a gap in the weakened shield and tapped Chen Yan firmly on the shoulder with his bokken. "Yield, Senior Brother."

  Chen Yan, red-faced from embarrassment and confusion, stared at Kai, then at his flickering shield, utterly bewildered by the sequence of events. He deactivated his technique with a sigh. "I… yield."

  Kai had won again, using a combination of cheap firecrackers, a whoopee cushion, and a non-contact ground shock from the Taser to break the concentration of a Level 8 defensive specialist. The crowd was baffled. The Elders exchanged bewildered glances, some suppressing smiles, others frowning at the sheer absurdity. Kai simply bowed and walked off, his point balance critically low but his path to the finals secured.

  The next match was swift and brutal. Fang Yue, despite her skill with twin daggers and Level 8 cultivation, was simply overwhelmed by Li Wei's raw power. Li Wei, at Peak Qi Condensation Level 9, demonstrated why he was considered the top Outer Disciple. His Azure Cloud Art was far more profound than Kai's, his Qi immensely dense. He broke through Fang Yue's dagger defense with powerful palm strikes and ended the match decisively within a minute.

  The final match was set: Kai, the unpredictable Level 7 trickster, versus Li Wei, the dominant Peak Level 9 powerhouse. The ultimate underdog story against the reigning king. The entire sect held its breath. This would be the climax of the competition.