Good morning, guys!
-Good morning. -Good morning.
Last night…
Nothing happened
last night, right?
We drank a bit,
and we all went to sleep.
Yes, we just had a bit of fun.
You even fancied yourself
to be Nezha 2.0.
Do you know
how many trees you destroyed last night?
-Enough! -Those trees…
Enough! Shut up!
Calm down, dude.
We were all young once.
But to pull those antics in Celestial Taoist Mansion?
You're the first one to ever do that.
Ms. Bao.
You don't lie.
Tell me what happened last night.
Everyone had so much fun.
Zhang Chulan, I liked the bonfire party.
Can we have another one tonight?
Zhang Chulan,
you are going to be a legend among Outsiders.
I have faith in you.
Me too.
You guys
didn't take any photos, right?
Hell no.
I'm not that mean.
I just recorded a video.
You little piece of shit.
I'll kill you!
Ms. Hua,
I cannot view Zhang Chulan the same way again.
Ms. Hua?
Let her be.
She is deeply engrossed in the seal.
She is captivated by it.
Zang Long, you scoundrel! Come down!
I'll kill you!
Come here and get me.
Aren't you Nezha 2.0?
You rascal!
Come down now!
I'll make you suffer!
The tournament bracket is out.
ADAPTED FROM THE WEBCOMIC YI REN ZHI XIA
THIS IS A WORK OF FICTION
ALL ACTIONS AND ABILITIES PERFORMED SHOULD NOT BE IMITATED
The Top Eight Elimination Round
for the Outsiders Martial Arts Contest
will begin shortly.
Please be seated as soon as possible.
Do you think
no one can recognize you like this?
Chief Celestial Taoist!
Good morning, Mr. Tian and Mr. Lu.
Hello, Chairman Feng.
Chief Celestial Taoist,
what happened to your face?
I have been trying
to develop my own martial arts.
There was a mishap yesterday
when I cultivated my qi.
My Yangming Meridian
was blocked,
and it manifested as a swollen face.
Pay no mind to it.
Rest well.
I shall take my leave.
Okay.
FENG BAOBAO, XIAO XIAO
Feng Baobao versus Xiao Xiao.
Why are all the bigwigs here?
They weren't here during my match.
But they are here for Ms. Bao's match.
Have they begun to notice Baobao?
I know you often clean up Zhang Chulan's mess.
But in this match,
I'll relieve you of that duty.
Excuse me?
In other words,
you'll fall here.
SNIFF
Is this the legendary Sniff?
No wonder it's called Sniff.
It's like blowing your nose.
That's disgusting.
The Sniff attack
can hamper one's primordial spirit,
rendering one defenseless and vulnerable
for a short period.
Don't mind if I do!
Jinzhong,
let me test you.
Which sect do you think
this lady here falls under?
Who do you think is her master?
I truly cannot tell.
Her technique
and movement
are illogical.
She should have been defeated by now,
given all her flaws.
Yet, she always manages
to dodge the most fatal attack.
When you first met her yesterday,
didn't you notice her eyes?
Look at my eyes.
Zhiwei, how am I supposed to see your eyes
when you're wearing sunglasses?
Talk back again,
and I'll throw you off the stage.
Well, I get it.
After nearly a century of training,
lights have long departed from your eyes.
At a glimpse,
your eyes are no different from others.
But someone with enough training
can detect
that there is a certain clarity
in your eyes.
It's called the Eyes of Omniscience.
Are you saying that the lady over there
possesses such eyes?
At such a young age?
That's why I believe
she was bestowed with immense potential.
Her movement indicates
that she was not properly tutored.
She merely dodges with her instinct.
And who says someone young
cannot attain those eyes?
Back then…
Are you talking about that villain?
Lingyu is my last disciple.
But I want
to take this lass in too.
Hold your horses now.
I noticed
her peculiarity yesterday,
so I had my men do some research.
She might be NDT's temp.
A temp?
For NDT Express, a temp
is quite special, isn't it?
Temps work directly
under the regional manager.
They exist outside of the system
and are unpredictable.
Each of them possesses powerful abilities
and hides a dark secret.
So do I just have to keep my distance?
Qi Bullets!
Ms. Bao knows a lot of tricks.
Baobao, it's time for me to teach you my secret technique.
Eat this!
As I said, it won't be that easy.
Every ability and technique
has to be adapted to how your qi works.
It's like programming.
Qi is the source code.
If you don't know how to use it,
you cannot make the program you want.
If you want to learn ranged attacks,
I can find you a more suitable tutor.
No need.
I get it now.
I just didn't let out enough qi.
18 Formidable Ways.
18 FORMIDABLE WAYS
I'm fine.
I didn't feel a thing.
It's only strong enough to topple aluminum cans.
Aluminum cans?
Chief Celestial Taoist,
explain this.
Think of qi
as a nation's gold reserve.
When it goes to war,
it should use its gold efficiently.
But this lass just threw gold ingots
at her enemy.
Anyone else
would have fainted from overexertion.
Eat this, then!
How can this be?
Has she found out my Sniff attack's weakness?
The closer she is to me the stronger the attack,
but the range gets smaller
so it's easier to dodge.
How does Feng Baobao
predict Xiao Xiao's movements?
She didn't predict.
She knows how Xiao Xiao breathes.
So Xiao Xiao cannot fool her
by feigning a breath.
To unleash his Sniff,
he has to use his dantian.
His throat, abdomen,
and back
will contract slightly.
Zhuge Qing,
surely you can defeat Xiao Xiao
effortlessly, right?
Defeating him with spells isn't that difficult.
However, maintaining focus
during a match
is challenging for me.
Bring it on!
Done.
Xiao Xiao's primordial spirit
is dissipating!
Feng Baobao shoved his Sniff attack
back into his body.
Those reckless fools!
Fortunately, I'm here.
Easy.
We can intervene
at the last moment.
Chief Celestial Taoist,
are you going to wait until someone dies?
Is she trying to suck the qi back?
She's naively cute.
Let me see
how long she can hold her breath for.
No.
I have to intervene now.
Relax.
Four-Pillar Barrier.
The barrier from the Marquis's family!
It can contain
the ambient energy one diffuses in an attack.
However,
how are they going to collect all the qi in the area?
You're a woman with many tricks.
Feng Baobao,
release all the qi!
Go.
We saved him.
The winner is
Feng Baobao.
TOP 16 CONTESTANTS
FENG BAOBAO ADVANCED TO THE TOP EIGHT XIAOXIAO, ELIMINATED
Promising youths!
Wang Ye.
Feng Baobao.
Zhang Lingyu, you didn't lie.
It seems like my family has laid low far for too long.
We are out of the loop.
Hold up.
Since you two are in the arena, you might as well stay.
The next match is
Zhuge Qing versus Wang Ye.
-Zhuge Qing, my love! -Zhuge Qing, my love!
-I gave you my heart! -I gave you my heart!
It's our match now.
What do you say, Taoist Wang?
Bring it on.
Sure.
While your prowess is admirable,
your attitude is a bit lacking.
It's true.
However,
it depends on who my enemy is.
Taoist Wang,
you're a bit impatient.
This strength.
It's Bajiquan.
I never underestimate my opponent.
So I ask you
to do the same.
It's true
that you're better in close combat.
But don't think for a second
that your expertise in Tai Chi
is enough to defeat me.
You know a lot of tricks.
Gen, still as the mountain.
I knew it would be difficult.
You didn't even budge.
That's awkward.
Kan.
How is the match?
Taoist Wang is having a rough time.
He attacked right away
unlike what he did in his previous match.
Why is he that impatient?
He almost hit Chief Celestial Taoist!
It's okay.
I'm sure he doesn't mind.
What a thrilling match.
That's a speedy water cannonball.
The Zhuge family's Marquis's Qimen
is indeed powerful.
They have complete mastery
of the art of Bagua.
Kan of the Bagua diagram denotes water.
So when he uttered Kan,
there was bound to be a deluge.
It seems
like Wang Ye will lose soon.
It's still too early to tell.
So he could block it.
Why didn't he do that earlier?
Tai Chi Yang Palm.
Kun, Boulder Toss.
Rock Meteor.
Zhuge Qing is so impressive.
Thank you, Zhuge Qing.
If you hadn't shown mercy,
I would have been crushed to death.
You're welcome.
We don't fight to the death here.
However, Taoist Wang,
stop underestimating me.
You are a sorcerer too,
aren't you?
Everyone thinks that a sorcerer
dabbles in the arts of chaos.
Little do they know
that a sorcerer
favors order above all else.
The order we follow
is the order of arcanum.
It's the hidden law of the universe
that ordinary people do not understand.
With the right position,
the right time,
and the right force,
you can pursue the good and avoid the danger.
Taoist Wang,
I observed from your previous matches
that your every step
was precisely where it should be.
You positioned yourself
in the most auspicious spot.
That's why you could dodge
all the attacks they hurled at you.
Because you manipulated luck
to be on your side.
Did I get it right, Taoist Wang?
What a nuisance.
It's hard to befriend someone like you
because I can't have secrets.
I was just trying my luck.
I wanted to defeat you
before you used your Qimen skills.
I guess I made a mistake,
Zhuge Qing.
Have you ever lost?
Outside of my training with my elders,
no.
Then do you think you can accept defeat?
The kind of defeat
that invalidates all your previous achievements.
Since we're both sorcerers,
there's no need
to get physical like the others.
I'll give you time.
Go ahead and find "the most auspicious spot."
Why are they just standing there?
What a twist.
A sorcerer goes with the flow.
Zhuge Qing,
I do not want to humiliate you
and I only say this once.
Go back, Zhuge Qing.
That is the best option for you.
Have you found your sweet spot?
Taoist Wang,
I performed a divination for myself.
And I was given only three words.
"A meaningless struggle."
Kun, Boulder Toss.
He stood in the spot of Xun, yet he exerted the spell of Kun.
And he overpowered me with that?
I can't find any openings.
Li, Fireball!
Xun,
Sandalwood Succor.
Did you see that?
He attacked a tree with a fireball.
-No, you're wrong. -The tree is growing thicker!
No, he used the tree to defend against the fireball.
How can this be?
Impossible. This isn't Qimen Skills at all.
It cannot be.
No sorcerer
can defy the law of elements.
Zhuge Qing,
what do we do now?
Should we stop here?
You've divined for yourself already.
Taoist Wang,
maybe I am destined to be defeated.
Maybe this defeat will bruise my ego.
But for a sorcerer,
one thing is more important than ego.
It's the truth.
If I'm defeated here,
I need to know
what kind of power I lose to.
QIMEN'S IMMACULATE SCRUTINY
It's Qimen's Immaculate Scrutiny!
The user's perception
will be greatly enhanced,
and he can see all that is not visible,
including the nature of a matter.
This spell-slinging match
is such a nail-biter!
A nail-biter?
Isn't the match lopsided enough?
Zhuge Qing was in the spot of Kun,
but his Boulder Toss was outmatched.
He threw a fireball in the spot of Li,
but it was countered by a wood-based spell of all things!
Qimen's Immaculate Scrutiny!
Zhuge Qing, I'm begging you.
Stop it.
He is way beyond your league!
I don't want to see you defeated.
Come, Taoist Wang.
Show me what you have got.
Dui, Black Mamba!
What have you done?
Teleportation?
That's my sister's technique.
Can Zhuge Qing teleport too?
No, Taoist Wang teleported Zhuge Qing.
He is now restrained by Taoist Wang.
I paralyzed your Danzhong pressure point.
It's over.
I
lost.
But I saw nothing happen.
Why did he give up?
Wang Ye managed
to outclass Zhuge Qing.
But in terms of sorcery,
none should be able
to surpass the Zhuge family.
The divine dragon granted us the divine chart.
From ruler to ruler, it was passed down.
The astrologian Feng Hou deciphered it into text.
Thus, the art of Qimen was born.
Lu Jin, though no one has seen it before,
one of the Eight Supremes
is Qimen Manipulation.
Thank goodness
we stayed to see this.
While Qi Apotheosis remains elusive,
Qimen Manipulation makes an appearance.
See?
Zhuge Qing!
Stop now!
Stop!
I said, stop!
Zhuge Qing!
I told you to stop!
Didn't you hear me?
I wanted to perform another divination for myself.
I didn't know it would turn out like this.
I can accept defeat.
But I cannot accept it
without knowing how I was defeated!
Forgive me.
My masters and grandmasters, forgive my insolence.
Forgive me.
You forced me to say those vile things!
You…
Whatever.
I shouldn't have come here.
I guess this is the end of my peaceful days.
Zhuge Qing,
look carefully now.
I knew it.
You're a Qimen sorcerer too.
Zhuge Qing,
you did lose your composure.
You know I am a sorcerer.
So why did you have tunnel vision on me?
Look at the chart.
What's wrong with the chart?
Isn't it a normal…
chart.
Can you see it now?
Unlike sorcerers who seek to find the most advantageous spot,
in this chart,
I embody all positions.
I am both fortune and misfortune.
Time, space,
and the law of elements,
I decide them all.
During our match,
I didn't touch you at all.
But since this space is under my command,
so is your position.
I can attack you from anywhere
and strike your weak spot.
You manipulate the chart with your will.
But the chart
is dictated by time.
You can't possibly manipulate time.
Why not?
Time is but a measurement of evolution.
For someone who remains eternal,
time becomes meaningless.
Manipulating the evolution of all matters
is equivalent to manipulating time.
I can manipulate anything
in this Qimen chart.
From now on,
this space's gravity will be different from the outside world.
It will take this pebble a minute
to fall to the ground.
Is it warm now?
Is the wind blowing another way?
It's almost spring now,
but I can change the temperature and humidity of this place
to resemble summer.
You say a sorcerer selects the most auspicious spot
and is bound by the law of the universe.
I agree.
But it's not entirely true.
Why is your ancestor
considered to be the greatest Outsider to have ever existed?
As a sorcerer of immense power,
did he not foresee the decline of the imperial family?
Did he not know that division brings unity
and unity brings division?
If he wanted to stay at the most auspicious spot,
he should have stayed in his hometown.
With that kind of power,
he could have easily
achieved greater heights.
But he gave up his enlightenment.
Despite the ominous tidings,
he threw himself into mortal affairs
because he wanted
to save the world that was beyond redemption.
He fought the universe and destiny
for the world he believed in.
To attempt the unimaginable.
That's what a sorcerer of his caliber did.
If staying at the most auspicious spot
and following the law of the universe
are what a sorcerer should do,
why should we seek the truth?
Whether we follow the order or not,
whether we are Outsiders or ordinary people,
we are all bound by something,
are we not?
Most Outsiders
hit a wall because of their inner demons.
Your ancestor, Zhuge Liang,
turned away from enlightenment
for the people he cared about.
That is what makes him great.
In my eyes,
Zhuge Liang, Lyu Dongbin,
and Zhang Sanfeng,
these past legendary figures,
are the ones I revere the most.
I lost.
I lost completely.
Taoist Wang,
I surrender.
Wang Ye versus Zhuge Qing.
The winner is
Wang Ye.
Congratulations, Wang Ye.
Don't despair, Qingqing!
It's okay, Qingqing!
Don't worry, Qingqing!
We will always support you!
Taoist Wang.
If I may ask one last question,
what is the name
of your technique?
I have told you enough things.
Don't be greedy now.
You can divine the answer yourself.
But I won't stop you if you court death again.
I didn't expect to see someone like him from Mount Wudang.
How did he escape my notice?
Can I trust you
to recruit Wang Ye
to All-Encompassing Guild?
Chulan,
your next opponent will be Wang Ye.
Goodness me!
There's no way I can defeat him.
Dad, he's so strong.
I can't defeat him.
We can't kidnap him, can we?
Did I teach you nothing at all?
Everyone covets something.
You just need to identify what he is after.
But…
But I don't know him that well.
Use your brain.
What does a Taoist need?
Money, of course.
Only poor people turn to religion.
What's wrong, Baobao?