I took my stance, focusing Qi into my Half-Dragon Meridians. I knew this would be a difficult fight. But I had a secret. I had the System. And I had the Dao of Strangeness.
My first fight in the biggest cultivation tournament in the Eastern Tian Xuan Continent was about to begin. I couldn't wait to see how many Strangeness Points I could get from this.
The referee, an old cultivator with a gray beard, raised his hand high. The cheers in the arena subsided into tense whispers. I could feel the gaze of thousands of eyes on me, awaiting the actions of this 'Strange Jade-Faced Cultivator'. Wang Lei, from the Sky Sword Sect, looked at me from the participant area with a cynical smile.
"Begin!" shouted the referee, his hand sweeping down.
Instantly, Zhao Wu, from the Stone Clan, lunged forward. He was a large man, and his movements, though not as fast as Wang Lei's, were incredibly powerful and direct. He condensed Qi into his fist, and his fist glowed with an earthy yellow light. This was 'Heavy Earth Punch', a basic Stone Clan technique known for its brutal power.
BOOM!
The punch shot towards me with surprising speed, splitting the air. I could feel the pressure of the wind. Damn it! This is no joke!
I didn't have time to think. My instincts screamed to dodge. I focused Qi into my legs, activating 'Unexpected Steps'. I jumped sideways, but not with graceful movements. I slipped a little, making me look like I was doing a panicked salsa dance, then managed to dodge at the last second. Zhao Wu's punch hit the stage, leaving a faint crack on the black stone floor.
[Detection: User successfully dodges a deadly attack with highly unconventional movements. Collecting Strangeness Points from absurd agility...]
[+10 Strangeness Points.]
My Strangeness Points soared to 281.
The crowd gasped. They probably expected me to shatter into pieces. Zhao Wu himself stared at me with wide eyes. "You... you dodged it? With movements like that?"
"That was the 'Soul-Evading Salsa Step'!" I said seriously, trying to catch my breath. "Very effective for confusing enemies!"
[Detection: User successfully confuses the enemy with an absurd technique name. Collecting Strangeness Points from adorable confusion...]
[+15 Strangeness Points.]
My Strangeness Points soared to 296.
Zhao Wu growled. "Nonsense! You just got lucky!" He lunged forward again, this time unleashing a series of faster and stronger punches. Each punch carried the power of a mountain, shaking the stage.
I dodged, jumped, and rolled, using a combination of 'Unexpected Steps' and strange Shaolin movements. Sometimes I would intentionally slip, making Zhao Wu lose focus, then I would jump back with an unexpected movement.
Long'er, from the participant area, looked at me with a faint smile. Li Hua beside her looked pale. Wang Lei looked at me with an increasingly disgusted expression.
"What is he doing?" whispered a disciple in the crowd. "He... he's fighting like a clown!"
"But he managed to dodge it!" another retorted. "Zhao Wu can't hit him at all!"
I started to feel tired. Zhao Wu's strength was immense, and although I could dodge, I couldn't effectively counterattack. I needed an idea.
System, I need something to make Zhao Wu stop attacking. Something... unusual.
[Detection: User requires a non-conventional method to stop an attack. Collecting Strangeness Points from urgent need...]
[+8 Strangeness Points.]
My Strangeness Points soared to 304.
I opened the System Shop. I had 304 Strangeness Points. I looked for something that could stop Zhao Wu.
[Dragon Foot Odor Pill (Disposable)]
Price: 50 Strangeness Points
Description: A pill that, when thrown, will emit an extremely foul odor, equivalent to the smell of a dragon's foot that hasn't been washed for a thousand years. Effective for diversion and making enemies vomit. Not lethal, but very disgusting.
[Sticky Spider Web (Disposable)]
Price: 70 Strangeness Points
Description: A web made of sticky spiritual Qi. Can temporarily trap enemies. Not very strong, but very annoying.
Dragon Foot Odor Pill! This is it! Perfect for my Dao of Strangeness! This will surely generate a lot of points!
"I'll buy Dragon Foot Odor Pill!" I said inwardly.
My Strangeness Points decreased to 254. A small black pill appeared in my hand. The smell... it was already faintly noticeable, and it was not pleasant.
Zhao Wu lunged forward again, launching another powerful punch. I pretended to slip and fall right in front of him. Zhao Wu, unprepared for my ridiculous movement, hesitated slightly. That's when I threw the Dragon Foot Odor Pill at him.
Splat!
The pill hit his chest. Instantly, a blackish-green cloud of gas exploded from the pill, emitting a smell that was... truly horrendous. It was like a mixture of rotten garbage, stale socks, and... yes, a dragon's foot that hadn't been washed for a thousand years.
Zhao Wu gasped. His face, which had been angry, now turned pale, then green. He staggered backward, his hands covering his nose.
"What... what is this smell?!" he shouted, his voice choked. "This... this is disgusting!"
The entire arena fell silent. Then, the smell spread. Spectators in the front rows began to frown, then covered their noses. Some people even started to vomit. The referee looked pale.
[Detection: User successfully uses a highly unorthodox and disgusting method to defeat the enemy. Collecting Strangeness Points from mass disgust reaction...]
[+50 Strangeness Points.]
My Strangeness Points soared to 304. This is it! Big points!
Zhao Wu, now enveloped in a cloud of foul odor, couldn't focus. He stumbled, trying to escape the smell.
Now!
I focused Qi into my leg, then launched a mini version of 'Heaven-Opening Punch'. I kicked Zhao Wu right in his backside.
Whoosh! THUD!
Zhao Wu, who had already lost his balance due to the smell, was thrown backward, falling off the stage with a loud thud.
The referee, still covering his nose, could barely speak. "Zhao Wu... fell... off the stage! The winner... Chen Ming!"
The cheers in the arena mixed with sounds of vomiting and coughing. Some people were still covering their noses, but others were laughing hysterically.
Wang Lei looked at me from the participant area, his face pale and his eyes wide. He was speechless. Long'er, on the other hand, looked at me, then let out a long sigh, but I could see a very wide smile on her lips.
I smiled proudly, though I was also a little nauseous from the smell. I did it! I won my first fight! In the most absurd way!
[Detection: User successfully wins the first fight in the tournament with a highly unconventional and disgusting method. Collecting Strangeness Points from absurd victory...]
[+30 Strangeness Points.]
My Strangeness Points soared to 334.
I stepped forward, bowing towards the crowd. "Thank you! Don't worry, I have more strange techniques up my sleeve!"
The referee, who now looked a little better, gestured for me to leave the stage. I walked back to the participant area, passing Wang Lei who was still in shock.
"You... you're crazy," Wang Lei whispered, his face still a little green.
I just smiled at him. "That's the highest compliment, Sir Wang Lei. See you in the next round!"
Long'er looked at me, then shook her head. "You... you are truly unpredictable, Chen Ming. But... it worked."
I knew this was just the beginning. I still had many fights ahead. And I couldn't wait to see how many Strangeness Points I could get from this tournament.