69 - A Sect Leader’s Ascension

What does it matter if they boo, can they take away half of Qi Xiu's flesh? As the sect leader led by example, Pan Rong naturally followed suit when he took the stage. He threw out all his talismans and spells in one go. Seeing no effect, he promptly admitted defeat and stepped down, earning even louder boos. Wang Guan watched this and shook his head with a bitter smile. He sighed to Qi Xiu, "Ah, you!" Qi Xiu didn't think it was a big deal. Zhan Yuan, who secretly cared so much about face and knew everyone at the Black River Market, had been mocked to the point of being unable to lift his head—and by familiar faces, no less! There was no need to care about the attitudes of these spectators below. What was the use of pleasing them? Moreover, with the strength of Chu Qin Sect, they were destined not to win their favor. Once Pan Rong stepped down, he reported, "Sect Master Brother, I want to go back and accompany Brother Zhan." Qi Xiu knew they were the closest, so he nodded in agreement. Huang He thought for a moment and decided to go back with Pan Rong. Just then, the situation in the arena shifted. A practitioner from a small sect of Bai Mountain faced off against a practitioner from Grand Harmony Pavilion. Seeing there was no chance of victory, he imitated Qi Xiu's tactic and even took it further, throwing out a device that polluted the opponent's spiritual tool. After succeeding, he immediately conceded defeat, infuriating the Grand Harmony Pavilion practitioner whose tool's grade had been lowered. The more upset he became, the more gleefully the onlookers cheered, a stark contrast to the treatment the Chu Qin Sect received. Even Qi Xiu could only smile wryly at this. Next up was Zhang Shishi. He certainly disdained Qi Xiu's tactics, but luck wasn't on his side. He drew an opponent in the late stage of Qi Training, who was also a familiar face—Zhao Teng from the Zhao family, who had once helped block an entrance for the Chu Qin Sect. "Please." "Please!" After exchanging pleasantries, Zhang Shishi placed the Heavy Earth Shield before him and waved to release the Low-Grade Rank Two Artifact, the Daoist Earth Tower, which he'd bought with spirit stones from selling pigfish, intending to replace the ineffective Heavy Earth Shield in battle. Rank Two artifacts aren't easy to control, requiring a swift decision. As the tower grew larger in the wind, almost reaching the height of two people, Zhang Shishi formed a seal with his hands, and the Daoist Earth Tower, wrapped in external moral and earth spiritual energies, descended upon the opponent with suppressing force. "Great artifact!" Zhao Teng secretly admired, shaking his shoulders as his life shadow emerged, summoning a tree and vine to shield against the tower. A massive green sphere of wood spirit energy rose from the treetop, just holding back the giant tower, while the vine split in two, attacking Zhang Shishi from both sides. Caught off guard, Zhang Shishi blocked one vine with the Heavy Earth Shield, but couldn't handle the other. Zhao Teng, not wanting to make it difficult for him, controlled the vine so it touched Zhang Shishi lightly and then retracted, just enough to make the point. "Brother Zhao, virtuous and martial, I am in admiration." Zhang Shishi conceded without further conflict and descended from the stage politely alongside Zhao Teng. "That Zhao family practitioner has at least two combat innate abilities, and his wood spirit energy is very pure. Your earth spirit energy was naturally countered by him, so losing was within reason," Wang Guan offered his analysis as usual. Zhang Shishi accepted the critique respectfully, although he couldn't hide his disappointment, knowing his competitive spirit was strong. Qi Xiu sighed inwardly. The next contender was Shen Chang, who similarly went on stage, flung some talismans, and then conceded, retreating back to Black River Peak to look for Zhan Yuan. As the first round neared its end, Qi Xiu gradually discerned the lottery's pattern. Not only were practitioners from the same sect not matched against each other, but rarely were the matches evenly matched. This predictability allowed the large sects' practitioners to advance with fewer accidents, surely part of the organizers' plans. "White Sand Gang, Sha Konghe, against Chu Qin Sect, He Yu." With the Grand Harmony Pavilion's proclamation, it was He Yu's turn. His status in the Chu Qin Sect was unmatched, evident from the attention he received. First, Qi Xiu offered him advice, followed by Zhang Shishi, and lastly, Yu Denuo gave him more counsel, only releasing him to the stage at the exhortation of the announcer. Wang Guan watched with a cool gaze, slightly furrowing his brows. After a moment's thought, he held his tongue. Upon taking the stage, He Yu's Chu Qin red robe fluttered lightly in the breeze. He casually held the Tier Two "Water-Nurturing Sword" in his hand. Despite his relaxed stance, his unparalleled charisma immediately drew admiration from the crowd, who thought, "What a figure!" "Heh, pretty boy, watch as I play you to death!" Sha Konghe, crude in both looks and words, instantly drew scorn from the young female cultivators in the audience. He Yu didn't lose his cool, pointing his sword at Sha Konghe with a steady voice, "Please!" "Hmph!" Sha Konghe, at the late stage of Qi Training, noticed that He Yu didn't attack first, contrary to the usual petty tactics of Chu Qin Sect, sensing disdain. This filled him with even more rage. He made a grabbing motion, and a crane claw materialized behind He Yu, aimed at his head. Sha Konghe then spread his arms, summoning the shadow of crane wings, flying toward He Yu with intent to strike. "Good move!" He Yu sent the "Water-Nurturing Sword" hurtling at Sha's main body. Though still unrefined as it was a hastily acquired Rank Two sword, he unleashed an earth spiritual palm strike to clash with the incoming crane claw, dispersing its shadow, before turning to release an "Ice Spike" towards the airborne opponent. Facing the imposing sword, Sha Konghe dared not take it head-on, tracing an elegant arc in the air to dodge. A claw strike dealt with the "Ice Spike," before he flew close, conjuring layers of claw shadows to enshroud He Yu entirely. Unfazed, He Yu activated a "Gold Attribute Defense Shield." The claw shadows clattered against the protective light, rapidly depleting it. Yet, with a flourish, he redirected his incoming sword, aiming it sharply at Sha’s back. "You think I'm afraid to take it head-on?" Roaring, Sha Konghe saw He Yu trapped by the claw shadows and his shield about to fail, deciding to deal with the incoming sword first. With the crane wings disappearing, he landed and threw out a talisman from which a rope of earth spiritual energy sprang to bind the sword tightly. Despite He Yu's attempts to wield the sword, it only quivered in place, unable to advance at all. "Hmph! Just like its master, all style, no substance," Sha exposed He Yu's lack of control over the Rank Two sword, becoming even more brazen as he perceived He Yu's helplessness against the claw shadows. Repeating his move, he enveloped He Yu with even denser layers of claw shadows. Yet He Yu remained composed. As the defense shield threatened to deplete, he drew out another talisman, reinforcing it, simultaneously launching another "Ice Spike," seemingly ready to hold out for much longer. "Reckless fool!" Sha Konghe scoffed, enraged by this Qi Training Stage Five pretty boy's persistence. With disdain, he deflected the ice attack, conjuring spiritual energy that formed swirling white sands on the arena floor. The sandstorm steadily gathered strength, advancing toward He Yu with a howl. Seeing Sha Konghe using a powerful technique, He Yu's heart leapt—"Now is the time!" He placed a hand on the ground and suddenly lifted it. A transparent pillar appeared behind him, neither stone nor jade, neither fluid nor solid. With a sharp gesture, a large "Ice Spike" erupted beneath Sha Konghe’s feet, targeting him squarely. "Bold!" Sha Konghe roared, caught off guard. With lightning reflexes, he invoked the crane wings, soaring upward to evade the killing strike of the ground spike. But He Yu offered no respite, slashing down with a hand to conjure another ice spike in mid-air. Sha Konghe shifted his trajectory but failed to completely evade and was struck on the arm, shattering the crane wings' shadow and crashing to the ground. As he rose, talisman in hand to continue the battle, a third ice spike leveled at his forehead gave him pause. Acknowledging defeat, Sha Konghe withdrew his spiritual techniques and conceded with clarity. Their rapid exchange, with its twists and turns, kept the audience riveted, cheering enthusiastically. The members of Chu Qin Sect beamed with pride, clapping until their hands reddened.