In the Yaochi Fairyland, there was not so much malevolent energy. The sticky blood on their bodies lost its vitality and naturally slid to the ground.
Thus, Xu Mu's face was revealed.
"That... that person isn't Zhou Jie?"
Outside the arena, upon seeing Xu Mu's face clearly, some people's expressions turned visibly blank. Disbelief echoed from all corners of the clouds.
"The one still standing isn't Zhou Jie, it's Jiang family's Mu Xu!"
"Heavens, the one lying on the ground is actually Zhou Jie. He unleashed such terrifying power just now, it even made me break out in a cold sweat. And in the end, he lost, defeated by that Mu Xu!"
"I still can't believe Zhou Jie lost just like that. The top prodigy of the Jialan clan, the strongest of the Ghost Domain's Earth Fiends, didn't even make it into the top sixteen. He was eliminated directly!"
Above the clouds, whispers of gasping in disbelief filled the air. Whether it was the old ancestors of major clans or the elders of sects, none could believe that Zhou Jie had lost the match.
For they had all personally experienced the terrifying energy emanating from that rift in space just moments ago, like a demonic god from ancient times, causing all their souls to tremble in fear.
Although Zhou Jie's strength was not enough to threaten them, it was due to the vast disparity in their cultivation realms. Strength could compensate for any gap in talent, much like a newborn infant, no matter how gifted, could not defeat a simple farmer herding cattle.
But they were not afraid. How could Xu Mu not be afraid? He was only one small realm higher than Zhou Jie. Facing such terrifying power, how did he win?
"Quick, prepare the medical treatment!" The Jialan clan's old ancestor, Jialan Tusu, after a moment of blankness in his mind, slammed his staff down and stood up abruptly. Pointing at Zhou Jie, who lay in a pool of blood within the Yaochi Fairyland, he roared loudly, his eyes bulging with rage.
Beside him, the Jialan clan's middle-aged patriarch was also jolted back to his senses by the roar. His face was pale, and he swallowed hard before speaking with a tremor, "Old Ancestor, it seems we... cannot enter to save him."
Upon hearing this, Jialan Tusu roared furiously again, "Useless! You can't go in, can't you make him come out?!"
The middle-aged man's face contorted. "Old Ancestor, Zhou Jie is likely unconscious now, but his body is still on the battle stage. He hasn't crushed his jade slip, so he hasn't officially been counted as eliminated."
At this moment, the eminent monk and abbot from the Great Thunderclap Temple in the Western Lands also sent a telepathic message to the Jialan ancestor, explaining, "He speaks the truth. Because we cannot ascertain their exact physical condition right now – whether Zhou Jie is feigning unconsciousness, or if Mu Xu, though standing, has sustained any internal injuries – everything is unknown. Therefore, victory or defeat cannot yet be determined."
Jialan Tusu regained some rationality instantly. But when he turned his head again to look at the scene on the battle stage within the Yaochi Fairyland, he immediately became furious once more:
"Isn't the result already obvious!"
Everyone was stunned. Within the Yaochi Fairyland, on the battle stage, Xu Mu was employing the Dao technique of the Kan trigram of the Bagua, using water to thoroughly wash his exposed body, as the blood was too viscous and made him feel disgusted.
Zhou Jie, lying on the ground, unconscious, gradually regained some consciousness after a large amount of water was poured over his head. He moved his fingers first, then used all his strength to move his arms extremely slowly, trying to prop himself up. However, the process was incredibly difficult. Zhou Jie struggled for a long time, managing only to lift his chest a mere two finger widths off the ground.
This distance was erased in the next second by Xu Mu's foot.
*Bang!*
Xu Mu lifted his leg and stomped on Zhou Jie's back. With a *bang*, Zhou Jie was pressed tightly back to the ground, unable to move.
Zhou Jie coughed up blood, his face a mixture of blue, purple, and white. Unable to speak, he could only twitch his right hand, trying to retrieve his jade slip to crush it. However, this movement was also noticed by Xu Mu.
"Stay put!" Xu Mu leaned down, snatched the jade slip from Zhou Jie's palm, then smiled with a pale face, tucking his washed black hair to the sides. He looked at Zhou Jie and said, "You were the one who came looking for me originally. Now that you can't win, you want to run? Is there such a good thing in this world."
Hearing Xu Mu's taunt, Zhou Jie mustered a breath, wanting to retort, but due to his severe injuries, he could not utter a word no matter how he struggled. He could only let out a low groan like a dying beast.
Outside the arena, the Jialan clan's old ancestor watched it all and couldn't help but roar, "Kid, what more do you want!"
"This battle is yours, you win. Now quickly crush the jade slip, move your foot away, and let our clan's prodigy go!"
Inside the Yaochi Fairyland, Xu Mu seemed to hear the faint sounds from outside. He turned sideways and smiled faintly at the source of the voice:
"You want me to let him go just like that, and why should I?"
Jialan Tusu's face turned grim, and he said sternly, "Because I am the old ancestor of the Jialan clan, a Domain Lord at the peak of the fifth stage, with my Dharma Aspect about to be perfected. You are merely a weak ant."
"If you dare to do anything else to my clan's Zhou Jie, I swear, I will make sure you never leave the Divine Land!"
Jialan Tusu's words echoed throughout the Holy City, naturally reaching the ears of every cultivator who had come to attend the Ten Thousand Races Assembly.
"Tsk tsk, the juniors can't win, so the elders jump out to threaten. The Jialan clan, so that's all they are."
"These two juniors are fighting fairly and squarely. The world is watching. Doesn't this act by the Jialan ancestor raise suspicion of manipulating the match?"
"Indeed. If any clan's junior is about to lose, and the father steps forward to yell, telling the opponent to stop or else, arbitrarily influencing fairness – what's the point of holding the Ten Thousand Races Assembly? And why should we, the myriad races, obey such a hundred clans?"
For a time, above the clouds, elders and patriarchs from thousands of factions and clans spoke out in protest, believing the Jialan clan's ancestor's statement was biased and affected the fairness of the match.
Seeing this, the Jialan ancestor realized he had been a bit out of line, and his expression became even more unsightly.
He knew he had made a grave mistake. The reason the myriad races obeyed the hundred clans and recognized the Ten Thousand Races Assembly was because the system was absolutely fair. As long as one had sufficient talent and strength, every faction would have a chance to rise and become one of the new hundred clans or a powerful force.
His words, however, had affected everyone's interests, and this very interest was the cornerstone of the hundred clans' existence and could not be shaken.
On this matter, there absolutely could not be unfairness.
Therefore, the old monk judge from the Western Lands spoke with a solemn expression:
"Please rest assured, all those attending the Ten Thousand Races Assembly, and all the empowered individuals in the hundred clan lands, that the Ten Thousand Races Assembly will be fair and just. The results of the battles within will not be affected by any external influences."
"Jialan ancestor, please retract your words. Otherwise, this old monk will have to exercise his duty as a judge and mete out punishment upon your Jialan clan!"