Everyone perked up, ready to hear Zhang Ergou's answer.
"Elder, hurry up and start! Everyone has already placed their bets!" Zhang Ergou shouted directly towards the main stage.
*Pfft!*
Sounds of spitting blood echoed...
This guy was truly a dog, the elder presiding over the platform next to the combat arena had a vein throbbing on his forehead!
Chunyang Sanren and Qiao Yunyan also had veins throbbing. How had they not noticed this brat was so unreliable before?
To be so disrespectful in front of an inner sect elder!
Chi Yu also cast a curious glance. Although the little fatty Xiong Bao and others had made their bets loudly before, they hadn't attracted the attention of the elders on the main stage.
Zhang Ergou's shout had indeed caused a stir.
"Whose disciple is that brat?" Tian Dao Lao Ren also looked over, his sharp gaze seeming to pierce through Zhang Ergou.
Hmm?
Tian Dao Lao Ren's heart stirred. He hadn't realized it until now, but this little娃娃 was quite interesting...
"Senior Brother, that brat is my junior brother's unworthy disciple!" Chunyang Sanren stood up and cupped his fists towards Tian Dao Lao Ren.
"Indeed! The little fellow is rather interesting." Tian Dao Lao Ren nodded slightly, then smiled at Zhang Ergou.
The elders present were all shaken. Tian Dao Lao Ren had never evaluated anyone like this before. Despite the many incredibly talented individuals who had emerged from the Misty Sect over the years, none had ever received such an appraisal from him.
Chunyang Sanren and Qiao Yunyan exchanged a look, and in perfect synchronicity, said nothing further.
Tian Dao Lao Ren's cultivation had reached the mid-Nascent Soul stage, and his insight was naturally beyond that of ordinary people.
...
"Yuheng of Qiuyang Peak versus Wei Chen of Xiayang Peak, the match begins now!" As the presiding elder's voice fell.
The two individuals already prepared on the combat stage had assumed their stances.
Yuheng was seen forming hand seals, and an earth dragon rapidly emerged from the ground, charging directly towards Wei Chen.
On the opposite side, Wei Chen did not panic. Instead, he remained calm and composed. Zhang Ergou could even see a hint of disdain in his eyes.
Although he had been defeated by Zhang Ergou before, Wei Chen had certainly not wasted his years of cultivation. The moment Yuheng's earth dragon left the ground,
Wei Chen made his move.
A sharp glint flashed in Wei Chen's eyes. He clasped his hands together and shouted, "Wood Spirit Sword!"
A fierce sword aura materialized out of thin air, heading straight for the earth dragon's neck.
*Roar!*
The earth dragon let out a reluctant roar and instantly disintegrated into dust. The imposing and majestic earth dragon had been extinguished before it could even unleash its full power.
This left the spectators on the viewing platform in a state of shock!
"When did Wei Chen get so powerful? Did he go into secluded cultivation after being defeated by Zhang Ergou?"
"Yeah, I've fought Yuheng's Earth Dragon Art before, and it wasn't this easily defeated?" Wang Teng scratched his head, bewildered.
"Could it be that the two of them planned this, and Yuheng intentionally lost to Wei Chen so we'd all lose our spirit stones?" Xiao Qingyu said, feigning cleverness.
"Are you stupid? This concerns the chance to enter the inner sect. No matter how good their relationship, they wouldn't do this. Besides, Yuheng is a cultivation fanatic and very concerned with his reputation. How could he intentionally lose to Wei Chen!"
Lu Xiaoyu rolled her eyes at Xiao Qingyu, dismissing his explanation with disdain.
"Junior Brother Ergou, what do you think?" Wang Teng, seeing that no one could figure it out, turned to Zhang Ergou again.
Zhang Ergou glanced at Lin Yichen. Lin Yichen gave him a look that said, "Just as you thought."
Zhang Ergou cleared his throat. "Actually, it's very simple. You're all just being deceived by the two of them..."
As everyone once again perked up their ears, ready to listen, they saw Zhang Ergou open his mouth, but no sound came out.
"What is it? Zhang Ergou, spit it out!"
Xiao Qingyu urged anxiously.
"Heh heh, Senior Brother Xiao, what kind of technique do you think Yuheng cultivates?"
"Earth element techniques! As a disciple with earth element spiritual roots, why wouldn't Yuheng cultivate earth element techniques? Would he cultivate something else?" Xiao Qingyu looked at Zhang Ergou as if he were an idiot.
"And what about Wei Chen?" Zhang Ergou continued to ask.
"Wood element techniques. So what? Is it just because of that?" Xiao Qingyu still didn't quite understand.
"Senior Brother Lin, I think Senior Brother Xiao's brain isn't working very well. Is there any questionable quality to your outer sect's top ten?" Zhang Ergou looked at Xiao Qingyu speechlessly.
Lin Yichen looked at Xiao Qingyu and said lightly, "Perhaps Xiao Qingyu's head was smashed by his two big hammers when he was cultivating!"
"Lin Yichen, you bastard! Don't think you're better than me and say I'm stupid! Your head was the one smashed by a hammer!" Xiao Qingyu glared angrily at Lin Yichen.
"See, you can still understand when I call you stupid. It seems you weren't hit too badly," Lin Yichen shrugged, completely ignoring Xiao Qingyu's threatening glare.
While they were joking, the battle between the two on stage had reached a fever pitch.
Yuheng's expression was solemn as he conjured one earth wall after another, rising from the combat stage to surround Wei Chen.
"See, I told you Wei Chen wouldn't last long! Hahaha!" Xiao Qingyu laughed heartily, then smugly glanced at Zhang Ergou and Lin Yichen.
As soon as he spoke, the situation on the combat stage took a drastic turn.
Green plants began to slowly grow from the surface of the combat stage. All of this happened gradually, and even Yuheng, who was engaged in the battle, did not notice it.
By the time he did notice, it was already too late...
The earth walls surrounding Wei Chen were shattered by the rapidly growing plants.
*Pfft!*
Yuheng spat out a mouthful of blood. Clearly, his technique had been broken, and he had suffered a backlash, sustaining a serious injury.
"Why did Yuheng spit blood?"
Although the people on the viewing platform understood that Yuheng had suffered a backlash, they were momentarily confused as to why Wei Chen, who was supposedly trapped, was fine.
Instead, Yuheng, who appeared to have the upper hand, was bleeding.
"It's over!" Lin Yichen said calmly and then closed his eyes.
"Uh? So Wei Chen is trapped and has no power to counterattack?" To this day, Xiao Qingyu still believed Wei Chen was at a disadvantage.
"Alas, I truly don't know how you cultivated to this point!" Zhang Ergou shook his head.
"Look at their feet!"
Xiao Qingyu followed the direction Zhang Ergou pointed: "Holy cow, since when can the blue stones on the combat stage grow plants?"
*Ah!* Zhang Ergou no longer wanted to deal with this guy!
"Senior Brother Yu, it's still not too late to surrender!" Wei Chen's calm voice echoed from the center of the earth walls.
"Hmph!" Yuheng snorted coldly and continued to form hand seals.
However, his pale complexion clearly indicated that he was at the end of his rope.
The continuous use of powerful techniques had significantly depleted his spiritual energy.
"I underestimated you, Junior Brother Wei!" Yuheng snorted coldly, his hand seals unwavering.
"It's no use, Senior Brother Yu!" Wei Chen said indifferently, clearly possessing inexplicable confidence in his technique.
Perhaps against others, Wei Chen wouldn't be so confident, but against the earth element user Yuheng, he had a natural advantage.
"Surrender..." Wei Chen's voice rang out again, like a spell.