Jiang Tian didn't react in time and was hit hard in the chest by a punch.
With a "bang," Jiang Tian's body was sent flying backward.
*Pfft...*
A mouthful of blood spewed out. Jiang Tian was still bewildered, wondering when Zhang Ergou had appeared beside him.
He had been keeping an eye on Zhang Ergou the whole time, and his actions hadn't stopped.
Yet, Zhang Ergou had seized an opportunity!
This is unbearable, Jiang Tian thought as he fell backward. But it was too late to undo what had happened.
Not only Jiang Tian, but the disciples watching from below also had their mouths wide open.
"What happened? Why is Jiang Tian spitting blood and falling?"
"You can't even see that? Obviously, he was hit by Zhang Ergou's punch."
"Nonsense, I'm not blind. I mean, when did Zhang Ergou get close to Jiang Tian?"
"Right, when did Zhang Ergou get close to Jiang Tian? Wasn't he wrestling with that black mist?"
Below the stage, the onlookers were also struggling to accept the sudden turn of events. However, their whispers were naturally ignored by others.
The moment Jiang Tian stumbled backward, Zhang Ergou leaped forward and kicked him hard in the chest.
*Pfft!*
*Bang!*
Two consecutive sounds rang out. Jiang Tian, spitting blood, slammed heavily onto the bluestone ground.
Zhang Ergou didn't stop. He grabbed one of Jiang Tian's legs!
"Damn, no way, is Zhang Ergou going to pull that move again?"
The watching disciples clearly remembered the miserable state of Zhuge Wen. Seeing Zhang Ergou pull Jiang Tian's leg again, they all recalled that scene.
As everyone expected, Jiang Tian, already severely injured by Zhang Ergou's punch and kick, was not spared.
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
The sound of him hitting the ground echoed. The hard bluestone ground was even dented into a human-shaped pit.
*Pfft!*
Beaten fiercely, Jiang Tian spewed out another mouthful of blood. The bluestone ground was stained red with blood.
"Zhang Ergou is too ruthless. Remember this: you can provoke others, but you must never provoke Zhang Ergou."
"Too tragic. Jiang Tian can truly become sworn brothers with Zhuge Wen and Zuo Tian in misery. But Zhuge Wen was wise enough to surrender so quickly."
"With Jiang Tian's pride, he naturally wouldn't surrender. So, he can only watch himself be brutally thrown around by Zhang Ergou!"
"Who told them to provoke Zhang Ergou in the first place? Now, looking at Zhang Ergou's strength, he has completely suppressed them."
Earlier, they had thought Zhang Ergou was struggling with the black mist because he was weaker.
Now, seeing Jiang Tian's miserable state, the crowd finally came to their senses. It turned out Zhang Ergou had been playing them all along. Not only had he seen through the black mist's strangeness long ago,
but he had also used the situation to his advantage, deceiving not only the inner disciples watching but also his opponent, Jiang Tian.
His cunning ran deeper than anyone expected.
As that inner disciple had said, it was better to provoke anyone else but Zhang Ergou in the future.
This was not only because of Zhang Ergou's ruthlessness but also because of his forbearance and slyness.
Jiang Tian's body was already distorted from being repeatedly slammed by Zhang Ergou, yet he was unable to voice his pain.
Zhang Ergou's speed surpassed his imagination.
Every time he was about to surrender, Zhang Ergou would toss him high into the air and then slam him down fiercely.
How could this brat have so much strength!
If not for the last bit of spiritual energy protecting him, Jiang Tian would have already fainted from the pain.
The most unbearable situation was this: he couldn't scream, yet he had to endure inhuman pain.
Zhang Ergou continued to slam Jiang Tian tirelessly. He clearly remembered a night before he entered the inner sect.
Jiang Tian, who had suddenly appeared, had cornered him on a small road.
At that time, Jiang Tian, relying on his early Golden Core cultivation, had directly used his power to restrain Zhang Ergou.
Zhang Ergou couldn't exert any strength. He never wanted to experience that helplessness again.
After entering the inner sect, Zhang Ergou cultivated desperately. He accepted all of Chi Yu's training plans without complaint, executing them unconditionally.
He just wanted to improve his strength in the shortest possible time and crush all those who had looked down on him.
For those who had been kind to him, Zhang Ergou silently kept them in his heart, intending to repay them one day.
For those who harbored animosity towards him, his enemies on his path to growth, Zhang Ergou remembered them all.
Although it was said that revenge is best served cold, and a gentleman's revenge takes ten years,
Zhang Ergou's mindset was that any revenge that could be exacted that day should not be postponed until the next, lest the enemy accidentally die.
These days, he pushed himself to exhaustion every day, digging deep into his potential with all his might.
He was waiting for this very day.
Now, the enemy who had resented him and posed a great threat to him was in his hands.
How could Zhang Ergou show mercy?
*Bang, bang, bang...*
The sound of impact on the ground continued to ring out. The disciples watching below had become numb.
"Zhang Ergou, stop! Are you trying to kill him?"
Suddenly, a voice called out. A figure leaped onto the combat stage, reaching out to stop Zhang Ergou's actions.
"Who are you?"
Zhang Ergou looked up, holding Jiang Tian's body with one hand.
The person standing opposite him was startled by his cold gaze.
What kind of look was that?
Ye Yuan felt as if he were being stared at by a ferocious beast.
After asking the question with a blank expression, Zhang Ergou fixed his gaze on Ye Yuan.
Holding Jiang Tian with one hand, he made no further moves.
Ye Yuan felt fortunate that he had stopped Zhang Ergou, but at the same time, he felt uneasy. He was about to fight this person.
Why did he feel a sense of fear towards him?
Zhang Ergou's gaze at this moment was too terrifying. Even Ye Yuan, who had experienced many battles, couldn't quite withstand Zhang Ergou's stare.
He blinked and turned his head away, no longer looking at Zhang Ergou's eyes, and felt the oppressive feeling lessen considerably.
Could this brat truly only have a late Foundation Establishment cultivation as rumored?
Ye Yuan began to doubt the accuracy of the rumors. The pressure he felt from that momentary look from Zhang Ergou was even greater than what he felt when facing the experts ranked higher than him on the inner sect list.
Facing Zhang Ergou personally, he was certain that Zhang Ergou was hiding his true cultivation.
He didn't know what profound technique this brat had used to suppress his cultivation to late Foundation Establishment, and none of them, the watching disciples, could discover it.
He couldn't sense any spiritual energy fluctuations from Zhang Ergou.
Yet, Ye Yuan felt that Zhang Ergou was the most difficult opponent he had ever encountered.
"Ranked ninety-fourth on the inner sect list, disciple of Beast Taming Peak, Ye Yuan. I request your guidance!"
Ye Yuan looked up and said with a forced courage.