"Sect Master..." As An Batian's voice fell, Di Renhai's voice immediately rang out.
However, just as Di Renhai uttered the first syllable of "Sect Master," An Batian's voice resounded again: "Peak Lord Di, have I not made my intentions clear enough?"
As An Batian finished speaking, the temperature in the world instantly plummeted by three parts. Di Renhai's voice abruptly ceased.
Who was An Batian? He was the Sect Master of the Azure Hall, the overlord of the Azure Continent.
His words at this moment could be considered the final judgment on this matter. After all, no one present was foolish enough not to have heard Li Xuan and Di Kaiting's wager.
Furthermore, the duel between the two had been witnessed by everyone present. An Batian's ruling now caused many faction leaders to nod in agreement.
"Many thanks to the Sect Master for presiding over the situation. Then, I shall proceed to handle matters within my peak. I presume no one will interfere further?" Luo Kang said, bowing slightly towards the pillar of light where An Batian was located.
"Peak Lord Luo Kang, rest assured, of course not. However, while Di Kaiting may have gone too far, he was indeed momentarily consumed by anger. Furthermore, a disciple with intermediate strength in the Other Shore Realm is not easily cultivated by our Azure Hall."
"To easily cripple his cultivation would be a loss for our Azure Hall as well. Therefore, I implore Peak Lord Luo Kang to reconsider."
An Batian's voice echoed again, this time carrying a hint of a warning.
Luo Kang's expression faltered slightly. He then slowly nodded, his gaze shifting to Di Kaiting, who had already stood up.
Luo Kang pondered for a moment before speaking, "Di Kaiting, I strip you of your identity as a disciple of the Seventh Peak. Do you accept this punishment?"
"Disciple accepts punishment!" Di Kaiting had regained his composure. The instant Luo Kang and Di Renhai clashed, coupled with An Batian's subsequent words, had filled Di Kaiting with immense fear. Seeing Luo Kang expel him from the Seventh Peak, he eagerly nodded in agreement.
"Very well. Then I declare that from this day forward, you, Di Kaiting, are no longer a disciple of my Seventh Peak. However..."
Luo Kang paused for a moment before continuing, "However, before that, there is one more thing you must do. You almost caused Li Xuan to be unable to break through, even risking his life. Therefore, as long as you gain Li Xuan's forgiveness, you may leave my Seventh Peak."
As Luo Kang finished speaking, Li Xuan was stunned. At this moment, Luo Kang was still seeking some form of restitution for him. Li Xuan couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth at Luo Kang's actions.
Di Kaiting's expression flickered. Although a hint of anger simmered within him, at this moment, with his future hanging on Luo Kang's words, he had no choice but to suppress his anger. He then turned to Li Xuan and said, "I apologize."
"With a simple apology, you wish to put this behind us? Hmm, but seeing how pathetic you look, let's just let it go. After all, I wasn't seriously harmed."
Seeing Di Kaiting, despite his clear anger, having to bow and apologize, Li Xuan chuckled. He then waved his hand dismissively, saying, "You may leave now. As for who wishes to keep you, go find them." Luo Kang, realizing Li Xuan did not wish to pursue the matter further, waved Di Kaiting away and moved to re-enter the pillar of light in the sky.
Looking at Li Xuan's indifferent demeanor, Di Kaiting's eyes burned with ever-increasing fury. However, upon hearing Luo Kang's voice, Di Kaiting had no choice but to bow slightly. After Luo Kang vanished, he shot Li Xuan a fierce glare before shooting off into the distance.
Li Xuan paid no mind to Di Kaiting's gaze. Having now broken through to the intermediate stage of the Other Shore Realm, he no longer feared Di Kaiting. He then bowed slightly to Duan Yazhi before descending towards where Su Yueze and the others were gathered.
"Heh heh, fifth disciple, you're truly something else, actually causing disputes among these prominent figures. But Di Kaiting's World-Destroying Samsara Array was indeed very powerful." As Li Xuan landed, Song Wuwen immediately stepped forward with a smile.
"This was indeed Di Kaiting's lack of foresight. However, for fifth disciple to have broken through again, it truly makes us feel ashamed. Perhaps in some time, fifth disciple will even surpass us." Su Yueze said with a smile, a hint of emotion in his words.
"Senior Disciple Brother, I, Li Xuan, will always be your fifth disciple!" Li Xuan declared, cupping his fists.
"Hahaha, that can't be changed. Who told you, fifth disciple, that you joined the sect after us?" Song Wuwen clapped Li Xuan on the shoulder and burst into laughter.
As Li Xuan withdrew, Duan Yazhi once again stood in the center of the arena. He cupped his fists and surveyed the surroundings, saying,
"My apologies for the amusement, everyone. Now, let us begin the second round of matches. The remaining sixteen individuals will draw numbers to determine their opponents, just like in the first round. After deliberation, this second round of matches will proceed simultaneously. Furthermore, there can only be a winner and a loser in these matches. Now, begin drawing your numbers."
As Duan Yazhi finished speaking, he waved his hand, and a beam of light appeared above Li Xuan, Su Yueze, and the others. Within it, sixteen orbs of light materialized.
Seeing this, Li Xuan and the others waved their hands, each retrieving an orb of light.
"Mine is number two," Su Yueze said, glancing at his.
"Mine is number four," Chai Jingyuan also stated.
Song Wuwen looked at his, his expression darkening slightly. He then looked at Chai Jingyuan and said, "Second Senior Disciple Brother, I'm the same as you, number four."
Li Xuan immediately understood why Song Wuwen's expression had changed. However, Li Xuan could also empathize. After all, in the first round, it had been a stroke of great luck that the five disciples from their master's lineage had not been paired against each other. With the number of participants halved, the probability of them facing each other naturally increased.
"Mine is number five. By the way, third senior disciple brother, what's your number?" Li Xuan asked He Xidong, glancing at the number in his hand. After all, only He Xidong had yet to announce his number.
As Li Xuan finished speaking, Su Yueze and the others' expressions froze. Li Xuan felt a sense of foreboding.
At this moment, He Xidong let out a hearty laugh and said, "Fifth disciple, your senior disciple brother lost in the first round. So, the rest of the competition is up to you all."
Li Xuan's expression grew solemn. He nodded firmly, "Understood!"
With that, Li Xuan moved instantly, shooting towards the fifth arena that had already appeared among the eight arenas in the sky.
Stopping, Li Xuan looked down at He Xidong with a hint of apology in his eyes. After all, he had not been present during He Xidong's match.
As if sensing Li Xuan's gaze, He Xidong smiled freely and then clenched his fist towards Li Xuan as a gesture of encouragement. Li Xuan nodded and slowly shifted his gaze to the opponent who had also arrived at the arena.
"Li Xuan, I advise you to surrender directly. Although you won your wager against Di Kaiting and broke through to the intermediate stage of the Other Shore Realm, your strength is likely not yet fully consolidated. Furthermore, do you think that with your intermediate Other Shore Realm strength, you can still win against me through sheer luck?"
Upon seeing Li Xuan's gaze shift, Gong Junfeng spoke.
As Gong Junfeng's voice fell, his aura instantly surged. A powerful pressure bore down on Li Xuan. Li Xuan raised an eyebrow at this. His opponent was a cultivator at the advanced stage of the Other Shore Realm.
"You're a disciple from the Second Peak, aren't you?" Li Xuan asked slowly.
"Heh heh, I, Gong Junfeng, am now a disciple of the Seventh Peak. Li Xuan, I'll give you three breaths of time to voluntarily surrender, and I'll even preserve some of your dignity!"
Gong Junfeng chuckled at this. After the incident with Di Kaiting, Gong Junfeng knew how to read the situation. He immediately revealed his current affiliation and then looked at Li Xuan.
Although Di Kaiting, with his intermediate Other Shore Realm strength, had lost to Li Xuan, that duel had been a wager of only one move.
"Whether I can win or not, we'll know after we fight? Also, your three breaths of time are up." Li Xuan said with a smile. He then moved his mind, and the spiritual energy in his divine mansion began to circulate rapidly.
Gong Junfeng's expression also turned serious. He slowly said, "In that case, do not blame me for not giving you an opportunity."
Unlike Luo Kang's displeasure, Gong Junfeng had chosen to contend for the position of Saint Son. He said no more, carrying a terrifying oppressive aura, and charged towards Li Xuan. In his attack, he showed no restraint.
Clearly, Gong Junfeng had decided from the outset that by quickly defeating Li Xuan, he could preserve his strength and also allow Luo Kang to see the gap between himself and Li Xuan.
"Mountain Collapse!"
"Invincible Fist!"
Li Xuan and Gong Junfeng showed no mercy. As their figures collided, both unleashed a punch at the other.
Bang!
After their initial exchange, they both recoiled and threw another punch.
Bang bang bang!
Two afterimages rapidly intertwined in the sky. Their speed increased, and the sharp fist winds that occasionally leaked out were so potent that the space could barely withstand them, with cracks quickly appearing.
Concurrently, on the other seven arenas, pairs of contestants also began to engage. For a time, countless beams of spiritual light flashed, making it impossible to look away.
The contestants remaining at this stage were all exceptional individuals, and each of them was not weak. As these terrifying auras emanated, even the main peak of the Azure Hall began to tremble.
Just as Duan Yazhi was struggling to regain control of the situation, a beam of spiritual light shot down from the pillar of light high in the sky. The surrounding collapsing space instantly reverted to normal. The Azure Hall's main peak below also stabilized.
"These individuals' strengths are not low, and this is merely a contest among the disciples of one peak. If all the disciples from the seven peaks of the Azure Hall were to emerge, one can only imagine the spectacle."
"This battle is still only for the Seventh Peak's Saint Son position. The upcoming challenge for the Seven Saints and Ten Virtuous Ones will be even more exciting. Tsk, seeing these disciples' battles, my old bones are starting to itch."
"If only these disciples were all within my sect."
"..."
As the battles in the sky intensified, the leaders of the various factions watching from the surroundings also nodded and commented.
On the fifth arena, as the battle escalated, Gong Junfeng began to feel a sense of shock. Li Xuan's strength grew stronger with each passing moment. Moreover, Gong Junfeng discovered that as he fought Li Xuan, Li Xuan's aura was gradually stabilizing.
"Damn it! He's using me as a training dummy!" With a rapid shift in his thoughts, Gong Junfeng suddenly realized. He cursed under his breath and, using the recoil from a punch, retreated several steps.
"Why did you stop?" Li Xuan asked, with a look of unfulfilled enjoyment, as Gong Junfeng retreated, his face filled with anger.
"I didn't expect to fall for your trick. After fighting with you for so long, your realm must have stabilized by now. Even so, do you think you can fight above your level just because your physical body is a bit stronger!"
Gong Junfeng snorted, displeased at being used as a sparring partner by Li Xuan. Furthermore, from their previous exchanges, Gong Junfeng had realized that Li Xuan's physique was extremely powerful.
However, Gong Junfeng did not feel too much pressure about this. As long as he kept his distance from Li Xuan, he was confident of victory.
"You actually discovered it. In that case, since we've had our warm-up, can we officially begin?" Li Xuan said, scratching the back of his head with a candid expression.
Seeing this, Gong Junfeng became somewhat agitated. He knew that if he continued to waste words with Li Xuan, his state of mind would be affected. He decided to stop speaking and his spiritual energy surged out from his divine mansion.
"Five Peaks Shattering Yuan!"