“Ding!”

“Five disciples have advanced to the fifth round. Epic Quest completion at 40%. Host receives 20 contribution points.”

“Ding!”

“Sect Contribution Points: 92/500.”

Jun Changxiao said, “The fifth round is about to start. Including the zone finals, semifinals, and final match, that’s only four more matches. It seems the disciples need to sweep the top three positions for completion to reach 100%.”

The System said, “Correct.”

Before long, the fourth round battles concluded.

Of the thirty-two participants, half were eliminated while the other half advanced.

The sect tournament had reached a fever pitch, because the disciples from various sects remaining in the victor’s area all possessed formidable strength.

Numerous martial artists were also speculating how many participants would reveal their true strength in the upcoming rounds.

After a brief rest, the referee called out, “Fifth round, first match: Li Qingyang versus Sun Haotian!”

“Swish!”

“Swish!”

Li Qingyang and Sun Haotian successively took the stage.

The two clasped hands in salute. The moment the referee shouted “begin,” they instantly clashed.

This opponent’s strength was somewhat formidable. Li Qingyang didn’t achieve a swift victory but instead engaged in prolonged combat.

“Bang! Bang!”

Fists, feet, and spiritual power filled the air.

The two fought with great visual appeal, and the spectating martial artists watched with relish.

Exactly.

They’d come all this way to watch excellent talents duel—if every battle ended swiftly, what fun would there be!

“Bang! Bang!”

In a short time, Sun Haotian had exchanged over twenty moves with Li Qingyang, but the more he fought, the more his heart sank.

Because that guy not only had spiritual power protection but also high physical strength. Each clash made his arms go numb from the shock.

Though Li Qingyang and the other three weren’t as extreme as Xiao Zuiji, they also spent five or six hours daily in the Sculpting Room. Their physical strength was naturally high—otherwise, how could they repeatedly achieve swift victories and eliminate opponents?

Since Xiao Zuiji hadn’t opened his meridians, he could only take the extreme route of strengthening his physical body.

The three of them, however, developed both spiritual power and physical body comprehensively.

“Bang!”

Finally, after dozens more exchanges, Sun Haotian could no longer sustain himself and was blasted off the battle stage by Li Qingyang.

“Fifth round, first match, victor: Li Qingyang!”

…

Next to fight was Lu Qianqian, and her opponent was still mercilessly swept away.

This woman hadn’t gone to the Training Room at all, always cultivating in the Spiritual Energy Array. In just a few days, her energy vortex had gathered tremendous spiritual energy.

Li Qingyang relied on combining spiritual power and physical body to defeat opponents, while she relied on pure spiritual power to resolve them.

Su Xiaomo and Tian Qi, who took the stage later, also relied on the dual explosive power of spiritual energy and physical body to knock their opponents off the stage one by one.

The battle process was slower—they didn’t achieve swift victories—but from their performance, they achieved suppression in every aspect.

Even more remarkable was this:

Many experts present couldn’t accurately estimate their true cultivation levels!

“These Tiegu Sect disciples still haven’t gone all out.”

“Perhaps the opponents are too weak, insufficient to make them truly burst forth with their cultivation.”

“How could a ninth-tier sect cultivate such excellent disciples?”

Numerous powerful experts were puzzled, all looking toward Jun Changxiao on the high platform.

This rookie who seemed to only be at the Meridian Opening level could cultivate Su Xiaomo and Tian Qi, youths with mediocre aptitude—truly incredible!

“Too strong.”

“The pressure is immense…”

Those participants who’d advanced all furrowed their brows upon seeing Li Qingyang and the others defeat opponents without breaking a sweat.

At this point, if they still regarded the Tiegu Sect disciples as soft persimmons, they’d truly be idiots.

The martial artists on the spectator platform were utterly devastated.

With the Tiegu Sect disciples advancing round after round, they’d thought they were perhaps the biggest dark horse of the sect tournament.

Now it seemed they truly had the strength!

“All three zones have one disciple entering the zone finals. If any one of them wins, it would create a new record for a ninth-tier sect disciple entering the semifinals!”

“The zone finals opponents will definitely all be at Wutu level, possibly even beyond first rank. No matter how strong they are, they won’t advance.”

As everyone discussed, the referee called out, “Fifth round, seventh match: Xiao Linye versus Xiao Zuiji!”

“It’s coming.”

Jun Changxiao’s expression became grave.

All along Xiao Zuiji’s path, the opponents he’d defeated were all at the Meridian Opening stage—nothing worth mentioning. The Wutu-level Xiao Linye was the true test!

“It’s starting!”

“Cousin Linye has been cultivating at Absolute Sound Valley these past months. His strength must have improved significantly. That guy better prepare to be abused!”

The Xiao family heirs came “alive” again.

Though Xiao Zuiji had luckily defeated opponents consecutively, dealing them psychological blows, encountering Xiao Linye meant his good luck had ended.

Still using “luck” to console themselves at this point—this group of Xiao family heirs was beyond saving.

“Hmph.”

On the high platform, a Xiao family elder said coldly, “Though he won the previous rounds, encountering Linye means it ends prematurely.”

The Xiao family had great confidence in Xiao Linye. After all, he’d already entered Wutu and cultivated at Absolute Sound Valley for several months.

“That Xiao Linye from the Xiao family is a championship favorite in this sect tournament. Xiao Zuiji’s dark horse run is about to end.”

“I heard this Xiao family heir also had decent aptitude but was always overshadowed by Xiao Zuiji, only turning things around after the other became a waste.”

“Exactly. In previous years, people called him ‘Xiao Zuiji’s cousin’ and rarely mentioned his name.”

As Xiao Linye walked onto the stage and heard the discussions, his eyes gradually filled with coldness.

The title “Xiao Zuiji’s cousin” had tormented him like a nightmare five years ago. No matter how excellently he performed, he’d always lived in Xiao Zuiji’s shadow.

Unconvinced, unwilling!

So he cultivated even harder. Finally, one day, through unrelenting effort… his cousin became a cripple and he could emerge.

“Step.”

Xiao Zuiji mounted the stage.

“Cousin, I’ll defeat you before everyone’s eyes and let everyone know my name is Xiao Linye, not ‘Xiao Zuiji’s cousin.'” Xiao Linye said with a cold face.

Xiao Zuiji said, “You can’t.”

The martial artists on the spectator platform looked at him, looked at the pride emanating from between his brows, and for a moment, seemed to see that genius from five years ago—infinitely magnificent, astonishingly brilliant!

Xiao Linye’s gaze turned cold and stern, “You haven’t even opened your meridians—what right do you have to say I can’t!”

“Can’t means can’t,” Xiao Zuiji said.

“Crack!”

Xiao Linye clenched both fists, fury igniting.

He was actually quite calm normally, but facing Xiao Zuiji, whom he’d once lived in the shadow of, his emotions became somewhat difficult to control.

“Begin!” said the referee.

“Swish!”

The moment the words fell, Xiao Linye, carrying his fury, charged forward using movement techniques, his hands forming seals, instantly executing countless palm strikes.

“Thousand-Hand Avalokitesvara Palm!”

“Absolute Sound Valley’s Low-Grade Mid-Tier martial technique!”

An expert exclaimed in shock.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!—” In an instant, countless palm strikes bombarded from different positions, hitting Xiao Zuiji’s body, yet he still stood firm like a boulder, unmoving.

“This…”

The martial artists on the spectator platform’s mouths twitched.

That Xiao family heir was a Wutu and even used a mid-tier palm technique, yet couldn’t make him retreat a single step—his physical body was terrifyingly strong!

“Swish!” Xiao Linye’s palm became a fist, bombarding at extreme speed with force of at least twenty-five hundred pounds.

Unfortunately, when it struck Xiao Zuiji’s chest, there was only a “bang,” and he still didn’t move an inch.

“Damn it!”

Xiao Linye knew his physical body was strong, but hadn’t expected that in actual combat, it would be strong enough that even using martial techniques could barely shake him!

Xiao Zuiji said, “Cousin once taught you that in combat with others, you mustn’t be impatient, and mustn’t let your mental state become chaotic. It seems you’ve long forgotten.”

“A waste has no right to teach me!” Xiao Linye roared with a twisted face, his other fist carrying thousands of pounds of force bombarding over.

“Swish!”

Xiao Zuiji dodged, and moreover, dodged with just a single sidestep.

Many experts exclaimed in admiration.

Xiao Linye’s strike missed. He executed the Thousand-Hand Avalokitesvara Palm again, launching an airtight attack, but no matter how he struck, he couldn’t shake Xiao Zuiji.

On the high platform.

The Xiao family Great Elder’s expression grew increasingly ugly, the killing intent in his eyes growing stronger.

He could see that Xiao Linye couldn’t shake Xiao Zuiji, his mental state had become chaotic. If he continued fighting, something would eventually go wrong.

Sure enough.

As Xiao Zuiji withstood the palm strikes, he sidestepped again, raising his fist from the side to strike Xiao Linye’s elbow joint.

The elbow joint allowed the arm greater flexibility, but was also most fragile.

One punch landed, and though it didn’t dislocate, it brought Xiao Linye intense pain. He hastily covered his elbow and retreated several steps.

Xiao Zuiji said, “You have an injury here.”

Yes.

While cultivating at Absolute Sound Valley, Xiao Linye had injured his arm. Though it wasn’t serious, it was ultimately a hidden danger.

“He discovered it…” His face became even more twisted.

Xiao Zuiji shook his head, “Fighting with an injury, you’re even less my match. You should get off the stage quickly.”

Damn it!

Is he looking down on me?

Unforgivable, unforgivable!

Xiao Linye clenched both fists, spiritual power flooding into them, and charged forward again using movement techniques.

In an instant, air currents surged, blowing away the surrounding dust!

Xiao Zuiji no longer used his physical body to withstand strikes, retreating step by step, dodging attacks step by step, while simultaneously finding openings to strike at his hand joints.

Though Xiao Linye deliberately protected them, he was occasionally hit. The injury that originally wasn’t serious gradually worsened, sending waves of piercing pain.

From the combat situation, he was still pressing Xiao Zuiji in attack, but in the eyes of experts, his striking speed had slowed considerably compared to before.

…

“Xiao Zuiji’s physical body is too strong. If the Xiao family heir can’t achieve effective attacks, he’ll eventually put himself at a disadvantage.”

“His body is hard to this degree—shaking it is difficult unless using weapons.”

“Sect tournaments have never allowed participants to use weapons. In my view, this Xiao family heir is in danger.”

“Tsk tsk, without opening meridians, able to withstand a Wutu—truly terrifying!”

“Look, several Xiao family elders’ faces have turned green with anger.”

“A monster who’s tempered his physical body to this degree, yet was expelled by the Xiao family—of course they’re angry, of course they’re green.”

Many powerful experts discussed while watching the battle.

On the high platform, the several Xiao family elders’ expressions constantly changed, fury flooding their bodies.

They couldn’t accept that the waste expelled from the family could fight the fully cultivated Xiao Linye evenly, because… you understand.

Evenly?

The Xiao family elders were thinking too naively.

Xiao Zuiji kept seeking openings, mercilessly striking Xiao Linye’s elbow joint, making him increasingly painful, his technique combinations becoming increasingly chaotic.

Even ordinary martial artists could see that the Xiao family heir was struggling more and more.

“Bang!”

Suddenly, Xiao Zuiji’s heavy fist struck Xiao Linye’s elbow joint again.

With a “crack,” Xiao Linye immediately grimaced and retreated several steps, pain making cold sweat pour from his forehead.

“Swish!”

Xiao Zuiji strode forward, circled to his back, pressed his back against the other’s, reached back to grasp his neck, and executed a beautiful over-the-shoulder throw.

“Thud!”

Xiao Linye fell heavily to the ground, his face extremely twisted.

“It’s over,” numerous experts said, shaking their heads.

This outcome had been determined from the moment Xiao Linye’s elbow joint injury was discovered.

Over? Not yet!

After throwing Xiao Linye down, Xiao Zuiji grasped his neck with one hand and said lightly, “Remember, your brother will always be your brother. Even if he becomes a waste, he’s not someone you can defile.”

“Bang! Bang!”

His right fist carried powerful wind, bombarding down again and again.

In just moments, the originally proud Xiao Linye, who’d been placed with such high hopes, was beaten as miserably as Bei Qian.

Jun Changxiao shrugged, “Championship favorite? Just garbage.”

“…”

The Great Red Gate elder’s mouth twitched.

A disciple who hadn’t opened his meridians beating a Xiao family genius like this—impressed, deeply impressed!

“Bang!”

Suddenly, a tremendous sound rang in his ears, nearly making him fall from his seat in shock.

The Great Red Gate elder hastily turned to look and saw smoke rising from the toy in the Tiegu Sect Leader’s hand. In the direction it pointed, a hole had been pierced through the distant high platform wall!

The massive gunshot shocked the martial artists on the spectator platform.

They all looked over and saw Jun Changxiao raising an object. On the opposite side, the Xiao family Great Elder stood before his chair with a shocked face, the hole in the wall less than half a meter from him.

“The Sect Leader fired his gun?”

Li Qingyang and Su Xiaomo were extremely surprised.

“What was that sound just now?”

“It sounded like firecrackers!”

Everyone discussed in a cacophony.

“Smack.”

Jun Changxiao placed one foot on his chair, gun pointed at the Xiao family Great Elder, and said lightly, “Sit down.”

The Xiao family Great Elder’s expression was extremely ugly, but with the smoking object aimed at him, he could only obediently sit down.

Especially recalling how at the instant he’d stood up, a stream of light carrying terrifying power had brushed past him, the shock in his heart was particularly intense.

“Zuiji.”

Jun Changxiao kept his gun raised and called out loudly, “Vent properly all the grievances you’ve suffered these years. This seat is watching for you—whoever dares act recklessly will have their head blown open.”

Xiao Zuiji smiled, then raised his fist again to viciously abuse him.

After a while, only when he’d abused Xiao Linye to half-death did he drag him like a dead dog and throw him off the battle stage.

“Fifth round, seventh match, victor: Xiao Zuiji!”

The referee’s announcement echoed throughout the entire venue, leaving numerous martial artists’ hearts unable to calm for a long time…