Chapter 364 – Trap

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“You disgusting pig, watch where your eyes are going!” Song Xiaoyue said with a true essence sound transmission. Naturally, she could not say such harsh words out loud.

“Hehe, little lady, what’s wrong with someone looking at your body? Is it off limits? How are you going to stop me? If you were my wife then I’d let you manage me, but you’re not. Divine Phoenix Island has so many beautiful women, it’s such a shame that they are all wasted. How about you marry into our Deep Earth Sect?”

Shi Hanshan’s words caused Song Xiaoyue to explode into an apoplectic rage. Especially the ‘it’s such a shame that they are all wasted’. Just what did he take the female disciples of Divine Phoenix Island for?

“I’ll kill you!”

Song Xiaoyue gave a cold humph and then a longsword appeared in her hands. She thrust straight towards Shi Hanshan!

She immediately used the ‘Vermillion Bird Forbidden Divine Chronicle’, conjuring a shower of flames that looked like gorgeous fireworks, bombarding Shi Hanshan.

Boom boom boom!

Shi Hanshan created a thick brown wall to block all of Song Xiaoyue’s attacks. This brown wall weathered Song Xiaoyue’s barrage of attacks like a leaf swaying in a storm. Every time it seemed as if it would break, but it would always bounce back.

After 20 to 30 moves had passed, Song Xiaoyue hadn’t been able to break through that defensive wall.

“What’s the matter with Xiaoyue? She lost her presence of mind. The Deep Earth Sect disciples are famous for their defensive strength. What they wish for the most is for their opponent to crazily attack to consume their true essence. If Xiaoyue’s like this, the most she can hope for is a tie.” Mu Zhaoxuan anxiously said.

“Junior-apprentice Sister Song is strong, but she lacks combat experience. She has only competed in a few sect Martial Meetings or core disciple contests and assessments. This is the first time that she’s fought with a disciple from another sect.”

Against the Deep Earth Sect, when they created a shield, the best method to deal with this was to just completely ignore it. This sort of earth-attribute safety mask consumed true essence. If one ignored it, then he would naturally not continue. But if someone were to madly attack him, then this was what he would wish for the most.

Divine Phoenix Island’s disciples worried. In such an intense fight, there was no way they could remind Song Xiaoyue about this with a true essence sound transmission.

After over 30 moves had passed, Song Xiaoyue also realized that something was wrong. She had nearly consumed half her true essence, and her opponent’s true essence hadn’t weakened in the least.

She couldn’t help but slow down her offensive barrage. But at this time, Shi Hanshan slyly smiled and punched out, slamming straight towards Song Xiaoyue’s face!

Song Xiaoyue clenched her shining teeth, cutting down on Shi Hanshan’s fist with her sword!

Peng!

The grating sound of metal colliding rang in the air. Shi Hanshan had an earth-step treasure glove on his hand. Most of the disciples of the Deep Earth Sect were fist fighters.

As he blocked Song Xiaoyue’s sword with his fist, he jabbed out at Song Xiaoyue’s stomach with his other fist!

“Sky Splitting Strike!”

Shi Hanshan’s exposed a fierce and barbarous smile. With a punch, the air around him seemed to stir up.

Song Xiaoyue had consumed too much true essence. She was unable to summon the necessary true essence, and was continually forced back by the fist’s true essence.

As she retreated step by step, how could Shi Hanshan give Song Xiaoyue the chance to come back?

As they reached the front of the stage, the hard stone tiles under Shi Hanshan’s feet that were reinforced by an array formation began to crackle.

“Stone King’s Astral Sky Fist!”

Shi Hanshan’s fist was like the wind, dozens of fist shades dancing in the air. The fist potential was like a roiling tide that swept out, completely dissipating all of the flaming true essence that gathered on Song Xiaoyue’s sword.

“Fist Setting Universe!”

Shi Hanshan punched out one last time, the power of this first at the extreme, like landslide, like the shattering of a dam!

Puff!

Song Xiaoyue flew backwards, her face pale, her mouth spilling blood, and several of her ribs broken.

“Xiaoyue!”

“Senior-apprentice Sister!”

Several of the Divine Phoenix Island’s female disciples gathered around her to help her up. “Xiaoyue are you alright?”

“I’m fine.” Song Xiaoyue sat up with some difficulty. She bit her lips in shame and said, “I lost. I was too stupid, I’ve brought disgrace to everyone.”

Song Xiaoyue understood that Shi Hanshan was using words to provoke her, but his stupid and simple expression had caused her to relax her guard. In the end, this could only be faulted on Song Xiaoyue having grown up as a child in Divine Phoenix Island and lacking the necessary real world combat experience. Otherwise, there was no way she would have been stirred up by just a few words and lost in such a manner.

If she could have fought slowly and steadily, then she could at least have obtained a draw. Song Xiaoyue felt apologetic towards everyone that was counting on her. She had requested to go up on her own initiative, and in the end had lost in such a horrible fashion.

Mu Zhaoxuan looked over Song Xiaoyue’s injuries. She had several broken ribs, but to a martial artist, they would be quickly healed with a few pills and some rest. But, it was no longer possible for Song Xiaoyue to continue participating in this competition.

Now, of the 15 Houtian juniors of Divine Phoenix Island, Song Xiaoyue had lost her combat strength, and the fifth listed core disciple Hua Hong had consumed too much of her strength in her battle against Zhang Lin, and would be unable to fight in a short period of time. There were only 13 individuals left over with the ability to fight. But, of the six opposing great sects, the first ranked core disciples still hadn’t even taken action, nor had their direct disciples.

Once several more rounds passed, there might not be anyone left in Divine Phoenix Island that could still fight.

Mu Dingshan had a very troubled expression. He could only watch helplessly as his core disciple juniors fell into such a troubling position. Yet, he was unable to do anything about it.

At these sort of banquet competitions, there was an established and unspoken rule that those entering the stage would do so in order of weakest to strongest. First, the weakest disciples would come onstage, and then the middle core disciples, the upper-middle core disciples, the top core disciples, the direct disciples, and finally the chief disciple would step on stage.

In terms of cultivation, it would be those at the Pulse Condensation period first, then those at the Houtian realm. This event would usually last the entire day, and the true masters would exchange blows last. Otherwise, there would be no opportunity for the common disciples to step onstage.

If Mu Dingshan stepped onstage at this moment, it would ruin this rule. Not only that, but then the Sunfire Princess, Zhang Yunjian, and other similar characters would step on stage. He and Mu Xiaoqing would be two against six; this pressure would be no less than what the core disciples were feeling.

When that time came, they would also fall into the position of not being able to sit down, and having to give arguments like a loss is a loss.

“These Five Element Region fellows really don’t care about face.” Mu Dingshan said with a dour expression.

“Mm. In usual years during these kinds of competitions, there would not be such obvious targeting. The Five Element Region’s seven great sects would challenge each other, and also the South Horizon Region would have Supreme Mystery Temple and Dire Space Sect participating to share the pressure. Every time, our Divine Phoenix Island would be able to shine. But now because of the South Sea Demon Region, everyone is competing against us and going all out each time. The various measures are endless.” The one who answered was Tianguang Revered Master. Now that his 400th birthday celebration had devolved to this point, he could only ruefully smile.

As the two spoke, more people stepped on stage. They were top ranking core disciples from Divine Phoenix Island and Arctic Ice Palace. Fire and ice collided together, and the defensive barrier trembled. After several moves, their strength was about the same. The Five Element Region’s seven great sects had contested with Divine Phoenix Island for a long time, and they each had an approximate understanding of the other’s strength. When two opponents went onstage, their strength would be about the same.

As the two battled for an incense stick of time, both of them were wounded, but they still continued, the match undecided.

“There’s no more meaning to continue fighting, call this a draw!”

An Arctic Ice Palace elder said.

The two disciples were already severely wounded. If this continued, it would become a life and death struggle.

The Divine Phoenix Island disciple stepped down with extreme unwillingness. At this time, the Deep Earth Sect’s Shi Hanshan unexpectedly jumped onstage. The nearly nine foot tall Shi Hanshan stood on the center of the stage, looking no different to an iron tower. He said, “Deep Earth Sect’s Shi Hanshan, I wish to challenge the young heroic elites of Divine Phoenix Island!”

“This bastard, he actually jumped out again!”

According to the unwritten rules of the banquet competition, one could continue fighting if they won, without limit. But if they lost, they could only obediently sit in the audience. Only if others challenged them would they be able to go up. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have the qualifications to step onstage and challenge others. Since Shi Hanshan won, he naturally had the qualifications to fight again.

Shi Hanshan was very excited. This sort of opportunity for the Five Element Region to battle the South Horizon Region was very rare. If he achieved better results, not only would he become more famous and gain more honor, but he would be given additional attention by the sect, and would even have rewards after returning home.

After exhausting Song Xiaoyue and then defeating her, he actually hadn’t consumed much true essence. He had used the time after the match to take some restorative pills and meditate for an incense stick of time, restoring his condition to near perfection.

The reason he stepped onstage was to continue challenging.

“I wonder which heroic elite of Divine Phoenix Island could advise me?”

Shi Hanshan’s voice was like thunder to the ears. Song Xiaoyue grit her teeth, glaring with utter resentment at this duplicitous pig, wishing she could savagely beat him up. The third, fourth, and fifth ranked core disciples of Divine Phoenix Island had already stepped onstage. Now, only the first and second ranked core disciples were left. If they went up to deal with Shi Hanshan, later there would be no one else to deal with the top ranked core disciples of the other sects.

Hua Hong clenched her teeth, preparing to go onstage and meet this pig’s challenge. She had won her match, and thus also had the qualifications to fight again. Although she had consumed a great deal of energy, she had been able to restore the greater portion of it in this last half hour.

“Junior-apprentice Sister Hua, don’t be so rash. This Shi Hanshan is a bad match for you. You haven’t recovered to your top condition yet. Wait for a few more matches and then restore your best condition before going onstage again, otherwise you’ll only let the villain become increasingly arrogant.”

As Mu Zhaoxuan pulled back Hua Hong, she glanced at all the other Houtian core disciples. Besides her and the top ranked core disciple Mu Dianqing, there was no one else that had the capabilities to step on stage. The only ones left over were the direct disciples, who couldn’t act yet.

It seemed that the only path left was for her to step onstage. Mu Zhaoxuan stood up, but at this time, a true essence sound transmission resounded in her ears. “Senior-apprentice Sister, allow me to go up.”

Mu Zhaoxuan turned around, astonishment in her eyes. She saw Lin Ming stand up.

“Junior-apprentice Brother Lin, you will challenge a Houtian realm master?” Mu Zhaoxuan was stunned.

“Yes.”

Lin Ming hadn’t stepped onstage, and had instead observed the first two fights so he could get a grasp of the strength of a fourth-grade sect’s Houtian genius. He had a plan from the start.

He concluded that a top ranked core disciple of a fourth-grade sect like Shi Hanshan or Song Xiaoyue had a strength similar to Huang Zixuan, who had had killed three months ago.

Although Huang Zixuan was a poor talent, he was still a peak Houtian master that came from a small sect. These fourth-grade sect core disciples could compare to a peak Houtian master at the early Houtian realm. When they reached the peak Houtian realm, they might even be able to compare with a Xiantian master.

This strength was also aligned with Lin Ming’s expectations.

Shi Hanshan saw Lin Ming stand up. He was surprised, and that surprise quickly turned to excitement. He raised his sleeves, rubbing his nose, and smiled as he said, “Hehe, how interesting. Come. I’ve already wanted to challenge you.”

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