Finally, at the moment they clashed, the spirit beast he had overlooked sprang into action! "Moo!!" A sneak attack! A shadow darted out from the side with such speed that he was already entangled by Chen Xun, leaving him no time to react. "Ah, damn it!!!" Liu Tao's expression was filled with rage and humiliation as he was shoved off the stage by the big black bull. Chen Xun seemed to be on the verge of collapse as well, falling onto the big black bull. Liu Tao, witnessing this scene from below the stage, was momentarily stunned, secretly admiring such strong willpower.
"Senior brother... I concede." Chen Xun weakly opened his eyes, revealing a faint smile. "Junior brother, you should focus on healing first. We can spar again next year." Liu Tao clasped his hands, acknowledging this person in his heart. This battle had been exhilarating, and he felt he had gained some insights.
"Alright." Chen Xun struggled to return the gesture as he was carried off the dueling platform by the big black bull. Liu Tao stepped forward and handed him a healing pill. Chen Xun, moved to tears, grasped Liu Tao's hand, startling him and causing a flicker of guilt to appear in his eyes. He couldn't help but regret whether he had been too harsh. The surrounding disciples looked at Liu Tao with strange expressions, as if it was Chen Xun who had lost. Liu Tao, frightened, quickly fled, shaking his head along the way.
Half an hour later, Chen Xun, leading the big black bull, approached the foundation-building elder and clasped his hands, saying, "Elder, I wish to continue fighting." "In your current state, can you still fight?" The elder frowned slightly. This disciple wore a straw hat riddled with holes, his disheveled hair sticking out, his face covered in dirt, and bloodstains on his hands. "I can." Chen Xun lowered his head and smiled, his eyes filled with determination. "Since you insist, I won't go against your wishes." The elder nodded slightly. Such disciples were not uncommon each year—single-minded, but they always ended up suffering.
A surge of magical power ignited on Chen Xun's yellow talisman, flickering with a faint light. Chen Xun then looked towards another dueling platform, the opponent for his second victory. Stumbling, he climbed onto the stage, startling his opponent, who was at the eighth level of Qi Refinement. He wondered if he might accidentally kill him. An hour later, the stage echoed with furious shouts: "Junior brother, can you still hold on?!!" "Senior brother... bring it on!!" Chen Xun roared, his steps unsteady, a large hole torn in his straw hat, smoke still rising from it.
The eighth-level disciple's expression was grim; he could hold on, but damn it, he was about to collapse! Who could sustain a duel for an hour at the Qi Refinement stage? "Moo!!" The big black bull, sensing the right moment, revealed a sly look and charged! "Huh? A sneak attack?!" The man shrieked, drawing a graceful arc in the air before landing safely outside the stage. Chen Xun claimed his third victory! The big black bull carried him away towards the shade of a tree, appearing gravely injured, as if his life was hanging by a thread.
Under the tree's shade, Chen Xun regained consciousness, leaning against it with a smile. "Moo?" The big black bull lay beside him, its mouth quivering. "I brought it, I brought it, don't rush." Chen Xun took off his straw hat, revealing a wild mane of hair, his body covered in wounds. The big black bull licked Chen Xun's injuries with its tongue, and he patted its head, pulling out a healing ointment from his storage bag. "Just some surface wounds, nothing serious." "Moo~" The big black bull still looked at Chen Xun with concern. Although they had often been injured back in the small village, this was a duel, and one misstep could be fatal.
"Hehe, I learned quite a bit of medicine from Master Ning; these wounds are nothing." Chen Xun said nonchalantly. As long as it wasn't internal damage, applying the ointment would heal him in a few days without leaving scars. "Their magical power is limited; they can't afford to exhaust themselves against us. If we truly used our spells, they wouldn't survive." Chen Xun smiled slightly; he really liked these junior brothers and sisters. "Moo~" The big black bull nodded in agreement; their spells were too terrifying—if they were unleashed, it would mean death or injury.
"Winning about six matches should suffice. If we win three more tomorrow, we can earn that 500 contribution points." "Moo~~" The big black bull nudged Chen Xun, its eyes gleaming with joy. Chen Xun took out some sunflower seeds from his storage bag, and they began to eat together, gazing at the bustling dueling platforms filled with fierce combat sounds.
The next day, Chen Xun was full of energy, but his opponents grew stronger. However, no matter how flashy their spells were, they still required magical power to sustain them. Chen Xun began his torturous path on the dueling platform, with each match starting at an hour long, making it a relentless grind. The surrounding disciples, initially eager to watch, soon found themselves drowsy and hurried to other platforms, where the battles were far more exciting.
"Junior brother, I can't hold on any longer!!" A wretched scream rang out, his features contorted as he looked at Chen Xun with a hint of fear in his eyes. "Senior brother, hold on!" Chen Xun roared, encouraging him, "I'm still good!" "Moo!!" The black bull launched a sneak attack, and the man was shoved off the stage, a hint of relief in his expression as he finally escaped. Chen Xun successfully claimed his fourth victory.
... An hour later. "Junior brother, I beg you, don't hold on any longer, concede!!" "Impossible! How can we cultivators lack pride? Senior brother, let's battle for another day!" "Moo!!" The black bull struck again, its tail whipping out! The senior brother, devoid of hope, gazed skyward, collapsing outside the stage, his magical power completely drained. Chen Xun secured his fifth victory.
... An hour later. "Junior brother, I still have countless talismans left unactivated; you can't outlast me!" "Senior brother, fire at me!!!" Half an hour later, the senior brother trembled, his eyes quivering, all his talismans gone... "Moo." A sneak attack, the black bull charged! "Ah!!" The senior brother screamed, his body flying through the air, tears streaming down his face—my possessions! Chen Xun claimed his sixth victory, but his legs trembled, and he was propped up by the big black bull for the next match.
Though Chen Xun seemed unremarkable, his indomitable spirit shocked even several foundation-building elders, their gazes fixed on him on the stage. "Junior brother..." The senior brother looked at the unsteady Chen Xun, his brow furrowing, unsure how to proceed. Chen Xun's hair flew wildly, his eyes bloodshot; he bent over, hands pressing on his knees, slowly raising his head to say, "Senior brother... let's fight!" "I will naturally respect you, junior brother." The senior brother's expression turned serious, his gaze filled with shock and admiration.
In just a few moments, accompanied by Chen Xun's loud shout, he charged forward with fists raised, his body full of openings. The senior brother merely shifted slightly, his eyes filled with emotion. A gust of cold wind blew, and Chen Xun could no longer hold on, collapsing onto the stage like a fallen pillar. "Junior brother!" "Moo!!" They rushed forward to check on him, relieved to find he was unharmed. Even a foundation-building elder stepped forward to examine him: "He's fine; he's just exhausted from consecutive battles. A few days of rest will suffice." "Thank you, Uncle Master," the senior brother clasped his hands in gratitude.
The foundation-building elder nodded, his eyes reflecting some sentiment. This person likely came from a loose cultivation background; such individuals often shared similar traits. It was a helplessness regarding their own talents, an unyielding spirit against fate—fighting until the last drop of blood, never conceding. Yet in reality, no significant figures cast their gaze upon him; such individuals were too ordinary, and their indomitable will was merely a manifestation of impotent rage, unable to change their cultivation aptitude. Chen Xun was dragged down the mountain by the big black bull.