In the mind of the gaunt Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivator, if Wang Ning wanted to defeat him, she would have to pay a considerable price. But this was not the time for a desperate fight, so he naturally wouldn't accept her challenge.
Besides, he had come out earlier with the intention of defeating an opponent a minor realm higher than himself, to show these newly conscripted cultivators from other regions what's what. The name of the Malevolent Spirit Sect was not something they could take lightly. Now that his goal was achieved, this cultivator naturally wouldn't stay in the arena. Quitting while he was ahead was the best outcome.
However, as he turned to leave, his steps were somewhat unsteady. Taking a blow from a Pseudo-Core cultivator, even though the opponent had no intention to kill and certainly didn't use his full strength, had still caused internal shock, sending his qi and blood into disarray, making him feel extremely uncomfortable.
The gaunt cultivator returned, but the words he spoke as he left, especially the phrase "merely a last-rate existence in the sect," reached Tang Minglong's ears. As Tang Minglong turned back, he stumbled and nearly fell, his face turning green with anger.
Tang Minglong knew he had many techniques he hadn't even used, yet the other party still claimed to be a weaker existence. It was like another slap to his face. If he weren't more cautious, he might have immediately gone back to settle the score.
Wang Ning watched the other party turn and leave without much surprise on her face. She had entered the arena intending to test those Pseudo-Core cultivators on the other side; the polite words just now were mere formalities. However, if the opponent had insisted on not leaving, she would have had no choice but to injure him further.
"Fellow Daoist Wang, with so many cultivators in the arena, fighting like this is too time-consuming. How about this: both our sides will discuss amongst ourselves, and then each will select three people to fight. The matches will continue until one side is completely defeated. What do you think?"
Gong Yuantai looked at the dozens of challengers on both sides who wanted to step forward. If they fought one by one like this, it would take too long. Secondly, with too many cultivators fighting, it could easily turn into a chaotic brawl, which would be difficult to resolve.
Hearing Gong Yuantai's words, Wang Ning, who was standing at the front, first knitted her beautiful brows, then turned her head to look at the crowd behind her.
"I must participate. Otherwise, whoever comes up and defeats me first, I will withdraw. Also, I think what Senior Brother Gong said makes sense. If dozens of people go up one by one, it might not end even after a full day of fighting."
After speaking, Wang Ning stood her ground in the arena and did not retreat. The people behind her looked at each other, and the nine leading Pseudo-Core cultivators began to whisper among themselves.
After a short while, a square-faced cultivator among them looked up at Gong Yuantai.
"Fellow Daoist Gong's suggestion is indeed a quick way to decide the outcome. We have no objections. Lady Wang's cultivation is indeed the best among us. The other candidates can be decided shortly."
The square-faced cultivator's voice was deep and resonant, and he appeared to be a particularly steady person. After speaking, they looked at the crowd of cultivators behind them.
After hearing this, the cultivators on Gong Yuantai's side all nodded and did not speak again.
Wang Ning gave a slight bow to the few behind her as a sign of gratitude, her jade-like face showing neither joy nor sorrow.
In the distance, Li Yan was still standing at the courtyard gate. By now, many more cultivators had gathered beside him. The fight just now had attracted the attention of nearby cultivators, and many more had come to watch.
"This is interesting. The newly conscripted cultivators of the Sixteenth Squad are challenging the old members. These newcomers are causing trouble as soon as they arrive. Aren't they afraid of attracting the attention of the Martial Uncles?"
"I came over a bit earlier. The reason is simple. After Ting Wei died in battle yesterday, the newly conscripted cultivators felt that the position of captain shouldn't be appointed from above, but should be decided by strength."
"Just now, Senior Brother Yang defeated a Pseudo-Core cultivator from their side, hehehe!"
"Oh, you mean that Senior Brother Yang from Never-Parting Peak? His cultivation isn't that strong, but his Gu-insect arts are quite good..."
As he spoke, someone pointed to the gaunt cultivator behind Gong Yuantai. There were only about ten Malevolent Spirit Sect cultivators there to begin with, and it was unlikely there were many with the same surname, so he was quickly identified.
"If you ask me, the recently conscripted cultivators are just arrogant. They need to be taught a lesson."
"You say we're arrogant, but it's always been like this between the Four Great Sects. Aren't there plenty of people killed when they go to each other's territories for training?"
"Exactly! The victory just now was just a surprise attack, a trick!"
...
Listening to the discussions around him, Li Yan glanced over. The people beside him were also faintly divided into two groups, clearly the same situation as Gong Yuantai's group in the center of the field.
The Four Great Sects had grown from weak to strong over thousands of years, fighting to the death and hunting each other's disciples. The enmity between them was not something that could be completely erased just because they had a common enemy.
Although Windy Cool Mountain was a territory of the Ten-Pace Courtyard, the Malevolent Spirit Sect was currently in charge here. The cultivators from the Jingtu Sect and the Ten-Pace Courtyard had unconsciously joined forces.
Li Yan had no particular opinion on this. He himself was the same way; his heart naturally held affection for the Malevolent Spirit Sect. How could he speak for others? He just crossed his arms and watched the center of the field with great interest.
On a mountain peak ten li from here, inside a rather large Cave Residence, seven Golden Core cultivators were sipping tea and talking in low voices. Three sat in the main seats, and four to the side.
"It's already a rare opportunity to be able to retreat and rest for a few days. Peak Master Wei, you've called us over again. It can't be just to watch these little ones fight, can it? I still have injuries and need to seize the time to meditate and recover."
A cultivator in his fifties, dressed in a Daoist robe, took a sip of tea and looked at Wei Zhongran in the center, speaking slowly.
"Calling you and the others over is, of course, not for such a small matter. Except for Fellow Daoist Feng of the 'River-Treading Sect,' Fellow Daoist Fang of the 'Heavy Saber Den,' and the other four seriously injured fellow daoists who need to be in seclusion, all of us who were rotated out this time have been gathered here. I just received a secret voice transmission order from Senior Hua Heshan of the 'Phoenix Flood Dragon Sect' who is stationed here, so I hurriedly summoned everyone. Of course, it is to discuss important matters."
"Oh, the reason we are watching those little ones fight now is because the fellow daoist from the 'Altar-Cleansing Nunnery' has not yet arrived. It's always a good thing to watch the younger generation grow. They are the ones who suffer the most casualties against the demonic cultivators. Knowing ourselves and our enemy will allow for better deployment."
Wei Zhongran explained simply. The four cultivators sitting to the side finally nodded. They were Golden Core cultivators from sects not under the jurisdiction of the Malevolent Spirit Sect, all recently dispatched to assist. However, their realms were higher, and naturally, their perspectives were broader. They certainly wouldn't be like Bu Luo and the others. They were more concerned with the battle against the Demon Clan, so they held the names of the Four Great Sects in high respect. They knew that the strength of the Four Great Sects was not just talk; their cultivation methods and resources were things they could only dream of.
Take this Fatty Wei in front of them, for example. They had witnessed his ferocity on the battlefield. He was practically a humanoid beast, a far cry from his current gentle and jade-like appearance.
Since there was a secret order, they naturally had to wait for everyone to be present. This time, the fifty-year-old Daoist smiled and nodded.
"Peak Master Wei, your Malevolent Spirit Sect disciples not only have outstanding cultivation but are also first-rate in terms of cunning. That disciple just now was able to calculate Tang Minglong's every step. He is truly a rare talent."
As the fifty-year-old Daoist finished speaking, the other three Golden Core cultivators beside him also nodded and said, "The Four Great Sects are truly the giants of our Desolate Moon Continent. The disciples they nurture are naturally outstanding."
"That is true. Compared to the disciples of our sects, sigh, they are truly inferior..."
As these words were spoken, not only Wei Zhongran but also the other two Malevolent Spirit Sect Golden Core cultivators beside him showed smiles on their faces. Both of them were from Lord Lao Peak and had been rotated back from the front lines with Wei Zhongran today to rest. Elder Chigong, on the other hand, had led the remaining Malevolent Spirit Sect and conscripted Golden Core cultivators back to the battlefield in the morning.
"You are too modest, Fellow Daoist Liu. Which of the cultivators dispatched from your sides is weak in cultivation? They just suffered a loss due to carelessness. I think the female disciple in the arena right now has an aura comparable to my Lord Lao Peak's Gong Yuantai."
A Golden Core cultivator from Lord Lao Peak chuckled. He knew that this was a time for all parties to cooperate. The people before him were not cultivators under the jurisdiction of their Malevolent Spirit Sect, so in their hearts, they were not overly concerned. If they could improve their relationship during normal times, it would only be beneficial for both sides in a great war.
Sure enough, after he finished speaking, the expressions of those few people softened considerably.
When they first arrived, they had thought Wei Zhongran had just brought them to watch these juniors fight, especially since the Malevolent Spirit Sect disciple had won in the end. This had made them think it was a deliberate setup by Wei Zhongran to knock them down a peg. Although none of their own disciples were here, they were from the jurisdictions of the Jingtu Sect and the Ten-Pace Courtyard, so they still felt a bit uncomfortable about the defeat.
But awed by Wei Zhongran's ferocious reputation and with orders from the Jingtu Sect and the Ten-Pace Courtyard, they could only deal with the situation carefully. Now it seemed that the fight just now had been spontaneous and not a setup, so their displeasure lessened somewhat.
However, they were also clear in their hearts that the Malevolent Spirit Sect definitely wanted to keep Windy Cool Mountain in its own hands. This point, just like the other two defensive points, was something they needed to understand clearly.
"The Yingshui Sect, where Wang Ning comes from, is a first-rate major sect under the jurisdiction of the Ten-Pace Courtyard. Among the younger generation of her sect, she is also a prominent figure. She was originally going to attempt to break through to the Golden Core realm but postponed her seclusion because of this great war."
A Golden Core cultivator from the jurisdiction of the Ten-Pace Courtyard said softly. He had a good relationship with the Yingshui Sect, so he knew Wang Ning quite well.
The meaning of his words was already very clear. This woman already had the strength to attempt a breakthrough to the Golden Core realm. For disciples of major sects, this meant they already had the ability to compete with ordinary Golden Core cultivators. Therefore, when fighting against those of the same rank, her chances of winning were still greater.
Wei Zhongran and the others were being polite, so what the Golden Core cultivator from the Ten-Pace Courtyard said was just a hint, not stated explicitly.
"Mm, if Wang Ning truly has the strength, then the Sixteenth Squad will be handed over to her."
Wei Zhongran said with a smile. In his heart, of course, this was not his intention at all. What a joke. He could already predict the outcome. Even among the Foundation Establishment disciples of the Malevolent Spirit Sect, there was probably not a single one who could defeat Li Yan. Even disciples like Gong Chenying, who already had the strength to attempt a breakthrough to the Golden Core realm, were no match. Compared to someone who had single-handedly held off a Mid-stage Golden Core Demon Lord for over ten breaths, those disciples were far from enough.
"Junior Brother Wei speaks reasonably. Recently, more and more cultivators have been transferred from outside, and there are more and more outstanding disciples. The position should be held by someone with the strength."
"By the way, that disciple of yours seems to be in a good mood for watching a show, hehehe..."
That Golden Core cultivator from Lord Lao Peak suddenly changed the subject. They had seen Wei Zhongran's Divine Sense focused on the Sixteenth Squad of the "Green Bat Battalion" earlier. They were about to step in and stop the disciples from fighting but were stopped by Wei Zhongran. Then, Wei Zhongran had briefly explained the situation, so they naturally knew Li Yan's identity. Who would have thought that when Li Yan saw the two sides fighting, he would leisurely start watching from the side?