Under such circumstances, as long as the Malevolent Spirit Sect wasn't truly engaging in nepotism, the Golden Core cultivators from the Jingtu Sect and the Ten-Pace Courtyard wouldn't say too much. This was because the same situation was happening at the other two defensive points; the practices of their two sects were generally the same.
Don't be fooled by the Malevolent Spirit Sect's Golden Core cultivators saying "the capable should take the position." In their hearts, they always wanted to appoint their own familiar subordinates. On one hand, it was for greater trust; on the other, it allowed for more effective deployment and command.
"In a moment, I'll make it so he's in no mood to watch a show!" Wei Zhongran said faintly.
The four Golden Core cultivators surnamed Liu remained noncommittal. If the disciples conscripted from their side could really win the position of captain, they would be happy to see it. At the same time, their Divine Senses were also focused on the young disciple standing by the gate. Although that person was also at the Pseudo-Core Realm, it seemed he had just broken through not long ago; his aura lacked length and weight. Thus, the four of them felt that Wei Zhongran might be overestimating his own disciple. Just because he himself was fierce didn't mean his disciple was the same.
Of course, they didn't know that even though Li Yan had fully revealed his realm as Wei Zhongran had instructed, he had still adjusted his aura to make himself seem less conspicuous.
In the Green Bat Battalion, when the square-faced cultivator and the others looked to their rear, the cultivators below the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment all took a few steps back.
However, a cultivator at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, carrying a bamboo basket on his back, remained standing where he was. He looked at the eight remaining Pseudo-Core cultivators with a wide grin.
Tang Minglong, after looking at the few of them, also silently retreated to the back. He had already lost the qualification to fight.
On Gong Yuantai's side, they had long since chosen their people. These cultivators had been fighting together for some time and knew each other quite well, so selecting candidates was easy. Of course, the first was Gong Yuantai himself. The other two were a disciple from Lord Lao Peak and a disciple from Four Symbols Peak, both at the Pseudo-Core Realm. Their auras were heavy and long, clearly indicating they had exceptionally solid foundations. The cultivators belonging to the Malevolent Spirit Sect did not step up this time; they could all see that this group just wanted to fight with cultivators from the Malevolent Spirit Sect.
But when they looked at the other side, they all felt it was a bit strange. The other side had ten Pseudo-Core cultivators. Apart from Wang Ning standing in the arena, Tang Minglong had retreated. There were still eight Pseudo-Core cultivators standing at the front. Besides, "why is there still a cultivator at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment?"
And from the looks of those people, it seemed they had no contempt for this Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment cultivator at all. If Gong Yuantai and the others remembered correctly, this person was among the few who had been shouting the loudest earlier.
Just as they were puzzled, among the eight people standing there, several more looked at each other, hesitated for a moment, and then five more retreated to the back. Among them were some who had just entered the Pseudo-Core Realm not long ago, and others who admitted their own cultivation methods were inferior to others. Although they weren't all necessarily familiar with each other, some were acquainted and naturally knew the depth of their own magic power.
Among the three who remained, the book-boy carrying the bamboo basket still had a wide grin and showed no intention of retreating.
Then, the book-boy stared at a gloomy-faced youth among them and said, "Qiao Baiye, why haven't you stepped down yet? Haven't you learned your lesson from last time? Hehehe..."
The gloomy youth named Qiao Baiye was also staring at the book-boy.
"Bu Luo, what right do you have to say that, and to stand here so shamelessly? You're just relying on your sharp magical treasures. If we really fought, you wouldn't even know how you died!"
"Hehe, Qiao Baiye, before you say that, shouldn't you consider the scar on your face?"
Bu Luo's face was filled with mockery, not backing down in the slightest. After hearing this, the gloomy youth saw many people turn their gazes to his right ear, by his cheek. The gloom on his face deepened.
Below his right earlobe, on his face, was a thin scar. The new flesh of the scar was still pink, clearly a recent injury.
"You... Fine, then today, I, Qiao, will properly experience your methods!"
Seeing so many people looking at him, Qiao Baiye was extremely furious.
Just a few days ago, when they were gathered at a teleportation point for conscription, Qiao Baiye saw Bu Luo bragging to others about his past experiences, showing no restraint even in front of cultivators with higher cultivation levels like them. He also heard that Bu Luo came from the jurisdiction of the Jingtu Sect, the same area as him, and he was annoyed that this person was bringing shame to the Jingtu Sect. This person was so frivolous and reckless that he couldn't stand it. Qiao Baiye then taunted Bu Luo a few times, telling him to shut up and stop spouting nonsense.
This time, Bu Luo wouldn't have it. He would stir up trouble even when there was none, let alone when someone was publicly scolding him. The two of them immediately started fighting at the gathering point.
Both sides were wary of angering the Golden Core cultivators who might appear at any moment, so they held back a little. As a result, Qiao Baiye suffered a loss. Without using his high-powered immortal arts, he was unaware of Bu Luo's ruthlessness and shamelessness. Although Bu Luo also didn't use his full cultivation, it was much easier for him to wield his magical treasures. He brought out four or five magical treasures at once, catching Qiao Baiye off guard. In his flurry, a moment of carelessness allowed the sharp edge of Bu Luo's Moonlight Silver Plate to cut a small gash on his face below his earlobe.
Suffering a major loss right from the start, he flew into a rage and was about to fight Bu Luo to the death, but then he heard a cold snort from afar. It frightened both him and Bu Luo so much that their faces changed drastically. As their qi and blood churned, their bodies involuntarily retreated more than ten zhang, separating them.
It was a Golden Core cultivator from the gathering point inflicting a small punishment on them, shaking their minds and making their chests feel extremely uncomfortable. How could they dare to continue fighting? They could only give up resentfully.
That day, their brief exchange was witnessed by many people. They began to see Bu Luo in a new light. Even if Qiao Baiye had been careless, that was absolutely no excuse for losing. Besides, everyone knew in their hearts that a cultivator with so many treasures must have come from some major sect, so today, some of the Pseudo-Core cultivators did not want to offend Bu Luo.
They had other thoughts in their minds as well. If Wang Ning and the other youth both lost to Gong Yuantai, it would be pointless for them to go up. So, it didn't matter whether Qiao Baiye or Bu Luo went.
It was just that Qiao Baiye had suffered a loss recently and hadn't had a chance to regain his face. Today was the perfect opportunity. Knowing that Bu Luo had some background, he didn't care too much. He, Qiao Baiye, came from a first-rate major sect. This Bu Luo not only instigated the most fiercely today, but in the end, he actually wanted to compete with a Pseudo-Core cultivator from the other side. To be so overconfident was laughable. And to tell him to step down... Qiao Baiye's aura flared, as if he was about to strike in the next moment.
Just then, Wang Ning, who was standing in the arena, frowned. She looked at the two who were about to fight and finally sent a voice transmission to Qiao Baiye.
"Brother Qiao, although I am not a cultivator of your Jingtu Sect, after you two fought that day, I did ask someone about this book-boy's background. He should be the personal book-boy of Zuo Qiudan of Shengzhou."
After saying this, Wang Ning fell silent.
Qiao Baiye, whose hands were already shimmering with Spirit Power, paused slightly upon hearing this, and his aura subsided. He then looked at Wang Ning in the arena with confusion.
After he fought with Bu Luo that day, he had also asked others about the book-boy's background, but none of his friends recognized him. This was not surprising. Bu Luo rarely traveled the martial world, having always followed behind Zuo Qiudan, so few people paid attention to him. Two years ago, after leaving the Northern Abyss Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, he had returned home and followed Zuo Qiudan's advice to enter seclusion, rarely venturing out alone.
The person Wang Ning had asked, however, had also happened to enter the Northern Abyss Demon-Suppressing Pagoda two years ago. Later, he heard that there was a book-boy, carrying a bamboo basket on his back, who went around challenging people to life-and-death duels, causing a great stir in the Northern Abyss Demon-Suppressing Pagoda for a time. This book-boy was so reckless, yet he never died. Instead, his reputation grew. Finally, someone spread the word that the book-boy should be a member of the renowned Zuo family, a cultivation family with a towering reputation.
The reason the book-boy could enter the Northern Abyss Demon-Suppressing Pagoda was because his master was the extremely famous Zuo Qiudan. And the reason he didn't die in the Northern Abyss Demon-Suppressing Pagoda was also related to Zuo Qiudan.
A Zuo Qiudan who could make a giant like the Jingtu Sect give him face—it showed how renowned his name was.
Wang Ning did not look at Qiao Baiye again. She didn't want the two of them to start fighting before they had even engaged the Malevolent Spirit Sect, making them a laughingstock. Besides, she believed that she alone was enough. It didn't matter who else went up. After defeating Gong Yuantai, if anyone on her side was still not convinced, she would just defeat them as well.
Wang Ning had always been strong-willed. Her dream was to one day make the Yingshui Sect as powerful a behemoth as the Four Great Sects. So when Bu Luo and the others suggested there was a problem with the captain's position, she also agreed. A strong person should have a fearless heart. The captain should dare to accept the challenge of any cultivator in the squad. She just hadn't expected that before the so-called captain had even shown up, the Malevolent Spirit Sect disciples were already dissatisfied with the proposal.
At the same time, on the other side, Wei Zhongran's voice suddenly sounded in Gong Yuantai's mind.
"Hurry up and finish these small matters. Leave some time to rest properly. You're dragging things out. There's no need for anyone else from their side to step down. Four from each side. Your side will add one more person..."
Then, Gong Yuantai slowly turned his head in a daze. He looked towards the courtyard gate. Among the many cultivators standing there, a youth was leaning against the wall, watching with his arms crossed.
So, in the next moment, Gong Yuantai immediately withdrew his gaze and looked at the four people opposite him. By now, Bu Luo had already taken several steps back and was staring at Qiao Baiye.
Qiao Baiye, on the other hand, had a hesitant look in his eyes. He of course knew of the Zuo family of Shengzhou. They were an alchemy family, capable of providing the important resources cultivators needed for cultivation advancement and life preservation. They were also the type of cultivator that others were most unwilling to offend. Others would burn incense and pray to Buddha just to establish a connection with an alchemy sect or family, and might not even succeed. Did he really have to continue fighting with this person?
Especially since that "Splitting Yin and Yang in two" Zuo Qiudan was infinitely close to the Grandmaster level. That was a Pill Medicine Master who could refine fifth-rank medicinal pills, the most likely person to become the fourth Pill Medicine Grandmaster in this world.
If this book-boy were just an ordinary servant of the Zuo family, he wouldn't even consider it. But Wang Ning had said he was Zuo Qiudan's personal book-boy. All of this was something their sect was unwilling to offend. If Zuo Qiudan said a single word, their sect might never be able to buy medicinal pills again. Even if they refined their own, most shops might be unwilling to sell them the raw materials for alchemy.
But if he were to back down just like that, after he had already spoken, how could he establish himself here in the future? His dignity would be swept away in an instant. For a moment, Qiao Baiye was filled with hatred. He didn't know whether he hated himself or hated the other party for not revealing his background sooner.
Just then, Gong Yuantai on the other side spoke again.
"You don't need to trouble yourselves anymore. Are you really going to drag this on for a whole day? Just have four people from your side. We'll add one more from ours, and that will be that."