Chapter 21

(Thank you to Lang Huangniu and Qingshang Guyue for your generous support. The new book has already collected six allies. Thank you...)

Before everyone could figure out what was happening, Chen Hai had already launched an attack, sweeping his left leg across the air, leaving several afterimages as he kicked towards Kong Tong's chest like a meteor.

Kong Tong hastily raised his halberd to block, and a shower of sparks flew. Kong Tong was kicked back several steps, his face turning pale as he barely managed to stand.

He was also incredulous. The force of Chen Hai's kick was unexpectedly powerful, causing the blood in his chest to surge uncontrollably, making it difficult for him to breathe smoothly.

Chen Hai wore specially made Wind and Cloud Boots, which directly stepped on the sharp blade of the cold iron halberd. The leather outer layer of the boots was only slightly torn, revealing the bone support inside, which was made from the bones of a monster!

"What's going on?" Many people were unable to understand the scene before them, asking in shock.

"Although Kong Tong's martial arts cultivation talent is extremely rare, he has not practiced for long and is still young and weak. He used the Shocking God Halberd twice, failing to knock Yao Xing off the stage, but he consumed a lot of his own energy. In comparison, although Yao Xing was severely injured, he still had strength left. Yao Xing's martial arts focus is on leg techniques, and the injuries to his upper body do not affect the use of his legs. When Kong Tong's strength recovers, he still has the energy to counterattack..." Many of the surrounding Dao Bing disciples, with their experienced eyes, immediately saw the crux of the matter.

"Is this the Wind and Cloud Leg?" Some people noticed the shadow of the Wind and Cloud Leg in Chen Hai's storm-like kicks and asked hesitantly.

"Yao Xing did not use the first move of the Wind and Cloud Leg, the Ten Thousand Catties Hammer Kick, so it cannot be confirmed that he practices the Wind and Cloud Leg. However, it is clear that his leg foundation is very solid. Hmm, Yao Xing's leg techniques are indeed remarkable, always forcing Kong Tong to block with both halberds. Yes, his hands must have been severely injured, and the halberd can only be used as a decoration. He can only force Kong Tong to compete in strength to see who can last the longest..."

When Chen Hai's essence and energy surged again, he decisively kicked towards Kong Tong's chest. The first move of the Wind and Cloud Leg, the Ten Thousand Catties Hammer Kick, increased his kicking speed by nearly double, making it impossible for Kong Tong to avoid.

At this moment, a sound of breaking air echoed from the stage, causing a ripple-like invisible shockwave to spread in all directions.

Kong Tong had no choice but to raise his halberd to block, but Chen Hai's kick suddenly increased in strength by at least twice. His arms were already numb, and he had no strength left to block. He could only watch helplessly as Chen Hai's foot hit the cold iron halberd and then fiercely struck his chest, sending him flying backward.

Chen Hai, having used his essence and energy twice, was also drained. He barely stood on the stage, not looking at Kong Tong who had rolled off the stage, and stared at Chai Rong, who looked like he had eaten dog shit, and asked, word by word:

"Senior Brother Chai, who won this match?"

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Everyone was dumbfounded, not expecting Kong Tong to lose, and not expecting Yao Xing, who had a bad reputation and was rumored to have been kicked out of the Chen clan to Tie Liuliu Ridge, to win.

Chai Rong swallowed hard. With Kong Tong kicked off the stage and Zhou Jun watching nearby, what could he say?

Zhou Jingyuan also found it hard to believe.

Zhou Jun, standing at a distance, was both surprised and doubtful. He had personally seen "Yao Xing" arrive at Tie Liuliu Ridge four months ago in a miserable state. Who would have thought he could stand on the stage for the disciples' competition?

Although Chen Hai's victory over Kong Tong had a lot of luck, if not for Chai Rong's desire to humiliate him and break his confidence on the stage, he would have been defeated by Kong Tong in the first attack. Chen Hai's precise blocking of Kong Tong's second attack with both halberds and distributing the injuries to his arms also seemed like a stroke of luck. But he did win, and he did kick Kong Tong off the stage!

At this moment, Zhou Jun also regretted. After he had determined that Yao Xing was a useless person kicked out of the Chen clan, he only wanted to use him as a pawn. If not, he would not have stood aside and watched today. He never thought that the rumored useless Prince Xing could still stand on the stage!

Zhou Jun knew it was inappropriate to approach now, and could only find another opportunity to improve his relationship with Yao Xing, thinking that Chen Lie's nephew was different from the rumors.

Kong Tong got up from the ground, spat out a mouthful of blood, and felt intense pain in his chest. He saw that his left chest had caved in, but he endured the pain, picked up the cold iron halberd, and limped down the mountain.

Like Chen Hai, Kong Tong had mainly cultivated his arms and the tendons, bones, and muscles of his hands and arms over the past two years. The rest of his body was only slightly stronger than an ordinary person. After a fierce battle, his arms were numb and powerless. When Yao Xing kicked the halberd into his chest, several ribs were broken.

Such severe injuries would take three to five months to recover, and he could no longer participate in the next disciple competition.

"Useless waste!" The people around Chai Rong, seeing Kong Tong in such a miserable state, felt no sympathy. They were even more angry that he lost so badly in a situation where he was supposed to win, making them and Chai Rong a laughingstock in Tie Liuliu Ridge.

Chen Hai was also at the end of his strength, standing on the stage, swaying. He had several broken ribs and both arms broken. If not for his divine soul connecting with the puppet body, suppressing the intense pain, he would not have been able to last until the end. But his injuries were even more severe.

Zhou Jingyuan rushed onto the stage to support him, preventing him from falling over. Despite the pain, he enjoyed the feeling of kicking others off the stage and standing on the stage, receiving the attention of the crowd. However, as soon as Zhou Jingyuan carried him to the back, he fainted from the pain.

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Leaving the disciples' competition site in front of the Transmission Hall, Zhou Jun walked through the alley between two large buildings and entered a quiet courtyard.

The courtyard was not large, with a zhitong tree in the center, its branches full of flower buds, exuding a faint fragrance.

Supervisor Zhao Ruhui stood under the tree. From Zhou Jun's perspective, it seemed that his master was looking at the green flowers on the tree. As he approached to greet him, he noticed that his master was using a spell to form a water mirror on the tree, reflecting the scene of Zhou Jingyuan carrying Chen Hai down the mountain.

Chen Hai was unconscious, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, dripping onto Zhou Jingyuan's collar.

"Master!" Zhou Jun called softly.

In Taowei Sect, only the inner disciples of the Seven Upper Peaks have formal master-disciple relationships. Dao Bing disciples are taught by the Transmission Hall and cannot be considered true disciples. The sect also strictly prohibits private instruction among Dao Bing disciples.

When Zhou Jun officially qualifies to enter Qingxi Peak as an inner disciple, he can then choose a master. For now, he can only call Zhao Ruhui "master" in private.

Zhao Ruhui seemed to just notice Zhou Jun's arrival. He waved his sleeve, and the water mirror, resembling a full moon, dissipated into a mist in the air.

"This Yao Xing is indeed surprising. I wonder what great sin he committed to be expelled from the Yao clan?"

"This is something Chen Lie might know. But since the Yao clan has disabled his cultivation and expelled him, he has no connection with the Yao clan anymore," Zhao Ruhui said calmly. "We don't need to consider the Yao clan. What do you think of this young man?"

"Yao Xing is rumored to be very bad. It is said that Chen Lie is thoroughly disappointed with his own nephew and kicked him out of Jianyun Cliff, regardless of his life or death. However, in such a short time, he managed to win over Zhou Jingyuan and Ge Tong. Ge Tong is weak and impulsive, easily influenced by others, but Zhou Jingyuan is very slippery, which is quite strange. I thought there might be other reasons, but seeing his match with Kong Tong today, my previous assumptions might be off. Perhaps the rumors from Jianyun Cliff are not entirely true..."

"Chen Zhang is Chen Lie's adopted son. If some of the rumors come from him, it is understandable. But Yao Xing was personally expelled from Jianyun Cliff by Chen Qing, so there are some things I cannot see through," Zhao Ruhui, over ninety years old, with white hair and eyebrows, stood in the courtyard, looking like a sage, frowned slightly, seemingly unwilling to think about the secrets behind Yao Xing. He took out a box of medicinal ointment from his sleeve and handed it to Zhou Jun. "Yao Xing is seriously injured but managed to last until the end, which is very difficult. Even with the Yao clan's foundation, to master the first move of the Wind and Cloud Leg in three months is not easy. This is the bone-healing ointment I recently refined. Take it to him."

"If this involves the internal affairs of the Chen clan..." Zhou Jun hesitated.

"Are you worried that Yao Xing might be involved in the internal struggles of the Chen clan, and it would be inappropriate for us to get involved?" Zhao Ruhui smiled slightly. "We don't need to get too deeply involved, but if Chen Lie's nephew can turn over a new leaf in Tie Liuliu Ridge, Chen Lie will remember our kindness. In the past few decades, no one in Taowei Sect has reached the Dao Dan realm, and Chen Lie is the most promising. After I pass away, if you enter the main peak for cultivation, you won't be completely without support."

"..." Zhou Jun, hearing Zhao Ruhui's words, took the bone-healing ointment, feeling a bit sad.

Although reaching the Ming Qiao realm allows the divine soul to connect with the universe, extending one's lifespan to 120-130 years, Zhao Ruhui was injured by a Xuanxiu expert from Jinzhou during a campaign in Tie Liuliu Ridge many years ago. The injury to his spirit acupoint has never fully healed, and in recent years, it has become particularly severe, almost depleting the remaining life essence in his body.

If not for this, Zhao Ruhui, as the chief elder of the supervisor, would not have been suppressed by the transmission elder Zhang Huaiyu, and the poor disciples in Tie Liuliu Ridge would not have been so severely oppressed.

"Should you be able to open your fifth main meridian soon?" Zhao Ruhui asked.

"I plan to open the sixth main meridian before cultivating the Linghai," Zhou Jun said.

"Good. With such ambition, you will surely have a place among the true disciples of Taowei Sect, not letting down my years of careful cultivation of you," Zhao Ruhui said, his expression brightening with satisfaction.

"What about Kong Tong?" Zhou Jun asked.

"Kong Tong, like you, is a rare talent, but he has already pledged allegiance to the Chai clan and will not easily change his allegiance," Zhao Ruhui sighed.

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