Chapter 39

Chu Zhan waved the Fiery Flame Banner, and on the crimson banner enveloped in flames, countless firebirds, vividly resembling phoenixes, spread out boundless heat, flapping their wings and soaring towards the Black Tortoise Seal.

However, the Black Tortoise Seal, as large as a small mountain, hovering above Chu Zhan's head, directly crushed the firebirds that charged at it. When the firebirds exploded, the flames burst forth like small suns in the sky, making it impossible for the spectators to look directly.

The outcome of this match was already clear. Chu Zhan's body was already swaying, and in front of Zhao Zirou, who was activating the Black Tortoise Seal, he was powerless to turn the tide.

"Rumble..." The Black Tortoise Seal descended, releasing a vast water force, like a sea surging in the sky. The attention of everyone in the square was drawn to the overwhelming power emitted by the Black Tortoise Seal.

"Zhao Zirou has already won. The Black Tortoise Seal of the Purple Bamboo Peak is indeed extraordinary!" Gu Fei, seeing this scene, knew that Chu Zhan's defeat was inevitable.

Sure enough, as the Black Tortoise Seal slowly pressed down, the boundless water force surged down, overwhelming the firebirds that rose from below. The fire force emitted by the Fiery Flame Banner was gradually suppressed. The banner Chu Zhan waved crackled, but the firelight it emitted began to dim.

Zhao Zirou cast a spell and pointed at the Black Tortoise Seal in the sky. A surge of water-blue energy, like a rolling river, swept down from the sky, instantly sweeping away Chu Zhan, who was almost out of mana, and throwing him off the stage.

At this moment, Chu Zhan could hardly hold onto the Fiery Flame Banner in his hand. He had no strength to resist and was swept into the air.

The disciples of the Moon Peak below could not help but cry out in shock. Then, a middle-aged Daoist in a green robe shot up into the sky, waved his right hand, and the crimson banner immediately flew out of Chu Zhan's hand, shrinking to the size of a palm and landing in the middle-aged Daoist's hand. Subsequently, the middle-aged Daoist caught Chu Zhan and gently landed on the ground.

Chu Zhan was still exhausted. The middle-aged Daoist gave a cold glance at Yan Xingyun of the Purple Bamboo Peak, a hint of severity in his eyes, and then carried his disciple away.

Chu Zhan's cultivation was only slightly weaker than Zhao Zirou's, but the Black Tortoise Seal, a magical treasure, was no ordinary item. Although this Black Tortoise Seal was not the genuine ancient treasure, it had been refined by generations of the Purple Bamboo Peak's leaders, and its power was considerable.

Even with Zhao Zirou's cultivation, as a disciple of the Purple Bamboo Peak, she had not fully unleashed the power of this treasure. She had only activated one or two-tenths of its power.

After defeating Chu Zhan, Zhao Zirou waved her hands and cast spells towards the large seal in the sky. The surging water force immediately receded like a tide, merging into the Black Tortoise Seal. Then, the Black Tortoise Seal spun in the air, shrinking from large to small, transforming into a fist-sized water-blue glowing white jade seal.

Zhao Zirou beckoned, and the crystal-clear white jade seal flew back into her hand. Holding the Black Tortoise Seal, she leaped off the stage, and her master, Yan Xingyun, led his disciples to greet her.

Zhao Xueqi, however, looked around. Her eyes were searching for someone, but she only saw that person's back disappear into the crowd.

The Grandmaster of the Tai Xuan Sect and the leaders of the seven pulses, seated on the steps of the square, were not surprised by the outcome on the third stage. However, the leader of the Moon Peak, Daoist Xuan Cang, did not look pleased.

Chu Zhan was an outstanding disciple of the younger generation of the Moon Peak, and he held the Moon Peak's magical treasure, the Fiery Flame Banner. It was thought that with the power of the Fiery Flame Banner, even if his cultivation was slightly weaker than Zhao Zirou's, there was still a chance of victory.

However, Daoist Xuan Cang did not expect that the leader of the Purple Bamboo Peak, Long Hongxue, would entrust the Black Tortoise Seal, the treasure of the cave, to this disciple. Daoist Xuan Cang could not help but feel a bit resentful.

The Nine-Pulse Examination, held every ten years, was not only to test the level of the young disciples' Daoist arts after ten years of study but also a competition between the nine pulses of the Tai Xuan Sect. Each pulse wanted to outperform the other eight.

"Brother Long, I didn't expect you to use the Black Tortoise Seal. It seems you want your disciples of the Purple Bamboo Peak to enter the top ten and then enter the Xutian Realm for training!" Daoist Xuan Cang said calmly.

With his favored disciple, Chu Zhan, already defeated, Daoist Xuan Cang thought about Long Hongxue's intentions. The Xutian Realm journey was related to the Immortal Grass. The more disciples entered the Xutian Realm, the higher the chance of obtaining the Immortal Grass.

"Hehe! Isn't Brother Xuan Cang thinking the same as I am?" Long Hongxue laughed, his mood greatly improved. His disciple, Zhao Zirou, had already won one match. Even if she lost the second match, she could still enter the second round.

"Alright, let's watch the next match, my two junior brothers!" Daoist Xuan Tian, sitting in the middle, looked up at the sky, then waved his sleeve and interrupted their conversation.

Daoist Xuan Tian knew the personalities of his two junior brothers. Even after hundreds of years of cultivation, their competitive spirit had not diminished. If they continued, they would surely argue again.

"Hmm? That disciple from the Green Spirit Peak is about to enter the stage!" At this moment, a solitary figure near the seventh stage caught Daoist Xuan Tian's attention.

That person was Gu Fei. His first match was against Li Hao, a young disciple of the Dawn Peak.

Li Hao, a tall and slender youth with a thin face, was under twenty years old but exuded a maturity that did not match his age.

This was a person with a story. When Gu Fei first saw this young man, he had this feeling. This person might have experienced things that others had not. Only through trials and tribulations does one mature.

Just like Gu Fei, over the past ten years, he had endured the disdain of the disciples of the nine pulses. Everyone thought that after practicing the ancient body-strengthening technique, he would be useless in cultivation and achieve nothing.

As a result, over the past ten years, Gu Fei's mind had been tempered by being looked down upon, disdained, bullied, and even trampled on. This made him stronger and more determined in his cultivation.

Now, he acted according to his true intentions, without any mental constraints, doing as he pleased, which allowed him to perform freely.

In cultivation, if one has too many mental constraints and disturbances, it is difficult to reach the ultimate level of the technique. Only by maintaining a pure heart can one progress further on the path of cultivation.

"Bang!" Gu Fei came to the seventh stage, stomped his feet on the ground, and shot up like an arrow, landing on the stage.

At this moment, Li Hao of the Dawn Peak also leaped up from the ground and onto the stage.

"Please!"

"Please!"

The two did not exchange any unnecessary words. Gu Fei bowed to Li Hao, and Li Hao only gave a nod to Gu Fei before they each took their stances, eyes on each other, ready to attack.