Chapter 536: Last Place?

Facing the Sound Master for the first time, although the opponent's mental state was inferior to his, his strength was far greater. Zhang Xuan struggled with all his might but still found it difficult to hold his ground, let alone look around.

Therefore, Zhang Xuan never expected that the pale face before him was Elder Wu. He thought someone was trying to ambush him.

With a shake of his spear, he used all his strength. The Heavenly Way Spear Technique transformed into a beam of light, flying straight toward him.

Elder Wu had just breathed a sigh of relief when he saw a spear coming straight at him. His pupils contracted, but it was too late to dodge. He was struck directly in the chest and sent flying backward.

Thud!

He stuck to the wall, forming a 'big' character.

Holy crap!

No one expected such a twist after the music ended. Their eyes bulged, faces flushed red, as if they were about to vomit blood.

This was Elder Wu, the only Sound Master in Wanguo City, a peak Four Mortal Transcendence powerhouse, someone everyone feared, and he was stuck to the wall like a pancake after being hit by a spear...

Was this necessary?

"Elder Wu, how did you... come over to me? I really didn't mean it..."

Hearing the crowd's astonished gasps, Zhang Xuan also came to his senses and recognized the other party. His face reddened with embarrassment.

Wasn't this a test of mental state? Why did he come over? I thought someone was up to no good...

"Cough, cough!"

After coughing up two mouthfuls of blood, Elder Wu finally recovered. He struggled down from the wall, looking exasperated.

What kind of situation was this?

The hall master had told him it was just a test, and he thought it would be simple. He came eagerly, never dreaming he would almost die.

The other party's tapping on the array disk constantly attacked the weaknesses of the Mad Demon Tune. If he didn't counterattack, his soul would be damaged. Forced to do so, he had to approach step by step to increase his attack power...

As a result, the sound waves that even the hall master feared had no effect on the other party, as if they were nothing... and the other party didn't even notice the increase in power!

What the hell!

Able to counter sound waves without being affected at all... What kind of monster did Su Fan and Ling Hengyu find?

The intense frustration made him doubt life itself.

"Forget it, it's not your fault..."

Knowing that in a sound wave confrontation, no one could control themselves, and the other party didn't mean it, Elder Wu took a couple of deep breaths, adjusted himself, and waved his hand.

Although unwilling, there was nothing he could do. As an elder, he couldn't just go and cause trouble for this guy!

And... even without causing trouble, he was already this miserable. If he really did... he might not come back alive!

Better... just let it go!

"Check it!"

He took the array disk off the wall and handed it to the master teacher in charge of inspection.

"Yes!"

Taking the array disk, the master teacher carefully counted the lines on it and then announced: "Four hundred and thirty-one strokes, each line of equal weight and even force!"

"Four hundred and thirty-one strokes? Isn't that the same as Young Master Ruohuan's?"

"Really... He carved that many strokes with a spear?"

"I thought he was just randomly tapping, but he actually carved lines. That's amazing!"

"With the same number of strokes, then... who is second? Or is it a tie for second?"

...

Hearing the result, everyone was stunned and burst into an uproar.

They had thought that Zhang Xuan's random tapping with the spear was just going through the motions, and the lines on the array disk would surely be chaotic and crisscrossed, maybe even leaving no trace. They never dreamed that it would be exactly the same as Young Master Ruohuan's result!

With the same number of strokes, both one stroke less than Feng Mosheng... How would the ranking be determined?

There couldn't be two second places!

"He also... has four hundred and thirty-one strokes?" Obviously not expecting Zhang Xuan to achieve this result, Young Master Ruohuan's face darkened.

He had used a carving knife, struggling with all his might, overcoming countless difficulties, to produce that many. The other party, with a shaking spear, making tapping sounds and random thrusts, got the same number of strokes. Was that real?

"It seems we all underestimated him. This guy is not that simple!"

He raised an eyebrow.

Hearing that the other party was only a two-star master teacher, he hadn't considered him a rival. Now it seemed he was much more formidable than imagined.

Carving an array disk from several meters away with a spear... he would never have dared to think of that before.

Even seeing it with his own eyes, he found it utterly unbelievable.

"But... it won't be that easy to tie with me!" With a curl of his lips, Young Master Ruohuan sneered.

Even if they had the same number of strokes, so what? He still had a trump card. He didn't think a country bumpkin from a remote kingdom could compare to him.

"Impressive!"

Feng Mosheng was also full of admiration.

He had used a carving knife and only carved one more stroke than the other party. No wonder he was recommended by the elder. Terrifying!

He thought he was the dark horse of this selection, but compared to the other party, he was just a dark donkey.

...

Amid the crowd's discussion, six array disks were placed flat on the table, covered with lines that demonstrated their results.

"Please, Hall Master, judge!"

The master teacher in charge of inspection cupped his fists to Hall Master Kang.

"Mm!" Nodding, Hall Master Kang and Elder Su and others came over and looked at all the array disks.

"The statistics just now are correct. Now I will announce the results of the first round."

Looking around, Hall Master Kang said: "Feng Mosheng, four hundred and thirty-two strokes, first; Jun Ruohuan and Zhang Xuan, four hundred and thirty-one strokes, tied for second; Fu Xiaochen, four hundred and twenty-seven strokes, fourth; Luo Xi, four hundred and eleven strokes, fifth; Du Hu, four hundred and seven strokes, sixth!"

"Unexpectedly, Teacher Feng got first in the end!"

"This Teacher Zhang is also impressive, tying with Young Master Ruohuan as soon as he appeared!"

"Yeah, I thought he was just someone seeking fame, but he actually has real strength!"

...

The crowd buzzed.

Everyone thought Young Master Ruohuan and Fu Xiaochen would stand out, but no one expected Feng Mosheng and Zhang Xuan to emerge as dark horses.

"Alright, the first round is over. Now we proceed to the second round..."

After announcing the results, Hall Master Kang looked around and was about to start the next round when a voice interrupted him.

"Hall Master, I think there's a problem with the results just now!"

Everyone looked over and saw Young Master Ruohuan walking up with a smile.

"Oh?" Hall Master Kang looked at him.

"Before the first round, Elder Wu said that the one who carves the most and finest lines under the interference of the Mad Demon Tune wins. Is that correct?" Young Master Ruohuan said.

"I did say that!" Elder Wu nodded.

At this moment, after regulating his breathing, he had recovered somewhat, though his face was still pale and his spirit somewhat listless.

"That's right. You only counted the lines just now, but did not observe... the fineness!" Young Master Ruohuan smiled lightly.

"Fineness?"

Everyone was stunned, and even Hall Master Kang frowned.

How do you observe that?

Did it depend on how fine the carved lines were? That had to do with the depth of the carving knife and had nothing to do with mental state!

"It's simple. I didn't just carve lines on the array disk... Everyone, please look!"

He stepped up to the array disk he had carved, flicked his wrist, produced a carving knife, and made dozens of strokes on it.

These strokes were very simple, just connecting some separated lines. But with that connection, the chaotic lines on the array disk immediately changed.

Hum!

With a clear ring, a huge peony flower appeared before everyone's eyes, surrounded by spiritual energy, blooming in clusters.

"It's... a painting!"

"Young Master Ruohuan carved a fifth-level work on the array disk under those conditions!"

"No wonder he had fewer strokes than Teacher Feng but was still so confident. So that's it!"

"A fifth-level painting... only a three-star calligrapher and painter could produce that. I've heard that among Young Master Ruohuan's auxiliary professions, he is a calligrapher and painter. Now it seems true!"

"Impressive..."

...

Everyone was in an uproar, and even Hall Master Kang couldn't help but look sideways.

To bestow spirituality on a flower and create a fifth-level painting while the Mad Demon Tune affected his mind... This Young Master Ruohuan's mental state and mind had reached an extremely profound level!

No wonder he was so confident!

Carving lines was just the simplest expression, but carving them in a regular pattern to form a painting... that was true strength.

Under normal circumstances, it would be difficult to produce a fifth-level work in just three minutes, and he did it under the attack of the Mad Demon Tune... His talent, ability, and temperament were all terrifying!

"Not bad, not bad!"

Hall Master Kang's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly with satisfaction.

His auxiliary profession did not include painting, so he hadn't noticed, but seeing the peony appear, he understood the difficulty.

Young Master Ruohuan was his personal disciple, and his outstanding performance brought him honor and gratification.

"Teacher Feng only carved four hundred and thirty-two lines. I have fewer lines, not because I couldn't carve more, but because I made a painting. Please, Hall Master, rejudge who is stronger!"

Young Master Ruohuan said confidently.

"Mm!" Hall Master Kang nodded and looked around: "What do the other elders think?"

"Although he has one fewer stroke, he made a painting. Clearly, Young Master Ruohuan is superior!"

"To produce a fifth-level work under the Mad Demon Tune, this mental fortitude is admirable!"

"I think Young Master Ruohuan should be first!"

...

Soon, many elders gave their opinions, placing Jun Ruohuan first.

All the master teachers present had no doubts, and even Feng Mosheng agreed.

Although he had carved more lines, the other party was more refined, and every stroke had a purpose, which was clearly superior to his random carving.

"Alright, since everyone agrees, I now announce: Ruohuan first, Feng Mosheng second, Teacher Zhang third, Fu Xiaochen fourth, Luo Xi fifth, Du Hu sixth!"

Seeing no objections, Hall Master Kang announced loudly.

"Young Master Ruohuan is still strong, truly the favorite to win!"

"He easily got first in the first round, maintaining his advantage. Now let's see the results of the later rounds!"

...

Everyone nodded.

Seeing that he had indeed gotten first, Young Master Luohua smiled lightly, turned to look at Zhang Xuan not far away, raised an eyebrow, and said: "Teacher Zhang, sorry, it seems we can't tie for second!"

Didn't you make a big splash just now? So what? You still obediently lose to me and become third!

"Uh..."

Not expecting this guy to step on him after getting first, Zhang Xuan shook his head helplessly and looked at Hall Master Kang: "Um... as long as it's finer, the result is better, right?"

"Yes!" Hall Master Kang paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Uh, that's good!"

With that, Zhang Xuan turned to look at the array disk placed flat on the table, his face darkening: "It's been this long, what are you pretending for? Get up and work!"

Hum!

As his words ended, a clear ring of spiritual energy stirred. The array disk he had carved suddenly activated, and the surrounding spiritual energy was frantically drawn in, converging into a huge vortex.

"Spiritual energy stirring... This is a spiritual four-star spirit gathering array?"

Elder Wu's pupils contracted.

As a four-star array master, Elder Wu knew a lot about the difficulty of carving array disks.

Even with his strength, carving a four-star spirit gathering array disk would take at least a week.

The other party, using a spear, poked for over three minutes and carved one out... Most importantly, it had spirituality!

This, this... was too incredible!

A third-level blank array disk could only carve third-level arrays—that was a given. But he not only carved a fourth-level array but also gave it spirituality... What level of understanding of arrays had he reached?

At least he couldn't compare!

Even more terrifying was that he did it while resisting the attack.

He was shaken dizzy and coughed up blood, while the other party not only felt nothing but also created a spiritual four-level array disk...

Elder Wu felt extremely frustrated and utterly dejected.

"Carving an array disk is complex and meticulous. Every step must be carefully designed, and no mistakes are allowed. Carving with a spear..."

"Compared to that, Young Master Ruohuan's fifth-level painting is not on the same level!"

"Yeah, the gap is too big..."

...

Seeing the spiritual energy converge, everyone in the room fell silent, their eyes wide as if they had seen a ghost.

"You..."

Young Master Ruohuan was trembling, about to go crazy.

He thought making a painting was impressive and powerful, but he never expected this guy to directly create a fourth-level array!

Even a four-star array master would find it difficult without the Mad Demon Tune, but this kid, not yet twenty, made Elder Wu spit blood while doing it...

Too incredible!

Most importantly, this array disk had spirituality!

Both had spirituality, but his painting was far inferior to the other's work.

They weren't even in the same category.

He thought he would definitely be first this time, but in the blink of an eye, he was knocked down and stomped on several times...

Young Master Ruohuan wanted to cry but had no tears.

If he had known, he wouldn't have shown off. He had just said he couldn't tie for second with the other party, and now he was the only one in second place...

What a slap in the face!

While he was feeling depressed, he heard the other party's voice: "Does my array count as fine?"

"Cough, cough, yes!"

Hall Master Kang's face reddened.

The other party had carved an array, and he hadn't noticed. Thinking about it, it was really embarrassing.

Most importantly, the result of a competition had to be changed twice. What kind of people were participating in this selection?

"In the first round, Teacher Zhang is first, scoring six points; Ruohuan second, scoring five points; the rest follow suit..."

Knowing that continuing to dwell on it would only be more embarrassing, Hall Master Kang quickly announced the results. Seeing no further objections, he breathed a sigh of relief and said: "Alright, now for the second round—Cultivation Test!"

"To become a master teacher, cultivation is crucial. Master teachers are said to be invincible at the same level, not only able to see flaws but also having solid cultivation and abundant strength!"

"Of course, cultivation is related to sufficient resources and guidance from master teachers. Each of us has different backgrounds and cultivation levels, so a unified competition would certainly be unfair!"

Everyone nodded.

For example, Young Master Ruohuan, born into the Jun family, the top of the four great families in Wanguo City, with Hall Master Kang as his teacher, had the best conditions from the start. He was also older and stronger, which was understandable.

Others, like Luo Xi and Du Hu, came from remote kingdoms with far inferior training conditions and were younger. Competing with him would certainly be unfair.

"Therefore, I and the other elders have discussed that Elder Bai will suppress his cultivation and fight them. With the same cultivation level, the more rounds one lasts, the stronger one proves to be. This not only tests cultivation but also shows a cultivator's judgment and decision-making in danger, making the assessment of strength more accurate."

Hall Master Kang continued.

"Fight with suppressed cultivation?"

"The participants have different cultivation levels, so pairing them up for battle would be problematic. For instance, Teacher Fu Xiaochen has reached the peak of Three Mortal Transcendence, while Teacher Zhang is only at the peak of One Mortal Transcendence. Without even fighting, the outcome is clear."

"Yes, having Elder Bai suppress his cultivation to match them, with the same cultivation level, whoever lasts more rounds wins. Relatively speaking, it's fairer..."

"Elder Bai, as a four-star master teacher, is far superior to them in both martial skill comprehension and understanding. Even if he suppresses his cultivation to the same level, they cannot win. Determining strength by the number of rounds before defeat, without injury, and distinguishing strength—good!"

"Mm, Elder Bai's combat strength is almost unmatched except by Hall Master Kang, and he is fair and impartial. I have no objection to this rule!"

Hearing the rules for the second round, everyone nodded.

The six participants had different cultivation levels, making fair competition impossible. So, let an elder suppress his cultivation and fight each of them separately.

With the same cultivation level, determining the ranking by the number of rounds before defeat could also prove strength.

It was the fairest method.

Seeing everyone agree, Hall Master Kang nodded and looked at an elderly man not far away: "I'll trouble you!"

"It's nothing!" The elderly man stepped forward.

Elder Bai, Bai Heng!

"Rest assured, after suppressing my cultivation, I will fight with all my strength and show no mercy. How many moves you can last is how many. I, Bai Heng, swear by the dignity of a master teacher that I will not play favorites!"

Coming before the group, Elder Bai raised his eyebrows, his face expressionless.

"Elder Bai is fair and impartial; we have no doubt about that!"

Young Master Ruohuan, Fu Xiaochen, and others quickly said.

Elder Bai was a highly esteemed elder of the entire Hall of Masters, at the peak of the fourth level of Mortal Transformation, only slightly weaker than Hall Master Kang in strength. He was fair and just, and with the added guarantee of his reputation as a master, it was impossible for him to go easy on anyone.

He was completely trustworthy.

"Since there are no objections, let's prepare. You may use weapons or fight bare-handed, employing your best techniques and methods to battle Elder Bai. However... for fairness and confidentiality, each of your battles will be conducted in a closed room. The specific rounds will be displayed on the wall through a special formation, which cannot be falsified, and the details of the battle will not be made public!"

Hall Master Kang continued.

Hearing this arrangement, the other masters nodded again.

Every master had their own unique skills that they didn't want outsiders to know. If they demonstrated them in front of everyone, it could easily spread, and then their life-saving techniques would lose their effectiveness.

Competing in a closed environment, only showing the rounds without revealing secrets, would be much safer.

"I'll go wait first!"

With a wave of his hand, Elder Bai turned and walked toward a small room inside the hall.

"Alright, who wants to challenge first?"

Seeing Elder Bai ready, Hall Master Kang turned to look at the six people before him.

"I'll go first!"

Fu Xiaochen stepped forward.

Originally possessing the strength to contend for the top, he had only placed fourth in the first round, which left him deeply frustrated and with a pent-up feeling in his chest.

In terms of mental state, he might not be as good as Feng Mosheng or Ruohuan Gongzi, but in strength, he was confident he was no weaker than anyone!

"Mm, be careful!" Hall Master Kang nodded approvingly and added a word of caution.

"Thank you for the reminder, Hall Master!"

Fu Xiaochen lifted his foot and walked toward the room.

Hum!

As soon as he entered, a line of numbers slowly appeared on the white wall before everyone, with a flash of light.

One!

Two!

Three!

...

Ten...

The numbers kept jumping, climbing upward, and soon reached "ten."

"It's already started!"

"Even with his cultivation suppressed to the same level, being able to hold on for ten moves under Elder Bai—this Master Fu is quite impressive!"

"Needless to say? Master Fu is a student of Elder Hai, and his Thousand Sea Fist has long been perfected. Even if Elder Bai is invincible, at the same level, it would take at least fifteen moves to defeat him!"

"Indeed, the Thousand Sea Fist—endless waves, unceasing roar—truly powerful..."

"I wonder how many rounds he can last."

...

Seeing the numbers displayed on the wall, everyone knew that the battle had begun and exceeded ten moves. They clenched their fists in excitement.

Elder Bai was extremely strong. Even with his cultivation suppressed, being able to hold on for more than ten moves under his full attack was something to boast about!

When a strong person suppresses their cultivation, even if they are at the same level as you, their understanding of combat is completely different, reaching another level. How could someone of lower cultivation possibly win?

Whoosh!

Amid everyone's shocked gazes, the jumping numbers finally stopped.

Thirty-one!

Then the door opened, and Fu Xiaochen walked out. Although he looked a bit disheveled, his eyes shone with excitement.

Experiencing it firsthand, he realized how powerful Elder Bai was. Even suppressed to the same cultivation level, he was no match at all.

If he hadn't used all his trump cards and exhausted his strongest techniques, he would have been lucky to last twenty moves.

Thirty-one rounds—he might not get first place, but he could definitely secure a spot in the top two.

"Impressive!"

Ruohuan Gongzi glanced at the approaching young man, his expression also turning serious.

To hold out for so many rounds before losing—even he felt immense pressure.

"Ruohuan Gongzi, let me see your result!"

Coming up to the group, Fu Xiaochen looked at Ruohuan Gongzi, his eyes flickering.

"Alright!"

Taking a deep breath, Jun Ruohuan gritted his teeth and walked into the room.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Before long, a series of numbers began to jump.

"How many moves do you think Ruohuan Gongzi can last?"

"I don't know. His strength is about the same as Master Fu's, evenly matched. Since the latter lasted thirty-one moves, he probably won't be far off!"

"Hopefully!"

As the numbers kept increasing, everyone's expressions grew more serious.

Jun Ruohuan and Fu Xiaochen—the two with the highest expectations before the selection, idols of many younger generation—everyone wanted to know who had a deeper understanding of combat.

"Fu Xiaochen should last longer!"

Hall Master Kang spoke.

"Oh?" Elder Su looked over in confusion.

"Xiaochen has a steady mind and excels at defense. Ruohuan was born into too much privilege, proud and arrogant. When faced with danger, he only attacks more fiercely. This kind of attack works on others, but against... Elder Bai, it's not very effective!"

Hall Master Kang analyzed.

"That's true!" Master Su and Master Ling nodded simultaneously.

Jun Ruohuan, known as the foremost of the Four Young Masters, was not flattered but had earned his reputation through fists, fighting his way up from the younger generation step by step.

Precisely because he was too strong, he was proud.

A proud person must be somewhat lacking in defense. In such a situation, those at the same level might not notice, but facing Elder Bai, who had rich combat experience, he would certainly suffer.

Whoosh!

As they were talking, the light on the wall slowly faded, and a line of numbers appeared before everyone.

Thirty!

Sure enough, as Hall Master Kang had guessed, Ruohuan Gongzi's result was inferior to Fu Xiaochen's. He couldn't hold on past thirty moves, falling short by exactly one move.

"One move short?"

"Do you think it might be like the first round test, where he held back something, and the one-move difference actually means he could win?"

"How is that possible! This competition is a real battle, fought move by move. One move less is one move less; there's no way to cheat!"

"True!"

...

Seeing thirty moves, similar to before, some had doubts, but then they understood.

Unlike the previous carving of the formation disk, in a martial competition, one more move is one more move; there's no way to fake it.

Creak!

Amid the discussion, the door opened, and Ruohuan Gongzi walked out, shaking his head with a wry smile.

Losing to Fu Xiaochen by one move—even he hadn't expected it.

But there was no help for it. Although Elder Bai suppressed his strength to the same level, his attacks were like a tide, continuous and unending. Even using all his power, thirty moves was his maximum effort; he couldn't last even one more move.

A loss is a loss; it wasn't unfair.

"My turn!"

Seeing him come out, Feng Mosheng on the side took a deep breath and walked in.

A flash of light, and numbers began to appear. Before long, Feng Mosheng came out with a pale face, the number定格 at twenty-eight.

Seeing his result, Fu Xiaochen and Ruohuan Gongzi both sighed in relief and simultaneously fixed their eyes on Zhang Xuan, who was not far away.

Now that the three of them had finished their assessments, the one most likely to change the situation was this guy.

Although they didn't know how strong his combat ability was, being able to drive Elder Wu crazy with music was certainly no simple feat.

However, to their disappointment, Zhang Xuan did not rush into the room. Instead, Luo Xi and Du Hu went in first. Surprisingly, Du Hu, who had the worst result last time, also lasted twenty-eight moves this time, tying with Feng Mosheng.

As for Luo Xi, she was slightly worse. Being a woman, she was at a physical disadvantage and only lasted twenty-four moves before losing completely.

"It's Master Zhang's turn..."

"Yeah, I wonder if he can be the biggest dark horse like in the first round?"

"I doubt it. The closer one's cultivation is to Elder Bai's, the stronger their understanding of combat, and the longer they can last. Conversely, the shorter!"

"That's true..."

...

Seeing Zhang Xuan walking toward the room, everyone lowered their voices.

Fighting with suppressed cultivation was not absolutely fair either. A fourth-level Mortal Transformation expert suppressing to the first level would certainly be easier than suppressing to the third level.

It's like a graduate student doing an elementary school student's test—though they can complete it, it's somewhat difficult, but doing a preschooler's test is very easy.

This Master Zhang had the lowest strength among them. Elder Bai suppressing three major levels to fight him would naturally be even easier.

"How many moves do you think he can last?"

Hall Master Kang looked at Master Su nearby.

"This... I don't know either. But I'm very clear about Elder Bai's strength. If he suppresses to the peak of the first level of Mortal Transformation... he could easily kill even a mid-second-level Mortal Transformation cultivator. I'm afraid Master Zhang won't last long!"

Master Su hesitated before speaking.

Although he had great confidence in Zhang Xuan, inside was Elder Bai, a super figure at the peak of the fourth level of Mortal Transformation.

Such a person's control over power and understanding of martial arts had reached a very profound level. Suppressed to the same level, even he was no match. For this Master Zhang to hold out many moves without losing—difficult!

"Yes, advancing three major levels in just over twenty days, even if gifted and encountering fortuitous opportunities, his control over power must be somewhat unstable. If I'm not mistaken, he should lose within ten moves!"

Hall Master Kang analyzed.

Master Su had just said that this young man had gone from the Grandmaster realm to the peak of the first level of Mortal Transformation in just over twenty days. Such rapid breakthroughs, even for a recognized master, would inevitably lead to some instability in power!

Saying he would lose within ten moves was already the most optimistic estimate.

"I think so too, but... Master Zhang has never been predictable by common sense. No one knows what will happen..." Master Ling interjected.

Although he also felt that Hall Master Kang's analysis was completely correct and that under normal circumstances, he couldn't last ten moves... but with Master Zhang, as long as the result wasn't out, no one could guess.

"Look, it's starting!"

Not only were they nervous, but everyone in the hall couldn't help but look over. On the smooth wall, a number appeared... one!

"Huh? Why isn't it increasing?"

Seeing the number "one," everyone thought it would rapidly increase like the others and stop at a certain value, but they were surprised to find it seemed printed on the wall, motionless.

"Could it be... the observation formation is broken?"

"Impossible! This formation was personally arranged by Elder Wu, and it worked fine before. How could it break for no reason!"

"Then why... isn't the number moving?"

"Could it be..."

Realizing something, everyone froze in place, full of disbelief.

"He... lost in one move?"

His eyes lighting up, Ruohuan Gongzi clenched his fists in excitement.

Fu Xiaochen on the side also showed a pleased expression.

The two had been worried that this sudden dark horse would, like before, make a stunning impression. Unexpectedly, he had lost in just one move.

That made sense. How could a first-level Mortal Transformation kid withstand Elder Bai's attack?

Earlier, they thought this guy might be the biggest obstacle to their passing the selection. Now it seemed they had overthought it, worrying unnecessarily.

"This result is too poor... With such strength, he can participate in the Masters' Competition?"

"Strength isn't the key in the competition, but it's still very important. Even the beautiful Luo Xi lasted twenty-four moves. He lost in one move... that's too fast!"

"Indeed, with insufficient strength, what use is a strong mental state? In the competition, he'll be eliminated quickly!"

Realizing what had happened, everyone started discussing.

In the first round, this guy was astonishingly brilliant, even driving Elder Wu crazy. They thought that in the second round, even if not as good, he would still make a stunning impression and leave a decent result. They never dreamed... it would be so bad!

Defeated in one move!

Not to mention a master, even an ordinary cultivator could last at least a few moves!

"This..." Hall Master Kang and Master Su exchanged glances, both looking bewildered.

They had estimated that Zhang Xuan might not last ten moves, but... losing in one move—what was that?

"Master Zhang likes to surprise. This result is indeed surprising..."

Master Su said with a wry smile.

This Zhang Xuan always did things that were unexpected. Just like now, they had thought of many outcomes but never anticipated that he would lose in one move, so thoroughly.

"Alright, since the results are out, I'll announce them now!"

Shaking his head, Hall Master Kang looked around: "Fu Xiaochen lasted thirty-one moves, first place. Ruohuan Gongzi thirty moves, second. Feng Mosheng and Du Hu both twenty-eight moves, tied for third. Luo Xi twenty-four moves, fifth. And Master Zhang... only lasted one move, placing..."

As he announced the results of the second round, before he could finish, he heard the door "creak" open.

Turning to look, Hall Master Kang's eyes immediately widened, and he couldn't help shouting.

"Holy crap!"