Su Wen kept his eyes fixed on the battle inside the hall, his gaze shifting between Qin Xun and Gao Mu. After a moment's thought, he lowered his voice and said:
"I think Gao Mu will win. Didn't you notice? Qin Xun fought that Divine Statue head-on for ages, then spent a great deal of spiritual power controlling the Heaven-Trapping Net, only to have Gao Mu corner him here. He can barely keep up his attacks now, but every palm strike is weaker than the last. Gao Mu, on the other hand, rushed in fresh and ready. The longer this drags on, the worse it'll be for Qin Xun!"
Li Hongtian nodded slowly, then gave a slight shake of his head. "I'm not so sure. Gao Mu is in better shape than Qin Xun, I'll grant you that. But don't forget, Qin Xun is known for thinking several moves ahead. If he dared bring his people into the Flame Lord's Heavenly Tomb to seize the Emperor Flame Seed, the Heaven-Trapping Net might not be his only trump card. Who knows what else he has hidden in his Cosmic Bag? If he still has another move up his sleeve, Gao Mu could pay for pressing him too recklessly."
"That's true."
Su Wen paused, then fell silent in thought before murmuring, "You have a point. Qin Xun is no simple man, or he'd never have become deputy sect leader of the Treading Spirit Sect. He was decisive when he used the Heaven-Trapping Net to bind the Divine Statue, so he'd clearly prepared for it. Even now, under Gao Mu's fierce assault, he knows he isn't at his peak, yet he hasn't shown much panic. He really might have another move hidden away!"
As the two spoke quietly, Jiang Bei, who had remained