Almost all of the roughly two thousand surviving disciples of this generation in Green Bamboo Peak stood forward, gathered together, and stood in opposition to those other disciples. A group of eight people, each exuding a powerful aura, felt to be at least at the Qi Cultivation Realm Sixth Layer in cultivation base. From afar, one could tell at a glance that the atmosphere between the two sides was filled with hostility.
"What do you few mean by this? The sect only distributes one hundred spirit stone coins per month, so why are you forcibly stripping away twenty?", led by Lu Yuling, the top disciples of this generation stood at the very front in a tit-for-tat stance, and Ling Wufeng's face carried a look of indignation.
"This is an unwritten rule of the Asura Sect. Newly arrived disciples ought to show filial respect to senior brothers and senior sisters; we came through it this way as well. Originally, you people only needed to hand over ten spirit stone coins per month, but your numbers this generation are too few, which is why it's doubled."
Although there were only eight people, every single one of them was at least at the Qi Cultivation Realm Sixth Layer in cultivation base. Not a trace of retreat showed on the faces of these few disciples. The disciple who spoke looked refined and courteous, his manner pleasant as if he wanted to persuade them peacefully.
"Hehehe, we handed over spirit stone coins for a whole year and finally waited for the newcomers of this generation. The time for us to collect spirit stone coins has finally arrived. Which of you fellows refuses to submit? According to the rules of the Asura Sect, those who refuse should step out and duel." Another disciple nearby, looking about sixteen or seventeen years old, held a huge wolf fang club in his hand. He propped it against the ground, and the earth seemed to tremble slightly. His eyes were filled with battle intent, a harsh Qi energy emanated from him, and he wore a heavy suit of silver armor that looked exceptionally sturdy at a glance.
Gazing at the eight people before her, Lu Yuling's expression remained cold and detached, but the several others were filled with righteous indignation. A mere one hundred spirit stone coins a month, yet twenty had to be forcibly levied by the senior brothers and senior sisters of the previous generation—no matter who it was, they would feel extremely angry.
However, according to the rules of the Asura Sect, matters were settled by duels. The people on the other side were at least at the Qi Cultivation Realm Sixth Layer, clearly existing as geniuses in their own previous generation. Coupled with a much longer time spent cultivating and having stayed at headquarters for a full year, their combat power was simply not something newcomers like themselves could compare to.
"I see that several of you have reached the Qi Cultivation Realm Third Layer, and some have even reached the Qi Cultivation Realm Fourth Layer cultivation base; your talent is very good. It's just that this is an unwritten rule of the Asura Sect, and I hope you won't disrupt it. After all, everyone came through this way. Once you endure for a year, next time it will be your turn to collect spirit stone coins." The disciple who had spoken earlier still maintained the appearance of favoring peace above all, yet the words he uttered were infuriating.
"Hehehe, Zhan Bing, why waste so much breath with these fellows? I'm just itching for them not to submit. It's rare that some new disciples have come for us to blunt their sharpness; my hands are already itching." One playing the red face and one playing the white face, the robust disciple brandishing the wolf fang club wore an expression of eager anticipation to make a move.
Zhuge Xiang, whose footsteps had paused slightly, heard the conversation over here, and his face turned cold. As for the so-called unwritten rules, Zhuge Xiang didn't care about them, but if anyone wanted to take even a single spirit stone coin from his hands, Zhuge Xiang would not agree to it. What of the Qi Cultivation Realm Sixth Layer? What belonged to him was his, and no one else could take it away...
Swish!!!
A brilliant arrow ray, carrying a fierce aura, plunged directly between Lu Yuling and the others and the few disciples of the previous generation. The ground at the peak of Green Bamboo Peak consisted of mountain stone, yet this single arrow pierced more than three inches into the rock, its fletching vibrating continuously. The sudden appearance of the hidden arrow startled all eight disciples of the previous generation, and they reflexively turned their heads, their eyes locking onto Zhuge Xiang, who stood upon the rope bridge.
The hundred-refinements bow drawn to its full extent, Zhuge Xiang's wolf fang arrow nocked on the string, aimed at the eight disciples of the previous generation and said coldly: "Let's go by the rules of the Asura Sect. Which of you is coming up?"
Hard mountain stone ground, yet a bow and arrow could penetrate three inches deep—this offensive power caused the expressions of several disciples of the previous generation to grow somewhat grave. Regardless, the force of this single arrow alone was no weaker than that of a Qi Cultivation Realm Fifth Layer disciple. From his appearance, he should be a disciple of no more than the Qi Cultivation Realm Fourth Layer, right? Was such high attack power the effect of the bow and arrow in his hand? It had to be at least a Two-Star Artifact!
"Yo-ho? Is there really someone who refuses to submit? Good then, I'll beat you until you submit." Although Zhuge Xiang's attack made these disciples of the previous generation feel a wave of pressure, it was merely pressure nonetheless. The disciple wielding the wolf fang club had a rich fighting intent surge onto his face; they were geniuses of the previous generation, and their year of cultivation had not been in vain.
"Be a little careful, don't capsize in the gutter." Watching this disciple make his move, Zhan Bing, who had previously looked amiable, spoke up in reminder.
"Rest assured, isn't it just a Two-Star Artifact? My armor is also a Two-Star Artifact," the disciple said dismissively, shaking the wolf fang club in his hand. As he spoke, he charged toward Zhuge Xiang with aggressive momentum. An archer? While such a person possessed long-range attack capabilities, once in close quarters, wasn't he just someone to be toyed with at will?
"A Two-Star Artifact?" The opponent's words were spoken loudly, evidently meant for him to hear. Watching this charging disciple intently, Zhuge Xiang also knew that the other's cultivation base was at the Qi Cultivation Realm Sixth Layer, and moreover, he had no less than five artifacts on his person, showing clearly that his year at the Asura Sect headquarters had not been wasted.
He would not be lacking in the quantity of artifacts, but his cultivation base lagged behind by a full two tiers. To win, he could not afford to drag things out. Decisively, Zhuge Xiang pulled the bow wide, aiming at the charging disciple. The Piercing Arrow technique activated, and simultaneously, scarlet-colored Qi energy surfaced on Zhuge Xiang's body, accompanied by chilling ghost faces...
"What?! The Proficient Level of the Bloodthirsty Technique!?" Seeing the blood-red Qi energy on Zhuge Xiang's body, along with those horrifying ghost faces, the expressions of the several disciples of the previous generation changed drastically.
They naturally understood very well what the Bloodthirsty Technique implied, and even more clearly how formidable a Proficient Level Bloodthirsty Technique was. That arrow just now already possessed strength no less than that of a Qi Cultivation Realm Fifth Layer disciple; now, with the amplification of the Proficient Level Bloodthirsty Technique, how strong would it be?
Seeing Zhuge Xiang activate the Bloodthirsty Technique, Zhan Bing in the rear shouted out for him to be careful. In truth, there was no need for him to speak; this disciple brandishing the wolf fang club already felt a sense of crisis. Without a second thought, he twisted his waist to dodge Zhuge Xiang's attack.
However, how could Zhuge Xiang let him dodge it? He had activated the Bloodthirsty Technique only when the opponent charged to within twenty meters of him precisely to ensure the adversary had no time to evade. With the Hundred Refinements Bow's range of one hundred twenty meters, over a mere twenty-meter distance, just how fast would that speed be?
Clang!!!
The sound of metal clashing was exceptionally loud. Zhuge Xiang's wolf fang arrow struck fiercely against the disciple's armor. The Hundred Refinements Bow ignored 45 points of defense, the wolf fang arrow ignored 5 points, and coupled with the 10% enhancement from Piercing Arrow, Zhuge Xiang's attack could bypass a total of 55 points of the opponent's defense value.
Though armor of a Two-Star Artifact grade was sturdy, how much defense could it possibly have? At most sixty-odd points, right? Even if the artifact's effects leaned toward defense, this arrow was still sufficient to disregard the majority of it.
Wearing a Two-Star defensive artifact was virtually no different from wearing nothing at all. With a Qi Cultivation Realm Fourth Layer cultivation base, the amplification of the Bloodthirsty Technique, and the skill effects of Piercing Arrow, what would happen when it landed on the opponent? Nearly this terrifying offensive power was directly met and endured by the adversary's physical body.
The cultivation base of the Qi Cultivation Realm Sixth Layer was indeed very strong, but the Qi Cultivation Realm was typically characterized by high offense and low defense. Zhuge Xiang could slay a One-Star Mid-Grade monster beast without even activating the Bloodthirsty Technique; a single Blood Refinement Saber was enough. This Qi Cultivation Realm Sixth Layer disciple, even if stronger than a One-Star Mid-Grade monster beast, was only so to a limited extent.
With a miserable scream, Zhuge Xiang's arrow was quite like a cannonball leaving the barrel, directly knocking the disciple who had rushed before his eyes into a flying retreat. Collapsing onto the ground, unable to climb back up for a long time, the disciple clutched his chest, his expression changing drastically. At the position on his chest where he had been struck by Piercing Arrow, a bowl-sized indentation had actually appeared on the sturdy Two-Star armor. Fresh blood dripped from the corners of his mouth, and as the disciple gazed at Zhuge Xiang, his eyes were filled with terror.
What he possessed was a Two-Star defensive artifact, and he himself had also cultivated the Martial Arts Pavilion defensive martial art, Golden Bell Shield. His physical body defense alone compared favorably to a One-Star Artifact, and he additionally possessed two other artifacts that added minor defensive boosts. Among the disciples of this generation, his defensive capabilities could be said to be among the very best. Yet, under a single arrow from the opponent, he was actually heavily injured? Just how strong was that arrow from moments before? If it hadn't been himself, but someone else stepping up instead, there might very well have been a possibility of being shot dead!
"Oh? He's still able to move? It looks like his defense really isn't low." His own attack had negated at least seventy to eighty percent of the opponent's Two-Star artifact defense, yet the man could still move—even to Zhuge Xiang, this disciple's defensive power was startling. That arrow just now should have been enough to injure even a Two-Star Demonic Moth. Although the cultivation base was at the Qi Cultivation Realm Sixth Layer, this defensive power was indeed formidable.
However, while he could still move, he clearly no longer possessed any combat capability. Zhuge Xiang reacted swiftly; another wolf fang arrow was nocked onto the string and drawn taut, its sharp aura locking onto the adversary. Although this arrow lacked the effect of Piercing Arrow, the opponent already lacked the ability to fight.
"Wait... wait..." Locked in place by Zhuge Xiang's wolf fang arrow, the might of that previous strike had already terrified him out of his wits. The disciple holding the wolf fang club cried out in a hurry: "Your strength is very strong, I admit defeat."
Conceding defeat ought to be a humiliating matter, but when this disciple admitted defeat, he felt not the slightest bit of pressure, which caused Zhuge Xiang to feel somewhat surprised. Immediately afterward, he sneered inwardly: when new disciples arrived, they were all subjected to suppression by their senior brothers to blunt their sharpness. Looking at their appearance, after being suppressed for a year, did they have any sharpness left? It seemed so; having stayed in the Asura Sect for a year, in this sect where strength reigned supreme, conceding defeat to the strong was not considered a disgraceful thing.
Since the opponent had conceded defeat, Zhuge Xiang paid him no further mind. His bow directly pointed at the remaining seven disciples of the previous generation, and under the effect of the Bloodthirsty Technique, Zhuge Xiang's scarlet pupils carried a rolling intent to kill: "What about you lot? Is there anyone else who wants to continue collecting spirit stone coins? Step forward then."
(...)
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