Disciple Competition (Part Two)

Upon hearing the news, Zeng Fan first looked stunned. Then his expression turned icy cold. Although fists and feet had no eyes during competitions, they were all fellow disciples, and ordinarily, fights stopped once one side had gained the upper hand. It was rare for anyone to suffer serious injuries. According to the person who had brought the news, Yuan Jin's severe injuries had most likely been inflicted deliberately.

Zeng Fan let out a soft breath. The most urgent thing now was to go see how badly Yuan Jin was hurt, then find out exactly what had happened.

When he reached the palace where injured disciples were resting temporarily, Zeng Fan immediately spotted Yuan Jin among the crowd. Yuan Jin was lying on a bed, his face pale, with dark-red bloodstains still marking the clothes over his chest. His entire body exuded weakness. When he saw Zeng Fan approaching, Yuan Jin smiled at him.

"You're here."

"What happened? How bad are your injuries? Who did this?" Seeing that Yuan Jin could still smile, Zeng Fan felt slightly relieved and asked through his anger.

"I was simply outmatched. Nothing could be done. You remember those two bastards who took our Spirit Stones before, right?"

"Those two broke through? Even if they did, there's no way they could have beaten you this badly." Zeng Fan frowned.

"Heh, those two have an elder brother. He'd been in seclusion for the Disciple Competition. They gathered Spirit Stones to help him increase his strength. I was just unlucky—I ran into him during the match. He's at the Body Tempering Bone Perfection stage of the Profound Vein. I couldn't beat him." Yuan Jin gritted his teeth. But this had been a match between people of the same realm. The man's attacks had been vicious, yet they had not damaged Yuan Jin's foundation, so they were still within the rules. It only meant that Yuan Jin could no longer continue competing. In the end, he had been tricked.

"What's that guy's name?"

"Zhou Bao."

Zeng Fan repeated the name softly, and his eyes gradually turned cold.

"Body Tempering Bone Perfection... My current cultivation still isn't enough. I must make it into the top ten this time. Only then can my cultivation break through faster." The stronger the anger in his heart grew, the calmer Zeng Fan's eyes became. Yuan Jin's grudge could not go unanswered. Only by growing stronger as quickly as possible would he possess the capital to take revenge.

"I only have one more match before I make the top ten. I'll go over first. I'll come back after the competition ends." Zeng Fan lowered his head and spoke to Yuan Jin.

"Go, go. You can do it! It's nothing serious with me. I'll be fine after resting for a while." Yuan Jin lightly patted Zeng Fan's shoulder, telling him not to worry too much.

"Mm."

Zeng Fan nodded heavily, then turned and walked out of the palace.

After Yuan Jin watched Zeng Fan's figure disappear from sight, the smile at the corner of his mouth vanished. His entire body began to tremble faintly, and blood vessels appeared in his eyes. He clenched the wooden bed so hard that it creaked.

How could I accept this? After that bastard severely injured him, not only could he no longer continue the competition, but he also had to recuperate for some time. Even his cultivation would stagnate.

Yuan Jin knew that he could not affect Zeng Fan's match, so he had acted unconcerned in front of him earlier, allowing Zeng Fan to compete without worry.

He would definitely avenge this grudge himself! No matter how close their relationship was, there were some things for which he did not want another person's help. Everyone had their own convictions.

"First, I need to heal properly and try to recover as soon as possible." Yuan Jin struggled to sit up on the bed, swallowed a healing pill, and began desperately absorbing it to repair his internal injuries...

By the time Zeng Fan returned to the stone platform, he had completely calmed down. He knew what he needed now. Getting angry would accomplish nothing. The most important thing was to win the next match.

"Zeng Fan!" a disciple called from the platform.

"It's my turn!" Zeng Fan was just about to step onto the platform when his opponent's name made his pupils contract instantly.

"Wang Beichen."

As the referee disciple finished speaking, a small figure rose from the elevated platform of the Earth Vein disciples and walked toward the stone platform. The crowd erupted in an uproar.

"He's actually a child! My heavens!"

"He's already embarked on the path of cultivation at such a young age? Is the gap between us and the Earth Vein disciples really that enormous?"

As that small figure drew closer, a boy of around ten appeared before Zeng Fan's eyes. Wang Beichen's frame was somewhat slender, yet it carried a lively air. His face was as fair as jade, with a healthy flush. Beneath his brows was a pair of dark, bright eyes. The only thing that marred this face was the disdainful smile hanging from the corners of his mouth. At the same time, his voice rang out.

"What's going on with this top-ten final? Any Tom, Dick, or Harry can get in. Are this batch of Body Tempering Muscle disciples really so useless? They can't even stop someone at the Major Accomplishment stage. Hmph, hmph~"

The moment Wang Beichen spoke, the surroundings fell utterly silent. Then the crowd instantly became agitated.

"Why is this kid's mouth so foul?!"

"So what if he's from the Earth Vein? Brother, beat him bloody for me! I support you!"

The crowd's support immediately shifted toward Zeng Fan. Wang Beichen merely let out a cold laugh when he heard them. "A bunch of incompetent trash. You couldn't even enter the finals. The words of weaklings like you don't hurt me in the slightest. I can't be bothered to argue with you." With that, he leaped onto the elevated platform and looked toward Zeng Fan.

Zeng Fan also felt immense pressure. Murong Xue's warning had come true—he had really encountered this Earth Vein disciple at the Body Tempering Muscle Perfection stage. And he was actually only a child. His cultivation talent was truly astonishing.

"So what if he's an Earth Vein disciple? I've already come this far. Winning this match will put me in the top ten! I'll crawl my way in if I have to." Without hesitating further, Zeng Fan leaped directly onto the elevated platform.

On the distant stone platform belonging to the Earth Vein disciples, Murong Xue stared intently at this place, her eyes filled with worry. She knew the strength of the Earth Vein disciples best. Although Wang Beichen was young, and his cultivation and temperament placed him near the bottom among their group, he could still crush ordinary disciples.

"Zeng Fan, you can do it." The girl spoke softly, her jade-like hands gripping the railing tightly. Her eyes were filled with worry.

On the platform, Zeng Fan and Wang Beichen faced each other. "You should just admit defeat. How about it?" The little boy's voice was clear and childish, but his words carried contempt and coldness.

"Not a chance. We'll know once we fight." Zeng Fan's tone remained steady as Spiritual Energy began surging continuously through his body. He was ready to strike at any moment and did not relax in the slightest simply because his opponent was a child. Anyone who had fought his way this far was no fool. He only needed to understand that his opponent possessed Earth Vein cultivation. Nothing else needed consideration.

"Then I can only... beat you until you admit defeat!" The moment he spoke the first three words, Wang Beichen's figure vanished. By the time he finished the rest, he was already in front of Zeng Fan, punching toward his stomach.

"So fast! What power!" Zeng Fan reacted only when the figure reached him. He thrust out a hand and directly blocked Wang Beichen's punch, but the power transmitted from that tiny fist made his expression change. His entire body was sent flying into the air.

Wang Beichen grinned. He bent both legs slightly, then explosively exerted force and leaped directly above Zeng Fan. His hands crossed into a massive fist, which he slammed viciously toward Zeng Fan's back. At this critical moment, Zeng Fan forcibly twisted his body in midair, driving the strength of his entire body through his elbow and into Wang Beichen's crossed fists.

With a bang, elbow and fists collided. Zeng Fan plunged rapidly downward. Just before he touched the ground, he quickly rolled several times, reducing the force of his descent.

Wang Beichen landed lightly. "How was that? I'm not bad, right?" he shouted at Zeng Fan with a laugh.

Zeng Fan's expression was solemn. This guy is too strong. There's nowhere to borrow force in midair for Fish Dance. I absolutely can't let him knock me into the air again. I'll fight him on the ground, build up my strength, and then decide the match with one blow!

Zeng Fan no longer hesitated and charged directly toward Wang Beichen. Seeing him rush over, Wang Beichen said, "You still won't surrender? Then don't blame me!" The two charged toward each other. Zeng Fan drove his knee fiercely upward to block Wang Beichen's descending punch. Borrowing Zeng Fan's force, Wang Beichen twisted his body and sent a whip kick toward Zeng Fan's head.

Just as the whip kick was about to strike his head, Zeng Fan twisted his body and avoided it in a strange posture. Wang Beichen let out a soft cry of surprise. "Interesting. Is that a movement killing move? Then I can play with you a little longer."

The two figures once again intertwined at high speed. Every part of their bodies seemed to transform into a weapon, striking toward the other's weakest points from treacherous angles.

As time passed, impatience appeared on Wang Beichen's face. He stepped back and withdrew from the battle. Flashing his canine teeth at Zeng Fan, he said, "I've had enough fun. It's time to end this." Then Spiritual Energy rapidly circulated through his body, and his entire aura rose sharply.

"Bone Dislocation Hand!"

Before Zeng Fan could react, Wang Beichen had already reached him. His hands seized Zeng Fan's arms at incredible speed. With a crack, Zeng Fan's arm was dislocated outright.

Zeng Fan endured the pain and swung his other fist at Wang Beichen's face. Unexpectedly, Wang Beichen dodged it directly. "You thought you were the only one who was fast?" He placed both hands on Zeng Fan's arms again, sticking to them and directly dislocating both arms.

Zeng Fan could not help letting out a muffled groan. Before he could react, Wang Beichen kicked him viciously in the stomach. A mouthful of blood sprayed out, and his entire body skidded across the ground on his knees.

His arms hung limply at his sides. Zeng Fan knelt halfway on the ground, his entire body panting violently. His hair was plastered to his face with sweat, and blood kept dripping from the corner of his mouth, soon forming a small red puddle on the ground.

"Admit defeat. You don't have enough strength left to fight back." Wang Beichen's voice was crisp. After all, they were fellow disciples. Although he was arrogant and spoiled, he had no interest in bullying someone who could no longer fight. Zeng Fan remained kneeling in silence.

Wang Beichen froze. He seemed to hear Zeng Fan muttering something. He slowly approached, and the words gradually became clear beside his ear.

"Just a little more. Just a little more..."

Zeng Fan kept muttering those words. Wang Beichen felt uneasy. He shook his head, raised his palm, and prepared to end the battle.

"I won't lose!" Zeng Fan roared. He exploded upward from the ground and fiercely drove one foot toward Wang Beichen. Wang Beichen raised his hand to block it, then froze slightly, as if Zeng Fan's fighting spirit had shaken him.

"I admire you a little, you bastard. You're different from those Tom, Dick, and Harrys. I'm going all out now." A trace of admiration appeared in Wang Beichen's eyes as he looked at Zeng Fan. Then the child's Spiritual Energy rapidly gathered into both hands.

"Bone Dislocation Hand!"

The killing move was unleashed again. Wang Beichen rapidly closed in beside Zeng Fan. Zeng Fan barely twisted his body aside, moving like a sluggish dying fish. Wang Beichen no longer hesitated. He seized both of Zeng Fan's arms and twisted.

Zeng Fan let out a cry of agony as both arms were directly twisted apart by Wang Beichen. Yet there was no pain in his eyes now—only extreme madness.

"It's over!" Wang Beichen shouted. His small hand clenched into a fist and slammed toward Zeng Fan, bringing with it a ripping wind.

Enough! It's over!!! Zeng Fan screamed wildly in his heart. He could feel that the strength stored within his body was almost enough to make him explode. He no longer hesitated. His hands had been twisted apart and could not exert force. Wang Beichen was too close for him to kick. In that case, there was only one option—his head!!!

Zeng Fan gathered all his strength into his head and fiercely rammed it toward Wang Beichen's head. But Wang Beichen was faster. He knew that as long as his fist struck Zeng Fan, the battle would be over. Yet just before his fist touched Zeng Fan's body, Zeng Fan managed to shift his body with difficulty, using his chest to meet Wang Beichen's fist.

"You bastard, are you trying to die?" Wang Beichen was startled as well. His attack had originally been aimed at Zeng Fan's stomach. If the punch landed solidly, it would definitely rob Zeng Fan of his ability to fight. Yet Zeng Fan had forcibly twisted his body, making the fist strike his chest instead. After this punch, even if Zeng Fan did not die, he would suffer severe injuries.

But Wang Beichen had no time to withdraw his fist. He could only watch as it slammed viciously into Zeng Fan's chest with a muffled bang.

Wang Beichen froze. A sharp pain came from his fist. It felt as though he had punched a solid stone. "Why is this guy so hard? No! There's something blocking his chest!"

Before he could take further action, Zeng Fan's eyes were already bloodshot. He abruptly smashed his head into Wang Beichen's forehead with a resounding boom.

"Bastard!" Wang Beichen felt a wave of agony tear through his head. He only had time for that thought to surface before everything went black.

Under the crowd's gaze, Zeng Fan smashed his head into Wang Beichen's forehead. After the thunderous impact, Wang Beichen collapsed unconscious onto the ground, leaving only Zeng Fan barely standing on the platform.

Zeng Fan felt his entire field of vision turn red. He knew that blood must have blurred his eyes. The flesh on his forehead had split open, and blood slid down his face in little streams. Enduring the dizziness constantly pounding through his head, he looked toward the disciple in charge of refereeing.

That disciple seemed to have been frightened witless by the brutal scene before him. When he saw Zeng Fan looking over, his entire body jolted. Realizing what he needed to do, he blurted out,

"The winner of this battle is Zeng Fan!"

After hearing the announcement of his victory, Zeng Fan could no longer resist the drowsiness flooding his mind. His legs went weak, and he fainted. Yet before he passed out, he seemed to feel a figure catch him, carrying the delicate fragrance of a young girl.