Arrogant

For the past ten days or so, he had been wholeheartedly cultivating, completely unaware of anything else. When the Scripture Hall reopened on this day, he heard many Upper Court disciples discussing the Unrestricted Duel that would take place at the end of the year.

"I only joined the Upper Court not long ago, and I didn't realize Upper Court disciples valued the Unrestricted Duel so much!"

As Zhong Yue walked along, he sensed a murderous aura from these Upper Court disciples and couldn't help but sigh, "But this is normal. Whether they are Poor Family Disciples or members of a Great Clan, if they don't cultivate a Spirit by the age of sixteen, they will be expelled from the mountain. Therefore, this Unrestricted Duel is probably the hope for all Upper Court disciples to become Qi Refiners! Of course, if I can meet Xin Huo's requirements, I can cultivate a Spirit without needing the Spirit Void Hall. However, Xin Huo's requirements are extremely high, practically monstrous. With my current abilities, I'm far from meeting them."

Outside the Scripture Hall, many disciples were even sparring. Not only were various Visualization Combat Methods being used, but treasures like Totem God Pillars and Soul Weapons were also present, making the scene quite intense.

Hundreds of Upper Court disciples were watching from the sidelines, divided into several combat circles, with two disciples fighting in each. They employed all sorts of methods, unleashing various visualization techniques.

Zhong Yue even saw someone manifest Wings, flapping them to fly in mid-air. Their Soul Weapons moved like lightning, clashing in the sky with dazzling and ever-changing combat techniques!

"What's going on? Huh, why are there so many unfamiliar faces in the Upper Court?"

Zhong Yue focused his gaze and saw that one side of the combatants were all unfamiliar faces, facing off against the Upper Court disciples. Suddenly, an Upper Court disciple was knocked down from mid-air, falling heavily to the ground and unable to get up. Fortunately, his life was not in danger.

Clearly, this was no mere sparring match. Fellow disciples would hold back, but these people were using too much force; it didn't seem like a friendly spar!

"Pfft—"

Suddenly, Zhong Yue saw a familiar figure in one of the combat circles fly high into the air, struck by an opponent and sent soaring upwards, falling powerlessly towards the ground.

Zhong Yue's mind stirred, and his Spiritual Power flew out, transforming into a Flood Dragon that caught the person and landed them gently. Zhong Yue strode forward and asked, "Senior Brother He, what's going on? Who are they?"

The one who had been sent flying out of the combat circle was He Chengchuan. He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said angrily, "These guys are Outer Disciples cultivating in the Inner Court. They've come to the Upper Court to cause trouble!"

"Outer Disciples cultivating in the Inner Court?"

Zhong Yue was slightly taken aback and immediately understood. To become an Inner Disciple and cultivate under a Sword Gate's Hall Master or Elder, one had to cultivate a Spirit and become a Qi Refiner. However, Great Clans had certain privileges. The core disciples of Great Clans would be taken in by the Qi Refiners of their clan, who would guide them, teach them cultivation techniques, and offer pointers.

For example, Yu Feiyan of the Youyu Clan could ascend the mountain at any time to consult with the Youyu Clan's Qi Refiners on cultivation difficulties. However, Yu Feiyan didn't like living in the Inner Court. Other core disciples of clans often resided in the Inner Court and rarely interacted with Upper Court disciples.

Although these individuals cultivated in the Inner Court, they were still Outer Disciples. They were required to participate in the assessment during the Unrestricted Duel at the end of the year. With the Unrestricted Duel approaching, many such disciples had come from the Inner Court.

As for why they were attacking Upper Court disciples, it was because they were unfamiliar with the strength of the Upper Court disciples and wanted to identify any experts among them who might pose a threat.

Know yourself and your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles.

"The ones who came this time are the core disciples of the Shuitu Clan and the Lishan Clan, two of the Ten Great Clans. Not only was I beaten, but Senior Sister Ting was also beaten!"

He Chengchuan spat out blood and said angrily, "They're unreasonable! They said they wouldn't use heavy blows, but Senior Sister Ting was severely injured by them!"

"Shuitu Clan?"

A sharp glint flashed in Zhong Yue's eyes, and a surge of anger welled up within him. His expression, however, remained unchanged. "The Shuitu Clan! The Qi Refiners of the Shuitu Clan colluded with the Demonic race and released the Heavenly Phenomenon Mother. The higher-ups of the Shuitu Clan summoned Junior Sister Shui Qingyan to the mountain, and as a result, Junior Sister Shui was possessed by the Heavenly Phenomenon Mother, her soul scattered! Heh heh..."

"You conjured a Flood Dragon with a mere wave of your hand. Your strength is quite good. Are you interested in a spar?"

The disciple who had injured He Chengchuan's gaze fell upon Zhong Yue, and he said with a smile, "I see the Flood Dragon you visualized carries a Thunder Totem and seems to contain the Thunderclap Sword Art. You must be a disciple of Elder Pu, right? I've sparred with Elder Pu's disciples before; they were all rather mediocre. But you're different. You've managed to combine the Flood Dragon Totem with the Thunder Totem, so it seems you've received true transmission and possess some skill."

His gaze was extremely sharp, befitting a disciple who cultivated under a Qi Refiner. His insight and knowledge were far superior to those of the Upper Court disciples.

Zhong Yue's expression was calm, like a still ancient well. He said softly, "Are you from the Shuitu Clan or the Lishan Clan?"

The disciple smiled and replied, "Shui Lingshan from the Shuitu Clan."

Zhong Yue nodded and stepped forward. He Chengchuan, enduring his pain, quickly grabbed his hand and whispered, "Junior Brother Zhong, don't use heavy blows. The Shuitu Clan is one of the Ten Great Clans. You've already offended the Tian Feng Clan. A draw with him would be acceptable..."

Zhong Yue gently freed his hand, a smile appearing on his face. "Don't worry, Senior Brother, I know what I'm doing."

"Don't use heavy blows?"

Shui Lingshan of the Shuitu Clan let out a helpless chuckle. "I should be the one saying that. To be honest, when I fought him just now, I only used seventy percent of my strength. Junior Brother, you can go all out. I hope you have some decent skills."

"Alright."

The two stood about ten feet apart. Zhong Yue narrowed his eyes slightly and moved his lips, "Shuitu Clan..."

BOOM!

The bluestone slabs beneath his feet exploded, scattering in all directions. Where Zhong Yue had been standing, the ground suddenly caved in, forming a footprint nearly a foot deep. The shape of the footprint resembled a dragon's claw, more than ten times larger than an ordinary person's footprint, as if a ferocious Flood Dragon had suddenly exerted its strength and crushed the ground!

Zhong Yue lunged forward in an instant. As he lunged, a dragon's roar echoed. Around his body, a fierce Flood Dragon coiled and twisted, spiraling around his body like a whirlwind, entwining itself around his torso!

Shui Lingshan blinked. When his eyes opened again, Zhong Yue was already in front of him, his arm wrapped in an incredibly thick dragon body, making his entire arm look ferocious. He delivered a punch fiercely to Shui Lingshan's chest!

THUD!

It sounded like a great drum reverberating, followed by the crisp crackling of breaking bones. Shui Lingshan's body bent backward and slammed into a stone pillar as thick as a water bucket in front of the Scripture Hall, rolling several dozen feet away!

In front of the Scripture Hall, battles were still continuing elsewhere, but the sound of Zhong Yue's attack, a series of explosive noises like thunder, rolled from one side to the other. It was incredibly shocking, unimaginably so.

This terrifying explosive power drew everyone's attention!

At this moment, battles ceased. Both those fighting and the onlookers, the Upper Court disciples, all turned their gazes towards this side.

"Brother Lingshan!"

Two disciples from the Shuitu Clan cried out in alarm and rushed forward to help Shui Lingshan up. Shui Lingshan was limp, his chest bearing seven or eight broken ribs.

"He's so badly injured?"

The faces of the two Shuitu Clan disciples changed drastically. They turned back and glared, shouting, "This is a spar between fellow disciples, why did you strike so hard?"

"I was holding back; I didn't use my full strength," Zhong Yue said calmly. "I only used seventy percent of my strength. If I had used my full strength, he wouldn't have been able to take even one punch."

And in his Sea of Consciousness, the Kindling Child chided, "Your power isn't brittle enough. If your power were brittle, when it hit the enemy, they would also be brittle, shattering with a touch! Never mind seventy percent strength, even fifty percent would have been enough to kill him with one punch! You still need to cultivate further; you haven't achieved true brittleness yet!"

"Seven parts of my strength?"

The two Shuitu Clan disciples snorted coldly. One helped Shui Lingshan away, while the other stepped forward and sneered, "Are you Elder Pu's disciple? Do you practice a Body Refining Method? No wonder your speed is so fast. Pure Body Refining Methods make the body far stronger than others. In close-quarters combat, Brother Lingshan was caught off guard and you took advantage of the situation, which is why he suffered a loss! If he had been prepared, how could he have been so easily defeated by you?"

He flicked his wrist, and a Totem God Pillar flew out. Ripples emanated from the Totem God Pillar, spreading out like water waves to a radius of several dozen feet. Under the influence of the Totem God Pillar's ripples, all the Upper Court disciples felt as if they were standing in water, finding it difficult to move.

Ordinary Totem God Pillars could only cover an area of two to three feet, but this Totem God Pillar could cover several dozen feet, clearly indicating it was not a Totem Pillar ordinary disciples could possess!

"Those who practice the body are merely walking a crooked path, the most useless. A single Totem Pillar can completely suppress someone who practices the body!"

The Shuitu Clan disciple looked at the Flood Dragon coiled around Zhong Yue and sneered, "Moreover, your Flood Dragon Totem has skin but no flesh, no blood, and no bones. You haven't truly received the inheritance! Go ahead, let me see your seven parts of strength!"

Zhong Yue lifted his foot and stomped heavily. Suddenly, the Water Wave Totem Pattern emanating from the Totem Pillar surged like a tsunami. The pressure the Totem Pillar exerted on everyone vanished instantly!

The Shuitu Clan disciple was startled, and then Zhong Yue's fist was already upon him. He hurriedly tried to visualize, but it was too late.

"Seven parts of my strength."

Zhong Yue said calmly. His fist ruthlessly shattered the illusion the Shuitu Clan disciple's Spiritual Power had just begun to visualize. The Shuitu Clan disciple was sent flying as if he had been hit by a rhinoceros, tumbling dozens of feet away!

"I didn't have time to visualize, I didn't have time to visualize! How can his speed be so fast?"

The Shuitu Clan disciple's mind reeled, and he spat out a mouthful of blood. He struggled to get up but fell down again, shocked and enraged, "His explosive power, how can it be so terrifying?"

"Are there any other Shuitu Clan disciples?"

Zhong Yue looked around. In front of the Scripture Hall, hundreds of Upper Court disciples were silent. Only his voice echoed, "I want to fight ten."