When Jiang Ping went on stage, he didn't cause much of a stir. Apart from Ye Qingyun cheering him on loudly, no one paid any attention.
Almost everyone's attention was focused on Zhou Taohong.
Until his opponent took the stage.
Click!
Like a bolt of lightning, accompanied by thunder, sparks flew across the entire Sword Fighting Platform.
A Stern Youth in a white robe and wearing a jade crown appeared before Jiang Ping.
At that moment, the entire stadium erupted in cheers!
"Pei Kong, the True Disciple of Qingling!"
Someone said in a trembling voice, their eyes filled with excitement.
The moment the man in white stepped onto the stage, the entire city erupted in uproar. At that moment, the clamor drowned out Zhou Taohong's fighting, like a violent storm tearing apart the clouds, stirring everyone's hearts.
"Zhizhen, is that someone from your hometown?"
From the clouds, the woman standing beside Lin Zhizhen spoke.
At this point, everyone finally noticed Pei Kong's opponent, Jiang Ping.
"I've heard you mention him before; your fellow villager seems to have quite a bit of talent and ability."
The woman said, then added:
"What a pity. They came all the way from the Bitter Cold of the North Nether, and should have made a name for themselves in this selection, but they ran into Pei Kong, the True Disciple of Qingling, in their very first battle."
Lin Zhizhen did not reply, but the seriousness in her eyes spoke volumes.
Although she believed that Jiang Pingping had a good chance of being selected as an elder, it would be difficult for her to gain an advantage against one of the Twelve True Disciples.
"Old Li, your fellow villager is really clueless. Young Master Pei has already stepped up there, how dare he challenge him? The best thing he should do now is to bow his head and admit defeat. What do you think, Old Li?"
Li Wanjuan sat upright on a cloud, took a sip of wine, and calmly said:
That makes sense.
Elsewhere, Ye Qingyun and Ji Wushuang's expressions also changed.
"Old Jiang's luck is a bit bad."
Ji Wushuang said solemnly, "Although he is warlike, he must temporarily avoid confrontation when facing someone far superior to himself."
Ye Qingyun raised an eyebrow and said:
"It's actually True Disciple of the Pei family!"
"Is there a problem?"
Ji Wushuang inquired.
Ye Qingyun nodded slightly and said, "I have already learned about the Twelve True Disciples. Pei Kong is one of the more ruthless ones. He doesn't make a move unless he's absolutely certain of death or serious injury."
He quickly said, "Brother Jiang should concede defeat in this battle."
This selection process does not involve group divisions; rankings are based solely on wins. Those who rank in the top three in wins will naturally become Guest Elder of Qingling.
For Jiang Pingping, aside from the Qingling True Disciple, facing anyone else wouldn't be a big problem, and losing a match wouldn't be a big deal.
If he were to fight Pei Kong to the death, regardless of victory or defeat, he would likely suffer greatly, which could negatively impact his subsequent battles.
Zhou Taohong serves as a cautionary tale; even when facing someone weaker than herself, she found herself in a bitter struggle.
In fact, Jiang Ping, who Sword Fighting Platform, was also pondering this question.
It wasn't that he was showing fear, but rather that he didn't want to reveal everything so early. If he could conceal some of his methods, he might be able to catch those top seeds off guard.
"Jiang Pingping has to admit defeat."
On a cloud, a woman dressed in Qingling suddenly spoke.
"Admitting defeat is inevitable. That's Senior Brother Pei Kong. Even you and I would find it difficult to defeat him, let alone a prodigy from Bitter Cold and cold land."
"Sturdy Man next to the woman said."
These two were the top contenders in this elder selection. Both had Perfected Form and Spirit, but were slightly lacking in Daoist techniques, which was why they lost in the previous competition for True Disciple.
Of course, for them, the position of True Disciple may be hard to come by, but the position of elder is imperative.
"Our opponent is still Zhou Taohong. I strongly suspect she's faking it and trying to sabotage us."
The burly man looked toward the girl in red on another Sword Fighting Platform.
That woman was truly terrifying. Even though she was severely injured and could only barely exert 20% of her Thirty percent Chaos Order, she was still able to overpower the Qingling Sect members.
"This woman is truly remarkable. She wields the Great Sword of Destruction and has mastered 20% of the Void Order. Moreover, she has already passed the Ninth Ninth Tribulation at a young age of less than a hundred. If she had been born in the Qingling Palace, she would have been one of the Twelve True Disciples of our time, perhaps even ranking among the top."
The woman nodded, her expression grave.
Although she is not bad, she is still somewhat lacking compared to Zhou Taohong. She is almost two hundred years old and her mastery of Daoist techniques is only barely up to Thirty percent %.
"Logically speaking, most people in the Nine Heavens can only grasp about Thirty percent of the Order at most. Even for geniuses like us, a little over Thirty percent is the limit. But this Zhou Taohong is estimated to break 40%, making her a terrifying figure with a very good chance of fighting against a True Saint within the boundaries of the Nine Heavens."
The burly man was quite moved.
With a talent like Zhou Taohong's, among the Twelve True Disciples of the Qingling Palace, probably only five or six people could rival him.
This shows that the title of the number one prodigy in the East Sea is well-deserved.
The woman wholeheartedly agreed. She looked at the man from Qingyun on the Sword Fighting Platform and suddenly smiled:
"It's said that the number one person in North Nether today is even more exaggerated. Fortunately, he didn't come to Qingling Territory, otherwise the pressure on you and me would be even greater."
At this moment, on the Sword Fighting Platform, Jiang Ping made a decision after a moment's thought.
He clasped his hands, ready to concede defeat.
His opponent was True Disciple of Qingling who had earned his place through sheer strength; even if he used all his skills, he dared not claim victory easily.
If that's the case, why bother with a hard-fought battle? The goal Three Talents.
"I..."
Before Jiang Ping could finish speaking, Heavenly Thunder struck down, indicating that the opponent had launched an attack.
His eyes changed, and he immediately stepped back, making his figure appear vast and indistinct.
Meanwhile, thousands of bolts of Thunder swept across the spot, causing cracks to appear on the solid Sword Fighting Platform.
"The General Outline of Thunder Method!"
Jiang Ping raised an eyebrow. Not everyone among the Twelve True Disciples of Qingling learns Qingling Daoist arts. They adapt to their own talents, but Pei Kong in front of him cultivates the Five Thunder Hall's <General Outline of Thunder Method>.
Of course, that wasn't what he was thinking. He turned to look at the referee high in the sky, still wanting to avoid this battle.
However, the opponent thought differently, and let out a soft shout:
"Thunder Fighting Art!"
Boom!
The clouds in the sky changed color, and a bolt of lightning as thick as an arm descended in an instant, tearing through space. The surging destructive power made even the contestants' hearts pound with fear.
Jiang Ping expressionless, and a series of dragon roars emanated from his body, accompanied by a growing booming sound. He dodged while simultaneously channeling his physical strength to resist this destructive intent.
It must be said that the opponent's level of Order was very high. Even though he dodged 90% of the Thunder, he still felt a tingling sensation all over his body.
He stood at the edge of the Sword Fighting Platform, looking at Pei Kong with a slightly somber expression.
He tried to concede twice, but his opponent stopped him both times, displaying extreme domineering and self-centeredness.
"Is Pei True Disciple trying to bully the weak?"
This is the sentiment of many people.
The True Disciple, now invincible, is still entangled with a Bitter Cold, talented young man who desperately wants to admit defeat. There's no more reasonable explanation than "stomping on a weakling."
"Brother Jiang, you've really had a bad start. You've encountered a formidable opponent right from the beginning, and they won't even let you admit defeat. That's really domineering." Ye Qingyun frowned.