The arena must've been weakened, right? Chi Jiuyu propped her chin on one hand. The insults in the arenas at the Dragon-Elephant Heaven-Supporting Sect had been much nastier than this.
"Okay, here you go." Xu Xing handed her phone back.
She took it and hurriedly opened her chat app. "Martial Uncle, you explained things to my master for me, right?"
"I did."
"Huh? Where's the chat history?"
The chat window was still on the message her master had sent after she'd gone on the attack.
"Your master told me to delete the chat history. She'll deal with you when you get back."
She was actually worried her disciple might see it. What on earth had they been talking about?
Wait!
"Martial Uncle, didn't you explain things to my master for me?!"
"Yes, that's right."
"Then why does she still want to deal with me?!"
"What did you call me?" Xu Xing suddenly asked.
"Martial Uncle."
"Then what is your master to me?"
"She's your senior sister..."
Xu Xing looked at her like she was a foolish child.
"So why did you think your senior sister would listen to me, her junior brother?"
"..."
That made so much sense. I couldn't even argue.
Chi Jiuyu fell silent, but for some reason, she felt like her martial uncle was just pulling her leg.
Xu Xing smiled and turned his attention back to the arena.
After Zhang Yunlu had displayed swordsmanship at the perfected level in her match against Fang Lin, no one had dared to challenge her.
If nothing unexpected happened, she would be the champion of this Dharma Combat Test.
This had undoubtedly taken many people by surprise.
After all, before this Dharma Combat Test, Zhang Yunlu's performance hadn't been bad, but she'd still been a little behind the very best.
Just when most people thought there wouldn't be any more surprises in this Dharma Combat Test...
Another figure appeared before the crowd. The newcomer stood on a flying sword, his true essence deep and dense, its quality far surpassing Qi Refining spiritual power.
Flying on a sword—Foundation Establishment!
There was actually someone at the Foundation Establishment stage among this year's students!
"It's Xiao Fan!"
"Xiao Fan? You mean the Xiao Fan whose older brother joined the Dragon-Elephant Heaven-Supporting Sect before the college entrance exams? But hasn't he only been at the ninth Qi Refining layer for a little while?"
"His brother must've given him some treasures."
Xiao Fan remained expressionless at the whispers and looked toward Zhang Yunlu instead.
The hand gripping Zhang Yunlu's sword tightened slightly.
She had no confidence at all against an opponent at the Foundation Establishment stage, but that didn't mean she would simply admit defeat.
The next moment, Xiao Fan swooped down on his flying sword. Zhang Yunlu braced herself, not daring to be careless for even an instant.
But... Xiao Fan didn't stop in front of her. He flew right past and landed on the second-largest arena.
Whoa!
The audience erupted at the sight, and noisy discussions broke out all around.
You're a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and you're actually afraid to fight someone at the Qi Refining stage?
Xiao Fan, however, acted as if he hadn't heard a thing. He sat cross-legged on the arena and began regulating his breathing.
In a corner of the audience, a middle-aged couple stared anxiously at Xiao Fan on the arena.
"Pseudo Foundation Establishment."
On the judges' platform, the principal saw through Xiao Fan's situation.
Xiao Fan had clearly achieved Pseudo Foundation Establishment after taking Barrier-Breaking Spirit Liquid. That explained why he hadn't challenged Zhang Yunlu.
A Pseudo Foundation Establishment cultivator against a ninth-layer Qi Refining sword cultivator who had mastered perfected-level swordsmanship—there was no telling how that would turn out.
"Wasn't he at the ninth Qi Refining layer before? Why use this method to establish his foundation?" Yu Ming asked, puzzled.
Pseudo Foundation Establishment was a method chosen only by cultivators who had no hope of achieving proper Foundation Establishment. Xiao Fan, who was at the ninth Qi Refining layer, clearly wasn't one of them.
Such an act, cutting off his own future...
"Not long ago, a group of Dragon-Elephant Heaven-Supporting Sect cultivators returned from the Starry Sky Battlefield. Some of them were badly injured. Xiao Fan's older brother was among them, and he still hasn't woken up," the mayor's secretary explained.
Whether to go to the Starry Sky Battlefield was entirely up to each cultivator. It wasn't compulsory, so they had to bear the risks themselves.
Clearly, Xiao Fan had taken the Barrier-Breaking Spirit Liquid to establish his foundation so he could win the prize money from this Dharma Combat Test and cover the medical expenses.
"What a pity..." Yu Ming sighed.
There wasn't much he could say about something like this.
With his path forward cut off, that young man must be suffering terribly.
Pseudo Foundation Establishment?
It really was incredible.
Xu Xing looked at Xiao Fan on the arena, her gaze seemingly piercing through his body to see the wondrous yet fragile, illusory Dao Foundation within his dantian.
That blond-haired kid before had been too weak. He'd taken the Barrier-Breaking Spirit Liquid at the seventh Qi Refining layer.
But Xiao Fan was different. He was at the ninth Qi Refining layer.
Though taking the Barrier-Breaking Spirit Liquid to establish his foundation at the ninth Qi Refining layer had caused some loss, a trace of the wondrous aura of a Creation Dao Foundation still remained.
The seventh Qi Refining layer wasn't complete, but with the help of that trace of wondrous aura, he'd still been able to establish his foundation. How could that not count as an alternative way of 'stealing the wonders of creation from Heaven and Earth'?
"What a pity."
Although a trace of the Creation Dao Foundation's aura remained in Xiao Fan, incomplete was incomplete. He could no longer make further progress, and his fragile Dao Foundation simply couldn't bear the weight of a Golden Core.
Even scrapping his cultivation and starting over would be difficult. His Dao Foundation was fragile, but its grade was extremely high. Destroying it would be like detonating a Creation Dao Foundation inside his body.
Even with a Dao Integration cultivator protecting him, he'd most likely survive as a cripple. There was only the slimmest chance he'd come away unscathed.
Still, the Spirit Sound Workshop's research did have some merit. Perhaps they really would find a solution in the end.
It might be worth keeping an eye on this young man.
Beside Xu Xing, Chi Jiuyu was arguing with people on the Spirit Net.
It had started with a post.
[Help! I've already reached Foundation Establishment. What path should I choose to specialize in?]
It even included an attached special recruitment notice from Righteous Alliance University.
As a kind-hearted cultivator, Chi Jiuyu gave what she thought was the most correct answer.
Future Sect Master of Sword Sect: "Of course you should be a sword cultivator! Sword cultivators are cool and strong. Isn't cultivation all about flying on swords and living forever? /side-eye grin"
There were replies below, but the first two were actually Chi Jiuyu's own alternate accounts.
Next Sect Master of Sword Sect: "Exactly! I think sword cultivators are the best, too."
Destined Sect Master of Sword Sect: "Sword cultivators are invincible among their peers. If you disagree, come fight me."
Quietly Practicing Magic Xiao Zhao: "You three above, why don't you fight each other first? /picks nose"
Quietly Practicing Magic Xiao Zhao: "Obviously you should choose us magic cultivators. We comprehend Heaven and Earth, command the cosmos, wield divine powers that subdue the world, transform the myriad realms, gather boundless power into ourselves, and hold the Great Dao of the universe in our grasp."
Future Sect Master of Sword Sect: "You can brag all you want, but you're still a glass cannon who'll die from one sword strike. /picks nose"
Quietly Practicing Magic Xiao Zhao: "Heh. How are you any different from those brawny idiots with nothing but muscles in their heads?"
Evergreen (taking alchemy orders): "No, sword cultivators are still a little cooler than body cultivators."
Can someone tear down that damn sect arena already? (Buying Dragon-Elephant Pills): "..."
Damn, we really get hit even when we're just lying down. When will body cultivators finally get to stand tall?
Future Sect Master of Sword Sect: "A glass cannon who can roll tiny pills dares to judge us now?"
Clear Moon Talisman Works (DM for wholesale): "That's hilarious. Would you dare say that to your Danding Elder?"
Future Sect Master of Sword Sect: "A glass cannon who throws little scraps of paper at people—how come you haven't starved to death yet?"
Chi Jiuyu took on every cultivator's path by herself, switching between three accounts and relying on her lightning-fast fingers to hold her own.
Mixed into the argument were magic cultivators looking down on body cultivators, as well as cultivators of every kind looking down on the Celestial Human cultivators of the Joyous Union Sect.
In the end, the original poster was so intimidated that they deleted the post. Only then did Chi Jiuyu put her phone away, still wanting more.
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