Senior Brother, Fire at Me

At last, the instant they clashed, the spirit beast he had overlooked moved!

"Moo!!" A sneak attack! A black shadow burst out from the side with such speed that, entangled with Chen Xun, he had no time to react at all.

"Ah, damn it!!!" Liu Tao's face was filled with grief and indignation, humiliation beyond measure as the Black Bull rammed him off the arena.

Chen Xun seemed unable to hold on any longer as well, collapsing onto the Black Bull's back. Seeing this beneath the arena, Liu Tao was stunned, secretly admiring him. What formidable perseverance.

"Senior Brother... you let me win." Chen Xun weakly opened his eyes, revealing a faint smile.

"Junior Brother, you should tend to your injuries first. We can spar again next year." Liu Tao cupped his hands. He had acknowledged this man in his heart; the battle had been thoroughly satisfying, and he had gained some insight from it.

"Alright." Chen Xun returned the gesture with difficulty and was carried off the fighting arena by the Black Bull. Liu Tao even stepped forward and gave him a healing pill.

Chen Xun burst into tears, moved beyond measure as he seized Senior Brother Liu's hand. Liu Tao was greatly alarmed, and guilt actually appeared in his eyes as he kept reproaching himself inwardly, wondering if he had struck too heavily.

Several disciples nearby looked strangely at Liu Tao, as though Chen Xun were the one who had won. Frightened, Liu Tao hurriedly fled, shaking his head all the way.

Half an hour later, Chen Xun led the Black Bull to a Foundation Establishment elder and cupped his hands. "Elder, I wish to continue fighting."

"In your current condition, can you still fight?"

The elder frowned slightly. This disciple wore a straw hat riddled with holes, with messy strands of hair poking out. His face was filthy, and there were bloodstains on his hands.

"I can." Chen Xun lowered his head with a smile, his eyes filled with stubborn resolve.

"Since you insist, it would not be right to deny your wish." The elder nodded slightly. There were quite a few disciples like this every year, single-minded to the point of stupidity, but the one who suffered was always themselves.

A stream of spiritual power activated Chen Xun's yellow talisman, making it flicker with faint light. Chen Xun then looked toward another arena—his opponent for the second victory.

Chen Xun staggered onto the arena, startling his Qi Refining Eighth Level opponent. He wondered whether he had accidentally beaten the man half to death.

An hour later, an irritable, furious voice rang out from the arena. "Junior Brother, can you even keep going?!!"

"Senior Brother... come on!!" Chen Xun growled, his steps unsteady. Another large hole had appeared in his straw hat, and smoke continued to rise from it.

The Qi Refining Eighth Level disciple looked utterly miserable. You can keep going, but I can't fucking hold on much longer! What Qi Refining Realm cultivator fought for an entire hour? Who had such abundant spiritual power?!

"Moo!!" Seeing that the time had come, the Black Bull's eyes gleamed with slyness. Black Bull Rush!

"Ah? A sneak attack?!" The man let out a shrill cry, tracing a graceful arc through the air before landing steadily outside the arena. Chen Xun's third victory!

Chen Xun was also carried away by the Black Bull toward the shade beneath a distant tree, seemingly badly wounded and on the verge of death.

Under the tree's shade, Chen Xun woke up. He swayed as he leaned against the trunk, a smile appearing on his face.

"Moo?" The Black Bull lay down beside him, its huge mouth twitching constantly.

"I brought them, I brought them. Don't rush me." Chen Xun took off his straw hat, revealing hair that had exploded into a wild mess. His body was covered in wounds.

The Black Bull repeatedly licked Chen Xun's wounds. Chen Xun patted its head and took out medicine from his storage pouch. "They're just superficial wounds. It's nothing serious."

"Moo~" The Black Bull still looked at Chen Xun with concern. Though they had often been hurt back in Little Mountain Village, this was a fighting match—one careless move could cost a life.

"Hehe, I learned quite a bit of medical skill from Master Ning. What are injuries like these?"

Chen Xun spoke unconcernedly. As long as there were no internal injuries, applying medicinal ointment would heal them in a few days without leaving scars.

"Their spiritual power is limited. They can't afford to drag things out with us. If we really used our spells, they wouldn't survive."

Chen Xun smiled faintly. He rather liked these junior brothers and sisters.

"Moo~" The Black Bull nodded. That was indeed true. Their spells were far too terrifying; if used for real, they would leave the opponents either dead or injured.

"Winning around six matches should be enough. Tomorrow, we'll win three more, and we can get those 500 contribution points."

"Moo~~" The Black Bull rubbed against Chen Xun, happiness shining in its eyes.

Chen Xun took out sunflower seeds from his storage pouch, and he and the Black Bull ate together as they watched the various fighting arenas. They were packed with people, and the sounds of fierce combat rang out without end.

The next day, Chen Xun was full of vigor, while his opponents grew increasingly powerful. But no matter how flashy a spell was, it still needed spiritual power to sustain it.

Chen Xun began his path of torment. Every arena battle started at an hour minimum; no one could do anything about it. He simply tormented them relentlessly.

The surrounding disciples had initially come to watch, but they soon grew drowsy and hurried off to other arenas. Those matches were far more exciting than this.

"Junior Brother, I can't hold on anymore!!" A miserable cry rang out. His features were twisted, and there was even a trace of fear in the way he looked at Chen Xun.

"Senior Brother, hold on!" Chen Xun roared encouragingly. "I'm still fine!"

"Moo!!" A Black Bull sneak attack. He was rammed off the arena, and a smile of liberation actually appeared on his face. It was finally over.

Chen Xun smoothly claimed his fourth victory as well.

An hour later.

"Junior Brother, I'm begging you, stop holding on! Just admit defeat!!"

"Impossible. How can cultivators like us lack proud bones? Senior Brother, come—let us battle for another day!"

"Moo!!" A Black Bull sneak attack. Black Bull Tail Whip!

Senior Brother had lost all will to live. He stared up at the sky as he collapsed outside the arena, not a single drop of spiritual power left within him.

Chen Xun claimed his fifth victory.

An hour later.

"Junior Brother, I still have countless talismans that haven't been activated. You can't outlast me!"

"Senior Brother, fire at me!!!"

Half an hour later, Senior Brother trembled all over, his eyes twitching. All his talismans were gone...

"Moo." A sneak attack. Black Bull Rush!

"Ah!!"

Senior Brother cried out miserably, his body flying through the air. Two streams of tears actually ran from his eyes. My entire fortune!

Chen Xun claimed his sixth victory, but his legs were already trembling. For the next match, he had to lean on the Black Bull to make it onto the arena.

Though Chen Xun seemed utterly ordinary, even several Foundation Establishment Realm elders were deeply shaken by such unyielding will. Their gazes turned toward Chen Xun's arena.

"Junior Brother..." Senior Brother looked at the unsteady Chen Xun, his brows drawing together slightly. How was he supposed to strike?

Chen Xun's hair whipped in the wind, his eyes bloodshot. Bent over with both hands braced against his knees, he slowly raised his head and said, "Senior Brother... come fight!"

"I will naturally show Junior Brother the respect you deserve." Senior Brother's expression turned solemn. That gaze had filled him with shock and admiration.

In only the time it took for a few incense sticks to burn, Chen Xun let out a great shout and charged forward with his fists raised, his entire body riddled with openings. Senior Brother merely shifted slightly to the side, his eyes full of emotion.

A chill wind swept in, and Chen Xun could no longer hold on. Like an Iron Pillar, he fell straight onto the arena.

"Junior Brother!"

"Moo!!"

They hurried forward to check on him. Fortunately, he was unharmed. Even a Foundation Establishment elder stepped up to examine him. "He is fine. He has merely endured successive battles that have damaged his body and mind. He only needs to return and recuperate for several days."

"Thank you, Martial Uncle." Senior Brother cupped his hands.

The Foundation Establishment elder nodded, his eyes carrying some emotion as well. This person was very likely of Rogue Cultivator origins. People like them all possessed this trait to a greater or lesser degree.

It was helplessness over their own aptitude, defiance against fate. Even if they fought until the last drop of blood, they would never admit defeat.

Yet in reality, no great figure cast their gaze upon him. People like this were far too ordinary; their unyielding will was nothing more than the furious roar of the powerless. It could not change his aptitude for cultivation.

Chen Xun was dragged down the mountain by the Black Bull.