Senior Sister, if you please

The many Qi Refining disciples in the northern and southern stands instantly fell silent, every gaze settling on the figure.

The newcomer was a tall, imposing middle-aged man with frost-white brows and white hair at his temples.

The inner and outer disciples in both stands all rose and bowed to the man with great respect, greeting him in unison. "We pay our respects to Senior Brother Ying."

Ying Yang swept his sleeve and said mildly, "Dispense with the formalities, junior brothers and sisters."

His voice was not loud, yet it carried throughout the arena.

At the same time, two other True Disciples descended in their streaks of light. One stood tall and straight, with gaunt cheeks, slightly sunken eyes, and a piercing gaze. He was none other than Zhang Jun, whom Fang Hong had met once at the General Affairs Hall when he first joined the sect.

The other was a dignified woman with a head of silver hair and a cold expression.

The woman glanced up at the sky and sneered at Zhang Jun. "What is Yan Yuzhen doing here?"

An auspicious cloud floated in the sky, bearing a vermilion pavilion.

Several female cultivators sat inside the pavilion. At their head was a young married woman in the bloom of her twenties, with snowy skin and flowery beauty, leaning by the window and looking their way.

Yet not one of the Qi Refining disciples in the northern and southern stands noticed the pavilion towering among the clouds.

Zhang Jun chuckled, unconcerned. "Her younger brother is taking the Dharma Combat Platform today. I imagine she cannot rest easy."

"Making a mountain out of a molehill." The silver-haired woman snorted, her face full of contempt, seemingly disapproving of Yan Yuzhen's manner.

Ying Yang said mildly, "Junior Sister Yan is now Zhu Elder's concubine. You would do well to watch your words, Junior Sister Ning, lest you stir up trouble."

The silver-haired woman fell silent.

Ying Yang then said to Zhang Jun, "Junior Brother Zhang, you will preside over this Fish-Dragon Assembly."

"Yes, senior brother." Zhang Jun cupped his hands and bowed.

Then he stepped slowly forward and announced in a clear voice, "Junior brothers and sisters, this Fish-Dragon Assembly officially begins!"

"Any outer disciple or Furnace Disciple of our sect may challenge an inner disciple, with no restrictions on methods or rules. Should anyone's life be endangered during combat, we will intervene. You may fight without holding back."

"Furthermore, if the outcome proves difficult to determine, the three of us will deliberate and judge."

"Senior Brother Ying will bestow a Pearl Scale Beneath the Jaw from a late second-tier Red-Blooded Golden Flood Dragon as a prize upon whoever performs most outstandingly at this assembly."

Having finished speaking, Zhang Jun turned his gaze toward the southern stands and asked warmly, "Who will be the first to take the platform and issue a challenge?"

After a brief silence among the hundreds in the stands, a man in blue robes suddenly rose into the air and landed on the Dharma Combat Platform, first bowing to the three True Disciples.

"I am outer disciple Wang Lichu. I would like to request some instruction from Senior Sister Chu Xiaoxiao of the inner sect."

Zhang Jun asked, "Have you prepared your offering?"

The blue-robed man took out a jade box and gently lifted it, sending it drifting slowly toward the eastern stands.

"Senior brother, this box contains one thousand Yin-Yang Talisman Coins. Should I lose, I will offer them all to Senior Sister Chu."

Zhang Jun took the jade box, opened it for a look, and nodded. "Good."

As he spoke, he addressed the northern stands. "Junior Sister Chu, the offering meets the sect's requirements. You may take the platform."

Beside Chai Hongzhou, Chu Xiaoxiao rose gracefully. He said quietly, "His cultivation is higher than yours. There is no need to fight him head-on."

"I know."

Chu Xiaoxiao flew lightly out and landed on the Dharma Combat Platform.

Without a word, Wang Lichu immediately sent a long, pitch-black spike stabbing toward Chu Xiaoxiao's face.

Not daring to be careless, Chu Xiaoxiao raised her fair hand and deployed a handkerchief-shaped magical artifact, which curled toward the large black spike and intercepted it.

At the same time, a talisman flew from her hand, instantly transforming into a giant python of lightning that hurtled toward Wang Lichu.

Wang Lichu unhurriedly formed a spell seal, and a flaming barrier immediately enveloped his entire body.

The lightning python struck the flaming barrier and disintegrated in an instant, scattering into countless flashing arcs.

Seizing the opportunity, Wang Lichu deployed another large black spike!

Chu Xiaoxiao immediately struggled to fend him off, her hands and feet thrown into disarray.

Watching the two fight from the stands, Fang Hong thought, Chu Xiaoxiao is going to lose.

He turned toward Su Yao and asked quietly, "Do you want that Red-Blooded Golden Flood Dragon scale?"

He had noticed a distinct change in Su Yao's expression when she heard the words "Pearl Scale Beneath the Jaw," as though she was somewhat tempted.

Su Yao nodded lightly and transmitted her voice into his ear. "It can hasten the maturation of Enlightenment Flowers..."

Fang Hong raised his eyebrows in some surprise but said nothing.

He had thought a flood dragon scale could, at most, be used to refine artifacts, concoct pills, or make talismans. He had not expected it to have such a remarkable use.

Over the past year, with both of them consuming them, five blossoms in Su Yao's pot of Enlightenment Flowers had already withered, leaving few remaining.

As he pondered this, the battle on the Dharma Combat Platform had already been decided!

The large black spike artifact pierced Chu Xiaoxiao's protective spiritual light and nearly punched through her chest.

Fortunately, Zhang Jun intervened in time, flicking out a strand of magical power that froze the large black spike in place.

Deathly pale and still shaken, Chu Xiaoxiao said, "I concede."

"Thank you for yielding." Wang Lichu put away his magical artifacts, retrieved the jade box containing the Yin-Yang Talisman Coins from Zhang Jun, then went straight to the northern stands and found a seat.

Chu Xiaoxiao flew toward the southern stands instead.

Chai Hongzhou remained calm, his face betraying no expression.

Chu Xiaoxiao had only just reached the qi refining seventh layer, while Wang Lichu was at the qi refining ninth layer, a gap of two minor realms.

Moreover, every outer disciple who dared to issue a challenge on the platform was a veteran of a hundred battles, richly experienced in magical combat.

Chu Xiaoxiao's defeat was well deserved.

Zhang Jun continued, "Who is next?"

Four or five people immediately flew out from the southern stands. They had likely seen that this batch of newly promoted inner disciples possessed only ordinary strength, and all began entertaining ideas.

"One at a time."

Zhang Jun swept his broad sleeve, allowing only one black-clad figure to reach the platform while a powerful force pressed all the others back into the stands.

Everyone looked closely and saw that the person on the Dharma Combat Platform was a petite woman with a voluptuous figure, dressed in tight black leather armor.

The close-fitting armor seemed to be made of snakeskin scales, its glossy black surface reflecting the sunlight over her full breasts and rounded hips, drawing considerable attention.

"She is a body cultivator. Her leather armor is a supreme-grade first-tier magical artifact with astonishing defensive power. She will be very difficult to deal with."

Chai Hongzhou introduced her to the others with a grave expression.

This female cultivator was also one of the fifteen outer disciples at the qi refining ninth layer, and Chai Hongzhou had been watching her from the outset.

Chu Yuechai smiled disdainfully and sneered, "What lousy leather armor. Nothing but a little trick to play to the crowd. If she dares pick me, I'll beat the shit out of her in front of everyone-or give her credit for clenching tight enough."

Her words immediately made several of them laugh.

After the black-armored woman showed Zhang Jun her offering and he confirmed that everything was in order, she calmly looked toward the northern stands.

"Though my abilities are meager, I would like to seek some instruction from Senior Sister Su Yao. Please show me mercy, senior sister."

Su Yao rose without a word and, with a movement of her body, flew lightly down onto the Dharma Combat Platform.

Dressed in a white gown, she was tall and slender, her face like exquisite jade and her bearing coldly beautiful and elegant. Her appearance immediately drew considerable attention.

Spiritual light flashed in the black-armored woman's hand, and a staff of Black Gold wrought iron suddenly appeared. Blood and qi surged within her, wisps of black vapor coiling around her entire body as killing intent radiated from her. It was as though a ferocious beast lurked within her petite, curvaceous frame.

"Senior sister, if you please!"

As her voice fell, she shot into the air like an arrow loosed from its bow. In a flash, she leaped above Su Yao's head and brought her staff down, a thunderous crack immediately ringing through the air.