Puppet Beasts, Dark Demon Vines

The Black-Armored Woman's staff struck with crushing force, faster than racing thunder. If it landed squarely, brains would surely splatter.

Su Yao flickered backward, leaving an afterimage where she had stood, with several flower petals drifting around it.

After her strike missed, the Black-Armored Woman pressed close, sweeping her staff horizontally at Su Yao's waist.

Su Yao's cool face remained expressionless. With a sweep of her sleeves, she summoned a pink flower bud.

The bud was only the size of a small cup, plump and ready to bloom.

The black gold wrought iron staff swept across the bud and burst it apart.

Pfft!

A dense cloud of red and pink Pollen Miasma exploded outward, instantly spreading across an area ten zhang wide.

Both figures, one black and one white, were engulfed in the thick mist.

In the surrounding stands, no one except the three Foundation Establishment True Disciples could see what was happening within the floral mist.

For a moment, everyone focused intently on the Dharma Combat Platform.

Suddenly, a figure stumbled out of the thick mist and fell headfirst onto the Dharma Combat Platform.

Everyone looked closely. It was the female cultivator in the tight leather armor. Scarlet blotches covered her face, and her whole body curled and writhed as she struggled in panic, her face contorted with pain.

She opened her mouth to speak but could not utter a single word.

In the eastern stands, Zhang Jun coughed softly and said, "Junior Sister Su, you've won this match. Hurry and give her the antidote."

Only then did Su Yao emerge from the dense mist. She opened her fair hand, and all the Pollen Miasma on the Dharma Combat Platform immediately collapsed inward, finally returning to a tiny flower bud, which she put away.

She walked up to the Black-Armored Woman, took out a jade vial, and dripped a single drop of liquid into her mouth.

The Black-Armored Woman gradually stopped struggling. After lying there a little longer, she finally rolled over and got up.

"Impressive methods, Senior Sister."

She spoke with apprehension on her face, then turned and jumped off the Dharma Combat Platform, leaving without looking back.

Zhang Jun lifted a wooden box before him with his magical power and sent it onto the platform. "Junior Sister Su, this is your offering gift. Please accept it."

Su Yao thanked him softly, took the wooden box, and returned directly to the northern stands.

"Congratulations, Senior Sister! What a satisfying victory!"

Chu Yuechai offered her congratulations with a smile.

Su Yao glanced at her and said lightly, "Thank you, Junior Sister."

Chai Hongzhou, Xiao Yuansha, and the others also congratulated her with complicated expressions. None had expected Su Yao to win so easily.

Not just them, but all the inner disciples in the northern stands could not help turning to look at Su Yao. Some wore curious expressions, but more looked apprehensive.

The Black-Armored Woman was no weakling, and her offensive and defensive methods were both impressive. Even an ordinary inner disciple might not have been her match, yet she had suffered a crushing defeat in the blink of an eye.

Which Qi Refining disciple could possibly withstand that poisonous pollen mist?

The first cultivator who had taken the platform secretly rejoiced that he had not chosen Su Yao.

In the southern stands, the expressions of many outer disciples who had been eager to try also underwent a subtle change.

Only after a brief silence did someone else take the platform to issue a challenge.

The challenger was a handsome youth in splendid brocade robes-none other than Yan Feihuang, whom Fang Hong had remarked was "born lucky"!

After handing Zhang Jun a thousand Yin-Yang Talisman Coins, he leisurely looked toward the inner disciples. His gaze swept over Fang Hong and the others before pausing briefly on Xiao Yuansha.

"Senior Sister Fan Yunjing, please be generous with your instruction."

Xiao Yuansha immediately frowned.

Fan Yunjing smiled gently, rose, and lightly patted Xiao Yuansha's shoulder before flying down onto the Dharma Combat Platform.

Yan Feihuang casually formed a hand seal. Two streaks of light flew from his storage pouch, rolled upon landing, and transformed into two Black Gold Fierce Tigers, each about a zhang in size.

Two terrifying waves of killing intent rushed at Fan Yunjing, and she hurriedly activated a talisman to protect herself.

Although the two fierce tigers were cast from black gold, they were lifelike and brimming with spiritual vitality. After taking a few steps across the ground, they abruptly pounced at Fan Yunjing.

First-tier puppet beasts!

Fan Yunjing cast a spell, sending several arrowlike streaks of spiritual light into the Black Gold Fierce Tigers, but they failed to slow them in the slightest.

Seeing the Black Gold Fierce Tigers closing in, Fan Yunjing rose into the air to evade them.

Just then, a vast shadow suddenly enveloped her from above.

She hastily looked up and saw a Black Gold Giant Falcon twice the size of a Black Gold Fierce Tiger descending from the sky, its beak stabbing straight at her.

Its astonishing spiritual pressure made her soul tremble, even hampering the circulation of magical power within her.

A second-tier low-grade puppet beast!

Fan Yunjing gritted her teeth and activated another talisman, this one shimmering with emerald light.

A thick layer of watery light instantly enveloped her entire body, forming a perfectly round, substantial sphere of water.

It was the Second-Tier Protective Talisman she had obtained from Fang Hong in exchange for parasitic phantom orchid.

Hiss!

The Black Gold Giant Falcon's sharp beak struck the water sphere, sending up a dazzling flare of light, but failed to pierce it.

The next instant, the feathers of its chilling black gold iron wings spread out. With a mighty beat, it knocked the water sphere down onto the Dharma Combat Platform.

The two Black Gold Fierce Tigers instantly pounced, savagely biting and tearing at the water sphere.

Fan Yunjing's divine sense and magical power were rapidly draining. Seeing that she could not hold out much longer, she said helplessly, "I concede."

Yan Feihuang smiled faintly and immediately put away all three puppet beasts.

"This man's divine sense truly is far stronger than most."

In the stands, Fang Hong and Su Yao exchanged a glance. Both could tell that Yan Feihuang clearly had not used his full strength.

Yan Feihuang leisurely flew up to the northern stands and sat with a pair of inner disciples who were Dao companions farther forward. The three seemed very familiar with one another. Fang Hong had previously met the woman once at sea.

"Who's next?"

Zhang Jun posed the question.

Someone rose from the southern stands and flew onto the Dharma Combat Platform, handing Zhang Jun a thousand Yin-Yang Talisman Coins.

"Outer disciple Xun Yan requests instruction from Senior Brother Fang Hong."

Xun Yan, a cultivator of the Xun Household on Black Demon Island, was one of the three outer disciples Chai Hongzhou had listed as the greatest threats.

Fang Hong rose and came onto the Dharma Combat Platform, studying him carefully.

He was a pale-faced young man with ordinary features and an amiable expression. His cultivation was about the same as Su Yao's, likely at the Qi Refining eighth layer.

Rumor had it that the Xun Household had funneled resources into him, spending a considerable number of Yin-Yang Talisman Coins to obtain a Foundation Establishment Realm Furnace Disciple from the Punishment Hall, and he had screwed his cultivation upward by sheer force.

He suddenly felt that he had seen this man somewhere before. After thinking carefully, he recalled that this was the man who had pretended to join the Xun Household cultivators in besieging him in the Heaven and Earth Secret Realm last year, only to slip away quietly afterward.

The sole survivor among thirteen Xun Household cultivators!

"Senior Brother Zhang, forgive the offense."

Xun Yan spoke softly before attacking Fang Hong with some reluctance.

He shook his broad sleeve, and over a dozen thorn-covered dark green demon vines shot out, coiling toward Fang Hong.

Second-tier demon vines!

The veteran inner disciples in the northern stands, who had been feeling somewhat bored, immediately sat up straight at the sight and watched intently.

Among the outer disciples, there was actually another person who could easily control second-tier Dharma Treasures and spiritual objects?

This was different from Fan Yunjing barely managing to activate a Second-Tier Protective Talisman to defend herself. Like Yan Feihuang, he was genuinely wielding a second-tier treasure.

Could he be another freakish talent like Yan Feihuang?

As the demon vines closed in, Fang Hong neither dodged nor retreated. A streak of golden sword light suddenly flew from his sleeve, circling him like a roaming dragon. Wherever it passed, the demon vines broke apart inch by inch.

A sword's ringing cry rang out!

His entire being resembled an incomparably sharp sword, suddenly baring its edge.

The more than eight hundred disciples in the northern and southern stands felt their eyes ache and hurriedly averted their gazes from Fang Hong.

"Sword intent?!"

Only one person stared fixedly at Fang Hong with blazing eyes, an expression of utter excitement on her face.

As She Yutang watched the fierce, razor-sharp sword intent radiating from Fang Hong, she felt a hot current surge within her. Beneath her magnificent long dress, her thighs involuntarily squeezed tightly together.