Five Elements Beast Puppets, the Nangong Clan!

"Is it true that great wisdom appears as foolishness...?"

"Xiashang Dao Academy Xia Academy a fierce and aggressive offensive, a strategy of fighting to the death to survive; the ultimate offensive is the path to survival..."

"His next move will be anxious! And that anxiety holds the key to opportunity..."

The offensive is coming!

Qin Mingzheng reacted extremely quickly, almost at the same time as his opponent made a move, he summoned four more Six-Sided Lock: black, gold, red, and yellow!

As True Essence was injected, the four Six-Sided Lock immediately began to rotate...

[Red Puppet - Six-Lock Viper] [Metal Golem - Golden-Winged Eagle] [Earth Puppet - Earth Sha Tiger] [Water Puppet - Myriad-Armored Black Tortoise] [Wooden Puppet - Kui Wood Wolf]

The five puppets are revealed at the same time, and the five elements generate and restrain each other, yet they also flow and change!

This scene was truly astonishing; a junior at the True Martial Sixth Realm was able to control five puppets simultaneously, not to mention the consumption of his True Essence...

Just controlling it requires a massive amount of spiritual power!

Qin Mingzheng was aware of his own limits, so he lit a Tea Smoke and inhaled its Tea Smoke to replenish his depleted spiritual energy...

He even sacrificed five Spirit Stone, merging them into the five beast puppets!

Although his cultivation level was low, it didn't mean he couldn't use external aids. As long as he had enough Spirit Stone and Tea Smoke, Qin Mingzheng could use the five beasts...

That's enough to rival several High True Martial Realm!

That's his confidence! Who says Qin Clan Qin Mingzheng!

Today, he'll show everyone what he's made of!

Qin Mingzheng could very well be the leading figure among the younger generation of the Qin Clan! In the same realm, he could very well be the one who can shoulder the responsibility!

"Puppet Mastery: Five Beast Manipulation Technique!"

Qin Mingzheng Method Formula, and with a frenzied dance of his hands, the three beasts— the Earth Sha Tiger, the Golden-Winged Eagle, and the Kui Wood Wolf —charged forward together!

The Myriad-Armored Black Tortoise stood guard in front of him, while the Six-Lock Viper stood by his side, waiting for the right moment to strike!

But a shrewd glint flashed in the eyes of the simple-minded young man. Just as he was about to launch a fierce attack with his sword, he saw that his opponent had once again anticipated his movements...

They then switched from offense to defense!

Its aura was unpredictable and even faintly resembled that of Demon Beast, as if it were imitating a primordial spirit in human form...

While extreme offense is a common fighting style for the Xia Academy, he is not limited to it; he also seeks opportunities to maneuver and maneuver...

Waiting for the opportune moment to strike decisively is also an effective offensive strategy!

Seeing the three beasts attack--

The simple-minded young man cut his palm, and as his blood mingled with the sword's blade, layers of True Essence sword energy erupted, instantly sending the three attacking beasts flying...

However, this was merely a delaying tactic. Once the three beasts turned around to counterattack, their protective Gang Qi was broken in just three breaths!

The Earth Sha Tiger's attacks were heavy and powerful, the Golden-Winged Eagle circled and harassed the enemy from the sky, and the Kui Wood Wolf's body was tough, constantly closing in to entangle them!

Each of these puppet beasts appears to be only First-Tier Mid-Grade...

However, the materials used in its refining are comparable to those of First-Tier Superior-Grade!

After such a fierce battle, no matter how powerful the simple-minded youth's Cultivation Method were or how proficient his techniques were, he could not maintain a flawless defense forever!

Qin Mingzheng could recover while simultaneously controlling the puppet beast's attacks to deplete its resources...

But what about him?

Surrounded and attacked by the three beasts, there was no room for them to breathe!

As time passed, the scales of victory tipped in Qin Mingzheng, despite his best efforts in defense and maneuvering...

But when the Myriad-Armored Black Tortoise stood in front of him, the simple-minded young man was completely helpless!

All his Swordsmanship and Daoist arts were rendered useless, and he wasn't given a chance to get close. If he were allowed to engage in close combat...

The outcome of this match is still uncertain!

Unfortunately, the young man's movements had already been firmly locked onto, and there were also Six-Lock Viper that would occasionally spew fire as feints...

With the three beasts locked in close combat, their attacks surged like a tidal wave...

Stalemate

Unsurprisingly, the young man was defeated, not because of a lack of ability, but because of momentary indecisiveness...

He was like a frog in slowly boiling water; hesitation would lead to defeat!

If he had launched an all-out offensive from the start, perhaps he wouldn't have suffered such a humiliating defeat, and might even have been able to catch the opponent off guard...

Only then can we have a chance to win!

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" in this world; the outcome is already decided...

There is no perfect ending in this world. Regretful exits are perhaps the norm. The failure at this moment may become the nourishment for future blossoming!

"The winner!"

"The Beichuan Qin Family! Qin Mingzheng!"

Muxuan Mountain -- Qin Palace

Qin Xiao sat upright in the main hall, while Shang Yang presented a memorial, saying:

"Of the top sixteen in the preliminary competition, the Qin Clan has two, the Jinxuan Dao Sect has one, the Xiashang Dao Academy has four, and the Medicine King Valley, the Yan Miao Bai Clan, the Nangong Clan, and the Ji Clan each have two..."

"The last person was a Rogue Cultivator."

"Name: Li Shan, self-styled: Layman of Ink Waves Mountain, only seventeen years old, perhaps suitable for introduction to the prefecture or kingdom, and can be used by the prefecture or kingdom..."

"This young man is truly remarkable; it would be a shame to miss out on him."

Upon hearing this—

Qin Xiao examined the Jade Slip and nodded slightly.

Since the opening of the preliminary competition, it has attracted many talented individuals, most of whom are independent Rogue Cultivator...

Or they might come from a True Martial faction, though most of them are of average strength.

But the fact that one could cultivate to the True Martial Four Realms at such a young age, before even eighteen, speaks volumes. Given time, it's not impossible that some cultivators loyal to Northern Qin might emerge from among them...

"Let's leave it at that for now and start trying to befriend and win over this person..."

"After all, since this young man was able to make it into the top 16, his strength is already comparable to some disciples from major sects, and he can be considered a promising talent."

"If you are willing to submit to my tribe..."

"Let's grant him a mountain within the Yingchuan territory. As for future arrangements, we'll discuss that after this competition concludes..."

"Oh, right..."

"How's the investigation into the Nangong Clan going? Deputy Commander of the Net: Zichi, have you sent back any information?"

Upon hearing this—

Shang Yang presented a treasure box, its surface adorned with intricate and ornate patterns, including a lifelike carving of Black Dragon...

"This is the Black Dragon Lock that Commander Zi sent back; there must have been some progress."

"As for me, being in the public eye, I've only managed to glean some ordinary information. Although the Northern Province was established first, objectively speaking..."

"The Southern Province, newly established by the Nangong Clan, is indeed slightly stronger than the Northern Province."

"Furthermore, the Southern Province is highly centralized, with almost all forces subordinate to the Nangong Clan, a significant difference from the Northern Province..."

"In the Northern Province, a system of one superpower and multiple strong powers exists, with the Qin Clan as the main body and other forces flourishing."

"In the long run, the Northern Province will inevitably become stronger than the Southern Province, and the Nangong Clan has been cultivating its power between the Dao Foundation clans for a thousand years..."

"In the short term, the Qin Clan will find it difficult to catch up."

"But regardless, with the patriarch in the Northern Province, the threat from the Southern Province isn't fatal..."

Speaking of this--

Qin Xiao showed no emotion, silently using a special technique to unlock the Black Dragon Lock and retrieve the Jade Slip containing the secret message...

"The Ancestor is here..."

Hehe~

"We can't expect Father to handle everything. We, the younger generation, need to stand on our own two feet too..."

"Otherwise, wouldn't it make us look useless?"

"However, the Net organization has indeed made some progress, but it's not very useful."

"Is the approach towards all parties being one of appeasement...?"

"Let's take it slow then. Send orders to the Net, and then keep an eye on the Nangong Clan. Have Zichi retreat for now..."

"After this Hundred Lineages Grand Competition concludes, we'll send him to the Blood-Colored Plain!"

"I've heard that strange phenomena have manifested in the Blood Plain. Let the Devil Cultivator from the Net) investigate first. It should be of great benefit to Warrior cultivate the paths of blood, corpse, and soul..."

This is an incredible fortuitous opportunity!