Ku Ruo realized that he had been frightened by the not-yet-formed seventh purple lightning bolt, which had caused a flaw in his sorcery and allowed Qiu Ran to break it.
Yet in the end, the seventh purple lightning bolt had never truly condensed.
In other words, if he had been a little more resolute then, it would not have been long before Tiger Chasing's supervising cultivators had needed to step in and save someone.
Qiu Ran swallowed a pill, and with the true essence of two Core Formation Cultivators, his flesh regenerated.
With victory and defeat decided, he paid no further attention to Ku Ruo's cries.
But Ku Ruo was unwilling to accept it and refused to leave the arena until his injuries had healed.
"Qiu Ran, I'm asking you seriously just once: did you truly cultivate the seventh tribulation lightning?"
Ku Ruo asked.
"What difference did it make?"
Qiu Ran replied blandly.
"Of course it makes a difference!"
Ku Ruo said somewhat agitatedly, "If you cultivated it, then I concede this defeat wholeheartedly. But if you didn't, then I merely fell into your scheme! It doesn't mean I am truly inferior to you!"
"Is that so?"
Qiu Ran glanced at him, then gave an answer.
"I cultivated eight."
With that, he did not linger. He turned and returned to the elevated platform, leaving only Ku Ruo standing there with a blank face, dazed as though he had lost his wits.
"Eight? Who was he trying to fool?"
Xiao Yize muttered softly.
Yang Lingshu nodded upon hearing this. He had thought Senior Brother meant that Qiu Ran had indeed tricked Ku Ruo in this match and had not cultivated seven tribulation lightning bolts.
Yet he had not expected Xiao Yize's next words to be, "He clearly cultivated all nine."
"Nine?!"