Arrogant!
Lu Ziang's eyes narrowed, a cold glint flashing.
He no longer hesitated, taking a sudden step forward. The spear in his hand, like a flood dragon emerging from the sea, swiftly thrust towards Xu Yi.
The disciples below the stage could clearly hear the sharp whistle of the spearhead slicing through the air.
"It's Senior Brother Lu's most skilled technique, the Roaming Dragon Spear Art!"
A sharp-eyed disciple recognized Lu Ziang's spear technique.
If the Roaming Dragon Spear Art were to be described in one word, it would be speed!
So fast it was imperceptible to the naked eye! So fast it could pierce any defense!
Lu Ziang had been practicing the Roaming Dragon Spear Art for over a hundred years, achieving a state of unity between man and spear.
As he unleashed this strike, a smile touched his lips.
Bang!
A sound of metal striking metal rang out.
The spearhead, originally aimed at Xu Yi's face, suddenly stopped at her side.
Lu Ziang stared at Xu Yi in horror, disbelief etched on his face. "How did you do that?"
The disciples below the stage erupted in an uproar.
"How did Senior Brother Lu's spear deviate so much!"
"Did Senior Brother Lu miss his mark!"
"Impossible! Senior Brother Lu practices with his spear for three hours every day! He couldn't possibly miss!"
"..."
Standing closest to the stage were two men and one woman, all disciples of Xuan Qing Sect at the Out of Body stage.
Their eyesight was far keener than that of ordinary disciples, and they could naturally discern what had just transpired.
"That Xu Yi actually saw the trajectory of Junior Brother Lu's spear attack and reacted so quickly. Is she truly only at the middle stage of Out of Body?" the woman in red, one of the three, spoke first.
"She is very strong."
"Mm."
Seeing her two senior brothers beside her responding with such brevity, their eyes alight with eagerness and surging battle intent as they fixed their gaze on Xu Yi, the woman in red turned away with a sigh, also focusing her attention on the stage.
Xu Yi, at this moment, was also somewhat stunned.
Her eyes...
She recalled her duel with the elder, when she had suddenly seen through a flaw in the elder's formation, thus turning a crisis into safety.
She had thought it was an ability that had erupted under the stimulus of a life-or-death crisis. But just now, the moment Lu Ziang unleashed his spear technique, it had slowed down immensely in her eyes, allowing her to easily parry his attack.
Her eyes seemed to have undergone a truly remarkable change.
Xu Yi couldn't help but break into a brilliant smile.
Upon seeing the smile on Xu Yi's face, Lu Ziang's eyes widened, and he tightened his grip on his spear.
Is she mocking me?
"Look out!"
He roared, sweeping his spear horizontally towards Xu Yi with imposing force.
Xu Yi retreated, evading the spear's wind. Her gaze, as if inadvertently, swept across the two men and one woman below the stage, a decision forming in her mind.
Lu Ziang, holding his spear, thrust forward. Spiritual energy surged from the spear tip, forming a dark green dragon in the air that roared and lunged at Xu Yi.
"The Dragon Emerges from the Sea!"
"Senior Brother Lu's signature ultimate skill!"
Xu Yi was initially startled, then lightly shook her head. Her figure flashed, disappearing from Lu Ziang's sight.
"She's gone!"
Lu Ziang's brow twitched violently. The dark green dragon immediately coiled around him, firmly blocking his body.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, I concede."
Xu Yi's voice sounded from somewhere unknown. The next moment, Lu Ziang felt a powerful force strike his back, like a heavy hammer blow.
His body instantly pierced through the dragon's defense and was sent flying. He only stopped when he was near the edge of the plaza, his face still displaying lingering shock.
On the stage, the dragon dissipated with a roar, revealing Xu Yi's slender, tall figure.
Xu Yi had won.
"So powerful!"
"Senior Sister Xu is so strong!"
"Senior Sister Xu, Senior Sister Xu!"
The disciples below the stage did not feel angry that Xu Yi had defeated a fellow disciple. Instead, they cheered for her with fervent enthusiasm.
Might makes right.
This applied not only to the Nine Continents Continent but also to the warlike Xuan Qing Sect.
Lu Ziang had lost, proving only that his skills were inferior.
Long Haotian and the other two maintained composed expressions, as if all of this had been within their expectations.
"I want to challenge her!"
"Me too!"
The two men beside the woman in red both looked eager to fight.
The woman in red remained silent, her fingers trembling slightly, clearly struggling to suppress the surging battle intent within her.
Xu Yi was even stronger than they had imagined.
This discovery did not daunt them; on the contrary, it made their blood boil, leaving them unable to control themselves.
Xu Yi could feel the battle intent emanating from the three without even turning around.
She caught a glimpse of one of them stepping forward, about to speak, so she quickly interjected, "Fellow Daoist Lu, you have lost. That thousand-year Inkwood belongs to me now."
"Thousand-year Inkwood? What is that?"
"An extremely precious Level Six artifact refining material."
"So Senior Sister Xu and Senior Brother Lu had a bet!"
The disciples below began discussing in hushed tones.
Lu Ziang, who had been in a daze, snapped back to attention upon hearing Xu Yi's words. Without hesitation, he tossed the thousand-year Inkwood from his storage bag onto the stage.
Although he had lost somewhat embarrassingly in this battle, he still possessed his pride.
A piece of thousand-year Inkwood was not worth him breaking his word.
Xu Yi caught the thousand-year Inkwood and smiled at the crowd below. "Everyone, as long as you are willing to wager items of equivalent value to this thousand-year Inkwood, I can spar with you."
Xu Yi had assumed that the expensive thousand-year Inkwood would make the hot-headed disciples of Xuan Qing Sect back down.
But to her surprise, the first man to step forward immediately took out a massive ox horn and declared loudly, "Fellow Daoist Xu, I wager this Ironclad Rhino Horn and challenge you."
"Fellow Daoist Xu, I wager this bundle of Demonic King Spider Silk and challenge you."
"Fellow Daoist Xu, I wager this Vermillion Bird Fruit and challenge you."
"..."
All thirteen Out of Body disciples present presented their wagers, their gazes burning with anticipation as they looked at Xu Yi.
Xu Yi: ...
She must have been trapped in the secret realm for too long, failing to keep up with the development of the Nine Continents Continent.
So, the current disciples could casually produce Level Six materials!
This was a Level Six material, not common weeds or gravel found on the roadside.
Xu Yi had made this request only to make them retreat, not to seize wealth.
Although she was also tempted now, she was an ancestor with principles.
If her identity were to be exposed later, deceiving disciples of Xuan Qing Sect for their wealth would become an indelible stain on her life.
She immediately spoke to rectify the situation, "Wait, I haven't finished speaking."
Her mind raced, inspiration striking her. She tilted her chin slightly, adopting an arrogant demeanor, and declared haughtily, "Actually, I have come to your esteemed sect this time to challenge the foremost disciple of Xuan Qing Sect at the Out of Body stage. Only he can pique my interest and be worthy of a battle."
In arts, there is no first; in martial arts, there is no second.
She only needed to decisively defeat the most powerful disciple of Xuan Qing Sect. Once others knew their disparity, they would not come to challenge her.
What a quick-witted genius I am, Xu Yi praised herself silently.
"So Senior Sister Xu is here to challenge Senior Brother Bei!"
The disciples appeared enlightened.