Three days passed in a flash.
In the early morning, as the first rays of sunlight shone down, Li Xuan, who had been meditating and resting in the attic, suddenly opened his eyes. A sharp glint flashed across them, and he immediately stood up and strode out of the building.
"Greetings, Commander Li!"
As Li Xuan appeared, those who had been waiting outside the commander's attic all bowed in unison and greeted him.
"Let's go," Li Xuan nodded slightly, then moved swiftly towards the wooden pavilion square. Gong Hanfeng and Qiu Jiqian, among others, quickly followed.
At the wooden pavilion square, many disciples had already arrived. In the center of the square, a challenge arena had appeared at some point. As Li Xuan and his group arrived, all eyes turned towards them.
"Whoa, so many people actually showed up. Besides our Wood Pavilion, many disciples from the other four pavilions are here too. Commander Li, we absolutely cannot lose this battle," Gong Hanfeng said, swallowing hard as he looked at the massive crowd on the square.
"It's alright, you just watch the fight with peace of mind," Li Xuan said with a slight smile, glancing at his teammates who also looked a little worried.
As soon as he finished speaking, Li Xuan walked directly towards the arena.
"Don't worry, since Commander Li is so confident, I'm sure there won't be any problems. The fact that so many people have come is probably Du Jingtong's doing. I'm wondering now, if Du Jingtong loses later, he probably won't be able to hold his head up in Tianyi Pavilion anymore," Qiu Jiqian said, as if sensing Gong Hanfeng was about to speak. Gong Hanfeng could only shrug and wait.
Time passed slowly. After everyone waited for ten minutes, a sudden commotion erupted on the square, drawing everyone's attention.
The arrivals were Du Jingtong and his team. At this time, the two protagonists of the wager battle had finally arrived.
"Yo, you're here so early. Planning to lose to this commander early to save some face? But too bad, there seem to be far more people here than you expected," Du Jingtong said with a mocking expression as he slowly walked onto the arena.
"If you lose to me later, won't that be quite embarrassing?" Li Xuan replied with a smile.
"Nonsense! Don't think that just because you have some connection with Venerable Bai, you can make this commander fear you even a little. Li Xuan, before Elder Geng Tian arrives, if you surrender and kowtow to me three times obediently, I can let this matter go!" Du Jingtong said with a cold sneer.
"Hmm, that's not a bad proposal," Li Xuan agreed with a nod.
"Since you agree, what are you waiting for? Come on, don't say I didn't give you a chance." Du Jingtong was taken aback, clearly not expecting Li Xuan to agree to his proposal. However, being able to make Li Xuan kneel and kowtow three times would be a way to vent his anger.
"You might have misunderstood," Li Xuan said with a slight shake of his head, then slowly added, "I mean, you kneel down and kowtow three times, and this matter will be settled."
"You!" Du Jingtong's face immediately turned cold, and the aura around him surged.
"Heh heh, I seem to have arrived a little late. It appears the two new commanders haven't reached an agreement. In that case, let's proceed with the agreed-upon duel," Just as Du Jingtong was about to make a move, Elder Geng Tian's figure also appeared on the arena.
Li Xuan secretly called him an old fox. He had sensed Elder Geng Tian's aura the moment he stepped onto the stage and knew he wouldn't arrive precisely at this moment by chance.
"Greetings, Elder Geng Tian." Although he was seething with anger, Du Jingtong did not dare to show any dissatisfaction with Elder Geng Tian's appearance. He immediately reined in his aura and bowed to Elder Geng Tian.
"No need to be so formal. Since the two commanders have a wager, as an elder of the Wood Pavilion, it's a good opportunity to witness the strength of this batch of new commanders and gain more understanding. Alright, prepare yourselves for a quarter of an hour. After a quarter of an hour, the match will officially begin." Elder Geng Tian nodded slightly, then moved to sit on the high platform behind the arena.
As Elder Geng Tian finished speaking, Li Xuan and Du Jingtong exchanged glances and then retreated to opposite sides of the arena, holding their breath to adjust themselves.
Time passed gradually. The quarter of an hour vanished in an instant. By then, the auras of Li Xuan and Du Jingtong had reached their optimal state. With so many Wood Pavilion disciples watching, neither of them dared to be careless.
"Time is up! You two can go all out in this battle. I will oversee it. The outcome will be judged fairly in my heart. Now, begin," Elder Geng Tian slowly opened his eyes and then waved his hand.
Following that, a ray of spiritual light flashed, and a barrier appeared around the arena. Clearly, this was Elder Geng Tian's doing.
Li Xuan and Du Jingtong withdrew their gazes and looked at each other. In the next instant, their figures moved and shot forward simultaneously. Amidst their rapid movements, a series of collision sounds echoed. The terrifying residual waves of energy were silently absorbed and vanished as they reached the barrier. In less than twenty breaths, Li Xuan and Du Jingtong had exchanged over a hundred blows. Even the arena they were on was shattered into dust, scattering to the ground.
Bang!
After they exchanged another palm strike, Li Xuan's figure actually stopped in place. In contrast, Du Jingtong was repelled more than ten steps, his expression gloomy. In this initial exchange, Li Xuan had clearly gained the upper hand.
"I didn't expect your physical cultivation to reach such a level. I underestimated you!" Du Jingtong snorted coldly, his face extremely grim. In front of so many onlookers from Tianyi Pavilion, being at a disadvantage immediately would undoubtedly lead to criticism. Especially since most of these disciples were those whose team members Du Jingtong had sent to spread the news.
"I also didn't expect Commander Du's strength to be so ordinary," Li Xuan said with a slight smile.
"Very well, Li Xuan, you have thoroughly angered me!" Du Jingtong's expression darkened further upon hearing this, and the aura around him surged like a storm. A terrifying pressure roared and descended upon Li Xuan.
"Heavenly Net Divine Art, Summon!" Along with the oppressive aura, Du Jingtong moved his hand, and terrifying spiritual energy poured out. As if night had fallen, the heavens and earth turned gloomy. In the next instant, an ancient behemoth, a hundred zhang tall, strode through the night sky. Then, with a roar towards the heavens, it stomped its foot towards Li Xuan.
"Summoning Art, Du Jingtong certainly has some fortunate encounters," Elder Geng Tian, seated on his chair, narrowed his eyes and nodded slightly as he looked at the ancient beast.
Feeling Du Jingtong's oppressive aura and techniques, Li Xuan's expression also became solemn. He took a deep breath and quickly formed hand seals.
"Great Void Thunder Method, Condense!"
"Four Symbols Qian Yuan Art, Appear!"
"Go!" Li Xuan flicked his finger, and a nine-heaven thunderbolt, as thick as a waist, descended from the sky.
At the same time, the four condensed forms of the Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermillion Bird, and Black Tortoise struck like lightning towards the ancient behemoth.
Boom!