"Senior Brother, what do you mean by that?" Lin Yichen asked coldly, eyeing Qian Wenchao across from him with caution.
Xiao Qingyu, Wang Teng, Lin Yueru, and Lu Xiaoyu also turned their attention, looking at Qian Wenchao warily. This fellow clearly wasn't a good person. To step onto the stage at such a crucial moment of Zhang Ergou's breakthrough, what good intentions could he have?
Qian Wenchao let out a cold laugh, scanning the faces of the group before him. "Just you few, do you think you can stop me? You're like a mantis trying to stop a chariot, overestimating yourselves."
"Zhang Ergou is our friend. If you want to get past, you'll have to step over me first." Lin Yichen stated resolutely, his gaze unwavering as he looked directly at Qian Wenchao.
"Yes, if you want to get close to Ergou, you have to step over us first!" Wang Teng, Xiao Qingyu, Lin Yueru, and Lu Xiaoyu said in unison.
"What a touching scene, haha! Zhang Ergou is fortunate to have friends like you!" Qian Wenchao burst into laughter, showing no regard for them whatsoever.
"So, you refuse to leave?" Xiao Qingyu, known for his fiery temper, couldn't hold back any longer and charged forward with his twin hammers.
*Slap!*
A loud smack echoed, and Xiao Qingyu's body, like a kite with a snapped string, flew in an arc and crashed to the ground.
*Thump!*
*Pfft!*
Xiao Qingyu's body slammed heavily onto the ground, spitting out a mouthful of blood, unable to rise again.
"Qingyu..." Lin Yueru cried out anxiously. Xiao Qingyu's condition looked dire; such a heavy blow likely left him severely injured.
"Senior Brother, what is the meaning of this?" Lin Yichen glared at Qian Wenchao. They still needed to protect Zhang Ergou. If they rushed forward now, Zhang Ergou would be exposed to the enemy. Then, it wouldn't just be them getting hurt!
"Hmph! Fool. Naturally, I'm here to accept Zhang Ergou's challenge and fight him!" Qian Wenchao didn't even glance at the prone, bleeding Xiao Qingyu, as if he had swatted away a fly.
"Can't you see that Zhang Ergou is in the critical phase of his breakthrough? How can he fight you now?" Lin Yueru shouted desperately. Xiao Qingyu's sudden injury had deeply unsettled them. Not only was Zhang Ergou in danger, but Xiao Qingyu's fate was also uncertain. If this continued, their situation would only become worse.
"Haha, ridiculous! Am I supposed to wait for Zhang Ergou to break through before accepting his challenge? What kind of logic is that? The battle stage has no rule stating the challenger cannot attack while the opponent is breaking through!"
Lin Yichen and the others were struck speechless. It was true, as Qian Wenchao said, there had never been such a rule for stage challenges. It was simply because breakthroughs were inherently difficult, and no one would foolishly challenge someone on the verge of breaking through. Zhang Ergou was definitely an exception...
"What, can't say anything now? Move aside quickly, let me finish off Zhang Ergou, and this farce can finally end!" Qian Wenchao said indifferently, possessing a natural sense of superiority over Lin Yichen and the others.
"What, does this Senior Brother not even have time to wait for Zhang Ergou? Are you afraid that if Zhang Ergou breaks through, you won't be his opponent?" Wang Teng stared at Qian Wenchao and said. Qian Wenchao's face flushed upon hearing this, as he did indeed harbor such thoughts. He had witnessed Zhang Ergou's combat prowess earlier. Although his own cultivation was at the peak of the early Golden Core stage, just one step away from the middle Golden Core stage, Zhang Ergou's unpredictability surpassed everyone's expectations. Qian Wenchao dared not gamble. He might have a chance to defeat Zhang Ergou now, but if Zhang Ergou broke through, even by a small realm, his combat ability would significantly increase. Whether he could still defeat Zhang Ergou then would be uncertain. However, his dark skin concealed his flushed face, and the fading light prevented everyone from seeing his expression.
*Cough cough...* Qian Wenchao coughed twice, masking his embarrassment. "Ridiculous! I, the eighty-first ranked inner disciple, would fear some unknown brat? I simply cannot stand his arrogance and want to teach him a lesson!"
"Then, why doesn't this Senior Brother wait a bit longer to teach Zhang Ergou a lesson? Why the rush?" Wang Teng retorted, attempting to use words to force Qian Wenchao to retreat. However, they had underestimated Qian Wenchao's shamelessness.
"What, are you telling me what to do?" As he spoke, a palm strike shot towards Wang Teng. Judging by its momentum, this palm strike used at least eighty percent of his strength.
"Wang Teng, be careful!" Lu Xiaoyu shouted. The group grew even more enraged by Qian Wenchao's shamelessness. But they couldn't win a fight, so they could only try to stall for time while praying for Zhang Ergou to break through quickly...
As they were arguing, Zhang Ergou's condition underwent a massive change. Initially, the Heaven and Earth Chaotic Art in Zhang Ergou's body automatically circulated, and the spiritual energy within him flowed along the path set by the Heaven and Earth Chaotic Art. Gradually, the spiritual energy within his body became insufficient to meet Zhang Ergou's consumption. As the cultivation technique circulated faster and faster, the demand for spiritual energy increased. The spiritual energy in the surroundings began to envelop Zhang Ergou. Then, the observing disciples saw the spiritual energy in the heavens and earth converging towards Zhang Ergou at a visibly rapid pace.
"How many realms is Zhang Ergou going to break through? Why is the concentration of spiritual energy in the heavens and earth growing stronger and stronger?" At first, everyone thought Zhang Ergou would only break through a minor realm. But the speed and concentration of the converging spiritual energy shattered their understanding. In the time it took for half an incense stick to burn, the entire battle stage was surrounded by dense spiritual energy, obscuring the figures on stage from view. Centered around Zhang Ergou, the spiritual energy formed a massive vortex, spinning rapidly!
"Ah? This..." Looking up at the dark, oppressive clouds in the sky, the inner disciples were shocked. The phenomenon accompanying this breakthrough was far too grand! Not only the onlookers at the scene but even the elders from the various main peaks were alerted!
"Is someone about to break through to the Nascent Soul stage again? Our Misty Sect will have another Nascent Soul stage mighty being!"
"But, I didn't hear any elder was about to break through recently?"
"This phenomenon doesn't look like a simple breakthrough to the Golden Core stage. Look at the concentration of spiritual energy, it feels like it could crush people!" The spiritual energy vortex above the battle stage grew larger and larger...
Within Zhang Ergou's body, the spiritual fire also automatically activated, refining the surging spiritual energy that entered his body, transforming it into pure spiritual energy that flowed into Zhang Ergou's丹海 (dānhǎi - dan sea, a spiritual energy reservoir). The vast golden dan sea spun rapidly. After so long, it was less than a tenth filled. If those inner sect elders knew that the spiritual energy absorbed for just one breakthrough of this guy exceeded the amount others needed to break through to the Nascent Soul stage, they might spit blood in astonishment...