Song Zhinan's figure, sent flying, had not yet hit the ground.
With a flash, Zhang Ergou moved like a phantom, directly intercepting Song Zhinan's airborne body.
Just as Song Zhinan was about to land, Zhang Ergou grabbed his ankle.
On the viewing platform, many disciples covered their eyes, anticipating Yuheng's even more tragic fate.
*Bang!*
With a deafening sound, Zhang Ergou swung Song Zhinan's body in the air, spun him once, and then slammed him hard onto the ground. The solid bluestone beneath them cracked.
*Puff!*
Song Zhinan spat out a mouthful of blood. Compared to the previous blows, this one was like adding salt to a wound. Song Zhinan felt as if his entire body was no longer his own.
"Weren't you very powerful?" Zhang Ergou grabbed another of Song Zhinan's legs.
"Didn't you want me dead?"
He swung Song Zhinan up again and smashed him onto the ground. At the spot of the crack, a human-shaped imprint appeared.
"Can't take two hits?" Zhang Ergou sneered at the spitting Song Zhinan. "Didn't you enjoy being whipped time and again before?"
Once more, Song Zhinan was swung up and slammed onto the ground.
"Last time, you framed me and sentenced me to death!"
With every word Zhang Ergou spoke, Song Zhinan's body was violently swung and then smashed onto the ground with a *bang*.
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
The continuous impacts echoed, and Song Zhinan was beaten beyond recognition. With each sound, the hearts of the disciples on the platform tightened.
Zhang Ergou's attacks were too brutal!
This was a pace that would surely kill Song Zhinan. Those watching on the platform stared at the combat arena, dumbfounded.
On the main platform, even the elders were shocked. Their eyes widened, stunned and speechless.
"Stop him quickly!" Yan Feng roared. If Zhang Ergou slammed him down again, Song Zhinan would surely die on the spot.
"Young one, let this be the end," Elder Tiandao also woke from his shock. A spiritual light flashed from his hand, freezing Zhang Ergou in place.
Only then was Song Zhinan spared from further brutal slams.
If a life was lost in the outer sect competition, he, as the supervising elder, would bear significant responsibility and be impeached by the other elders.
Moving Zhang Ergou about twenty to twenty-five feet away from Song Zhinan, Elder Tiandao then released the spiritual energy that had bound him.
Freed and regaining his mobility, Zhang Ergou was covered in cold sweat, panting heavily. Just now, he had experienced his most helpless moment.
Being completely immobilized, he felt a helplessness he had never known. This was the power of a Nascent Soul stage cultivator!
Zhang Ergou looked up at the elder in the white robe on the main platform, his face filled with deep apprehension.
Song Zhinan, however, was a different sight. He lay on the bluestone ground, looking at Zhang Ergou in the distance with terror, blood continuously flowing from his mouth.
He tried to struggle to stand, but he couldn't muster any strength.
Looking at him, even without the after-effects of forbidden techniques, he would need to lie in bed for months to recover.
Every bone and muscle in his body was injured.
He had thoroughly lost his chance to enter the inner sect this time, and would have to wait three more years.
"Zhang Ergou of Chunyang Peak versus Song Zhinan of the Disciplinary Hall. Zhang Ergou wins!"
The presiding elder's resonant voice rang out, but it didn't cause much of a stir. People were still reeling from the shock of Zhang Ergou's ruthless attack, unable to snap back.
Below, several disciples ran onto the stage and carried away the battered Song Zhinan.
Yan Feng also flashed away with the disciples. With his beloved disciple so severely injured, he had no interest in staying any longer.
Before leaving, he cast a deep glance at Zhang Ergou, his meaning clear.
Zhang Ergou walked to the center of the combat stage, picked up his Ghost Spear Tianwen, re-sheathed it, and then jumped off the stage, carrying his iron spear.
This battle gave everyone a completely new understanding of Zhang Ergou's ruthlessness.
This disciple, who had been in the Misty Sect's outer sect for less than half a year, had shocked everyone too many times.
This battle also directly elevated Zhang Ergou to a level comparable to the top ten in the outer sect.
Regardless of whether he successfully entered the inner sect this time, no other disciple in the Misty Sect's outer sect would dare to underestimate Zhang Ergou again.
"Brat, your attacks were too brutal!" Before Chunyang Sanren and Qiao Yunyun could speak, Chi Yu from the main platform exclaimed.
"Heh heh, I just got carried away. I couldn't hold back for a moment!" Zhang Ergou rubbed his nose, putting on a simple and honest expression.
Hearing this, Chi Yu helplessly touched his forehead. This kid was too slippery! He said he got carried away? If he hadn't stopped, Song Zhinan would have been crippled by him.
Chi Yu even doubted if his decision back then was correct. If he had taken in Zhang Ergou, this seemingly harmless but secretly wicked fellow, his future days would be filled with trouble.
*Puff!*
Sounds of spitting blood erupted. The disciples on the platform were astonished by Zhang Ergou's shamelessness.
Did he have any shame? "Couldn't hold back," he actually said that.
"Damn it, this Zhang Ergou is too cunning. His thick skin is comparable to yours," Wang Teng said, putting his arm around Xiao Qingyu's shoulder.
"Get lost. If I had half of this guy's skill, I would be walking all over the outer sect by now. What part would you have?"
Xiao Qingyu shrugged off Wang Teng's hand.
"This kid is quite interesting," Lin Yichen said softly, looking at Zhang Ergou, who wore a naive expression.
With the end of the battle between Zhang Ergou and Song Zhinan, the first round of matches was officially concluded.
"Next, we will proceed to the second round. The rules are still to stop when you reach your limit. Please do not strike too heavily!" Elder Tiandao had also been frightened by Zhang Ergou's brutal attack.
He cast a meaningful glance at Zhang Ergou as he said the last part.
As Elder Tiandao's voice faded, the giant compass circling in the air began to spin again.
Two beams of light then separated and shot towards the viewing platform.
"No way!" A curse erupted from the viewing platform. The person who exclaimed was the little胖子 Xiong Bao, who had just packed up his gambling table.
He had made a huge profit this time. Although Zhang Ergou eventually won, no one knew how many moves he had used, but it had long exceeded fifty moves.
Therefore, all those who had bet received nothing, and the spirit stones all went into little胖子 Xiong Bao's pockets.
Even Xiao Qingyu, Wang Teng, and the others wore expressions of disbelief.
What a joke!
No wonder little胖子 Xiong Bao was so excited. It was because of the location where the beams of light landed.
One of them was a true disciple of Qiuyang Peak, Jiang Hao, also one of the outer sect's top ten, a heavenly prodigy of the Misty Sect's outer sect.
The other was Zhang Ergou, who had just stepped off the combat stage.
Before Zhang Ergou could even sit down, he saw the pitying gazes directed at him from the viewing platform.
"This is too messed up!"
Xiao Qingyu and the others expressed their helplessness regarding Zhang Ergou's luck.