As Wei Chen's voice fell, the green plants on the battle platform surged upwards like bamboo shoots after rain, breaking through layers of earth walls.
Yu Heng had no time to speak, let out a muffled groan, and blood flowed from the corner of his mouth again.
"Break!" Wei Chen shouted.
The green plants instantly shot towards the sky, and the solid earth walls crumbled. Yu Heng on the opposite side spurted another mouthful of blood.
His figure swayed precariously!
*Bang!*
In the end, he couldn't hold on any longer and fell to the ground.
"Ah! Junior Brother Yu actually lost?"
The disciples in the stands stared at the sudden turn of events in disbelief.
Even the Heaven's Chosen beside Zhang Ergou were somewhat taken aback.
A long time passed, and Yu Heng did not get up.
Wei Chen did not get arrogant and rush to check on Yu Heng, but stood quietly nearby, watching him.
Clearly, with the experience of fighting Zhang Ergou, Wei Chen had lost some of his former arrogance and gained more caution.
"Yu Heng, do you have the strength to fight again?" Seeing Yu Heng lying on the ground and not getting up, the elder presiding on the high platform asked.
Just then, Yu Heng on the ground moved.
He flipped over and stood up. Just as everyone thought Yu Heng was about to attack again.
Yu Heng's bitter voice echoed on the battle platform: "Elder, I have lost..."
Then, he turned and walked off the platform without looking back, leaving a lonely figure.
"Qiu Yang Peak's Yu Heng vs. Xia Yang Peak's Wei Chen, Wei Chen wins!"
As the elder announced, the battle came to a complete end.
"How can Wei Chen be so strong?" Wang Teng couldn't help but ask, looking at the spirited Wei Chen on the battle platform.
"Senior Brother, although Wei Chen has become stronger, his overall strength is not much different from Yu Heng's. It's just that wood naturally restrains earth, and Wei Chen cultivates wood-elemental techniques."
Zhang Ergou said, "Naturally, he has a restraining effect on Yu Heng. Yu Heng's earth-elemental techniques might have unexpected effects against others."
"But against cultivators with wood-elemental spiritual roots, he can only accept his fate."
Back then, Zhang Ergou had also used his wood-elemental technique, Divine Wood Ballad, to make Yu Heng lose the initiative.
He hadn't expected Wei Chen to also cultivate such a powerful wood-elemental technique. Coupled with the auxiliary healing effects unique to cultivators with wood-elemental spiritual roots, Wei Chen's complexion was only slightly pale even now.
"So that's how it is..."
The disciples around who had bet on Yu Heng to win were filled with regret, and their gazes towards Zhang Ergou and Lin Yichen changed...
The compass in the sky began to rotate again.
The subsequent duels proceeded extremely quickly, with vast disparities in strength between the opposing sides. Either the weaker disciple would directly concede, or they would be defeated by the stronger disciple within a few moves.
During this period, Wang Teng, Xiao Qingyu, and others also stepped onto the stage one after another, defeating their opponents with ease.
As the duels on the battle platforms unfolded, the elders on the main platform all showed different expressions. If their disciples won, they naturally felt proud.
Their gazes towards other elders were filled with a bit more boasting. If their own disciples were defeated in the duels, they naturally felt disgraced.
Not only were the duels on the battle platforms fiery, but the elders on the main platform also had their own thoughts and were secretly competing.
Clearly, these elders did not get along as harmoniously as they appeared on the surface.
During this time, the Old Man of Heaven's Dao, who had been resting with his eyes closed, occasionally opened his eyes to look at the stands: "The disciples of this year's grand competition have improved in strength compared to the last one."
"Senior Brother is absolutely right. The main reason is that many of the top-ranked disciples were eliminated in the last competition."
"Uh!"
The Old Man of Heaven's Dao's beard twitched. This fellow was really stirring up trouble where it wasn't needed. The outer sect grand competition last year was too bizarre, which was why the inner sect only sent three elders to supervise this year.
Next, Zhang Ergou also saw some familiar figures.
Among them was the disciple he had met at the herb garden last time. In the eighty-ninth match, he was knocked off the stage by a disciple of Chun Yang Peak at the late stage of Foundation Establishment with a single punch.
Zhang Ergou even suspected if the kid was too weak from doing too much of that thing.
The great battle continued to be fiercely fought. The Heaven's Chosen beside Zhang Ergou also went up to the stage one after another and returned soon after, as their opponents were not strong enough to resist.
In the hundredth match, Li Qiang, who Zhang Ergou had almost beaten to death last time, jumped onto the battle platform. His opponent was a disciple of Dong Yang Peak at the late stage of Foundation Establishment.
Li Qiang struggled on the battle platform but was ultimately no match for the Dong Yang Peak disciple and was eventually knocked off the stage.
Xia Yang Sanren's face darkened on the spot. This disciple, whom he had always favored, had been performing worse and worse since being defeated by Zhang Ergou last time.
This was in stark contrast to Wei Chen.
Dong Yang Sanren glanced sideways, a look of smugness evident on his face. He had always been at odds with Xia Yang Sanren, and seeing his own disciple win, he was naturally very pleased.
"Haha, Senior Brother Xia Yang, your disciple still needs some training!" Dong Yang Sanren did not want to miss such a good opportunity.
"Hmph!"
Xia Yang Sanren snorted coldly and lowered his head without speaking.
The great battle had progressed more than halfway. Lin Yichen, beside Zhang Ergou, closed his eyes and rested, as if the fiery scene did not attract his attention at all.
"Hey, you guys say, it's been so long, why hasn't Junior Brother Ergou been called yet?" Seeing that Zhang Ergou had not yet appeared, Xiao Qingyu couldn't help but ask.
"I'm afraid this kid has bad luck, and the compass thinks it should choose a stronger opponent in the end."
Wang Teng was also quite resentful that Zhang Ergou had repeatedly disrespected him, his senior brother.
"Hahaha..." Everyone burst into laughter.
Speak of the devil! As the compass in the sky rotated again, two beams of light fell onto the stands, one landing directly on Zhang Ergou.
"It's finally my turn!" Zhang Ergou stood up, stretched his muscles, and then all his blood seemed to start boiling.
He felt a bit stiff after sitting for so long.
The other beam of light, by chance, landed in the direction of the Disciplinary Hall.
"Next match: Zhang Ergou of Chun Yang Peak vs. Song Zhinan of the Disciplinary Hall."
As the presiding elder announced the match, Zhang Ergou stood up and walked towards the battle platform.
Not far away, Song Zhinan of the Disciplinary Hall also slowly stood up and looked towards Zhang Ergou.
Before even stepping onto the stage, their gazes met in mid-air.
"What a narrow encounter!"
Zhang Ergou flipped and jumped onto the battle platform, and Song Zhinan followed closely.
"Hey, you guys say, in how many moves will this kid Zhang Ergou deal with that guy Song Zhinan?" The originally quiet environment was once again broken by Xiao Qingyu's loud voice.
Elder Yan Feng, the head of the Disciplinary Hall, had a dark line appear on his face. Was his beloved disciple so worthless?
"Come, come, place your bets, place your bets, Zhang Ergou vs. Song Zhinan, three tiers."
The voice of the fat boy Xiong Bao followed.
"Zhang Ergou defeats Song Zhinan within three moves, odds are fifty to one."
"Zhang Ergou defeats Song Zhinan within ten moves, odds are ten to one."
"Zhang Ergou defeats Song Zhinan within fifty moves, odds are three to one."
"Come, come, everyone, place your bets, take a gamble, and your sword will turn into a magic weapon."