"Good lad, to last this long!"
Xiao Qingyu, Yu Lin, and the other top ten outer sect disciples looked on with sighs and shock. Even if it were them, they might not have performed as well as Zhang Ergou.
*Bang!*
Two muffled thuds sounded almost simultaneously, and both figures collapsed to the ground once more.
"Ah!" Jiang Hao cried out, shaking his body as he struggled to his feet.
"Weren't you so tough? Come on!" Zhang Ergou taunted, his own wobbling body still standing. A stubborn expression remained on his face.
"Zhang Ergou, I'll kill you!" Jiang Hao roared, staggering towards Zhang Ergou.
"Come on, you unfilial descendant," Zhang Ergou spat, waiting in place for his opponent.
Jiang Hao's charging body staggered, threatening to fall at any moment. Zhang Ergou, standing his ground, was no better off, merely holding on.
*Bang!*
*Bang!*
Jiang Hao, charging forward, landed a punch on Zhang Ergou's right cheek. Zhang Ergou, in turn, struck Jiang Hao directly on the bridge of his nose!
*Pfft!*
They both spat blood and then fell to the ground, unable to move.
In the stands, the crowd was stunned into silence. No one made a sound, all eyes fixed on the two figures on the stage. The scene was terrifyingly quiet.
Nearly a minute passed with no reaction from either man.
"What? How will this be scored? Will it be a draw?"
"The presiding elder should rule it as such, since neither of them has managed to get up yet."
"Let's wait and see who can get up. Whoever stands first wins!" Su Dan Novel Network.
Amidst the tens of thousands of eyes, a blood-soaked figure stirred. It swayed and struggled to rise.
Once, twice, the figure fell and then rose again…
Finally, after the tenth effort of struggle, the emaciated figure, his flesh and blood a bloody mess, shakily stood up. His disheveled hair hung loose.
His trembling legs held firm, and his bent back finally straightened.
"Zhang Ergou, well done! I knew you had it in you!" The voice of the little fatty Xiong Bao suddenly broke the silence.
The crowd, still in shock, stared at the slender figure who seemed on the verge of collapsing at any moment.
On the stage, Jiang Hao, still lying on the ground, had already passed out…
"Spring Sun Peak's Zhang Ergou versus Autumn Sun Peak's Jiang Hao. Spring Sun Peak's Zhang Ergou wins!"
From the high platform, the presiding elder's ethereal voice echoed throughout the venue, followed by thunderous cheers.
*Thump!*
With a loud thud, Zhang Ergou, who had just stood up, collapsed again.
"Zhang Ergou, hold on!" A figure quickly leaped onto the battle stage, catching the fallen Zhang Ergou and then swiftly carrying him off the stage, sprinting towards the outer perimeter.
Who else could it be but the little fatty Xiong Bao, who had been shouting all along?
The crowd parted to make way for them. Zhang Ergou's two consecutive battles had left an indelible impression on the disciples of the Misty Sect's outer sect.
For a long time afterward, legends of Zhang Ergou circulated throughout the outer sect.
A disciple in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, who had only been there for less than half a year, defeating two true disciples ranked in the top ten. Such an achievement, if not unprecedented, was certainly unmatched in history.
The grand competition continued.
However, the hundreds of battles that followed, though lively, seemed rather subdued compared to the two Zhang Ergou had fought.
Time flowed by in a series of battles, and soon, the sky began to darken.
In the back hall of the Precious Pill Pavilion, Zhang Ergou lay quietly on the bed, his face pale, his breathing exceedingly weak.
Flashes of pain occasionally crossed his delicate features.
Qiao Yunyan and Chunyang Sanren arrived together, administered some healing pills to Zhang Ergou, and then departed.
The back hall of the Precious Pill Pavilion became quiet.
The little fatty Xiong Bao had also disappeared somewhere.
A gust of wind swept in, and a ghostly figure clad in a grey robe appeared in the back hall of the Precious Pill Pavilion.
The person's face was covered with a black scarf, revealing a pair of eyes filled with malice.
Glancing around and finding no one, the figure produced a pill, pried open Zhang Ergou's mouth, and stuffed it in.
"Hmph! Kid, for bullying my disciple, let's see if you die this time!" The person sneered, turned, and vanished from the back hall of the Precious Pill Pavilion.
Not long after the person left, Zhang Ergou's body began to tremble violently…
Then, a powerful, violent aura enveloped him. After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, it subsided.
Four to five hours later, Zhang Ergou opened his eyes, surveyed his surroundings, and sat up, bracing himself on the edge of the bed.
"Junior Brother Ergou, you're awake?" Lin Yueru, who had just entered to check on him, saw Zhang Ergou sitting up.
"Senior Sister, what time is it? Has the competition ended?" Zhang Ergou sat up and patted his forehead.
Although his physical strength had largely recovered, his head still felt somewhat foggy.
"No, you slept for about four to five hours. The second round of the competition is still ongoing. They were all worried about you, so they sent me to check."
Lin Yueru walked to Zhang Ergou and examined him carefully.
"Senior Sister, I'm fine. See, I've almost completely recovered." Zhang Ergou stood up, ready to leave the back hall of the Precious Pill Pavilion.
"Your recovery ability is too terrifying! Such a severe injury, and you're fine after just sleeping?"
Lin Yueru stepped forward, fiddled with Zhang Ergou's robes, and tried to see if, as Zhang Ergou claimed, his body had truly healed.
"See, I'm fine now!" Zhang Ergou said helplessly, rolling up his sleeve to reveal a patch of fair skin, perfectly intact, with no signs of injury.
"Ah!" Lin Yueru shrieked, her face filled with disbelief.
"Senior Sister, don't be so shocked. The competition hasn't ended yet, let's go watch again."
Zhang Ergou said, a little exasperated.
"Oh, okay!"
With that, the two strode out of the back hall of the Precious Pill Pavilion and headed straight for the competition venue.
Good!
Upon their arrival, they heard a burst of cheers.
The disciples currently in battle were also heavenly talents from the Misty Sect's outer sect. One was Xiao Qingyu, wielding his twin hammers.
The other was none other than Lu Yan, the number one true disciple of Summer Sun Peak!
Their battle was also spectacular. As top ten disciples of the outer sect, their strength was evenly matched, and their fight drew cheers from the spectators below.
Xiao Qingyu swung his large hammers with great force, his fighting style direct and powerful. Spiritual energy swirled around them, and with each strike, he forced Lu Yan back.
In contrast to Xiao Qingyu's aggressive offense, Lu Yan appeared rather disheveled.
Evidently, as a sword cultivator, facing Xiao Qingyu with his massive hammers, he was unable to fully utilize his strength.