411: bet

The Elder acting as the referee beside the two also twitched his mouth, then loudly shouted: "The first round of the Grand Competition, Li Jie versus Mu Bai, begin!"

Li Jie put his hands together and used Soul Power to condense a giant python, which whistled toward Mu Bai.

Mu Bai merely extended his right hand and gently pressed downwards.

A Soul handprint descended from the sky, slamming heavily onto the giant python.

As he revealed his cultivation, the spectators around were all greatly startled.

"Late Spirit Realm! Mu Bai's cultivation has already risen to the Late Spirit Realm! How is this possible?"

"The Saint of our Lingliang Peak is only at the Late Spirit Realm cultivation, yet Mu Bai is just a new Disciple, having joined the Sect only a year ago, and his cultivation is already comparable to a Saint's. Is this reasonable?"

"No wonder Sect Master Liu wanted to take Mu Bai as her Personal Disciple; his talent truly is strong!"

"It goes without saying, the champion of this Grand Competition is definitely Mu Bai. If another Late Spirit Realm appears among the new Disciples, I will eat my chair!"

The Soul handprint easily smashed the Soul python, and then Mu Bai gently pushed forward, sending the Soul handprint flying toward Li Jie.

Li Jie's heart was filled with fear.

Damn it, he had just achieved a Breakthrough to Spirit Realm Middle Stage, but this guy was already at the Late Stage. What the hell was he supposed to fight with!

Although he thought this, he still activated his Soul Power and condensed a protective shield around his body.

However, it was useless.

The Soul handprint easily smashed the Soul python, and then landed on Li Jie.

Li Jie spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, his legs went soft, and he knelt on the stage.

The referee immediately shouted: "Mu Bai wins!"

Hearing this, bursts of cheers and applause immediately erupted from the audience.

On the high platform, the various Peak Masters also offered congratulations to Liu Ruyan, praising her for acquiring such an outstanding Disciple, their words filled with envy.

Liu Ruyan returned the courtesies while accepting everyone's praise, feeling overjoyed internally.

Lu Xingchen, however, frowned.

Since Mu Bai was so powerful, did Mu Ruxue really have a chance of defeating him?

Mu Ruxue had the same question in her heart.

Standing below the stage, she stared intently at Mu Bai, her eyes filled with apprehension.

Late Spirit Realm was indeed very strong.

But she and her teacher had an agreement long ago that she must win the championship.

Damn it, her speed of Cultivating was still too slow, and she failed to achieve a Breakthrough to the Late Spirit Realm.

Otherwise, why would she fear Mu Bai?

If she were given another month, no, even a week, she would definitely be able to achieve a Breakthrough to the Late Spirit Realm.

But sadly, there are no ifs in the world.

Even with a gap in Realm, she must still clash with Mu Bai!

She would never admit defeat unless she was knocked down!

On the stage, the referee helped Li Jie up and softly asked: "Li Jie, are you alright?"

Li Jie pulled away the referee's hand, stood up using his own strength, and said with a smile: "I'm fine!"

Immediately, he bowed toward Mu Bai and said in a deep voice: "Thank you, Senior Brother Mu Bai, for showing mercy!"

He could feel that Mu Bai had held back. If the opponent had gone all out, his sea of soul would have already shattered.

Mu Bai waved his hand and chuckled: "We are all fellow disciples; there's no need to deliver a killing blow. You're a good person, kid, but your strength is a bit lacking. You must Cultivate harder in the future!"

Hearing this, Li Jie couldn't help but inwardly complain: "Since when was my strength considered weak? I'm quite a figure on Spirit Medicine Peak, I just had bad luck running into a powerhouse like you in the first match."

But he didn't dare say this in front of Mu Bai, only offering a wry smile: "Thank you for your instruction, Senior Brother Mu Bai, I've noted it down!"

Having said that, he slowly walked off the stage.

The New Disciple Grand Competition was held in full swing. While Mu Bai was undeniably formidable, Mu Ruxue's performance also made everyone's eyes light up.

She easily defeated several Spirit Realm Middle Stage experts and successfully entered the top 16.

Li He patted Lu Xingchen's shoulder and chuckled: "Big Strong One, your Personal Disciple has some skill. Going from being rejected by the various Peak Masters to entering the top 16, she has certainly restored your reputation!"

Lu Xingchen chuckled: "As expected. The task I gave her was to win the championship; merely entering the top 16 is nothing major."

Hearing this, Li He smiled faintly.

"You truly have confidence in her. Since that's the case, I look forward eagerly to Mu Ruxue's spectacular performance."

In the match leading from the top 16 to the top 8, Mu Ruxue went up against Wang Cheng.

Lu Xingchen had some memory of this Wang Cheng.

He was the first to pass the freshman assessment and was taken in by Second Senior Brother to learn the art of Spirit Formation.

His teacher's eye for talent was excellent; the four Personal Disciples he accepted were all favored children of heaven.

Li Changbai's "Four Symbols Spirit Extinguishing Wave" truly astonished him. He believed that without using Dual Sword Combination, he would not be able to block Li Changbai's attack.

Since Wang Cheng received personal guidance from Li Changbai, his strength certainly wouldn't be weak; he would likely become a formidable opponent for Xiaoxue.

"Elder Li He, can we switch seats?"

Just then, Li Changbai's voice came from the side.

Li He stroked his beard and chuckled: "Of course! You Senior Brothers and Junior Brothers surely have much to talk about; I won't disturb you."

After Li Changbai and Li He switched seats, he patted Lu Xingchen's shoulder and chuckled: "Little Junior Brother, I heard you have a lot of confidence in Mu Ruxue. I also have a lot of confidence in Wang Cheng; he was trained by me personally. How about we make a bet on who will win this match?"

Hearing this, Lu Xingchen was slightly stunned.

"Second Senior Brother, are you trying to fleece me now?"

"What's wrong, scared?"

"Why would I be scared? Free gifts are always welcome!"

Li Changbai chuckled: "I knew you wouldn't refuse me, kid. State your wager!"

"If Xiaoxue wins, I want the method for unleashing the 'Four Symbols Spirit Extinguishing Wave'."

Hearing this, Li Changbai took a deep breath and gave a wry smile: "Little Junior Brother, you have a huge appetite! The Four Symbols Spirit Extinguishing Wave is my trump card, and its power is immense. I'm not even sure I can successfully unleash it myself every time. The last time was just luck."

Lu Xingchen nodded slightly.

"Second Senior Brother is too modest. If you can unleash it once, you can unleash it a second time. I have already become a Pill King, so ordinary items naturally don't interest me. Only the 'Four Symbols Spirit Extinguishing Wave' on you is valuable."

Li Changbai put away his smile and said solemnly: "Little Junior Brother, I must warn you. To successfully unleash the 'Four Symbols Spirit Extinguishing Wave', your Soul Power must reach at least the Early Heaven Realm. Otherwise, you cannot simultaneously control the four Eighth-Grade Spirit Formations and their Fusion."

"Even if I teach you the release method, you won't be able to use it in the short term. Are you sure you want this as the wager?"

Lu Xingchen chuckled: "Absolutely certain. Second Senior Brother, you must have confidence in me; the Early Heaven Realm won't be far off!"