Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 358 The battle for leadership
"Why does Senior Sister Zhong only hit people in the face when she hits them!"

Below the arena, another uproar erupted.

The result of the competition was no surprise; Yu Shang lost miserably, to the point that Shi Liuer, who was Yu Shang's junior sister both now and in the past, was so angry that she cried.

"You know what, you really do know, Senior Sister Zhong really treats everyone the same, regardless of gender or whether they are inner or outer disciples. She just slaps them in the face. Tsk, she's really ruthless!"

After the paper puppet finished announcing the results of the competition, Yu Shang left the arena, panting heavily.

Her cultivation level was not even comparable to He Shilie Tudi's. If those Five Elements techniques had not indeed had a significant impact on Zhong Hui's Taixu Fist moves, she would probably have been in a worse state than having a nosebleed!

"Senior Sister Zhong is too brave! I reckon she'll definitely be the champion!"

"Yeah yeah!"

Hearing the surrounding disciples' discussions, Shi Liuer, who rushed over to support Yu Shang, couldn't help but let out a heavy snort and muttered under her breath, "Just a mere outer disciple!"

"Liu'er!"

Others either didn't hear Liu'er's words, or even if they did, they ignored them, but Yu Shang heard them very clearly.

She frowned slightly, glanced disapprovingly at Shi Liuer, sighed, and said, "Liuer, I'm just not as skilled as others, you don't need to take it to heart."

"But she went too far! She slapped you in the face!" Shi Liu'er said indignantly. "Besides, when she fought Heshilie Tudi earlier, she only won by sneak attacking. What's so great about being so ruthless and unscrupulous? If it's really a matter of strength, she might not be that much stronger!"

“Cultivating immortality is always about fighting against fate, so how can one resort to any means? Besides, she only fought a bit fiercely, she didn’t kill anyone, and she recovered in no time with the sect’s medicine, so it can’t be considered ruthless.”

Yu Shang wasn't deliberately trying to say something good about Zhong Hui.

For cultivators, injuries are merely superficial wounds; even fractures or broken legs are not considered serious injuries.

In the general population who haven't cultivated immortality, even among martial artists, severe fractures or broken legs can indeed have long-term effects. However, in the world of cultivators, with all sorts of miraculous elixirs, there's no external physical injury that can't be healed; these injuries are naturally not considered major.

“Fellow Daoist Yu Shang is quite right. This external injury is nothing.”

A gentle voice sounded from their side. Yu Shang and Shi Liuer turned their heads and saw a young disciple with a simple disciple's robe, a handsome face, and a somewhat aloof air walking over.

He reached out and handed over a bottle of pills, saying, "Internal Healing Kudzu Root Pills. On behalf of Senior Sister Zhong, I apologize to the two fellow Daoists."

Shi Liuer didn't take the medicine. She glanced at the other person sideways, her tone accusatory: "How come I've never seen you before? Are you also from Spirit Medicine Peak?"

Zhong Hui was a disciple of the Spirit Medicine Peak, and the person in front of him also looked like he was from the Spirit Medicine Peak—

Only the disciples of Lingyao Peak prefer to live a secluded life, making them seem unfamiliar to others, and they can always take out a bottle of "Internal Healing Kudzu Root Pills"!
In short, since they are all disciples of the Spirit Medicine Peak, aren't they in cahoots?
And he was even speaking up for Zhong Hui!

Thinking of this, Shi Liuer became even more annoyed.

Shi Liu'er did not take the medicine, so Yu Shang smiled and took the bottle of Neiyu Gegen Pills, saying, "Thank you very much, fellow Daoist from Lingyao Peak."

To everyone's surprise, the other party shook his head and said, "I am a disciple of Lingxiu Peak."

After he finished speaking, he added: "Senior Sister Zhong's punches are fierce and powerful, aiming for a quick victory. They seem to be fighting ruthlessly and unreasonably, but in fact they are very measured and have not seriously injured any of the brothers. Most of them have only suffered superficial injuries."

"The sect competition is meant to test what we've learned and encourage each other. A little physical pain is well worth it for the practical experience we gain."

His tone was calm, yet it possessed a convincing power. Shi Liuer opened her mouth, wanting to refute something, but under his calm gaze, she ultimately shut her mouth in a huff.

Yu Shang nodded and said, "What you say is very true, fellow Daoist."

Seeing that the two seemed to be unharmed, the Lingxiu Peak disciple said no more and hurriedly turned and left.

……

Time flies, and two more days have passed.

The martial arts competition of the sect tournament is nearing its end. After rounds of competition in the East and West competition areas, the two finalists standing on the final stage are Zhong Hui, who is unstoppable, and Sun Ping, who is also undefeated and has been steadily advancing all the way.

This result surprised many people.

Although Sun Ping was an outer disciple of the previous generation of the White Stone Immortal Sect and was among the first batch to enter the Qi-inducing stage, he always kept to himself and was taciturn. Even when attending classes, he would come and go in a hurry, alone, and rarely interacted with other disciples. Therefore, he was always very inconspicuous.

As a disciple with little presence in the sect, Sun Ping's cultivation level and the magical abilities he was skilled in were almost unknown to everyone.

Even Zhong Hui and others who were relatively close to him only knew that he cultivated magic, not the popular "professions" like sword or saber cultivation. As for what he was good at, they really didn't know.

More importantly, Sun Ping's previous victories were rather "mediocre." He would often engage in a lukewarm battle with his opponent and then seize an inconspicuous weakness to win in one fell swoop, far from the overwhelming visual impact of Zhong Hui's victory.

Even after dozens of matches, the techniques and supernatural abilities he used to win each time were quite different. However, he used talismans a lot of the time. Since no one knew what Sun Ping was good at, people even speculated that he was a talisman cultivator. Many disciples also privately discussed that Sun Ping's ability to enter the finals was mostly due to luck, and they didn't see much strength in him.

"I'm afraid this Senior Brother Sun is going to be defeated by Senior Sister Zhong!"

“How come you see?”

"Senior Brother Sun always fights for a long time before winning, while Senior Sister Zhong always wins with a single move! There's no comparison!"

"That's it!"

"But Senior Brother Sun seems to be quite skilled in talismans..."

"Hehe, you don't know this, do you? Although Senior Sister Zhong is a disciple of Spirit Medicine Peak, she specializes in talisman making! If we're really comparing talismans, I'm afraid Senior Brother Sun can't beat her!"

Before the competition even began, all sorts of speculations kept circulating, and these rumors naturally reached the ears of the two fighters on the stage.

This time, after the paper puppet announced the start, Zhong Hui, contrary to his usual behavior, did not make the first move. Instead, he chatted with Sun Ping with a smile: "I didn't expect that in the end I would be competing with you, Junior Brother Sun! I thought I was going to have another match with Senior Brother He Shilie!"

Sun Ping smiled amicably: "I didn't expect Senior Brother He Shilie to be so unlucky, actually drawing the same number with you twice, and even admitting defeat the second time!"

Indeed, the rules of the sect competition are very detailed, but when it comes to fairness, there is always an element of luck involved.

For example, He Shilie suddenly faced Zhong Hui right from the start, and had to play in the revival match. After finally reaching the end of the revival match, he was drawn against Zhong Hui again in the last draw!

Recalling the memory of Zhong Hui punching him so hard his nose bled, He Shilie suddenly felt quite helpless. After careful consideration, he realized he had no good way to counter Zhong Hui's Tai Xu Fist, so he simply chose to forfeit his second match against Zhong Hui, instantly dropping to fourth place overall. Once Zhong Hui and Sun Ping determined the champion, He Shilie would have to fight the third-place finisher to determine who would then compete against the loser of the champion's match for the true second place. In short, it was quite a pity that He Shilie, who had the best chance of winning, suddenly became fourth.

Zhong Hui waved his hand and said, "Oh dear, Junior Brother Heshilie has too many hidden agendas. I think he's become stupid from studying military strategy. He only wants to fight steady and methodical battles!"

At this point, she added cheerfully, "But don't use the talismans you used in the previous rounds anymore. Those were given to you by me, and they don't work for me. It would be a waste for you to use them. It takes a lot of effort to draw so many!"

The two exchanged only a few words before assuming their fighting stances. This time, Zhong Hui, showing great martial virtue, called out in advance—

"Junior Brother Sun, you'd better watch out! Ah—"

Suddenly, Zhong Hui sprang up, creating a gust of wind, and thrust his right fist straight forward. The Tai Xu Fist's energy was so condensed that it seemed to be a tangible substance, blasting towards Sun Ping's face.

It was still the same simple, brutal, yet incredibly efficient fighting style; only this time, Zhong Hui didn't launch a "sneak attack."

This punch was unavoidable, as if it carried a powerful pressure that locked onto the opponent, making it impossible for Sun Ping to move his feet!
However, the instant the fist struck Sun Ping's body, Sun Ping's entire body suddenly shattered and then vanished!

Then, a black wind suddenly rose up on the entire arena, making it dark and obscuring Zhong Hui's figure!

Amidst the gasps of surprise from below the stage, Zhong Hui was also taken aback.

She had never seen such methods before!
I've never even heard of it!

The black wind came strangely, not only obscuring the view but also carrying a chilling aura that eroded the mind.

Zhong Hui felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, as if most of his five senses had been stripped away. All he could hear was the howling wind and faint, disturbing screams, as if he had suddenly entered a small, hidden world.

Illusion? Or a formation?
Zhong Hui's heart skipped a beat. He immediately circulated his spiritual energy to protect himself, focused his mind on guard, and frowned as he pondered.

Given Sun Ping's cultivation level, there's absolutely no way he could have developed any illusions or formations that he could immediately use!
What kind of methods are these?

As she pondered this, she tried to throw a punch forward, but no matter which move of the Tai Xu Fist she used, the fist wind carrying spiritual energy would instantly disappear into the black wind, like a mud ox sinking into the sea, without even a sound.

"Junior Brother Sun, what kind of trick is this? A talisman wouldn't have this effect!"

Since he couldn't figure it out, Zhong Hui simply asked loudly, but his voice struggled in the wind, sounding muffled and somewhat distorted.

Actually, Zhong Hui asked this question with a little ulterior motive.

Now that her vision is completely blocked, her five senses are no different from those of an ordinary person, or even weaker. Even if she wanted to attack, she couldn't find a target. So she could only use this method to lure Sun Ping into talking.

No matter what Sun Ping says, as long as he speaks, Zhong Hui is confident that he can throw a punch immediately and break through this "mystery" created by some unknown means.

To her utter surprise, Sun Ping did speak up, and even very "kindly" replied, "This is a little trick I learned from Senior King Qin. It is an illusion created by borrowing yin energy and ghost energy. However, it takes some time to activate. I must thank you, Senior Sister, for exchanging pleasantries with me for a while, which gave me the opportunity to make full preparations."

The sound came from all directions, with echoes that made it impossible to discern its origin.

When his first plan failed, Zhong Hui had no choice but to calm down and decide to use the most "clumsy" method to break the deadlock—

Let's break this illusion first!
Since Sun Ping created such an illusion but did not launch any killing move against her, it must be because he was afraid of revealing his location and causing the opposite effect, or perhaps he simply did not have any means to win!
Just as she was thinking this, the black wind beside Zhong Hui suddenly condensed and transformed into several pitch-black wind blades, silently slashing towards her chest!

The spiritual energy fluctuations emanating from that wind blade were chilling and eerie, unlike ordinary Five Elements magic!

Although Zhong Hui's vision was obstructed and his five senses were weakened, his spiritual awareness was still intact, and he could sense the danger.

So she turned around quickly, unleashing several powerful punches with both hands, shattering the wind blades one by one.

However, after these wind blades shattered, they did not completely dissipate. Instead, they transformed into even finer black mist, which, like a persistent ailment, coiled up along Zhong Hui's hands, attempting to erode her protective spiritual energy.

"Oops!"

Zhong Hui frowned. She could feel the black energy constantly consuming her spiritual power, and even causing her blood and qi to stagnate slightly. She really had no experience in dealing with this kind of strange method!
and……

How could you use skills learned from outside during a sect competition?!

Zhong Hui felt rather resentful. She wondered if it was just her imagination, but she felt unusually anxious than usual. However, after being trapped for a short while, she felt her patience running out.

Meanwhile, aside from cultivators, martial artists who didn't know much about the immortal path found the scene on the arena rather boring.

The spectacle of this match was far less impressive than the others, as all the audience could see was the entire arena shrouded in a thick, inky black wind. Although they could vaguely see Zhong Hui's figure charging left and right within it, hear the howling of fists, and hear the scattered flashes of yellow spiritual light, they could not clearly see the specific figures of the two fighters, nor could they discern the actual battle situation.

But it is undeniable that anyone can see that the one who has the upper hand now is probably that unremarkable Sun Ping!
"What...what kind of evil technique is this?"

"Senior Brother Sun actually had this trick up his sleeve!"

"Senior Sister Zhong seems to be trapped! No way! I'm willing to bet ten low-grade spirit stones on Senior Sister Zhong winning the championship!"

"Good lad! Isn't gambling forbidden in the sect? Where did you get this?"

"Hehehe, I gambled with those sects like the Tianji Sect and the Tang Sect. Dear junior sister, please don't report me. I'll just share half of the winnings with you..."

"It seems that Senior Brother Sun was really hiding his strength before. This kind of method is probably only something a Foundation Establishment cultivator could use."

"Haven't you heard that it was the King of Qin who taught him? It's true, it seems that Senior Brother Sun particularly likes taking on commissions from the Underworld. Everyone else complains that commissions from the Underworld only give points and spiritual materials, not spirit stones, so they don't want to take them. But Senior Brother Sun takes them very frequently. I didn't know he could learn such powerful spells and supernatural abilities..."

The discussions were filled with shock and disbelief; no one could say that Sun Ping's previous victories were all due to luck.

Shi Liu'er frowned deeply, whether out of worry or schadenfreude over Zhong Hui's predicament, it was hard to tell. She snorted softly and asked in a low voice, "Senior Sister Yu, do you think Zhong Hui is going to lose?"

Yu Shang looked at the arena with a complicated expression and didn't say anything, but the resentment he felt a few days ago when Zhong Hui punched him and sent him flying instantly vanished at this moment.

She asked herself honestly, if she were to encounter such a method, she probably wouldn't be able to hold out for long, but Zhong Hui actually still had the strength to use his moves, and even seemed to have the potential to break through the illusion. He was indeed impressive.

Within the illusion, Zhong Hui's situation was indeed dire.

It's called an illusion, but it's really just a larger "array," not quite an illusion that can stand alone as its own.

Even so, it's enough for Zhong Hui to have a good drink.

(End of this chapter)