Curse Reply: After choosing Nawa, the cursed spirit cursed me for being cruel.

Chapter 105: Brothers and sisters respect each other

"Stay with your troops, no retreat is permitted."

The team members stopped in their tracks. Some looked at the Zen temple fan, then at the Zhikun people, and finally gritted their teeth and returned to their original positions.

Only half of them stayed behind, while the other half lowered their heads and retreated behind the Zhikun people, splitting the entire group in two.

Seeing this, Gojo Satoru put his hands on his hips and shouted at the steps, "Old man, are you even capable? As the head of the family, can't you even control your subordinates?"

Zenji Naokon turned his head, his gaze passing over the divided team members and landing on Gojo Satoru.

"Shut up, you rude brat."

His voice was louder than before, but the deep furrow between his brows betrayed his embarrassment.

He had only been the head of the family for a few years, but his prestige was far from sufficient. His younger brother, Zenin Sen, had been managing the clan for many years and had a large number of loyal followers.

He was stronger than Shan, but he couldn't bring himself to be cruel to his younger brother.

Duanmu Yan stood at the bottom of the steps, looking at the two groups of team members standing on opposite sides, at the smiles on the faces of the Zen monks, and at the tense backs of the Zhikun people.

There's a reason why the Zen monk Zhikun is called the only normal person in the Zen family.

Unfortunately, his kindness was met with an ambitious younger brother like Shan, and was only used as a weakness.

If Zen-in-sen had become the head of the family, there would have been a row of corpses on the ground long ago.

Among the three founding families, kindness cannot suppress people, so he decided to help the old man.

Duanmu Yan slightly raised his hand. Cursed power surged from his fingertips, and green wind element condensed in his palm into a rapidly spinning column of air. He gave the group no time to react. A violent tornado rose from the very center of the group, sweeping up all the members who remained in their path. They spun in the wind, limbs tossed about, screams mingling with the howling wind, before crashing onto the stone ground like dumplings being dropped into a pot. Uniforms disheveled, weapons rolled away, and they staggered, trying to get up, but none could maintain their balance.

He lowered his hand and turned to the Zen temple fan. "If you want to stop us, then try."

Zen Temple Fan stood on the steps. He looked at Duanmu Yan, then at the group of Qujuliu team members who hadn't gotten up yet.

Zenin Sen is a very ambitious person. He believes that his strength is no less than that of his older brother. The only reason he failed to become the head of the family is because of his two unlucky daughters.

Why give birth to those two bastards? Wouldn't it have been better if one of them had just died obediently in the womb?

There's also the Zen monk Zhikun, whose family's rule has always been that the strong live and the weak die, but this good-for-nothing wants to change the ancestral law.

He is the true strongman, and the weak should obediently grovel at his feet.

But now is not the time to think about that. A top-tier fighter is standing in front of him, provoking him.

He is the Zen Temple Fan, the most influential person in the Zen Temple family besides the head of the family.

If he is publicly provoked and doesn't dare to fight back, where will his authority be?

Refuse to fight? Dozens, even hundreds, of eyes are watching. If we back down today, will anyone in the tribe listen to us anymore?

Can you really let a special level one mage fight against a top-tier mage? He'll lose.

Just when they were in a dilemma, Duanmu Yan spoke up.

"I won't bully you, after all, you're a top-tier fighter. If you can withstand ten of my moves, you win."

Duanmu Yan pulled his hand out of his pocket, his gaze lingering on the Zen Temple's fan-like face for a moment. "But it's no fun without a wager. I heard you have two daughters. If you lose, I'll raise them. If I lose, I'll support you in becoming the head of the Zen Temple family. How about it?"

Wu Tiao Wu instantly understood Duanmu Yan's thoughts. He had also heard about the twins. They were regarded as jinxes in the Zen family, and even their biological father regarded them as a disgrace.

Given Duanmu's personality, it's not surprising that he wanted to save them.

He took half a step forward, standing shoulder to shoulder with Duanmu Yan, and grinned, "If you can withstand ten moves from Duanmu, I am willing to support you as the head of the Gojo family to become the head of the Zenin family."

The Zen temple fan began to stir with interest.

If the Gojo family openly supports him, coupled with his existing connections, even if Naokon is very powerful, he will have to relinquish his position as head of the family.

As for the daughters, they're two useless burdens; out of sight, out of mind.

But the terms are too generous, so generous that they make one uneasy.

He narrowed his eyes. "Special-grade mages usually have domains, right? If you use your domain to kill me directly, I, a level one mage, can't withstand it."

He put his hands behind his back, his knuckles twisting together inside his sleeves. "And what if you only defend and don't attack after nine moves, just dragging it out? Wouldn't that be boring?"

"Of course, no domain is needed. You can attack me, whether it's an attack or a defense, as long as it involves ten moves, it counts."

The Zen Temple Fan's lips curled into a smile. "Deal."

Even a top-tier fighter can easily withstand ten moves without using their domain.

Moreover, the rules allow him to attack proactively, and attacks are considered moves.

As long as he makes enough aggressive moves, he will have the initiative. Ten moves will pass in the blink of an eye, and he can win.

The Zen monk Zhikun frowned as he listened to their bet.

Even if he was stupid, he had already realized that Duanmu Yan wanted Maki and Maki.

He had been keeping an eye on the two children, but due to the deep-rooted resistance within the clan, there was very little he could do.

His own brother was vying for the position of family head, the elders were clinging to the ancient rules that had lasted for thousands of years, and the family members had lived under these rules for generations, long since taking it for granted that "those who are not sorcerers are not human." He couldn't change anything.

But these two young people in front of me might be able to.

He nodded, straightened his back, and his voice echoed in front of the black lacquered gate of the Zen Temple family: "Alright. Since both of you special-grade masters have spoken, if the Zen Temple Fan can withstand ten moves, I will voluntarily resign from my position as head of the family."

Upon hearing this, Zen Temple Fan threw his head back and laughed, his mouth stretching almost to his ears. Just ten moves.

If he can withstand ten moves, he will become the head of the Zen family.

He looked at Duanmu Yan with unwavering confidence: "Come on, let me see if your so-called top-grade certification is any exaggeration."

Duanmu Yan flipped his right hand, the energy key twirled between his fingers, and clicked into the summoner on his belt.

"You'll see it soon enough. Flame of Nava, Combined."

Looking at the armor before him, Zen-in-sen took a half step back and drew the sword from his waist. It was a level one spell weapon that could unleash long-range slashes, and when combined with his spells, it was always invincible.

His technique, called "Tangled Eyebrows," transforms magical power into flames that wrap around the blade.

He gathered his strength on the spot, his magical power condensing into an orange-red fireball in his palm, which then transformed into more than ten flaming slashes, which slammed down on Duanmu Yan in a fan shape.

Duanmu Yan did not dodge, letting the slashes hit his armor one after another.

As the flames subsided, Duanmu Yan stood in place, his armor without a single scorch mark.

He... but Nava, how could flames possibly harm him?!

Chapter 106 Zen Temple Bend

Seeing that his flame attack was ineffective, Zen-in-sen's eyes widened.

He had prepared his attack for so long, but his opponent didn't even bother to dodge, and didn't even adopt a defensive stance.

"How could that be? My moves are so powerful that even top-tier curse spirits have to give me a wide berth!"

Duanmu Yan looked down at the few remaining small flames on his breastplate. He was Nawa, who controlled the fire element in the world. In other words, he was the master of the fire element.

The flames couldn't harm him at all. He raised his head and smiled slightly at the Zen temple fan.

He's immune to fire!

Before Chan Yuan Shan could recover from the shock, Duanmu Yan had already raised his hand.

"Your flames are too weak, truly the weakest I've ever seen." He reached out to the side, conjuring a golden energy key.

"Let me show you what true power is."

The golden key was inserted into the summoner, and the two wheels began to turn.

Flame-molten Scale stepped out of the void, its four hooves landing on the stone ground.

It glanced down at the Zen Temple Fan, then transformed into a sword and a cannon, arming Duanmu Yan's right arm.

"Elemental Spirit Armor, Ultimate Skill: Flaming Torch Melting Scales".

The cannon muzzle lit up with a platinum-gold light. The instant-cast version of the Flaming Scale Demon was far less devastating than when it clashed with Gojo Satoru, but it was more than enough to deal with a level one mage.

The immense magical power transformed into a blazing pillar of flame, hurtling straight toward the Zen temple.

Zen Temple Fan stood rooted to the spot, unable to move, as the oppressive force of the incantation pressed in from all directions, pinning him to the ground.

He could hear his own heartbeat, the hissing of the flames devouring the air, and the chattering of his teeth.

dying.

A figure flashed past him, and Zen Monk Zhikun instantly appeared beside him, grabbing him by the back of his collar with one hand and activating the spell—Projection Technique.

The two figures vanished from their original positions just before the pillar of flame struck, accelerated to a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, and were forcibly pulled out of the attack range.

The pillar of flame grazed the spot where the two had just stood and continued forward, crashing into a mountain peak in the distance behind the courtyard. The mountain peak was flattened with a deafening roar, sending rubble and dust billowing into the sky. After a while, the dull thud of rolling stones could be heard.

Duanmu Yan withdrew from his armor, which dissipated into specks of light. He didn't glance at the flattened mountain peak, but turned around and looked at the Zen Temple Fan, who was slumped on the ground.

"I only used one move in total, both attack and defense. So you lost. As agreed, I will raise your two daughters from now on."

Zen-in-Shan scrambled to his feet, shaking off the outstretched hand of the Zhikun man. "Whatever. He's just a burden anyway. I've learned something from this match."

After saying that, he turned and walked deeper into the family compound, his back view staggering.

Zenji Nakamoto watched his younger brother's figure disappear at the end of the porch, sighed, and turned around to nod slightly to the two of them.

"Now that the duel is over, please come in, you two Special Grade experts."

He gave a few instructions to the attendant beside him, his voice low, "Take a headcount of the number of people who were just injured and send them all for treatment."

Gojo Satoru raised an eyebrow as he watched the servant leave, having received his orders. "This old man is helping someone from another faction. I really don't know what to say."

He paused, put his hands back in his pockets, and said, "Leaving behind those who oppose you is like leaving behind a hidden danger."

“Perhaps this old man is kind-hearted,” Duanmu Yan said, turning his gaze away. “He’s an oddity in the Zen monastery.”

"That's true. It's rare to see even one's own enemy being saved, especially among the three starter families."

"No matter what, Shan is still my younger brother." After arranging the affairs there, Zenji Naokon turned around with a wry smile on his face.

"I can't just stand by and watch him get seriously injured, or even die."

He straightened up and gestured towards the main hall, saying, "Let's not talk about this anymore, let's go to the hall."

The corridor leading to the main hall was long. Unlike the Gojo family's residence, the Zen-in family mansion was not bright and spacious; the eaves were low, and the pillars on both sides of the corridor were thick and dense, making it resemble a large prison.