Ying Che left dejectedly. As Lu Zhaozhao watched his departing figure, all she could think of was Ying Che's ashen face after she finished speaking.
He probably didn't know why things turned out this way either, but whether it was really what he thought or the result of being controlled by the plot, Lu Zhaozhao wasn't a saint and wouldn't forgive easily.
Perhaps, once she completes her mission here, the real Lu Zhaozhao will return, and only she will have the right to choose whether or not to forgive.
"call."
She tilted her head back and exhaled, feeling an immense sense of relief and ease. She had finally let go of a worry that had weighed on her mind, and at that moment, her heart was clear and bright.
In the final round, only ten people remained.
Lu Zhaozhao sat quietly by the arena, surrounded by ten people. Outside the arena, a large crowd stood, all eagerly anticipating the final match.
The top ten have been narrowed down to five. The remaining five will go to the Golden Terrace to undergo a test; this is the final step.
The sect leader of Qingsongzi came in person and stood in the center of the arena. He first looked around and then spoke in a booming voice.
"You are all young talents who have gone through the most rigorous selection process and are the future hope of the cultivation world. Having come this far, you are only one step away from the Golden Platform. I believe none of you want to stop here. In previous Golden Banquets, the top ten to five competitions were still conducted in pairs. However, this year, after discussing with the sect leaders, we have decided to adopt a new format."
He paused for a moment, keeping everyone in suspense. No one dared to speak; everyone wanted to know what this new format would be like.
"This is the final test. The ten people will be divided at this stage. Anyone who steps out will be eliminated. Only five people will remain, and they will be the top five of this year's Golden Palace Banquet!"
As soon as Qing Songzi finished speaking, a commotion arose in the audience.
The ten people sitting on the stage all frowned in unison.
If one-on-one battles are a test of strength, then a ten-person free-for-all is a greater test of mental fortitude and decision-making.
Whom to befriend, whom to be foe? At this moment, who can be trusted, and who has been betrayed?
A test of trust is imposed on the competition of strength.
After Qing Songzi finished explaining the rules, he stepped down from the stage, leaving ten people on the stage, each forming their own group.
“Uncle Bai, let’s form an alliance.” A disciple dressed in Wenyuan Academy robes spoke first. Lu Zhaozhao remembered that his name was Yan Yutong, one of only two disciples from Wenyuan Academy to advance.
It's not unusual for people from the same sect to form an alliance, but out of the ten people present, they were the only ones from the same sect, while the rest came from different sects.
Lu Zhaozhao looked at the remaining people one by one, and they were also observing the others.
Besides Bai Yuanshi, Yao Tong, Liao Chou, whom I already knew, and Yan Yutong who spoke earlier, the remaining people came from all over the country.
Ji Shui, holding a needle and thread, comes from Xiang'an Academy, a sect entirely composed of female cultivators.
The burly Zhou Xuegu came from Dragon Bone Cave. It was said that they worshipped physical strength the most and were unmatched in close combat.
Cui Xingjue of the Judgment Division held a discipline whip. The Judgment Division was the largest sect in the Southern Frontier. Gu Dao was prevalent in the Southern Frontier, so it had its own unique rules of judgment. The disciples of the sect had gloomy eyes and looked frightening.
The remaining two were rogue cultivators. Lu Zhaozhao was extremely suspicious of Sang Pan. She always felt that there was a familiar feeling about this person, but she couldn't tell from his face. Moreover, she had watched this person compete several times, but he seemed to be deliberately restraining himself and she couldn't tell anything from him.
Another rogue cultivator was Yu Anxing, whose weapon was the Mandarin Duck Swords. Legend has it that his and his wife's names were engraved on them. It is said that the two had traveled together, but in an accident, his wife passed away. To commemorate his wife, he took over the swords, and from then on, he wielded two swords.
None of them are easy to deal with, Lu Zhaozhao thought. To get to this point, both cultivation and technique are indispensable, and the tests they will face next will be even more severe.
Lu Zhaozhao was still observing, but someone had already made a move.
Cui Xingjue and Zhou Xuegu met during the competition. At this moment, their eyes met and they both looked at Yaotong.
Everyone knows that most of the disciples of Tianyin Sect are support roles. In addition, Yao Tong did not show any particularly outstanding strength in this competition. Although some of her opponents were not that strong, it gave others a guess: perhaps she was the weakest one on the field?
Yao Tong clearly sensed the hostility, and the Nine Heavens Jade Pendant appeared in her arms in a flash.
The next moment, the discipline whip was already lashing out in front of her.
Zhou Xuegu barely dodged to the side, but intercepted from the side. His right fist had been charging up for a long time, and after the discipline whip forced Yao Tong to the edge, he tried to knock her out of the arena with one blow.
But this idea is clearly too naive.
Yao Tong immediately retaliated after regaining her footing.
The shimmering light on the jade pendant seemed to gather all the colors of the world, and with her strumming the strings, heaven and earth were moved.
The gentle, soothing sound of the zither softened the hardness of Zhou Xuegu's force.
Suddenly deflected, Zhou Xuegu stumbled, and Yao Tong seized the opportunity to launch an attack.
"Help me! Help me now!"
Zhou Xuegu shouted angrily at Cui Xingjue.
Cui Xingjue clicked his tongue, swung his discipline whip, and blocked Zhou Xuegu's path, cutting off the sound of the zither.
Yao Tong didn't persist. Before the discipline whip could be returned to Cui Xingjue's hand, she turned and attacked him instead.
Cui Xingjue gritted his teeth, his eyes growing even more gloomy. As the sound waves approached, he had no choice but to dodge in all directions.
Everyone else was in the observation phase; no one was willing to be the first to join the battle, while at the same time they had to be wary of others launching a surprise attack.
Yao Tong gradually fell into a disadvantageous position under the attack of the two, and was getting closer and closer to leaving the stage.
Just as she managed to withstand Zhou Xuegu's punch, Cui Xingjue's discipline whip fell again, forcing her to retreat, with half of her body already outside the window.
Joy flashed in their eyes. Zhou Xuegu gathered his strength again, wanting to force Yao Tong back this time.
Yao Tong bit her lip, determined to take the blow head-on.
Just as tensions were about to rise, Lu Zhaozhao suddenly moved away from her original spot, immediately putting everyone on alert, assuming she also wanted to start a fight.
But the next moment, Lu Zhaozhao appeared in front of Yao Tong, also gathering her strength, and collided with Zhou Xuegu's fist.
"She's insane! Fighting with the people from Dragon Bone Cave!"
Yan Yutong exclaimed in surprise, but the scene before him immediately changed his mind.
Lu Zhaozhao and Zhou Xuegu's fists continued to collide, neither able to overpower the other, and they remained locked in a stalemate.
Zhou Xuegu was somewhat surprised, as he had never seen anyone who could rival the Dragon Bone Cave disciples who had cultivated the Dragon Bone Secret Technique in terms of hardness.
Lu Zhaozhao was equally surprised. Her body-refining technique was extremely demanding and painful to cultivate. The reshaped flesh and blood were comparable to steel and iron bones. Until today, she had never encountered anything that she could not break with her fists. It seems that the reputation of Dragon Bone Cave is indeed well-deserved.
Continuing the stalemate was not a solution, so Zhou Xuegu took the lead in stepping back and stood side by side with Cui Xingjue.
Lu Zhaozhao stood in front of Yaotong, completely shielding her behind her. This action undoubtedly told everyone present that Yaotong was safe.
"Junior Sister Lu, thank you." Yao Tong was somewhat surprised, but also delighted.
Lu Zhaozhao tilted her head slightly and said softly, "I will repay Senior Sister's great kindness."
Not far away, the two who had temporarily stepped back looked at each other again and assessed the situation.
They had already started this battle, so naturally they couldn't back down. The others were all eyeing the loser with predatory intent. They weren't unfamiliar with Lu Zhaozhao's name, but after all, she was a female cultivator, and in the previous round, she had fought against her fellow disciple. Many people maliciously speculated that they had arranged things beforehand, putting on a show.
Thinking about it this way, they no longer took Lu Zhaozhao and Yaotong, the two female cultivators, seriously.
"Ha!" Zhou Xuegu channeled his energy again, the veins on his muscles bulging, making him appear even more imposing.
Cui Xingjue recalled the discipline whip, folded it twice, and tightened it in his hand.
The intention to make a move was extremely clear. Lu Zhaozhao sharpened the tip of her tiger teeth, and excitement flashed in her eyes.
"Gentlemen, I know you're probing our strength. It's two against two now, so please do me a favor and don't make a move."
Zhou Xuegu said to the people next to him that he didn't want Lu Zhaozhao to suddenly appear and interfere when they were about to win, especially Yao Tong, who had a good reputation and might have someone else trying to save her.
The others naturally had no objection to the suggestion, after all, they could watch a match without having to participate, and it would be even better if someone did participate. They immediately agreed.
"Brother Zhou, make your move." A bloodshot glint flashed in Cui Xingjue's gloomy eyes. Zhou Xuegu, who had been waiting impatiently, called out to Lu Zhaozhao and the other woman, "You two fairies, if you can't hold on, you should leave early to avoid getting hurt!"
After saying that, he threw a punch at the two of them.
Lu Zhaozhao snorted coldly, adjusted her position, and changed from defense to offense.
Yao Tong sat down on the spot, placed the zither on her lap and began to play, and a beam of light enveloped Lu Zhaozhao's entire body.
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