Chapter 321: After beating one, another comes along (Ten-thousand-character chapter, monthly ticket bonus update)

Hearing Wang Gu's insinuation, the geniuses either laughed it off or wore grave expressions, while the elite talents were plunged into miserable despair, unable to stop themselves from clutching their heads.

Giving hope, only to reap despair! "Trash! Truly trash!"

"If you can't beat him, don't push yourself! Why not just admit defeat!"

"Damn it! Why don't you just die! Why is it that you can't be killed!"

Many people couldn't help but voice these thoughts, already on the verge of a Dao heart collapse.

At this moment, they felt as if they were in the same shoes, as if they themselves had been pushed to the edge of a cliff.

Facing such a person, even the three of them—Hao Liao, Xue, and the others—found it difficult to come up with any rebuttal in this moment.

Regarding this situation, Du En only spoke calmly: "Then, let the trash's dharma treasure blast you apart."

Huh??! Wang Gu was still wanting to retort, when he suddenly discovered that the fragments of the War-Stopping Spear had already appeared in Du En's hand.

Just a moment ago, relying on a pulling force stronger than his own, Du En had directly retrieved this object that was right near him, right under his very nose.

A provocation, is it?

How bold!

Wang Gu fell silent, his evil nature beginning to boil.

"What, can't wait? Want to be blasted apart right now?"

Du En looked at him, raised his hand, and a new War-Stopping Spear appeared in his hand, looking very much like he was ready to start fighting immediately, showing not a shred of fear.

He stood tall there, and as a matter of course, became the most solid back for them to rely on.

People looked at him, and inexplicably, it was as if there was a ballast stone in their hearts, and they calmed down all at once.

"Step back."

Just as both sides within the small world were at daggers drawn, a voice rang out in Wang Gu's ear.

It was the order of True Monarch Huiqing.

He did not understand why, but he could only sneer at Du En before turning to leave.

Why so?

Actually, it was simple.

Having failed to utilize the opportunity just now to launch a surprise attack, it was not good to continue doing so.

True Monarch Buyi had already shown clear dissatisfaction.

Although it didn't really matter if people died—it was quite in line with his philosophy—the recognized rules had to be followed. Since they had been set beforehand, he had let the repeated under-the-table operations slide, but to continue like this now was blatant! "Senior Sister Huiqing, do you really think I am someone you can manipulate at will?"

True Monarch Buyi's challenge came faster and more directly than Meng Changqing's.

And since True Monarch Huiqing dared to act, she naturally had a plan for the response.

"Junior Brother Buyi is overthinking it; it was just that the test subject was too much of a failure, so it lost control and almost made a mistake."

"Then how do you explain your actions just now, interfering with Du En's voice transmission?"

Meng Changqing was furious at this and directly pressed with sharp questioning.

Damn it, if she really pushed him too far, he would just temporarily jump to that guy Zuding's side and have her packed up and out of the game!

Facing this junior brother with a promising future, True Monarch Huiqing spoke without even raising her head: "Merely necessary maintenance of the rules."

A fine 'necessary'! Then why don't I see you focusing on maintaining the other rules instead of repeatedly pulling these stunts? Meng Changqing was about to mock her, but at this moment, Du En's voice transmission cut in.

"Resolution: no need to plead for that guy."

Meng Changqing couldn't help but be stunned.

True Monarch Zuding raised an eyebrow slightly.

Because Du En's meaning was very clear: that guy Wang Gu, since he had promised to blast him apart, then he must blast him apart in public.

"So, can I kill him?"

Du En asked calmly again.

True Monarch Huiqing raised an eyebrow, about to speak.

But True Monarch Buyi answered faster: "As long as it's not inside the arena."

"Understood."

Du En stopped the transmission.

True Monarch Chengru spoke at this time: "Then, does anyone else have any objections?"

"I have no objections, but what about you, Senior Brother?"

True Monarch Zuding asked.

"Haha, young and vigorous, full of spirit—as long as the rules aren't broken, it's fine. Also, Junior Sister Huiqing, this is the third or fourth time now; it's a bit too much."

True Monarch Huiqing: "..."

She did not need to defend herself, nor did she need to say more.

Silence was opposition.

Meng Changqing nodded.

"Then, four to one. For the next third round, let them fight the first match."

This time it was a unanimous vote.

True Monarch Huiqing only opposed opinions and resolutions that did not suit her, but from beginning to end, she did not believe Du En could do what he said.

This confidence made Meng Changqing frown inwardly.

He immediately sought out Du En and asked directly: "Are you sure?"

"Evil cultivators, I have quite a bit of experience with them."

"He is not some miscellaneous trash from the Nanmo side."

"I know."

Du En's calm words were unexpectedly powerful.

Meng Changqing did not say anything more, simply taking action to carry Xiong Fa away.

At this moment, Du En had already brought him back to his own floating pillar, simultaneously using artifact-refining methods to temporarily sustain his Dharma treasure, seeing if it could hold out for a while longer to reduce the difficulty of medical treatment and recovery.

Once the person and the Dharma treasure disappeared from sight, the others finally gathered around.

"Damn it, that Wang Gu must be beaten to a pulp!"

"Saying we are all trash, right? This is truly outrageous!"

Hao Liaoxue and Su Wanhe were filled with righteous indignation, but looking at Du En's consistently calm expression, their moods quickly cooled, and they then had to admit that they were actually no match for him.

They could not help but feel somewhat silent and depressed.

Then, Su Wanhe thought for a moment and asked, "Seeing that you needed to observe the Dharma treasure before you could make changes, is this the prerequisite condition?"

"That is correct."

To perfectly and completely transform into various Dharma treasures, one naturally needs to carefully observe their interior and exterior; otherwise, it is easy to have only the appearance without the substance, unable to manifest the power of the original version.

The three had actually sensed this long ago, and now that it was officially confirmed, Su Wanhe did not hesitate: "I also want to vent my anger! Please use my Dharma treasure next to beat him up together!"

She took out her Scarlet Beauty Guan Blade.

Hao Liaoxue followed suit, taking out his Majestic Mountain Meteor Hammer.

Then, they looked in unison at Ying Dongqing, who had also been looking indignant just a moment ago.

She immediately paused in some embarrassment.

This life-bound Dharma treasure is not like others; it can be called a cultivator's privacy. Letting someone examine it in detail and study it deeply is actually quite strange, so although the three of Xiong Fa had sensed it before, they were also somewhat hesitant.

It was only because Xiong Fa, relying on being a weapon cultivator and having the excuse of coming over to ask for advice, had displayed it at close range, that Du En had gained a preliminary understanding, allowing him to quickly transform it just now.

Of course, what Ying Dongqing cared about more was actually another point.

A life-bound Dharma treasure can be called a vessel that carries the Dao; the imprints of one's entire set of techniques are all within it. If it is thoroughly seen through by someone, one can basically peek into their own cultivation situation, find loopholes and flaws, and if they become enemies in the future, one could easily be suppressed!

Therefore, giving out the Dharma treasure now is equivalent to handing over one's future!

Well, hand it over then! After her embarrassment, Ying Dongqing did not have any hesitation.

Since she had already decided to walk this path and had also obtained actual benefits, with all aspects meeting her intentions, then naturally, she had to walk this path to the end! Thus, Du En's Dharma treasure transformations increased by three more types.

Su Wanhe's Scarlet Beauty Guan Blade.

Hao Liaoxue's Majestic Mountain Meteor Hammer.

Ying Dongqing's White Cave Treasure Seal.

He did not say much more; after observing and understanding, he did not pause for a moment, returning once again to the rhythm of diligent practice.

The second round of duels continued, and soon the four hundred and thirty-two matches of this round were completed, with a total of eight hundred and sixty-four people participating, and four hundred and sixty people eliminated in total.

Many people were actually gritting their teeth and holding on, not knowing what they were holding on for, just not wanting to leave the stage right now.

And until this moment, there were still one hundred and fifty-seven geniuses at the Nascent Soul mid-stage or above who had not participated in a duel.

"The total remaining number of people is six hundred and eighty."

Du En thought silently, preparing silently.

The panel floated before his eyes.

【Age: 45/1233】

【Spiritual Root: Low Grade】

【Cultivation: Nascent Soul Mid-stage (42/100)】

【Cultivation Method: Cyan-Yellow Canon (Mastery 9344/50000)】

【Spells: Meteor Rock Technique (Proficient 80/300000), Sandstorm Technique (Entry 12500/20000), Ice Breath Technique (Perfected), Profound Armor Giant Statue (Entry 12500/20000), Ten Thousand Control Technique (Entry 1000/20000), Phoenix Scarlet True Flame (Minor Achievement 74/100), Grass and Trees Become a Forest (Entry 1500/20000), Spirit-Devouring Needle (Entry 1500/20000)】

【Divine Ability: Burying Death, Flourishing Life (Proficient 0/300)】

【Hundred Arts: Gathering and Appraising (Mastery 0/500), Culinary Arts (Mastery 264/500), Spirit Seeking (Proficient 0/300), Artifact Refining (Proficient 0/300)】

The changes in spells were quite considerable, because of the frantic extra training during this period, he didn't even go to watch the duels, only letting others record the matches worth noting.

If he encountered the corresponding opponents later, he could directly ask Meng Changqing for the records to watch in advance.

This person would not stick to the rules when it came to things she detested or opposed.

Thus, time arrived at the third round, the beginning of May, one year later.

The first match, Du En versus Wang Gu! The crowd of geniuses who had long received the news arrived early at the spectator seats behind the railings; others also seemed to have a premonition, one by one arriving early, the various elites almost all carrying injuries, some even already on the verge of death.

The injuries they received could not be recovered from in a few hundred days at all! After all, the lifespan scale of the Nascent Soul stage had already reached the scope of a thousand years!

Once suffering heavy injuries, it generally takes decades or a hundred years to heal them and restore one's state to the peak, undamaged level! In other words, after this incident, without extra resources, they would be delayed by at least several decades of work.

Such a long time was enough for Du En to cultivate from the Qi Refining stage to the Nascent Soul stage.

In other words, by the time they finished healing normally, a new generation of geniuses would have already appeared on stage, beginning to reveal their fame.

Sighing with emotion, a thousand thoughts filled their minds.

The dawn in the east lit up, and Du En appeared.

Seeing him again after a long time, it felt like the past, as if unchanged since ancient times.

They were silent, they waited, and then the white iron floating pillar moved forward, and the railing rose.

Du En stepped out, straight into the small world.

Wang Gu also stepped in at the same time.

Without a word, each took action.

Ten Thousand Control Technique! White Bones Grow in Clusters!

Ten thousand Dharma artifacts of at least the fourth grade high-quality, with a 'whoosh', covered the sky and earth like a dark cloud, bursting with various spiritual lights, suddenly colorful; various artifact prohibitions were awakened by magic power, every single one could be called a boutique, each with its own strangeness.

They tore through spiritual Qi, broke through the air, some could even break through space, fully capable of manifesting power, showing the vastness of their master's magic power, making the crowd of geniuses unable to help but hold their breath.

And Wang Gu was worthy of his fierce reputation as the White Bone Daoist; at this moment, he also erupted violently, tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of white bones growing in clusters directly from the ground, from stones, from grass and trees, from the air, from space, continuously surging toward Du En's side.

The evil nature runs rampant, and resentment whispers.

He wanted to recreate the predicament of Xiong Fa, but Du En stepped forward, the War-Stopping Halberd appeared in his hand, and as his eyes opened slightly, an invisible power of grasping and control erupted, directly tearing the evil nature to shreds! Wang Gu's expression changed slightly.

"What are you surprised about? The battle of a cultivator is, in the end, a battle of magic power and cultivation base. You are inferior to me, so this mottled evil nature naturally cannot affect me, and I can tear it to shreds with a casual wave."

Du En said this as he swung the War-Stopping Halberd.

Boom! It tore directly through the army of bones, carving out a long, deep trench, yet it stopped exactly right beneath Wang Gu's eyelids.

"Good, good, good! A lowly breed dares to bite its master!"

Wang Gu was suddenly furious, a terrifying smile appearing on his gaunt, skin-and-bones face, and then he began to bleed; his flesh and blood gradually dissolved, leaving only a layer of skin draped over his bones.

That army of bones suddenly manifested a thick, bloody, and ferocious aura, mixed together with the evil nature.

The swarm of magical artifacts came, and they met them head-on.

Then, they were crushed and destroyed with irresistible force; whether it was the ferocity or the evil nature, everything was ground to nothing, leaving absolutely no trace behind.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Rumble, rumble, rumble! Clang, clang, clang! Various magical artifacts chimed, all sorts of artifact restrictions manifested, roaring as they continued to drive straight in, achieving a blanket strike on Wang Gu's side.

He was furious to the extreme, he laughed wildly, and he slapped his chest.

Bang! Whoosh— An invisible shockwave blasted out, and the swarm of magical artifacts actually couldn't help but tremble, stopping their charge.

Wang Gu took a large stride forward, and with every step he took, a bone lotus flower sprouted.

Bones giving birth to lotus flowers!

An evil secret technique, possessing both the cruelty and malice of the original White Bone Dao and the subsequently added tainted evil nature; it looked incomparably ugly and looked nauseating.

He stepped on the bone lotuses, stopping space, covering dozens of miles around.

Rumble, rumble, rumble— More giant bone beasts rose from the earth, standing fully several hundred feet tall, which could be called terrifying to the extreme; as they stepped, space seemed to tremble.

Even more ghostly beauty bones suddenly swayed out from the other side, carrying giggles and charm, shadowy and flickering, ghostly and unpredictable, making it difficult to discern their specific locations.

There could have been others, but there was no time to unleash them.

Because, the magical artifacts exploded! Any pity or stinginess, none of it existed; when it was time to explode, they exploded completely!

Boom, boom, boom! The self-destruction of fourth-tier magical artifacts, amidst the twitching and jerking of everyone's faces, directly shattered space, violently shattered the bone lotuses, and blew Wang Gu into a sudden stupor, forcing him to flee in a sorry state.

At the same time, the halberd in Du En's hand changed into a hammer, which was the Majestic Mountain Meteor Hammer.

He threw it out, and it grew in the wind, suddenly becoming like a mountain peak, covering the head of the giant bone beast, smashing down with a boom, directly smashing it—just as it was about to roar and raise its giant claws—into a pulpy mess, a pile of bone fragments.

Then it disappeared with a swoosh.

It transformed into a crimson-bright guandao, and with one crimson-bright strike, it pierced the air, charging directly in front of that beauty bone; it still wanted to giggle and unleash its tender, soft-boned technique, but it was directly slashed into a pile of bone fragments by the guandao, the crimson brightness clinging to the bones, bursting and dashing, directly destroying the tenderness.

After exploding a portion, the remaining eight thousand seven hundred fourth-tier magical artifacts now fell slightly into silence, no longer self-destructing—there was no need to self-destruct—as they surrounded the shattered space and suddenly turned in unison, swooshing out to attack.

At the same time, the magical treasure in Du En's hand changed again, turning into the War-Stopping Halberd, and with a step, he moved through space, arriving before the army of magical artifacts, truly leading thousands of troops and horses.

Wang Gu had just embarrassingly escaped from the spatial movement, and this was the scene he saw.

He was greatly shocked, and his White Bone evil arts came out again, causing the earth to crack and revealing ghastly white bones.

The swarm of magical artifacts lunged directly at them; if they could kill them, they killed them, and if they couldn't, they simply self-destructed! They killed until not a single complete bone remained, exploding until not a single bone could crawl out.

Du En was already holding the War-Stopping Halberd, wearing black armor, truly like a divine general descending to the mortal world, arriving before Wang Gu and smashing down with the halberd right over his head.

"Damn it! Truly damn it! You are violating the rules! How could Counselor Meng give you so many fourth-tier magical artifacts!"

Although he was very pathetic now and made people feel he was ridiculous, at the same time, he also voiced the inner thoughts of many people.

So many magical artifacts, it was hard to describe as anything but extravagant and luxurious, and he actually started by exploding them in hundreds or thousands! What is the current price? Ah! You guys might not feel the heartache doing this, but I feel the heartache watching it! "Sorry, I come from a humble background, so I am used to working part-time and supporting myself."

Du En only spoke calmly, making Wang Gu instantly speechless and causing others to gasp in secret.

What a "humble background, used to working part-time, supporting myself"!

If that is the case, fine, True Monarch Regret-Sentiment did not intervene; it can be said to be a fact, and the previous rumors were not false—that talent is truly a bona fide master artifact refiner!

The main thing was that there were not many elites left in the Southern Pivot City, and the remaining geniuses had actually seen through Du En's shoddy, rushed artifact refining back then, feeling that he was somewhat famous for nothing; that was why they had joined in the meddling this time, and even now that they realized they were wrong, they would not take the initiative to jump out and bring humiliation upon themselves, so they all just blended into the ranks of the astonished.

Wang Gu, having come back to his senses, was only furious and frustrated, brewing a killing move to unleash, directly colliding with the War-Stopping Halberd swung by Du En.

Bang! He retreated violently, he vomited blood, and he laughed loudly: "Trash is trash; even in your hands, it is still trash!"

Strikingly, the War-Stopping Halberd, which Du En had intentionally kept at its original power, had already shattered once again.

The group of elites instantly broke away from their previous emotions, feeling only miserable and dejected for a moment. But the next moment, a new War-Stopping Halberd appeared.

If he said he would use a trashy magical treasure to blow you up, he would absolutely not break his word; he would definitely keep going until you exploded.

Du En moved again, pressed again, closed in again, and swung the halberd again!

Bang! Bang! Bang...

Smashing onto Wang Gu's body, it was quickly smashed to pieces, then transformed again, and continued to swing down.

With a dozen or so shatterings, he smashed Wang Gu's evil-nature body protection, then with several more shatterings, he smashed his magic-power body protection, and then used ten more shatterings to whittle his physical body into a stick, directly shaving him down to a skeleton.

Everyone's gaze was fixed intently, watching that calm figure.

The geniuses only saw him tightly gripping and biting onto Wang Gu, making it seem like he still had room to resist, when in fact he had none at all; it was entirely following his own will.

The elites only saw those War-Stopping Halberds, shattering and then appearing again, bit by bit, relying on the power of their level, just like that, turning a genius like Wang Gu, that White Bone Daoist, into a literal bone human-stick! Various strange colors bloomed in their eyes; in a trance, it felt as if they were the ones fighting.

If you can't beat a piece of trash, then send a few more, send a few dozen more! If you can be beaten and killed by this magnitude of trash, then it proves that you actually cannot open up any great gap in quality or quantity; you are actually just a large-sized piece of trash!

What are you acting so high and mighty for, trash! "Ah!!!"

How could Wang Gu endure such a gaze? He was immediately even more furious, directly exploding his own body, merging his soul with his Nascent Soul, and leaping out, incomparably furious and frustrated.

For a Nascent Soul stage cultivator to leap out their Nascent Soul to fight meant a battle with all their might, without the slightest reservation! He wanted to prove that he was not trash!

Thus, a boundless wasteland of white bones reflected and emerged, the practiced White Bone Dao Canon was operated to its peak, and the Nascent Soul immediately changed, becoming a six-zhang white bone, faintly glowing with gold, and engraved with thick evil nature.

This white bone roared, attacking Du En directly.

Would he change his fighting style? Would he let the swarm of magical artifacts go?

Although that would be extremely extravagant and wasteful, it had to be said that it was actually something that trash could also do, as long as one spent a long, long time, betting one's whole life, and working hard to earn spirit stones to buy magical artifacts.

Then, Du En continued to swing the halberd! The War-Stopping Halberd was now brittle to the point of crispness; it shattered at the slightest touch.

The six-zhang-tall bone fist was extremely swift, appearing unstoppable.

But, it did not hit Du En.

He was there demonstrating in person how to crush a large, useless waste that was all show! He continued to manifest, continued to brandish the halberds! "It's the junction!"

A genius spoke up.

This was actually clear at a glance! Because it was too obvious!

That Bone Dao technique and the subsequently added evil arts seemed incompatible; although they were in one body, piecing together a six-zhang-tall skeleton, it was quite extraordinary, but after all, they had not truly merged into one. As long as one followed the junction point and attacked with boldness and care, one could naturally deflect his attacks.

Therefore, he could not hit Du En! Therefore, the elites could actually do it too! Therefore, Wang Gu was even more impotently furious! Crack—after hundreds of consecutive punches and the shattering of dozens of Cessation Halberds, the junction cracked under repeated attacks on the same spot.

No, no! "It shouldn't be like this!"

"Ah!"

Wang Gu's Dao heart collapsed, and he turned around and ran.

Meng Changqing had been prepared, and immediately teleported him out.

As for Du En, he threw the Cessation Halberd.

True Monarch Huiqing wanted to take action; although it was a failed product, it still had value, and besides, who said it couldn't become perfect in the future? This kind of innate Bone Dao body was something rarely seen in ten million years!

But True Monarch Buyi glanced over from this side.

Rules!

True Monarch Zhuding also chuckled.

Those who lose heart and flee in defeat are useless and incompetent; they deserve to die!

The two's attitudes were clear: as long as she made a move, they would definitely stop her.

Thus, True Monarch Huiqing could only remain silent, watching with the others as the Cessation Halberd pursued from behind, striking the back of Wang Gu's head—that most critical weak point he had exposed himself.

Instantly.

Crack, crack, crack! "No, possible, I, am, the, Bone, Dao Child... Ah!"

After the final scream, he shattered and dissipated on the spot.

"Good!"

"Bravo!"

The crowd of elites immediately clapped and cheered, shouting their applause!

Even if it meant vomiting three liters of blood, they had to do this.

Because Du En had demonstrated their possibilities.

Although that was still a very ideal situation, it successfully reignited their past pride!

If he can do it, I can do it too! We are not trash, and we will never admit that we are trash! "Hahaha! The talent is mighty! Mighty indeed!"

Xiong Fa's figure appeared at this moment, squeezing in front of the railing, happier and more excited than if he had taken revenge with his own hands.

And seeing him appear again unscathed, with his cultivation even having improved slightly, the crowd of elites was even more shaken inside.

Once the thought of joining Meng arises, the world opens up in an instant!

After all, that person is truly willing to spend the capital; damaged foundations and broken techniques are all healed and restored!

What's more, that way, one can follow behind that figure! Used like a Dharma treasure, one can also die for a worthy cause...

For a time, everyone's emotions were stirred.

Some were happy, some were worried.

At this time, the elites were naturally stirred and their pride reignited, while the geniuses were secretly alarmed, tightly scrutinizing Du En as he left the small world's dueling arena, and many could not help but frown.

Because the strength here was truly unexpected; that so-called Bone Dao Child was not just a name, yet before this, he hadn't even been forced to show his attainments in techniques and the like.

Only stronger, not weaker!

This was the consensus.

But his true depth was still hard to fathom.

Besides that, there was that Myriad Control Art, the extravagant waste of ten thousand Dharma treasures, exploding them just like that—it was truly teeth-grinding; even the geniuses had no confidence in taking such a hit head-on.

Although their own methods often made such Dharma treasures seem ordinary, and their natal Dharma treasures, while in the same tier, were far superior to them.

However, that was limited to single or double digits; when the Dharma treasures reached triple digits, one had to be serious, and when they reached four digits, one needed to be extra cautious.

And Du En, he went straight to five digits, and dared to explode them all, relying on his ability to replenish them on the side, showing absolutely no pity!

Hiss! Recalling it now, many geniuses still couldn't help but secretly gasp, deeply wary!

And besides that, there was his natal Dharma treasure, which could be called ever-changing; its own foundation was ridiculously high, simply not at the normal fourth-tier low-grade level matching his cultivation, which was why it could change and shatter, then shatter and change again in a short time.

This was easy to understand; judging from the signs, he must have used some kind of light-type wonder, and to speculate boldly, perhaps that Counselor Meng finally recruited a fierce general, then personally took charge, personally devised a refining method using all wonders, and provided materials through various channels.

So it was normal for that kind of natal Dharma treasure to appear; some of them had similar situations.

But the key was, what exactly was the basis for that change! Was it really as he displayed, needing careful observation and thorough analysis before he could change into it?

What if it wasn't? Or what if there were other supporting spells, like the Spirit-Piercing True Eye or the Truth-Peering Dharma Eye, that could compensate for the shortcomings of this path?

Wouldn't that mean that just as one excitedly revealed their Dharma treasure, it would be plagiarized and changed into in the blink of an eye, and even based on this, their own weaknesses would be seen through!

In short, it seemed Du En was indeed exposing more and more, but thinking carefully, his true depth was actually endless, and simply impossible to see through completely!

It was too targeted! Was it possible that Counselor Meng had long plotted for him to make a name for himself at the Grand Competition, to be a dark horse, so as to show the outside world the growth of his faction?

The geniuses felt more and more of a headache the more they thought about it, yet they had to continue to bite the bullet and think; they had begun to feel obvious pressure, no longer having the mentality of looking down on the newcomers as they had before.

At the same time, Meng Changqing, who was being thought of by them, was actually quite worried too.

Right now, the hearts of the people could be used, and the elites were all excited, but after all, they appeared uneven in quality, and on his own side, it was visible to the naked eye that there were not many surplus supplies.

Mainly because this fellow Du En was too capable of eating!

He needed to keep enough of a buffer...

"Don't think too much about the resolution."

Du En seemed to notice this from his side; having just returned to the White Iron Floating Pillar to welcome the cheers of the crowd, he transmitted his voice directly to Meng Changqing, pointing out the delusions in his thinking.

"As long as they calm down and consider their many attachments, if in the end, ten of them truly decide to come over and defect, and among those, there are three or four you can accept, that would be the best-case scenario."

Hiss! Meng Changqing could not help but inhale sharply in secret.

"I know, do you even need to say it? Can't you just go along with me and say some flattering words?"

"You really want me to say flattering words?"

Du En did not care much; if flattering could get more resources, he guaranteed he could bring over a dictionary and a thesaurus, cycling through them for Meng Changqing to hear to his heart's content.

"……Forget it. You know me, I have lofty aspirations and have never liked others fawning over me."

After saying this, he simply cut off the topic: "But you don't need to be like this; they are all fawning over you right now. What kind of attitude is it to be so distracted while talking to me?!"

Having said that, he cut off the voice transmission on his own and ignored him for the time being.

Du En did not mind; he simply looked at the crowd who had finally finished speaking.

Their flattery was finished, but they were clearly very excited and it would be difficult for it to subside for a while.

Ying Dongqing watched from her side, feeling the time was right, so she used her divine sense to transmit her voice: "In this battle, I must thank you for not using my magic treasure."

Her White Cave Seal had not yet been revealed to others; if Du En had used it just now, it would have been exposed without a doubt, allowing others to prepare against it in advance and greatly reducing her win rate.

"No need to thank me specifically. Moreover, you shouldn't be happy too early; True Monarch Huiqing will not let this rest and will surely seek to get even next."

Du En replied, appearing exceptionally calm.

However, Ying Dongqing was currently in high spirits, so she lost some of her usual composure and did not worry too much.

In the next round, she must properly display her brilliance so that other geniuses would take notice and see that she was not someone to be underestimated!

Seeing this, Du En did not say anything more and turned his head to dive back into his grinding.

It was no different from before; after the awkwardness with Meng Changqing ended and they could talk again, he heard his top boss—the employer—add a part-time job of artifact refining, and he began to find time to hoard magic artifacts.

This cooking required time, and this artifact refining also required time; normally speaking, it should squeeze out time from other aspects.

After all, there were only twelve double-hours in a day, and the space inside the pillar, now changed to be lush with green grass and dense trees, had no means of extending time to accommodate this situation.

But in reality, Du En's grinding was not affected at all.

The reason was simple: there were three idlers here who had already been eliminated, and now, besides watching the battles and keeping watch, they were just practicing and discussing the Dao!

Being top-tier elites who were judged as potentially capable of breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage, having them watch the fire or do some preparatory work for artifact refining was something they could still do.

Su Wanhe was very suitable for watching the fire; the Scarlet Beauty Canon she practiced was actually inclined toward the fire element.

Xiong Fa was best suited for preparing the various matters of artifact refining because he was simply an artifact cultivator! Hao Liaoxue was not idle either; the Majestic Mountain Canon was a dual cultivation of law and body, making it perfect for running errands and doing rough work! The key was that the three of them were now being ordered around to work for free without a single complaint; they wanted to help from the bottom of their hearts, leaving Meng Changqing, the true boss who valued principles, with no room to nitpick.

When Ying Dongqing occasionally came over to ask for advice, she saw one side working in full swing, excited and happy to work for free, and the other side smashing down meteorites as if they were free, causing the ground to shake.

Every time she saw this, she always had a very subtle feeling.

Especially when she thought that she would also be participating in it next, it felt even more subtle.

As a result, her excited heart also quickly calmed down and recovered.

Then time passed in a hurry.

In the blink of an eye, another hundred days passed.

The three hundred and ten duels of the third round had progressed to the one hundred and first match.

At this clever number, it was Ying Dongqing's turn to enter the arena again.

She could not leave her White Iron Floating Pillar, and others could not enter her White Iron Floating Pillar; the two pillars drifted forward, approaching the small world battle arena.

A crowd of spectators cast their gazes; there were fewer and fewer elites, and basically, after this round was finished, only geniuses would remain.

But I will be the exception!

Ying Dongqing was confident and proud, like a beautiful peacock, floating out arrogantly.

She crossed the small world space and saw her opponent.

A plain-looking, silent young man who held a sword in his arms and never let go of it.

His spine was straight, unbending, without any clanking or the slightest sharpness, and the sword in his arms also looked ordinary, but he gave people a strange feeling.

This must be a swordsman, a very, very strong swordsman! Someone recognized him, and their expression changed immediately.

The atmosphere in the arena changed abruptly and was spreading, but Ying Dongqing had not yet noticed it.

However, Du En took advantage of this pre-match entry stage to send her his own voice transmission in time.

"Ye Buhui, an Eastern Land sword cultivator, is a natural genius of the Sword Dao. Before the age of thirty, he struggled at the bottom, only cultivating to the middle stage of Qi Refining, until he accumulated enough low-grade spirit stones to buy the first sword of his life."

"He touched the sword, and he shocked everyone; on the spot, he killed the Qi Refining perfection-stage supervisor who came to find trouble and exploit him. Because it was so shocking, the local Foundation Establishment manager was unable to judge the situation and grew fearful, only able to report it level by level, eventually alarming True Monarch Huiqing."

"Thus, Ye Buhui was granted the high-grade cultivation method, the No-Regret Sword Canon, and obtained the matching sword-controlling technique, the No-Regret Sword-Controlling Technique. Afterward, he only used thirteen years to cultivate to his current early Nascent Soul stage. With the Sword Canon integrated and nearing completion, he is considered the person within the last thousand years most likely to cultivate that supreme cultivation method, the Only-Me Sword Canon."

What does this mean? This means he can become a True Person; he is a true genius seedling, a real talent with the hope of breaking through to the Integration stage and attaining the position of a True Monarch! No-Regret Sword Canon, No-Regret Sword-Controlling Technique, Sword Dao genius, can become a True Person……

All these things made Ying Dongqing feel a constant chill in her heart.

But because the lingering pride from before remained, she steadied her mind and, very bravely, only replied: "Since that is the case, let me test his sword!"

Since he is a person of True Monarch Huiqing, then it is clear that this time it is Ying Dongqing, and next time it will be Du En!

If she loses.

"No, I suggest you had better surrender directly."

"What?"

"I have also encountered a sword cultivator once; you should know him, a disciple of the Great Cultivator Yun Yi. He mainly practiced the No-Regret Sword-Controlling Technique, and he was in a situation where he hadn't finished cultivating the middle-grade cultivation method and was already preparing for the No-Regret Sword Canon."

Du En looked back; that Zhao Hong of the past was still unsightly, but the power of the No-Regret Sword-Controlling Technique was not fake. If it weren't for the fact that his purity as a sword cultivator was too low at the time, he could have caused him not insignificant injuries.

"The sword is drawn without regret, only to kill."

"You said you want to test his sword, but he will only draw it once."

One sword strike, and Ying Dongqing dies! Du En felt there was no other outcome.

Unless she surrenders in time!

"I don't believe it!" At this moment, Ying Dongqing's stubborn temper flared up instead.

She had a fighting spirit in her heart, and her momentum was at its peak!

In the previous round of the competition, she had faced an opponent who was also at the Nascent Soul Perfection stage.

In the past, they would have been evenly matched, but now that she had obtained an opportunity at the Thatched Cottage, and with the Grand Competition lasting for days, she had long since gradually digested it; while she appeared to still be at the Perfection stage, she had actually taken a great stride forward, her techniques not only reaching the level of mastery but also approaching the level of a grandmaster.

Thus, the final result was an easy victory, and she hadn't even used her magical treasure; no matter how one looked at it, she had already stepped onto the threshold of being a genius! Since she could now be considered a little genius herself, and her realm was so much higher than the opponent's, no matter how exceptionally talented Ye Buhui was, he was not a true prodigy; surely she could at least withstand one strike from him! Ying Dongqing was dauntless and stepped into the small world arena with her opponent.

The next instant.

"I surrender!"

Just as she stepped into the arena, her soul nearly left her body; she felt as if her divine palace and spirit had been pierced through, as if she were already dead. Fortunately, although she was somewhat self-satisfied, she had still taken Du En's words to heart.

Therefore, she very instinctively spoke up and surrendered directly.

That terrifying, overwhelming feeling immediately receded like a tide.

The next moment, blood slowly trickled from between her brows, traced across the tip of her exquisite nose, and dripped down coldly.

Did he draw his sword?

With her hands and feet icy cold, Ying Dongqing thought to herself how lucky she was that she had shouted quickly, while at the same time harboring a glimmer of hope—as long as she could make Ye Buhui draw his sword, then this match would still have some meaning!

It wasn't just her; many people, after their shock, looked toward the opposite side.

The swordsman remained silent and taciturn, still holding his sword in an unremarkable manner.

He had not drawn his sword!

"Hiss!"

"As expected of a natural-born sword talent!"

"Has the realm become meaningless to him?!"

The geniuses exclaimed one after another; they had no intention of mocking Ying Dongqing, or rather, they had no leisure to do so, because this sword prodigy was truly terrifying. Only a few geniuses at the Nascent Soul Perfection stage could still steady their emotions and remain unperturbed.

The others, whether at the Nascent Soul Perfection or Nascent Soul Late stage, had all just sensed a clue.

Sword drawn, person dies! He came here for only one strike, to strike only once! Only to kill! Kill whom? Du En!

After this chapter, the bonus chapters for bounties are officially cancelled, as they have not provided much stimulation or traction; please be aware and forgive me.

(End of chapter)