The young disciples cheered as they surrounded the stage where the new trial disciple appeared. They even forgot about offering their challenge tokens for their own contest while gawking at the display of skill.

Everyone was more interested in gaining some insight into the battle techniques this young man was using. With one glance they could see that he had trained them to a very high level. He moved thunder and delivered devastating blows that his opponent had trouble defending.

“Junior sister is losing? How can this be?”

The fans of Meng Meixiu both male and female were looking with eyes wide open. Her opponent was quite brazen but he had a lot of skill to back up that claim.

‘Getting the hang of this…’

Zhang Dong thought to himself while moving his palm forward. A dragon made from lightning shot forward and bit into Meng Meixiu’s battle fan. The girl in panic had to let her weapon go while jumping as far away as she could.

The dragon made from electric energy chomped down on this weapon and made quick work of it. With this, the young lady cultivator was disarmed and would need to use her body to defend herself.

“Senior sister, you may surrender if you wish.”

Zhang Dong smiled while standing upright. This young woman seemed a bit stuck up but this didn’t mean that she needed a good beatdown. She also reminded him of his wife slightly so he was willing to let her quit if she wished for.

“You want this Meixiu to surrender? You must be taking me for a fool!”

It didn’t seem that she was willing to, the only thing he could do was to shrug. While the woman continued to gather her Qi into her body he advanced slowly.

Green energy with a bit of lightning mixed into it started circling around that voluptuous body. Zhang Dong had to wonder if it was something in the food or if it was caused by cultivation. For some reason, the women in this world tended to be on the bouncier side. This one was nothing compared to his own wife but she wasn’t a slouch either.

‘Damn… I should stop thinking like this or I’ll end up as that perverted gramps.’

While remembering his lecherous grandfather he took a step forward. The woman’s attack activated as she swung her hands forward. A gust of wind flew his way, this looked like a ranged attack that turned the wind into blades with an added shocking effect.

Even if the wind blades missed the target, the electricity would shock the target. This is if someone didn’t have some kind of lightning resistance or a helpful skill.

Zhang Dong held his palm out while making a grasping motion. The moment he did the lightning dragon that was coiling around his forearm shot forward while opening its mouth. The wind blades that were approaching him were promptly absorbed along with that meager amount of lightning energy that they carried.

“Impossible how could you…”

Before the young woman could finish the sentence Zhang Dong’s body blurred. He activated his old moving technique that produced an electric afterimage in his old spot.

“Ugh…”

A foot collided with Meixiu’s abdomen before she had time to react. At the exact moment as Zhang Dong’s kick connected with the girl’s stomach a tremendous thunderclap filled the stage. The girl flew far and wide and finally ended up outside of the ring.

She didn’t collide with the rough ground though as she was caught by an old woman with light gray hair. This old lady looked at the person that sent this woman flying.

‘Hm?’

Zhang Dong could feel killing intent pressing down on him. The old woman was clearly trying to suppress.

‘Bullying juniors with no backing is it?’

It was clear that this old woman was either this Meng Meixiu’s master, family member, or maybe even a bodyguard. She was at the level of a Martial Grandmaster so it wasn’t something that he couldn’t handle. The problem was that his persona that he was using couldn’t.

‘This calls for some acting…’

The old woman continued to glare at the young man while other disciples looked. They all knew what was happening but they couldn’t offend an elder. What was surprising is that the person that was getting his cultivation suppressed was still standing upright.

Dai Rong was seen standing upright while his body trembled slightly. After a few moments, the people could see his eyes getting bloodshot and some blood flowing from his nose. It looked like the young man was unwilling to kneel down before this elder.

“That’s enough!”

The booming voice of Elder Jingyi filled the whole competition area and the old woman was forced to back away. The woman looked up to this Elder Jingyi while bowing in apology, soon she moved to the side with the jade-like beauty that had the wind knocked out of her.

‘That guy took his time, it’s not that easy to fake bleed.’

This was of course just an act, he did force his body to bleed for a moment but it was nothing but a scratch. There were no internal injuries or cultivation damage that mostly came with Qi attacks like that.

To play it up he stumbled forward after the pressure attack was removed. He was sure to look like a thick-headed disciple that didn’t know his place yet. Even though most people didn’t like when the juniors were impolite to the elder generation, they also had to commend them for their high pride. It was a sign of willpower that could not be easily broken.

“Junior sister lost… this can’t be happening…”

“This only leaves brother Feng Shi, will he also challenge him?”

“Not possible, after the elder intervened this Dai Rong must be in a world of pain, he is probably on his last breath.”

“Yeah, isn’t this a chance?”

The young disciples looked at Dai Rong that just went through the number three and then number two ranked disciples. He had taken out their competition which meant that it would be possible for them to get into the top 3.

Meng Meixiu might have been able to return later but Xuan Fen was out for the whole competition. The second spot that Dai Rong was occupying might have been temporary but the third was a possibility.

“You think that I am weakened?”

Like thunder, Dai Rong’s voice spread through the area. Even though the voice only carried the might of a Martial Master there was something in it. The elders that were in their tower overlooking the competition even flinched after the thunderclap sounded.

“Be my guest, come and challenge me and see if you return in one piece!”

Zhang Dong played it up by making his eyes crackle with lightning energy to make him appear like a wounded tiger. Everyone knew that injured beasts were very dangerous and they all quickly shrunk back.

“Feng Shi, you are last and I have only one challenge token left, face me!”

It was time for the climax of this storyline, the number one student was a Martial Master that had already reached the late stage. No one was seriously trying to get his spot as it was not theirs to take.

Feng Shi was apparently someone that took his time to build up his foundation. When he came out of seclusion this year he soared towards the very top. His age was close to the other top disciples which made him an obvious choice to enter the inner sect.

Everyone here knew that even if this senior brother didn’t participate he would be taken under the wing of some inner sect master. This was more something he did out of tradition.

Feng Shi as a proper young master that was at the very top of the food chain looked bored. He was sitting to the side under an umbrella with two busty jade-like beauties. It looked like he was here for a picnic instead of the competition.

“You wish to challenge me, junior brother? Won’t you reconsider, you’ve already achieved so much, you need to learn some piety in this long life that we live.”

“Senior Feng Shi is so composed!”

“He is right, this Dai Rong is too childish, he needs a few more years before challenging senior brother Shi!”

The people laughed while Feng Shi ignored Zhang Dong’s hollering. He on the other hand just smiled while remaining up on the stage.

“It’s fine to be scared, senior brother, you can just give me your number one spot if you don’t think that you can keep it.”

Feng Shi stopped sipping his green tea while hearing Zhang Dong’s taunts. His facial expression that was previously relaxed changed into one of rage. He was quick to hide this moment of emotion before putting the teacup to the side.

“Afraid? This Feng Shi would be afraid of a junior disciple?”

“This Dai Rong has no shame, he is barely standing and wants to challenge brother Shi.”

“Brother Shi, show that junior that the seniors deserve respect!”

As expected the place got loud. The elders in their tower kept quiet while the juniors down below got into a shouting match. It seemed that they would let them clear this up among themselves.

“Ah, if I must, then I shall teach you some respect.”

Feng Shi finally raised his posterior from his spot and made his way towards Zhang Dong. Even though the others couldn’t see it, he knew that this was seething with rage.

He was not much different than any other young master. They looked composed and majestic on the outside but turned to cranky little kids whenever their authority was questioned. Even if he thought he would lose here, he would not be able to refuse the challenge, the loss to face would be astronomical if he did.

Feng Shi was greeted on the stage to the applause of men and women alike. It seemed that he had gained a following of some kind. From Zhang Dong’s perspective, it looked like a bunch of ass kissers trying to weasel their way into the good graces of someone that was going to the inner sect.

‘They don’t realize how these young master’s act, it would be a miracle if they kept their old promises after gaining power.”

“Your fighting technique is refined junior but you still lack cultivation.”

“Show me then.”

Zhang Dong replied while taking on a battle stance. He produced the exact same technique that he used against the second-ranked jade-like beauty.

It didn’t seem that anyone was thinking that he would win. From their standpoint, he looked like a junior that was just an early stage Martial Master. One that made up for his lower realm with high-quality skills and techniques.

The person that he was facing now was two small realms above him. This was not a gap that could be closed with superior techniques. This is something that Zhang Dong knew well and thus he was planning something special for such an occasion.

The gong sounded again and the two charged at each other. Even though no one believed that Dai Rong could win it, his young age caused the elders here to look at him as a prospect. Someone that could be nurtured to become a true powerhouse for this sect.