“Never did I imagine that the treasure of Three Mountains City, the Mountain Quake Hammer, would pass to the hands of this young lass,” Wei Quji’s eyes narrowed upon the stage.

Lin Zhengren’s combat style primarily revolved around the twin elements of water and wood. Water nourishing wood, a symbiotic dance where one plus one yielded an effect far exceeding a mere summation.

Yet, against Sun Xiaoman’s twin colossal hammers, his intricate dance shattered upon impact.

The vine snakes that coiled the walls dispersed, the whip known as Azure Python reverting to its artifact form, cast far from the arena.

Waves surged beneath Lin Zhengren’s feet, bearing him away from Sun Xiaoman’s relentless onslaught.

This was his second instant spell, the Wave Three Overlaps, inscribed upon his person.

Witnessing his trump card exhausted, even his family artifact wrested from his grip, Lin Zhengren remained unperturbed, his composure unwavering.

“Is this not the Three Cities Debate? Why does Young Miss Sun of Three Mountains City’s Daoist Academy resemble a mere martial practitioner?” A chuckle escaped him. “Could it be that after Chu Ping’s demise, the Daoism of Three Mountains City has withered?”

His tone was light, almost dismissive, a veiled assault on Sun Xiaoman’s right to compete in this grand exchange.

Upon the dais, Dong A’s voice was calm. “Our Zhuang respects the Dao, yet we do not belittle other paths. On the battlefield, one’s prowess speaks for itself.”

At that instant, a sudden explosion rent the air, thunder rumbling from a clear sky.

It was Zhang Linchuan, who with effortless grace, utilized his thunder technique to vanquish his Three Mountains City opponent, a resounding commentary on Dong A’s words.

Beside them, the other pair of fifth-year disciples from Wangjiang City and Fenglin City were locked in a ferocious struggle, the battle growing increasingly intense.

Once the clash commenced, only victory or defeat held meaning.

Naturally, Lin Zhengren harbored no illusion of forcing Sun Xiaoman to surrender through mere words about her martial path; otherwise, this contest would not have begun.

He merely sought to ascertain if the spirit of this young maiden was truly as indomitable and unwavering as whispered.

Did the demise of the senior brother of Three Mountains City’s Daoist Academy not stir sorrow?

Sun Xiaoman’s giant hammers descended.

She swung the colossal hammers, each her own height, yet her movements were as nimble and graceful as a dancing lantern.

Chu Ping’s death had, in truth, left its mark upon her.

Her hammer blows were infused with an unprecedented weight.

This detail, though minuscule, could not escape Lin Zhengren’s discerning gaze.

The waves propelled her feet, allowing him to effortlessly leap upward.

The Wave Three Overlaps, propelling him repeatedly, had carried Lin Zhengren soaring above the Mountain Quake Hammer.

His toes tapped lightly, a brief touch upon the hammer’s surface.

This scant force was inconsequential to Sun Xiaoman, a martial master wielding a giant hammer as her weapon, possessing the strength of a thousand jin in her hands.

Yet, in that moment, centered around Lin Zhengren, all vital energy fell into instant disarray.

Behind him, in the void, a door seemed to condense, a reflection of his own form.

There is a door between Heaven and Earth, and man is the door of Heaven and Earth.

It was like a thunderous crash, yet it was silent.

The door opened!

Thus, vitality was subdued, and thus, Heaven and Earth were connected.

He could have chosen to open the door of Heaven and Earth far sooner, but such was his confidence that he chose this precise moment.

It bespoke of his absolute control over the situation; the door of Heaven and Earth was no longer an impediment to him. Perhaps he had simply grown accustomed to the game of feigning weakness to devour the strong.

He had connected Heaven and Earth, connected the world. Strength need not be sought from without; he already possessed immense power.

He was already a cultivator of the sixth-rank Tenglong Realm, a formidable expert within the middle three ranks!

With a single foot pressing down, the Mountain Quake Hammer plummeted irretrievably into the ground, shattering the floor tiles and burying itself in the earth.

Sun Xiaoman still did not release her grip. Though tilted by the hammer’s descent, she merely leveraged the force to somersault, the other hammer following with a backhand sweep, whistling towards Lin Zhengren, seeking to force him back.

However, the chasm between a middle-rank expert and a lower-rank cultivator was immense.

Lin Zhengren’s fingers subtly shifted, then suddenly flicked open.

From his palm, a small dragon condensed from water-elemental vitality roared forth.

Roar!

The water dragon absorbed vital energy along its path, swelling in size, directly impacting the giant hammer. Then, pressing the giant hammer, it struck Sun Xiaoman, blasting her away with the hammer.

A lower-grade Class A Taoism, Water Dragon Wave.

Two Mountain Quake Hammers; one lay fallen, buried in the earth. The other pressed upon Sun Xiaoman, crushing her to an unknown state of life or death.

The next moment, the giant hammer beside the barefoot girl trembled. She took a deep breath, moved the giant hammer aside, and abruptly rose to her feet.

Jiang Wang vaguely understood the reason behind Yang Xingyong and Zhao Tiehe’s desperate efforts.

Their third and fifth-year disciples were not strong, or even weak. That small胖子 was almost invincible in defense within the same rank, but alas, he was too young, his accumulation far from sufficient.

That one-year match might be their sole chance to claim the championship. The only opportunity to showcase the future potential of Three Mountains City. The Daoist Academy of Three Mountains City, along with their senior brother Chu Ping, had ten disciples slain in battle, all of them masters among the students. Their talent could be described as severely depleted. Thus, Sun Xiaoman, a girl specializing in martial arts, needed to step forward and lead the team. Thus, Sun Xiaoman, a thirteen-year-old little fat girl, was brought forth with her mother’s tacit consent.

For nothing else, the current Three Mountains City desperately needed resources! The Three Cities Debate, involving the allocation of Zhuang court resources, held immense significance for them.

At this moment, another fifth-year disciple from Three Mountains City had already been defeated by Zhang Linchuan, leaving all the pressure upon this barefoot girl.

Therefore, she stood.

With her sternum clearly caved in, and against an opponent who had already displayed the strength of the sixth rank.

Her petite figure swayed, yet it was unyielding.

Lin Zhengren reached out and beckoned, and the Azure Python Whip, which had been flung away during the battle, flew back into his hand.

This whip could amplify the power of his wood-elemental Taoism.

He did not hesitate in the slightest, nor could one speak of any hesitation.

Almost as if following a ritual, he swiftly completed the hand seals once more.

A verdant giant python erupted from the ground, entangling Sun Xiaoman.

In a single coil, the figure of the barefoot girl vanished. Both person and hammer were enveloped within the body of the green giant python.

A lower-grade Class A Taoism, Azure Python Twisting.

He was so powerful!

He was already so formidable, yet he remained so steady. Almost everything was executed with extreme caution.

A cultivator like Lin Zhengren could be considered the most terrifying type of opponent. Never granting the enemy a sliver of opportunity.

“Sister!”

Outside the arena, Sun Xiaoyan nearly cried out.

A hand pinched the neck of the green giant python. Compared to the size of the giant python, that hand appeared minuscule.

But it was immensely powerful.

That was Dong A’s hand.

He casually flicked his hand, and the entire green giant python collapsed silently, revealing Sun Xiaoman who was entangled within.

She had fallen into disarray.

Her consciousness had long since been lost, but her hand still held tightly to the only remaining Mountain Quake Hammer.

“You win,” Dong A said to Lin Zhengren.

Lin Zhengren bowed, his etiquette impeccable. “Dong Yuan, you have toiled.”

It was only at this moment that the referee approached and moved Sun Xiaoman out of the arena. This referee from the prefecture had only been able to push open the door of Heaven and Earth; he had not had time to intervene in the battle just now.

Dong A waved his hand, signaling that the next round of competition could commence.

Watching Dong A, who had returned to the dais and resumed his seat, Wei Quji did not move his lips, but his voice had already begun to transmit. “The Mountain Quake has already acknowledged its master; this girl will be extraordinary in the future. Why did you not simply let Lin Zhengren slay her?”

“Her husband perished not many years ago, and now her daughter is dead. The one from Three Mountains City will go mad.”

“A fierce tigress. The conflict lies with Wangjiang City; what concern is it of my Fenglin City? If this young lass survives, who among her peers will be her opponent? In the future, she will only obstruct the path of my Fenglin City’s children.”

Dong A did not look at him, but his voice reached his ears. “The children of Three Mountains City and the children of Fenglin City are all children of my Zhuang country.”

Wei Quji fell silent, neither affirming nor denying.