The cultivators in Xuanjia Dong were buzzing with discussion.

“Indeed, the winner of this competition belongs to Tie Zheng.”

“The Blade Beast is too strong! When he eliminated Lu Zeng and Ao Pan, it already foreshadowed the outcome of this minor trial.”

Cultivator Hao chuckled, “That may not be the case.”

The other cultivators immediately looked at him with questioning gazes.

Cultivator Hao didn’t offer an explanation. Instead, he stared at Ning Zhuo in the arena, his appreciation for the young man growing even stronger.

By the edge of Yunhai Ya.

*Crack.*

With a crisp sound, a crack appeared in the teacup held by Ban Xie.

“What? Ban Ji has actually been eliminated!” Ban Xie had just received this information, and his heart was greatly shaken.

“Xuanjia Dong—”

“According to the divination results, this inheritance holds significant importance for him.”

“How could he be eliminated?”

“The crucial thing is, he wasn’t eliminated by Ning Zhuo, but by that Tie Zheng!”

“No, it’s good that he wasn’t eliminated by Ning Zhuo. Ning Zhuo is Ban Ji’s human tribulation—”

“In that case, the winner of this round is Tie Zheng.”

“I just don’t know if he will ultimately clinch first place.”

Ban Xie frowned, her eyes unfocused. At this moment, her mind was in turmoil.

Xuanjia Dong.

The final battle of this minor trial had already begun!

Ning Zhuo and the other three cultivators surrounded Tie Zheng, launching their attacks.

Various weapons collided, stirring up gusts of air and creating continuous explosions.

After a short while of fighting, the intensity of the battle rapidly declined.

After such a long chaotic battle, the cultivators present were all greatly exhausted, both physically and mentally.

Tie Zheng had first fought two opponents, and then eliminated Ban Ji and his group. Now facing Ning Zhuo and the others, he too was on the verge of exhaustion.

He held a bronze cleaver in one hand, breathing heavily. Sweat and blood mixed and flowed all over his body, soaking his messy hair, and his breath was weak.

Ning Zhuo and the others all cast wary glances at the bronze cleaver.

Throughout the chaotic battle, this bronze weapon had repeatedly demonstrated formidable power.

Tie Zheng narrowed his eyes; his vision was already double, and he knew deeply that after fighting in multiple battles and struggling repeatedly, he had reached his physical and mental limits.

“Can’t fight for long!”

He lowered his gaze, finally shifting his focus from the beast orb at his waist to the cleaver in his hand.

The next moment, he struck with the blade.

It was simple and unadorned, just a dark shadow, yet it carried a fierce and powerful force capable of cleaving mountains!

Ning Zhuo and the other four quickly dodged.

By this point in the battle, Tie Zheng’s stamina was depleted, and the speed of his cleaver strikes was less than thirty percent of what it was before. Ning Zhuo and the other four were also at their limits, their dodging speed considerably slow.

With two clangs, the cleaver struck down, its trajectory straight, cutting through two more Xuanbing armor pieces.

The cleaver’s momentum did not diminish, and it rushed directly towards Ning Zhuo’s chest.

Tie Zheng considered Ning Zhuo his primary target, prioritizing the elimination of the most threatening competitor.

Ning Zhuo’s shield was long gone, and even if he had it, it would be difficult to block the cleaver’s edge.

Yet, he remained unpanicked. With a grasp of his right hand in the air, a brand new piece of Xuanbing armor flew out, into his hand, transforming into a bronze long whip!

The long whip caused Ning Zhuo’s wrist and arm to rotate and shake. The whip body, like a willow branch swaying in the wind, was extremely flexible, gently sweeping against the cleaver.

Using softness to counter hardness, and curvature to neutralize straightness!

The essence of the cleaver was thus resolved, its offensive power plummeted, and it was easily blocked by Ning Zhuo’s other bronze weapons.

“You also broke through and obtained the seventh Xuanbing armor?!” Tie Zheng’s eyes widened.

The other three cultivators were horrified.

Ning Zhuo was too good at hiding things; after fighting for so long, he had actually concealed such a significant trump card!

At this moment, even the cultivators in Xuanjia Dong were astonished.

“What’s going on? Where did he get the seventh Xuanbing armor?”

“I clearly saw him rest on the spot after acquiring the sixth one, waiting until the third trial began!”

“Cheating! Ning Zhuo cheated!!”

“No, perhaps like Tie Zheng, this is an off-field Xuanbing armor he brought himself.”

Cultivator Hao spoke calmly, “No, this is indeed a Xuanbing armor from within our cave. Ning Zhuo did not act, it was I who disguised and concealed his actions.”

Cultivator Hao was the leader of this minor trial, and his active admission immediately drew numerous inquisitive gazes.

Cultivator Hao had already prepared his thoughts, and his expression remained unchanged as he slowly spoke, “I already noticed something amiss during the second trial.”

“I had a premonition that Ning Zhuo and Ban Ji would have a contest, so I decided on the spur of the moment to disguise Ning Zhuo’s subsequent performance.”

“Indeed, in the third trial, the Ban family openly cheated, disregarding our reputation, and infiltrated so many people to strongly support their family’s Ban Ji.”

Only then did everyone realize.

Cultivator Hao, being in the arena, possessed the highest authority and could manipulate the grand formation of Xuanjia Dong more deeply.

He publicly faked and disguised things in front of all the cultivators, deceiving everyone, including Ban Xie, who had been nearby, waiting for first-hand news.

In fact, after Ning Zhuo refined the sixth bronze fan, he only rested briefly before rushing non-stop to the next battle.

After a fierce struggle, he successfully obtained the bronze whip.

Later, upon arriving at the溶洞 (Rongdong), Ning Zhuo had kept this trump card hidden, not easily exposing it.

As Cultivator Hao revealed the truth, the cultivators couldn’t help but exclaim repeatedly.

“This Ning Zhuo is too good at hiding things!”

“He’s truly patient; he kept such a trump card hidden until the very end before using it.”

“He probably didn’t dare to reveal it, right? You know, Ao Pan was present during the first half of the chaotic battle. If he had seen such a good long whip, he would have fought for it with all his might.”

“Ning Zhuo’s luck is just too good! Not only did he acquire the seventh Xuanbing armor, but in terms of martial arts essence, it actually countered the cleaver Tie Zheng obtained.”

Tie Zheng approached, his cleaver striking at Ning Zhuo with immense force.

Ning Zhuo took a step back, extending his arm slightly forward, allowing his long whip time to react.

The bronze long whip moved with Ning Zhuo’s arm and wrist like undulating waves, even channeling the infusion of spiritual power, allowing the whip to dance with the flow.

Without directly parrying, the tip of the whip gently brushed against the outer side of the cleaver, guiding it!

*Chiii—Weng!*

Amidst intense friction, sparks flew, and the sound made teeth ache endlessly.

The incomparably powerful cleaver was cleverly deflected by the long whip’s flexible arc by three points, striking heavily against the adjacent cave wall, causing shattered rocks to rain down.

“Again!” Tie Zheng gritted his teeth, his heart sinking.

This wasn’t the first time.

His several attacks had all been rendered futile by the long whip, all his efforts turning into smoke.

*Hoo hoo hoo—*

Tie Zheng gasped for air, breathing like a bellows. Air poured into his body, as if tearing at his lungs, each breath bringing a burning sensation.

What worried him even more was the overlapping shadows in his vision and the waves of increasingly strong hypnotic fatigue.

While the cleaver was powerful, activating its martial arts essence required immense consumption.

This consumption was not just physical, but more so mental.

Although Tie Zheng was a martial cultivator, he cultivated his lower Dantian. Among his essence, qi, and spirit, his spirit, though not the shortest plank, was far from the depth of his essence.

Tie Zheng knew he couldn’t last much longer. He had risked using the cleaver to break the deadlock, but unexpectedly, Ning Zhuo also pulled out a weapon of the same caliber.

If it were the sixth weapon, which could only unleash its sharpness with the aid of spiritual power, it would not have been enough to resist the cleaver’s essence.

Tie Zheng had already sensed the breath of defeat.

The current battle situation was clear at a glance.

Ning Zhuo and the other three cultivators were jointly resisting him, a Golden Core cultivator.

“To break the deadlock, I need to persuade these three, reveal the truth of our strengths and weaknesses, and unite to attack Ning…” This thought flashed through Tie Zheng’s spiritual sea like a meteor, then vanished without a trace.

He opened his mouth, and finally sighed deeply in his heart, a feeling of helplessness and irritation rising within him.

For cultivators like Ao Pan, such a move might be possible, but Tie Zheng was solitary by nature, having cultivated alone in the mountains for many years. Asking him to engage in such strategic alliances—

He wasn’t blind to the path to victory, but he lacked the interest to even try.

“That Ning Zhuo kid—it’s likely that his earlier injuries and losing his shield were all intentional!” At this point in the battle, Tie Zheng also glimpsed a corner of the truth.

*Clang clang clang—*

Various weapons clashed in mid-air, and five figures continuously flew back and forth, advancing and retreating.

Finally, fatigue reached its limit, causing Tie Zheng’s retreating footsteps to slow slightly.

“Opportunity!” A sharp glint shone in Ning Zhuo’s eyes. He stepped with profound steps, his body propelled by the bronze long whip, and the martial arts essence permeated his entire being, making him sway like a bamboo shadow in the wind.

Ning Zhuo easily dodged several of Tie Zheng’s weapons, then abruptly flicked and shook his wrist.

The long whip swung in mid-air, instantly taut as a string. A powerful, resilient force, condensed to its extreme, erupted with a boom, striking the blade and penetrating straight through the hilt!

Tie Zheng’s tiger’s mouth split open, blood spattering. The cleaver in his hand was jarred loose and flew out, landing with a “clang” in the distance!

The other three cultivators were overjoyed and rushed forward. One of them, with a cunning glint in his eyes, changed course mid-way and lunged towards the cleaver.

Ning Zhuo paid them no mind, seizing the opportunity to launch a frenzied attack on Tie Zheng. However, the other two cultivators, seeing this, were severely affected and lost their footing for a moment.

Tie Zheng, a martial cultivator with an unyielding spirit, was naturally unwilling to be defeated just like that. He finally slapped his waist, dislodging the beast head bronze ball.

Blade Beast Sweeping Light!

Qingliu Copper surged forth, emitting a piercing blade light, instantly taking shape into a bladepaw beast with no eyes or ears.

A multitude of blades buzzed, and the Blade Beast transformed into a bronze lightning bolt, rushing straight towards Ning Zhuo!

Wherever it passed, stalagmites and stalactites alike exploded and disintegrated into dust.

The other three cultivators hastily dodged, wishing for Tie Zheng and Ning Zhuo to fight each other to a mutual demise.

Ning Zhuo faced the Blade Beast without fear, having anticipated this.

He pushed his palms forward, and the various bronze weapons he controlled flew around him, forming a battle formation.

*Clang clang clang—*

The Blade Beast, in the next moment, fearlessly charged into the battle formation.

A series of metallic explosions occurred as weapons and the Blade Beast clashed with full force. The Blade Beast was like a meteor, full of momentum.

Meanwhile, the weapons cooperated with each other, forming an undulating, wave-like defensive line.

Although Ning Zhuo’s bronze shield was lost, it was replaced by the stronger bronze long whip.

The long whip used softness to counter hardness, striking repeatedly with “papa” sounds, constantly weakening the Blade Beast’s momentum.

The Blade Beast felt incredibly frustrated; many powerful attacks were redirected, landing on the stone ground, wasting its combat power without any results.

The vibrations of the blades rapidly diminished, and even within the uniform hum, various discordant noises appeared.

Ning Zhuo’s sixth bronze fan was also a primary offensive weapon. The wind blades and fire waves it unleashed repeatedly forced the Blade Beast back.

This scene stunned everyone.

The cultivators of Xuanjia Dong almost all had their eyes wide open. The expected overwhelming destruction brought by the Blade Beast did not occur; instead, Ning Zhuo’s battle formation, created on the spot, was demonstrating excellent defensive power!

“The Blade Beast is clearly much weaker than before!”

“These types of weapons aren’t suited for prolonged combat, are they?”

“No wonder Tie Zheng hasn’t used it since he eliminated Lu Zeng and Ao Pan.”

The cultivators understood.

“So, the ultimate winner of this Xingyun minor trial is still unknown!”

“Tie Zheng is a Golden Core cultivator after all—”

“From the current perspective, it’s also possible for Ning Zhuo to win.”

“No, they might both be severely injured, allowing the remaining three cultivators to benefit in the end. This situation has happened in previous years.”

The cultivators exchanged frequent comments.

In their eyes, the outcome had already been decided, but unexpectedly, a suspense arose at the last moment, which undoubtedly increased everyone’s interest in watching the battle.

The Blade Beast Sweeping Light pierced through the battle formation. Although Ning Zhuo dodged, he was still injured, blood flowing freely.

The Blade Beast Sweeping Light lunged at Ning Zhuo, whose battle formation intercepted it again. The impact of the Sweeping Light was repeatedly weakened, and the buzzing sound of the blades vibrated from ear-splitting to jarring, then to hoarse.

Its gleaming bronze luster also dimmed amidst the continuous erosion. Even the blades showed numerous nicks and even gaps.

A sharp glint flashed in Ning Zhuo’s eyes, feeling the time was right. He shouted to Tie Zheng, “Fellow Daoist Tie Zheng, our struggle has reached its sufficient point. The edge of Sweeping Light is blunted. If we continue to fight, this beast will surely be destroyed.”

The Blade Beast Sweeping Light was not a Xuanbing armor from within Xuanjia Dong; it was brought by Tie Zheng himself.

This meant that even if it was broken enough to meet the criteria, it would not be teleported out by the grand formation, and would ultimately fall into a state of complete collapse.

Tie Zheng’s eyelid twitched slightly upon hearing this, and he slowly lowered the bronze longbow in his hand.

By this point in the battle, Ning Zhuo was also in a sorry state, covered in a mixture of blood and sweat, breathing heavily, and covered in injuries.

But Ning Zhuo’s fighting spirit was still high, and his recent shouts were full of vigor.

This kind of physical and mental resilience made Tie Zheng look at him sideways. It was hard to believe that a Foundation Establishment cultivator could possess such a profound fundamental quality.

Tie Zheng, on the other hand, was already mentally exhausted, bleeding from his seven orifices, his vision filled with overlapping images, feeling drowsy, and only barely holding on by sheer willpower.

Tie Zheng wasn’t worried about himself; his life was guaranteed in the Xingyun minor trial of Xuanjia Dong.

But he was truly concerned about the safety of the Blade Beast Sweeping Light.

Tie Zheng was different from others; having experienced numerous betrayals, he trusted his Blade Beasts the most, treating them as dependable companions in the world.

Tie Zheng emitted a weakened divine sense, struggling to command it. Sweeping Light retreated a few steps, then suddenly turned around and ran back to Tie Zheng’s feet, still snarling at Ning Zhuo.

Tie Zheng, in turn, extended his palm and gently stroked the Blade Beast’s head, as if it truly possessed life and was his beloved pet.

“Enough, I concede.” Tie Zheng sighed, looking at Ning Zhuo with complex emotions.

The next moment, the grand formation activated, teleporting both him and the Blade Beast out of the arena.

Without its owner, the Xuanbing armor he had previously refined became ownerless, falling one after another to the ground.