Chapter 1625: Iron Mountain Relies on Grapes

As Zhi Yin entered the arena, he flicked his snow-white cape, and with his handsome face, he immediately drew screams from the female disciples watching around him.

"Brother Zhi Yin is so handsome, I'm going to die~"

"Let's protect the best Brother Zhi Yin in the world!"

"Go, Brother!"

...

Hearing the adulation from the surrounding female disciples, Zhi Yin's mood, which had been somewhat gloomy due to Chu Chuyan, finally lightened. He looked at the woman opposite him from close range, and couldn't help but feel a little lost in thought.

He had originally thought Chu Chuyan was the most beautiful woman in the world, but he never expected there to be someone just as stunning.

The woman before him possessed a completely different kind of beauty than Chu Chuyan; every frown and smile was captivating.

Of course, what was most mesmerizing was the movement of her chest; it truly made one's eyes and heart pound along with it.

He took a deep breath and secretly warned himself not to do anything to betray Immortal Chu, affirming his devotion to her.

Then he said to Pei Mianman, "Miss Pei, please concede. With your strength, you are fully qualified to contend for the best second place, and securing subsequent spots will not be difficult for you either."

Pei Mianman ran a finger through the wind-tousled hair on her cheek and smiled slightly, "Thank you for the kind reminder, Senior Brother, but I still want to try."

As soon as she spoke, Zhi Yin's smile froze, and the arena immediately fell into an eerie silence.

Ever since the overconfident disciple from Mount Luofu challenged a chief disciple and returned severely injured, this was the first person to dare challenge a chief disciple.

Many people began to worry for Pei Mianman; after all, who wouldn't feel favorably towards such a beautiful girl with a bright smile?

The leaders of several sects exchanged glances; except for Guan Chouhai of Li Hentian, who looked displeased, the others nodded in agreement.

Wang Wuxie couldn't help but praise, "As cultivators of our generation, we should naturally possess the courage to face challenges head-on and strive for the top."

Previously, everyone would just surrender upon seeing a chief disciple without even fighting, which truly went against the original intention of the Nine Daoist Sects holding the grand competition to train their disciples.

Guan Chouhai thought to himself, 'This guy talks a good game, but it's only because his disciple, Wu Xiaofan, isn't the one being challenged.'

He naturally wasn't worried that Zhi Yin would lose, but this Pei Mianman's cultivation seemed to be quite high, and a fight with her would surely inflict considerable damage on Zhi Yin, allowing others to gain an advantage in the subsequent matches among the group winners.

Elder Xu of Mount Luofu's expression was even uglier. 'Just now, when his sect's disciple challenged Peng Wuyan, why didn't these people offer praise? It's just because Pei Mianman is good-looking, isn't it?' he thought.

Yan Xuehen carefully scrutinized Pei Mianman and secretly nodded in approval. This woman's talent was extraordinary, and even more remarkable was her resolute will and courage.

It was a pity she hadn't encountered her years ago; otherwise, if she had taken her as a disciple too, her achievements would definitely not be inferior to Chuyan's.

However, she suddenly thought of the relationship between the opponent and Zu An and thought, 'If that's the case, both of my disciples would benefit that Zu An kid; I'd probably wake up fuming even in my sleep.'

Fury value from Yan Xuehen +20+20+20...

On the other side, Qiu Honglei quietly tugged Yun Jianyue's sleeve, "Master, who do you think will win?" Yun Jianyue fell into contemplation. "Hard to say. The big-chested woman has hidden her strength, but that pretty boy opposite, as Li Hentian's chief disciple, is also very powerful."

Qiu Honglei was speechless. Her master's habit of giving people nicknames hadn't changed, but it truly was quite big...

Over at Wuyou Temple, the young monk Jiese asked the same question: "Master, which benefactor do you think will win?"

Master Jianhuang's expression was unfathomable. "Who do you want to win more?"

"I'd rather Miss Pei win," Jiese answered subconsciously, "Her courage to challenge is very respectable."

"Are you truly respecting her courage?" Master Jianhuang snorted. "Go back and copy your dharma name one hundred times, and recite the Heart Sutra one hundred times."

Jiese: "???"

...

Xie Daoyun quietly asked Zu An, "Brother Zu, can Miss Pei win?"

After all, they had been classmates in Brightmoon City, so she naturally felt closer to her than to Zhi Yin.

"Not necessarily," Zu An frowned, then secretly transmitted a message to Pei Mianman using ki: "Da Manman, there's no need to take risks. You're practically guaranteed to secure a second-place spot right now."

After all, that pretty boy Zhi Yin is Li Hentian's chief disciple, and with Da Manman's previous cultivation, she likely wouldn't be his match. He just didn't know how much she had improved recently.

Pei Mianman smiled brightly, "Brother Zu, before I met you, I was already a famous genius girl. I don't want to lose to anyone."

If she didn't even dare to challenge Zhi Yin, how could she possibly defeat Chuyan?

Feeling her firm resolve, Zu An found it difficult to dissuade her further. After a moment of silence, he smiled, "Da Manman, fight with confidence. I'll take care of any consequences for you."

Pei Mianman gave him a radiant smile. Their hearts were already connected, so there was no need for many words of thanks.

Opposite them, Zhi Yin felt a moment of dizziness. Miss Pei's smile was truly beautiful.

'I'll go easy on her later; I can't let her lose too badly,' he thought.

So, like a true gentleman, he made an inviting gesture: "Miss Pei, please make your move."

His elegant posture made many female disciples' eyes sparkle with admiration:

"Brother is so handsome!"

"He truly lives up to his title as the Noble Young Master of Li Hentian."

...

Pei Mianman showed no deference. She slowly drew her long sword. "Forgive me, Senior Brother."

With that, her long sword surged forth with a violent wave of energy, thrusting towards her opponent.

The sword in her hand looked deceptively light, but once unleashed, it revealed a ferociously broad and aggressive fighting style. Crucially, every sword strike carried an extremely tragic aura, like a female general who had survived countless battles. Disciples with slightly lower cultivation levels nearby even found it difficult to breathe.

The disciples of the Nine Daoist Sects all changed their expressions. Many of the contestants who had previously lost to her were now completely convinced. They had thought this woman merely relied on her strange black flames and that her true strength might not be enough to defeat them, but in this instant, everyone realized she hadn't used her full power before.

A hint of nostalgia appeared on Zu An's face. He recalled how, in the Yin Ruins secret realm, Pei Mianman had served as the female War God Fu Hao for many years. Her bravery on the battlefield struck fear into her enemies, and she had long integrated this fierceness into her very being. If anyone mistakenly thought she was a delicate flower vase, they would likely suffer a great loss.

Sure enough, Zhi Yin had never expected her attack to be so overbearing, and for a moment, he was flustered.

Fortunately, his movement technique was exquisite, and he managed to narrowly evade each strike. However, he had completely forgotten his earlier intention to go easy on her.

Several times he tried to counterattack, but having lost the initiative, it was not so easy to regain it.

Sword qi crisscrossed the arena, and capes fluttered. The surrounding disciples watched, dazzled and enthralled, some marveling at Pei Mianman's fierce attacks, others admiring Zhi Yin's extreme movement technique.

It was the first time they had seen a chief disciple forced into such a predicament.

Suddenly, with a crisp sound, a white piece of fabric drifted down. It turned out that Zhi Yin had failed to dodge in time, and Pei Mianman's sword had severed his cape from behind.

Gasps immediately rose from the entire audience. No one had expected Zhi Yin to be the first to suffer a disadvantage. Was the first chief disciple about to be defeated?

In previous Daoist Grand Competitions, it wasn't unheard of for chief disciples to be defeated in the group stages, but it was extremely rare. Throughout the history of the Daoist sects, there were only three or four recorded instances, each serving as a negative example used by all sects to educate their disciples.

Those few could be said to have been nailed to the pillar of shame for a thousand years. Was Zhi Yin about to become a new laughingstock?

However, there were still observant people in the arena. Wan Guiyi, also from Biluo Palace, let out a cold snort: "That Zhi Yin, just to show off, insisted on wearing that cumbersome cape all the time. He finally got his comeuppance this time. But this way, he actually has a chance now."

Sure enough, after losing his cape, Zhi Yin's movement technique became much more agile.

After dodging one sword strike, he dropped his shoulder and tapped his toes on the ground. Layers of ripples appeared on the arena floor. Using the power of the earth, he leaned his entire body against his opponent's sword.

The sword in Pei Mianman's hand immediately bent like a full moon and let out a trembling wail.

Fortunately, her reaction was extremely quick. She flipped backward several times, landing at the edge of the arena, only then dispersing the immense force.

Even so, a faint, unnatural flush appeared on her face, clearly indicating she had been injured.

"Iron Mountain Lean!"

Those who recognized the move in the audience cried out in surprise, and several chief disciples' eyes narrowed.

This was Zhi Yin's unique technique, using his entire body as a bridge to draw upon the earth's power for a powerful collision. Its reported power was equivalent to a mountain pressing down.

They finally witnessed it today, and its power was indeed extraordinary.

Zhi Yin did not press his advantage at this moment, but elegantly said to Pei Mianman, "You should be proud to have pushed me this far, but if you don't unleash your black flames now, you might not get another chance."

His every gesture once again caused a group of female disciples to shriek in excitement: "He's so smooth, I really..."

Naturally, the male disciples nearby all twisted their mouths and rolled their eyes.

"Then Senior Brother, be careful." No sooner had Pei Mianman's words fallen than a swirling ring of fierce black flames enveloped her.