Chapter 1649: Absolute Haunted

"Ah!" Shi Dingtian, completely unprepared for such a move, cried out in agony, covering his eyes.

It wasn't just him; even the onlookers outside the arena instinctively covered their eyes, looking as if they'd been blinded.

Qiu Honglei seized this opportunity to press her attack. With his eyes throbbing in pain and his vision gone, Shi Dingtian could only instinctively swing his fists and palms to guard his body. But how could such passive defense possibly hold? He quickly suffered several palm strikes from Qiu Honglei, and a final ball of light exploded against him. With a massive explosion, he lost all support and tumbled directly off the platform.

All this transpired in the blink of an eye. By the time the crowd had somewhat recovered from the blinding flash, Shi Dingtian was already lying on the ground. The entire Golden Summit fell into a sudden silence. What had been anticipated as an evenly matched contest was decided with astonishing speed. However, Peng Wuyan's method of victory seemed a little too… underhanded.

As expected, Sect Master Mu could no longer restrain himself. He slammed the table, stood up abruptly, and glared at Qiu Honglei, shouting, "You scoundrel, how can you be so ruthless!"

Qiu Honglei replied nonchalantly, "I already held back. Otherwise, his injuries would be far worse right now." She had just remembered the young man's naive and honest nature, which was why she intentionally retracted her twin blades during her final assault, opting to use only her fists and palms instead. Otherwise, Shi Dingtian would likely not have a single unblemished spot on his body, much like Liang Ling a few days prior.

Sect Master Mu's breath hitched. He understood, of course, that she had indeed shown mercy, but his greater concern was what had transpired earlier. "You explicitly promised Shi Dingtian not to use that blinding technique," he fumed, "so why did you immediately employ it to ambush him?"

Before Qiu Honglei could respond, Yun Jianyue leapt forward to defend her, saying, "Don't you know that all is fair in war? If you believe everything people say on the battlefield, you'll die without even knowing how."

"This isn't a battlefield!" Sect Master Mu retorted angrily. "This is an arena!"

"Look at your disciple's foolish demeanor," Yun Jianyue scoffed. "He'd probably be the same on a real battlefield. Better to learn a lesson here today than to lose his life later."

"You're speaking of despicable and shameless acts as if they're perfectly natural," Sect Master Mu roared. "Are you truly of the righteous path, or are you demon cultists?!"

Yun Jianyue was equally enraged. "A loss is a loss! If you can't accept defeat, then don't participate in the competition! The junior loses and the elder steps out? You're worse than the demonic sects!"

At this, Guan Chouhai, Elder Xu, and the others' expressions soured instantly. They felt unjustly targeted.

Sect Master Mu slammed the table again, rising to his feet. "You, Peng, I've tolerated you for far too long!"

Yun Jianyue also flared up in anger. "What, want a fight? This old woman is more than happy to oblige!"

Both looked ready to roll up their sleeves and brawl, while the disciples in the audience, eager for a show, secretly wished they would actually fight.

However, Wang Wuxie, as the host, naturally couldn't allow this. He quickly intervened, urging, "Both of you, please calm down. Harmony is paramount, harmony is paramount."

Sect Master Mu addressed him, "Brother Wang, please be the judge. Are the people of Kongming Island not being excessively arrogant?"

"Uh..." Wang Wuxie actually found Peng Wuyan's actions somewhat underhanded as well, but since there were no explicit rules prohibiting such behavior, he found himself at a loss for an immediate answer. He quickly turned to Master Jian Huang of Wuyou Temple, who was standing nearby. "Master, you are highly revered. What is your opinion on this matter?" He was confident that by deflecting quickly enough, he could avoid any blame.

"Amitabha," Master Jian Huang said, pressing his palms together. "This is an internal dispute within the Daoist sect. As an old monk of the Buddhist school, I'm afraid it would be inappropriate for me to comment." If Wang Wuxie was skilled at passing the buck, Master Jian Huang proved equally adept.

Wang Wuxie inwardly cursed the master as an old fox, then turned to consult the other judges. However, none of them were foolish; they were too busy enjoying the spectacle. No one wanted to step forward and be the villain. Wang Wuxie felt a headache coming on. If no one else spoke up, he would have to make a statement himself, which would inevitably offend someone.

His gaze suddenly landed on Zu An, and his eyes lit up. "Lord Zu, what are your thoughts on this matter?" This young man was impetuous and not as composed as those old foxes. Having him step forward as a shield would be ideal.

Zu An's gaze swept over the crowd, and he sneered inwardly, having accurately deduced most of their thoughts. However, he was not one to shy away from trouble. Hearing the question, he replied, "Indeed, Miss Peng's actions just now were somewhat underhanded."

Upon hearing his words, Sect Master Mu instantly puffed out his chest, feeling for the first time that this young man had a rather pleasing appearance and clear mind.

Yun Jianyue and Qiu Honglei's expressions subtly shifted. Could this fellow be siding with the others? Before they could even get angry, Zu An shifted his tone. "However, the previous regulations did not explicitly prohibit such behavior. So, while it may not fully align with the gentlemanly conduct of the Daoist sect, it doesn't constitute a fundamental error. Personally, I don't believe it warrants punishment. In fact, Sect Master Mu should be more concerned about another matter: While Shi Dingtian's simple nature is commendable, being overly naive makes him an easy target for malicious individuals to exploit."

Yun Jianyue and Qiu Honglei then turned their worry into delight, thinking, *He truly is the one we recognized. He'll always stand by us, no matter the situation.* Feeling the intense gaze from both women, Zu An couldn't help but feel a touch of regret. His charm was perhaps too potent. He lamented his inability to maintain a proper distance from women.

Hearing his support for Kongming Island, Sect Master Mu's anger initially flared, but the latter part of the statement gave him pause. This truly was a significant issue; that child Dingtian was indeed far too naive.

Seeing this, Wang Wuxie also began to console him, showering praise on Shi Dingtian's strong points. The other attendees followed suit, exchanging polite compliments, and only then did Sect Master Mu's anger gradually subside.

After today's matches concluded, Feng Wuchang stepped forward to deliver some ceremonial remarks before announcing that the next round of the competition would take place the following day. However, first, the drawing for the next round would commence.

There was only one champion, and now only three contestants remained. Both the disciples of Zheng Yang Sect and Kongming Island hoped their respective contestants would receive a bye this round. This would not only grant them more time to rest but also allow Pei Mianman to further exhaust her opponent.

As for Pei Mianman herself, everyone tacitly assumed she would certainly compete this time. After all, in the Daoist Grand Competition, which had taken place for centuries, two consecutive byes were already exceptionally rare. A bye in the final round would be utterly unprecedented.

Even Pei Mianman herself believed this. Master Huoling was still helping her analyze whether it would be better to draw Wu Xiaofan or Peng Wuyan. Logically, Wu Xiaofan was stronger, so drawing Peng Wuyan would be preferable. However, considering Peng Wuyan's light elemental affinity, which seemed to somewhat counter Pei Mianman's dark domain, facing her might not be so straightforward. Conversely, Wu Xiaofan and Wan Guiyi's bout today had left both severely wounded. It was crucial to eliminate Wu Xiaofan before he recovered, as even if Pei Mianman defeated Peng Wuyan, facing a mostly recovered Wu Xiaofan in the final would make the outcome highly uncertain.

Pei Mianman nodded, agreeing that it would be better to face the injured Wu Xiaofan first. Moreover, she had a strange feeling that Peng Wuyan harbored an inexplicable hostility towards her. Yet, she had never met the woman before, and they had had no interactions since arriving at Purple Mountain, so there was no way she could have offended her. If not for her appearance, she would even suspect a connection between the other woman and Zu An. But while Ah Zu was a philanderer, his taste had always been rather refined; he likely wouldn't be involved with this person…

As she stepped onto the stage platform, just about to draw her lot, she encountered Zu An.

"Miss Pei, please take this half-pill as well," Zu An said with a smile, extending his open palm to offer the remaining half of the Lucky Pill.

The Lucky Pill had a limited duration, and its effects from the previous two rounds of competition had long since worn off, necessitating another dose. Pei Mianman was momentarily stunned but, without a hint of suspicion, took the pill and consumed it.

Master Huoling, attempting to intervene, was half a step too slow. She couldn't help but glare at her disciple, internally scolding, *Why doesn't this girl ever learn? Eating whatever a man gives her again!* She then turned a displeased gaze upon Zu An. "What did you give her to eat?"

The others also looked on with curiosity. Why was Zu An constantly feeding things to Pei Mianman, and why was she so compliant?

"Healing medicine, of course. Haven't I already explained?" Zu An replied with a chuckle.

Master Huoling frowned. "Didn't she already take one just now?"

"My medicine is rather special; it requires two consecutive doses within a short period, which is why I divided it in half earlier," Zu An stated without a flicker of expression.

Wan Guiyi, who was recuperating from his injuries, almost choked upon hearing this. He scoffed internally, certain the boy was simply coveting Junior Sister Pei's beauty. But what good was beauty? Power was paramount. He personally found Peng Wuyan far more appealing than Junior Sister Pei.

Master Huoling was momentarily speechless by his answer. Unable to find an immediate rebuttal, she merely huffed and positioned herself beside her disciple to prevent her from being given any more peculiar concoctions.

The drawing of lots concluded swiftly, and the moment the results were announced, a collective gasp swept through the entire venue. Pei Mianman had received another bye!

"This is utterly rigged!" Yun Jianyue slammed the table and rose, disregarding all decorum. She glared directly at Zu An. "What exactly did you give that woman to eat?"