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The only flaw, the only weakness of the Temple of Martial Arts, was precisely what Wei Chen excelled at, which made him suitable for the position of Core Disciple.
Zuo Leng found himself in a dilemma. Was he really going to give up the position of Core Disciple so easily?
However, the Old Master had made it clear that he valued Wei Chen's Formation Assignment and wanted to challenge his position as Core Disciple. Zuo Leng felt a bit embarrassed to speak up…
This was frustrating; it was truly infuriating!
"Zuo Leng, continue to challenge him, don't mind that old fellow," Yue Songyang timely transmitted a message to Zuo Leng.
Upon hearing his master's command, Zuo Leng no longer hesitated. He turned to the Old Master and said, "Master of the Hall, the position of Core Disciple should belong to the strongest. Wei Chen is merely relying on his Formation Assignment to claim the title of Core Disciple; that might not convince everyone. Even if I don't challenge him today, others will step up."
"Oh? What do you mean by that?" Before the Old Master could respond, Wei Chen stepped forward and provocatively spoke.
Zuo Leng looked at Wei Chen with eyes as sharp as blades. After scrutinizing Wei Chen's face for a moment, he asked, "Wei Chen, do you dare accept my challenge?"
"If you refuse, I won't force you; after all, you rely on formations for your livelihood. But let me be clear: in an open contest for the position of Core Disciple, no one will hold back."
Zuo Leng had learned from Qian Youshi's previous experience and made it clear from the start—there would be no time for Wei Chen to set up formations. If even Qian Youshi had been trapped and failed, how could Zuo Leng afford to take such risks? In a contest among peers, there was no need for a few exchanges; that would be courting death.
Moreover, Zuo Leng's words had already sealed off any retreat for Wei Chen. If Wei Chen were to refuse at this moment, it would be utterly humiliating.
Wei Chen smiled slightly and said, "To become Core Disciple, one must have certain abilities. I accept your challenge. However, we are heading out to the Eastern Forest tomorrow; when shall we begin this duel?"
"Since everyone is here now, let's do it right now. What do you think?" Zuo Leng looked at Wei Chen.
Wei Chen shrugged noncommittally and turned to the Old Master. "Master of the Hall, is this convenient?"
"Convenient? How could it not be? Same place as always—the Snow Ridge Mountains. Whoever wins will be the true Core Disciple. Wei Chen, I sincerely hope you become a pillar of our Temple of Martial Arts; don't let us down!" The Old Master looked at Wei Chen with deep meaning in his eyes and spoke earnestly.
Wei Chen naturally understood. What he meant was, don't lose; if you lose, there will be no Mental Attack Technique left.
"Don't worry, I won't let you down," Wei Chen nodded, looking full of confidence.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, everyone moved to the Snow Ridge Mountains.
Wei Chen and Zuo Leng stood in the middle, surrounded by people from the Temple of Martial Arts.
Including the Elder Ancestors and Yue Songyang, Qian Youshi, and others, they all stood quietly on one side, watching.
Wei Chen had defeated Qian Youshi once because Qian Youshi had underestimated him and gave Wei Chen a chance. He never expected that Wei Chen could set up such a powerful formation.
With this lesson learned, Zuo Leng would naturally not give Wei Chen that kind of opportunity.
Once he made his move, it would be a thunderous battle!
Because of this, everyone felt that Wei Chen was bound to lose. The title of Core Disciple was something he could only enjoy for a brief moment before having to relinquish it, which was truly tragic.
"Come on, come on, let's bet. I bet a Divine Stone that Wei Chen will definitely lose."
"I'll bet a Divine Stone too; Wei Chen is sure to lose. Senior Brother won't give him a chance to set up."
"I bet ten Divine Stones that Senior Brother Zuo Leng will definitely win. The identity of Core Disciple has always been his; that Wei Chen is simply a joke!"
As bets were placed back and forth, no one could be found to wager on Wei Chen because everyone believed he was destined to lose.
"Grandpa, can Wei Chen really win?" Gongye Hong was furious upon hearing those voices.
Gongye Long also didn't know if Wei Chen could win. His confidence in Wei Chen stemmed from his true identity, but without revealing that identity, how could Wei Chen possibly win?
Old Master smiled gently as he patted Gongye Hong's head, saying, "You go and bet with them. Any divine stones you win will be yours. If you lose, I'll cover for you."
"Really?" Upon hearing Old Master's words, Gongye Hong was overjoyed.
Her happiness stemmed not only from Old Master's confidence in her winning the divine stones but also from the trust he placed in Wei Chen. With such faith, Wei Chen's chances of winning seemed significantly higher.
Gongye Hong approached the disciples of the Temple of Martial Arts who were known for their love of gambling. They immediately greeted her respectfully as "Senior Sister." Although Gongye Hong was quite young and had not undergone the initiation ceremony of the Temple of Martial Arts, her strength was formidable, comparable to Pan Dalong and Xiao Jian, and her potential was immense. Thus, it was only fitting for them to address her as Senior Sister.
"Hmph, do you want to bet? Do you all think Wei Chen will lose?" Gongye Hong said with a hint of anger.
"Senior Sister, isn't it obvious? How could Wei Chen possibly be a match for Senior Brother Zuo Leng? Senior Brother Zuo Leng has been through countless battles; you know his strength!"
"Yes, Senior Sister, while Wei Chen excels in Formation Assignment, his Divine Realm is still low. Senior Brother Zuo Leng is sure to win."
Seeing Gongye Hong's expression grow increasingly grim, the gamblers fell silent.
Could it be that Wei Chen joined the Temple of Martial Arts because of Gongye Hong?
The more they thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. A graceful lady attracts a gentleman; Gongye Hong was so beautiful that she might have captured Wei Chen's heart when she rescued him from Duke Sui's Residence. It was likely that he willingly followed her because he had developed feelings for her. Otherwise, given Wei Chen's current display of skill and courage within Duke Sui's Residence, how could Gongye Hong have managed to bring him out?
The way everyone looked at Gongye Hong became somewhat ambiguous and strange.
They had always wondered why Wei Chen chose to join the Temple of Martial Arts instead of staying at Duke Sui's Residence. Now, it seemed they might have found an answer.
Gongye Hong didn't dwell on the disciples' expressions; she angrily declared, "I bet against you all! I bet that Wei Chen will win. Whoever loses and tries to back out will be a pig!"
"Senior Sister, have you thought this through? We're all betting on Wei Chen losing. Do you have that many divine stones to wager? We all have tangible stakes."
"That's right, Senior Sister. Combined, we have over a hundred divine stones! What will you use to bet against us? Whenever there's a competition, we always play several rounds; if we lose, we pay up—there's never been a case of backing out. As professional gamblers within the Temple of Martial Arts, we certainly have our stakes. However, we think you might not be able to afford this?"
"Gongye Hong" said angrily, "Don't worry, if I lose, I will definitely compensate you. I may not have it, but my grandfather does."
"That's good then. Let's gamble, and hurry up to write the agreement."
...
Over here, "Gongye Hong" excitedly wrote the agreement, thinking that when "Wei Chen" won and obtained the divine stone, he should share half of it with "Wei Chen." Meanwhile, "Qian Youshi" and "Yue Songyang" were whispering to each other.
"Qian Youshi, you've suffered from 'Wei Chen's' formations before. How strong are his formations?" "Yue Songyang" asked.
"Qian Youshi" explained, "If given time to set up his formation, I suspect even a Sixth-Level Deity could be trapped. His Formation Assignment is very strong, but after all, the Divine Realm is lacking, and his setup speed is slow. No one will give him that time. In a fair fight, he is not a match for 'Zuo Leng,' but if he gets to prepare in advance to ambush someone, it would be very effective."
After hearing "Qian Youshi's" words, "Yue Songyang" said, "I’m not worried about 'Zuo Leng' winning; that’s a given. What concerns me is what 'Wei Chen's' true purpose is for joining our Temple of Martial Arts."
"I don't know either; we'll just have to wait and see. The Hall Master and 'Gongye Long' have both assured that nothing will go wrong. It seems they have reached some kind of agreement behind the scenes, and 'Wei Chen' is standing with them."
At this moment, the "eye battle" between "Wei Chen" and "Zuo Leng" finally came to an end. "Zuo Leng" said, "Since this concerns the identity of the Core Disciple, I won't give you an inch. We'll count to three and strike together."
"I won't give in either; you know that."
"Wei Chen" smiled slightly, appearing quite relaxed.
Seeing "Wei Chen's" expression, "Zuo Leng" felt a bit strange; was this guy really that confident?
The disciples of the Temple of Martial Arts scoffed at "Wei Chen's" words. Lacking strength yet still so arrogant? Their hearts were about to burst!
"No more nonsense! Let's count to three and strike together!" A sudden ominous feeling crept into "Zuo Leng's" heart; it came unexpectedly without any clear reason but was undeniable.
He felt that it was better to settle this through combat; lingering any longer might lead to unforeseen complications.
"One!"
"Two!"
"Three!"
With the three counts, everyone's eyes were fixed on Wei Chen and Zuo Leng.
Whoosh!
A sharp ice spear pierced through the air with a violent whooshing sound, shooting towards Wei Chen.
This was Zuo Leng's signature move, Ice Piercer!
The term "breaking mountains" implied the ability to penetrate even mountain ranges. A battle-hardened warrior like Zuo Leng knew that when facing a master of formations, one must never give them time; if they completed their formation, it would be disastrous.
The ice spear was incredibly powerful; if it struck, it would undoubtedly cause severe injury on the spot!
Zuo Leng was filled with confidence. At that moment, with the speed of the ice spear, he was certain that Wei Chen wouldn't be able to evade it. With Wei Chen's strength, he definitely wouldn't be able to withstand it!
Zuo Leng envisioned a swift victory!
As the ice spear shot forth, the temperature around Zuo Leng plummeted. Within a radius of several hundred meters, moisture in the air instantly condensed into ice, creating a dazzling spectacle!
In his previous encounter in the Snow Ridge Mountains against Zuo Leng, Wei Chen had already suffered significant losses.
Zuo Leng cultivated Ice Elemental Divine Power, and the Snow Ridge Mountains had provided him with abundant resources.
During his attack, it wasn't just his Divine Power that formed the offensive; the surrounding environment also played a crucial role in amplifying his strength.
The Ice Spike shot forth in an instant, aimed directly at Wei Chen's chest.
Everyone was taken aback; how could Wei Chen's strength be so lacking?
"What’s going on? Dodge it!"
"Even if he can't dodge, he should at least try to block it! Standing there motionless is just asking for death!"
The disciples of the Temple of Martial Arts began to shout. They didn't particularly care for Wei Chen; in such a short time, they had little impression of him. But surely, they didn't want to see him taken out in one move.
Old Master and Gongye Long could no longer sit idly by. Why wasn’t this kid reacting at all?
What worried them even more was how they would explain it to Duke Sui's Residence if Wei Chen were to die in the Temple of Martial Arts.
Just when everyone feared that Wei Chen was doomed, a miraculous scene unfolded!
As Zuo Leng unleashed the Ice Spike, just as it was about to pierce Wei Chen's chest, it suddenly vanished!
It didn’t shatter or get blocked by any technique; it simply disappeared—completely and utterly gone!
The higher-ups of the Temple of Martial Arts had considerable Mental Strength. They were not only watching the trajectory of the ice spike with their eyes but also following it with their Mental Strength. Yet even so, they could not discern where that ice spike had gone.
Everyone stared at Wei Chen in shock, as if they had seen a ghost.
Zuo Leng paused for a moment, but his long-developed combat instincts kicked in almost reflexively, and he launched a second ice spike!
This time, everyone watched closely. Just as Zuo Leng's ice spike was about to strike Wei Chen's chest, it abruptly vanished again!
The crowd was left speechless. What on earth was happening?
No ordinary disciple, not even the Old Master or Yue Songyang, could comprehend how Wei Chen achieved this.
Zuo Leng launched another ice spike, yet it produced the same effect. It was as if there were some kind of magic at Wei Chen's chest; whenever an attack reached that spot, it simply vanished.
No one could explain it.
Zuo Leng tried again, but no matter the force he used, upon contact with Wei Chen's chest, it would inexplicably disappear.
This phenomenon left everyone in shock and filled them with a sense of fear towards Wei Chen. The unknown always breeds fear.
"What kind of Divine Skill is this?" Zuo Leng, frustrated after repeated attempts, finally gave up.
He could have engaged in close combat with a guaranteed victory, but witnessing Wei Chen's miraculous ability extinguished any desire to fight. For the first time in his life, experiencing a Divine Power attack being "devoured" left Zuo Leng with a measure of respect for Wei Chen.
Hearing Zuo Leng's words, those from the Temple of Martial Arts understood that Zuo Leng had effectively declared his defeat.
Inexplicably, Wei Chen emerged victorious, and it was a clean and thorough win.
Eyes were fixed on Wei Chen, ears perked up, all waiting for his explanation.
"It's just a formation; it's not some Divine Skill," Wei Chen said to Zuo Leng with a calm smile.
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