At this moment, the surrounding disciples were stunned as they stared blankly at the two figures on the fighting stage.

The crowd on the from the South Bank was staring in disbelief as the disciples finally understood how Bai Xiaochun managed to survive the fight with the Fallen Chen Clan, and why he had the right to be called an Honourable Disciple!

“To think… that Bai xiaochun would be this strong!” This was the only thought the South Bank disciples occupied themselves with at the moment.

The North Bank disciples, on the other hand, had mixed feelings; their confusion had reached its peak.

On the terrace, the many elders of the Spirit River Sect had eyes filled with both interest and astonishment as they stared at Bai Xiaochun. The image of his silver-clad body and his shocking attacks floated in their minds.

“It’s the Unending Longevity Technique and the silver skin stage at that!”

“And that finis.h.i.+ng move just now… It’s the Throat Crus.h.i.+ng Grasp!”

“To think that the Unending Longevity Technique that almost no one persisted in cultivating would have someone who could actually cultivate it! Its might is extremely great, however, it has a mysterious origin and only a fragment remains…” The elders gasped as they talked among themselves.

“It’d be interesting to see whether either one of those two can enter the Legacy Order!” The Sect Head exclaimed softly, knowing fully well that this possibility was still a long distance away, not to mention that entering the Legacy Order was extremely difficult. As he thought about this, he couldn’t help but glance at Li Qinghou.

“To enter the Golden Core stage within two sixty-year cycles and thus enter the Legacy Order… In our generation, Li Qinghou is our only hope for that.”

At the same time, Gui Ya suddenly made a motion with his right hand on the arena. A green light flew out, turning into a greenwood banner which then embedded itself into the ground before him.

Crossing his legs, Gui Ya sat down and raised his head, his eyes burning with the desire to fight.

“Bai Xiaochun, you’re worthy of making me break my seal.”

“First seal, release!” He abruptly shouted and formed a seal with his right hand before pointing it between his eyebrows. A buzzing sound reverberated, and his body trembled as lines of black threads surged out from his skin, spreading out as his body expanded to twice its size as a powerful aura erupted.

The strength of the aura was clearly at the pinnacle of Qi Condensation just beneath the Foundation Establishment stage.

“Sixth finger!”

“Eighth finger!”

“Tenth finger!” Gui Ya growled deeply as he flashed hand seals at Bai Xiaochun, simultaneously activating five fingers without a pause, each more fearsome than the last. The skies shook as enormous detached ghost claws descended out of nowhere, looming menacingly over Bai Xiaochun from afar as they rumbled forth.

“Is… Is this even a Qi Condensation technique? Its strength is clearly at the Foundation Establishment!”

“It’s my first time seeing a Qi Condensation disciple unleash such fearsome power!”

“Only a secret technique user can accomplish this. All of the Spirit River Sect’s ten great secret techniques can be used in Qi Condensation!” Everyone watching took in a deep breath, overwhelmed with shock.

Bai Xiaochun’s pupils shrunk. In this moment, Gui Ya released a tremendous pressure far surpa.s.sing the one before. However, it still fell short when compared with the Fallen Chen Clan’s young master whom Bai Xiaochun had fought a while ago.

After all, this fight wasn’t a battle of life and death, while the fight from back then was a matter of… kill or be killed.

Despite it not being a battle of life and death, Bai Xiaochun didn’t want to just avoid as he usually would. This kind of chances didn’t come by often, and since there was one now, Bai Xiaochun wanted to take the first place!

Not for the fame. But solely for the praise and pride in Li Qinghou’s eyes when he looked at him!

That alone was enough!

His eyes bloodshot, Bai Xiaochun tossed his sleeve to the side as he formed hand seals. The Qi inside his body spread out, and instantly, purple cauldrons began materialising. One cauldron, three cauldrons … five cauldrons appeared!

In the blink of an eye, five cauldrons had formed and were quickly hurled against the five descending ghost claws. The Golden Crow Sword transformed into a beam of golden light as a faint outline of a golden crow shrieked within, heading straight at Gui Ya!

Simultaneously, Bai Xiaochun’s body lunged forward, paying no heed to the five ghost claws as he closed in on Gui Ya at full speed.

An explosion echoed when the cauldrons collided with the five ghost claws. When the cauldrons collided with the ghost claws, the cauldrons crumbled to dust. But at the same time, the ghost claws had dimmed down, losing half their might in the process. However, this did not halt their advance. Without a pause, the claws caught up with Bai Xiaochun in a flash, when suddenly, a crane’s cry resounded from his body as the Divine Crane s.h.i.+eld emerged.

It transformed into a large crane, shrouding Bai Xiaochun as its cry rose to the sky. When the five claws clashed with it, amidst a cracking sound, the ghost claws faded even further, but the Divine Crane shrieked and returned back into the s.h.i.+eld, unable to resist any further.

With their obstacle gone, the ghost claws continued their advance. But just as they were about to land on Bai Xiaochun, a black light instantly appeared, enveloping Bai Xiaochun’s whole body. It was the life-saving treasure gifted to him by Li Qinghou.

As soon as they landed, the five ghost claws finally stopped and exploded with a deafening roar. Bai Xiaochun spat out a mouthful of blood as the black light dissipated, but aside from that, he took no damage at all.

Light flashed through Bai Xiaochun’s eyes. He was five zhang away from Gui Ya. The Golden Crow Sword however, was even faster. There was less than a zhang between it and Gui Ya.

Gui Ya’s expression changed as he grabbed at the greenwood banner before him, pus.h.i.+ng his whole body up, causing the Golden Crow Sword to whoosh right below his shoulder. Although he managed to evade it, it still managed to cut him as his blood was splattered out. Ignoring the pain, Gui Ya jerked the banner, his hair whipping in the wind and his eyes bloodshot.

“Second seal, release!”

“Ten Ghosts… Midnight March!” The banner whipped in his hand as terrifying shrieks immediately sounded from within, shaking one’s mind. Suddenly, two ghost hands emerged out of the banner, ripping through the air as a one horned head with a horrifying grin on its face came out, followed by its green-skinned body.

Even the sky darkened as stormy clouds blocked the sun. Darkness enveloped the entire arena, as though night had fallen.

One head after the other, a whole ten ghosts rushed out from the banner, each exuding a force equivalent to the peak of Qi Condensation as they charged straight at Bai Xiaochun. Bai Xiaochun’s face changed, his heart thumping loudly. Even with his strength, dealing with ten peak Qi Condensation leveled ghosts would be more than difficult.

Gui Ya sighed in relief. He wasn’t capable of opening the second seal for long, but now that the ten ghosts had appeared, he was convinced that his victory was already a.s.sured.

Behind his ten ghosts, Gui Ya coldly looked at Bai Xiaochun, his eyes s.h.i.+ning.

In this battle between two giants, the audience were screaming their lungs out. After Gui Ya’s strength had been completely unveiled, the North Bank disciples cheered loudly while the South Bank disciples were on their toes.

Bai Xiaochun continuously retreated in his struggle against the ten ghosts. With each one having such a terrifying cultivation, he knew that even the Golden Crow Sword would be of little help in dealing with them.

“Ten Ghosts Midnight March…” As the impending danger pressed on, Bai Xiaochun raised his head at the black clouds that casted their shadows down, forcing dusk upon the arena. His eyes suddenly brightened up, and after pointing a hand seal, the Golden Crow Sword shot straight up, attempting to cleave the clouds and sweep away the darkness shrouding the fighting stage.

Gui Ya frowned at Bai Xiaochun’s fast reaction. Although this remarkable ability was strong, it was suited for the darkness; there would be no problems there. In daylight, though… Unless hundreds of ghosts covered the skies, a chance for him to lose still exists.

“These storm clouds aren’t ordinary. Only refined treasures can suppress them, and even they would be sucked inside. Even if Bai Xiaochun found the weak spot of this ability, there’s nothing he can do about it!” Gui Ya laughed coldly in his heart.

At this moment, a rumble resounded as the Golden Crow Sword shot into the cloud. Light flashed and the cloud thinned down slightly. But oddly, the sword was sucked inside, unable to continue its purpose.

Bai Xiaochun anxiously backed away, pulling out a twice spirit-refined flying sword and hurled it into the cloud. With another rumble, the cloud thinned down further, but that weapon was sucked in just as well.

Gui Ya stared with a baffled look from the side.

“Yet another spirit-refined treasure…”

Before Gui Ya could exit his stupor, Bai Xiaochun, having found a solution, immediately pulled out seven-eight more flying swords, sending them all towards the sky. Four of the flying swords were s.h.i.+ning with a silver light, evidently refined twice. The unrefined blades didn’t seem to work, but the four refined ones thinned down the clouds with a rumble, so much that even some sunlight managed to seep through. They caused the ten ghosts to wail and quickly get away from him.

Gui Ya’s eyes were about the pop out. Despite his usual demeanor, Gui Ya almost gave voice to his surprise.

“This… This many?! d.a.m.n it, that must be all of them!”

He wasn’t the only one in awe. All the outer sect disciples watching similarly had their eyes wide open as they cried out in disbelief.

“Heavens… How does he have so many spirit-refined items!?”

“For a disciple to possess one is already rare enough... How the h.e.l.l does he have so many, who refined them for him?”

As the audience watched agape, Zhang Fatso One could be seen smirking in the back of the crowd. No one paid much attention to his cheering when everyone had been doing the same.

Once he noticed the swords Bai Xiaochun pulled out, he raised his head arrogantly as pride welled up in his heart.

“Those are all spirit-refined by me! Zhang Fatso One!”

Just as Gui Ya thought that that would be the end of Bai Xiaochun’s spirit-refined treasures, surprise surfaced on Bai Xiaochun’s face as he confirmed that spirit-refined items could suppress the clouds, making him burst out laughing.

He pulled out two more swords, shooting them straight at the clouds. They too were s.h.i.+ning with a silver glow, and everyone could tell that they were spirit-refined twice just as well.

“Impossible!” Gui Ya involuntarily cried out in shock.

Rumble! After the clouds in the sky were damaged from eight refined blades, they had reached their limit and dissipated. Sunlight burst through the sudden void, landing straight on top of the ghosts and causing them to escape back into the banner in terror.

Bai Xiaochun laughed loudly, lunging at Gui Ya. With two of his silver fingers s.h.i.+ning, he once again attacked with the Throat Crus.h.i.+ng Grasp.

With an ugly expression, Gui Ya prepared to defend himself. But suddenly, blood sprayed from his mouth. He trembled as the aftereffects of releasing the second seal emerged. With his eyes burning with obvious unwillingness to accept this outcome, he hastily backed away.

“I concede!” He said through his teeth. He knew that in his current condition, he was definitely not a match for Bai Xiaochun. Even so, the unwillingness to accept his defeat raged on. If Bai Xiaochun didn’t have so many spirit-refined items inside his storage pouch, his victory would have been certain.

Or if it had been during night instead of day… Victory would’ve been his as well!

As soon as he conceded, the disciples from the South Bank immediately burst with excitement as cheers reverberated throughout the arena.

“We won! We won! The South Bank is victorious!”

“Haha! The first place is ours! Two of our Heaven’s Chosen are in the top three!”

“The shameless Senior Uncle Bai is victorious!” The cheers of the South Bank pierced the sky, leaving the North Bank to sulk bitterly silent as they gradually realised what had just happened. It wasn’t that Gui Ya had failed… Bai Xiaochun simply had had too many treasures.

“Bai Xiaochun… Why the h.e.l.l do you have so many spirit-refined items?!” Glaring at Bai Xiaochun, Gui Ya wanted to know the reason why he lost.

“My Senior Brother, Zhang Fatso One, is one in a millennium… no, one in ten millennia spirit refinement genius! My babies here, they’re all refined by him. If you are to blame someone for your loss, Gui Ya, blame yourself for not having a spirit refinement genius as your Senior Brother!” With those proud words, the South Bank disciples burst into an uproar, especially the disciples from the Purple Cauldron Mountain.

“Zhang Fatso One? Who is that G.o.dlike person?”

“Zhang Fatso One… He’s from the Purple Cauldron Mountain! Our Purple Cauldron Mountain!”

“He’s the ancestor’s disciple… d.a.m.n, to think that someone who lays low like him would turn out to be yet another genius!”

Swept by excitement, Zhang Fatso One jumped up and shouted loudly.

“I’m Zhang Fatso One! I’m the one who spirit-refined all of Bai Xiaochun’s flying swords!” More excited than ever before, the great roar he produced traveled far and wide, and even those on the terrace looked at him curiously.

Amidst the whole uproar, Bai Xiaochun blinked his eyes and raised his chin. Tossing his sleeve to the side, he put on the airs of an expert and turned around, walking off the stage.

“Sigh, what a lonesome life. With a snap of these fingers of mine… All of the Heaven’s Chosen in this Heaven’s Chosen War… scatter like ash.”

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Translated by: Marcus