Zhiyan stood leisurely, a devilish smirk curling at the corner of her lips, and her fair, small face was lit with a tyrannical and mocking smile. Indeed, a good show was about to start.
Ouyang Jin, who had been at the bottom of the stage, watched Zhiyan from the beginning to the end, naturally not missing the expression on her face at that moment. Seeing the smile on her face, a chill rose from the bottom of his heart, as if he had overlooked something. What could it be?
As time passed, an hour went by, and the high platform suddenly fell into a violent vortex. Thick spiritual energy molecules, centered around Ouyang Feng and the other two, continuously spread outward, a howling wind sweeping around, leaving everyone with their mouths wide open, their eyes filled with amazement.
Was this the power of a Grandmaster-level expert? Powerful, overwhelmingly so!
Everyone, including Zhiyan, watched without blinking as waves of green surged through the air like flowing water, so dazzling, so frenzied, as if it wanted to engulf everything in sight with its intense color, covering everything.
"Truly worthy of being Grandmaster-level experts." Shouts of astonishment echoed continuously; aside from surprise and admiration, there seemed to be no other way to express the shock in their hearts.
"No wonder everyone admires Sages. It does seem to be extraordinary," Wen Cheng said, his typically placid spirit stirred. Looking at the three people on the stage, he spoke with great envy. Known throughout Jincheng as a man blind to the ways of cultivation, he had endured much disdain. If not for his outstanding talent, he might have been the subject of lifelong ridicule.
"But one must be able to withstand it," Zhiyan added nonchalantly. Sages indeed were more formidable than the average person, but for a Sage to be reduced to a cripple, to fall from the peak into a deep pit, such a blow might be more painful than being blind to cultivation for a lifetime.
"What do you mean by that, Yanyan?" Wen Cheng squinted, a hint of suspicion flickering in his wise eyes. As smart as he was, he naturally caught the anomaly in Zhiyan's words.
"An eye for an eye, violence for violence. That is my style of conduct!" Zhiyan uttered indifferently, her gaze slightly contracted, meaningfully looking at Ouyang Feng in his dark cyan robe. What goes around comes around, after all. The humiliation and mockery she had suffered before, she would reclaim all at once today.
"Remember, you have me and Ouyang Peng behind you. Take it easy, don't put too much pressure on yourself," Wen Cheng sighed, comforting her with a heartache. She was outstanding but carried even more. Living like this was too exhausting for her, and he would rather she be simpler and happier.
"Don't worry, I am fine!" A flash of brightness crossed her pure eyes, and Zhiyan replied tenderly.
Ouyang Feng and the others on the stage were at a critical moment of their enhancement when suddenly, the air stilled. The spiritual energy fluctuations that had been spreading outwards converged suddenly towards Ouyang Feng's direction. His robe billowed in the gathering wind, and at that moment, he seemed to stand at the eye of the storm, his silver hair disheveled by the wind, his brows furrowed in a "chuan" character, his stern face gradually showing pain. His body rocked, ready to be toppled by the wind at any moment. This sudden change immediately captured everyone's attention.
"What's going on?" whispers arose from beneath the stage. Although they had not witnessed the enhancement of a Grandmaster-level expert, they knew something was wrong.
"Don't know. Could it be that the Spirit Gathering Liquid is too domineering, and the Ouyang Family Head cannot bear it?" a middle-aged dignitary seated in the front touched his chin and speculated.
"Impossible, the Ouyang Aristocratic Family is one of the top ten martial families on the mainland, and the cultivation base of the Family Head himself surpasses both Xiahou and Situ Family Heads," another person strongly objected. Suddenly, various discussions and guesses flooded in. Ouyang Jin's expression darkened, his face tensed as he fixed his gaze on Ouyang Feng, hoping no problems would arise.
The Green Light burst forth, and Situ Ba and Xiahou Kong's bodies were suddenly clad in an even more dazzling green glow. In a flash, their figures shimmered, and they both stood up from the ground. Having just completed their advancements, their imposing auras were too late to be concealed, causing the audience seated below to experience rapid breathing and a stifling sensation in their chests, pressed down by an overwhelming force that made it difficult to breathe.
"Haha, this Spirit Gathering Liquid indeed works wonders, even the stagnation in my Spiritual Power over the years was forcefully raised." Xiahou Kong's eyes shone sharply, his aged face filled with joy, clear excitement swirling within his eyes as he spoke with great pleasure.
"Old friend, you've reached the mid-level of a Grandmaster as well, haven't you?" Situ Ba, returning to his senses from his joy, squinted at Xiahou Kong, who had been slightly inferior to him before, but had now caught up suddenly.
"Haha, you flatter me." Xiahou Kong clasped his fists in a modest manner towards Situ Ba, but before he could finish speaking, his attention was suddenly diverted by an even more astonishing explosion.
Boom, the crowd below only saw a flash of green light, followed by an earth-shattering rumble. The sound of cracking echoed from the platform as fragments dispersed into the air, scattering all around. Ouyang Feng, who had been sitting on the platform, was found on the ground at some point, completely naked with large amounts of blood continuously spilling out from his mouth.
As the Spiritual Energy dissipated and the fragments fell, the air returned to normal, and nothing obstructed their view anymore. Everyone could clearly see what happened on the platform — the Ouyang Family Head was injured?
The crowd was dumbfounded, somewhat unable to grasp the situation before them. Wasn't he supposed to have advanced successfully like the other two Family Heads? What situation was this?
"Grandfather!" Ouyang Jin's body shook violently, and he quickly leaped towards the stage.
Situ Ba and Xiahou Kong stared in shock. According to normal expectations, Ouyang Feng should have been able to break through to the advanced-level of a Grandmaster after drinking the Spirit Gathering Liquid, becoming an even more powerful being. Yet, the scene before them seemed somewhat different from their expectations.
"Pfft!" A spurt of blood sprayed out as Ouyang Feng lay prostrate on the ground, his body shaking violently. His entire body was slashed by chaotic Spiritual Energy, covered with wounds of all sizes, the man's "ugliness" exposed in the air for all to see. The crowd's eyes widened in horror at the sight of Ouyang Feng in such a state. Then, "thud," a massive object fell from the sky and crashed onto the stage with a boom.
"The Grey Mouse, it's Lord Ouyang's Demonic Beast, the Grey Mouse." Someone in the crowd exclaimed as they saw a large, grey mouse limply lying beside Ouyang Feng, its fur bristling, with no trace of Spiritual Energy left, seemingly drained of its vitality, barely clinging to life.
"Swoosh!" Situ Ba and Xiahou Kong's expressions changed drastically, their eyes gleaming intensely as they looked at the Grey Mouse on the ground with profound meaning. A contractually bound Demonic Beast would appear only under its master's call or under one particular circumstance — could it be?
Boom, a shocking thought simultaneously exploded in the minds of the two men. Situ Ba and Xiahou Kong exchanged glances before their Spiritual Senses surged out next second to probe Ouyang Feng's physical condition.
"Ah, ah..." Just as Situ Ba and Xiahou Kong unleashed their Spiritual Senses, Ouyang Feng let out an earth-shaking scream. Beads of sweat the size of soybeans slid continuously from his forehead as his body curled up into a ball, struggling in pain. His face was so twisted and terrifying that it sent chills down one's spine.
"You, what have you done?" Ouyang Feng's body shivered uncontrollably, enduring the excruciating pain within him, he furiously accused Zhiyan, "It was you, you must have played some trick."