Chapter 46: Advancement
On the stage, Ye Xingyu, a talisman master, was the first to speak.
As the youngest member of the Xing generation, he was only slightly older than Ye Jingteng, the eldest of the Jing generation, and was also a well-known talisman master.
His words caused some frowns among the other cultivators, but they didn't seem to think there was a big issue.
After all, among the artisans, perhaps only alchemists would be at a disadvantage.
Ye Xinghe, standing nearby, remained silent, clearly in agreement.
In the Ye family's philosophy, ensuring equal conditions was considered the highest form of fairness.
"Uncle Xingyu, I have no objections!" Ye Jingcheng replied without any other thoughts.
If Ye Xingyu were a first-grade high-tier talisman master, he might be more cautious, but in the art of talisman crafting, if you don't master the corresponding spells, you cannot create talismans.
Ye Xingyu was at the sixth level of Qi refinement, and the best talisman he could craft would be a mid-grade first-tier talisman, so Ye Jingcheng wasn't too worried.
Moreover, Ye Jingcheng noticed that Ye Xingyu hadn't summoned his spirit beast.
Regardless of whether it was arrogance or confidence, Ye Jingcheng saw an opportunity to gain the upper hand.
"Uncle Xingyu, I'm a beast master. Please forgive me for any offense!" Ye Jingcheng released his Crimson Flame Fox and politely cupped his hands.
His courtesy was apparent.
When the massive Crimson Flame Fox appeared, many cultivators were shocked, including Ye Xinghe!
The speed of the fox's growth was astonishing, and its spiritual energy had already reached the seventh level of Qi refinement.
Ye Jingli and Ye Jingyong, who had previously looked proud, suddenly had their expressions turn sour!
Ye Jingcheng's Crimson Flame Fox was raised at the same time as their own spirit beasts.
The gap between them now was simply too obvious.
Ye Xingyu's expression changed, but it was too late to say anything.
With the sound of the bell signaling the start of the match, four massive fireballs shot out, heading straight for Ye Xingyu's face!
The speed at which the fireballs were spat out was something Ye Xingyu had never seen before, and he quickly retrieved several fireball talismans and a few ice shield talismans.
The talisman spells and the fireballs exploded in mid-air like a dazzling display of fireworks!
But what truly alarmed Ye Xingyu was that these fireballs were far more powerful than those cast by ordinary cultivators. Even though his talismans were cast instantly, their power paled in comparison.
The massive fireballs still bore down on him, and in that moment, he was so frightened by their power that he had no choice but to activate two "Swift Movement" talismans, dodging rapidly!
The remaining fireballs exploded on the stage, turning the black iron-reinforced platform a bright red, as if it could barely withstand the force.
Ye Xingyu hurriedly cast several more talismans, and in his hand, he also produced a fan. With one sweep of the fan,
the speed of his talismans dramatically increased!
It was clear he intended to catch Ye Jingcheng off guard with lightning-fast attacks!
But Ye Jingcheng had already drawn a small shield, and at the same time, the Crimson Flame Fox spat out three more fireballs. The fiery heat from the fireballs caused the air temperature to spike!
At that moment, everyone noticed that the spiritual markings on the Crimson Flame Fox's forehead seemed to ignite!
The exchange of talisman spells and fireballs ceased, but Ye Xingyu hadn't noticed that he had already been entangled by Ye Jingcheng's Ironwood Vine.
The vines were dense, and as they coiled around him, an ice talisman at his feet also activated, freezing him in place.
Ye Xingyu had no way to escape.
A massive fireball formed above the Crimson Flame Fox's head!
"I surrender!" Ye Xingyu said with a helpless shake of his head.
The Crimson Flame Fox was simply too terrifying. Its spellcasting speed was faster than that of the talismans, and its power was immense.
Combined with Ye Jingcheng's control, if they were in more complex terrain, Ye Xingyu might have had a chance. But on this stage, it was useless.
The giant fireball shot into the sky, exploding into a massive display that seemed to announce the winner of this fiery feast.
"Ye Jingcheng wins!" Ye Xinghe nodded, confirming Ye Jingcheng's advancement.
He would now advance directly into the top six.
In this round, Ye Jingcheng had a bye.
"Jingcheng, you've hidden your strength well!" Ye Jingli looked at him enviously but also with a hint of relief.
He was glad Ye Jingcheng had a bye, otherwise, he might not have made it into the top six himself.
"You flatter me, Sixth Brother. It's the Crimson Flame Fox that's powerful, and I owe it all to the family!" Ye Jingcheng quickly waved his hand, speaking modestly.
Ye Jingli, however, remained somewhat skeptical. He leaned in close to Ye Jingcheng and whispered:
"Your Sixth Brother's snake armor isn't bad, right? Sell me some more beast-rearing pills, and I'll arrange a set for your Crimson Flame Fox!" Ye Jingli spoke eagerly.
Ye Jingcheng had already been thinking about this.
Although his treasured book could heal the beast's injuries, it couldn't save it from fatal wounds. Gifting the Crimson Flame Fox with a set of armor for its neck was indeed necessary.
"Then I'll have to trouble Sixth Brother!" Ye Jingcheng nodded.
This confirmed their transaction.
As the two exchanged whispers, the next battle on the stage began. This time, there was no suspense: Ye Jingyong faced a Jing family member at the fifth level of Qi refinement, Ye Jingcheng.
The match quickly ended with Ye Jingyong emerging victorious.
His flying daggers and Flying Cloud Leopard had a clear advantage, and along with his small seal, even ordinary spiritual shields would shatter under its weight.
In the end, Ye Xinghe stepped in to catch Ye Jingyong's small seal, otherwise, Ye Jingcheng's life might have been in danger.
Despite losing, Ye Jingcheng wasn't disappointed. Making it into the top ten already filled him with joy.
Moreover, he thoroughly enjoyed the fight. After the humiliation of the Three Clans' forced visit, every member of the Ye family now sought only to grow stronger!
They believed that learning from the battles was the most important thing.
Ye Jingli soon returned to the stage. His opponent was also at the sixth level of Qi refinement, and his spirit beast was a Qingyun Wolf with solid combat experience.
However, Ye Jingli still managed to secure a hard-fought victory thanks to the spiked armor of his Azure Scaled Python.
After all, the Qingyun Wolf wouldn't attack recklessly, but the Azure Scaled Python was fearless.
The top six were soon decided, and after the announcement, Ye Xinghe allowed everyone to rest for two hours to recover their spiritual energy.
Ye Jingcheng, who had a bye, now had a clear advantage. He also turned his gaze to the late-stage Qi refinement matches.
There were only ten participants, but each battle was intense.
Ye Jingteng, however, remained dominant. But what puzzled Ye Jingcheng was that Ye Jingteng hadn't summoned his spirit beast.
Whether he didn't need to or didn't have one was unclear.
As the number one talent of the Jing generation, Ye Jingcheng believed the latter was unlikely.
This time, Ye Jingyu also summoned a new spirit beast: the Golden Feather Eagle, with a cultivation level equivalent to the ninth level of Qi refinement.
This Golden Feather Eagle was clearly a legacy spirit beast, and along with Ye Jingyu's Flying Cloud Leopard, there were few cultivators on the field who could compete with him. Eventually, Ye Jingyu, Ye Jingteng, and three cultivators from the Xing generation made it into the late-stage Qi refinement top five.
Watching these battles gave Ye Jingcheng many insights, and time passed quickly as night fell,
the square illuminated by the radiant glow of moonstones.
The competition for the top six in the mid-stage Qi refinement was about to begin!