Chapter 2117 — The Challenge Continues, and Then, Still Without Expression, He Said: "You of the Fire Wolf Gang, You'd Best Steady Yourself—We Are About to Inject True Qi and Activate the Artifact!"
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 2
"Good, let us begin!" Old Master Zhao said, once more placing his palm on the true-qi injection point of the artifact. Old Master Yu, Old Master You, and Old Master Tang followed suit in turn, all channeling their true qi at once. The energy bar on the artifact leapt instantly to the preset peak late Earth Rank, and the giant arm shot out abruptly, slamming into the Golden Bell Sect disciple with a resounding "bang"!
This time, however, it was different from Wei Zhao and the others. After the giant arm struck the Golden Bell Sect disciple, he was still standing there on the spot—he had taken the blow head-on! Standing firm as a pine, utterly motionless.
It was not that he did not wish to ride the force and fly off; rather, such was the way of the Golden Bell Shield technique—one had to stand fast and channel one's qi without moving, or the effect would be greatly diminished. So to withstand this peak late Earth Rank attack head-on, he could only stand there, gritting his teeth, and not budge.
At last the force dissipated. This Golden Bell Sect disciple had endured it—but then he spat out a mouthful of blood with a "pff." Plainly, the strike of peak late Earth Rank power had exceeded what he could bear and left him gravely injured within.
Even if this blow had not cost him his life or shattered his Golden Bell Shield, at the very least he would need three to five years to recover; otherwise he would never again make any progress. But the moment he thought of Diamond Xu's promise—that if he took the championship, he would be allowed to use the Golden Bell Sect's secret body-tempering elixir—his heart surged with excitement.
So he had taken the injury, and injured as he was, his heart was glad; he walked back to Diamond Xu's side beaming.
"The Golden Bell Sect is, to date, the record holder for the highest endurance rating! Peak late Earth Rank—are there disciples of other families or sects who are unconvinced and wish to challenge it?" Old Master Zhao asked after announcing the result.
Han Xiaohu had not expected that the disciples who came up afterward would challenge ever higher endurance ratings, and that Wei Zhao had already been pushed out of the top three—he had not foreseen that at all! Originally, in his view, even if Wei Zhao did not win, he should at least place in the top three. But now, he was actually ranked fourth!
Was the contest to be lost just like that? Han Xiaohu was somewhat unwilling to accept it—and of course, that unwillingness sprang from his blind trust in and admiration of Wei Zhao. In his eyes, Wei Zhao could not lose! If he had entered, then he must have been sure of himself; Wei Zhao did not do things he was not sure of!
But reality had dealt Han Xiaohu a blow. If possible, he would even have gone up himself and tried challenging peak late Profound Rank strength! After brooding a moment, Han Xiaohu said, "Old Master Zhao, I have a question!"
"Oh? Surely you do not mean to take Wei Zhao's place and challenge? Of course, that is permitted—you are a disciple of the Hidden Han family as well. If that is your question, there is no need to ask it!" Old Master Zhao said, eyeing Han Xiaohu with a teasing smile.
In his view, this Han Xiaohu, only at mid Yellow Rank, would have nothing but death awaiting him on that stage—there was no second possibility.
"Of course not!" Han Xiaohu said. "I want to ask: if we of the Hidden Han family issue a challenge, and we too take on peak late Earth Rank strength, and we withstand it—then how does that count?"