Lin Zhitong held her long spear, moving with lightning speed, and instantly arrived in front of Han San!
As a woman, Lin Zhitong possessed a strong desire for offense, which indicated she was different from other women. She was extremely confident in her own strength!
Even Han San was startled, his expression turning serious:
"It seems you've prepared for a long time for this battle with me today!"
"Scram!"
Lin Zhitong thrust her spear forward. Han San quickly drew the Money-Coin Sword behind him to block!
The Money-Coin Sword, strung together by red threads, seemed fragile but managed to block Lin Zhitong's spear!
However, the immense force sent Han San flying, and he rolled several times on the ground in an undignified manner.
Finally, he landed near the edge of the main arena of the Myriad Law Sect. He dug his hands into the gaps of the stone bricks on the ground, otherwise, he feared he would have fallen out of the Myriad Law Sect altogether.
"That was a brutal move?!" Han San scrambled to his feet in a disheveled state, his Daoist cap having fallen to the ground. At this moment, he didn't dare to retrieve it.
The spectators realized that Han San was likely about to get serious.
As everyone knew, Han San was an extremely narcissistic fellow, and he cared deeply about his image.
The current Han San, not even picking up his fallen cap, clearly showed he was wary of Lin Zhitong making a move the moment he bent down.
Lin Zhitong snorted coldly, pointing her spear at the ground, and said, "Pick up your cap and fight me seriously."
Han San breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and bent down to pick up his cap.
To his surprise, Lin Zhitong gave Han San no chance and charged at him again. Taking advantage of Han San bending to pick up his cap, she thrust her spear directly at him!
"You're still playing tricks on me?!"
Han San's face turned pale with shock. He immediately performed a front flip, not only dodging Lin Zhitong's sneak attack but also retrieving his cap and placing it back on his head.
"I said for you to pick up your cap, I didn't say I wouldn't attack you."
"You... You look so beautiful, why are your actions so shameless? Who taught you to be this way?!" Han San said with great distress.
Lin Zhitong unconsciously glanced at Yan Shouyi in the audience.
Yan Shouyi looked bewildered: "Why is she looking at me? Am I usually so shameless? If we're talking about shamelessness, isn't Xiao Long more shameless?"
Yan Nanfei said quietly, "The last time you tricked us, you were quite shameless."
Xiao Long also chuckled, "At most, that was despicable, not quite shameless yet. Brother Yan, you're the truly shameless one."
Yan Shouyi: "..."
So, despite his upright demeanor, these guys didn't see it. They only focused on his supposedly shameless aspects.
However, in the martial world, one should be shameless occasionally. This was also a lesson taught to Yan Shouyi by his grandfather.
On the stage, Lin Zhitong and Han San clashed again. In the span of a breath, they had exchanged over a dozen moves, yet neither could gain the upper hand.
"This True Person Chi Qing actually has some skill!"
"I thought she had only luckily made it this far, but I didn't expect her to be evenly matched with Han San!"
"But Han San is definitely a bit stronger than her. Didn't you notice he hasn't used any of the moves from his previous matches?"
"Both sides are probing each other right now. I think that True Person Chi Qing hasn't revealed her true abilities either."
"But speaking of which, True Person Chi Qing should be a great beauty. I can feel her aura even through the veil!"
"For us common folk, there's no point in thinking about it; we're simply not worthy!"
Everyone knew that Han San hadn't unleashed his true power. After all, the power of Maoshan lay in its techniques, spells, and talismans, none of which Han San had used yet.
Yan Shouyi and the others also knew that Lin Zhitong hadn't revealed her true strength either. At the very least, she hadn't used a single move from the Lushan Sect up to this point!
After a round of exchanges, a surprising turn of events occurred.
The first one to lose patience wasn't Lin Zhitong, but Han San!
He couldn't hold back and began to employ Maoshan techniques!
"Essence of Jiaoji, divine spirit of Jiayi. Raise the waves, dance with the clouds, summon thunder swiftly. All demons roam and know, all will be resolved by lightning. Cut a thousand heads, sever ten thousand forms. Those who obey me live, those who defy me fall. Those who slightly disobey my command shall be like those who go against Shangqing. Hasten as the law commands!"
As soon as Han San began chanting the incantation, Yan Shouyi knew that this fellow was about to use the Palm Thunder technique.
Lin Zhitong on the Myriad Law Sect stage was also very familiar with the Palm Thunder. She immediately retreated to dodge.
Han San was puzzled. Did he appear that ferocious? Why did the opponent retreat without even thinking?
If outsiders didn't know the incantation for Palm Thunder, they wouldn't react so quickly. However, Han San had encountered Lin Zhitong, and Lin Zhitong had Yan Shouyi by her side.
Silver lightning snakes flickered faintly in Han San's palm. He unleashed a palm strike, immediately releasing a bolt of lightning that shot directly at Lin Zhitong!
Fortunately, Lin Zhitong's movement techniques were superb, and she easily dodged it.
Han San became a bit annoyed and released three lightning snakes in succession next!
Lin Zhitong was still prepared, foiling Han San's efforts.
"How strange!"
In his anger, Han San struck the ground with his palm. The lightning snakes burrowed into the ground, causing the surrounding stone bricks to tremble, and silver lightning shot out from the cracks!
Lin Zhitong's expression changed slightly. She forcefully jammed her spear into the gaps between the stone bricks and then leaped up, standing on the tip of the spear with one foot!
The ground was engulfed by lightning snakes, but Lin Zhitong stood on the spear shaft, completely unaffected!
"I've been waiting for this moment!"
Han San suddenly raised his palm above his head, his entire face turning red!
Above the Myriad Law Sect stage, a bolt of lightning suddenly appeared from a clear sky, heading directly for Lin Zhitong!
The spectators couldn't help but hold their breath.
To their surprise, Lin Zhitong produced a Daoist talisman. The talisman ignited on its own, instantly transforming into a red oil-paper umbrella!
She quickly opened the oil-paper umbrella, precisely blocking the Palm Thunder descending from the sky!
The Palm Thunder struck the oil-paper umbrella, scattering in all directions like raindrops. Where it landed, stone bricks shattered, and plants were scorched black!
But the oil-paper umbrella remained completely undamaged!
Lin Zhitong stood on the spear shaft with one foot, in a "golden rooster stands on one leg" pose, holding an oil-paper umbrella and casually resting it on her shoulder.
Combined with her black attire, veil, and the lightning swirling around her head...
This scene was truly breathtaking!
Many spectators were instantly captivated by Lin Zhitong. Moreover, it wasn't just men who admired her, but even more so, female disciples.
These female disciples had often been looked down upon by male disciples on their cultivation path. Lin Zhitong's appearance seemed to be a champion for them!
True Person Chi Qing was so awesome!
"What is the origin of this True Person Chi Qing?" the Heavenly Master asked Zhang Sishui before the Heavenly Master Hall, with curiosity.
Zhang Sishui replied absently, "Didn't the Second Elder already say? She's an independent cultivator."
"She's certainly not just a simple independent cultivator," the Heavenly Master said. "Did you see the bracelet on her wrist?"
Zhang Sishui squinted and looked for a while before finally recognizing it: "The Soul Summoning Bell of the Lushan Sect? So she's from the Lushan Sect? The disciples of various sects participating in the Luotian Grand Ceremony are all seeking fame. This girl, however, is hiding her identity. What does this mean?... Furthermore, there's a serpentine pattern on her Soul Summoning Bell, which I've never seen before."
"Her secrets are no less than Yan Shouyi's!" the Heavenly Master sighed.
Zhang Sishui asked, "Do you favor her, or Han San?"
The Heavenly Master shook his head, "It's hard to say. True Person Chi Qing is formidable, but Han San is not weak either. He's someone who has reached the third stage of Transcendent Enlightenment Sacred Realm at such a young age."
The Maoshan Sect has a theory of ten stages of Transcendent.
First Stage Transcendent: Able to know the important matters of a region immediately; ranks as Distinguished Enlightened Saint.
Second Stage Transcendent: Able to know the world's omens of fortune or misfortune; ranks as Gained Enlightened Saint.
Third Stage Transcendent: Able to know the karma and blessings of all past lives and future destinations, and the consequences of different realms; ranks as True Enlightened Saint.
Fourth Stage Transcendent: Able to reverse the mind to illuminate future fortunes and misfortunes in the dark; ranks as Connected Enlightened Saint.
Fifth Stage Transcendent: Universally knows the cause and effect, fortune and misfortune, prosperity and decline of all boundless worlds in the ten directions; ranks as Great Enlightened Saint. It is said that by knowing the cause and effect of fortune and misfortune, prosperity and decline in all realms, one ranks as Great Enlightened Saint.
Reaching the Tenth Stage Transcendent means observing all, understanding all, illuminating all, without darkness or obscurity, comprehending heaven and earth, glorifying the ten directions, remaining eternally clear, and ranking as the supremely enlightened, truly holy, and great sage.
The current sect leader of the Maoshan Sect is only at the Fifth Stage Transcendent, while the young Han San is already at the Third Stage Transcendent, only slightly behind some of the outstanding elders of the Maoshan Sect.
Despite Han San's flippant and narcissistic nature, his strength has always been evident.
Otherwise, with his personality, he would have been ambushed long ago.
Seeing that even the Heavenly Master was undecided, Zhang Sishui became even more curious about True Person Chi Qing's identity.
He directly ordered someone to contact the Lushan Sect to inquire further: "Attendants, go and contact the sect leader of Lushan Sect, Lu Jingsheng..."
"The current sect leader of the Lushan Sect is no longer Lu Jingsheng, but Lu Jing," the Heavenly Master interrupted.
"Lu Jing? That red-faced Daoist?"
"Yes, he has the same bad temper as you."
"...Attendants, go and contact Lu Jing!"
On the Myriad Law Sect stage, Han San looked at the unharmed Lin Zhitong with considerable surprise.
He curiously asked, "What kind of magical artifact is that?"
"Crimson Divine Umbrella," Lin Zhitong replied without reservation.
"Truly a valuable treasure..."
Han San sighed and said, "With this thing, my Maoshan Palm Thunder probably can't harm you anymore."
"If you have no other way, then quickly admit defeat," Lin Zhitong suggested.
Han San laughed heartily, "Admit defeat? Defeat is impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Long Feicheng, watching from below, touched his nose: "Why does what this guy is saying sound so familiar?"
Han San continued, "For so many years, I've been the only genius produced by the Maoshan Sect. I'll be too old to participate in the next Luotian Grand Ceremony. This time, I must win the championship and bring glory to my ancestors!"
"Then you're likely to be disappointed. You won't get past me in this round," Lin Zhitong said indifferently.
Han San was taken aback: "What do you mean by that?"
Everyone was confused. Was there something wrong with Lin Zhitong's reply that made Han San so sensitive?
Han San questioned sharply, "You came to participate in the Luotian Grand Ceremony not for yourself, but to guard the pass... To guard the pass, for whom?"
The crowd was also surprised that Han San's question was so insightful. Upon closer thought, it seemed to be exactly as Han San suggested!
Was she here to clear the obstacles for other participating disciples?
Could it be another hidden move by Longhu Mountain?!
The goal is to protect the Longhu Mountain disciples, ensure their smooth victory, and become the Heavenly Master!