Zhan Baisong exclaimed immediately upon seeing this.

Nie Kong smiled faintly, and the overlapping "War God Star Seal" spun back into his body. The figure of Zhan Tiantang reappeared, his face swollen like freshly dyed red cloth, but otherwise seemingly unharmed, clearly indicating Nie Kong had held back his full strength.

"Thank you!"

Zhan Tiantang understood the situation perfectly. He jumped up and managed to squeeze out those two words with a grunt.

"Your 'Three Thousand Finger Sword' is truly formidable. If I hadn't been lucky enough to obtain the 'War God Star Seal,' I would have been the one defeated."

Nie Kong chuckled and began walking toward the edge of the arena, though his mind was already pondering whether to learn this 'Three Thousand Finger Sword' technique, since the spiritual art was already within his grasp.

But the thought barely surfaced before Nie Kong let out a self-deprecating laugh. He hadn't even managed to fully cultivate the "War God Star Seal" and the "Crimson Star Battle Body," and hadn't even begun to touch the "Six Paths Battle Heart," yet he was already considering learning the "Three Thousand Finger Sword." That was indeed a bit greedy.

"This isn't about luck. Obtaining the 'War God Star Seal' is also a form of strength."

Having been complimented by Nie Kong, Zhan Tiantang's expression brightened considerably, yet he remained deeply frustrated. He had always prided himself on the "Three Thousand Finger Sword," never expecting to be defeated so soundly by a young man barely twenty who had only recently broken through to the seventh stage.

"However, if I manage to master the Three Thousand Finger Sword, I might not necessarily lose to the 'War God Star Seal' after all." Zhan Tiantang muttered to himself, regaining a measure of confidence.

"..."

"He won again, and just like last time, he won so cleanly and decisively!"

"Even Uncle Thirteen, who practices the 'Three Thousand Finger Sword,' is no match for him. Perhaps he really can secure one of the three elder positions this time."

"Don't be too quick to judge. Grand-uncle Feilong's combination of 'Phantom Shadow Formlessness' and 'Three Strikes of the Heavenly Blade' is even more potent than Uncle Thirteen's yet-to-be-mastered 'Three Thousand Finger Sword.' If those two meet later, Nie Kong is sure to be defeated."

"..."

The surrounding crowd murmured, pinning their hopes on the later matches involving the seventh-stage Black Spirit Masters. After two matches, Nie Kong's strength had certainly gained their recognition, but no matter what, having a member of the Zhan lineage become an elder was far preferable to an external disciple doing so.

Unlike the casual observers, several of the remaining six seventh-stage Black Spirit Masters looked rather troubled, clearly realizing they had no guarantee of victory against Nie Kong. If they chose to fight and lost, following the path of Zhan Tianshan and Zhan Tiantang, it would be quite humiliating.

"Zhan Ying, Zhan Baixin!"

As Zhan Baisong shouted the names, the sparring continued...

...

Only a dozen minutes later, the third round began.

"This will be over soon."

Nie Kong took a deep breath and strolled out leisurely.

Initially, Nie Kong had little interest in participating in these sparrings, but his feelings had changed by now. Many of the Zhan Clan's spiritual arts originated from Chilian, and Nie Kong's own inheritance came from the same source, meaning there were many commonalities.

In these matches, Nie Kong could basically find corresponding spiritual arts in the Crimson Star Clan's legacy for the various techniques displayed by the seventh-stage Black Spirit Masters—and if not an exact match, at least something similar. By listening intently and observing closely through so many battles, Nie Kong had benefited greatly.

After finding his place, Nie Kong turned to look back.

This time, his opponent was Zhan Baixin, one of only two women among the sixteen seventh-stage Black Spirit Masters. Her seniority was also extremely high; if one calculated based on Nie Kong addressing Zhan Tianlun as 'Big Brother,' Zhan Baixin would be considered his grandmother's generation.

"Nie Kong, this match will not be fought."

Zhan Baixin appeared to be around forty, yet possessed a graceful figure still rich with charm. However, upon sensing Nie Kong's gaze, she did not step onto the field but called out directly.

"Conceding?"

The surroundings instantly erupted in an uproar.

The crowd was both surprised and felt it was somewhat reasonable. Although Zhan Baixin was of high seniority, she hadn't entered the seventh stage long ago. In terms of actual strength, she might not even match Nie Kong's previous two opponents, Zhan Tianshan and Zhan Tiantang. If even they had lost, how could Zhan Baixin stand against the "War God Star Seal"?

"Then I thank you; I can use the rest of the time to rest," Nie Kong murmured.

Nie Kong paused for a moment, a smile touching his face, though a tinge of regret lingered in his heart. From the previous spars, Nie Kong suspected Zhan Baixin likely employed the "Misty Rain Entanglement." This spiritual art was one of the rare secret methods acquired by the Zhan Clan from Chilian that suited female practitioners. Upon successful cultivation, the user would become as hazy as smoke and rain, with no discernible point of leverage on the body, making them incredibly difficult to deal with.

Nie Kong had watched her two previous fights and was quite curious about experiencing "Misty Rain Entanglement" firsthand, expecting a challenging encounter. He hadn't anticipated Zhan Baixin choosing to concede.

"This match, Nie Kong wins!"

Zhan Baisong shook his head, then called out two more names: "Zhan Feilong, Zhan Yunsheng!" As soon as the sound fell, two figures strode toward Nie Kong.

Of these two, Zhan Feilong was about fifty, short in stature—perhaps not even reaching 1.75 meters, even shorter than Nie Kong—a rare anomaly within the Zhan Clan.

As for Zhan Yunsheng, though not burly, he was tall and slender, and his seniority was even higher than Zhan Baixin's. With the lineage of "Cloud White Flying Heaven," he was actually of the same generation as Clan Leader Zhan Yunlan.

Nie Kong smiled and nodded to both men. In less than a few minutes, one of them would become his final opponent. As they passed each other, both returned a smile, but Nie Kong noticed that Zhan Feilong's smile seemed rather peculiar, leaving one perplexed.

"Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!"

Just as he reached the edge of the arena, Nie Kong heard several faint sounds of air being sliced behind him, immediately followed by an earth-shattering cheer erupting within the Battle Heart Hall.

Nie Kong quickly turned back, only to see Zhan Yunsheng sprawled face-up on the ground, seemingly knocked unconscious. Zhan Feilong stood smiling beside him, his hands tucked into his sleeves, appearing as if he had just completed a trivial chore. Seeing Nie Kong look over, he even winked slyly.

"That fast?"

Nie Kong was momentarily stunned. He estimated the time it took him to reach the edge of the arena and hear the cheers, realizing with surprise that the entire exchange between Zhan Feilong and Zhan Yunsheng likely hadn't lasted a full second. Had that old man's cultivation reached such a terrifying level?

After a brief moment of astonishment, a smile spread across Nie Kong's face, and his fighting spirit surged. As long as the opponent was a seventh-stage Black Spirit Master, the stronger the better; this would allow him to better gauge the endurance of his "Crimson Star Battle Body."

"Zhan Feilong wins!"

Zhan Baisong swiftly announced the result, his face beaming with satisfaction. After having Zhan Yunsheng carried away, he looked at Nie Kong again: "Nie Kong, it is your turn now! Our Zhan Clan currently has fifteen elders; the victor between you two will become the sixteenth elder, and the loser, the seventeenth!"

"Alright, you may begin!"

With that, Zhan Baisong flashed away, reappearing a dozen meters distant.

"Whoosh!"

Almost the instant Zhan Baisong vanished, Zhan Feilong's figure evaporated from Nie Kong's sight like a phantom, as if he had never been there. At that moment, Nie Kong's pupils still held the reflection of Zhan Feilong's aged face, marked by that strange smile.

"Indeed fast enough!"

Nie Kong's heart skipped a beat.

The moment Zhan Feilong disappeared, Nie Kong judged that he hadn't merely moved out of sight, but had merged entirely into the surrounding space within that ten-meter radius. However, with Nie Kong's current spiritual sense, he could detect no trace of him.

"'Phantom Shadow Formlessness'?"

Those words suddenly flashed through Nie Kong's mind.

Based on the information Nie Kong gleaned from the Crimson Star Clan's inheritance, this "'Phantom Shadow Formlessness'" was also an exceptionally potent spiritual art. When activated, the practitioner would dissolve into the void, making them undetectable even to a ninth-stage expert unless they initiated an attack. Its effect was somewhat similar to the "Six Paths Shadowy Secret Art" Nie Kong acquired at Fubo Mountain, but its scope far surpassed the latter.

"Is this Zhan Feilong's strongest move?"

A strange smirk played on Nie Kong's lips, and his eyes suddenly snapped open and shut.

"Hiss!"

A sharp sound of tearing air came from the front left. Although Nie Kong couldn't see it, he clearly sensed a battle blade condensed from death energy hacking toward his left shoulder.

Nie Kong willed his left shoulder to tense rigidly.

"Wrong!"

In less than a second, Nie Kong's heart jolted. The muscles in his left rib and chest contracted violently as he simultaneously activated the "War God Star Seal."

"Hiss! Hiss!"

As expected, two wisps of death energy slanted out from where the battle blade struck, slicing directly into Nie Kong's left rib and chest, while the original strike landed on his left shoulder almost simultaneously.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

Three resonant sounds like clashing metal followed, and the space within the dozen-meter radius returned to quiet.

Nie Kong frowned slightly. He had been struck three times in an instant. His left shoulder was completely unharmed, but he felt a faint stinging sensation on his chest and left rib, akin to a mosquito bite. It seemed the two areas had suffered tiny cuts on the skin from Zhan Feilong's battle blade.

This was the price for Nie Kong's delayed reaction. Of course, this small price was entirely negligible to Nie Kong; not even a drop of blood would surface. This was also why Nie Kong hesitated to fully deploy the "Crimson Star Battle Body." Otherwise, Nie Kong could have simply stood there and let Zhan Feilong hack away. By the time Zhan Feilong exhausted his death energy and was forced to materialize, Nie Kong likely wouldn't have even a scratch.

"'Three Strikes of the Heavenly Blade'!"

Nie Kong instantly understood the spiritual art Zhan Feilong was employing.

In terms of raw destructive power, this art was inferior to the "Three Thousand Finger Sword," but when combined with "Phantom Shadow Formlessness" for surprise attacks, it became profoundly mystical. The "Three Strikes of the Heavenly Blade"—this blade, condensed from death energy, seemed to fly in from beyond the heavens, utterly formless, yet it split into three just before impact, its shifts unpredictable and impossible to guard against. However, now that Nie Kong understood Zhan Feilong's capabilities, how could he allow him to succeed further?

"'Phantom Shadow Formlessness,' 'Three Strikes of the Heavenly Blade'... No wonder he defeated Zhan Yunsheng so quickly! But your luck ends here!"

Nie Kong's mind instantly settled.

... ...