Defeated? I may not be able to beat you, but I certainly won't let you win; what I cannot possess, neither shall you have.

This was the strategy Feng Zikang had just conveyed to Gu Ya. This boy, with his pure heart, hadn't considered such a path, and was immediately filled with profound admiration.

As Gu Ya voiced this statement, several of the quick-witted disciples caught on instantly and burst into applause. Those whose minds were slower to turn grabbed the person beside them to inquire.

Meng Qinglu broke out in a cold sweat across his back. Although his expression remained unchanged, his smile appeared forced no matter how one looked at it.

Could it be...

"Destroy the Battle Banner!"

Gu Ya waved his hand decisively, displaying considerable presence.

Destroy the Battle Banner. Since the opponent utilized a loophole in the rules to win, they would counter with poison to attack poison—destroying the very foundation of those rules!

Liang Si’an turned back to offer aid; recovering the Battle Banner wasn't impossible. The critical point was that the banner had already fallen into Gu Zhongli's hands. According to the rules, the array battle was concluded at that moment. Even if Liang Si’an possessed divine power capable of instantly killing everyone present, he had already lost.

It was incredibly stifling, which was why his bitter-melon face hadn't recovered. Hearing Gu Ya's words, he felt a regret so deep it was as if blood were dripping from his heart!

Why hadn't he thought of that at the time?

It was absolutely too late for him to rush back and stop Gu Zhongli from seizing the banner. But if he had acted immediately to destroy the banner the moment he appeared, there might still have been a chance!

By turning back and destroying the Battle Banner, Team Bing indeed had no path to victory, but Team Jia had not won either.

If Team Jia had secured the Banner of Bing, it would naturally mean absorbing all the remaining members of Team Bing, and Liang Si’an would lose. However, if the lost or destroyed banner belonged to a routed force, they were considered broken troops, and only upon their complete annihilation could the array battle end.

Given the situation then, the ones who would be annihilated were clearly not Liang Si’an’s routed force, but the already scattered Team Jia. If Liang Si’an had managed to seize the Banner of Jia afterward to conclude the battle, although that contest would have no winner, he would not have lost face.

Gu Ya recounted this with a childlike voice, feeling immensely pleased. Since he was young, he had never received such validation.

"Excellent!"

Yuan Buhuan smiled and nodded, "Gu Ya, did you think of this yourself?"

Gu Ya shook his head like a rattle drum, tapping the back of his skull, which produced a hollow sound. He answered honestly, "Senior Martial Uncle Yuan, my mind is like a wooden fish; how could I devise such a method?"

He pointed behind him, indicating Feng Zikang, "The one who conceived this idea is Senior Brother Feng from the Small Bamboo Grove!"

"Small Bamboo Grove?"

"Senior Brother Feng?"

Amidst the hushed whispers of the Military School disciples, Feng Zikang's name spread farther and wider. Only a select few core inner disciples knew he was the former simpleton, but they wisely kept their mouths shut. Applause rose from the outer disciples, and Luo Kedi, who had met Feng Zikang once, cheered loudly from a tree branch in triumph.

"Splendid! I never expected Junior Brother Ye to accept such an exceptional disciple! First, make oneself invincible, then wait for the enemy's chance to be defeated! Martial Nephew Feng, at such a young age, you can already innovate and perfectly interpret the Art of War! Marvelous! The great Dao of the Military School has successors!"

Yuan Buhuan recognized him as Ye Tiansheng’s personal disciple. His cultivation was average, but he was unrestrained in his praise. Having just commended Meng Qinglu, he now heaped endless compliments upon Feng Zikang.

Once the Sect Master spoke, the Military School disciples, who already felt Feng Zikang had defended their honor, grew even more excited, clapping, cheering, and shouting incessantly.

Feng Zikang humbly declined, repeatedly saying he was unworthy, and thanked his fellow disciples all around, which drew another round of applause.

He hadn't intended to seek fame; it was merely an instinctive disdain for Meng Qinglu, a deliberate effort to curb the Confucian newcomer's arrogance. This Confucian visitor, with his deep schemes and brilliant tactics, was truly irritating.

Meng Qinglu, the victor of the array battle, was dumbfounded, realizing that the limelight which should have been his had been completely seized by another.

A move short! His earlier calculated display had only served as a pedestal for someone else.

Although he managed to maintain his composure, a slight sheen of sweat formed on his brow. Today, he had intended to win the complete conviction of all the mountain disciples, but one careless mistake meant failure. Instead, he had alienated the entire body of disciples; mixing in Dragon Tiger Mountain would be difficult from now on!

However, he was no ordinary person. He finally walked actively towards Feng Zikang and bowed respectfully.

"I have long heard that the lineage of the Small Bamboo Grove excels at strategizing within the command tent to secure victories thousands of miles away. Seeing you today confirms the rumors! I was presumptuous just now, hoping to cast a brick to attract jade, and indeed, witnessing the spirit of a Military School disciple has utterly convinced this Qinglu!"

He bowed deeply, his face outwardly showing absolute sincerity. Gu Ya, who already disliked him, merely snorted upon seeing his obsequiousness, refraining from further sarcastic remarks.

Feng Zikang gave a faint smile. This Meng Qinglu, capable of yielding and bending, was indeed a formidable character. It was unfortunate for him that the moment he arrived at Dragon Tiger Mountain, he encountered Feng Zikang. After this setback today, it would take him some time to establish true influence on Sunset Peak.

In a few years, he should have risen above the petty squabbles of the third generation disciples of the Dragon Tiger Gate. Why bother concerning himself with such an insignificant figure now?

Feng Zikang was unaware that his single statement today, which had subdued Meng Qinglu, would spread like wildfire among the outer disciples of the Military School, becoming the genesis of his future legend in the military arts, from heaven to earth—a memory he would only smile at when recalled later.

Seeing Feng Zikang subdue Meng Qinglu, the surrounding disciples cheered his name even louder, fostering an atmosphere of intense camaraderie.

Yuan Buhuan waved his hands several times atop the high platform before the scene quieted down.

"The array battle is concluded. Next is the time for the disciples of Sunset Peak to independently verify their cultivation!"

"Excellent!"

The gathered Military School disciples erupted in cheers. After all, the array formations of military strategy seemed comparatively dull. Many had only come to watch the spectacle. One-on-one duels were far more intense and exciting, allowing them to witness various divine abilities firsthand. The outer disciples yearned for it, and the inner disciples were eager to test their own cultivation against their fellow brothers from Sunset Peak to gauge their relative standing.

Yuan Buhuan smiled slightly, extended a finger, and a beam of azure light sliced through the air. In the emptiness, a mountain peak suddenly materialized, its summit perpetually capped with snow, shrouded in faint, swirling mist.

This peak hung suspended in mid-air, its reality ambiguous—whether true or illusory. The exterior seemed encased in a membrane of water, like a bubble, refracting sunlight into seven colors, making it appear even more magnificent and mystical.

"Disciples participating in the contest will fight with their true bodies within the Lesser Sumeru Realm. This is unlike the illusionary realms of the Landscape Scroll; this is a genuine contest of true blades and spears. All disciples must stop when the point is made; do not intentionally harm fellow disciples!"

This was the technique of opening an independent realm. Only Golden Core stage cultivators could achieve this through magical artifacts, but Yuan Buhuan wielded it with such apparent ease that he must have put in considerable effort.

When disciples sparred within the Lesser Sumeru Realm, they could deploy any supernatural ability without worrying about causing external environmental damage. The entire process would be projected onto a celestial screen, clearly visible to all spectators.

Faced with the astonishing sight before them, the outer disciples were speechless, unable even to cheer, their eyes full of yearning. Even the inner core disciples with higher cultivation were filled with envy and admiration for this Lesser Sumeru Realm.

It seemed this portly Sect Master also intended to demonstrate some skill to prevent being looked down upon.

However, Feng Zikang was unimpressed. This technique of opening an independent realm was something he could naturally execute when his cultivation reached that level. Moreover, this so-called Lesser Sumeru Realm only encompassed the scope of a single mountain peak; it was hardly a grand divine ability.

"In today's Grand Competition, a total of sixteen disciples will verify their cultivation..."

Yuan Buhuan read out the names for the eight pairings. The final match was Huo Zhongguang challenging Liang Si'an!