Chapter 0362: Venomous Spider

Chapter 0362: Venomous Spider

The spider web on the martial stage was burned away in moments.

Zhu Hu was nearly roasted like a spider, his body charred black.

He lay on the ground, looking at Qin Yun with fear, his voice trembling as he said, "I admit defeat!"

Qin Yun clapped his hands, waited for the formation to be withdrawn, and then walked off the martial stage!

Those who had previously thought he was a "weakling" could feel the residual heat on the stage, which clearly showed the depth of Qin Yun's inner energy!

His inner energy was remarkably pure—this was definitely not a "weakling"!

The elders from other sects and schools immediately felt regret. They had missed a promising talent!

Not to mention anything else, just Qin Yun's powerful flames alone, if utilized to assist alchemists or Runes Masters, would achieve more with less effort.

Zhu Hu was quickly taken away. As a venomous spider, he was extremely afraid of fire.

He had been confident of victory, but now, before he could even release his poison, he was nearly roasted.

Hong Yan wasn’t surprised. He was well aware of Qin Yun's strength, which was on par with his own.

"Nice job, Xiao Yun! I didn’t expect your flames to be so strong!" Wei Zhongzheng chuckled. "In the future, you can assist me in alchemy. If you cultivate for a few more years, your flames will surely become even stronger!"

Wei Zhongzheng was actually an alchemist!

Qin Yun was also interested in alchemy and medicine. Having a master to guide him would be far better than figuring things out on his own.

The next few matches were also extremely brutal.

The losers were all badly injured.

Xing Feike, in particular, was ruthlessly brutal, almost crippling his opponents. But because he had a grandfather in the Xuan Martial realm, no one dared to call him out.

The eight matches wrapped up quickly, and the second round of the top eight advancing to the semifinals would take place in the afternoon.

After a little over an hour’s rest, the second round began.

The second round still assigned opponents by drawing lots.

In this round, Qin Yun was first up!

His opponent was a man in his thirties, tall and over two meters in height, who was very polite.

Qin Yun sized up his opponents during matches.

For example, the man he was facing now was not a mean or deceitful person. Therefore, the two of them were truly sparring.

This kind of sparring was a competition of martial skills, targeting each other’s weaknesses, which offered great rewards.

As a result, their match went on for some time.

In the end, Qin Yun used the Mountain-Toppling Style to knock his opponent down.

The man, having sparred with Qin Yun for so long, knew that his strength was inferior. So, after being knocked down, he promptly conceded.

The next two matches wrapped up quickly, with the outcomes decided in no time.

The fourth match was between Jiang Zhihu and Xing Feike!

By now, it was nearly evening.

After stepping onto the stage, Jiang Zhihu's expression turned very serious. He knew Xing Feike was a very malicious person, having even schemed against Qin Yun and many other warriors during the mountain climb.

"You're buddies with Qin Yun, so you must know a thing or two about me, huh?" Xing Feike sneered. He wore green, tall and lanky, with a sharp, sinister face that radiated an evil aura.

Jiang Zhihu was furious because Xing Feike not only showed no remorse but even boasted about his actions!

"You vile scoundrel, you pushed Brother Yun down during the climb, and I won't let you off the hook!" Jiang Zhihu roared.

"Then bring it on!" Xing Feike laughed loudly.

Jiang Zhihu charged forward in a rage, clashing fiercely with Xing Feike.

Before stepping onto the stage, Qin Yun had warned Jiang Zhihu to be extra cautious. He was also concerned that Xing Feike might resort to ruthless tactics against Jiang Zhihu.

Jiang Zhihu's strength was impressive, and he held his own against Xing Feike, instantly earning the respect of many for his straightforward and bold nature.

It was worth noting that Xing Feike's grandfather was at the Xuan Martial realm, and he had grown up in a high-level martial city, giving him a significant advantage in martial cultivation over most.

Yet, Jiang Zhihu, from an ordinary background, managed to hold his own against Xing Feike!

Qin Yun watched the match closely, his eyes wide open, especially when Xing Feike's face twisted with anger.

Suddenly, as Xing Feike swung his palm, several thin objects shot out towards Jiang Zhihu!

"Brother Hu, look out for hidden weapons!" Qin Yun shouted in alarm.

Qin Yun could see it, and so could many elders at the Spirit Martial realm!

Jiang Zhihu was struck by the hidden weapons, causing him excruciating pain, and Xing Feike swiftly moved in, landing a series of brutal blows on Jiang Zhihu!

The protective barrier vanished abruptly, and Granny Ye, seething with anger, stepped in to shield Jiang Zhihu.

"Xing Feike, you used hidden weapons—that's against the rules!" Granny Ye shouted angrily.

"That's my Seven Sword Martial Soul; I shrunk the seven swords. How can that be considered a hidden weapon?" Xing Feike sneered. "If you don't believe me, check his body for any remnants of hidden weapons."

An elder from Jian Xuan Mountain also stepped forward, smiling, "Granny Ye, Ak's Martial Soul is indeed the Seven Sword Martial Soul, not a hidden weapon!"

Granny Ye examined Jiang Zhihu's body, finding several small wounds caused by something sharp and tiny. She inspected carefully but found no remnants.

"Brother Hu, you alright?" Qin Yun quickly asked.

"I'm fine, but that guy is really despicable!" Although Jiang Zhihu had been brutally beaten several times, his strong physique and the tree Martial Soul protecting his core prevented any serious damage.

"Granny Ye, did Ak win this match?" the elder from Jian Xuan Mountain asked.

"Xing Feike is the winner!" Granny Ye, though very displeased, had to announce it because she had no evidence to prove that Xing Feike had used hidden weapons.

Qin Yun approached Wei Zhongzheng and muttered, "This Xing Feike is really full of tricks! He pushed me down when we were on the mountain!"

Hong Yan said, "This guy will stop at nothing to win first place! The allure of first place is indeed great; winning can elevate one's realm. Even I regret not participating in the selection!"

Hong Yan was also at the first level of the martial body, and breaking through to the second level was very difficult for him.

Wei Zhongzheng frowned and said, "Xiao Yun, if you encounter someone like this, you must be very careful! His Martial Soul is indeed the Seven Sword Martial Soul, but what he just shot out was definitely a hidden weapon, it just disappeared after entering the body! It's a very sophisticated hidden weapon!"

"Sect Leader, I'll be careful!" Qin Yun nodded.

Even though it was a martial arts competition, it wrapped up in just one afternoon.

When night fell, everyone headed back to their tents to rest.

...

The sun lit up the ground, and everyone emerged from their tents.

They soon found out that several elders from the Xuan Martial Realm had arrived.

Today, they’d crown the final winner, and multiple elders from the Xuan Martial Realm would jointly forge a life mark for the victor, allowing them to step into the second level of martial arts!

The morning brought the third round, narrowing the field from four to two.

Qin Yun was up against a woman named Yan Liru.

The first match was between Qin Yun and Yan Liru!

They quickly made their way to the platform.

Yan Liru was dressed in a light pink gown. She stood on the platform, her enchanting eyes slightly narrowed, gazing at Qin Yun with a seductive glint.

Qin Yun met her gaze, and before he knew it, his body started to heat up.

"Let the match begin!" Granny Ye shouted.

As soon as it began, Qin Yun saw a flash—Yan Liru’s pink dress dissolved into a swirling pink mist.

The mist lightly wrapped around her snow-white, graceful figure, making for a mesmerizing sight.

Qin Yun was stunned, and in that instant, he felt Yan Liru’s palm rushing toward him.

"This woman... she’s using mental energy to mess with me!"

Qin Yun’s mental energy was off the charts, and he snapped out of it in a flash.

He swiftly unleashed the Ten Thousand Horses Palm, channeling the Great Dao’s power, and aimed it straight at Yan Liru’s jade-like palm.

Yan Liru let out a soft cry, "Ah!"

She hadn’t expected Qin Yun to shake off her enchantment and counterattack so fiercely.

Yan Liru’s palm turned red as she cried, "I surrender!"

She shot Qin Yun a resentful glance before stepping off the platform.

Qin Yun was secretly impressed. Yan Liru looked fragile, but her defense was rock-solid.

Even after taking the Ten Thousand Horses Palm, she only stumbled back two steps, her palm reddened.

Yan Liru realized her enchantment didn’t work on Qin Yun, and after their palm clash, she knew she was outmatched.

With that, Qin Yun moved on to the final round!

Xing Feike was in the second match, and his opponent, a sharp-faced man, wisely surrendered as soon as he stepped onto the platform.

Now, Qin Yun and Xing Feike would compete for first place in the afternoon! The final match wouldn’t start until the Xuan Martial Realm warriors arrived.

The Xuan-level sects participating in the Xuanying selection will send Xuan Martial realm warriors, totaling about twenty to thirty.

With their combined efforts, they can help the first-place warrior forge a life mark.

...

A sudden scream came from the tent on Gourd Mystic Island!

Hearing it, Qin Yun and Hong Yan rushed over.

Wei Zhongzheng followed as well.

Inside the tent, Jiang Zhihu was vomiting black blood, his eyes bloodshot, and he kept screaming in agony.

"Brother Hu! Brother Hu!" Qin Yun was also shocked, his face turning pale upon seeing this.

"Brother! Be careful of that bastard Xing Feike!" Jiang Zhihu endured the severe pain, vomiting black blood as he spoke.

Wei Zhongzheng quickly stepped forward, placing his palm on Jiang Zhihu's chest, his expression changing drastically: "It’s a terrifying parasitic insect! It’s lodged in the heart, constantly absorbing blood to grow stronger. Fortunately, the insect hasn't reproduced!"

The elder from Gourd Mystic Island frowned and asked, "How could there be such an insect?"

"It was put there by Xing Feike!" Qin Yun said coldly, "I won’t let that bastard get away with this!"

"My Dao Pill has this kind of insect too!" Jiang Zhihu was in less pain now.

Wei Zhongzheng quickly inspected the Dao Pill and used his energy to kill the insect.

"The Dao Pill is severely damaged!"

The elder from Gourd Mystic Island examined it, his expression changing: "Jiang Zhihu, given your condition... you can’t join Gourd Mystic Island anymore!"

Jiang Zhihu's face turned pale: "Elder, how can you break your promise? It was Xing Feike who did this to me. Aren't you going to hold him accountable?"

The elder shook his head: "There’s no proof it was him... I’m sorry. Here are one hundred thousand purple spirit coins and a storage bag as compensation for you!"