In no time, Ziling withdrew from the battlefield and landed on the ground.
“You, you’re a sixth-grade junior spirit controller? Did you use mind control on me?” At this moment, Jinxiang regained her senses, speaking with both shock and anger.
“Exactly!” Ziling nodded without hesitation, admitting it openly, as there was no need to hide what would eventually be revealed.
“I…” Jinxiang was left speechless, her face flushed with both shame and fury.
A sixth-grade junior spirit controller was simply too terrifying; her defeat was not unjust.
However, losing directly to mind control was utterly humiliating.
Yet, a loss was a loss, and there was nothing she could do about it.
“As expected, a sixth-grade junior spirit controller!”
“Good heavens, becoming a sixth-grade junior spirit controller at the age of twenty-two or twenty-three, how can such a prodigy exist?”
“With a spirit controller of this calibre at such a young age, the Zi family is destined for greatness.”
“A sixth-grade junior spirit controller, the Zi family might even claim a top spot in the preliminary rankings!”
“So this is the Zi family’s true trump card!”
Waves of astonished voices echoed from all directions, everyone utterly shocked. The other youths in the tenth group looked solemn.
Even many Martial Emperors were somewhat taken aback.
A spirit controller was immensely valuable to a family. The sixth-grade spirit controllers they hired for their families came at a steep cost.
Having their own sixth-grade spirit controller would make a monumental difference to a family.
Moreover, Ziling’s age indicated boundless potential!
“Ziling, truly remarkable!”
“I recall in the previous round, she was still a fifth-grade senior spirit controller. How did she become a sixth-grade junior spirit controller by the third round? Could it be, she refined some high-grade elixir?”
“It must be so, otherwise, breaking through a full grade of spiritual power in seven days, and crossing a major realm, is impossible. The Zi family must have emptied their coffers, right?”
“To produce a sixth-grade junior spirit controller at this moment, no cost is too great!”
“This Ziling will surely be a formidable opponent for our family!”
Many Martial Emperors sighed, some looking quite serious. The emergence of a sixth-grade junior spirit controller posed a significant challenge to their teams.
The Martial Emperor elders from the eight major sects were slightly surprised, some even considering recruiting her into their sects.
The elder from the Lingjian Sect had a strange expression, while Jian Wuque was stunned. Just over three months ago, when he visited the Zi family, Ziling was only a fifth-grade intermediate spirit controller.
He also knew that the Jade Clear Spirit Liquid he possessed was not delivered, having been stolen en route.
That Jade Clear Spirit Liquid must have ended up in the Zi family’s hands, and Ziling must have refined it to reach the fifth-grade senior spirit controller realm.
Yet, in just two rounds, she had progressed from fifth-grade senior to sixth-grade junior spirit controller. This speed was astonishing!
“No wonder, no wonder the Wanxiang Pavilion chose the Zi family; they had such a move up their sleeve!” The president of the Baichuan Sea Chamber of Commerce said gravely.
“A sixth-grade junior spirit controller is indeed formidable. The Wanxiang Pavilion has a keen eye, but our Baichuan Sea’s choice is not inferior. Duan Dongfeng’s true combat strength may not be weaker than a sixth-grade junior spirit controller,” another elder nearby remarked.
The president of the Baichuan Sea Chamber of Commerce nodded. “Our chosen Duan family is indeed strong, and within our chamber, we have Shi Jiuming. In a real contest, he may not be weaker than a newly advanced sixth-grade junior spirit controller.”
Similar sentiments echoed among the other chambers.
“It must be that the Wanxiang Pavilion possesses some elixir that allows a fifth-grade senior spirit controller to break through, which is why they chose the Zi family’s team. So this is their true trump card!” The deputy head of the Yunwu Tower said, somewhat shocked.
The head nodded, though his expression remained calm. “Our chosen Li family is no pushover. Li Luo may only be a second-stage Martial Lord, but his combat strength is formidable. Moreover, Li Huang confidently mentioned there would be surprises, so there must be an even more terrifying trump card!”
The deputy head nodded, slightly relieved.
At the Jin family’s chosen chamber, the head of the Jinxuan Hall, representing the Xing family, spoke solemnly. “Fortunately, Xing Tian of the Xing family has reached the third-stage Martial Lord realm, or we might have fallen to the Wanxiang Pavilion and the Zi family.”
On the other side.
From the Jin family’s seating area, Yin Huang’s sinister voice reached Zi Huang. “Zi Huang, it seems your Zi family has produced an extraordinary genius this time!”
“Mutual compliments,” Zi Huang replied curtly to the ill-intentioned Yin Huang.
“To nurture a sixth-grade junior spirit controller at this age, Brother Zi, your Zi family is set to make a big splash this time.” Tang Huang’s voice also reached Zi Huang. Though they were some distance apart, for Martial Emperors, such a distance posed no issue for communication.
“Indeed, with such a spirit controller, not only will you shine today, but the Zi family is likely to prosper in the future.”
“You old fox, always one step ahead!”
Several other admiring voices followed, clearly from Martial Emperor friends close to Zi Huang.
“Just luck, pure luck!” Zi Huang said modestly, though his face betrayed unmistakable joy.
At their level of cultivation, personal breakthroughs were difficult in the short term, so the focus was on their descendants.
Especially at the Southeast Region Youth Conference, which Martial Emperor didn’t want their descendants to shine and bring glory to their family?
A descendant’s success reflected their own prestige.
With Ziling breaking through to a sixth-grade spirit controller, he was naturally overjoyed.
Jin Zhihuang of the Jin family also offered congratulations, but the Jin family youths were visibly displeased, their expressions heavy.
Even Jin Yuxuan, standing outside the stone platform, looked grave.
Originally, he considered Zilong of the Zi family his primary rival, but now the Zi family had produced another sixth-grade junior spirit controller!
Ziling’s strength was likely no weaker than Zilong’s.
Now, it was as if the Zi family had gained another formidable opponent.
Watching Ziling effortlessly control a second-stage Martial Lord genius with her mind, Lin Xiao was also shocked.
It seemed that the gap between a sixth-grade junior spirit controller and a fifth-grade senior spirit controller was vast, with mind control abilities becoming far more potent.
Her combat strength had doubled.
This level of power had already reached that of her master, Master Anmiao.
Of course, that assumed Master Anmiao had not broken through.
“Really, she’s actually a sixth-grade junior spirit controller!”
After Ziling’s own admission, the crowd was shocked again, waves of astonished voices rising once more.
The appearance of a sixth-grade junior spirit controller stunned the scene, but soon, attention shifted back to the battlefield.
Battles raged on every level of the arena, one after another, with new matches starting soon after a victor was decided.
Each battle was immensely powerful, a clear step above the second round.
Lin Xiao’s gaze swept across the battlefield. Duan Dongfeng and Luo Zheng had yet to determine a winner, their fight growing fiercer, reaching a fever pitch with various trump cards and techniques unleashed endlessly.
“It’s over!”
At that moment, a cold shout rang out. A cyan glow burst from Duan Dongfeng’s body. His exposed arms and neck sprouted patches of cyan scales, exuding a terrifying beastly aura that swept across the first-level battlefield, with terrifying fluctuations emanating from him.
“That’s… the Cyan Scale Physique. Duan Dongfeng actually possesses the Cyan Scale Physique!”
Seeing the changes in Duan Dongfeng, someone exclaimed.
“The Cyan Scale Physique, that’s a powerful beastly physique!”
Luo Huang’s expression instantly grew heavy.
Duan Huang, the Duan family, and the president of the Baichuan Sea Chamber of Commerce, who collaborated with the Duan family, all showed expressions of joy, as they had known this beforehand.
This was precisely why Baichuan Sea chose the Duan family.
Meanwhile, the other chambers and the families allied with them looked grave. This physique was extremely powerful and posed a significant threat to their teams.
Zi Huang Lingxiao and Shi Jindou’s expressions grew serious. The stronger Duan Dongfeng was, the greater the threat to Lin Xiao.
After all, Lin Xiao’s cultivation was only at the sixth-stage Martial Venerable realm. Lin Xiao frowned slightly; Duan Dongfeng’s true strength was indeed formidable, and defeating him would not be easy.
