Chapter 2148 — The Trial Round

"Naturally. With so many family elders and sect masters here as witnesses, since I have brought out this spirit beast, I am fully prepared to lose it!" Master Wo was overjoyed at the sight of what Wei Zhao handed over, yet as he mulled over Wei Zhao's words, he was thoroughly contemptuous. You, Wei Zhao, think you can touch an ancient spirit beast? That is nothing but a fool's dream!

In Master Wo's view, Wei Zhao had grown swollen-headed after defeating the spirit wolf earlier, believing he could do something to the Wind-Thunder Violet Lightning Beast—utter idiocy! Even if Wei Zhao were to unleash that heaven-shaking, ghost-weeping ultimate move of his, the one that had instantly slain Ma Dashen of the Golden Bell Sect, he still would not be able to do a thing to the Wind-Thunder Violet Lightning Beast!

This Wind-Thunder Violet Lightning Beast was not called that for no reason—there was a reason for the name! Its bodily attribute transcended the Five Elements, possessing both the wind attribute and the thunder attribute!

The wind attribute manifested in speed—witness its lightning-fast pursuit—and that was why it was called the wind attribute.

The thunder attribute could not yet be displayed for now, but once the Wind-Thunder Violet Lightning Beast advanced to a certain level of strength and could unleash martial techniques, those techniques would be violet lightning—a lethal blow to any enemy!

So never mind that the Wind-Thunder Violet Lightning Beast was thick-skinned and tough to begin with and would not be harmed by Wei Zhao; even if it sensed something amiss, it could flee at wind speed. As such, in Master Wo's view, it was utterly impossible for Wei Zhao to do anything to this beast.

"Good. Since Master Wo is so magnanimous, then my spirit medicine fruit has not been given in vain!" Wei Zhao smiled faintly. It was precisely this sentence from Master Wo that he had wanted!

Otherwise, should this ancient spirit beast of his run into trouble later, he would come harping at Wei Zhao without end.

"Very well. Since everyone has reached a consensus, I shall announce the rules of the final trial round!" Elder Zhao said. "This contest is called the Spirit Beast Survival Trial! What that means is this: the contestants and the spirit beasts are placed together in one space, and whoever endures the longest is the winner; second and third places are then determined in order of duration!

Of course, although this contest is called the Spirit Beast Survival Trial, you do not necessarily have to fight the spirit beast. You may hide, you may try to curry favor with it, and of course, if you do not mind dying, you may also stand your ground and tough it out—so this contest is an all-around test of the contestants.

That said, this contest is also extraordinarily dangerous. Without a certain level of ability, losing your life on the spot would be no exaggeration! So those faint of heart may concede and need not take part!"

Though Elder Zhao said one could concede, that was merely a limit set by the rules—after all, not every disciple of the Hidden World Families and sects would wish to throw their lives away, and one could hardly forbid them from withdrawing. It was only that Elder Zhao feared Wei Zhao might also concede, and so he deliberately glanced at Wei Zhao as he spoke.

Yet seeing Wei Zhao's unruffled expression, Elder Zhao felt his heart ease. It seemed Wei Zhao would not give up—and good, for so long as Wei Zhao did not give up, he was certain to die.

"Good. Such are the rules of this contest. Any who do not wish to take the field may concede immediately, and thereby avoid the danger!" Elder Zhao said. "Those who do not concede shall draw lots in turn, and according to the order of the draw, they shall face the Spirit Beast Survival Trial one by one. There is no limit on the duration of a bout, so if the trials cannot be concluded today, they shall continue tomorrow! First, on behalf of our Hidden Zhao Family, I withdraw."

Elder Zhao's announcement of withdrawal rather stunned those present, but shortly after, Elder Yu of the Hidden Yu Family spoke up as well: "Our Hidden Yu Family withdraws as well."

"Heh heh, our Hidden Zhuang Family has merely come to watch the excitement—this trial round may be dispensed with!" Elder Zhuang said with a faint smile.

"Our Hidden You Family withdraws as well..." Elder You said flatly. Although Yu Dake had already returned to the Hidden You Family, he declined to take the field on the grounds that his injuries were not yet healed.

Elder You, for his part, harbored no suspicion; he merely examined Yu Dake's injuries and found that they had indeed been healed by the Lesser Rejuvenation Pill and the Meridian-Unblocking Pill, with a certain amount of medicinal efficacy still unrefined within his body, and so he did not doubt in the slightest that Yu Dake had any problem.

The Hidden You Family never lacked capable hands seeking to attach themselves to it, and since such a capable Earth-rank mid-stage expert had cured himself with pills and returned to the Hidden You Family, Elder You had decisively no reason to refuse him.

"Though withdrawing is a rather face-losing affair, our Hidden Tang Family... also gives up!" Elder Tang said with a faint smile.

Wei Zhao narrowed his eyes slightly. He had not expected quite so many Hidden World Families to withdraw outright from this final trial round. This was a double stake they were wagering—did they not want it? Yet their action also sounded a warning bell for Wei Zhao.

It seemed this final contest boded ill. Clearly these people already knew the difficulty of this final contest, and so had all chosen to withdraw!

As a result, the contestants remaining were only the Qianshan Sect, the Golden Bell Sect, the Fire Wolf Gang, and the Hidden Pi Family, along with the Hidden Han Family that Wei Zhao represented—half of the field gone at a stroke, something unprecedented in the previous contests.

"Good. In that case, the remaining five families shall draw lots to determine the order!" Elder Zhao said.

Under Elder Zhao's arrangement, the five families came up one by one to draw, and the order emerged: first the Hidden Pi Family, then the Fire Wolf Gang, the Golden Bell Sect, the Hidden Han Family, and the Qianshan Sect! The Qianshan Sect was placed last—whether by coincidence, or by some tampering with the draw to arrange it so deliberately, Wei Zhao did not bother to look into such trifling details; it made no difference now.

Once the order was settled, they all walked out of the council hall and headed for the martial ground behind it. By now the martial ground had been fully prepared: within a massive metal cage stood a strange spirit beast!

This spirit beast resembled a qilin beast yet was not quite one; a single horn grew on its head, making it look like some hybrid of a one-horned pegasus and a qilin beast—to call it a "four-unlike" was the most accurate description.

"Will the contestant of the first bout—the disciple of the Hidden Pi Family—take the stage and proceed to the vicinity of the cage, where Master Wo will assist in sending you inside!" Elder Zhao said. "Of course, once you enter the cage, your life and death are in the hands of fate. Though you may concede inside the cage, there is no guarantee that, in the interval after you concede and before you safely leave the cage, you will not be attacked by the Wind-Thunder Violet Lightning Beast—so please prepare yourselves mentally. Conceding before you enter the cage is also permitted."