"Yiren and Yushun's battle, ah…"
Yan Shouyi gazed at the two figures facing each other on the Myriad Laws Altar, unsure of whom to cheer for.
Though his relationship with Yushun was decent, they had known each other for too short a time. Even with Liu Yiren, whom he knew longer, their awkward relationship made it inappropriate to say more than a few words, let alone cheer for her.
Seeing Yan Shouyi's predicament, Lin Zitong casually suggested, "Let's make a bet."
"A bet?" Yan Shouyi looked bewildered. "What do you mean?"
"I bet Yu Lumen wins, and you bet Liu Yiren wins. The stakes are all the housework for a year upon our return. How about it?"
Abbess Guanyun, standing nearby, couldn't help but glance at Lin Zitong, thinking that this girl was not only emotionally intelligent but also remarkably magnanimous.
She knew Yan Shouyi was in a difficult position, so she deliberately proposed a bet to give him a legitimate reason to cheer for Liu Yiren.
While Yu Lumen had a good rapport with Yan Shouyi, his standing in Yan Shouyi's heart was undoubtedly incomparable to Liu Yiren's.
"It seems this little girl is quite confident," Abbess Guanyun thought with a smile.
How could any other woman accept their husband cheering for a woman he had been intimate with?
Lin Zitong's behavior endeared her even more to Abbess Guanyun.
"Then, let's bet!"
Yan Shouyi didn't think too much about it, his attention solely captured by the prospect of a year's worth of housework.
Lin Zitong nodded and directly shouted towards the stage, "Yu Lumen, go for it!"
Hearing the voice, Yu Lumen turned back inexplicably.
*Is his wife familiar with me? Why is she cheering for me?*
Immediately after, Yan Shouyi also shouted, "Yiren, go for it!"
Yu Lumen: "..."
*Hmph, men.*
*Yesterday, you said you wanted to be friends, and today you're cheering for my opponent.*
*I see through you.*
Liu Yiren was also surprised, wondering what kind of charade this couple, Yan Shouyi and Lin Zitong, were playing.
However, receiving Yan Shouyi's cheers brought a flicker of happiness to Liu Yiren's heart.
"As I said before, blades have no eyes. Stop when you've made contact."
The Daoist priest finished speaking, struck the gong, and announced the start of the match!
The audience seats gradually quieted down.
Yu Lumen and Liu Yiren each occupied one side of the Myriad Laws Altar, their positions directly facing each other. Neither gave way an inch. The tension of the match had, in fact, begun even before the gong sounded.
Some people began to whisper:
"I know this Liu Yiren. The Grand Elder brought her back from outside a month ago, and she's been in seclusion ever since."
"So Liu Yiren only joined the sect a month ago? How can she possess such strength?"
"Could it be that the Grand Elder gave her special training?"
As the crowd murmured, Liu Yiren suddenly raised her hand, her fingertip glowing with golden light, as she drew talismans in the air!
Wherever her fingertip passed, golden light lingered in the air, forming golden talismans.
She drew five talismans in front of her in quick succession.
Once the five talismans were formed, they surrounded Liu Yiren in the center.
Then, Liu Yiren gently tapped one of the talismans in front of her. The talisman instantly shattered, merging into her body.
At that moment, Liu Yiren's aura surged, and the power fluctuations emanating from her body even caused her sleeves to billow!
Had anyone observed closely, they would have noticed that the five talismans drawn by Liu Yiren bore the characters "Tai, Hua, Heng, Heng, Song," corresponding to the names of the Five Great Mountains!
The talisman Liu Yiren had shattered was the Heng talisman.
Suddenly, someone exclaimed, "Th-this is 'Destiny of the Five Peaks'?! It's a supreme technique passed down alongside the Dragon-Tiger Secret Script! So Liu Yiren is the other owner of a Dragon-Tiger Secret Script from Longhu Mountain!"
The realization dawned on everyone, and they began to discuss furiously.
"What is 'Destiny of the Five Peaks'?! Is there anyone knowledgeable enough to explain!"
"I am knowledgeable! I'll tell you! Back when the First Heavenly Master of Longhu Mountain was refining the Nine Heavens Divine Elixir on Longhu Mountain, dragons and tigers appeared upon its completion. Not only did he impart various secret manuals and scriptures to the First Heavenly Master, but he also passed down two supreme techniques: 'Incantation of Myriad Spirits' and 'Destiny of the Five Peaks.' Now, each inheritor of a Dragon-Tiger Secret Script receives one of these two supreme techniques upon obtaining the script!"
"Among them, 'Incantation of Myriad Spirits' originates from the Azure Dragon. It can command all beasts, summon myriad birds, and control all things!"
"As for 'Destiny of the Five Peaks,' it involves drawing talismans in the air to harness the power of the Five Great Mountains and absorb the essence of all things to enhance one's cultivation!"
Someone shouted, "Based on what you're saying, 'Destiny of the Five Peaks' is far more powerful than 'Incantation of Myriad Spirits'! Isn't this supreme technique a modern version of the Star Absorbing Technique?"
The knowledgeable person shook his head. "You all are unaware that 'Destiny of the Five Peaks' has significant limitations. It can only absorb five times in total, and digesting even five or six tenths each time is considered good. Moreover, once another's cultivation is absorbed, it becomes very difficult for one's own cultivation to progress further. Therefore, 'Destiny of the Five Peaks' is only suitable for those with little talent, little cultivation, and no grand ambitions!"
Only then did the crowd gain a general understanding of 'Destiny of the Five Peaks.'
The person then commented, "Judging by Liu Yiren's appearance, she has only used one of the five opportunities. Who knows whose abilities she absorbed to achieve such terrifying momentum!"
Indeed, Liu Yiren's momentum was extraordinary. Yan Shouyi even felt that even if Zhang Wuma were to stand on the stage now, he might not be her match.
Yuan Jianxin also stared at Liu Yiren with a furrowed brow, perhaps not approving of those who cultivated 'Destiny of the Five Peaks.'
After shattering the Heng talisman, Liu Yiren's aura greatly increased, and she finally revealed her weapon – two ghost-catching rods, each about the length of an arm!
These two ghost-catching rods were once the Dharma artifacts of Zhang Sishui. Countless evil spirits and fierce souls had been subdued beneath them. Their quality was not much inferior to the coffin-carrying poles of the coffin bearers.
Thus, upon seeing Liu Yiren's Dharma treasure, Yu Lumen couldn't help but glance at the Old Heavenly Master.
His resentful gaze seemed to say: *Look at your disciples, Master. You even passed your signature Dharma treasure to her, yet you won't even give me a single hair!*
After adjusting her state, Liu Yiren charged towards Yu Lumen!
Her speed was extreme, leaving only swirling dust in the air behind her. In an instant, she was before Yu Lumen!
Yu Lumen did not dare to be careless. He reached into his sleeve, as if to retrieve something.
The crowd was very curious about what Dharma treasure Yu Lumen would use.
However, in the next second, what Yu Lumen produced was a jade-green bamboo strip!
The bamboo strip was only slightly longer than the ghost-catching rods. At its base, it wasn't even as thick as an adult's thumb. At the tip grew a few jade-green bamboo leaves, which seemed to carry crystal-clear dewdrops.
This bamboo strip looked as if it had just been plucked from a bamboo forest.
Liu Yiren knew Yu Lumen's power well. Therefore, even though she saw him produce a seemingly unreliable weapon, she showed no signs of holding back, smashing down with her ghost-catching rods!
Yu Lumen, holding the bamboo strip with one hand, flipped his wrist, making the end of the bamboo strip spin. An invisible force, like a vortex, drew Liu Yiren's ghost-catching rod aside!
Liu Yiren frowned. This force gave her a feeling of "using a thousand pounds to deflect four ounces."
Seeing that the first blow was ineffective, Liu Yiren hesitated not at all and followed up with her other ghost-catching rod!
Yu Lumen, seeing this, struck the original bamboo strip fiercely with the bamboo strip in his hand. It then rebounded, striking the other ghost-catching rod!
Liu Yiren's tiger's mouth was numbed by the impact. Her heart was filled with horror. The seemingly fragile bamboo strip possessed such power in Yu Lumen's hands!
If this bamboo strip were to strike someone, it would probably break several bones on the spot!