Song Xinghai took the jade pendant from Ye Bufan's hand and sighed softly, saying, "This thing, though useless now, should help me widen the gap with cultivators of the same age and cultivation level once the bottleneck disappears."
"You kid, aren't our sect's cultivation secret realms enough for you to cultivate?" Song Mingqin said.
Song Xinghai looked at Song Mingqin and said, "As the sect leader, I must lead by example. I don't spend less time in the secret realm than others, but the secret realm can help more disciples of our sect. Letting them enter is more useful than letting me enter."
Song Mingqin nodded with satisfaction upon hearing Song Xinghai's words.
"Xinghai, I certainly didn't misjudge you back then." Song Mingqin gently patted Song Xinghai's shoulder.
"Ye Bufan, the first match is over. Let's not waste any more time and start the second one," Yeda said. "This time, we're sending Mr. Sam from the Ozu Alliance."
Ye Bufan was somewhat confused as to why the Ozu Alliance suddenly had a cultivator in the middle stage of Core Formation. After all, most cultivators in Kyushu were in the early stage of Core Formation, and the number of those in the middle stage could be counted on one hand.
"Who is Kyushu preparing to send for this match?" Yeda looked smugly at the Kyushu cultivators.
Seeing Yeda's arrogant attitude, Ye Bufan finally understood. The opponent knew that Kyushu lacked cultivators in the middle stage of Core Formation, so they directly used a cultivator in the middle stage of Core Formation for the fight.
The latest news was that Ye Bufan had already entered the middle stage of Core Formation. According to the rules, cultivators could fight repeatedly if they wished.
"So they were waiting for me here," Ye Bufan murmured softly.
"Ye Bufan, as far as I know, among the younger generation of cultivators in your Kyushu, besides you, there aren't many in the middle stage of Core Formation," Yeda asked with a straight face. "Will you forfeit this match and discuss the competition format with us, or will you fight yourself? I heard you're already in the middle stage of Core Formation."
"I'll go." Just as Ye Bufan was about to step forward, Yan Yuzhu, the Palace Mistress of the Guangming Palace, suddenly called out.
Ye Bufan turned to look at Yan Yuzhu and found that she had actually reached the peak of the early stage of Core Formation. He was surprised by how much she had improved in such a short time.
"Could it be because of the Guangming Pearl of the Guangming Palace?" Ye Bufan pondered in his heart.
"Hmm? Does Kyushu have no one left? Sending a cultivator at the early stage of Core Formation for an exchange?" Sam laughed heartily as he looked at Yan Yuzhu, his voice full of mockery.
"Earlier, your cultivators at the late stage of Foundation Establishment could challenge our half-step Core Formation. Why can't I, at the peak of the early stage of Core Formation, challenge you, a cultivator in the middle stage of Core Formation?" Yan Yuzhu said to Sam without any politeness.
Sam was tall and powerfully built. Yan Yuzhu looked extremely small standing before him, as if Sam could crush her instantly if he fell over.
"Interesting." Sam sized up Yan Yuzhu. "If I'm not mistaken, you must be Ms. Yan Yuzhu, the Palace Mistress of the Guangming Palace, right? I've heard that your Guangming Palace has been recruiting female disciples all these years. Are you preparing for something with the Hehuan Sect of your demonic cult?"
"Mr. Sam, this is a friendly exchange competition. Talking about things unrelated to the competition is pointless," Ye Bufan quickly interrupted Sam.
Sam glanced at Ye Bufan and said, "Mr. Ye seems to care a lot about the Palace Mistress of the Guangming Palace. Could it be that you two..."
"Why are you foreigners so gossipy? Do you know when my neighbor's female dog is looking for a male dog?" Ye Bufan said to Sam.
"Hahahahahahahaha." Yan Yuzhu couldn't help but laugh upon hearing Ye Bufan's words.
"There's no point in talking too much. Since it's a competition and exchange, we should naturally settle it through the match. If you say too much and lose, people will just say you're good with words," Yan Yuzhu's tone carried a hint of mockery, as if calling Sam someone who only knew how to talk and play psychological games.
"Since the Palace Mistress of the Guangming Palace is determined to be defeated, I will fulfill your wish." Sam revealed a lewd smile, causing Yan Yuzhu to roll her eyes.
The two of them left the ground and slowly flew onto the martial arts stage.
"Mr. Yeda, for this match, what would you like to bet against us?" Ye Bufan asked Yeda from a distance.
"Kyushu - Guangming Palace - Yan Yuzhu."
"Ozu Alliance - Fierce Wolf Association - Sam."
Without waiting for Yeda to answer, Yan Yuzhu cupped her fists and bowed to Sam.
Sam remained motionless, showing no respect to Yan Yuzhu, and the atmosphere became tense.
"Swish—" Sam disappeared from his original spot without a sound. Yan Yuzhu's eyes narrowed, and she cursed inwardly, but it was already too late.
Sam suddenly appeared in front of Yan Yuzhu and threw a punch towards her. Yan Yuzhu dodged at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the blow which grazed her shoulder, leaving a tingling sensation.
"You actually dodged it?" Sam's eyes narrowed. He was in the middle stage of Core Formation, and Yan Yuzhu, with her early stage Core Formation strength, shouldn't have been able to dodge that attack.
"Again!" Sam intended to use the same tactic, but Yan Yuzhu wouldn't give him another chance. The moment he disappeared, Yan Yuzhu also moved.
With a graceful posture, she left an afterimage on the spot. Sam's punch hit the afterimage, which dissipated. Yan Yuzhu descended from the sky and unleashed a palm strike. A dazzling white light flashed from her palm, temporarily blinding Sam.
"Bang—"
At this moment, Sam summoned his meteor hammer and hurled it towards Yan Yuzhu like a shooting star.
Yan Yuzhu remained calm. The white light from her palm suddenly exploded. Faintly, Ye Bufan saw a round bead.
"Guangming Pearl?" Ye Bufan's eyes narrowed, and then Sam's meteor hammer was swallowed by the exploding white light. With a "thud," it broke its connection with Sam and fell to the ground, creating a small pit.
"Your meteor hammer isn't very useful either." Yan Yuzhu couldn't help but mock Sam. Then, the light enveloped Sam. Sam felt a scorching sensation all over his body, and the moisture within him was rapidly draining away.
"Buzz!" Sam was terrified. A wave of energy emanated from his body, and the surrounding white light lessened considerably. However, a lot of white light still enveloped Sam.
"What is this!" Sam's face turned extremely ugly. He exerted all his strength, trying to shake off the white light, but wherever a bit of light remained on his body, it would rapidly spread and re-cover him, like a prairie fire.