The day's petition began, with a sea of people gathering as disciples from various peaks arrived. Many inner sect disciples and direct disciples came to watch, along with quite a few elders.

  Standing amidst the crowd, Lin Hao suddenly sensed a venomous gaze fixed on him.

  Turning his head slightly, he couldn't help but smirk inwardly.

  As expected, it was Jiang Mingfei. Uo win oage, he was res to underhaactics?

  Lin Hao was unafraid. The Xuan Yi had strict rules, and within the sect, Jiang Mingfei wouldn't dare to openly attack him. Even if he left the sect, Lin Hao wasn't too worried.

  Not to mentioher Jiang Mingfei could track him down, Lin Hao believed that after reag the Foundatioablishment stage, seeking higher-level female cultivators would rapidly enhance his strength. Why would he fear a mere Qi Refining cultivator, even if the oppo had an elder as a grandfather?

  "The top three of the petition, please e up to draw lots."

  Uhe watchful eyes of the crowd, Lin Hao slowly asded the high ptform. The top three battle was a round-robin tour, where each of the three would face off against the others.

  Gng at the bamboo lot in his hand, Lin Hao saw the hree, which surprised him. He had expected to be in the first match, which would have meant fag a fully restored Foundatioablishment cultivator.

  The audience below saw Lin Hao draw the hree lot and began to discuss.

  "Lin Hao's luck is really something, drawing the hree lot aing to rest."

  "What good is luck? He's just a Qi Refining cultivator; he really defeat someo the Foundatioablishment stage?"

  "He's just relying on luck to hang on."

  "You're too focused on appearances. For us cultivators, fortune is also part of cultivation."

  "Although I 't say whether Wang Jingzhan or Leng Feng will be the champion, Lin Hao is defihird."

  "Exactly, a Qi Refining stage cultivator reag this point is already the end of the line."

  Amidst the noisy chatter, Lin Hao remained indifferent, retreating to the sidelines and watg the two on stage.

  For a whole stick of inse, the two remained motionless.

  Just as the audience was about to get restless, Wang Jingzhan moved, like a sharp spear, unstoppable!

  Oher side, Leng Feng also moved. It was hard to imagine how a seemingly delicate woman could unleash such a powerful momentum!

  Boom!

  The two collided like two dazzling balls of light.

  Wang Jingzhan stepped on a rge spear, his movemeremely agile, fshing behind his oppo, and unleashed a surge of spiritual energy with his palms.

  Fag the massive light palm, Leng Feng was unafraid, also densing a rge hand of spiritual energy to ter.

  Uedly, Wang Jingzhan's move was a feint. He lifted his foot, retrieving the spear into his hand.

  Soul-Breaking Spear, a yellow-grade magical treasure!

  He thrust out like a rainstorm, creating an unstoppable rainboierced through the spiritual energy hand, falling like a rain of light.

  Leng Feng responded hastily, summoning a ribbon to deflect the deadly spear and, with a stroke of genius, threw out aalisman.

  Hundreds of icy arrows shot out!

  But Wang Jingzhan's spear was imperable, and the ice arrows couldn't break his defense.

  However, Leng Feng hadn't ted oalisman to succeed. Seizing the brief moment, she gathered several sword energies in front of her.

  The sharp sword energies seemed to carry an invincible belief, fshing instantly before Wang Jingzhan. He remained calm, and a jade pendant at his waist raised a pale blue light barrier, a magical treasure proteg its master!

  Bang!

  The unmatched sword energies rippled the light barrier like water waves.

  Defense wasn't Wang Jingzhan's style. He let the sword energies and the barrier dissolve on their own, raising his spear to thrust out a dazzling cold light.

  "Wang Jingzhan is s!" someone excimed from below.

  The spear's spiritual energy thrust towards his oppo's heart like a storm.

  This move... Lin Hao was startled. He knew he couldn't defend against it unless...

  Seeing Leng Feng abandon defense and instead ssh out several sword energies, each carrying an unstoppable momentum, he couldn't help but nod slightly. He would also abandon defense and face the enemy with full force!

  However, in front of Wang Jingzhan, anolden light barrier rose, blog the cold sword energies like a shield.

  "Golden Shield Talisman, a sed-tier low-grade talisman," Lin Hao muttered, silently mog.

  "Is Wang Jingzhan a turtle?"

  Despite his mockery, Lin Hao took Wang Jingzhan very seriously. This person's strength was formidable, and among those at the same level, he was undoubtedly outstanding.

  Watg the two unleash their full abilities in battle, Lin Hao pondered how he would defend if it were him.

  Boom!

  Oage, the two's spiritual energies collided, crag like oil on fire.

  The battle grew faster, and Qi Refining cultivators could no longer see their moves, only listening to Foundatioablishment cultivators expin, indulging their ears.

  Lin Hao sighed softly. When would these two determine a winner?

  Would they wait until their spiritual energy was exhausted?!

  A quarter of an hour ter.

  "Hmm..." Lin Hao was slightly surprised. Uedly, Wang Jingzhan was the first to falter, taking out a red pill and swallowing it.

  His previously weakened aura suddenly surged.

  After dozens more rounds.

  Leng Feng finally took out a Spirit Recovery Pill and swallowed it, immediately revitalizing.

  Lin Hao was shocked. In his uanding, Wang Jingzhan was slightly superior, yet he was being suppressed.

  ...

  As expected, the two fought until they were exhausted and their spiritual energy was depleted before a winner was decided.

  "Leng Feng, wins."

  With the annou from the petition steward, the se erupted ied discussion.

  "Wang Jingzhan lost..."

  "I always thought Wang Jingzhan's bat skills were superb, able to outmatch Fairy Leng."

  "Sigh, 't eve a woman?"

  Hearing the discussions around him, Wang Jingzhan's face turned as dark as water, releasing an intimidating pressure.

  He had lost by a single move, but the crowd's ents were too harsh, making him furious.

  The pressure silehe crowd.

  Wang Jingzhan took out a pill from his ste bag, sat cross-legged, and began to recover his spiritual energy.

  After half an hour, he returo the stage, looking at his oppo with a disdainful smirk.

  A Qi Refining stage cultivator, standing on the finals stage of the petition?

  "Lin Hao is in for it. Senior Brother Wang just lost and is holding a grudge. He's likely to take it out on him."

  "Such a handsome face, it'd be a shame if he gets beaten beynition."