In the next moment, his movements seemed to overlap with the image of Bai Yu Mo in his mind. He stepped forward, and in the blink of an eye, he charged in front of the fire dragon, thrusting his bamboo sword fiercely toward it.

Bang!

The fierce flames engulfed Bai Feng and the fire dragon. Outside, Bai Yu Mo had already placed her hand on the hilt of her longsword, her fingers turning white from the pressure.

However, Liu Meng, who was responsible for activating the formation, showed no signs of worry. She even sighed, “It’s over…”

“Master, has that guy already lost?” Su Lan Qian asked curiously from the side.

“No, you’ve lost.” Liu Meng shook her head. “Disciple, it seems we’ll be staying at Tian Jian Sect for a while.”

“Huh?”

Su Lan Qian’s mouth fell open in disbelief. She quickly glanced back at the formation engulfed in flames. She… had actually lost?

She had lost to someone who was only at the peak of Foundation Establishment!

It seemed Liu Meng had anticipated her proud disciple’s reaction, as she preemptively replied, “He didn’t cheat. Just now, Chu Ning Yan asked me to modify part of the fire dragon formation while I was repairing it.”

She had thought her friend didn’t trust her, but now it seemed she didn’t understand Bai Feng well enough.

If she hadn’t modified the formation, after witnessing Bai Feng’s dismantling of it, she might have genuinely believed he was cheating.

What kind of talent was this, to see through all the nodes in the formation at a glance?

He even uncovered an important node hidden within the fire dragon, a detail that even her disciple, Su Lan Qian, had overlooked.

Could he possess eyes similar to Ling Tong, the Spirit Eye?

At that moment, the flames within the formation finally began to dissipate.

The fire dragon had long since vanished, leaving Bai Feng standing unscathed, while the surrounding flames were retreating from him as if they feared his presence.

He turned around and looked at Liu Meng and the others. “So, does this count as passing?”

…

“What a terrifying talent! Even I couldn’t discover all the nodes in the formation this quickly,” one of the formation elders at Tian Jian Sect couldn’t help but exclaim. As one of the highest-ranking formation experts in the sect, he had felt a bit smug, but now, compared to a true genius, he felt utterly insignificant.

In fact, even if we set aside Bai Feng, the first girl to compete could easily outshine him in his youth.

Another formation elder couldn’t help but ask the elder responsible for the formation, “Old Li, you didn’t tell that disciple about the nodes, did you?”

“Of course not! I have my pride, you know? Besides, Master Liu modified the node positions while repairing it. I don’t even know where the important nodes of the fire dragon formation are.”

Hearing the elders’ astonishment, the sect master of Tian Jian couldn’t help but chuckle as he stroked his beard—perhaps soon he would witness the rise of a new peak in Tian Jian Sect.

Yes, he must reward him generously!

He had been looking for an excuse to give Bai Feng some top-tier elixirs, and now he had the perfect reason!

Elixirs and herbs must be generously supplied!

…

On the field.

The moment the formation was broken, Bai Yu Mo almost instantly appeared beside Bai Feng.

She anxiously circled around him a few times, and only after confirming he was unharmed did she let out a sigh of relief.

Although Bai Feng had successfully dismantled the last crucial node, the flames that erupted from the fire dragon before its ‘death’ had made her heart race.

The power of those flames far exceeded what someone at the peak of Foundation Establishment could withstand!

“Don’t worry, I’m fine,” Bai Feng waved his hand, a wave of weakness washing over him.

Though he wasn’t injured, his spiritual energy had been completely drained.

He glanced down at his bamboo sword. At the moment the fire dragon erupted, the talisman he had prepared was reduced to ashes. Although he wore a spirit armor that protected his life, he still ended up looking a bit charred.

But just as the flames were about to reach him, the bamboo sword gifted to him by Chu Ning Yan suddenly emitted a soft, gentle white light, resembling a piece of polished jade.

That white light held the flames at bay, preventing them from getting any closer.

Noticing this, Bai Feng quickly channeled all his remaining spiritual energy into the sword.

With the influx of energy, the white light from the bamboo sword grew even more radiant, standing firm against the flames, not allowing even a hint of heat to reach him.

“Brother, let me help you back,” Bai Yu Mo said, noticing Bai Feng’s weakened state. She couldn’t help but place her hand on him.

“No need, I’m just a bit drained from using up my spiritual energy,” Bai Feng shook his head, but Bai Yu Mo seemed not to hear him. She placed his arm over her shoulder and helped him walk back to Chu Ning Yan.

Bai Feng had no choice in the matter. He couldn’t possibly resist Bai Yu Mo, especially now that he was weak and devoid of spiritual energy. He could only let her support him as they walked.

“Good job! Here’s an elixir for you. Yu Mo, take him back to rest quickly,” Chu Ning Yan encouraged the exhausted Bai Feng before turning to Liu Meng. “So, what do you think? I told you the truth, didn’t I?”

“I was the one who underestimated him,” Liu Meng shook her head. “There’s no need for further matches. I agree to your terms.”

But before Chu Ning Yan could respond, Su Lan Qian, who had been standing nearby, couldn’t help but shout, “No! We must compete! I haven’t lost yet!”

Her emotions were running high, and her face flushed red, especially when she recalled how she had mocked Bai Feng earlier, making her feel like a clown.

Shame, regret, and anger surged within her, and as her master prepared to concede the final match, her emotions reached a breaking point, snapping the thread of reason within her.

A girl who had grown up amidst praise, a genius with a strong talent in formations and even possessing the Spirit Eye, had never imagined she would lose to someone of lower cultivation in this field. Her pride felt like a crumpled piece of paper, torn apart and shredded.

She was like a gambler who had lost all hope, placing her last chance and confidence in her talent for formations on this final match.

Su Lan Qian turned to Bai Feng, who had yet to leave, her usual composure gone. Her eyes locked onto him fiercely. “You’re not going to back out like a coward, are you?”

---

Chapter 42: Quack, this is exactly what I wanted to see!

Bai Feng looked at the increasingly hysterical Su Lan Qian, his brows furrowing.

He hadn’t expected her to react this way after losing.

At that moment, Liu Meng stepped in to mediate. She placed her hand on Su Lan Qian’s shoulder and pulled her behind her. “I apologize on her behalf. From today on, I will teach you everything I know.”

“Master, I haven’t lost yet…” Su Lan Qian bit her lip, tears welling in her eyes. “In the next match, I will definitely win back my honor!”

Seeing her like this, Bai Feng felt no guilt at all; in fact, he almost wanted to capture the moment with a recording stone:

Quack, this is exactly what I wanted to see!

Liu Meng sighed at her disciple’s state.

She did this for Su Lan Qian’s sake. She could see Bai Feng’s terrifying talent that surpassed ordinary understanding. Continuing the competition would only lead to an unglamorous victory for Bai Feng, and if he lost, it could create a mental block for her disciple, even damaging her Dao heart.

But now it seemed her stubborn disciple had already begun to develop a mental block.

Had she protected Su Lan Qian too well?

After reflecting for a moment, Liu Meng turned to Bai Feng. “Would you be willing to continue competing with my disciple? Regardless of the outcome, I will teach you everything I know.”

“I’m fine with that,” Bai Feng replied, cupping his hands. Although he had achieved his goal, especially having witnessed the scene he wanted to see, he thought it might be better to continue competing.

Otherwise, this arrogant little brat, Su Lan Qian, would probably keep pestering him for matches.

But if he won the next match, perhaps Su Lan Qian would avoid him in the future.

A moment of trouble for a lifetime of ease—how could he not choose that?

Liu Meng nodded. She turned to Chu Ning Yan. “In that case, please prepare the competition venue again.”

“Sure, leave it to me,” Chu Ning Yan replied, turning to delegate the task while announcing the results of the current match to the eager disciples:

“In this match, Bai Feng from Qing Zhu Peak is the victor.”

Instantly, some disciples raised their hands and cheered.

Although most of the disciples had already come to a conclusion after witnessing the match, some were still too stubborn to admit defeat, refusing to shed tears until they saw the coffin.