The next moment, the Seven Stars Altar disciple lying there soon met the same fate.

THUD. THUD.

This person wasn't as lucky as she had been; he was unconscious because his own Spell had backfired. Furthermore, Shen Mo, still resentful about his Blood-Imprinted Spell, kicked him without holding back. The kick sent him tumbling all the way down the mountain. Even if he didn't die, he would surely be heavily injured.

When the Profound Moon School disciple saw Senior Brother Cheng of the Seven Stars Altar in such a miserable state, the anger on her face vanished, replaced by relief. Lucky for me, I hadn't offended Shen Mo too severely; otherwise, my predicament wouldn't be any better!

After knocking down two competing disciples, Shen Mo showed no hint of pride. Neither of them was a key member of the Profound Moon School or Seven Stars Altar. Xiao Ling'er and Yang Chi were still ahead!

CREAK. CREAK.

He continued to ascend. The pressure from Tianshan Mountain intensified the higher he climbed. However, for Shen Mo, this was the best form of tempering and refinement. He even found himself somewhat anticipating the benefits he could gain from climbing higher!

「On the flat ground at the foot of the mountain.」

The spectating disciples from the Profound Moon School and the Seven Stars Altar burst into an uproar. They all began to rail against Shen Mo, though their reasons differed.

"That guy is too much! How could he be so heartless as to kick down a beauty like Junior Sister Miao?"

"Exactly! Junior Sister Miao clearly conceded, yet he still had to kick her. He's truly detestable!"

"So petty! Cultivators like him deserve to never find a Dao companion!" the young women from the Profound Moon School chattered indignantly, creating quite a stir.

The Seven Stars Altar disciples, however, were more concerned that Senior Brother Cheng's injuries were so severe he wouldn't be able to help Yang Chi secure a better rank.

"That disciple from the Riverside Sect, his name is Shen Mo, right? If I ever run into him out there, I'll definitely cast a Spell on him, curse him with debilitating illnesses and injuries!"

"That senior brother should be careful not to end up like Senior Brother Cheng."

"What nonsense are you spouting! Senior Brother Cheng simply wasn't skilled enough. Isn't it normal to get injured in a fight? If you all act so domineering, how could our Seven Stars Altar have endured for a thousand years?"

"Senior Brother Wang is right. We were just momentarily upset that this person was too heavy-handed..."

While an uproar ensued below, the suspended stone platform above was no less lively. Now it was Yanshi Master from the Ghost Corpse School's turn, who began speaking with veiled sarcasm, mocking the Profound Moon School and the Seven Stars Altar.

Zhao Lingyin, who had been observing Shen Mo, found it even more amusing, her eyes crinkling with laughter and her brows curving like crescent moons. "Junior Brother Shen really... isn't pleasant to anyone!"

She naturally recalled their first encounter in the Alchemy Zone, when Shen Mo had nearly strangled her. Seeing him treat other women the same way now only confirmed it. Zhao Lingyin inwardly made another note in her mental ledger.

...

Enduring the immense pressure, Shen Mo ascended another hundred-odd steps. Then, he saw sword Qi, thunder light, and ring-shaped magic artifacts clashing intensely above him.

The thunder light was familiar to Shen Mo; it was Lu Ming's thunder-type magic. The incredibly sharp sword Qi and the ring-shaped magic artifact, despite some apparent hesitation, were relentlessly tearing through the thunder light. Clearly, some people had ganged up on Lu Ming.

CRACK! CRACK!

Shen Mo quickened his pace, ascending more than ten steps in just a few breaths. He finally got a clear view of the battle.

Just as he'd expected, a Heaven Sword Sect disciple was wielding a translucent green Flying Sword, continuously unleashing fierce sword Qi at Lu Ming. Xiao Ling'er of the Profound Moon School was also directing her paired dragon phoenix ring, launching wave after wave of attacks at Lu Ming.

"Miss Xiao," Lu Ming called out, "by joining forces with Gao Xiaofeng of the Heaven Sword Sect now, aren't you afraid Meng Sanchi will snatch first place? Why not join me? We can suppress Gao Xiaofeng first, then team up to defeat Yang Chi, Li Chen, and Meng Sanchi. After that, we can determine the winner between us. What do you think?"

A Heavenly Thunder Flag, crackling with thunder light, hovered beside Lu Ming. He continuously attacked Gao Xiaofeng of the Heaven Sword Sect and Xiao Ling'er of the Profound Moon School with the thunder of purple heaven. However, the surging arcs of purple lightning were mostly aimed at Gao Xiaofeng; only about thirty percent targeted Xiao Ling'er, clearly showing his intent to leave room for negotiation.

"I'm sorry, Brother Lu, I've already made an agreement with Brother Gao!" Xiao Ling'er replied. "After we take you down, Brother Gao, Meng Sanchi, and I will have enough combined strength to defeat Yang Chi and Li Chen! Then, Meng Sanchi will naturally take first place, and I'll also achieve the good result of second place! Compared to teaming up with you, I have more confidence in Meng Sanchi's strength."

The ranking of the Five Great Sects was determined by the members with the best results. Even if Meng Sanchi and Gao Xiaofeng from the Heaven Sword Sect took first and second place, with Xiao Ling'er ranking third, her Profound Moon School would still rank second among the immortal sects. Therefore, Xiao Ling'er's plan was undeniably clever! She reasoned that since she couldn't contend for first place, she would take a step back and aim to secure second place for the Profound Moon School.

By joining forces with Gao Xiaofeng, she had a high chance of defeating Lu Ming. Then, by continuing up the mountain and joining Meng Sanchi, their combined strength would be enough to suppress Li Chen and Yang Chi, even if those two joined forces.

On the Heaven Sword Sect's side, although Meng Sanchi wasn't afraid of Li Chen, Lu Ming, or the others, snatching first place from them would be no easy task. Now, by luring Xiao Ling'er with the promise of second place, they could, barring any unforeseen incidents, easily secure a top score and first place!

It could be said that this alliance was an excellent choice for the Heaven Sword Sect, the Profound Moon School, and for Meng Sanchi, Gao Xiaofeng, and Xiao Ling'er individually. The biggest losers, then, would be the other Three Major Sects and individuals like Lu Ming.

As Shen Mo's thoughts turned, he vaguely grasped their intentions.

Shen Mo ascended another stone step and spoke indifferently, "Miss Xiao truly has a good plan!"

At his appearance, the three reacted differently. Lu Ming was naturally overjoyed. Xiao Ling'er and Gao Xiaofeng, however, looked slightly alarmed. None of them had expected Shen Mo, who had been left far behind down the mountain, to catch up so quickly. Moreover, his aura was exactly as it had been when he first set out, his strength and condition showing no signs of depletion.

"Junior Brother Shen, you've arrived just in time!" Lu Ming exclaimed, immediately activating his Five Thunder Magic to unleash blasts of the thunder of purple heaven. "Let's join forces and knock these two off the mountain. Then we'll head higher to contend with Meng Sanchi and the others!" This time, he held nothing back with Xiao Ling'er, attacking both her and Gao Xiaofeng with equal ferocity.

"Shangqing Swordplay, slash!" Shen Mo also acted promptly. The Demon Slaying Sword Spirit flashed, and his sky-lifting sword attack carried astonishing momentum. The Sword Light enveloped both Gao Xiaofeng and Xiao Ling'er.

The two, who had been dealing with Lu Ming's thunder of purple heaven, were somewhat horrified by this new threat and quickly produced magic treasures and talismans to defend against the terrifying sword Qi.

CRACK!

The orb produced by Gao Xiaofeng of the Heaven Sword Sect erupted with dense, sharp sword lights, resembling a miniature version of The Big Dipper Array. His intent was to use sword Qi to grind against sword Qi, completely obliterating the incoming attack. Unexpectedly, the sword Qi orb couldn't withstand such an imposing sword intent and instantly split in two.

Fortunately, the crystalline green Flying Sword in his hand was no ordinary item. As it was struck by the sword Qi, it managed to shatter a significant portion of the attack before the Flying Sword itself snapped in two. Gao Xiaofeng, its owner, was transformed into a bloody figure by the ravaging residual sword Qi and sent flying.

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