Zhao Yanran sneered, "Alright. Since I'm your sister-in-law, and younger than you, and I have your talented and beautiful, infinitely potential younger brother to help me, then let me have this Sect Knight position. It's like giving it to your precious younger brother. How about it?"
Upon hearing this, Zeng Zifang's smiling Face immediately ignited, and she angrily cursed:
"My younger brother is so Xiong Jun! It's already a great fortune for you to be his companion. Yet you still want to be a Sect Knight? Why don't you go pee and look at yourself in the reflection? See if you have a Sect Knight's butt and if you can sit on a Sect Knight's throne?"
Zhao Yanran raised an eyebrow, "Oh, did you just pee and look at yourself? Quickly tell me if you have a Sect Knight's butt?"
Zeng Zifang was so angry she wanted to stand up and fight, but the time wasn't up. If Zhao Yanran didn't actively come down from the high platform, she couldn't hit Zhao Yanran.
As the two were locked in a war of words, the Formation on the Martial Arts Stage flickered, and a Protector who had passed the first round was teleported there.
There were ten positions on the Martial Arts Stage beneath Zeng Zifang and Zhao Yanran.
Each position corresponded to a Protector.
After entering the first round, regardless of success or failure, at least half of both sides had to be eliminated.
For the Protectors who died due to elimination, Zhao Yanran offered their families one million gold coins in compensation.
Zeng Zifang, however, simply didn't tell her Protectors that at least half would be eliminated.
If they were eliminated in the first round, it meant the Protector's ability was insufficient. What did that have to do with her, Zeng Zifang?
On the Martial Arts Stage, directly below Zhao Yanran, a figure appeared.
The man had a broad forehead and wide mouth, with bright, piercing eyes. After stabilizing himself on the stage, he cupped his fist towards Zhao Yanran:
"Yan came late. I hope Elder Zhao will forgive me."
Yan Tongda, a Body Cultivator from Left Eyebrow Peak.
Many of the Spirit Beasts in his area were lured away by Sibuxiang, so his speed in passing the round was much faster, making him the first to reach the second round.
Zhao Yanran stood up and returned the bow, "Brother Yan, please rest for a moment."
Having lost another round in Aura, Zeng Zifang snorted out a foul breath, "You dogs! So hypocritical!"
A few breaths later, the Martial Arts Stage Formation began to flicker again, and it was another person from Zhao Yanran's side.
Zeng Zifang cursed inwardly: "A bunch of useless people! It's so much trouble to pass a tiny first round, making me lose Face. If it weren't for the rotten rules of this Zongshi War, I wouldn't bother with these useless people. Qian Duoduo, please don't be eliminated. His Sibuxiang Puppet is one of my trump cards."
Finally, a Protector appeared in Zeng Zifang's position.
Du Xiong, a seasoned Protector from Right Eyebrow Peak.
Ancestor Zeng had shown him kindness, so he had no choice but to agree to this arduous task.
Du Xiong slightly cupped his hand towards Zeng Zifang, then sat down to adjust his condition.
He had sustained some minor injuries from fighting his way out of the first round.
Zeng Zifang had intended to exchange polite greetings with Du Xiong and interact a bit to annoy Zhao Yanran, but seeing Du Xiong treat her so perfunctorily, she felt angry and simply didn't open her mouth.
The Formation flickered continuously, and more and more people from Zhao Yanran's side arrived.
When Gao Yuan, Shan Yu, and Yun Shao appeared together, Zhao Yanran's team numbered nine people, their morale almost boiling. The Protectors were laughing and talking, looking as if victory was within reach.
Looking at her own side, which still only had a sparse three or four people, Zeng Zifang felt as if tens of thousands of sharp arrows were piercing her heart.
Zhao Yanran's smug expression made her feel as if she had swallowed an entire bottle of poison, bleeding profusely from her seven orifices.
When the notification for the last quarter of an hour sounded in the air, Zeng Zifang's side still only had four Protectors:
Du Xiong, Hua Biaobang, Xingxia Si, and Su Xiaogan.
Zeng Zifang cursed in her heart: "This Qian Duoduo is still too young; he can't even pass the first round. If I had known this, I might as well have handed him over to the Sect and gotten that Puppet. Then I would have had some confidence in fighting this Zhao bitch."
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. She stood up, puffed with rage, almost taking out her Nine-Section Poison Whip to kill her four Protectors and then admit defeat and withdraw.
Just then, the Formation flickered.
Zeng Zifang sensed that someone had arrived on her side, and she couldn't help but perk up, sitting down.