Only then did Li Nanzhu slowly unfurl the flag she had been clutching tightly in her hand.
When the familiar royal-blue flag surface and the silver-flowing five-elements patterns upon it were fully revealed, her eyes instantly lit up.
"It's our sect's flag!" Li Nanzhu's voice carried an irrepressible excitement. "Seventh Senior Brother, it's our Five Elements Dao Sect's own flag!"
Hearing this, Duan Xianxing's exhaustion vanished instantly. He leaned over abruptly and, seeing the flag, almost jumped for joy. "Fantastic! Twenty points! With this, our combined score is sixty!"
The two looked at each other and smiled, their joy plain for all to see.
Meanwhile, Suisui finally came clattering over, slowly dragging the still-unconscious Xuan Tian Sect disciple behind it.
At the same time, outside the secret realm, the viewing stands had already exploded into a frenzy.
As arranged before the match, the observation area was equipped with large screens corresponding to the ten sects. Each sect's screen was further divided into several split-screens to track the movements of their disciples in real-time.
The Five Elements Dao Sect had only seven people, making their split-screens naturally more prominent. They had already attracted many curious gazes.
Initially, perhaps not everyone was watching the Five Elements Dao Sect.
However, Li Nanzhu's unexpected start—cleanly knocking out her opponent and snatching the flag—was one thing. But then she even made off with the opponent's storage bag, claiming it was "for the sake of the senior brothers' and sisters' safety."
This move instantly sparked a massive wave of discussion.
"This... this disciple from the Five Elements Dao Sect, isn't her style of doing things a bit too unique?"
"Snatching points and flags is common, but this is the first time I've seen someone take the storage bag too!"
"The key is that reason of hers. It actually sounds somewhat plausible? You can't even argue with it!"
"Look, she's even having that skeleton drag the person along. She's calculated it perfectly so that as soon as the protection period ends, they'll be eliminated immediately!"
On the high platform, the sect leader of the Xuan Tian Sect's face was already as black as the bottom of a pot. The pressure around him was terrifyingly low, and the expressions of several Xuan Tian Sect elders beside him were equally unsightly.
Just when everyone thought that was the limit, Li Nanzhu met up with Duan Xianxing. Facing a tier 3 iron-armored rhino, she slapped a spirit-traveling talisman onto Duan Xianxing with a backhand, then kicked him toward the demonic beast as bait while she took the chance to stealthily snatch the flag.
This series of smooth, perfectly coordinated, and remarkably effective outrageous tactics directly caused the viewing stands to boil over.
What made others even more envious was that what they had seized was a complete sect flag worth twenty points!
Many spectators who had originally been focusing on disciples from other sects were drawn by the commotion and turned their gaze toward the split-screens of the Five Elements Dao Sect.
On the high platform, the expressions of several sect leaders became complex once again.
Su Muli sighed softly, his tone carrying a hint of envy and helplessness. "The Five Elements Dao Sect... truly knows how to adapt. Using bait to distract while the main force takes the flag—such a simple strategy, why couldn't my sect's disciples think of it?"
He swept his gaze over his own disciples' screens, where they were still struggling to find their way through the mist, and couldn't help but shake his head.
The several sect leaders looked at each other with bitter smiles. Even if they saw the successful strategy of the Five Elements Dao Sect, they were powerless to pass this insight to the disciples inside the secret realm.
The rules of the Sect Competition restricted communication between the outside world and the secret realm; everything relied on the disciples' own realization.
Seeing that most of their own disciples were still struggling to meet up in the mist or groping forward blindly with only their initial points, while these two juniors from the Five Elements Dao Sect had already secured sixty points, they couldn't help but feel a bit sour.
One elder couldn't help but mutter in a low voice, "It's just good luck, happens they stumbled upon their own sect flag..."
As if seeking psychological balance, someone immediately chimed in, "Hmph, so what if they have sixty points now? They only have seven people in total, so their initial points only add up to seventy. Even with these extra forty points, they only have a hundred and ten. Our sect has twenty disciples, giving us an initial two hundred points! The advantage is still ours!"
This remark drew many nods of agreement, as if they had found a pillar to steady their mindsets.
"Opportunistic tricks, heretical paths!" Ling Xiao also couldn't resist a cold snort. "The team battle tests a sect's overall strength and coordination. To use such petty cleverness, how can that be the righteous way? Let's see how long they can remain so smug!"
Sitting nearby, Feng Yi heard this and the corners of his lips curved slightly. He spoke in a slow, deliberate manner, his voice not loud but clearly reaching the ears of everyone around.
"I beg to differ. Anything within the rules is a valid means. Being able to achieve the greatest results with the minimum cost, with precise coordination and efficient execution—this is a combination of wisdom and strength. How can it be called a heretical path? Could it be, Ling Xiao, that you believe only head-on brute force counts as the righteous way?"
His tone was gentle, but his words held a sharp edge. "Besides, while my Five Elements Dao Sect has few disciples, for the time being, it seems our efficiency is quite acceptable?"
Ling Xiao was momentarily choked for words. His face turned even more unsightly, but it wasn't appropriate to lash out on the spot. He could only give a heavy cold snort and flick his sleeve, saying no more.
As his gaze swept over the screens of his own sect's disciples, who were still fumbling in the mist like headless flies, the fire in his heart burned even hotter.
Fortunately, on Qi Yunze's split-screen, a sharp sword light had just sliced off the head of a tier 3 guardian beast. Behind him, a sect flag embroidered with a sharp sword pattern was shining brightly!
This scene finally caused Ling Xiao's tightly knitted brows to relax slightly. The terrifying low pressure around him instantly eased significantly. "This is the proper demeanor of a Sword Heart Sect disciple! Upright and honorable, crushing everything with strength!"
Although the process wasn't as "opportunistic" as the Five Elements Dao Sect and the efficiency was a step slower, this solid display of hard strength and the acquisition finally allowed him to win back a bit of face in front of Feng Yi. His expression improved considerably.
He gave Feng Yi a cold sideways glance, huffing inwardly: Petty tricks can never reach the heights of true greatness!
Inside the secret realm, after their initial joy, Li Nanzhu and Duan Xianxing quickly calmed down.
"Seventh Senior Brother, we need to meet up with the others as soon as possible." Li Nanzhu carefully rolled up the Xuan Tian Sect flag and the Five Elements Dao Sect flag, her expression solemn. "Carrying two flags now gives us a lot of points; it's too conspicuous. If we run into a group of Golden Core stage cultivators, the two of us probably won't be able to hold them off."
Duan Xianxing also put away his playful grin and nodded heavily.
The two didn't dare to delay. They immediately used the Soul-Sound Bell to sense that Feng Qingping was the closest. Once they determined the direction, they moved cautiously and quickly through the dense fog, heading toward their fifth senior sister.
However, it seemed their good luck had run out once they found their sect flag.
Just as they passed through a particularly thick patch of fog, the faint sound of conversation and steady footsteps came from ahead.
Li Nanzhu's divine sense had been on high alert. Almost the instant she detected their presence, her expression shifted slightly as she hissed, "Someone's there!"
But the mist's suppression of divine sense was two-way.
Almost at the same moment she discovered them, the other party had clearly detected their presence as well!
Three figures wearing saffron monk robes with ordination scars on their heads emerged from the mist, blocking the way ahead in a semi-encirclement.
Their gazes were sharp, and their auras were steady. They clearly coordinated well and likewise possessed special means to maintain contact in the mist.
What made Li Nanzhu's and Duan Xianxing's hearts sink even further was that the tall, solemn-faced young monk in the center emitted a spiritual pressure that far exceeded the Foundation Establishment level—that was a Golden Core stage cultivator!
"Amitabha." The leading Golden Core monk pressed his palms together, his calm gaze falling upon Li Nanzhu and Duan Xianxing. His tone was devoid of emotion, yet carried an air of unquestionable authority. "Fellow Daoists of the Five Elements Dao Sect, please stay your step."
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