Chapter 25: The Earth-Shaking First Battle — Collective Shock!
“...Qingfeng Hall!”
As soon as this name was announced, the crowd once again burst into uproarious laughter.
“Hahaha! The Ascension Group bunch of trash really lucked out this time!”
“Yeah! Qingfeng Hall! Isn’t that the team ranked at the very bottom of the Inner Sect? I heard their captain is only at the early stage of Qi Refining Seventh Level — about as good as a follower!”
“This isn’t drawing lots; this is straight-up giving the Ascension Group a free pass into the second round!”
The team called “Qingfeng Hall” instantly had their faces turn extremely ugly.
Being treated as weaklings on par with the Ascension Group’s “pushovers” was, for them, a great humiliation.
Qingfeng Hall’s captain — a proud-looking young man — glared viciously toward the Ascension Group, his eyes filled with venom and murderous intent.
He would vent all his rage and shame upon this group of servants!
He would use the fastest speed and cruelest means to prove to everyone — Qingfeng Hall was not something anyone could mock!
Feeling the undisguised killing intent from the other side, the members of the Ascension Group began to grow nervous again.
Yet Chu Feng merely smiled.
He looked at that team called “Qingfeng Hall” with the same expression one would use to look at a “beginner’s gift pack” delivered right to the door.
Weak, yet overly arrogant and blind to reality.
There could be no better “sacrificial offering” to test tactics and commemorate the team’s first battle.
Li Aotian looked at the result of the draw, his expression dark enough to drip water.
He felt a powerless frustration — like punching cotton.
The grand feast he had prepared so carefully had lost its protagonist.
All he could do was watch as Chu Feng stepped onto what would become his most perfect “debut stage.”
“Group Twenty-Five! Ascension Group versus Qingfeng Hall! Proceed to Arena Number Twenty!”
As the presiding elder’s voice echoed, all eyes turned with anticipation toward the two teams in the corner — ready to watch a good show.
“Let’s go, family members. Time for our ‘roadshow before going public.’”
Chu Feng calmly stood up, patting Zhang Daniu’s shoulder. “Remember what I told you last night. Follow the plan.”
“Don’t worry, President!”
Zhang Daniu thumped his chest loudly. “I’ve memorized the entire script!”
Under Chu Feng’s lead, the twenty selected fighters from the Ascension Group marched onto the arena, full of spirit and confidence.
These twenty were the elite of the Group — the strongest in cultivation, physique, and execution. Zhang Daniu served as the on-field captain.
Their opponents, the twenty members of Qingfeng Hall, were already standing at the opposite side of the platform.
Qingfeng Hall’s captain, Zhao Qing, stared at the group of servants opposite — none higher than Qi Refining Fifth Level — his face filled with disdain and killing intent.
“A bunch of trash dares to step onto the stage and embarrass themselves?”
Zhao Qing sneered to his teammates,
“Listen up! Don’t waste words. The moment the fight starts, use your strongest moves! Within three breaths, I want all of them off this stage! I’ll show everyone — servants will always be servants!”
“Yes, Captain!”
The Qingfeng Hall disciples answered in unison, their eyes on the Ascension Group like they were already dead men.
Below the platform, the laughter grew even louder.
“Hahaha, three breaths? Zhao Qing’s giving those servants too much credit. I bet on one breath!”
“Me too! They won’t even need to fight — just the killing intent alone will scare them into wetting themselves!”
Li Aotian sat coldly in his seat, a cruel smile tugging at his lips.
He was more than happy to see Qingfeng Hall beat up Chu Feng’s underlings for him.
Only Elder Liu Changqing was so nervous his palms were sweating, muttering under his breath nonstop:
“You must win… my spirit stones depend on you…”
“Clang!”
The gong signaling the start of the match rang out!
“Cripple them!”
Zhao Qing roared, his figure shooting forward like lightning.
Behind him, nineteen team members drew their swords, the sharp blue sword light forming a violent whirlwind as they charged at the Ascension Group.
To everyone watching, this battle would end in the next second — with the Ascension Group utterly crushed.
However, the expected screams and defeat never came.
Just as the Qingfeng Hall members reached halfway, the “ragtag mob” in their eyes — moved!
“Form the formation!”
With Zhang Daniu’s furious shout, the twenty from Ascension Group performed an action that left everyone dumbfounded.
The twelve on the outermost ring simultaneously pulled from their backs… half-human-high, crude-looking shields reinforced with beast hide and ironwood — and slammed them into the ground!
Twelve shields instantly locked together, forming a completely sealed circular “Turtle Shell Formation”!
From the gaps between the shields, eight long rods — spiked with iron thorns at the tips — extended outward… spiked clubs?
“What… what the hell is this?”
Everyone watching was utterly stunned.
Was this a Cultivator duel? This was clearly a mortal army’s infantry phalanx!
Zhao Qing froze for a moment, then roared in rage.
“Playing tricks, are you?! Break that turtle shell open!”
He slashed down furiously with his sword.
Clang!
A resounding crash — sparks flying everywhere.
The crude-looking shield merely shook a little, not even cracking!
The shield-bearer trembled, his blood surging, but he clenched his teeth and held firm!
Inside the Turtle Shell Formation, Zhang Daniu’s voice thundered again.
“First row, attack!”
In an instant, four spiked clubs thrust out from the shield gaps at cunning angles — smashing directly into the chests of the four frontmost Qingfeng Hall disciples!
The four, focused on attacking the shields, never saw it coming.
Two were impaled through the chest and sent flying with screams; the other two scrambled to dodge, completely breaking formation.
“Second row, attack!”
Another four spiked clubs thrust out right after!
It was — the Cultivation World’s version of “three-stage volley fire”!
The Qingfeng Hall disciples were completely stunned.
Their exquisite sword techniques were utterly useless before this impenetrable “Iron Turtle Formation”!
Their attacks were all blocked by the shields — while the opponent’s crude but insidiously effective spiked clubs kept stabbing out from unexpected angles, leaving them defenseless.
Within mere dozens of breaths, seven or eight Qingfeng Hall disciples had already been struck down — injured or crippled — writhing in pain on the ground.
“Damn it! Scatter! Go around and hit their rear!”
Zhao Qing bellowed in fury.
But before they could move, the Turtle Shell Formation — changed.
“Change formation! Charge!”
Zhang Daniu roared again.
The once airtight circle suddenly split open — twelve shield-bearers guarding both flanks, while eight club-wielders, led by Zhang Daniu, charged out like a ferocious tiger pouncing from its cage — straight into the disorganized Qingfeng Hall!
Their mouths erupted with strange shouts:
“For the Group! Uraaa!”
Zhao Qing and his remaining teammates stared blankly at the eight roaring “madmen” swinging their spiked clubs — completely dumbstruck.
Sword arts? Movement techniques? Spells?
At this moment — none of them mattered.
All that awaited them was the simple, brutal, and unreasonable... spiked club.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
After a series of heavy impacts and screams, no Qingfeng Hall disciple remained standing on the stage.
Zhang Daniu stomped on Zhao Qing’s back, hoisted the spiked club onto his shoulder, and howled at the sky.
The entire martial field fell deathly silent.
Everyone’s jaws hung open, eyes bulging — utterly dumbfounded.
Li Aotian’s smile froze on his face.
Elder Liu Changqing’s teacup slipped from his trembling hand and shattered on the ground.