Chapter 535: Completely Collapsed Elder Wu (Part 2)

"What's going on?"

"What is Elder Wu trying to do?"

While the battle was raging, the masters behind were all staring wide-eyed, feeling bewildered.

What was happening?

Wasn't Elder Wu perfectly normal just a moment ago?

Now steam was rising from his head, he had shattered the table, and now he was pacing around as if executing some formation...

Wasn't this just a mental state assessment... Why all the fuss, jumping and bouncing?

"Is Elder Wu... crazy?"

Someone in the crowd shouted, leaving everyone speechless.

It seemed... his current state really did resemble madness...

"Not crazy, but the Yaoqin Bagua Steps! But... why is Elder Wu using this technique?"

A four-star master in the crowd frowned.

"Do you know this footwork?"

An elder sitting nearby, puzzled, couldn't help but look over.

"Of course I do. It's Elder Wu's strongest attack, perfectly combining formations and demonic sound..."

Pausing, the four-star master said, "You should still remember the 'Seven-Sword Calamity,' right?"

"Of course I remember. It was the most terrifying calamity in Wanguo City in a hundred years! Alliance Leader Zhao sent countless experts but to no avail. Finally, he sought help from the Master Hall, and you and Elder Wu resolved it together!" The second elder nodded.

The Seven-Sword Calamity was a vicious incident in Wanguo City. The murderer left seven holes in each victim, regardless of their strength. Even a Mortal Transformation Fourth Layer cultivator would be killed with seven sword strikes!

After killing over a dozen Mortal Transformation Fourth Layer experts, it caused panic throughout the alliance. Alliance Leader Zhao personally led a pursuit, but the culprit escaped.

With no other option, they sought help from the Master Hall. At that time, Hall Master Kang had not yet succeeded. The previous hall master sent Elder Wu and the person before him to act together. They gathered dozens of Mortal Transformation Fourth Layer experts, cornered the culprit in a dead end, and finally succeeded in killing him.

This incident caused a huge uproar, making people pale at the mention of it. Many elders were reluctant to speak of it. Why did he suddenly bring it up?

"At that time, we crossed paths with the Seven-Sword Killer. His strength was no less than that of Hall Master Kang now. Elder Wu used the Yaoqin Bagua Steps to launch a sonic attack, disrupting his mind, and thus won the victory! Otherwise, with our strength alone, it would have been nearly impossible to keep him!"

The first elder's face turned solemn.

The scene from that day was still vivid. If Elder Wu hadn't used his demonic sound ability at the critical moment to disrupt the opponent's spirit, not only would they have failed to kill him, but they might have been wiped out without even scratching him!

Being called the greatest calamity in Wanguo City in a century, the Seven-Sword Killer was no empty reputation. His ghostly seven swords, even now thinking about them, sent chills down the spine and seemed unstoppable.

"Using this footwork against the Seven-Sword Killer? Then..."

The second elder's face turned pale, and his body trembled. The Seven-Sword Killer was a peerless figure comparable to the hall master. If the Yaoqin Bagua Steps combined with the Mad Demon Tune had an effect on him, then... could the young man opposite withstand it?

If he couldn't, wouldn't he be killed on the spot?

"What's wrong with Elder Wu? How could he use such a method against a junior?"

Realizing what was happening, the second elder's face flushed with anger.

Even if this Zhang Xuan arrived late and didn't follow the rules, he was still a junior. You, a hall elder and a four-star peak master, using such a ruthless move against him—wasn't that going too far!

"I don't know either, but... I feel that even though he used this move, he hasn't gained the upper hand; instead, he's at a disadvantage?" The first elder watched for a while, looking puzzled.

"At a disadvantage?"

The second elder was startled and couldn't help but look. His pupils contracted.

He saw that Elder Wu now not only had steam rising from his head but his whole body was seething with energy, as if he had just been thrown into a pot to boil.

Though his steps never stopped, with each step he spat blood, as if someone was hammering his chest relentlessly, involuntarily.

Damn!

What on earth was happening?

Using a sonic attack that even the Seven-Sword Killer couldn't withstand against someone else, yet he himself kept spitting blood... This scene was too bizarre!

"It's this Master Zhang..."

The first elder finally understood, his voice trembling slightly.

"Hmm?"

"This Master Zhang uses his spear to strike the formation disk. The sounds, though seemingly chaotic, each strike hits the weakest point of the Mad Demon Tune, causing Elder Wu's internal energy to be agitated and ultimately injuring him..."

The first elder said.

"Is that possible?" The second elder's eyes widened.

As a four-star master, he was well-informed, but this was unheard of.

"I find it strange too, but I can't think of any other explanation!" The first elder's voice was low. Even he couldn't believe the conclusion he had drawn.

A young man at the peak of Mortal Transformation First Layer, using a spear and a formation disk to strike, actually shook a four-star demonic sound master into spitting blood...

Was this... really true?

...

"Breaking sound with sound!"

Watching this scene, Hall Master Kang recalled something, and his face also turned pale.

"Breaking sound with sound?" Elders Su and Ling couldn't help but look over.

"Yes, this is a method used by advanced demonic sound masters against lower-level ones, similar to a martial artist's suppression. It uses sound to attack the weaknesses in the opponent's sound waves, causing their energy to become chaotic and severely injuring them."

Hall Master Kang said slowly.

"Then... please, Hall Master, step in and save Master Zhang. He is very likely to represent our Master Hall in the grand competition. Nothing must happen to him..."

Master Su looked anxious.

"Him in danger?" Hall Master Kang's face twitched. "It's Elder Wu who's in trouble, and from the looks of it, he can't hold on much longer!"

"Can't hold on?"

Only then did Master Su and Master Ling notice that Elder Wu was spitting blood as he walked.

"Then... Hall Master, it's just an assessment. There's no need to inflict such severe injuries... Please step in and stop it!"

Master Ling said.

"Stop it? Breaking sound with sound is just like dueling with true qi. Unless one side is defeated, there's no way to stop it! If it could be stopped, Elder Wu would have stopped long ago... Would he have needed to use the Yaoqin Bagua Steps and nearly be shaken to death?"

Hall Master Kang shook his head.

Demonic sound attacks involve soul attacks—profound and complex, completely different from true qi. If one can't hold on, at worst they get injured, but if you try to stop it, it might impact the mind and turn the cultivator into an idiot!

That's why, once such a clash begins, unless someone is defeated, it absolutely cannot be stopped!

"Isn't this a test of mental state calibration? How... did it turn into a sound wave attack?"

Master Su and the other turned pale.

Wasn't it a test of mental state? How had it turned into a fight?

And it had even become a life-or-death situation?

They had known this fellow would cause trouble, but they never imagined that even testing his mental state would stir up such a commotion...

Master Su and Master Ling exchanged glances, both feeling somewhat exasperated.

"I... can't figure it out either!"

Hall Master Kang looked even more dejected.

As the esteemed Hall Master of the Master Hall and the foremost figure in the Ten Thousand Nations Alliance, to be helpless in such a situation was frustrating enough.

The most crucial thing was... even he couldn't understand why this was happening!

It was truly baffling.

...

"What's happening?"

"Is he carving a formation plate?"

The other masters were shocked out of their wits. Scholar Luohua, Fu Xiaochen, and the others also stared wide-eyed, feeling as if their hearts were about to leap out of their chests.

They had personally experienced the attack of the Mad Demon Tune just now and knew how powerful that piece was!

Elder Wu sat where he was, unable to withstand even the calmest breeze, and now, walking in the Eight Trigrams steps, how could he resist?

But why... was the young man opposite him completely unaffected?

"He must have obtained some strange music and, using the formation disk to play it, managed to suppress Elder Wu's Mad Demon Tune!" After a long while, Fu Xiaochen recalled a possibility and couldn't help saying.

Aside from this explanation, he really couldn't think of another.

If he wasn't mistaken, this fellow named Zhang Xuan must have, by some stroke of luck, learned a tune that suppressed Elder Wu, thus putting the elder in such a passive position.

"So what if he suppressed the elder's Mad Demon Tune? This test is about mental state, examining the number and patterns of lines carved on the formation disk after the tune ends! He's using the disk as a drum; even if he plays it well, it's all in vain!"

Ruohuan Gongzi snorted.

The others were taken aback, then nodded in agreement.

Indeed, this test was about mental state, not combat ability. Even if he made Elder Wu spit blood, if he didn't leave enough lines and marks on the formation disk, it would be useless!

"Don't worry, I saw his spear stabbing wildly at the disk without any technique... Deliberately opposing Elder Wu and causing a stir is just grandstanding!"

Waving his hand dismissively, Ruohuan Gongzi continued.

No matter how many stabs or how strong the attack, it was useless!

It was like an exam: if you were asked what one plus one equals, and you wrote down the derivation process of calculus formulas, no matter how brilliant, it would be the wrong answer!

"The Mad Demon Tune is about to end!"

Just as a cold snort sounded, a voice arose from the crowd, and everyone looked over in unison.

Elder Wu, spitting blood as he moved forward, had already come within less than three meters of Zhang Xuan. The sound of their clash grew louder, chaotic and jarring to the ears, making it impossible to distinguish the Demonic Tune from the percussive strikes.

However, according to the time, the three-plus minutes of the Demonic Tune should be ending soon.

"I hope... Elder Wu is all right!"

Seeing Elder Wu, who had spat who knows how many mouthfuls of blood and whose face was as pale as a dead man's, everyone silently prayed in their hearts.

...

As everyone guessed, it was indeed about to end.

No matter how long the Demonic Tune lasted, it had a time limit, and now it had reached its end.

"Good!"

The long spear trembled incessantly. Zhang Xuan breathed a sigh of relief. He had been striking the formation disk according to the flaws in the tune, opposing it, and had not observed his surroundings.

Now, as it was about to end, he couldn't help but exhale.

With a flick of his wrist, he struck the final note, then couldn't help turning around, only to see a face pale to the point of collapse.

"Ah!"

Startled, Zhang Xuan's hand jerked, and the long spear lashed out directly.