Two Hours Later
As the sun climbed closer to its zenith, more groups trickled out from the mountain. One by one, the youths emerged, battered but alive. Cheers and greetings rang out as friends reunited and elders tallied numbers in their minds.
By now, almost all the participating disciples had returned.
"Alright, let's start the counting."Hu Sun said with a grin,
There was a visible satisfaction on Hu Sun's face—none of his Hu Clan members were missing. Meanwhile, both the Mo and Xiao Clans looked less fortunate: three members of the Mo Clan were missing, and, shockingly, five from the Xiao Clan had yet to return.
The mood among Elder Xu and Elder Mo was understandably heavy.
Just as Elder Xu prepared to announce the results, a disturbance rippled through the crowd.
From the shadow of the mountain entrance, a solitary figure appeared.
It was Xiao Wei.
Covered in dirt, scratches crisscrossing his skin, and clothes torn from battle, Xiao Wei looked battered but unbowed as he walked forward. A strange silence fell across the clearing.
"Hmph, look the trash has finally crawled back"Xiao Li sneered, crossing his arms over his chest.
"So what if he survived? He probably just hid in some hole for the day and waited for the danger to pass."Xiao Yen added with a disdainful glance.
The snide comments rippled through the Xiao Clan group, but Xiao Wei ignored them, walking calmly to stand behind Elder Xu.
Elder Xu barely glanced at him, his mind already occupied with disappointment.
'It's already good enough that he managed to survive, I can't expect anything more.'Elder Xu thought.
After that they start counting.
The formal counting of the Monster Cores commenced with the Mo Clan stepping forward first.
One by one, the Mo Clan youths dropped their spoils in front of the three elders. A crowd of younger disciples and elders alike gathered around to witness.
When the counting concluded, a Mo Clan youth announced loudly.
"Mo Clan has slain ten Tier 1 beasts and six Tier 2 beasts!"
Elder Mo nodded solemnly, though a glimmer of pride shone in his eyes.
"Mo Clan total score is seventy points"Elder Mo declared.
A modest applause rose among the spectators.
However, Elder Mo himself was not truly pleased. He shot a cold look at the three empty spaces where his missing clan members should have been.
'Those fools. Mo Nan said they went to capture that Xiao Clan trash, but they even went missing instead of capturing him. Useless!'Elder Mo thought.
Next, it was the Hu Clan's turn.
Their group stepped up confidently, and soon, the beast cores were displayed.
A swift count was conducted.
"The Hu Clan has hunted sixteen Tier 1 beasts and five Tier 2 beasts!"
Elder Hu Sun chuckled as he personally tallied the final score.
"Hu Clan total score is sixty-six points"Hu Sun announced proudly.
Despite killing more monsters, their total score was slightly lower than Mo Clan's due to the lower Tiers of monster.
Hu Sun was not bothered in the slightest. His primary joy was that none of his juniors had been lost.
Finally, it was the Xiao Clan's turn.
The group from the Xiao Clan stepped forward hesitantly. Most of them had somber expressions. As the Monster Cores were laid out, the atmosphere grew heavy.
After a while, Elder Xu sighed as everyone done submitting there Monster Cores.
"The Xiao Clan has slain thirteen Tier 1 beasts and five Tier 2 beasts."
A moment of silence followed.
"Xiao Clan total score is sixty-three points"Elder Xu announced, his voice low and filled with disappointment.
The reality sank in fast—the Xiao Clan was once again in last place.
"It seems the Mo Clan wins the competition again."Elder Mo said with a smirk.
Just as Elder Xu was about to nod in acceptance, a voice suddenly rang out.
"Wait, Elders!"Xiao Wei called out.
Everyone turned to look at him in mild surprise.
Xiao Wei stepped forward.
"You haven't asked if I collected any Monster Cores."Xiao Wei said.
Laughter erupted from the surrounding youths.
"Stop wasting everyone's time, trash. Even if you managed to kill a monster by pure luck, do you really think it would change anything?"Xiao Li jeered loudly.
"Hahaha, maybe he picked up some leftovers"Xiao Yen mocked, turning away disdainfully.
Even Elder Xu looked impatient.
But Elder Mo chuckled.
"Come now, Xiao Xu. Even if he's a… little lacking, he still deserves the right to present his contribution."Elder Mo said.
There was sarcasm in Elder Mo's voice, but Elder Xu was trapped.
Suppressing his irritation, Elder Xu said curtly
"Take out the cores."
Xiao Wei nodded.
Under the stunned gaze of the crowd, Xiao Wei began pulling out Monster Cores from his Storage Ring.
Clink. Clink. Clink.
One by one, gleaming Monster Cores fell onto the ground with a series of soft thunks.
One core.
Two cores.
Three cores.
Four...
Gasps began to echo around the clearing as more and more cores appeared.
By the time Xiao Wei finished, a small pile of ten Tier 1 Monster Cores gleamed on the ground..
Silence fell over the crowd.
The mockery froze on Xiao Li and Xiao Yen's faces, their mouths hanging open in disbelief.
Even Elder Xu's eyes widened slightly.
The open plains outside Tiger Mountain were utterly silent.
The only sounds were the soft whistles of the morning wind and the faint crackle of Spiritual Energy lingering around the Monster Cores Xiao Wei had laid before the Elders.
Everyone stood frozen in disbelief, their eyes locked onto the gleaming pile of Monster Cores Xiao Wei had produced from his Storage Ring.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
It was as if the world itself had stopped spinning for a brief moment.
How could it be?
That trash... Xiao Wei... killed ten Tier 1 beasts on his own?
The minds of the spectators struggled to accept the reality before their eyes. Even Elder Xu, who had carried a deep doubt about Xiao Wei's abilities, found it hard to believe what he was seeing.
The boy he had considered hopeless had not only survived Tiger Mountain but had done what few even among the clan elites could accomplish. Because unlike other who were fighting in group, Xiao Wei was alone inside.
The tension in the air was palpable.
Suddenly, a sharp, dismissive voice tore through the stunned silence.
"Xiao Xu, this guy must have cheated!"Hu Sun barked, his face twisted into a deep scowl. He pointed a trembling finger at Xiao Wei.
"How can this trash possibly kill so many Tier 1 monster alone? It's impossible! He must have prepared these cores beforehand! Bought them before the competition and stored them in his ring!"Hu Sun added.
His voice, thick with accusation, echoed across the field.
Murmurs spread among the gathered youths and elders.
Some nodded uncertainly. Others looked even more confused.
Meanwhile, Xiao Wei, standing calmly beside the pile of Monster Cores, but inside, he burned with anger.
Buying beast cores beforehand? Is that all they think I'm capable of?
But on the surface, his expression remained calm, almost indifferent, like the surface of a deep lake undisturbed by storms.
Without a word, Xiao Wei reached down.
He picked up one of the glistening Monster Cores, its surface still faintly stained with fresh blood, and with a casual flick of his wrist, he hurled it toward Elder Hu Sun.
The beast core shot through the air like a black bullet.
Elder Hu Sun's eyes widened in shock. For a brief second, he even thought the boy was trying to attack him in front of the entire assembly!
He hastily lifted his hand, catching the core just before it struck him square in the face.
A heavy silence fell once more.
Many disciples and even some elders sucked in sharp breaths, ready for a fierce rebuke—or perhaps even immediate punishment.
"Trash! You dare to attack me?!"Hu Sun roared, his aura flaring in anger. Spiritual energy rippled outward from him, sending loose dust and pebbles skittering across the ground.
Several Hu Clan weaker disciples stumbled backward instinctively under the pressure.
Yet Xiao Wei remained unmoved.
He stared at Elder Hu Sun, his eyes sharp as blades, and said in a steady, unflinching voice:
"Elder, I did not intend to harm you even if I want to with my Cultivation. I only offered you the monster Core... so you could examine it properly. Check for yourself whether it was bought—or freshly hunted inside the mountain."Xiao Wei said.
The words, spoken without fear or hesitation, stunned the crowd even more than before.
Several elders exchanged glances.
Even Elder Xu raised an eyebrow in faint surprise. This boy… he's not only changed in strength but also in courage.
Under the gazes of hundreds, Elder Hu Sun's face twitched.
For a moment, it seemed he would lash out.
But in the end, he suppressed his anger. After all, if he refused to examine the core now, it would only make him look petty—and perhaps even cowardly—in front of the other clans.
With a sharp harrumph, he examined it closely.
The bloodstains were still wet.