“Hum…” As the Black Dragon Elder suspended a hundred-pound iron weight on the hilt of the flying sword, the rusty blade began to emit a tremulous hum.

Xu Taiping’s body tensed up immediately.

“A hundred pounds.”

The Black Dragon Elder glanced at Xu Taiping but did not immediately hang a second iron weight.

Xu Taiping knew that the Elder was giving him a chance to regulate his breathing.

After taking a deep breath, he nodded to the Black Dragon Elder:

“Thank you.”

At this moment, although he exhibited symptoms of soul-crying, with a buzzing in his ears, rapid breathing, and a fierce heartbeat, it was still within his tolerance.

The Black Dragon Elder was slightly surprised by Xu Taiping’s current performance.

After all, Xu Taiping had not been this composed in the previous round.

However, without a word, the Elder hung a second hundred-pound iron weight on Xu Taiping’s rusty sword.

“Hum!…” The moment the second iron weight was attached, the symptoms of soul-crying intensified. Xu Taiping felt as if his head would explode, the buzzing sound audible only to himself, while his heartbeat accelerated, pounding as if it would burst from his chest.

“Huff, huff, huff…”

He began to gasp for air heavily.

If not for the occasional surge of energy from his acupoints keeping him conscious, he might have already fainted.

“Two hundred pounds.”

The Black Dragon Elder’s voice rang out again.

However, to Xu Taiping, the voice seemed elongated, taking a long time before he understood.

“Huff…” After exhaling shakily, Xu Taiping, with trembling fingers, nodded and mustered all his strength to reply, “Thank you, Elder…”

Observing the young man before him, the usually impassive Black Dragon Elder showed a fleeting touch of emotion.

He nodded slowly, then took two iron weights, one large and one small, and said:

“The last two iron weights.”

After speaking, he first hung the smaller iron weight on the hilt of the rusty sword.

Even such a small weight caused the rusty sword to dip downward.

“Ugh!…”

Xu Taiping grunted but immediately began to lift the sword again with his sword fingers.

His forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat, and his clothes were soaked through with perspiration.

It was hard to imagine such a state for a cultivator from the Gazing Abyss Realm, which spoke volumes about the severity of the soul-crying affliction.

“The last one.”

Then, the Black Dragon Elder placed the last iron weight on the rusty sword.

With a “hum” of vibration, the rusty sword plummeted, nearly crashing to the ground.

But just as the sword was a foot or two from the ground, Xu Taiping gritted his teeth and let out a muffled grunt, forcefully lifting the sword back up.

The rusty sword, now bearing two hundred and sixty-three pounds of iron weights, began to slowly fly over the heads of Xu Taiping and the Black Dragon Elder.

Watching this scene, the disciples who had previously mocked Xu Taiping, as well as Ye Xuan on the platform, all had unsightly expressions.

As fellow cultivators, they knew all too well how difficult it was to increase the weight from one hundred and thirty-one pounds to two hundred and sixty-three pounds.

“To reach this point, the kid has actually already won,” Xu Ziyan remarked from the Cloud Pavilion, visibly moved.

It was clear to everyone that while both were lifting two hundred and sixty-three pounds of iron, Ye Xuan relied on his Spiritual Bones talent, whereas Xu Taiping was sheerly enduring, withstanding the torment of soul-crying.

Since soul-crying did not cause significant damage to the soul, enduring was theoretically possible, but the pain was not something everyone could withstand.

What they didn’t know was that Xu Taiping, who had practiced the Emperor’s Body Refining Technique, felt the pain even more acutely, with no chance to escape it by fainting.

However, Xu Taiping clearly had no intention of ending it there.

Just like last time, he slowly urged the flying sword upwards. Although the pace was slow, neither the disciples on the field nor those watching showed any signs of impatience.

Most of the disciples present had practiced sword flying and knew how painful soul-crying could be, so even the most hard-hearted could not fault Xu Taiping at this moment.

“Bang!”

After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Xu Taiping’s sword suddenly struck the cliff face, and then the blade began to slide across the rock.

He began to write a regulated verse.

Just like last time, even in such a state, his handwriting remained impeccably neat, embarrassingly so.

“If it’s not well written, I’ll get scolded by Elder Sansan,” Xu Taiping thought to himself as he wrote.

Upon seeing this, Elder Sansan in the Cloud Pavilion said nothing and flew away on his sword.

He had seen all he wanted to see.

“Whoosh!” After another half an incense stick of time, Xu Taiping finally made the last stroke.

Then, with a flick of his sword finger, he made the rusty sword, dragging the iron weights, fly back.

“Bang!”

Just like before, the rusty sword plunged heavily into the platform.

“Disciple… has finished writing!”

Xu Taiping, mustering his strength, stood up straight and looked up at the Black Dragon Elder.

The Elder was momentarily taken aback, then solemnly nodded and declared with great formality:

“In this competition, Seventh Peak’s Xu Taiping wins!”

Upon hearing this, Ye Xuan clenched his fists tightly, his lips pressed firmly, his eyes revealing a deep sense of unwillingness.

He stepped forward to Xu Taiping and said with a complex look:

“I will win it back!”

The very weak Xu Taiping looked up at Ye Xuan and then shook his head:

“You won’t have the chance.”

Xu Taiping might have responded with a casual smile to others, but he did not wish to do so with Ye Xuan.

Ye Xuan’s eyes hardened, his clenched fists trembling as if ready to strike Xu Taiping, but eventually, he calmed down, as if making a certain resolution, and said deliberately:

“See you at the Seven Peaks competition in six years!”

Then, he turned and left.

“Taiping!”

At that moment, Zhao Linglong and others leaped onto the platform and hurriedly helped Xu Taiping to his feet.

With his spirit finally relaxed, Xu Taiping let out a long sigh:

“Senior Sister, Senior Brother, I need to sleep for a while.”

After saying this, Xu Taiping’s mind went blank, and he fell into a deep slumber.

…

Three days later.

Hundred Grass Hall.

Xu Taiping had not expected to sleep straight through for three days.

Even less did he expect that in these three days, many things had happened.