A draw — another draw!
This draw carried vastly different implications for both sides.
On Peacock Sacred Mountain's side, the three Great Emperors beside Cloud Ming Emperor all sighed with frustration upon seeing this bout end in a draw.
They could tell that Cloud Ming Emperor's strength was actually slightly superior to his opponent's. Unfortunately, the advantage wasn't pronounced enough to convert into a victory.
A victory that had been within reach yet slipped away made the already delicate situation on Peacock Sacred Mountain's side even more precarious.
On the surface, the overall tally stood at four wins, three draws, and four losses. The two sides were technically still tied.
But anyone with a discerning eye could see that momentum had swung decisively in favor of Asura Dojo. What would the remaining two bouts look like?
On Peacock Sacred Mountain's side, Young Master Zhen would be facing the Asura Emperor himself — an opponent no one could conceivably defeat. As for Miss Huang'er, everyone was quite unfamiliar with her. Though she had fought a few rounds before and managed a draw in the alchemy contest, her performances in the other matches hadn't been particularly impressive either.
This naturally dampened everyone's confidence in her.
First impressions mattered. Huang'er had an extraordinary presence, but her gentle and composed bearing revealed none of the dominance or killing intent one might expect, leading people to feel she lacked competitiveness — a filler picked by Peacock Sacred Mountain out of sheer necessity.
In truth, most people did believe she was a filler. After all, Young Master Zhen was so young himself that asking him to select a true disciple had always been an impossibly tall order.
Over on Asura Dojo's side, the mood was the polar opposite of Peacock Sacred Mountain's dejection. Every face was beaming with delight. Clearly, they could already see victory beckoning from the distance.
Thirteen bouts in the wager — two remained. And those two were the ones they had unanimously identified before the contest as guaranteed wins.
"Brother Asura, congratulations!" Emperor Canghai stepped forward with a broad grin, offering premature congratulations. "The competition may have had its twists and turns, but Asura Dojo's foundations run deeper after all! Now let's see what they have to say about that!"
Emperor Canghai had been on edge himself, terrified that Asura Dojo might lose. Especially when Jiang Chen had summoned a contract spirit beast of the True Dragon bloodline — in that moment, Emperor Canghai had felt a crushing sense of defeat and even regretted opposing Peacock Sacred Mountain in the first place.
Now, however, that unpleasant feeling had finally dissipated. Victory was in sight, and his mood had naturally become much lighter.
Emperor Zhankong also came over with a smile. Though he didn't offer premature congratulations, he was clearly optimistic. "Brother Asura, the remaining two bouts should be without suspense."
The Asura Emperor nodded, then turned his gaze toward Li Jiancheng. "Jiancheng, I'll say the same thing I've always said — don't underestimate your opponent. Fight with everything you have."
Li Jiancheng's eyes gleamed with sharp light. He nodded thoughtfully and pledged, "Rest assured, Master. Your disciple will not disappoint your expectations."
Emperor Canghai laughed heartily. "That girl from Peacock Sacred Mountain is most likely just filler. Forget that girl — even if Young Master Zhen fought personally, he wouldn't stand a chance against Nephew Jiancheng in martial arts! All Nephew Jiancheng needs to do is perform normally, and taking this bout is a certainty — no question about it!"
"Young Master Jiancheng, may you achieve victory as swiftly as a swift horse reaching its destination!"
Li Jiancheng cupped his fists in a cupped-hand salute, his wide sleeves billowing as he soared toward the arena platform. As he flew, he called out, "Miss Huang'er, Jiancheng awaits you on the stage."
Li Jiancheng harbored genuine desire to win Huang'er over, so every word and gesture was carefully calculated.
On Peacock Sacred Mountain's side, every face was grim. Cloud Ming Emperor berated himself again and again. "Young Master, fellow Daoists, Cloud is incompetent. I failed to secure that bout, putting our Peacock Sacred Mountain in such a dire position. Cloud deserves blame."
The others knew this wasn't Cloud Ming Emperor's fault. In truth, no one was to blame.
Everyone had already given their all. If anything, Asura Dojo was to blame for being utterly shameless — hiring two mysterious outsiders of unknown origins and launching a surprise attack to boot.
If Peacock Sacred Mountain hadn't been forced into reactive defense and had even the slightest preparation, the overall situation would never have become this passive, this dire.
"Brother Cloud, this truly isn't your fault, nor is it anyone's." Duomei Ming Emperor, despite his usual aloofness, was remarkably understanding at a time like this. "You did your best. We all did our best. If any of us had gone up instead, the outcome might have been even worse."
"Indeed, there's no need for self-blame." Zhensui Ming Emperor sighed. "If only His Majesty were here in Radiance Capital, these contemptible opportunists wouldn't have the slightest chance of victory."
"Exactly. If His Majesty were here, how could he possibly tolerate their arrogance?" Wild Fox Ming Emperor's voice was equally heavy with lament.
The Peacock Emperor's talent was nothing short of astonishing. In the art of talismans alone, his prowess was unquestionably the finest in all of Radiance Capital.
The Emperor-Descent Jade Armor Talisman and Emperor-Descent True Barrier Talisman he crafted were the highest quality in the entire city.
In alchemy, though the Peacock Emperor's cultivation wasn't particularly outstanding, among the Seven Great Emperors of Radiance Capital, his skill was absolutely the greatest.
In formation arrays, the Peacock Emperor was likewise a standout among the Seven.
In every domain, as long as the Peacock Emperor was present, he could overshadow the Asura Emperor on every front. Had he been here for this thirteen-bout wager, Asura Dojo would likely have won only three or four bouts at most — all the rest would surely have gone to Peacock Sacred Mountain!
The Peacock Emperor alone could have suppressed the Asura Emperor for four or five bouts, and Young Master Zhen could have won at least three or four more. The rest could have filled in without worry.
Emperor Wushuang was certainly powerful as well, but his strength manifested only in martial arts. In other domains, as an independent cultivator, Emperor Wushuang simply couldn't compare.