Chapter 148 : The Stable Jinxed Mouth

Chapter 148: The Stable Jinxed Mouth

There had not been any major issues in that day’s Grand Competition, and Long Tao’s jinxed mouth had once again performed steadily.

The match results he predicted—and even the detailed processes he described—were wrong eight or nine times out of ten, running completely counter to the final outcomes.

And now, the thirty-two matches scheduled for today had reached the very last one.

“Fellow Daoists, every temporary formation Senior Brother Xia set up has already been seen through one by one by Senior Brother Hu. There’s no helping it—this is the greatest disadvantage a Formation Master faces in this kind of arena duel. When you lay down formations right in front of your opponent, their effects are bound to be greatly reduced!”

Even at the final match, Long Tao’s commentary remained passionate.

The spectators by the arena also agreed with his assessment, because there truly was nothing wrong with it. Senior Brother Xia was indeed at a disadvantage—anyone could see that clearly.

Yet for some reason, after Long Tao said this, most people suddenly felt that the situation of this match had once again become unpredictable.

At this moment in the arena, Senior Brother Xia, as a Formation Master, could only continuously set up formations in coordination with mechanisms to delay his opponent’s offensive.

The other side had chosen a steady strategy, refraining from pressing an aggressive attack. The match had abruptly entered a stalemate.

“Oh! The rhythm on the field has suddenly slowed down. It seems neither side wants to rush to end this match. But I really want to go home and sleep—can’t you hurry up? It’s almost dark!”

Fang Wuqi had just taken a sip of tea and smilingly took over the conversation.

“As a veteran Foundation Establishment Formation Master of the sect, everyone knows Senior Brother Xia must have hidden moves. Junior Brother Hu choosing a steady approach is only natural.”

“Sigh… since that’s the case, let’s take this opportunity to talk about something everyone’s interested in. According to a certain unnamed source, Senior Brother Xia has been driven nearly frantic by his family and fiancée urging him to marry. He even promised his family that if he failed to enter the top eight in this Grand Competition, he would obediently return home to get married.”

As soon as those words were spoken, the somewhat quiet Martial Arena instantly erupted.

Many spectators who had already stood up to leave quickly sat back down. The female spectators in particular showed immense interest in the topic, whispering to one another in small groups.

“Is that true? Junior Brother Long, how come I’ve never heard of this?”

Fang Wuqi was no longer calm either—though not because of gossip.

This Senior Brother Xia was truly one of the sect’s best Foundation Establishment Formation Masters and warranted attention.

“When I was investigating participating fellow disciples earlier, one of Senior Brother Xia’s… um… old acquaintances told me. It’s said the woman is from a major clan by the western sea. Once married, Senior Brother Xia may have to bring his formation talent over to the western coast.”

“What?! You’re not mistaken, are you?!” Fang Wuqi immediately lost his composure. “Old Xia! You can’t lose! The Stellar Origin Formation in my room hasn’t been adjusted yet! Don’t lose!”

Although Senior Brother Xia in the arena could not hear this shouting, Fang Wuqi could not help but call out toward the field.

Likewise, many people in the audience grew agitated. This was no joke. Excellent Formation Masters were exceedingly rare.

Most formations had to be handled by Golden Core elders, but how could ordinary disciples easily request an elder’s help? Thus, outstanding Foundation Establishment Formation Masters like Senior Brother Xia were the most cost-effective choice for everyone.

Now they were saying he might be snatched away by an outside force—who could tolerate that?

The voices by the arena swelled at once, regardless of gender.

“Although the cheering from the sidelines has suddenly grown louder, it still can’t stop Senior Brother Xia’s decline!” Long Tao sighed theatrically.

“Sigh… another outstanding senior brother is about to leave us. Xia Huatu, thank you for all the formations you’ve arranged for your fellow disciples over the years. You are one of the best Foundation Establishment Formation Masters. Farewell! I hope you achieve even greater success in your future life.”

Although Senior Brother Xia in the arena could not hear the noise from outside, seeing the sudden shift in the audience’s reaction—and feeling something faint and inexplicable—he regained a trace of fighting spirit. He had not lost yet!

And Long Tao continued fanning the flames.

“Go get married, Senior Brother Xia. Step into that life’s grave called marriage. From now on, you’ll never again casually go fishing, drink and battle crickets with friends, or buy all kinds of Cloud Vessel puppet models. The pressure of supporting a family will weigh upon your shoulders. For at least the next hundred years of your life, you’ll no longer be that carefree and happy youth you once were.”

Though those words did not reach Senior Brother Xia’s ears, they sparked strong resonance among the male spectators. Quite a few wore pained expressions, and even some domestic disputes broke out.

“Hey! Do you mean to say you’ve been unhappy since marrying me?”

“Where would my lady get such an idea? I’m extremely happy!”

“Then why did you look so grief-stricken just now after hearing Long Tao’s words?”

“Well… I was lamenting on his behalf. Young people don’t understand the wonders of marriage or the joy of building a family!”

“It had better be so!”

Similar conversations erupted across the stands. Meanwhile, the situation in the arena began to shift quietly.

“Huh? What’s going on? Senior Brother Hu suddenly stepped into several simple trap formations for no apparent reason. Fortunately, he only suffered minor injuries to his legs. But that’s not right—he was clearly very cautious before. Has having too great an advantage made him careless? This is only the first round. He can’t afford to relax his focus this early.”

But no sooner had Long Tao finished speaking than Senior Brother Hu, through another moment of inattention, was tripped by a small mechanism puppet. Senior Brother Xia seized the opportunity without hesitation, forcing his opponent back several zhang and hurriedly setting up a new formation, reclaiming much of the battlefield advantage.

“Wait! Don’t tell me he’s actually turning this around! Senior Brother Xia, do you really not want to get married that badly?! A beautiful bride is waiting for you, yet your performance right now seems to say, I don’t want to get married! I still want to be a happy single dog!”

Before Long Tao finished speaking, Senior Brother Xia pulled something out of his pocket. Judging from his expression, even he seemed conflicted about whether to use it. But soon, while the other party was dealing with the puppet, he discreetly tossed it onto the ground.

After freeing himself from the puppet’s entanglement, Senior Brother Hu finally realized he could not delay any longer. Refocusing, he charged forward again, all the while checking for surrounding traps and small mechanism puppets.

But suddenly… he seemed to step on something beneath his foot and slipped.

Though at the level of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, such a slip would not make him fall, that instant of lost balance was fatal in a match like this—especially since he had been the one pressing the attack.

Senior Brother Xia seized the moment, unleashing a storm-like offensive that gave his opponent no chance to catch his breath.

“This—what just happened? Senior Brother Xia has actually gained the upper hand! What did he just throw on the ground? It’s a banana… a green plantain peel! This is truly… unexpected. But the Grand Competition rules indeed never said such things were forbidden. Although somewhat low in style, it is technically within the allowed scope.”

Long Tao had spoken too quickly and almost misspoken. This world did have banana-like fruits, though they were called green plantains.

Fortunately, such a minor issue likely concerned no one. Fang Wuqi excitedly added,

“But stepping on that peel wasn’t merely luck. Junior Brother Hu had been focused the entire time on formation traps and mechanism puppets, so he had absolutely no guard against something that shouldn’t have appeared at all. This… this is truly unexpected. Though somewhat… um… inelegant, it does not violate the rules.”

At this moment, Long Tao realized his jinxed mouth had once again proven accurate. Feeling somewhat dejected, he nonetheless dutifully continued his commentary.

“This must be what they call—high-level matches often employing the simplest and most unadorned tactics. Who would have thought that in a Foundation Establishment–level battle, throwing a plantain peel could actually make a difference? Ah! Senior Brother Hu’s chest True Essence Protective Barrier is gone. Senior Brother Xia has won.”