The Scum Is A ***

"Wen Wen, I and xiao Xiao will do the group battle, then." Cui Xiang resolutely decided. "Our defense is strong and there's xiao Xiao who can be both in offense and defense." She explained.

Cui Xiao nodded in agreement. "I'll go with jie." She spoke.

"I am a mage, so I will definitely choose the team battle!" Wen Wen spoke.

"Go and play well next week." Wen Yan told his younger brother as he patted Wen Wen's head. "I'll go doubles with xiao Xi." He said and looked at Zhu Xi.

"You sure?" Zhu Xi was surprised.

Wen Yan nodded. "It's better to improve our team's cooperation. I have a feeling that the stage after this wouldn't be simple." He told them.

They all gravely nodded. "I am a mage, so… jie. Will you be so kind to accompany this old younger brother of yours?" Su Yi looked at Su Mi.

"Okay!" Su Mi answered. "Then, that leaves…" she said and turned.

The others also turned back to Fei Yinzi whose face was covered in black lines. "… me, in solo…" he looked at them as he pouted.

"Aiyo! I forgot another thing to add!" the host suddenly spoke, making them all startled and jump in surprise. "Since there are uneven numbers between the sects and also our friendly rogue cultivators, then, our beloved disciples can also form a team with their fellow disciples from another sect, or our friendly rogue cultivators!" he said.

The audience exclaimed in surprise. The participants were also shocked. "'cooperation'?" they looked at each other.

Cui Xiang's and Cui Xiao's eyes lit up as they looked at the Shanliangde Sect, particularly at Sun Ri who is also looking at them! "Cooperate!" the three of them said and run towards each other.

Wen Wen helplessly smiled as he followed them. They have already cooperated with Sun Ri before and they cooperated very well so he also agrees with this cooperation.

"Xiao Ri has made friends." Sun Yan smiled as he looked at his younger sister. "So, do you want to cooperate with the other sects?" he asked the others.

"I want to pummel Wu Tie to death!" Xi He answered as he glared at Wu Tie who is also glaring at him.

Obviously, both of them will choose solo battles that will be held this afternoon.

"Better to not form a team or you might accidentally disqualify xiao Ri." Sun Yan told Xi Bing, Fei Luo and Fei Huo.

Fei Luo nodded. "Solo." He answered.

"Uh…" Fei Huo scratched his head, unsure what to choose.

"Do you want to form a duo with me?" Xi Bing asked him.

"Hm? You?" Fei Huo was surprised. 

Xi Bing nodded. "I just overheard Wen Yan from the Xinfaxian Sect that the next stage might be testing our cooperation. After all, we will be against demons." He explained.

"Then… okay!" Fei Huo agreed.

"Then, I'll also go solo." Sun Yan smiled.

"You won't form a double with my ge?" Fei Huo asked and looked at Fei Luo who stood alone on the side.

"Your ge looks like he doesn't want to." Sun Yan shrugged.

On the Zunjingde Sect's side.

"Since this is how it is, Jing De and I will choose the doubles. The rest of you can choose group battle or just solo." Jing Xu told them.

"Yes, da shixiong!" they answered.

On the Qianxu Sect's side.

"Xiao Meng, do you still want to lead your disciples, or…?" Qian Jue spoke.

"… sorry. I still don't have the confidence." Qian Meng lowered his head.

Qian Jue looked at him and heaved a sigh. "I'll go accompany you to doubles, then." He said and turned to their fellow disciples. "You go solo, or form a group and do as you see fit." He told them.

"Yes!" they nodded.

On the Youxiwang Sect's side.

"… what should we do? Cooperate with the other sects?" Chen Yu asked as he fidgeted.

"No. You're not used with strangers yet. The three of us will form a team." Chen Wu answered and turned to Wu Lian. "How about you? Do you want to join us?" he asked him.

"You can be an all-brothers' team. Father and dad still expects to see me shine." Wu Lian answered as he looked at the sect leaders' area where Wu Yuan is sitting with the other sect leaders and the Righteous Alliance elders.

…

"Aiyo! It's Yuan's fault! Look! My Lian Lian will go solo now while da shixiong's nephews are in a group!" Sun Yi pouted.

"… shidi, I would have believed you if you aren't smiling from ear to ear." Chen Han helplessly sighed as he looked at Sun Yi grinning. "You blame your husband but wasn't it you who told him to tell those words to your adopted son?" he said and shook his head.

On the Huakai Sect's and Huli Sect's side.

"Team?" Tang Li asked Li Yan.

"Nah. My fellow disciples aren't confident with their strength so they don't want to be a burden to me if we will form a team." Li Yan explained.

Tang Li nodded. "It is unfortunate that my junior brothers who are talented can't join this year's competition since they lack experience." He sighed. "Let's all do our best in the solo battles!" he told him.

"Yeah!" Li Yan nodded.

On the Guhe Sect's side.

"Young master, you…" He Shun's fellow disciples looked at him worriedly.

He Shun's brows knitted. "Just leave me by myself! I definitely can win!" he said as he clenched his fists.

The Guhe Sect disciples looked at each other, helplessness in their eyes. "What do we do? Young master might lose!" they said.

"But, the big master said to follow young master's wishes…" some of them said.

"Then… let's just let young master do as he likes?" one of them said.

"Yes…" they reluctantly agreed.

On the Tuanhui Sect's side.

"Solo, double or group battle?" Hui Na asked Hui Qu and Hui Lu.

"My internal injuries still haven't recovered." Hui Qu frowned.

"That damn rogue cultivator!" Hui Lu gnashed her teeth as the three of them glared at the rogue cultivator Jin Yu who was standing on the side.

Jin Yu seemed to sense their gazes on him and he turned to them and flashed them a smile, which the three of them returned with murderous glares. But, Jin Yu even just waved at them before he turned and focused his attention to the other participants.

Obviously, he is going to choose solo battles.

Hui Na gnashed her teeth in anger. They wanted to thrash this Jin Yu to pay him for what he had done to them in the elimination stage. But, even after a day of resting, their internal injuries ae serious and they now have to fight in the advancement stage.

"Let's do the group battle for now. Our goal is to win." She spoke. "We can pay him back next stage, if he also wins this stage!" she told them.

"Yes." Hui Qu and Hui Lu answered with ugly expressions on their beautiful faces.

On the Wuyang Sect's side, contrary to the other sects who are lively, they are all silent. After all, their eldest young master Wu Tie despises his younger brother, their second young master, Wu Tao, so he had Wu Tao be locked up by their father so Wu Tao missed to register in the Intersect Competition.

Not that Wu Tao is stronger than Wu Tie, anyway, and is a threat to Wu Tie… on the other hand, they felt that it is better for Wu Tao to not join the Intersect Competition lest he dies. This is Wu Tie giving him a 'favor' for him to avoid dying.

"You do your own thing while I do mine." Wu Tie told them.

"Yes, young master!" the Wuyang Sect disciples answered and bowed.

They are thankful that Wu Tie isn't a tyrant, for he will definitely be their master and sect leader in the future. Unlike the dumb Wu Tao, who is showing his true colors of being a tyrant this early… he is utterly dumb. Thus, they favor the intelligent and generous Wu Tie more, even if they know that Wu Tie has cunning secrets which are schemes against his blood-related brother, and also father.

On the Yuling Sect's side, they are more harmonious.

"Da shixiong, you can go solo. We don't want to hold you back, making this stage your end of the competition!" Ling Yun's fellow disciples said.

Although Ling Yun wanted to carry his fellow disciples to win, he truly felt grateful that they also know that it is more important to win right now and be qualified to the next stage than develop camaraderie right now, only to be disqualified after. They are aware of their own strength, so they choose to take a step back and allow Ling Yun to shine, since he will be carrying their sect's name. If they are lucky, they could win the group stage and would meet each other again.

Then, that time, they could finally cooperate.