The talon blades struck a flaming wall that suddenly appeared in front of Top Disciple Arno Schatz!

Esvele looked at the scene in front of her and relaxed. However, she did not let her guard down and retreated, her crimson robes fluttering as she gorgeously landed on the burning phoenix symbols' head.

On the other hand, Top Disciple Arno Schatz seemed to have frozen as he looked at the flaming wall that protected him. He cast his gaze above and saw that the referee had saved him. However, the referee cast a contemptuous look at him, making him feel extremely ashamed of the cry of surrender that he had almost fully released.

"The winner of this battle is Esvele Zelte. Therefore, according to the rules and her wishes, she is a top disciple from this moment onward!"

The Burning Phoenix Ridge's disciples were at the edges of their seats at this sudden twist. They were stunned at Esvele's rise.

The battle that just seemed to have started met a sudden end with the referee intervening to save Top Disciple Arno Schatz even though the challenger had the same cultivation as him.

It was a humiliating defeat!

However, all of their gazes were on the winner of the battle.

The burst in Esvele's Peak-Level Law Dominion Stage prowess was so tremendous that it felt like it could almost compare to Low-Level Law Sea Stage Experts, but they were deeply astonished to see her execute the Burning Phoenix's Dual Talon Blades, which is said to be one of the most dependable offensive techniques that boasted severe damage.

Some of them recognized it, while most others didn't. From what they knew, it was said that none of the present core disciples had comprehended this technique before as it was really hard for cultivators below the Eighth Stage to comprehend it that only the top disciples had managed to learn it.

This was the reason why Top Disciple Arno Schatz lost in an instant because neither he nor anyone saw it coming as Esvele closed the distance, almost as if she were defenseless only to display a brilliant offensive technique that practically had the knowledgeable disciples jumping in their seats!

If this was a life and death battle, Esvele would've instantly gained the upper hand, with victory leaning in her favor even if the battle extended!

Even the Elders and Grand Elders displayed a change in their expressions, looking at Esvele in a new light.

"I raised that girl..." Shirley pointed at the proud swan on the battle stage, looking proud herself.

Davis blinked, feeling another deja vu before he shook his head. He was about to reply when suddenly a voice echoed.

"Wait! The battle isn't over yet!"

Every disciple and elder heard the voice that perplexed them before they looked at the source and saw that it was none other than the loser himself. Almost all of their expressions turned a bit contemptuous, while some others possessed sympathy as they listened to what he had to say.

Surely, this defeat would remain the most humiliating defeat in this decade!

"This woman... She..." Top Disciple Arno Schatz's expression was shameful while he blushed. He pointed at Esvele as his lips quivered, "She told me that she would give me wealth if I would let her win and become a top disciple."

"...!"

Esvele became stunned, her two large black eyes blinking before she coldly tilted her head, looking at him as if she were going to kill him with her looks alone.

"But I didn't want to accept that and remained hesitant over harming a woman! But now, I want to battle her fair and square! This battle's result doesn't count, so she has to battle me again!"

Looking at Top Disciple Arno Schatz arguing as if he were throwing a tantrum, the expressions of the Grand Elders and Elders were so twisted that they couldn't help but feel second-hand embarrassment.

"Return back to your seat..." A Grand Elder spoke up as he stroked his forehead.

He was obviously feeling ashamed but had no choice but to speak up because he was in Grand Elder Valerian's camp.

However, it ended up making Top Disciple Arno Schatz even more humiliated as he shook his head despite the mocking and contemptuous looks he received from the disciples gathered in this battle arena.

"No...no! This is unfair... I want a rematch!"

Esvele looked at him, her gaze becoming more scornful by the second.

She knew that she won this battle fair and square.

It was Top Disciple Arno Schatz's fault for being complacent against her. If he had the urge to battle instead of gawking at her big bosoms, they might have equally fought, but his double-layered soft defense wasn't enough, almost costing him critical injuries, perhaps even death if it weren't for the referee saving him in time.

She no longer bothered to stay in the battle stage and left, leaving a shameless top disciple who kept screaming that she had tried to bribe him, but he didn't accept it and wanted to fight her fair and square.

Nevertheless, she didn't look back as her gaze was towards where the top disciples were seated. Honestly, her reverence towards these top disciples was degrading with each moment as nothing was special about them other than their strength, and now that she had become one herself, she felt no need to give them respect anymore.

However, there was a hot and elegant crimson-robed figure reflected in her black pupils, who had her heart thumping in excitement. She wanted to prove to this person that forgiving her at that time wasn't a wrong decision. There was only respect and reverence in her eyes for this person.

Once she arrived, she opened her mouth.

"Senior sister Shirley, I won..."

"Excellent." Shirley smiled behind her crimson veil, "You did extremely well, especially when you defeated him in a single move. You made me proud."

Esvele's heart skipped a beat as tears welled up in her eyes. It would not be exaggerated to say that she had deeply craved these words from Shirley. She bit her lips, holding her tears from falling as she nodded her head.

"I want to stay as your follower, senior sister Shirley!"

Shirley did not seem taken aback, but her eyes seemed moved,

"Fine with me..."

Esvele sighed in relief while Davis watched the two of them bond. He was heartened that Shirley had a dependable and loyal friend, but would that extend to something else, even more intimate?

His thoughts roamed over to the debaucherous realm before he made it back.

He saw that Top Disciple Arno Schatz was still crying foul when suddenly a melodious voice echoed.

"When did our Burning Phoenix Ridge's Top Disciples become like this? Unable to accept defeat?"

Sect Master Lea Weiss sounded a bit angered. The Grand Elder, who sent soul transmissions to Top Disciple Arno Schatz to make him come back, froze before he no longer spoke. On the other hand, Top Disciple Arno Schatz had also stopped throwing a tantrum as his expression went stiff.

"This is unsightly..." Sect Master Lea Weiss narrowed her crimson eyes, "I think we have to add the criteria of character and attitude when we choose top disciples. Otherwise, even if they have strength, they'll just end up bringing shame to the sect and even possibly end up bringing a calamity while outside."

The faces of top disciples were fairly enraged now. However, their anger wasn't directed at Sect Master Lea Weiss but at Top Disciple Arno Schatz for making them seem like fools.

"Return to your seat at this instant or face punishment for disobedience and trying to frame a person. We all know that since Esvele Zelte can use Burning Phoenix's Dual Talon Blades, she is already fit to be a top disciple. She doesn't need to bribe you for letting her win as I presume that she can battle you in her current strength without losing an inch."

Top Disciple Arno Schatz increasingly trembled before he lowered his head and gritted his teeth. The humiliation of being criticized by the Sect Master made him feel like killing himself out of shame, but he withstood and flew back to his seat.

Only then did the Elders and Grand Elders nod their heads in approval.

At least, Top Disciple Arno Schatz didn't lose his mind from the humiliation and began arguing against the Sect Master. Otherwise, he might've found himself in the outer layers of the Burning Hell Valley for being impudent while trying to frame another top disciple.

At this moment, the four pillars on the four corners of the battle stage abruptly lit up, casting a projection on each edge. It seemed that the middle-aged referee was the one who was controlling the projection, but everyone's gaze wasn't on him but at the projection that came up.

[Top Disciple Rankings]

These words were displayed, causing the crowd to become excited as a list of names appeared one by one. It appeared from the very bottom, displaying Esvele's name at first before continuing to project the names of other top disciples.

Soon, the entirety of names was displayed.

Davis saw that Shirley was actually in twelfth place while Esvele was in the last place, making him discern that there were only twenty-three top disciples in the Burning Phoenix Ridge. There would've been twenty-four right now, but Top Disciple Lauren Zucker ended up dying to help him humiliate Grand Elder Valerian.

There would have also been twenty-five top disciples if one included the dead Schneider Rein, but who cared about that right now?

Their names were not displayed in any case.

However, he was a bit confused as to how the battles would take place. If he was not wrong, then the top disciples present now were of different generations. They did not have the same age, and the eldest could even have an age difference of two hundred from the youngest, so how they were going to conduct this competition in a fair manner was something that made him skeptical.

At this moment, a Grand Elder stood up from his seat, and Davis felt that he was going to likely clear that confusion as that Grand Elder opened his mouth.