The Elder with the crimson robe looked at the hand and made a groaning sound as he suddenly took a blade out of nowhere and slashed it towards his own neck.
Zhao Luo was shocked at the turn of events while the elder with the silver robe smiled in joy just like how Zhao Luo had smiled when he had won the game against Bu Xing.
'Why is he smiling? Why did he slash his own neck?'
Zhao Luo looked at the two with widened eyes as if he was staring at two kids.
Surprisingly there was no blood coming out of the elder who had slashed the blade towards his neck instead his beard was cut off from right below his chin and fell on the hand of the other elder who then stored it.
"That was my 11111 win. Hah, now I am a win ahead of you."
The elder with the silver robe said to the other one whose beard was no more.
'Were they betting on my actions? So if i had just gone with the flow and hadn't challenged the puppet, then the other Elder would have won..'
Zhao Luo realized that he was just a chip in the game between the two Elders.
"Good job kid."
The elder with the silver robe said to Zhao Luo while showing him a thumbs up.
"Uh-huh, but elder what is with the 11111 wins?"
Zhao Luo nodded and couldn't help but questioned the elder who looked like he was in a good mood.
"You are the first to question us."
The elder who had just seemingly lost the game and also his beard, looked anger as he didn't answer Zhao Luo.
"Don't be hard on him for your shortsightedness."
The mood between the two seemed to have changed, as the one with the silver robe seemed to be scolding the other one.
He then turned towards Zhao Luo and looked at him with a gentle smile.
"We had been challenging each other for as long as we remember but in the last 60 years, we have challenged each other every day."
'Just how old are they?'
Zhao Luo trembled as he listened to the story of the two elders who seemed to be the biggest rivals that he has ever seen.
'They have even surpassed Naruto- Sasuke, and Goku-Vegeta.'
Zhao Luo remembered the biggest rivals that he had seen in his favorite animation when he was hospitalized but even they couldn't come close to the elders in front of him.
"Sixty years ago, he wagered that the winner has to lose his beard. That time, he had lost. Then thirty years later, he lost the same wager again. This was the third time and he even came up with a grand strategy which was ruined thanks to your challenging spirit."
The elder looked incredibly contented with the new look that the other one had.
"Then what about when does the winner normally get?"
Zhao Luo's interest was piqued as he wanted to know more about the two elders.
"If it's a tie, we act like twins. If one of us has more wins than the other then, he will the big brother while the other will be the little brother."
"Right Big brother?"
The elder with the crimson robe answered Zhao Luo.
He seemed to have calmed down while talking to Zhao Luo.
"Yep."
The elder with the silver robe nodded.
'Interesting.'
Zhao Luo felt touched by how the two had been challenging each other with such a simple reward for the winner for so long.
"Get ready!"
The elders told Zhao Luo as a puppet appeared in front of him.
"The puppet will be as strong as someone on the level one 'I' of the bronze rank."
The elder warned Zhao Luo as the two Elders seemed to have bonded with Zhao Luo already.
'Nod.'
Zhao Luo looked at the puppet that seemed to be a lifeless skeleton but soon there was a red shine that glowed where its eyes were supposed to be.
"What is this eerie feeling?"
Zhao Luo wondered as a cold feeling made him tremble and he brought out Ifrit from his storage space.
"It's a Bone puppet. Don't worry and just do your best."
One of the elders said to Zhao Luo.
"This should be a piece of cake for him."
The other elder said to the elder who was explaining to Zhao Luo.
In front of them, the bone puppet rushed at Zhao Luo with incredible speed.
In less than a second, it was already swinging its sharp arm towards Zhao Luo.
"Mini walk."
Zhao Luo flashed from his spot and appeared behind it while holding Ifrit with both of his hands, he brought it down on the puppet.
'Slash.'
A red light was left behind as the crimson blade passed through the puppet's body and split it into two.
Zhao Luo landed back on the floor with a disappointed look on his face.
'This was too easy.'
Zhao Luo mumbled.
Without realizing that it was only him that had it this easy, Zhao Luo felt cheated.
'I can't test my limits with this.'
He thought since he had never had a chance to go all out against someone except his apparitions after returning from doing the missions.
"Elders, can I fight a stronger one?"
Zhao Luo asked the two elders who shook their heads.
"You have passed the test. Clearly, there is no need to challenge yourself further. Each level on the bronze rank is not only an increase in one's strength but also their internal energy. The puppet you have faced just now just had the strength but not the internal energy, which should be your aim."
The two elders talked together while looking at Zhao Luo.
'Ah, like the girl from the Qi Sect."
Zhao Luo remembered the leader of the spies while listening to the explanation of the elders.
Her attacks were indeed strong enough to hold back four of them, so Zhao Luo could somewhat guess why the elder emphasized chasing after the internal energy.
"I understand."
Zhao Luo bowed his head in front of the elders and the two nodded.
One of the elders walked towards Zhao Luo and placed his hand on his chest, that is, right over his black badge.
The moment he removed his hand, Zhao Luo exclaimed.
"A bronze badge."
Zhao Luo looked down and found that the color of his badge had changed, same as his level.
"You are now an inner disciple."
The Elder informed Zhao Luo even though there was no way that Zhao Luo didn't know of that.
