Since Wilbur was more powerful than Felix, he would definitely be able to make a bigger impact. Felix took two steps back and said, "You take it from here, then."


    Milton waved a hand. "Gray! Carl! It''s your time to shine!"


    Gray and Carl walked up to Wilbur, bowing to him at the same time. "After you, Mister Penn."


    Wilbur sneered. "No, you can go first since you challenged us. Also, I''ll give you a handicap of three moves. As long as you manage to touch me, I''ll consider myself to have lost. Senior Horne and I will leave on our own then. But if I do manage to win by a stroke of dumb luck, I hope Elder Milton and the rest of you keep your word in weing Senior Horne as the new leader of the Chris family."


    Gray and Carl exchanged nces, then Gray said, "Well, Carl and I won''t be holding back, then."


    Upon saying the words, both cultivators surged with a powerful energy aura. With the support of the energy aura, two vermillion bird apparitions formed in the air before charging toward Wilbur at the same time.


    Wilbur knew at once that they had used their full power with this attack. He retreated backward rapidly, sessfully avoiding the attacks in time.


    He watched as the pair of vermillion birds flew right past him in a sweeping circle, missing him by three whole feet, and knew that he had guessed correctly.


    Gray and Carl had cultivated in the Vermillion Bird Mountains and had thus absorbed the energy aura there to summon the vermillion birds as spirit beasts. However, they could not control it very well.


    Considering this, all Wilbur had to do was find their weakness and he would be able to avoid their multiple attacks. In fact, he had just done so. The inability of their attack to hit him was the key.


    Gray and Carl controlled their spirit beasts to draw a circle in the courtyard. They exchanged nces, then leaped into the air at the same time as they spread their arms out along with the spirit beasts.


    Two balls of fire appeared in mid-air before hurtling toward Wilbur the very next second. Wilbur moved across the ground in the same curved pattern, and the two fireballs struck the ground without hitting him at all.


    Gray and Carl continued to p the wings of the vermillion bird spirit beasts, sending out a dozen or so fireballs toward Wilbur. However, Wilbur maintained his movements within the birds'' blind spots, and even the sparks that resulted from the fireball''s collisions with the ground did not hit him.


    Felix looked on worriedly, but said, "That''s two moves. One more move, and it''ll be Wilbur''s turn."


    Gray and Carl looked at each other after hearing Felix''s statement. They knew that if Wilbur managed to pass the challenge, Felix would be the new leader of the Chris family from here on out. It was definitely not a good idea to be on his bad side if that might happen.


    Just as the two men were hesitating, Elder Milton shouted, "Don''t listen to him, boys! As your head elder, I''m ordering you to show them everything you''ve got."


    "Yes, sir!"